Customers could receive the drone deliveries in as fast as 30 minutes, Amazon said in a news release. The drones can carry packages up to 5 pounds.

The plan will intensify the battle between Amazon and Walmart to provide consumers with the fastest delivery times. Both giants rely on a mix of drones and drivers to deliver everything consumers have ordered.

Amazon’s plan would expand its drone delivery operation more than sixfold nationwide into hundreds of new communities, including the Chicago, Atlanta, Cleveland and Boise metro areas. The drones will primarily fly in the suburbs well away from skyscrapers and major airports that could cause problems.

Drone delivery is growing fast but remains a small factor

Hundreds of thousands of packages have already been delivered by Amazon drones this year, but even after this expansion drones will still only handle a fraction of the hundreds of millions of package deliveries each year. In addition to only being able to carry 5 pounds, the drones Amazon builds face countless challenges from tree cover to landscaping and inflatable pools that can make it hard to find a good drop zone.

There are also regulatory hurdles to overcome in every community where Amazon wants to set up operations. Noise concerns also pose a potential challenge.

“It’s still an experiment. It’s still in test and learn mode,” said Sucharita Kodali, who is a retail analyst with Forrester.

Walmart also uses drones in some locations as part of its delivery service, but the core part of its network relies on drivers to bring orders directly from its stores to customers. Walmart didn't immediately respond Wednesday to Amazon's announcement, but the retail giant said early this year that it planned to expand drone delivery service to 150 more stores in partnership with Wing, a division of Alphabet to give it 270 drone delivery locations by 2027.

The novelty of drone delivery may attract orders at first

Initially, consumers might order something delivered by drone because they are curious about it, but it’s not clear how often they will continue to use the service, and Amazon is still working out the economics, Kodali said.

The service will be free for Amazon Prime members who are ordering more than $50 worth of goods, but smaller orders will cost members $2.99. Non-members will pay $4.99 for drone delivery.

Prime members get free deliveries while non-members pay a flat fee if the shipment is under $35 for standard delivery or up to $12.99 for same‑day shipments when available.

Kodali said drones could prove more useful for certain light-weight deliveries that are needed urgently like prescription medications.

DoorDash and other delivery companies also are experimenting with using drones to deliver foods and other goods.

Amazon CEO believes drone delivery will be part of the mix

Amazon’s CEO Andy Jassy told shareholders in his annual letter in April that the company has learned a great deal by flying drones in 11 sites across Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, and Texas. In each location, the drones launch from an Amazon warehouse and cover about 175 square miles, so it takes multiple drone launching locations to serve a large metro area.

“Prime Air now has a design that’ll scale, plans to serve communities with 30 million customers by year-end, and expects to deliver half a billion packages by the end of this decade (with an aim to deliver inside 30 minutes),” Jassy wrote.

Amazon is also continuing to invest in its warehouses, smaller fulfillment centers closer to customers and its fleet of trucks as the company competes to deliver packages within minutes or hours instead of just days.

Amazon is already certified by the Federal Aviation Administration and the company has been awarded waivers to fly drones beyond the line of sight of the pilots. Amazon has invested in safety measures to help drones avoid collisions with anything else in the sky while they are making deliveries.

The federal government has proposed a rule that would allow more drone operators to fly beyond the horizon, but that hasn’t been finalized yet.

In a status report filed late Tuesday, opponents of the move said members of the Kennedy Center's Trump-aligned board “seem intent” on defying an earlier court order requiring the Republican president's name to be removed from the building. The Kennedy Center said it would not move forward with the plans until after Labor Day “at the earliest” to allow time for legal arguments.

Lawyers for Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who is an ex officio member of the board, pressed U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper for an earlier ruling, arguing there is “every reason to believe that Defendants will attempt to effectuate some or part of this latest unlawful resolution at the earliest opportunity after September 8."

A board meeting this month that was expected to largely focus on options to close the Kennedy Center for renovations instead transformed into another push to attach Trump's name to the building, part of a broader move by the president and his supporters to leave a physical mark on the nation's capital.

The board passed a resolution to name the plaza in front of the building after Trump and add his name to the venue's facade so it would read “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump.” In the filing, Beatty said the board also agreed to add an additional reference to the president if the Trump Kennedy Center Fund reached $100 million.

In that event, the facade would read “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.”

The board also voted to back a two-year closure for renovations, while some of the institution's signature programming, including the Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, would take place at off-site locations. The National Symphony Orchestra announced this week it would split its upcoming season between six venues in and around Washington.

Cooper ruled in May that letters affixed to the building spelling out Trump’s name were added illegally and he ordered their removal, a decision that the administration failed to persuade courts to overturn. Since then, a tarp has covered the area where the letters were once installed, frustrating those who sought to remove the president's name from the building.

Kennedy Center makes no commitment to removing tarp

In the latest filing, the Kennedy Center made no commitment to remove the tarp, saying the covering was in place to facilitate the removal of Trump's name and is part of a broader system needed for “water testing and structural repairs to the roof overhang.”

More broadly, Beatty's lawyers questioned the integrity of the board's vote this month, echoing concerns Cooper raised when he called a March vote to shutter the building “ill-informed and seemingly preordained.”

Heading into the August meeting, the Kennedy Center's management said it would provide the board with three options, including a complete closure or a partial closure that would allow “some continued public access and limited programming in spaces unaffected” by the work. A third option would “consider a highly limited series of phased closures to address only the Center’s most serious infrastructure needs while scheduling and maintaining a full slate of programming.”

In Tuesday's filing, the Kennedy Center said a Delta Consulting Group analyst concluded that a partial closure that would play out over four years “would increase the length and cost of construction and lead to substantial safety concerns.”

The analyst "recommended that the Board proceed with a full closure for two years, which would minimize total cost, minimize the amount of time that programming would be subject to disruptions from construction, and best preserve the Center’s reputation as world-class performing-arts venue,” the Kennedy Center said.

Beatty's lawyers, however, noted that materials were provided to the board just two days before the meeting. They said some documents appeared to have been created before Cooper's May ruling and referred to the Kennedy Center's closure that was initially set to take effect on July 6.

The August vote to close the Kennedy Center, Beatty's lawyers argued, “exhibits the same flaws as the first vote.”

The S&P 500 rose 0.4% and is on track for its first gain in four days after setting its all-time high last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 255 points, or 0.5%, as of 10:30 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was virtually unchanged.

The stock market has been under growing strain as worries about inflation, big government debts and other factors drive Treasury yields higher in the bond market. That ultimately makes borrowing money more expensive for everyone, which slows the economy and undercuts prices for stocks and other investments.

But Treasury yields fell in the morning after the U.S. Treasury Department said it will at least double the size of its planned purchases of longer-term Treasurys from Sept. 9 through Nov. 4. The department said it’s doing so “to provide greater liquidity support in longer-dated nominal sectors where there is consistent strong sponsorship from market participants.”

These longer-term 10- and 30-year Treasurys are less beholden to the Federal Reserve, which can raise or lower very short-term interest rates for overnight loans. President Donald Trump has lobbied for the Fed to lower interest rates to help the economy.

Instead, longer-term yields are set by investors in the bond market, who are deciding how much interest they need to get paid by the U.S. government in exchange for lending it money. And recently, they have been demanding more in interest to make up for the growing risks of high inflation, continued government deficits and other factors.

After the Treasury department's announcement, the yield on the 10-year Treasury sank to 4.64% from 4.71% late Tuesday, which is a notable move for the bond market. It, though, remains well above its 3.97% level from before the war with Iran sent oil prices and worries about inflation much higher.

The 30-year Treasury yield, which has recently touched its highest level since 2007, fell more sharply to 5.19% from 5.28% late Tuesday.

On Wall Street, Moderna and Merck helped lead the market after they announced encouraging results from a study of a cancer vaccine they co-developed. The new drug showed better recurrence-free survival in melanoma patients who had a combination of it and Keytruda, a prescription immunotherapy drug made by Merck, than with Keytruda alone.

Moderna soared 150.2%, while Merck jumped 10.3%.

The continuing parade of U.S. companies to report bigger profits for the spring than analysts expected, meanwhile, continues to support stocks.

Estee Lauder rallied 16.4% after CEO Stéphane de La Faverie said a key measure of its revenue growth accelerated for a fourth straight quarter. It reported growth in revenue around the world, with the strongest in mainland China.

The skin care company reported earnings per share of 39 cents, after excluding some restructuring and other one-time expenses. That’s up from just 9 cents a year earlier and was better than the 32 cents that analysts expected, according to FactSet.

Such growth is imperative because stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate profits over the long term. And strong growth helps allay criticism that stock prices shot too high in their runs to records.

Target rose 4.8%, Lowe’s added 4.2% and homebuilder Toll Brothers climbed 6.9% after they all also reported better profits for the latest quarter than expected.

They helped offset drops for some Big Tech stocks, which restrained the overall market. Broadcom fell 5.3%, for example, and was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500. It and other winners of the artificial-intelligence boom have been swingingsharply through the summer on worries that their stocks may have shot too high and that the AI frenzy may not be sustainable if it doesn't produce big-enough profits.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mostly lower in Asia and mixed in Europe.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 sank 3.2%. South Korea’s Kospi, which has been home to some of the world’s sharpest swings because of its heavy reliance on AI stocks, slumped 5.8%.

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AP Writers Michelle Chapman, Chan Ho-him, Mike Stobbe and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

The stunning developments came a day after Ukraine’s recently fired defense minister demanded national elections, despite Russia’s more than 4-year-old invasion.

Although Zelenskyy was not implicated in the graft investigation, it threatened to pull him into another political crisis and provide another test of his resilience.

Investigators gave few details of the probe. It has identified a group of people alleged to have laundered 150 million hryvnias ($3.4 million) to pay bail for a defendant in a major graft case last year, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau said.

That case, involving the state-owned nuclear power company, brought the resignations of Ukraine’s justice and energy ministers.

The latest suspects include a former lawmaker, the chairperson of a state bank’s board and the head of the bank’s supervisory board, as well as a deputy head of the presidential office, the agency said.

Zelenskyy made no public comment on the investigation but issued a decree dismissing Iryna Mudra as deputy head of the Office of the President. Investigators have not named her as a suspect.

Investigators searched Mudra’s office Wednesday, said lawmaker Oleksii Honcharenko.

Zelenskyy remains dogged by high-level graft investigations, although he has never been named as a suspect even as the probes have engulfed officials close to him. Last year, his chief of staff Andriy Yermak resigned and later was named as a suspect in a major graft probe involving a luxury construction project in the biggest threat to Zelenskyy’s government since Russia’s 2022 invasion.

The European Union has identified deep-seated corruption as one of the major hurdles to Ukraine's desired membership in the bloc.

Zelenskyy's former aide wants a wartime election

Zelenskyy is already under pressure over his firing last month of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, one of the longest-standing members of his team and a close ally since helping him win the 2019 presidential election.

Zelenskyy, seeking to reconcile tensions between the Defense Ministry's young and tech-savvy innovators and Ukraine's seasoned, Soviet-trained battlefield leaders, risked angering both sides by reshuffling his wartime leadership. He ousted both Fedorov, whose changes to military procurement aimed to stamp out corruption, and commander-in-chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi.

That sparked street protests supporting Fedorov. For Zelenskyy, it was the second time in a year that a move triggered a strong public backlash, after he tried to curb the powers of anti-corruption agencies in 2025.

Fedorov, in an address posted to YouTube late Tuesday, called for elections — appearing to directly confront Zelenskyy, whose term expired in 2024. Ukraine's constitution prohibits such a vote under martial law.

“We must find a legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to restore a full democratic process even amid a prolonged war,” Fedorov said.

He said Ukraine faces a crisis in how it is governed, arguing the current system is oriented toward protecting itself and resisting change. He also condemned corruption among officials without naming anyone, saying it had weakened Ukraine’s ability to fight.

Zelenskyy’s office did not immediately comment on Fedorov’s address. It was not immediately clear whether Fedorov's appeal would resonate with Ukrainians.

Also on Wednesday, lawmakers approved Zelenskyy's candidate, Maj. Gen. Yevhenii Khmara, as the new defense minister, a move that effectively closes the door to Fedorov’s return to the post, which he has sought, anytime soon.

Lawmakers also gave their consent for Andrii Sybiha to stay on as foreign minister after serving in an interim role.

Political disarray follows Ukrainian wartime successes

The political disarray follows recent successes for Ukraine in the war. Using innovative drone technology, it has repeatedly hit Russian oil facilities, causing fuel shortages. It has also shocked the Russian public by striking warehouses of Wildberries, the country's biggest online retailer, and stalled front-line advances by Moscow's bigger army.

But Zelenskyy has been unable to get traction in U.S.-led peace efforts, and Ukraine is at the mercy of Russia's ballistic missiles because more U.S.-made Patriot interceptors aren't available due to low international stockpiles.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has balked at negotiating a peace deal directly with Zelenskyy.

In its latest attack, a Ukrainian drone hit an oil refinery in Ufa in Russia's Bashkortostan, its Gov. Radiy Khabirov was quoted as saying by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. There are three oil refineries in Ufa, and all have been attacked.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses overnight intercepted 453 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions, as well as Russian-held Crimea and the Black Sea.

It said Russian forces on Tuesday hit a bulk carrier in the Black Sea, southeast of Odesa, that was carrying military equipment. On Wednesday, the Russian military struck what it said were fuel and lubricant storage tanks for the Ukrainian armed forces in the southern port of Chornomorsk.

A Russian drone struck a minibus in Kherson in southern Ukraine on Wednesday, killing four people, said Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the regional military administration, adding that four women were wounded. Another Russian drone struck a civilian car in the regional capital, killing a woman, he said.

Amid the fighting, Russia and Ukraine swapped 103 prisoners of war, according to Zelenskyy and the Russian Defense Ministry.

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Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

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

The military said it would not launch criminal investigations into three other attacks that killed aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders. Its statement said it had completed reviews of 150 incidents of troop conduct in Gaza and made decisions on the five cases.

The military statement did not mention the many other high-profile killings that Israel has pledged to investigate throughout the war, such as the Israeli strikes on a hospital in southern Gaza that killed five journalists in August 2025, including Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist who freelanced for The Associated Press and other news organizations.

Both the killing of Rajab and her family, trapped in a vehicle and pleading for help by phone in February 2024, and the killing of 15 medics in May 2025 drew international outcry. Independent experts from the U.N. Human Rights Council have said Rajab’s killing might constitute a war crime. Rights groups have filed war crimes complaints to the International Criminal Court and requests to indict soldiers they identified as involved in the killing.

Rajab’s grandmother, also named Hind Rajab, told the AP by phone that the Israeli investigation is not enough, and called for an international probe into the killing of her granddaughter and all of the hundreds of children killed in Gaza during the war.

“An international investigation is required to uncover the truth and hold all those responsible accountable,” she said. “We call for justice, not only for Hind, but for all Gaza children.”

The military's statement comes nearly three years after the war began. Israeli strikes continue in Gaza despite a fragile ceasefire.

The 5-year-old was the last alive in a stranded car

The military admitted to firing at the family car carrying Rajab, four of her cousins and her aunt and uncle as they fled an Israeli invasion of Gaza City.

As gunfire sprayed around them, Rajab's cousin, 15-year-old Layan Hamada, called the Palestinian Red Crescent paramedic center, telling them that a tank was approaching and her family had been killed. Seconds later, more gunshots were heard, and Layan’s screaming stopped, according to the Red Crescent recording of the call.

Palestinian paramedics dispatched an ambulance to rescue Rajab, the sole survivor, and stayed on the line until contact was lost. Rajab, her five relatives and two medics from the ambulance were found dead 12 days later.

The military admitted Wednesday that troops had fired toward that ambulance, killing the two medics.

The 15 paramedics had been trying to reach casualties

In the other killing, Israeli troops opened fire on the vehicles of the 15 paramedics as they drove in the southern city of Rafah. The military said one deputy commander had been directed to step down.

Troops shot at an ambulance that was driving to retrieve casualties from an Israeli offensive, then fired on several other emergency vehicles that went out to look for the first one, according to phone footage and the sole survivor of the shootings.

Troops then bulldozed over the bodies and vehicles, burying them in a mass grave. U.N. and rescue workers were only able to reach the site a week later to dig out the bodies.

At the time, U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called for "justice and answers.”

“They were killed in their uniforms. Driving their clearly marked vehicles. Wearing their gloves. On their way to save lives. This should never have happened," said Jonathan Whittall, a U.N. official who helped recover the bodies.

The Israeli military initially said it opened fire because the vehicles were “advancing suspiciously” on nearby troops without headlights or emergency signals. But it backtracked from that account after the footage emerged, showing the Red Crescent and Civil Defense teams driving slowly with their emergency vehicle lights flashing and logos visible.

“We are not obligated to prove the truth because it is already proven to the whole world,” Eid Azizi, a Palestinian Red Crescent spokesperson, told the AP in a phone call. “We shouldn’t have reached this point if they respected and followed the international humanitarian law.”

Israel will not criminally probe World Central Kitchen strike

The military said it had decided not to open a criminal investigation into the April 2024 airstrikes that hit a convoy of World Central Kitchen vehicles, killing seven staffers of the U.S.-based aid group, which has distributed food in Gaza throughout the war.

The aid group at the time said it had coordinated with the military over the movement of its cars. The vehicles, which had the group’s logo on their roofs visible from the air, were left incinerated and mangled, indicating multiple targeted strikes.

Wednesday's military statement said it had mistakenly identified several individuals in the vehicles as armed Hamas military operatives, and that the convoy deviated from the previously coordinated route. But it concluded that “the decisions of the commanders did not raise reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct.” At the time, two officers were removed from their positions and three others reprimanded.

The military also decided not to take criminal action over the killings of four staffers from Doctors Without Borders in two separate instances in November 2023 and February 2024. Israel later barred the medical charity from operating in Gaza.

The war's toll keeps growing

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel and abducted 251 others. Israel’s ensuing war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

That includes at least 1,273 people killed in Gaza since a fragile ceasefire took effect in October, according to the ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants but says women and children constitute about half of the dead.

Meanwhile, France announced that it will expel two Iranian diplomats in response to the expulsion of French diplomats from the Islamic Republic earlier this week, while the Iranian parliament speaker and chief negotiator landed in neighboring Iraq for a three-day visit.

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

Israel's military plans criminal investigation into Gaza attacks

The Israeli military said Wednesday that it would investigate the killings of 5-year-old Hind Rajab and her family members in February 2024, and the killing of 15 Palestinian medics in March 2025. Both killings gained international attention.

The announcement, which followed reviews of 150 incidents of troop conduct during the war in Gaza, also said that the military would not launch criminal investigations into three other attacks that killed aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders.

Hind Rajab was killed when Israeli troops opened fire on a vehicle that also was carrying her aunt, uncle and four cousins as they tried to flee Gaza City amid an Israeli offensive.

The 15 paramedics were killed when Israeli troops opened fire on their vehicles in the southern city of Rafah, then bulldozed over the bodies and buried them in a mass grave. Troops shot at a first ambulance that was driving to retrieve casualties from an Israeli offensive, then fired on several other emergency vehicles that went out to look for the first one, according to phone footage and the sole survivor of the shootings.

Iran's parliament speaker and top negotiator visit Iraq

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf arrived in neighboring Iraq on Wednesday for a three-day visit where he will meet with Iraqi officials and leaders of an Iran-backed political coalition.

Iran-backed Iraqi militias have launched drone attacks on U.S. military and diplomatic targets both within the country and abroad, piling pressure on Baghdad, which for years has delicately tried to maintain strong ties with both Washington and Tehran.

Qalibaf on Wednesday praised the country’s Tehran-backed militias — which he called the “resistance in Iraq” — describing them as a “key component of the country’s national power.”

“After years of experience in Iraq, the resistance has gone beyond the borders of the two countries and has become an influential force at the regional and global levels,” Qalibaf said.

Iraq is asking Iran to grant special status to Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz because the country has been affected greatly by the war and needs to guard its economic interests, according to a statement from Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi.

Iraq relies on oil revenues for roughly 90% of its budget, and most of its oil is exported through the Strait of Hormuz. Since the U.S.-Iran war erupted, halting most traffic through the strait, Iraq has turned to alternate routes, including sending oil over land to Syria, but that route is less efficient and more expensive.

France and Iran expel diplomats

France announced Wednesday that it will expel two staff members of the Iranian Embassy in France, in response to what the French Foreign Ministry described as an assault by Iranian security forces against two French diplomatic staff in the Islamic Republic last month.

Iran accused the French pair of taking part in a secret meeting with “suspects in a major case involving foreign infiltration and interference,” Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The French diplomats were expelled on Monday.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot slammed the Iranian authorities for not investigating what he called a “premeditated and deliberate attack.” He called the allegations fabricated and said the two Iranians will leave Paris in the coming days.

Iran denies UAE accusation of launching ballistic missiles

Tehran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wednesday criticized the United Arab Emirates for accusing Iran of launching two ballistic missiles that targeted “maritime navigation” and fell into the Persian Gulf. In the weeks after the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, the UAE was frequently targeted by Iranian missiles and drones, but Tuesday’s reported attack was the first in weeks.

“This behavior is contrary to the principle of good neighborliness and disrupts ongoing efforts to strengthen trust between regional countries and prevent escalation in the region,” Esmail Baghaei said in a statement.

Not long after the incident Tuesday, the UAE Foreign Ministry said it suspended trade with Iran “in light of regional escalations that undermine regional and international peace and security.”

It comes less than a week after Abu Dhabi accused Iran of firing drones at two tankers operated by a state-owned oil company as they sailed through the Strait of Hormuz.

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Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.

The retailer also benefited from a tariff refund of $994 million after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled this year that the Trump administration had overstepped its authority when the tariffs were implemented.

There is a lot of interest in how tariff refunds from the U.S. government will impact retailers and whether those refunds will be used to lower prices for customers.

Chief Financial Officer Jim Lee, when asked about tariff refunds this week, said the company continues to invest in lowering prices. Target reduced the prices of more than 10,000 items over the past year and “there’s more to come even as we’re facing headwinds overall,” Lee said.

Comparable sales, those coming from stores and digital channels operating for at least 12 months, rose 3.8% in the second quarter. The company also upgraded its annual profit and sales outlook, citing the solid performance during the first half of the year.

Target is emerging from more than a year of weak comparable sales. A 5.6% jump in the first quarter offset a 3.8% decline in 2025. The second-quarter gain followed a 1.9% drop a year ago.

Target CEO Michael Fiddelke, a 20-year company veteran who became chief executive in February, said the latest quarter was “an important step forward in the plan we laid out earlier this year to open a new chapter of growth for Target.”

Target also reported an increase in the number of customers going to its stores and shopping on its website from May through July.

“We’re encouraged by the progress made so far, and we’re also clear-eyed about the important work still ahead,” Fiddelke said.

In March, Fiddelke unveiled a $6 billion plan to reverse Target’s sales slump and to reclaim the retailer’s reputation as a place to go for affordable yet stylish apparel and home goods.

More than half of Target’s back-to-school merchandise is new, the company said.

That includes a limited-time collection of teen and tween clothes, school supplies and accessories in pastel colors and floral prints from the women’s lifestyle brand LoveShack Fancy. Target also collaborated with Hollister on a dorm decor collection.

Target recruited fashion designer and TV personality Isaac Mizrahi this summer to fill the newly created role of creative director at large. Mizrahi has been brought in to mentor Target designers, advise on product design and innovation, and forge new partnerships.

It is Mizrahi's second partnership with Target. He became the first major fashion designer to collaborate with the retailer in 2002 for a successful run.

Fiddelke is also remodeling Target stores and improving staffing. The company has more than 100 full-scale remodels underway, with a goal of reaching 130 this year, Fiddelke said Tuesday.

During the second quarter, comparable store sales — sales from established physical stores — increased 2.7%, while increased same-day deliveries pushed digital comparable sales up 8.7%.

Target is one of the first big retailers to report second-quarter financial results, which could give industry analysts and economists another read on whether ongoing price pressures from the conflict in Iran impacted consumer behavior.

The Commerce Department released a report Friday showing weak retail sales in July. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index, also released Friday, showed greater pessimism about the economy this month, likely driven by stubbornly high prices.

Target's overall sales increased in all six of its main merchandising categories, led by double-digit growth in what the company calls Fun 101 — a division that includes consumer electronics, toys, trading cards, sports paraphernalia, books and gaming items.

Target's beauty and food and beverage sales were also standouts. Target plans to roll out a new Target Beauty Studio concept next month in more than 600 locations. The new area, which will offer upscale beauty products and enhanced product expertise from staff, will partly replace its shops with Ulta, which is ending its partnership with the retailer in August, the company said.

On the other side, business in clothing and home goods hardly grew. Target executives said the work to improve these areas is ongoing.

Net income was $1.87 billion, or $4.11 per share, for the three months ended Aug. 1, easily beating the $2.34 per share that Wall Street had expected, according to a survey by FactSet. It also outpaced last year's $935 million, or $2.05 per share. Yet this year also included millions from tariff refunds, which amounted to $1.65 in earnings per share, Target said.

Net sales rose 5.3% to $26.54 billion for the period.

Target now expects sales to increase 5%, up from its earlier predictions for a 4% gain. It also expects earnings per share for the full year to be in the range of $9.90 to $10.90. Analysts expect $8.52 per share for the year, according to FactSet.

In May, Target reiterated its guidance from March for earnings per share to be near the high end of $7.50 to $8.50.

Democrats have hoped to mount a comeback in the diverse, populous and economically dynamic state but have struggled to craft a message that resonates with the state’s electorate. Nixon's upset sets up a long-shot challenge to U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, a former state attorney general who Gov. Ron DeSantis selected to fill the seat after it was vacated by Marco Rubio, who Trump chose as secretary of state.

The race has already inflamed tensions within the Democratic Party over how to energize liberal voters eager for unapologetic, combative candidates while not alienating independents and moderates who have been key to winning in battlegrounds.

“If you’re surprised by tonight’s election results, you haven’t been paying enough attention to what’s happening in the South,” Britney Whaley, the southeast regional director of the Working Families Party, which backs populist candidates. “Tonight’s election results must be a wake-up call to a political establishment that believes a populist message can’t win in the South. Angie’s campaign proves voters will respond to a bold economic vision that meets their basic needs.”

A spirited progressive who had the backing of Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Nixon recently joined the Democratic Socialists of America. She championed policies like universal healthcare and childcare and has been an outspoken critic of U.S. foreign policy and the war in Gaza.

In May, Nixon protested the Republican-controlled Florida legislature’s redistricting of the state’s congressional maps by shouting through a megaphone during a hearing. She was later reprimanded by an ethics committee but earned plaudits from Democratic allies and voting rights for her demonstration.

Vindman raised about $16 million in his race and had spent more than $9 million by the end of July. Nixon, by contrast, had raised just shy of $1 million. Progressives immediately touted her win as a sign of greater momentum for the region.

Vindman served on the White House's National Security Council during Trump's first term. His testimony was central to Trump's first impeachment over a phone call in which he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden and his family. Vindman became a national Democratic star and target of Trump's ire for his actions, a dynamic that garnered him millions in small-dollar donations.

His twin brother Eugene, who also served on the National Security Council, is serving as a Democratic congressman from Virginia.

“Rep. Nixon ran a strong campaign. I will be standing by her side in the fight against Ashley Moody. I hope you’ll join me,” Vindman said in a statement after he conceded the race.

Democratic leaders like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had hoped Vindman's reputation and campaign war chest would help turn what election analysts had considered a solidly Republican seat into a more competitive race. But Nixon's upset victory has now buoyed already high Republican confidence in the state.

Once an archetypal political background, Florida has shifted to the right since 2016. Trump himself moved his residence to his Mar-a-Lago resort after leaving the White House in 2021 following his first term.

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made the comments Wednesday night in her country’s first reaction to Trump’s moves to drastically cut back the annual U.S.-South Korean military drills.

“We think it’s not worth making comments on that and we have no any interest in it,” Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by state media. “The provocative, aggressive nature of the drills won’t change even though their duration and size were reduced.”

Her statement came hours after the South Korean and U.S. militaries confirmed Wednesday they were significantly scaling back major joint drills, days after Trump ordered the reduction in an apparent bid to reengage with Kim Jong Un.

Trump ordered the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” the allies’ summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, just before they began Monday for an 11-day run. Trump cited what he said was a good relationship with Kim and South Korea’s refusal to support him over Iran.

South Korean officials said Trump's surprise announcement came without prior notice, baffling many people in the Asian country and raising concerns about joint defense readiness.

South Korea’s military said Wednesday the allies agreed to adjust the duration and scale of the exercises at the request of the U.S. It said the ongoing drills would end Friday, not Aug. 27 as initially planned. It added the allies also agreed to downsize some joint field training exercises.

The Pentagon said that it was “continuing training that enhances tactical capability” but certain events have been canceled or converted to simulations. “These adjustments preserve essential readiness and training objectives. There will be no degradation to U.S. training objectives,” a Pentagon statement said.

Shortening of drills raises worries about military readiness

Many experts say Trump’s move threatens to hurt the combined U.S.-South Korean defense posture and eventually weaken their decades-long alliance.

A reduction or suspension of military drills matters because military commanders change periodically. A one-year suspension of drills would mean commanders unfamiliar with the procedures of the drills would be taking part when they resume, according to Yang Uk, an analyst at Seoul’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

Ulchi Freedom Shield is largely a computer-simulated command post exercise meant to hone the allies’ ability to deal with potential North Korean aggression. The two countries usually hold a set of field training exercises during the command post exercise period.

The drills and a similar springtime exercise are a central pillar of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, which dates to the 1950-53 Korean War. But it’s also a long-running source of tensions with North Korea, which has denounced the exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion and responded with provocative missile tests. Days before this month's drills began, North Korea launched two ballistic missiles into the sea.

This month's drills were initially supposed to be held in two phases in simulation of North Korean attacks — the first part until this Friday on defensive operations and the second part until Aug. 27 on counteroffensive operations. North Korea is extremely sensitive to counteroffensive drills, according to South Korean media.

North Korea lambasts US-South Korea drills and vows responses

Earlier Wednesday, North Korea's state news agency, KCNA, published a commentary slamming the U.S.-South Korean military drills as “frantic” and “extremely dangerous” and vowing to completely frustrate its rivals’ hostilities.

“The dangerous escalation of the war drills staged by the U.S. and its vassal forces is posing a more serious threat to the security” of North Korea, the commentary said. “Our exercise of right to self-defense will continue to completely neutralize the enemies’ military threat.”

Many experts said Kim, now emboldened by his advancing nuclear program and expanding military cooperation with Russia, won't likely embrace Trump's overture and return to talks anytime soon unless he's promised bigger concessions. In response to Trump's previous outreach, Kim suggested last year that he can only return to talks if the U.S. drops its demand for North Korean denuclearization as a precondition for diplomacy.

Trump and Kim met three times from 2018-2019 but their high-stakes diplomacy eventually fell apart over wrangling over a North Korean demand for extensive sanctions relief in return for limited denuclearization steps.

On Monday, the office of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed hope that a “friendly relationship” between Trump and Kim would lead to “meaningful dialogue” to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula. Lee is a liberal who wants better ties with North Korea.

But his office's statement drew a strong backlash from conservatives, who alleged Lee's government was prioritizing the resumption of Kim-Trump diplomacy over security concerns caused by Trump's move.

Trump's move may focus on South Korea over Iran

In his social media post, Trump said the drills are not only costly but “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which he said “has been unthreatening and respectful” during his time in the White House. Trump said he asked Lee if South Korea would join the U.S. in the “denuclearization” of Iran, “and they said, ‘No thanks!’”

At separate parliamentary hearings Wednesday, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said neither South Korean nor U.S. officials were informed of Trump's move before his social media post.

Cho said the alliance remains strong, while Ahn said South Korean and U.S. defense officials were maintaining close consultations.

Some experts say Trump's cut of the drills was more likely designed to apply pressure on South Korea to give him substantial support over the Iran war than to reach out to North Korea.

“Trump's message is that if you don’t cooperate with us on Iran, we’re not cooperating with you” on the drills either, said Yang, the analyst. “It's like he's asking South Korea to show it's helping him over Iran” by taking steps like sending warships or reinforcing missile defenses in some areas.

South Korean officials said South Korea and the U.S. are closely discussing practical and military contributions that South Korea can make to help restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

It wasn't the first time that the U.S. and South Korea have scaled back or canceled their drills.

In 2018, Trump abruptly announced the cancellation of a major war game with South Korea, after his first summit with Kim. Announcing the decision, Trump said suspending the “provocative” war games would “save us a tremendous amount of money.”

The U.S. and South Korea have since canceled or reduced other joint drills to support diplomacy with North Korea and cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts say reducing those drills has undermined the combined South Korea-U.S. readiness.

Just two days after U.S. negotiators reportedly asked Israel to draw down attacks in the Gaza Strip, at least 10 people were killed Wednesday in two strikes, according to local hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent. Israeli troops also crossed the ceasefire line in southern Gaza and detained a Hamas police colonel at dawn Wednesday, two witnesses and a Hamas official said.

Israel's military said one of the strikes on Wednesday, in Nuseirat, struck a Hamas commander who had participated in the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 abducted. A second strike in the Tuffah area of Gaza City struck another Hamas commander planning to carry out attacks against Israeli troops, the military said.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said Wednesday's strike on a police station in Gaza City killed at least nine people and wounded 15 others. One person was killed in Nuseirat. On Tuesday evening, an Israeli strike on a busy seaside cafe killed seven Palestinians, including a child, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

Israel's military said Tuesday's strike targeted a meeting of four Hamas commanders and additional militants, including one who participated in the 2023 attack. The military didn't provide the names of the targeted commanders or confirm if they’d been killed.

Jared Kushner, a U.S. negotiator and President Donald Trump's son-in-law, held a marathon meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, in which he asked Israel's leader to draw down attacks on Gaza, a person familiar with the meeting said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief journalists.

Also on Wednesday, Israel's military said it had completed reviews of 150 incidents of troop conduct during the war in Gaza and would launch criminal investigations into the killings of a 5-year-old girl and her family, as well as of 15 Palestinian paramedics.

At least 17 killed in Israeli strikes

The deadly strikes in Gaza on Tuesday and Wednesday exacted more casualties even as a ceasefire that’s been in place since October has significantly diminished the fighting in the tiny enclave where more than 2 million Palestinians live. Since the ceasefire, Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,273 people, according to health officials in Gaza.

The nearly three-year Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 73,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which was part of the recently dissolved Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It doesn't distinguish between civilians and militants, but says women and children make up around half of the toll.

In the early hours of Wednesday, at least 15 Israeli troops entered the Muwasi coastal area, west of the city of Khan Younis, two residents and a Hamas official said.

Accompanied by armed men, the troops stormed the tent of Sabri Abdel-All, a colonel for the Hamas-led Blue Police in Khan Younis. They also detained another resident identified as Nashat Ezzat Zaarab, they said.

The two residents and the Hamas official spoke on condition of anonymity for their safety.

Latest ceasefire negotiations offer few concrete commitments

On the diplomatic front, the ceasefire also appears stalled. Trump's initial ceasefire plan laid out a broad vision for ending Hamas’ rule in Gaza and rebuilding the territory, much of which was reduced to rubble during the war.

But since last fall, major sticking points have emerged on the conditions of Hamas' disarmament and Israel's withdrawal — and which should come first.

Earlier this month, Trump announced that Hamas had agreed to disarm. But Hamas said it would begin to disarm if Israel halts strikes and withdraws, adding that laying down its heavy weapons would come later and be contingent on the creation of a Palestinian state — something Israel’s government rejects.

Netanyahu also pushed back on the deal, saying Israel won't withdraw from its current lines in Gaza until Hamas has completely disarmed.

After Wednesday's strikes, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem lashed out at the Board of Peace — the body Trump established to oversee the ceasefire — saying it has provided a "cover” for Israel to escalate its attacks in Gaza instead of pressuring it to abide by the ceasefire agreement.

___

Associated Press journalists Julia Frankel and Giovanna Dell'Orto in Jerusalem; Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel; Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip; and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed.

Prosecutors also called into question Comey's account that he had found the seashells in the numerical arrangement of “86 47” while walking on a beach in North Carolina and suggested that his May 2025 post on Instagram was an effort to generate attention for a forthcoming novel about a social media personality whose words inspire his fans to attack his foes.

The arguments in motions late Tuesday represent the government's most detailed explanation of its indictment and were filed in response to wide-ranging defense efforts to dismiss the case on grounds including that it constitutes a vindictive prosecution and that Comey's post did not amount to a true threat. Comey's lawyers contend that investigators in the case misled judges, submitted documents containing false statements, withheld key facts and repeatedly came up empty in their efforts to prove that Comey intended a physical threat or knew that the number 86 could suggest violence.

The entry for “86” from Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says its meaning is “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” Trump, a Republican, is the 47th president.

The Justice Department maintains that the post constituted a real threat

Federal prosecutors maintain that the photo of the seashells, which Comey said he found on the beach, constituted a threat against Trump. Comey deleted the post shortly after he put it up, saying he did not know that anyone interpreted the numbers as a call to violence. His lawyers have said that the slogan has long meant to “get rid of” or “eject” and has been featured on thousands of items sold online and regularly displayed at protests.

But the department sought in its filings to place the post against the backdrop of assassination plots or attempts against Trump in the months before and after Comey's post. Prosecutors say that two minutes before the post was made, Comey's wife texted him a screenshot of a definition of “86” that said "to get rid of or refuse service.”

"There is no serious dispute that an objective viewer of Comey’s post could read it to mean ‘Kill President Trump,’” prosecutors wrote.

The photo was posted days before Comey was set to release a novel he wrote titled “FDR Drive,” in which a prosecutor pursues a far-right social media personality who has called out his adversaries by name and inspired violence against them by his fans, the department said.

After the Instagram post provoked an outcry, according to the government's filings, Comey's publishing agent observed in a text message to him that he had “gone viral.” Comey responded that that was “not my intention, but I’ll be OK if it sells books.” The agent replied, ”Music to an agent's ears."

Prosecutors also asserted there was “reason to doubt” Comey’s account of having come upon the seashells while on a walk, saying they were located 4 miles (6 kilometers) “down from the beach from beachfront property where Comey was staying, in an area separated from the ocean by a sand dune.” They said there was "no evidence that anyone else arranged, photographed, or even saw the shells.”

Comey has called the case vindictive, but prosecutors deny that

Comey's lawyers have called the indictment, which was filed months after an earlier and unrelated case against him was dismissed, part of a Trump retribution campaign targeting one of the president’s vocal critics. Trump fired Comey as head of the FBI in 2017 as Comey was overseeing an investigation into potential ties between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia. Trump since then has called for him and other perceived adversaries to be jailed.

But the Justice Department denied allegations of vindictiveness, saying the decision to indict Comey was made by the U.S. attorney in the area and did not stem from a directive from the president or the attorney general.

To bolster their claims that Comey was unjustly targeted, defense team argued that investigators struggled to develop compelling evidence from witnesses that Comey had intended the post as a threat, but they concealed that from federal magistrates as they applied for warrants to search digital accounts associated with Comey and his wife

For instance, defense lawyers have said, the FBI searched an internal database of information about open and closed investigations for any indication of an association between Comey and the term “86” but found inconclusive results. An FBI agent also requested a review of the FBI file for the case against reputed mobster John Gambino, which Comey worked on as a young prosecutor, but found no references to the term “86.”

Investigators also interviewed a key government cooperator in the case, Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano, who said he did not recall ever discussing the term “86” with Comey or hearing it in connection with the trial.

The latest filings made clear that the administration was standing behind the premise of the case.

“No Government theory was disproved at that time, or now. No intentionally false omission exists, much less one made with reckless disregard for the truth,” prosecutors wrote. "The evidence still supports that Defendant acted at least recklessly by consciously disregarding a substantial risk that his coded message of “8647” that he sent to his 200,000 or so Instagram followers, and the millions of secondary social media users who would view this as threatening violence against the President of the United States.

The Latest:

Trump says he told Mills to end reelection bid

The president, who prides himself as the GOP’s political kingmaker, said Wednesday that he had asked scandal-plagued Rep. Cory Mills to abandon his reelection attempt.

But “he wouldn’t listen,” Trump said in a social media post. “He thought he could win, so who can blame him?”

Mills lost the support of Gov. Ron DeSantis and other top Florida Republicans amid allegations of domestic violence against a former girlfriend, which Mills denied.

Trump had backed Mills earlier this year, but Mills was conspicuously missing when the president’s social media account re-upped his endorsements ahead of Tuesday’s primaries. Republicans nominated former television correspondent Ryan Elijah instead.

“We now have a great candidate, Ryan Elijah, running in his place!” Trump wrote. “Ryan stands for EVERYTHING MAGA, and is respected by ALL. He has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”

Americans have elected just 3 Black governors. That could change this year

Across 250 years, only three of the thousands of elected U.S. governors have been Black — all of them Democrats and men, including current Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

With Florida Republicans nominating U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds on Tuesday, there are now seven Black major party gubernatorial nominees in addition to Moore — men and women, Democrats and Republicans — on November ballots.

“We do have a unique moment here,” said Moore, who chairs the National Governors Association.

The Black nominees typically emphasize their experience and policy proposals, not the history at stake.

“Florida is a great meritocracy in America,” Donalds told reporters after not mentioning his race at all in his Tuesday night victory speech. “I’ll let you guys write about that.”

The other nominees are Republicans Lisa Demuth in Minnesota and John James in Michigan; and Democrats Aaron Ford in Nevada, Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, Jermaine Johnson in South Carolina and David Crowley in Wisconsin.

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Sen. Darline Graham in debate: ‘I’m not that informed on national security’

The recently appointed senator stumbled over a foreign policy question in a debate Tuesday night as she competes in next week’s Republican primary runoff in South Carolina.

“Are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security issues for the United States and if so, why or how?” a moderator asked.

Graham started her answer by saying, “I’m just going to be honest here.”

“I’m not a polished politician up here, national security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military,” she said moments later.

Graham’s brother, Lindsey, died unexpectedly on July 11. She was appointed to fill his seat temporarily and Trump has endorsed her against Rep. Ralph Norman in the special election for her own term.

Kennedy Center tells court it won’t move to return Trump’s name before Sept. 8

The Kennedy Center has told a federal court it won’t try to return Trump’s name to the building’s facade before at least Sept. 8 as another legal battle takes shape over the future of the performing arts venue.

In a status report filed late Tuesday, opponents of the move said members of the Kennedy Center’s Trump-aligned board “seem intent” on defying an earlier court order requiring the president’s name to be removed. The Kennedy Center said it wouldn’t move forward with its plans until after Labor Day “at the earliest” to allow time for legal arguments.

Lawyers for Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who is an ex-officio member of the board, pressed U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper for an earlier ruling, arguing there is “every reason to believe that Defendants will attempt to effectuate some or part of this latest unlawful resolution at the earliest opportunity after September 8.”

Israeli military says it has reviewed 150 cases of troop conduct in Gaza, and decided five

Israel’s military says it will launch criminal investigations into two high-profile attacks on Palestinians during the Gaza war — the killings of 5-year-old Hind Rajab and her family, and of 15 Palestinian paramedics.

The military said it would not investigate three other attacks that killed aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders.

The Wednesday statement did not mention other high-profile killings that the military has pledged to investigate throughout the war, such as the Israeli strikes on a hospital in southern Gaza in August 2025 that killed five journalists including Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist who freelanced for The Associated Press and other news organizations.

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Fake polling from mysterious company highlights danger of unvetted election surveys

A mysterious political firm admitted to fabricating multiple election polls this month. The fake results from a company called Median Strategies, none of which appeared in AP coverage, claimed to evaluate support in the Democratic primary for governor in Wisconsin, the gubernatorial race in Nevada, and the mayoral race in Los Angeles.

The California poll was shared by Mayor Karen Bass’ campaign on social media and covered by local news outlets before the company admitted its results were faked and shut down.

The trajectory of the false data offer a cautionary tale about the perils of trusting unvetted polling. While high-quality political polls still exist, they appear amid a slew of other surveys produced by outside groups, campaigns or super PACs using undisclosed or questionable methodologies.

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Canadians say Trump’s tariffs delay falls well short of a deal

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement “substantial progress” had been made but that important work remained, confirming Canada had agreed to the three-day delay while negotiations continued.

Canadian Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Candace Laing said in a statement that the three-day tariff delay offered businesses some relief but fell short of the certainty a signed interim agreement would provide.

“This limbo state is not anyone’s preferred outcome,” she said, urging negotiators to reach a deal quickly.

US sanctions International Criminal Court president, senior prosecutor

The International Criminal Court has responded to the latest Trump administration sanctions it faces, saying they undermine the rule of law. “When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk,” its statement says.

The State Department said Tuesday it had hit ICC president Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, and ICC senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, who is from Senegal, with sanctions that freeze any assets they have in U.S. jurisdictions or come into contact with the U.S. financial system.

The Trump administration has sought to dismantle the tribunal, which it accuses of trying to unfairly prosecute U.S. and Israeli soldiers for alleged crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq and Gaza. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement calls it “a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate.”

Election takeaways: Donalds joins historic field and progressive scores upset victory in Florida

As the long, contentious primary season nears its end, Democratic voters elevated another progressive Senate candidate in Florida, while Trump’s chosen candidate in his adopted home state, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, won the nomination to be the state’s first Black governor.

It was a mixed bag for incumbents in the state, where Republican-led redistricting efforts scrambled congressional maps. Voters in Alaska, Wyoming and California were also choosing their nominees, sometimes considering multiple people running with matching last names.

Tuesday’s contests will help shape the midterms this fall to determine control of Congress, where Republicans have a narrow edge.

▶ Read more takeaways from Tuesday night

South Korean and US militaries shorten drills by about half after Trump ordered a reduction

The South Korean and U.S. militaries detailed how they’re scaling back joint drills, a reduction Trump ordered in an apparent bid to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Trump had ordered his Pentagon chief to “substantially reduce” the allies’ summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, just before they began Monday for an 11-day run. Trump cited what he said was a good relationship with Kim and South Korea’s refusal to support him over Iran.

South Korean officials said Trump’s surprise announcement came without prior notice, baffling many people in the Asian country and raising concerns about joint defense readiness.

South Korea’s military said Wednesday the allies agreed to adjust the duration and scale of the exercises at the request of the U.S. It said the ongoing drills would end Friday, not Aug. 27 as initially planned. The allies also agreed to downsize some joint field training exercises.

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Trump says US and Canada have reached last-minute deal to delay 50% US tariffs on Canadian imports

President Donald Trump says he’s delaying the 50% U.S. tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports. The countries reached a deal less than two hours before the sanctions were to go into effect, buying time for more negotiations and avoiding for now another strain in already tense relations.

“I have paused the 50% Tariffs against Canada, that were scheduled to kick in tomorrow morning for a three day period, based on the fact that Canada and the U.S.A., subject to the finalization of documents, have a DEAL!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

If they had gone into effect as scheduled at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Trump’s import taxes would have hit Canadian products ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors.

But the political impact would likely have been bigger than the economic one. Canada had threatened to retaliate against any new tariffs with levies of its own, aggravating a trade fight between countries that sold each other $880 billion worth of goods and services last year.

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Judge rules paint tests on Eisenhower Building can proceed, advancing Trump’s makeover plans for now

A federal district judge said Tuesday that paint tests on a 19th-century historic landmark building next to the White House can go ahead, advancing Trump’s plans to add a new coat of white paint to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, for now.

Trump has suggested the massive building be painted as part of his push to remake and beautify the nation’s capital. Planners said the paint job would cost at least $7.5 million.

The proposal to paint the building has alarmed preservationists, architects, historians and others who argue that granite is not meant to be painted and that paint would trap moisture and degrade the stone.

U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich said plaintiffs in an ongoing case had not shown that minimal tests planned for the historic building would cause irreparable harm if those tests go ahead.

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Three years later, after weeks of news stories presenting evidence that he was a plagiarist and fabulist, Arday, 41, was found dead on Friday at his apartment in south London.

His death quickly led to a blame game. Cambridge has been criticized for elevating Arday in a rush to promote diversity, despite red flags about his qualifications, and the news media has been targeted for driving him to despair when his credentials and life story began to unravel under intense scrutiny.

Universities are being criticized over ‘due diligence’

James Cleverly, a Black member of Parliament and former Cabinet minister, said some universities “failed to do the proper due diligence.”

“We see now that he was not completely honest and he clearly did have frailties and failings,” Cleverly told Times Radio. “But he was teed up by a number of academic institutions because they desperately wanted a wunderkind. They desperately wanted to play on the fact he was young and Black and good-looking, and they wanted him to be their poster child.”

But Patrick Vernon, who was recently knighted for his work on racial equality, focused on the media.

Coverage of the Arday story was out of proportion to his position in society, reflecting a higher standard for people of color, Vernon said.

“He’s not the prime minister of this country. He’s not a current secretary of the civil service or local government or the (National Health Service) or a chief executive of a major PLC. … But he was treated at the same standard, which is outrageous,” Vernon said.

Cambridge trumpeted Arday's arrival in 2023

Cambridge hired Arday as a professor of sociology of education in February 2023, when he was 37.

In announcing the appointment, Cambridge highlighted his place as the youngest Black professor in the university’s history and described him as a “respected scholar” focused on increasing the representation of Black, Asian and other minorities in higher education. Arday achieved this stature, the university said, even though he was born with a form of autism spectrum disorder that left him unable to speak until he was 11 and unable to read or write until his late teens — aspects of his biography that have since been questioned in news stories.

British universities have been working to hire more academics from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds so that their faculties better reflect the broader society.

There were 270 Black professors at U.K. universities during the 2024-25 academic year, up from 120 in 2016-17, according to data published by the Society for Research into Higher Education. Black scholars still represent just 1% of all U.K. professors, even though Black people make up about 4% of the working age population, the data shows.

Questions about Arday's qualifications became public last month

Nathan Cofnas, a one-time Cambridge researcher who left the university after his vitriolic comments about diversity programs and minorities sparked widespread protests, said he had found evidence of plagiarism in Arday’s Ph.D. thesis. The Times of London and other newspapers picked up the story, publishing an analysis of the thesis and highlighting multiple passages they said were “identical or near-identical” to an earlier paper by another academic.

The news media also questioned Arday’s claims about astounding personal accomplishments, such as running 30 marathons in 35 days, and raising 5.5 million pounds ($7.4 million) for charity.

The public scrutiny was partly fueled by the impending publication of Arday’s memoir, “Great and Unfortunate Things.” Simon & Schuster published the book last week in the U.S., and it is scheduled to be published in the U.K. on Aug. 27.

Cambridge initially stood by Arday

After initially standing by Arday, Cambridge said Aug. 5 that it was opening an investigation after receiving “new information” about his qualifications. Arday resigned later that day.

The ceremonial head of Cambridge on Sunday defended the university’s decision and criticized media coverage of Arday.

“I do believe it is possible to hold to two principles at the same time: To believe in the importance of academic integrity, and, where criticisms of plagiarism arise about any academic, whoever they are, ensure that they are rigorously investigated, and also to refuse to join in a racist feeding frenzy over a particular academic,” Chancellor Chris Smith told the BBC.

An open letter demands an investigation of media coverage

By Tuesday afternoon, more than 120,668 people had signed an open letter calling on the government to commission a public inquiry into media coverage of Arday.

The letter alleges that media organizations kept up their coverage of Arday even after Simon Baron-Cohen, director of Cambridge University’s Autism Research Centre, publicly warned that their focus on a “vulnerable autistic man” raised “safeguarding issues.” Circulated by the Good Law Project, a campaign group, the letter says Arday and other prominent Black people have been subject to “press harassment with racist overtones.”

Steven Barnett, a professor of communications at the University of Westminster, put the onus on British newspapers, not social media. The mainstream press published 289 stories about Arday in 22 days, almost two-thirds of them after he resigned, he said.

No one should doubt that he was overwhelmed by the scrutiny because Arday himself said it was more than anyone could bear, Barnett said. “I don’t think it’s possible to overestimate the impact that those newspapers, those publishers, have had in this particular case,” he said.

The news media reject criticism of the Arday story

Charles Moore, a former editor of the Daily Telegraph who writes about education, rejected that criticism in a column on Monday.

If Cambridge had properly investigated concerns about Arday that surfaced as early as 2023, he wouldn’t have suffered the shame caused by widespread media coverage, Moore wrote.

Rather than trumpeting Arday’s position as the university’s youngest ever Black professor, Cambridge “could quietly have nurtured his talents and sorted out his problems, which were surely those of a young man out of his depth rather than a brazen impostor,” he said.

“It was the university, not the press, which was obsessed with the color of Dr. Arday’s skin,” Moore wrote.

Columnist Sarah Ditum, writing in the Times of London, said Arday was a legitimate news story because his actions hurt the academics he plagiarized, public confidence in the rigor of his discipline and other early-career lecturers against whom he competed. But she acknowledged that the story was given extra oxygen because it broke during the summer, when Parliament is closed and journalists are desperate for something to write about.

“Academic plagiarists don’t usually make headlines, but Arday was not any old academic,” Ditum wrote.

“He was publishing a high-profile memoir with celebrity blurbs,” she added. “He had chosen the spotlight.”

Vernon, meanwhile, encouraged people to remember there was a man, a husband and father behind the headlines. He has created a GoFundMe campaign to help Arday’s family that has already raised more than 211,805 pounds ($288,489).

“This tells you that Britain still cares about justice, they care about inequalities,” he said. “And more importantly they really want to support Jason and his family in their hour of need.”

___ EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org ___

“Say So,” with its big-hearted and hopeful chorus, is about suicide prevention. It was written in tribute to Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney's late mentor Ben Vaughn, head of Warner Chappell Music Publishing, who died by suicide a year before.

“If you’re going through hell, you’re not alone,” Mooney sings. “If you need somebody, say so.”

“For one of the first times in our career, I was like, ‘I’m not like sure if we should tackle this,’” Smyers told The Associated Press.

But in the studio, it became an inevitability — even though they were uncertain. “We were just sharing stories about our friend. And it just fell out of us. A verse and a chorus in, and I think we were all just like, ‘I don’t know, man. Is this too heavy to tackle?'” Smyers continued.

Creating the demo together, alongside co-writers David Hodges and Jimmy Robbins, became therapeutic.

“We owed it to our friend Ben,” he said. “We owe it to the community, who he meant so much to. And I feel like we owed it to ourselves to at least see that one through to the finish line.”

What they didn't realize is that the day they started work on the song was also what would've been Vaughn's 50th birthday. “It was more than a coincidence,” he said. “That was the sign that this song could help somebody.”

“Say So” may be the heaviest song off “Young,” but it is also a thematic center for the record — 10 autobiographical tracks of crossover country that reflect their lives, now, with new emotional vulnerability — what Mooney labels “a very life-giving thing.”

The heart of 'Young'

The album opens with its title track, the stripped-back acoustic arpeggio “Young,” what Smyers describes as “a message from your future self to your present and past self, about the passage of time and appreciating the moment.”

But there's an additional, gendered resonance. “Men — I just think, maybe I’m generalizing — don’t do as good of a job of sharing their feelings and emotions. And I’m saying that because that’s me,” he said.

“You’re tough. You bottle it up. But when I finally broke down that wall, it changed my life. And I think that song just talks about aging as a man.”

That's yet another difficult subject, which might also explain why, before creating the 10 songs that make up “Young,” Dan + Shay wrote and scrapped an entire album's worth of material. The tracks that made up the final collection took time, open and honest conversation, and a hearty dose of self-reflection.

It's why there may be more religiosity to this album than in the previous works — from the single “Her, The Kids and Jesus” to the album's two mentions of a King James Bible.

“'Her, the kids and Jesus,' that’s kind of a snapshot at what my life looks like right now,” Mooney said.

Growing into 'The Old Guys'

Grief — and affection — take on many forms across “Young." From the ode to a young adult's first pet (“Dogs in Our Twenties”) to a twist on the traditional love song format and praying your partner dies after you (the ‘90s country-channeling “The Old Guys"), the songs are delivered with tenderness. The latter includes the album's sole feature, Cody Johnson — a neo-traditionalist in country music that, on paper, may seem at odds with Dan + Shay's genre-hybridity. After all, these are the same guys who recorded the multiplatinum crossover hit “10,000 Hours” featuring Justin Bieber in 2019.

“We occupy a very different space in country music,” agrees Smyers. Even vocally — Mooney's got a high register, Johnson sings low, and when they're all singing together, “It's, like, perfectly meeting in the middle.”

It also highlights the range of this album. “There’s kind of a song for everybody, for whatever you’re going through,” says Mooney. “Whatever people need to get out of this album, I hope that they get that.”

Just a few days later, the truth emerged: The poll was fabricated.

The California results were among at least three “polls” across three states posted online this month by Median Strategies, a previously unknown organization that admitted to the Los Angeles Times on Monday that the purported results were fake. The company wrote before shuttering its website this week that it “was created as a short-term social experiment examining how purported polling information could enter and spread through the political information ecosystem without independent verification.”

The post offered no explanation of who was behind the “experiment” or for what purpose.

The trajectory of the California poll offers a cautionary tale about the perils of trusting unvetted polling. While high-quality independent polls still exist, they appear amid a slew of other surveys produced by outside groups, campaigns or super PACs or using undisclosed or questionable methodologies. It can be a struggle to make sense of the findings — and as the latest episode shows, even campaigns may end up falling for falsified data.

“This is much bigger than one fake poll,” said Chris Wilson, a veteran Republican pollster who now leads the public opinion firm EyesOver. “It’s never been easier to make invented numbers look legitimate, and campaigns and outside groups have every incentive to amplify anything favorable before anyone verifies it.”

The Median Strategies fake polls, none of which appeared in Associated Press coverage, claimed to evaluate support in the Democratic primary for governor in Wisconsin, the gubernatorial race in Nevada, and the mayoral race in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles poll, which purported to show Bass, an incumbent Democrat, leading councilmember Nithya Raman, a progressive Democrat, by about 12 percentage points in the mayoral race, was shared by the Bass campaign on social media and covered by the California Post before it was revealed to be bogus.

The Bass campaign has since deleted its social media post promoting the poll, but defended itself by saying that it “was reported on by multiple news outlets.”

"Any bad faith attempts to influence elections should be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Bass campaign spokesman Alex Stack said.

Transparency is critical for evaluating poll findings

Median's “findings” were shared by polling aggregation accounts on social media. They were not, however, included in the databases of major independent aggregators, including The New York Times, Real Clear Politics or FiftyPlusOne.

The New York Times and FiftyPlusOne noted that the polls were released without basic information that was needed for vetting, such as who was running the firm. When they reached out, Median Strategies did not respond to requests for more information.

“When the poll was released, it lacked basic information about how it was conducted and who was behind it,” Will Davis, director of Election Data Analytics at The New York Times, wrote in an email to the AP. “Releasing this type of information is standard practice for pollsters, and because that information was not provided, we did not include it.”

Mary Radcliffe, Head of Research at FiftyPlusOne, also thought the methodology statement for the Wisconsin poll was missing key details, including the source for the voter file the company claimed to have used and the vendor who fielded part of the sample.

Median did not respond to her questions, so the polls were not included in FiftyPlusOne’s database. But Radcliffe noted that her method for screening polls is not infallible.

“There is a universe where they could have come up with plausible answers to my questions,” she said. “This is an industry built on trust. I have to trust that people are answering my questions in good faith.”

While admissions of falsified polling data are rare, they are not without precedent.

In 2010, for instance, the left-leaning blog Daily Kos said that polling for its website, conducted by a firm called Research 2000, was fraudulent.

But it’s common for pollsters to release polls with minimal information about how the survey was conducted, what questions were asked, or who was behind it. Higher-quality polls rely on expensive methodologies, such as randomized sampling, so many pollsters opt for cheaper solutions. In addition, many election polls are conducted by campaigns or super political action committees with a stake in the outcome of the race. This can leave few — if any — reliable and independent polls to evaluate in contests like midterm primaries.

Before writing about any poll, AP verifies that it meets high standards of transparency and methodological rigor. But even high-quality polls have some amount of error, which underscores the importance of examining each finding with caution.

Prediction markets introduce more complexity

The introduction of prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket gives polls a different significance for people betting on election outcomes.

The posts about Wisconsin and Nevada drew little reaction and were not accompanied by any discernible movement on the two prediction markets when they were released, but there were some shifts on both platforms after Bass shared the false Median Strategies numbers.

On Kalshi, the price of a “yes” contract on Bass winning the Los Angeles mayoral election rose two cents, from about 63 cents to about 65 cents, within fifteen minutes of Median’s post. On Polymarket, roughly twenty separate accounts traded thousands of contracts in Bass’s favor six minutes after the tweet.

In the days leading up to Bass's post about Median, trading on the LA mayoral election had been thin, with a typical trade over that week being under $10.

While the price movements were small, the concentration of trading on both platforms shortly after the release of Median’s fake poll was not.

Before it was taken down, the Median Strategies website included a statement claiming that “no individual involved held or traded any position in an election prediction market, betting market, or other financial instrument tied to the races covered by Median Strategies.”

Motivations for the fake data remain unclear

More than a week after the firm began sharing “results,” it remains unclear who is behind Median Strategies.

No one responded to AP's questions sent to an email address listed on its website, which was created little more than a week ago. Before it was taken offline, the only content on the site was a statement indicating that the firm “has concluded its polling project and will not publish additional polls.”

“All previously published polling releases have been withdrawn and should not be cited or treated as genuine polling data,” it wrote.

The firm highlighted what it called “a credibility problem” in its first social media post earlier in the month.

“Polling has a credibility problem. Ours is the fix: no partisan clients, no campaign or party money, numbers that go wherever the data takes them even when it’s inconvenient. Trustworthy polling, rebuilt,” it wrote.

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Associated Press writers Linley Sanders and Michael Reo in Washington, Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis., and Michael Blood in Los Angeles contributed.

With feels-like temperatures topping 100 degrees across Central Florida, parents say classrooms have become too hot to learn in. One parent, who asked not to be identified, says her daughter came home sick three days in a row.

“It happened three days in a row where she had a headache, didn’t feel good, really hot and red in the face,” the parent said.

The situation got bad enough that she had to pull her daughter out early.

“I had to dismiss her from school -- she was dehydrated, she stated her whole body hurt,” the parent said. “She feels like she can’t concentrate in class.”

University High School parents received a message through the school’s portal Monday stating, “Our school is experiencing an issue with the air conditioning on campus. OCPS maintenance has been notified and is working on it. We will do our best to keep students & staff as comfortable as possible while it gets fixed. Additional water breaks will be provided.”

But for some parents, that notice didn’t come soon enough.

“It’s unacceptable. I feel like by day two, if they hadn’t fixed the AC, then we should have been alerted immediately,” one parent said.

The parent also said fans were placed in classrooms, but they weren’t providing much relief.

“She reported they do have fans, but the fans are just circulating hot air,” the parent said.

In a statement to News 6, Orange County Public Schools said the air conditioning outage at University High School happened late Monday afternoon.

The district added: “Given the extreme heat our area has experienced over the past week, air conditioning systems are operating under increased strain and, like any mechanical equipment, can occasionally experience unexpected failures.”

An OCPS teacher told News 6 before the start of the school year that broken AC is not an uncommon problem and that it directly affects students’ ability to learn.

“If my air conditioning’s not working, my students aren’t learning, because we’re all hot, and we’re tired, and we’re cranky, and we’re angry and a fan is not doing it,” the teacher said.

In the meantime, the parent says her daughter is now packing extra water every day to get through the school day.

“Now I’m sending her to school with three (water bottles) and I’m freezing them so it will last her the entire day,” she said.

OCPS says maintenance has been notified and is working to resolve the issue.

News 6 will continue to follow this story.

With control of the chamber on the line, Sullivan stepped up his attack against Peltola in the days leading to the primary, questioning her effectiveness while in Congress and seeking to align her with Lower 48 “liberals.” Peltola positioned herself as someone who would represent “regular” people and push back against special interests and wealthy politicians.

Both are seen as the leading candidates in November because of their fundraising and name recognition.

The Senate race was one of several being decided in Tuesday's primary, which also featured Alaska's only U.S. House seat and a wide open governor's race. Under the state’s open primary system, all candidates appeared on the same ballot. The four top vote-getters qualify for the ranked vote general election, but it was too early to call all candidates advancing in the top races.

In the House race, Republican Rep. Nick Begich advanced, along with independent Bill Hill. Two Democrats, former lawmakers Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Tom Begich, Nick Begich's uncle, advanced in the race for governor.

Voters Tuesday also approved a ballot measure that would reimpose campaign contribution limits, five years after a divided federal appeals court struck down a number of caps.

Senate race features 2 widely known candidates

Sullivan and Peltola were the highest-profile candidates among a field of 16 and vastly outraised the other competitors. The race, among a handful that could help determine control of the Senate, has drawn significant attention from outside groups, with Republican and Democratic campaign organizations identifying it as a top target.

Peltola, who in 2022 became the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress, has tried to steer a centrist path and revived the “fish, family, freedom” slogan that first propelled her to office. But in the days before the primary, she shook up her campaign leadership. The campaign described the changes as “staffing updates as we transition into the general election.”

Sullivan, a veteran and ally of President Donald Trump who is seeking a third term, campaigned on supporting the military, opening more land for oil and gas extraction, and voting for Trump’s signature tax and spending law. He told supporters Tuesday that his office is “getting big things done.”

He said “D.C. Democrats” don't have a vision for the state but instead have placed a target on Alaska, such as opposing opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

He criticized Peltola as ineffective during her time in Congress. She lost reelection in 2024.

Peltola said she worked well with Sullivan as part of the state's three-person congressional delegation. But she said the Trump administration has brought challenges to Alaska, including cuts to the federal workforce, and she blasted Sullivan for his support of Trump’s tax and spending bill. She said the bill has not brought opportunity to Alaskans and accused Sullivan of voting for “corporate greed.”

“We’ve got to get working people — regular people — in” office, she told supporters.

A second Dan Sullivan garnered attention

A third candidate, a Republican also named Dan Sullivan, stole much of the attention ahead of the primary.

Dan J. Sullivan won a legal fight to appear on the ballot despite claims by the senator and GOP allies that he was a sham candidate running at the behest of Democrats with the intent of causing confusion. Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from the island community of Petersburg, denied that and said frustration with the incumbent prompted him to run.

He appeared on the ballot as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., with no party affiliation — a decision that a state elections official said was intended to minimize possible confusion. The senator was listed as Dan S. Sullivan, Republican and incumbent.

It was too early to determine whether he would be among the four Senate candidates in the general election.

Matchups in House, governor's races still taking shape

Nick Begich, who was endorsed by Trump, cast himself as hardworking and effective in his role in the U.S. House. He said results from the primary show that Alaskans are ready to return him to Congress.

Hill, a fisherman and former educator from a small southwestern village, has made affordability a key issue in his campaign. He said Alaskans are tired of paying high costs for healthcare, gas and groceries.

“Begich and his buddies think they can play by a different set of rules than we do,” he said after advancing Tuesday. “The Alaskans I know don’t think that’s right.”

The governor's race was wide open with Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy barred by term limits from seeking a third consecutive stint. The crowded field was mostly led by Republican tickets. A Democrat hasn't served as governor in Alaska since Tony Knowles left office in 2002.

Republicans in the race included Bernadette Wilson, a businessperson and conservative activist; Click Bishop, a former lawmaker; Dave Bronson, a former mayor of Anchorage; and Adam Crum and Treg Taylor, two former members of Dunleavy’s Cabinet.

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Associated Press writer Mark Thiessen in Anchorage contributed to this report.

But Moore could soon have company.

With Florida Republicans nominating U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds on Tuesday, there are seven Black major party gubernatorial nominees in addition to Moore — men and women, Democrats and Republicans — on November ballots.

“We do have a unique moment here,” said Moore, who recently became chair of the National Governors Association. He often says that his historic status is “not an applause line” but instead represents a bigger challenge that this country is still looking to overcome.

The Black nominees typically do not focus on the history at stake, instead emphasizing their experience and policy proposals.

“Florida is a great meritocracy in America,” Donalds told reporters Tuesday night after not mentioning his race at all in his victory speech. “I’ll let you guys write about that,” he added.

But many said that more reflective representation matters given the nation’s history, from slavery to Jim Crow and the lingering effects.

“It’s not a secret that some issues in the African American community get ignored and don’t have a voice,” said Aaron Ford, Nevada’s first Black attorney general and now the Democratic nominee for governor. Ford said he brings a focus to issues ranging from voting rights and civil rights to the economy.

Republican Lisa Demuth said she “has never led with any type of identity politics” as Minnesota's first Black House speaker and now her party's nominee for governor. “But I recognize the historic state we are in right now,” she said. Michigan Republicans also chose U.S. Rep. John James, who is Black, as their gubernatorial nominee.

Former New York Gov. David Paterson, a Democrat who was not elected but ascended when Eliot Spitzer resigned in 2008, celebrated that the slate crosses party lines. “This is one day when maybe the Democrats and Republicans could stand in front of a statue of George Washington and let him know that we’re finally getting it right,” he said.

Democrats, meanwhile, emphasized that their Black candidates – who also include Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, Jermaine Johnson in South Carolina and David Crowley in Wisconsin – are especially important after the U.S. Supreme Cour t cleared the way for states to redraw legislative districts that are majority or plurality nonwhite. That was compounded by President Donald Trump’s attacks on diversity initiatives and push to rewrite how the U.S. tells its history of the slave trade and Jim Crow segregation.

“Governors, in many ways, are becoming the last lines of defense against what we’re seeing in Washington,” Moore said.

A challenge for Black politicians, even more so than reaching the US Senate

Karen Finney, who helped push Democrat Joe Biden to select a Black woman as his vice presidential running mate, said Black politicians often are the first and loudest advocates on issues that acutely affect Black constituents. She and others cited health disparities such as maternal and infant mortality and sickle cell disease, and Finney noted that an inflationary economy hits harder in Black communities that, on average, have lower income and net worth than the wider population.

She said it is important for legislators to raise those matters and even more impactful when it is an executive.

“These are people who have the power to shape our lives, and they shape the agenda," Finney said.

But the governor's seat has been notoriously hard for Black politicians to reach, even more difficult than the U.S. Senate. Democrat Douglas Wilder of Virginia took office in 1990 as the nation's first elected Black governor.

“I didn’t become Maryland’s first Black governor because the Democratic Party said, ‘I think it’s time for us to put Wes Moore up in the seat’,” Moore said. “I had to run against the party.”

“I don’t think that the party is doing enough,” Moore added, specifically bemoaning a “negligence” in Southern states where Black voters anchor Democrats' base.

Stacey Abrams, who lost two Georgia governor’s races, recalled white Democratic power players raising money for her primary opponent in 2018, although she disputed that explicit racism was the issue.

“We do what we’ve done because it’s what we did,” she said. “Black women have not been executives, and the absence of that proof point becomes a self-reinforcing philosophy.”

This time, she noted, Bottoms already has been an executive as mayor of Atlanta.

Democrats and Republicans talk about ‘identity politics’ differently

In Minnesota, history will be made in November when the state elects its first female governor as Demuth competes against Democrat Amy Klobuchar, a U.S. senator. Demuth said she looks forward to a day when such distinctions seem less notable.

"One of the things that I really do look forward to is where it’s already done, where it no longer makes history,” she said. “So I think of young women, little girls that are looking at you, could I ever be governor of Minnesota? I hope when I win, they’re able to look at point to that and say she’s already done it.”

In Georgia, Bottoms told the National Association of Black Journalists last week that she does not “give a lot of talk … about the historical nature” of her campaign. Yet she notes her family's Georgia ties go “back at least five generations through a plantation in Crawfordville” and that her grandfather had to “walk through these back doors” when he moved to Atlanta. She never mentioned slavery or segregation but said her ancestry “is always present with me.”

Abrams, who has campaigned for Bottoms and other Democrats this year, was more direct, arguing that all politics is identity politics of some kind — and that Republicans’ version is simply more coded.

“When your Constitution specifically strips a race of its humanity, you cannot then later on say identity doesn’t matter and has no effect, and we've spent 250 years trying to reckon with that identity” with social, political and legal fights, she continued. “So, it’s deeply disingenuous, if not woefully naive, to say that identity does not matter.”

Race shapes many decisions, but not all of them

Deval Patrick, whose tenure in Massachusetts overlapped with Paterson's in New York, said his race mattered especially to his Black constituents and what they wanted from him. It was “just different than the expectations of my predecessors,” he said, recalling criticism after he did not visit a Boston neighborhood where a teenager had been killed by gun violence.

“His mother was on the news grieving, and at some point she said while the cameras were rolling, where is Gov. Patrick?” he said. “Nobody had ever asked one of my predecessors to come to a crime scene in a neighborhood. Never.”

In Nevada, Ford said being governor still means recognizing how many core issues – jobs, housing and healthcare – cross demographic lines.

“It could be a white man, a Latino woman. It could be a person urban, suburban or rural Nevada. It could be someone from northern Nevada, southern Nevada. These are the issues that are important to them,” he said.

Patrick, who talks regularly with Ford and Moore, agreed, saying that is not just how a governor does the job, but how a candidate wins it in the first place.

“The successful candidates are the ones who present themselves as candidates for everyone,” he said, “and not candidates for just some.”

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Sloan reported from Washington.

The State Department announced Tuesday that it had hit ICC president Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, and ICC senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, who is from Senegal, with sanctions that freeze any assets they have in U.S. jurisdictions or come into contact with the U.S. financial system.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the move “very unfortunate” when asked about the sanctions by a reporter. “Japan will respond as we continue to maintain communication with related countries including the United States,” she added.

The Trump administration has now slapped sanctions on nine of the ICC's 18 judges, both of its deputy prosecutors, its former chief prosecutor and one other prosecution office staffer, the court said. The U.S. accuses the court of overstepping its mandate by investigating and seeking to prosecute senior military and political officials from countries, such as Israel and the United States, that are not members of the court.

In a statement, the court said that when “judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk.” It said the court “will continue to fully discharge its mandate with independence and impartiality.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday branded the ICC “a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate.”

The move came weeks after Rubio announced that the U.S. was launching a “sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to U.S. sovereignty.”

Rubio said he will pressure the court’s 125 member states to withdraw from the institution, sanction organizations that work with the court and ban staff from traveling to the United States.

Since then, Venezuela and Chad have announced they plan to leave the court, bringing the number of countries to pull out of the court in the past year to five. It takes a year for a country's decision to quit the court to be formalized.

The sanctions can impact the daily lives of court officials. They prevent the ICC officials and their families from entering the United States, block their access to even basic financial services making even going to a grocery store difficult.

Canadian judge Kimberly Prost, who was sanctioned last year, lost access to her credit cards, and Amazon’s Alexa stopped responding to her. “Your whole world is restricted,” she told The Associated Press after she was targeted.

The court's oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, called the sanctions an “escalation” that “risks undermining ongoing investigations and impeding global efforts” to ensure justice reaches victims of global atrocities.

While Japan calls its alliance with the United States the cornerstone of its postwar foreign and security policies, Tokyo has had difficulty managing the relationship under Trump’s trade and security policies. Takaichi has been portrayed as weak for avoiding any criticism of Trump as her administration navigates weakened U.S. commitment in the region and deteriorating ties with China.

Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Japanese opposition Democratic Party for the People, wrote on X that Trump’s sanctions were “outrageous and intolerable.” He urged Takaichi’s government to show its support for the ICC and reach out to the U.S. government to “have it retract this unjust sanction.”

ICC host nation the Netherlands and European powerhouse Germany both threw their weight behind the court.

German foreign office spokesman Martin Giese told reporters in Berlin that the ICC is “fulfilling its mission exactly as intended,” by holding to account perpetrators of grave crimes. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said he had invited Akane for talks “to discuss our continued support.”

Balkees Jarrah, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, called the sanctions “the latest example of the Trump administration’s utter contempt for international law and a naked attempt to shield American and Israeli officials implicated in serious crimes from justice.”

Human Rights Watch and three other advocacy groups sued the Trump administration in a New York court last week to challenge its campaign against the ICC.

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Associated Press journalists Matthew Lee in Washington, D.C., Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.

Although this marks China’s first successful recovery on land, it is the second time the country has recovered a rocket stage, following a successful recovery on a sea platform in July.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua said the reusable rocket, Zhuque-3, developed by private aerospace company LandSpace, was launched Wednesday morning and that the rocket's first stage was recovered afterward.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin have been recovering rockets since 2015, helping drive down launch costs by reusing hardware that would otherwise be discarded after carrying satellites and other payloads toward space.

Xinhua said that Wednesday's recovery also marked China's first use of deployable landing legs and deemed the result “a major breakthrough in the country’s reusable rocket technology.”

On July 10, the first stage of a Long March-10B rocket separated from the second stage after liftoff and returned to a platform at sea. That time, it was recovered using a net-capture system.

The next day, Japan conducted the first test flight of an experimental reusable rocket, which took off and safely landed.

Japan is also trying to catch up with the technology needed to cut launch costs and compete in the global space market.

Incoming ballistic missile fire triggered nationwide warnings Tuesday night for UAE residents to seek shelter, the first time in weeks such an alarm had sounded.

Early in the conflict, the UAE regularly came under intense fire from Iran, and most trade between the countries, which had once been important trading partners, ground to a halt. In late June, as hostilities eased, some maritime trade resumed, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Beyond the trade in domestically produced goods, “the UAE has been very important for Iran as a re-export hub and has helped the country absorb some of the shocks caused by sanctions,” Mohammad Farzanegan, a professor of Middle Eastern economics at Germany’s University of Marburg, told The Associated Press.

“Iran therefore depends heavily on the UAE, not because the UAE itself produces one-third of Iran’s imports, but because it serves as a major gateway for Iran to access third-country goods and commercial infrastructure.”

The UAE accuses Iran of firing missiles. Tehran denies it

Following the announcement that two ballistic missiles had been fired toward the UAE, both of which splashed down in the Persian Gulf late Tuesday, the Emirati Foreign Ministry said it decided to impose the punitive measures, while also saying it remained committed to “dialogue, cooperation and regional integration.”

The step halted all trade and financial transactions “until further notice,” the ministry said in a statement.

The UAE Defense Ministry said assessments showed that the missiles targeted maritime traffic. It was not clear whether they targeted Emirati ships or the country’s territorial waters.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei denied that Iran had launched any missiles toward the UAE.

As part of Iran's efforts to maintain a stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, it has regularly attacked ships attempting to use the waterway, including four tankers owned by Abu Dhabi’s state-owned ADNOC oil and gas company over the past two weeks. None of the attacks caused injuries, but they brought harsh condemnation from the UAE and others in the region, including Kuwait and Bahrain.

Since the beginning of the conflict, nearly 20 ADNOC vessels have been attacked by missiles and drones in the Strait of Hormuz, killing one person and wounding another 20.

Iran's ability to control traffic through the strait, through which a fifth of traded oil and natural gas passed during peacetime, has proved its biggest strategic advantage in the war. While the U.S. and Israel — which launched the war on Feb. 28 — have given various aims, including toppling Tehran's government and ending its nuclear program, the conflict has devolved into a fight over the strait.

U.S. President Donald Trump insisted Tuesday that the strait was “open and operating” and posted a map depicting it as a U.S. territory. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi called him a “deluded man.”

Ten vessels transited the strait Tuesday, according to the MarineTraffic website, fewer than a tenth the number that typically sailed through before the war began, when there were no restrictions.

During the war, Iran has launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and thousands of drones in strikes that Tehran said were targeting U.S. assets but hit buildings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Dubai’s commercial airport, ports and energy infrastructure.

Iran has accused the UAE and other U.S. allies in the Gulf of facilitating American military attacks on Iran, and Iran's chief of staff, Gen. Ali Abdollahi, issued a new warning Wednesday to “countries on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf.”

“Any assistance or facilitation provided to the aggressor U.S. military amounts to participation alongside U.S. military forces,” he said in a statement distributed by Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency.

The UAE embargo could put new pressure on Iran

Before the war, the UAE was one of Iran's biggest trade partners, providing more than 30% of its imports valued at some $21 billion, according to the World Trade Organization's latest figures from 2024. It was the destination for nearly 13% of its exports worth some $7 billion.

The embargo carries its own risks, however, Farzanegan said.

“As a relatively small country seeking to remain a regional hub for business and finance while attracting tourists and investors, the UAE depends heavily on regional stability,” he said. “Any major conflict with Iran can therefore cause substantial damage to its economy.”

The Emirati announcement comes as the U.S. prepares to apply new economic pressure on Iran. Speaking last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the measures would be a combination of economic isolation and the continued blockade of Iranian ports.

The economic pressure follows the intense bombing campaign that targeted industrial and civilian infrastructure in addition to military targets. Already the International Monetary Fund forecasts inflation of nearly 70% this year in Iran and an economic contraction of 5.4%. Meanwhile, its rial currency has hit record lows.

The flesh-eating parasite threatens the nation's $113 billion beef industry, prompting federal officials to close the border to cattle movements. Because the screwworm also can infect pets, most states have restricted the movement of animals from infested areas of Texas, leading to crowded conditions in state shelters that rely on adoptions to other regions of the country.

“It’s thrown a wrench into things, for small rescues as well as the bigger shelters,” said Mia Bendixsen, executive director of the Texas Humane Legislation Network, which promotes animal welfare laws.

The screwworm can lay eggs that hatch into flesh-eating larvae in wounds or mucous on any mammal, and of the dozens of infections in southern Texas and southeastern New Mexico, several have been in dogs. Forty-four states have restricted the movements of pets from infested areas, creating a hardship for shelters from Texas that typically send thousands of animals to other states each year.

In Corpus Christi, the Gulf Coast Humane Society couldn't get rescued dogs into New York state for weeks, causing the shelter's animal population to climb from around 325 to nearly 450.

The shelter, which sends about 500 dogs a year outside Texas, created more space in outdoor exercise areas until New York again allowed dogs from Texas — if a veterinarian first certified that each one wasn't infected with the screwworm.

She added that if her shelter doesn't have space to take animals from municipal shelters, “then they have to euthanize more animals.”

Texas has a surplus of dogs and cats for adoption

Moving dogs and cats from Texas to other states, particularly in the Northeast or Great Lakes region, has become crucial to saving stray and abandoned animals.

In 2025, Texas had more unadopted dogs transferred out of its shelters than any other state — nearly 89,000, according to the American Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals. Texas also euthanized about 45,000 dogs — more dogs than any other state, according to the data.

And Texas led in the number of cats transferred out of its shelters — nearly 53,000 — and was second to California in those euthanized, with almost 29,000.

Texas has more stray dogs and cats than any state other than California — about 439,000 in 2025 — largely because of its high population and size. Warm weather also allows stray animals to survive longer and breed more, said veterinarians and animal welfare advocates. They added that Texas pet owners seem less willing to spay or neuter their dogs.

“There are people with working ranch and farm dogs, both male and female, who feel like the animal will lose some of its drive," said veterinarian Lori Teller, executive director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association.

Both shelters and animals are stressed

In Houston, Humane Society shelter Director Aaron Grady said an inability to send animals out of state has left them more stressed.

“If an adopter comes through and they’re going from kennel to kennel and they see one dog who may be sitting calmly and contentedly in one kennel and then in the next kennel, there’s one dog who’s bouncing off of the walls and barking because of how stressed they are, first one may be looking more desirable,” Grady said.

The Houston shelter has worked to keep its animal population — mostly cats and dogs — at about 200 by tapping a network of foster homes for up to 300 more and by helping pet owners keep their animals even a little longer.

Most states have tightened rules for importing animals

Restrictions on animal transports followed efforts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to keep the New World screwworm fly from crossing the border with Mexico.

Those efforts include construction of a $750 million fly factory in southern Texas for breeding billions of sterile males set to open in April 2027. The U.S. had largely eradicated the fly by the early 1970s by breeding sterile males and releasing them from planes to mate with females, who laid eggs that wouldn't hatch.

Smaller facilities in Texas and southern Mexico have been dispersing sterile flies bred in Panama, and another is planned for Arizona.

A week after the first reported case in Texas this year, Florida — where the screwworm fly can thrive — banned imports of rescued dogs and cats from there and New Mexico. Other states required veterinarians to inspect animals and declare them free of the parasite. Many shortened the period that a certification was valid from the typical 30 days to as little as three days.

Shelters worried about space long before the screwworm returned

State restrictions hit an animal welfare system that's long been short of the money and other resources, said Delcianna Winders, director of the Animal Law and Policy Institute at the Vermont Law and Graduate School.

She said shelters need more money and space, but communities also should require animals to be spayed or neutered — and have programs to provide those services if people cannot afford them.

“If we could provide them just with some basic support, they might be able to keep those animals in their homes, and that’s one less animal in a shelter, one less animal being killed,” she said.

COVID-19 stressed the system, too, in part because pandemic restrictions put spaying and neutering on hold. Cost of living increases are another reason people turn animals over to shelters.

“A lot of them are just saying, ‘I just can’t, I just can’t do it anymore,’” said Brandon Krodle, animal control supervisor in Greenville, Texas, a fast-growing city northeast of Dallas.

A trip from Texas to Indiana saved her dog's life

Mills, the Corpus Christi shelter director, has a dog who would have died in 2015 but for a nearly 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometer) trip from Paris, Texas, to Angola, Indiana, where Mills was working at the time. Zuri, a young female Shepherd-pit bull mix, was on a list of dogs slated for euthanasia, and Mills' counterpart in Texas asked Mills to add Zuri to a transport.

Zuri's right ear doesn't fully straighten up, and the puppy had “the cutest face,” Mills said, but she was sold on Zuri because Zuri looked as if she “was actually thinking things through” as Mills spoke to her. Mills broke a personal rule against taking her shelter's animals home.

When Mills moved to Corpus Christi in 2020, Zuri returned to Texas.

“The shelter that I was at in Indiana, we transported from Texas and southern states every week.," Mills said.

The German prosecutors said that the suspect was a “trained scuba diver” who belonged to a group of people who “planted explosives” on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm.

The undersea explosions on Sept. 26, 2022, damaged the pipelines, which had been built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The damage added to tensions over the war in Ukraine as European countries moved to wean themselves off Russian energy sources after the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

The suspect was “strongly suspected of jointly causing explosions, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of buildings and structures," the prosecutors' statement said. It said he was arrested in the Croatian seaside city of Pula and would be brought before an investigating judge at Germany’s federal court of justice after his extradition.

The German prosecutor's office identified the suspect only as Vladimir Z. in its statement announcing his arrest. A spokesperson, however, confirmed to The Associated Press that it was the same man who was arrested in Poland last year but was later released when a Polish court refused to extradite him to Germany. Polish authorities identified him as Volodymyr Zhuravlov.

Poland has long opposed the Nord Stream pipelines, viewing them as an attempt by Russia to use its vast energy resources to gain leverage across Europe. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at the time of Zhuravlov's extradition hearing that it would not be in Poland’s interest to hand him over.

It was not immediately clear why Zhuravlov left Poland given the arrest warrant that was out for him.

“Volodymyr knew that the ruling applies only on the territory of Poland,” his Polish lawyer, Tymoteusz Paprocki, told the AP, adding that Zhuravlov's wife was also surprised that her husband was detained in Croatia.

The German government welcomed the arrest on Wednesday.

“We’re simply glad that the federal prosecutor’s office is making progress in these investigations, because it’s important that the bombing of the pipelines be clarified as well,” justice ministry spokesman Nicholas Limmer told reporters in Berlin.

Last month, German federal prosecutors filed charges against a former Ukrainian army officer in connection with the same explosions.

The suspect, identified only as Serhii K., faces charges of causing an explosion, damaging property, disrupting public service and being an “accomplice to war crimes” by attacking civilian objects.

Serhii K. was detained in August 2025 in an Italian village, where officers raided a bungalow where he was staying with his family. Police said he surrendered without resistance. He was extradited to Germany in November.

The suspects allegedly used a yacht that set off from the German port of Rostock. The yacht had been rented from a German company using forged IDs and intermediaries.

The explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which was Russia’s main natural gas supply route to Germany until Moscow cut off supplies in August 2022. They also damaged Nord Stream 2, which never entered service because Germany suspended its certification process shortly before Russia’s invasion.

Russia has accused the U.S. of staging the explosions, a charge Washington has denied. The pipelines were long a target of criticism by the U.S. and some of its allies, which warned that they increased dependence on Russian gas.

___

Claudia Ciobanu in Warsaw, Poland, and Fanny Brodersen in Berlin contributed reporting.

The private Jellyfish Museum in Pompano Beach, Florida, just north of Fort Lauderdale, is believed to be the first museum in the United States dedicated solely to the translucent invertebrates, and one of the few such spaces in the world, according to the city and the museum’s founders.

It was created by Alex and Yana Yanovsky, who previously developed successful aquariums in Ukraine, including their first jellyfish museum in Kyiv. The couple left those facilities behind when they fled Ukraine following the 2022 Russian invasion, operations manager Jessica Eisenbarth said.

The museum, which opened this past spring, is the couple's first aquatic attraction since immigrating to the U.S., but they'd like to expand.

“When they left Ukraine, they moved to Florida, and then they immediately wanted to share their passion here,” Eisenbarth said.

Jellyfish have survived for over 500 million years, making them older than dinosaurs and even trees. Their ancient origins are part of their allure, along with their hypnotic, pulsing movements. They have no heart or brain, and are made up primarily of water, giving them a translucent look.

Yana Yanovsky came up with the idea for the jellyfish museum after noticing how popular the jellyfish were at their other aquariums.

“Jellyfish are some of the most resilient creatures on Earth. While they lack a brain, they maintain a simple nerve net that allows them to respond to their environment,” Yana said in a statement provided by the city. “Their movement is mesmerizing, almost meditative, and they play an important role in marine ecosystems.”

Monty Graham, director of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, said he’s not surprised someone made an aquarium dedicated specifically to jellyfish. He credits the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California with kicking off the popularity of jellyfish exhibits at aquariums all over the world. Monterey Bay Aquarium began displaying jellyfish in temporary exhibits in 1985 and opened a permanent gallery in 1996.

“Jellyfish are cool, they’re things that people don’t get to see up close unless they’re scuba diving,” Graham said. “So here was this opportunity, in a controlled environment, very beautiful settings. It clicked all the buttons and checked all the boxes, and it was a very good, positive thing.”

The nearly 10,000-square-foot (900 square meters) Jellyfish Museum houses roughly 20 unique species of jellyfish found in Florida waters and other parts of the world. Different species can be rotated through the museum's 21 tanks. Some current occupants include Japanese sea nettles, moon jellyfish, spotted jellies and upside-down jellyfish, the last of which can be found among Florida's mangrove swamps.

The jellyfish are acquired through licensed aquaculture partners, according to the city.

The space is designed to exude calm and tranquility, general manager Iryna Pelypkanych said. It was converted from a former Wells Fargo bank branch with about $100,000 in community redevelopment grants from the city of Pompano Beach. Guides teach people about the role jellyfish play in marine ecosystems and the importance of protecting them.

“The biggest idea here is to leave people with the feeling that they know something more about the population of jellyfish,” Pelypkanych said. “Because so far, we know around 4,000 different species that can be called jellyfish.”

Mario Fernandez Saldana sat in a Jacksonville Beach courtroom this week, listening and taking notes, as prosecutors argued he conspired with his wife — Jared Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner — to have Bridegan killed.

What happened the night of the shooting

In 2022, Bridegan, 33, was driving home from a night out with his children when he stopped his car to move a tire blocking the road. Police say he was shot and killed in the street, in front of his 2-year-old daughter, Bexley, who was strapped in her car seat.

Witness Janelle Cruz drove up on the scene moments after the shooting. She testified about what Bexley told her.

“She was shaking. She was panting like she’s been crying,” Cruz said. When asked what the child said specifically about what she saw, Cruz told the court: “My daddy’s on the ground, my daddy’s hurt, and is the police going to help my daddy.”

Prosecutors: the murder was personal

Assistant State Attorney Christina Stiffler told the jury: “The killer was a stranger to Jared Bridegan. The murder was personal.”

Court documents say Gardner “harbored a deep hatred for Jared Bridegan and resented sharing custody of their children.”

Bridegan’s widow, Kirsten, also testified, describing the night she tried to reach her husband. “I kept calling him, and would give it a little bit, and I remember telling my parents something was wrong,” she said.

The alleged hired shooter

Surveillance video captured after the shooting showed a man running from the scene and someone driving away in a truck. Investigators allege that man was Henry Tenon, whose DNA they say was found on the tire used to stop Bridegan’s car. Prosecutors say Fernandez Saldana paid Tenon at least $10,000, disguised as payments for landscaping and roof work.

Fernandez Saldana’s defense team says there is no evidence he hired or paid Tenon for the killing.

What comes next

Tenon is scheduled to stand trial next year. Gardner, who has pleaded not guilty, is scheduled for trial next month. Fernandez Saldana is the first of the three defendants to face a jury.

When I last spoke with Collantes at Sushi Saint, he hinted that Nomikai would feel completely different from his other concepts—and that difference is immediately clear on arrival.

Nomikai is not an extension of Sushi Saint’s hand-roll bar or another take on Soseki’s intimate omakase. Instead, it leans into a more social, energetic identity, with house music, creative cocktails and a dining room designed for lingering.

That nightlife-inspired feel fits ICON Park, one of Orlando’s busiest entertainment hubs. Nomikai feels built for a full night out—whether you’re celebrating, meeting friends or settling in for cocktails and shared plates.

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The name reflects that idea. “Nomikai” is a Japanese term for a celebratory social gathering centered on food, drinks and conversation. The menu reinforces it, encouraging guests to pass plates, share dishes and stay awhile.

I started with warm house-baked bread served with umami butter, furikake and Maldon sea salt—some of the best bread service I’ve had in Orlando. The bread was incredibly soft, almost melting on contact, while the butter was rich, savory and deeply umami.

From there, I moved into appetizers and toasts.

The hamachi truffle potato wrapped buttery hamachi around crispy potato hay, finished with truffle aioli, ponzu and serrano. It was the standout appetizer—balanced, textural and still one of my favorite dishes across Collantes’ restaurants.

I also tried two brioche toasts.

The lobster toast was the favorite: sweet lobster with brown butter-yuzu kosho aioli, crème fraîche, lemon zest, chives and yuzu tobiko on crisp brioche. The tuna caviar toast offered a lighter, more delicate contrast with tuna tartare, wasabi, citrus, nikiri and caviar.

A Japanese Caesar salad followed, made with gem lettuce, miso-anchovy dressing, bonito flakes and a garlic-parmesan crumble—familiar, but clearly influenced by the kitchen’s Japanese foundation.

The miso black cod was the highlight of the mains. Marinated in white miso, mirin, sake and house soy, it was silky, tender and deeply flavorful without feeling heavy. We paired it with fire-charred asparagus in yuzu kosho béarnaise, and the citrus notes tied the dishes together beautifully.

The meal then shifted into Nomikai’s more communal, large-format offerings.

The shiso chimichurri picanha arrived with whipped potatoes and blistered tomatoes, while creamy kurogoma spinach added a rich, savory counterpoint with black sesame and crispy garlic-parmesan breadcrumbs.

Together, the dishes encouraged a relaxed, shared dining style—plates passed around the table rather than a structured progression.

Dessert included matcha Basque cheesecake and freshly baked madeleines, with the madeleines standing out for their light texture and delicate sugar crust.

Collantes has built a reputation in Orlando for distinct, focused concepts: Soseki’s Michelin-starred omakase, Sushi Saint’s Bib Gourmand hand-roll bar, and Perla’s Pizza, which blends pizza, cocktails and vinyl culture.

Nomikai continues that trajectory, but in a more social, high-energy direction. It carries the same precision and attention to detail, but channels it into a space designed for sharing and celebration.

During my visit, Collantes also hinted at additional projects in development beyond Nomikai, suggesting his footprint in Orlando—and beyond—is still expanding.

For now, Nomikai gives the city a new reason to gather. Come for the sushi and seafood, but bring people ready to share. The restaurant is at its best when the table is full and no one is in a rush to leave.

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China kicked off the 2026 World Robot Conference on Wednesday, with companies showcasing the country’s expanding robotics industry as it looks to move the technology beyond demonstrations and into factories and other real-world applications.

Organizers say around 3,000 products will be showcased during the five-day event. Despite the conference's name, there was no sign of other countries exhibiting.

One of the main attractions on Wednesday was the booth of Unitree, one of China’s leading humanoid robot makers, where some of its models boxed and danced. One even played ping pong with a human opponent.

The opening of the conference coincided with Unitree’s stock market debut in Shanghai.

The conference comes weeks after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security risks, in a move targeting China. The prohibition also covers new imports of quadruped robots, often referred to as four-legged robot dogs. The agency said advanced robots could pose cybersecurity and other national security risks.

UBTECH, another of China’s leading robotics companies, brought several industrial models to the conference. Some demonstrated tasks such as moving components around as they might on a factory floor.

But among those drawing the most attention were humanoid robots with lifelike faces, promoted for emotional care.

Jiao Jichao, deputy president of UBTECH Robotics, said one of its emotional-care humanoids can talk, make various facial expressions, rotate its neck and move its hands. And it is available to individual buyers. The price: 168,000 yuan (more than $24,000).

But despite the increasingly sophisticated displays, experts say many humanoid robots remain more impressive as performers than as practical workers.

Several companies showcased helper robots equipped with mechanical arms and hands. At one booth, a robot attempted a seemingly simple household chore: folding a shirt. After several minutes of trying, it couldn’t do it.

Rodri officially signed with Madrid rival Barcelona after a transfer from Manchester City on Tuesday.

Mourinho, back with Madrid for a second stint, said he spoke twice with Rodri as Madrid considered adding the World Cup's best player to its squad, but felt the midfielder didn't seem certain about his future.

“The club contacted him but he had some doubts,” Mourinho said in an interview to TV show ”El Chiringuito" late Tuesday. "What I think happened is that his doubts have created doubts for me. He’s an extraordinary player and was very correct with us. But I think Real Madrid is of such a stature that it can’t have players who think twice about being with the club.”

Just hours before Rodri's signing was made official by Barcelona on Tuesday, Mourinho was officially presented by Madrid in an unusual ceremony closed to the media and fans.

Mourinho, who was hired in June and took over in July at the start of the preseason, downplayed the importance of Rodri to Madrid.

“I don't need Rodri. We have solutions, quality players," Mourinho said, adding that he didn't think Barcelona got the best of Madrid by signing the midfielder. “Victories are won on the field, they are won with titles.”

After a second consecutive season without a major title, the club has bought players such as Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva and Yan Diomande.

Mourinho said the club does not intend to make new signings.

“I’m not saying there won’t be any more signings because the market is still open, but if you ask me directly if it's closed (for Madrid), yes, it’s closed,” he said.

Madrid opens in La Liga on Saturday at Espanyol.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The 31-year-old Australian with a checkered disciplinary record was provisionally suspended after playing just 10 singles matches on the ATP tour, winning only two, since his peak season of 2022. Then, he reached the final at the grass-court Grand Slam and lost to Novak Djokovic.

Kyrgios is now ranked 919th. He tested positive in June for the party drug during a lower-tier grass court event in Spain.

“I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine,” he wrote on his Instagram account. “I made a huge mistake and take full responsibility for it.”

It is the latest negative headline in the career of a talented though fiery personality, whose highest profile action on court in recent years was a curious “Battle of the Sexes” win over Aryna Sabalenka in Dubai last December.

Kyrgios faces a ban of up to four years, though a lighter sanction can be expected. Cocaine is banned as a doping substance during competitions, with lower sanctions applied when used away from events.

In a similar case in 2017, British player Dan Evans served a one-year ban imposed by the International Tennis Federation for testing positive for cocaine at the Barcelona Open.

Struggling with injuries

Kyrgios said he had difficulties coming to terms with being near the end of his career after two years of injuries.

“At times I’ve felt helpless and alone. None of that excuses what I did,” he said. He added the injuries "have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally. My body hasn't been able to do what my mind expects it to do.”

Kyrgios has a 1-3 record in singles this year and got a wild card to play doubles at Wimbledon last month. He lost in the first round with partner Alexander Bublik.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency will prosecute the case and said the player's sample was taken on June 22 and the positive test was confirmed on July 17, after Kyrgios played at Wimbledon.

A mandatory provisional suspension was applied on Aug. 4 and has not been appealed by Kyrgios, the ITIA added.

Kyrgios sees a way back

“However, the good news is that this has given me a wake up call,” Kyrgios wrote, signaling his career is not over.

“For the next 28 days I'll be stepping away from social media and public life while I focus on getting myself right.”

Career decline since 2022

The most recent of Kyrgios' seven career singles titles was won in his first tournament after the Wimbledon final. He beat Yoshihito Nishioka in the final of the hard-court event in Washington, D.C., in August 2022.

Weeks later he reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals, losing to Karen Khachanov.

After a knee injury in Tokyo in October 2022, Kyrgios played just once in the next two years, citing a wrist injury to miss Wimbledon in 2023.

Kyrgios had a meager 1-4 record in the 2025 season, losing a first-round match in the Australian Open then skipping the next three Grand Slams.

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See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Scattered to numerous storms will also develop, bringing the threat of strong wind gusts, frequent lightning, and heavy rain before a more typical summer storm pattern continues into the weekend.

WEDNESDAY

A heat advisory is in effect across all of East Central Florida from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. as heat index values once again climb to dangerous levels.

High temperatures will reach the mid 90s, and the humidity will make it feel even hotter.

At the same time, a moist and unstable atmosphere will fuel showers and storms. Storms are expected to develop early along Florida’s west coast before spreading east through the afternoon.

A delayed east coast sea breeze could help trigger additional storms later in the day.

Some storms could become strong, producing wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph, frequent lightning and heavy downpours. A few locations could quickly pick up 1 to 3 inches of rain, leading to localized flooding.

OUTLOOK

The active summer pattern isn’t going anywhere. A stalled front across the Southeast and plenty of tropical moisture will help keep daily rain and storm chances around 40 to 60 percent through next week.

The usual summertime hazards will continue, including frequent lightning, gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall.

The intense heat will remain a concern through at least Thursday, with another heat advisory possible for parts of Central Florida Thursday and potentially Friday.

By the weekend, increasing clouds and daily storm coverage should help temperatures trend closer to normal.

It will still be hot and humid, with heat index values topping 100 degrees each afternoon, but the most extreme heat should gradually ease.

To create this list of the best used 3-year-old hybrids, Edmunds examined fuel economy ratings, brand-level reliability, crash test scores, and overall appeal as a daily driver. Any one of these five hybrids from the 2023 model year will likely serve you well while saving you money. The prices listed below are what you can expect to pay at nationwide dealerships such as CarMax or Carvana.

Small car: 2023 Toyota Prius

Toyota redesigned the Prius for the 2023 model year, keeping its traditional aerodynamic hatchback shape while adding rakishly attractive styling. For the first time, the new design made the Prius a car you might want for its looks as much as for its fuel efficiency. Toyota also dramatically improved the car’s performance without reducing fuel economy. Open the rear hatch, and the Prius has a roomy trunk that expands with the back seat folded down. The downsides to this version of the Prius include a cramped interior and poor outward visibility, but you might decide those are small prices to pay for one of the most fuel-efficient hybrids that money can buy.

2023 Prius average price: approximately $30,000

EPA-estimated fuel economy: up to 57 mpg combined

Midsize car: 2023 Honda Accord

The Honda Accord is about as roomy as you can get for a midsize sedan. There’s plenty of rear legroom for adults, and there is an abundance of room in the trunk for all of your things. For the redesigned 2023 Accord, Honda installed its latest hybrid powertrain, which delivers satisfying acceleration and impressive fuel economy. It also made the hybrid powertrain standard on most of the Accord’s available trim levels. The main issue with the Accord is that you must buy the top Touring trim to get the hybrid powertrain and the most desirable technology features. Also, make sure to choose one equipped with blind-spot warning, an important safety feature.

2023 Accord Hybrid average price: approximately $28,500

EPA-estimated fuel economy: up to 48 mpg combined

Small SUV: 2023 Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V is a longtime favorite for small SUV shoppers, and there are plenty of reasons why. The CR-V offers roomy seating, a smooth ride over bumps, and plenty of cargo space. As with the Accord, Honda redesigned the CR-V for the 2023 model year and equipped it with its latest hybrid powertrain. The Sport and Sport Touring trims come with the hybrid as standard. As with the Accord, the CR-V’s best infotainment tech features are available only on the top trim level. Blind-spot warning is not standard, so select accordingly.

2023 CR-V Hybrid average price: approximately $33,000

EPA-estimated fuel economy: up to 40 mpg combined

Midsize SUV: 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

It wasn’t long ago that the idea of an eight-passenger, three-row midsize SUV offering fuel economy estimates in the mid-30s would have been considered an impossibility, but the Highlander Hybrid makes it a reality. This is a sensible SUV that’s easy to drive and can seat up to eight people with its third-row seat raised. That third-row seat is pretty small, though, so it’s best to think of it for occasional use only. The 2023 Highlander Hybrid received some tech upgrades, so look for one with the big 12.3-inch center touchscreen.

2023 Highlander Hybrid average price: approximately $44,000

EPA-estimated fuel economy: up to 36 mpg combined

Luxury vehicle: 2023 Lexus RX

When Americans decide to upgrade to a luxury car, they often pick this luxury SUV: the Lexus RX. It received a complete redesign for the 2023 model year and came in two hybrid flavors. The RX 350h is the more efficient and affordable one, while the RX 500h emphasizes power and performance over fuel economy. The RX is a midsize SUV seating five people, and both hybrid versions include standard all-wheel drive. For trim level and equipment variety, choose the RX 350h since the RX 500h is only available with the F Sport Performance trim.

2023 RX average price: approximately $49,000

EPA-estimated fuel economy: 36 mpg combined

Edmunds says

Affordability is a concern for most car buyers. If saving money is important to you, buying a used vehicle instead of a new one can save you thousands. Make it a fuel-efficient hybrid, and the savings will continue for years after the purchase.

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This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds.

Christian Wardlaw is a contributor at Edmunds.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Noah Gragson and Speedway President Frank Kelleher joined News 6 Sports Director Jamie Seh to preview the Saturday, Aug. 29 showdown, which promises to deliver high-octane drama under the iconic bright lights of the “World Center of Racing”. Check out both in-studio interviews in the video above.

The ultimate playoff wildcard

Once again, Daytona serves as the final stop of the NASCAR regular season. It represents the literal last chance for drivers to secure one of the coveted 16 spots in the Cup Series playoffs.

• High Stakes: For drivers on the postseason bubble, it is a must-win scenario that naturally amplifies the intensity, desperation, and unpredictability on the high banks.
• Chasing a Breakthrough: Gragson, who pilots the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports, enters the weekend highly motivated as he chases his elusive first career Cup Series victory.
• The Prize: Kelleher will be waiting in Victory Lane that Saturday night to personally hand over the Coke Zero Sugar 400 trophy to whoever outraces the chaos best.

New rules, no practice

Adding fuel to the fire, NASCAR is rolling out a unique aerodynamic and engineering package specifically targeted for this race. The Cup cars will feature shorter rear spoilers and lower engine horsepower. The technical adjustments are designed to reduce aerodynamic drag and encourage more aggressive passing throughout the 400-mile sprint.

The real catch? Teams must adapt on the fly.

There are zero practice sessions scheduled on the actual Daytona track prior to the green flag on Aug. 29. Drivers like Gragson will have to feel out the handling and draft dynamics in real time.

For the competitors behind the wheel and the thousands of fans in the grandstands, it’s time to buckle up for an exhilarating, unpredictable ride under the lights.

Video released in March showed Officer Joel Llinas punching a man in the head. Police said the incident stemmed from an open-container violation.

The department said its investigation determined Llinas violated multiple policies related to his conduct and use of force.

It was his second use-of-force incident in a “relatively short time,” according to police. He had also previously received de-escalation training.

[PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘Troubling’ video surfaces of Daytona Beach officer during arrest, mayor claims]

After reviewing the circumstances, the department terminated Llinas.

Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young issued a statement acknowledging the challenges officers face while also underscoring the department’s commitment to holding officers accountable.

“I want to recognize the more than 200 men and women who serve as police officers with this department,” Young said. “Law enforcement has become increasingly difficult over the years, and our officers are asked every day to deal with people during some of the worst moments of their lives and they are often faced with situations most people will never experience.”

The Coast Florida Police Benevolent Association, a union, released the following statement, saying in part:

“We could not disagree more with this absurd outcome.” They add, “This entire incident is the fault of the suspect, not the officer. Sadly, this department has chosen to ignore the obvious – that he did what they asked him to do – and terminated a hardworking cop who proudly served our country in the military as well.”

On one side, you have homeowners who can’t wait for the savings. “That’s thousands of dollars in my pocket going toward my family, going toward my kids,” one homeowner told News 6.

On the other, you have local leaders who see disaster coming. “It’s a train wreck,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. “It doesn’t look anything like what Governor DeSantis sent over.”

So which is it — a break for families, or a hit to the services those same families rely on? To find out, News 6 took a deep-dish dive into Seminole County’s numbers. With a little help from a large cheese pizza.

Amendment 3 goes before Florida voters on Nov. 3, and like any constitutional amendment, it needs 60% approval to pass.

If it does, the homestead exemption on your primary residence would climb from about $50,000 today to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 — meaning a larger share of your home’s value would be shielded from property taxes.

But there’s a catch, the bigger exemption applies only to non-school taxes. The portion of your bill that funds schools stays exactly the same.

The amendment would also tighten the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property — second homes, rentals and commercial buildings — from 10% down to 5%.

It’s already been a fight. A Leon County judge ruled the original ballot wording misleading, and the state rewrote it in August; voters will now see it titled “Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments.” Governor Ron DeSantis, who pushed for the property tax relief, has distanced himself from the version the Legislature ultimately sent to the ballot.

“I don’t think you’re going to see me leading on this particular proposal, because while I support it, I do think it’s not all that I was hoping to see,” DeSantis said at a recent press conference.

DeSantis also took to social media to highlight the differences between his plan and theirs.

“The Legislature’s measure is different from my proposal in significant respects (i.e., it doesn’t provide for the elimination of taxes on homesteads and it doesn’t create a fund to provide state grants to local governments to assist with core services as homestead taxes are phased out),” DeSantis wrote.

The savings are real. For a Seminole County homeowner with a house worth more than $250,000, Amendment 3 would mean about $1,912 a year back in their pocket, according to the Seminole County Property Appraiser’s office.

But that money has to come from somewhere — and where it comes from is local budgets.

“The ones that are really going to get devastated are going to be the cities, like Oviedo and Winter Springs here in Seminole County,” Property Appraiser J.R. Kroll said. “They will not be able to afford a police force anymore, or the fire, because it’s just too big of a cut.”

Seminole County leaders estimate Seminole County alone would lose roughly $188 million in the first two years.

And unlike a normal budget line, this one is nearly impossible to walk back. “You have that genie out of the bottle, it’s out, and in order to get it back, we would have to have another 60% vote to say, ‘Yes, please tax us more,’” Kroll said.

Here’s how it all breaks down. Picture your entire property tax bill as one pizza.

The first half or so — depending on your county — goes straight to schools. Amendment 3 doesn’t touch that half. You’ll keep paying it either way.

The other half is what’s at stake. And within that half, the priorities aren’t equal:

About 70% of that chunk funds public safety in Seminole County— police, fire, and EMS. Those services get first claim on the money. But “first claim” isn’t a guarantee.

The remaining 30% is where the toughest choices land. This is the slice that covers public transit, parks and libraries — and it’s the piece most likely to get eaten first.

But even if Amendment 3 passes, your savings may not survive.

Many local governments are already weighing new fees and higher millage rates to cover the gap the amendment would open up.

New Smyrna Beach, Sanford, Ocoee, Deltona, and St. Cloud have all considered new fees.

Cape Canaveral and Apopka have proposed property tax increases.

Those moves could cannibalize the very savings the amendment promises. This could leave homeowners with a smaller break than the sticker number suggests.

Voters decide Nov. 3.

Beard was in hospice care when he died Tuesday at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family members at his side, according to publicist Bob Merlis. Band co-founder and guitarist Billy Gibbons, on tour with bassist Elwood Francis, hailed Beard in a statement.

“Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas. His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top. The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on as he had wished,” Gibbons said.

ZZ Top sold more than 50 million records and had six singles that reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. Seven of their albums have been in the Billboard 200’s Top 10 and they earned three Grammy Award nominations.

“I’ve found the people I was meant to play with,” Beard says in the 2019 documentary “ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas.” “I never wanted to quit, and never wanted to get fired.”

Drummers went to social media to pay tribute to Beard's influence, including Rage Against the Machine's Brad Wilk, who wrote his mind was blown seeing Beard's two-hand shuffle live in high school. Former Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum called Beard “a very special and unique man behind the kit.”

How the band came together

Beard, from Frankston, Texas, met Gibbons in a band called The Moving Sidewalks and later introduced bassist and vocalist Dusty Hill who had been in several bands with Beard.

The trio formed ZZ Top in 1969, naming themselves in part after blues singer Z.Z. Hill and influenced by the British power trio Cream and Jimmy Reed. They maintained their original lineup for more than five decades. Their signature look — long, bushy beards on Gibbons and Hill, and dark sunglasses for all — didn’t change much, either.

When Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards helped induct the trio into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, he joked: “These cats know their blues and they know how to dress it up. When I first saw them, I thought, ‘I hope these guys are not on the run, because that disguise is not going to work.’ ”

ZZ Top songs — with their sly and humorous lyrics — were popular in Hollywood, which used “Gimme All Your Lovin’” in “Happy Feet,” “Sharp Dressed Man” in “Evan Almighty,” “Legs” in “Air,” “Sleeping Bag” in “I, Tonya,” “Tush” in “Dazed and Confused,” “Mexican Blackbird” in “From Dusk Till Dawn” and “La Grange” in “Armageddon.”

“The best way to describe ZZ Top is we’re interpreters of a great American art form,” Gibbons told The Dallas Morning News.

Their debut release, “ZZ Top’s First Album,” came out in 1970. Their sound was described as a hybrid mixing elements of rock, blues and funk into a steaming-hot Houston stew. They called themselves a “Little Ol’ Band From Texas.”

Breaking through

Three years later, they broke through commercially with “La Grange,” a funky blues song on the album “Tres Hombres” that paid tribute to the Chicken Ranch, a brothel outside of the Texas town of La Grange that operated from 1905 until 1973 and was immortalized in the Broadway show and the film “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Gibbons has ascribed the power of “La Grange" to its simplicity — just two chords and a Robert Johnson-inspired guitar solo.

The band went on to have such hits as “Tush” and “Cheap Sunglasses.” But their 1983 “Eliminator” — named after one of Gibbons’ custom cars — added more production elements, synthesizers and drum machines to their stripped-down sound and yielded the hits “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Legs” and “Sharp-Dressed Man.” The band toured with a Texas-shaped stage, live rattlesnakes and a longhorn steer.

Long beards weren’t always part of the band’s look. Gibbons said it happened by accident: In 1976, the trio took a long break and scattered. Beard went to Jamaica, Hill went to Mexico and Gibbons went to France.

“Although we were speaking by phone, this was pre-video phone. And Dusty and I did not know that we had gotten so lazy that we had decided to forget to shave,” Gibbons told The Tribune in San Luis Obispo in 2010. “So after three years we returned and showed up, and lo and behold here was this sort of wacky-looking image. And it just kind of stuck with us.”

A boost from MTV

The band’s rock-chic cool played well on the nascent MTV crowd and their videos, featuring models in short skirts emerging from one of Gibbons’ custom roadsters, became a mainstay.

They kept the beards, hats and cheap sunglasses in the video trilogy of “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” and “Legs,” made with director Tim Newman.

“ZZ Top reveled in the humor and ridiculousness of it all, busting their synchronized dance moves and spinning their white-fur guitars. These guys always got the joke, at a time when other bands were still just nervously lip-syncing in front of brick walls,” Rolling Stone said in 2021.

In 2012, superstar producer Rick Rubin helped update the trio’s sound with the band’s comeback album, “La Futura.” The album landed at No. 6 on the Billboard chart, their highest position since 1990's “Recycler,” some 22 years previously.

Hill died in 2021.

In March 2025, the band announced via Instagram that Beard would temporarily step away from the band’s tour to tend to foot and ankle problems. Beard died weeks after ZZ Top called off its Aug. 5 concert at the Hollywood Bowl due to his health issues.

Beard is survived by his wife, Debbie Meredith, and three children.

King Charles III announced on Feb. 5, 2024, that he was being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, breaking with the royal family’s tradition of keeping health concerns private. The king’s openness in talking about his diagnosis has been credited with persuading more men to be tested for prostate cancer and other forms of the disease.

The queen said she was “longing” to talk about Charles’ diagnosis when she opened a Maggie’s cancer support center at the Royal Free Hospital in London a week before the announcement but knew she couldn’t. Camilla has been president of Maggie’s, which runs cancer centers at 27 hospitals around the U.K., since 2008.

“Nobody could say anything at that time. That was quite difficult,” Camilla said in a video released Wednesday to mark the charity’s 30th anniversary. “I almost said something but, you know, I felt that it wasn’t the time say.”

Recent updates on the king say his health is moving in a positive direction as he continues to receive cancer treatment.

Camilla’s eight-minute video is based on a conversation between the queen and Maggie’s Chief Executive Laura Lee, who said the number of men who visit the charity’s centers has risen 12% since the king announced his diagnosis.

Maggie’s provides information, counseling and other forms of support to help cancer patients overcome their fears and continue living while undergoing treatment.

Camilla said she better understood the need for such services after Charles’ diagnosis.

“Look at my husband, nothing stopped him,” she said. “He just said, ‘This is my way. I’m going to cope with it.’”

Data from Congo’s Ministry of Health showed the outbreak had so far recorded 5,021 cases, including 2,378 deaths as of Sunday, as it rages in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable fueled by insecurity, displacement and intense population movements.

The outbreak has infected and killed more people at a greater speed than any other outbreak in history. The World Health Organization estimates it will likely surpass the outbreak of 2014 to 2016 across West Africa, which was the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record with more than 11,000 deaths.

Starting from the first detected case, the current outbreak has spread about three times faster than the deadliest on record.

The outbreak “has spread rapidly and the risk of further national and international spread remains high,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Tuesday at a meeting convened by the agency.

“We must be frank: the epidemic is far from being under control,” he said.

Thérèse Anyiya, a nurse working in Ituri’s capital Bunia, said she is exhausted by the work demands and poor working conditions. Some health workers have gone on strike after not being paid.

“If the managers don’t take things seriously, we too will end up withdrawing. The way this epidemic is being managed is exhausting,” Anyiya told The Associated Press.

A key challenge has been the lack of approved vaccines or treatments for the rare Bundibugyo virus, which is responsible for the current outbreak. Most new cases are being reported outside of the people being monitored, showing it has spread quickly and left surveillance teams racing to catch up.

Lack of information in Ituri causes attacks on health workers

Ituri, the province that has been hit the worst by the outbreak, has become a primary location for violence that has limited the response as health workers are targeted.

Residents on Monday attacked a health team in the territory of Aru after a suspected case was reported there. A mob set fire to an ambulance and damaged two other vehicles, according to Michael Wani, president of the Union of Cultural Associations for the Development of Ituri.

Dr. Martin Cwinyay, who is involved in the Ituri response efforts, explained it is “essential to bring the response closer to the people, particularly in rural, mining and displacement areas.”

Trish Newport, an emergency coordinator with Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, said not all the people in the impacted areas have the essential information they need.

“The community needs to be aware about the outbreak. They need to be involved in the response. They need to know what the signs and symptoms are and what to do if they get sick,” Newport said.

Limited care is resulting in more deaths

Experts believe the virus began spreading from the mining town of Mongbwalu as early as February, months before authorities declared the outbreak on May 15.

Responders racing to catch up are also battling several other challenges including threats by rebel groups, anger from communities that have been traumatized for years and bad roads into the affected territories.

Although the 2014-2016 outbreak is considered the deadliest among the virus types that causes Ebola disease, government data shows this Bundibugyo outbreak has killed a higher percentage of people as care and support are not getting to patients quickly enough, while many are not reporting symptoms or doing so late.

The situation also varies across the six affected provinces. While the case fatality rate is so far 47.4%, it is far worse in some places where response efforts are more challenging, such as in North Kivu province where the fatality rate is 70%.

The company, founded in 2016 by entrepreneur Wang Xingxing in the eastern Chinese technology hub of Hangzhou, raised around 6.1 billion yuan ($904 million) in its listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s Nasdaq-style STAR market. The shares were priced at 150.80 yuan ($22.36) a share. Its shares closed 460% higher at 845 yuan ($125.31).

Advanced robotics, often referred to as “embodied” artificial intelligence, is a key sector in the heated technology rivalry between China and the U.S. China leads the U.S. in terms of production capacity of humanoid robots and the ability to scale up manufacturing.

Last year, of the roughly 15,000 humanoid robots shipped globally, Unitree and AGIBOT, another major Chinese humanoid robot maker, each shipped more than 5,000, according to technology research and advisory group Omdia, way ahead of their U.S. counterparts. For the first half of 2026, Omdia’s estimates put Chinese humanoid robot makers’ total global shipments at around 18,500 units.

But analysts say for now, many of these humanoid robots are still mainly used for demonstrations, performances and research rather than real-world applications. Unitree's humanoid robots, for example, dazzled audiences at China's annual Spring Festival gala by performing backflips and martial arts.

“The real competitive test will be whether companies – Chinese or American – can achieve reliable performance and attractive returns on investment in large-scale industrial and commercial deployments,” analyst Kangyuxiao Li at investment research firm Morningstar said in a commentary.

Unitree said proceeds from the IPO will be used for advanced robot research and development and development of its robot manufacturing base.

The company is the first publicly traded humanoid robotics maker in mainland China. Analysts believe the IPO could set a precedent for valuations of other robotic company stock offerings.

It “gives mainland investors direct exposure to one of the sector’s leading companies,” said Li at Morningstar.

Unitree's debut coincided with the World Robot Conference in Beijing, featuring more than 300 exhibitors. Chinese leaders made robots a development priority.

UBTech, another major Chinese humanoid robot maker, has shares traded in Hong Kong. Its shares fell more than 10% on Wednesday.

Unitree reported about 1.7 billion yuan (about $250 million) in revenue in 2025, mainly from sales of its humanoid robots and quadruped robots, often referring to four-legged robot dogs. More than 40% of that revenue was from overseas.

Last year, the U.S. accounted for roughly 13% of Unitree’s revenue, the company said. But that was before the U.S. Federal Communications Commission banned imports of new foreign-made humanoid and quadruped robots in July on national security grounds.

Unitree cautioned that the U.S. ban, which it said applies to its new models, could affect its future sales in the U.S. market. Existing models of its advanced robots can still be sold, but Unitree faces the risk that the U.S. could further expand its restrictions.

Lian Jye Su of Omdia said Chinese robot makers will likely seek to expand in major markets outside of the U.S., such as Europe.

However, many other candidates lost the race, with several giving concession speeches after the nominations were revealed.

Below is a list of reactions from Jolly, Donalds and other gubernatorial candidates who lost on Tuesday.

David Jolly — Won Democratic nomination

After his nomination was declared, Jolly took to social media to release the following campaign ad.

There’s a new coalition emerging in American politics and it’s starting right here in Florida tonight. pic.twitter.com/byzLBmazRL

— David Jolly (@davidjollyfl) August 18, 2026

Byron Donalds — Won Republican nomination

After his nomination was declared, Donalds took to social media to release the following statement.

I am grateful to my family, my team, my volunteers, and every Floridian who powered us to this victory.

Now is the time for the Republican Party to unite. By working together, we can make Florida more affordable and defend the Florida Dream for our families, seniors, and young… pic.twitter.com/HZBtyaCS9G

— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) August 19, 2026

James Fishback — Lost Republican nomination

After Donalds’ nomination was declared, Fishback addressed his supporters in Tampa, announcing he spoke with Donalds on the phone to congratulate him on his victory.

https://t.co/FuBO0yu55m

— James Fishback (@j_fishback) August 19, 2026

Jay Collins — Lost Republican nomination

After Donalds’ nominaton was declared, Collins took to social media to extend his thanks to his supporters and congratulate Donalds on his victory.

It has been the honor of a lifetime to meet so many incredible Floridians, earn the trust of hardworking families, and be welcomed into neighborhoods in every corner of this state as I’ve run for governor. I want to thank our staff and volunteers for all of their hard work. You…

— Jay Collins (@JayCollinsFL) August 19, 2026

Paul Renner — Lost Republican nomination

After Donalds’ nomination was declared, Renner gave a concession speech in front of supporters.

Paul Renner for Governor Concession Speech https://t.co/MOOgFqhpwU

— Paul Renner (@Paul_Renner) August 19, 2026

“This season’s returning lineup of limited-edition ice creams at your neighborhood Publix are making that dream easier to achieve than ever — especially considering that a 2021 study of 30,000 U.S. adults found that 68% of respondents eat ice cream year-round,” a release from the Florida-native grocer reads.

Company officials said the flavors will stick around while supplies last. The full list is as follows:

HALF-GALLON LIMITED EDITION FLAVORS

• Bananas Foster Premium Ice Cream — Banana-flavored ice cream with a brown sugar rum-flavored swirl

• Cinnamon Streusel Praline Premium Ice Cream — Brown sugar ice cream with a cinnamon streusel swirl, sprinkled with sticky bun dough and praline pecans

• Deep Dish Apple Pie Premium Ice Cream — Apple-flavored ice cream swirled with brown sugar-cinnamon sauce, pieces of real apple, and sugar-rolled pie crust

• Eggnog Premium Ice Cream — Rich eggnog-flavored ice cream with a kiss of nutmeg

• Peanut Butter Pretzel Premium Ice Cream — Peanut butter ice cream with chocolate-coated pretzel pieces and fudge swirl
• Peppermint Stick Premium Ice Cream — Luscious vanilla ice cream with festive bits of peppermint candy

• Pumpkin Pie Premium Ice Cream — Pumpkin pie-flavored ice cream with swirls of whipped cream and buttery-flavored piecrust pieces

• Rum Nut Bread Pudding Premium Ice Cream — Vanilla-rum raisin flavored ice cream with cinnamon crème flavored swirls, praline pecans, and blondie brownie pieces

• Santa’s White Christmas Premium Ice Cream — The classic flavor of Barnie’s Santa’s White Christmas coffee delightfully mixed with cocoa espresso flakes

PINT-SIZED LIMITED-EDITION FLAVORS

• Banana Nut Bread Premium Ice Cream — Banana bread flavored ice cream with walnut pieces and swirls of banana sauce

• Bourbon Eggnog Premium Ice Cream — Rich bourbon eggnog flavored ice cream with a kiss of nutmeg

• Candy Bar Premium Ice Cream — Vanilla ice cream bursting with peanut butter cups, milk chocolate gems, baked chocolate truffles, pretzel bark pieces, and honey caramel swirls

• Chantilly Cake Premium Ice Cream — White cake flavored ice cream with berry flavored ribbons and almond flavored cake pieces

• Maple Chocolate Chip Pancake Premium Ice Cream — Buttermilk maple flavored ice cream with chocolatey flakes, cake pieces, and salty maple caramel flavored swirls

• Peanut Butter & Jelly Premium Ice Cream — Peanut butter ice cream with grape flavored swirls and PB&J cups

• Raspberry Elegance Premium Ice Cream — White chocolate flavored ice cream with ribbons of raspberry sauce, dotted with white chocolatey raspberry flavored cups

For months, the two countries have traded fire sporadically across their long, mountainous border, leaving hundreds of people dead. Islamabad accuses Afghanistan's Taliban government of harboring militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan — a charge Kabul denies.

With the fighting have come border closures, severing a critical trade route and preventing Afghan producers from reaching what is the primary export market for many goods.

Unable to export their fresh fruit, Afghan grape producers have turned to the domestic market, where the increased supply has sent prices tumbling. To adapt, many producers are now drying their grapes and turning them into raisins — a cheaper product that sells for less.

In a long warehouse in Kandahar’s Zhari district, fans whirl overhead, stirring the hot summer air around bunches of plump, green grapes draped over sticks set up in rows to dry.

But even for raisins, prices have tanked.

Sakhi Jan, who owns a grape orchard in Zhari, says that with 10 people in his household to feed, he's barely getting by. Seven kilograms (15.5 pounds) of raisins used to sell for around 1,000 to 1,200 afghanis ($13 to $16), he says. Now, the same amount sells for just 400-450 afghanis ($5-$6).

In a country where poverty is rife and malnutrition strikes the most vulnerable, such income losses can be critical.

“We are grateful, but things aren’t like they used to be, the struggle is much harder now,” Jan said. “In the past, work was steady, we used to sell some grapes, and people generally had good work but now the hardship is immense.”

Opening the border crossings and allowing trade to flow once more is critical, he stressed.

“We urge both our government and Pakistan to open these routes and reach an agreement,” he said. “The current situation is causing great hardship.”

Abdul Baqi Bina, the deputy director of the Kandahar Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said the border closure has dealt a severe blow to Afghanistan's fruit exports — not just grapes, but also pomegranates.

In 2025, five southern Afghan provinces that make up the country’s main grape-producing region exported 44,225 tons — $13.8 million worth of grapes. Nearly all — 43,000 tons — went to Pakistan and the remainder headed to Bangladesh, Iraq and India, Bina said. So far this year, only 256 tons have been exported, at a value of $100,000.

For grape exporter Haji Abdul Hai, it has been a disaster.

“In my 50 years of life, I have never seen these roads closed to the extent they are now,” he said, adding that previous border closures would usually last for a few days, or one crossing would close while another remained open.

“But now, we are facing truly major difficulties,” he said.

Last year, the orchard where Qudratullah Popal worked picking grapes employed about 1,500 workers. This year, Popal said the number has plummeted to around 15.

“There have been good harvests. Grapes turned out well, but the issue is they cannot be exported to other countries. They are being sent to domestic locations … where there is already an abundance of grapes,” he said.

“When routes are blocked and trade halts, everyone’s livelihood is paralyzed, traders, laborers and orchard owners alike,” Popal said.

Sullivan went on the attack against Peltola in the days leading to the primary, providing a possible preview of their coming matchup. He attempted to tie her to a progressive movement within the Democratic Party that has been ascendant throughout the primary season, claiming Peltola was aligned with Lower 48 “liberals.”

Peltola, who in 2022 became the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress, tried to steer a centrist path but shook up her campaign hierarchy just days before the primary, ousting her campaign manager.

Sullivan and Peltola have raised by far the most money to date in the race and have the greatest name recognition across Alaska, making them the leading contenders in November.

In the race for the state’s lone U.S. House seat, Republican Rep. Nick Begich advanced to the general election along with independent Bill Hill.

The campaign featured over a dozen contenders in each of the top races — for Senate, U.S. House and governor. Under Alaska’s open primary system, all candidates appeared on the same ballot, and the four who receive the most votes qualify for the ranked vote general election. It was too early to call all candidates advancing in the top races under the top-four format.

Tuesday's ballot also included state legislative candidates and a ballot initiative that would reimpose campaign contribution limits in state and local elections.

Senate race will feature 2 candidates widely known in Alaska

The highest-profile candidates in a field of 16 were Sen. Sullivan, a two-term Republican, and Peltola.

The race, which is among a handful that could help determine control of the Senate, drew significant attention from outside groups, with Republican and Democratic campaign organizations identifying it as a top target.

Peltola shook up her campaign leadership days before the primary, letting her campaign manager go and elevating a deputy to that role. In a statement, the campaign described the changes as “staffing updates as we transition into the general election.”

Sullivan, a veteran and ally of President Donald Trump, campaigned on supporting the military, opening more land for oil and gas extraction, and voting for Trump's signature tax and spending law. He told supporters Tuesday that his office is “getting big things done.”

He criticized Peltola as ineffective during her time in Congress, which spanned just over one term.

Peltola, who was elected in 2022, criticized a political system she said is rigged by special interests and allows politicians to enrich themselves. She said the Trump administration has brought challenges to Alaska including cuts to the federal workforce, and she blasted Sullivan for his support of Trump's tax and spending bill.

“We really need a champion for us in Washington, D.C., who gets us and will work hard for us,” Peltola told supporters Tuesday.

A second Dan Sullivan made a stir ahead of the primary

It was a third candidate, a Republican also named Dan Sullivan, who garnered much of the attention during the campaign.

Dan J. Sullivan won a legal fight to appear on the ballot despite claims by the senator and GOP allies that he was a sham candidate running at the behest of Democrats with the intent of causing confusion. Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from the island community of Petersburg, denied that and said frustration with the incumbent prompted him to run.

He appeared on the ballot as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., with no party affiliation — a decision that a state elections official said was intended to minimize possible confusion. Meanwhile the senator was listed as Dan S. Sullivan, Republican and incumbent. No other candidate seeking reelection had the “incumbent” label.

The drama involving the dueling Dan Sullivans caught the attention of Trump. In a social media post reiterating his support for the senator days before the primary, Trump called the other's candidacy an attempt to trick voters and urged his followers to vote for “SULLIVAN, DAN S.”

Dan J. Sullivan criticized the senator for embracing Trump's endorsement, calling the president “more interested in raising tariffs on our allies than in lowering the cost of groceries, housing and energy” and “more interested in punishing his enemies than bringing Americans together.”

Some voters tired of status quo, worried about shifting politics

The Senate race was a focal point for a number of voters.

Jeri Kissner said Congress must do more to push back against Trump.

“I’m so disappointed in our Congress to acquiesce to the president and his minions,” Kissner said. She favored Peltola because she did not like the other options.

Tom Dienst, who voted early and described himself as an “extremely staunch Reagan Republican,” said Trump needs allies to help carry out his agenda.

“When you look at all of the good Trump policies that will help the state, there’s just no doubt. We have to continue with Sullivan,” he said.

Republican Begich faced challenge from independent fisherman

In the House race, the most prominent candidates were Begich, seeking a second term, and Hill, a fisherman and former educator from a small southwestern village.

Hill made affordability a key issue in his campaign. He said Alaskans are sick of paying high costs for healthcare, gas and groceries.

“Begich and his buddies think they can play by a different set of rules than we do,” he said after advancing Tuesday. “The Alaskans I know don’t think that’s right.”

Begich, who was endorsed by Trump, cast himself as hardworking and effective in his role. He said results from the primary show that Alaskans are ready to return him to Congress.

Progressive Democrat Matt Schultz suspended his campaign last month but remained on the ballot. His campaign said Schultz would withdraw as a general election candidate if he makes the primary’s top four. Schultz urged support for Hill.

Governor's race wide open

The campaign for the state’s top executive office was an open race this year because Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy was barred by term limits from seeking a third consecutive stint.

Two Democrats advanced to the general election from a crowded, largely Republican field: former state lawmakers Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Tom Begich, who is Nick Begich's uncle. If either wins in November, he would become Alaska's first Democratic governor since Tony Knowles left office in 2002.

Republicans in the race included Bernadette Wilson, a businessperson and conservative activist; Click Bishop, a former state labor commissioner and lawmaker; Dave Bronson, former mayor of Anchorage; and Adam Crum and Treg Taylor, two former members of Dunleavy's Cabinet.

Former Gov. Bill Walker, an independent, also was on the ballot.

Ballot measure addresses money in state politics

Voters overwhelming approved the lone ballot measure at stake, which asked them to reimpose campaign contribution limits, five years after a divided federal appeals court struck down a number of caps.

The measure imposes a $2,000 limit on how much individuals can give to candidates in state and local elections and a $5,000 cap on what they can give to political parties. It also limits spending by groups other than political parties and limits what individuals and groups can give to joint campaigns for governor and lieutenant governor.

___

Associated Press writer Mark Thiessen in Anchorage contributed.

It was a mixed bag for incumbents in the state, where Republican-led redistricting efforts scrambled congressional maps. Voters in Alaska, Wyoming and California were also choosing their nominees, sometimes considering multiple people running with matching last names.

Tuesday's contests will help shape the midterms this fall to determine control of Congress, where Republicans have a narrow edge.

Here are some takeaways from this round of primaries.

Another progressive beats a far better-funded establishment rival

Progressives notched a surprise victory as the battle between outsider and establishment candidates that has roiled the Democratic Party in states like Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan moved to more conservative territory.

In a major upset, progressive state lawmaker Angie Nixon easily defeated retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman, a former National Security Council official who delivered searing testimony against Trump in his 2019 impeachment trial. Vindman had outraised Nixon by more than 16-to-1, with Nixon bringing in less than $1 million.

Now she will face Sen. Ashley Moody in a campaign to fill the last two years of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s former Senate term. Moody was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis after Rubio stepped down.

But in another matchup in South Florida, U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz won the nomination for reelection in a new Republican-friendly district against union organizer and democratic socialist Oliver Larkin.

Donalds joins historic slate of Black candidates for governor

Donalds, a rising star in the Republican Party, won his party's nomination to succeed the term-limited DeSantis, joining a historic slate of Black gubernatorial nominees across the country as he vies to become the first Black governor of the state.

They include Republicans Rep. John James in Michigan and Lisa Demuth, who defeated pillow-selling conspiracist Mike Lindell in Minnesota. On the Democratic side, David Crowley won a razor-thin primary against a democratic socialist in Wisconsin, joining Attorney General Aaron Ford in Nevada, State Rep. Jermaine Johnson in South Carolina and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia.

Either Bottoms or Demuth could be the country's first Black woman governor.

There is currently only one Black governor in the nation, Democrat Wes Moore of Maryland, who is seeking reelection in November.

Donalds will face David Jolly, a Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat, who won the Democratic nomination Tuesday night.

Wasserman Schultz wins diverse, redrawn Florida seat

A Republican-led redrawing scrambled Florida's congressional map, creating some awkward matchups for Democrats.

But longtime U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz easily won the most contentious race, beating U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and three other Black candidates in a South Florida district that is a plurality-Black district. Cherfilus-McCormick had resigned earlier this year under a pending federal indictment and threat of House ethics sanctions, but wanted her seat back.

Wasserman Schultz, a former national party chair seeking a 12th term in Congress, was the only white candidate competing to represent an area of Broward County that has helped send Black Democrats to Congress since 1992.

Her decision to run had stirred deep animosity, including charges by one rival that “she stabbed us in the back."

Trump pick loses in race featuring transplants and scandal-plagued candidates

While Trump-backed Donalds emerged victorious, the candidate Trump had endorsed to fill his seat — Catalina Lauf — lost to Jim Schwartzel, owner of conservative talk radio station 92.5 FOX News.

The race had featured a cast of characters akin to a reality show reunion, including several who had spent time in prison and a handful who had run in other states.

They included two former members of Congress mounting comeback bids after departing in scandal: Former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn'stenure was marred by repeat traffic stops, guns at airport checkpoints and a claim he had been invited to a Washington orgy. Former New York Rep. Chris Collins, who resigned before pleading guilty to insider trading charges, served prison time before he was pardoned by Trump.

Trump-endorsed Lauf had run twice for Congress in Illinois. She lost the 2020 primary to Jim Oberweis, a former state senator, who has also decamped to Florida and ran for the seat.

Another candidate, Ola Hawatmeh, previously ran unsuccessfully for Congress in New York, while Linda Sawyer once tried in Michigan.

Also in the race: John Strand, a former television actor, underwear model and romance novel cover model, who served prison time for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 assault of the U.S. Capitol.

Republicans lose an incumbent

While Democratic incumbents won their races, Republican Rep. Cory Mills lost his bid for a third term to Ryan Elijah, a former television reporter.

Mills faced a series of scandals, including allegations of domestic violence involving a former girlfriend, which he denies. He had also been abandoned by DeSantis and other state officials.

Trump initially backed Mills in February but did not include him in a list of endorsements on Monday.

Double-checking the name in Alaska

Will Alaska voters need to contend with two Dan Sullivans going forward? It's too soon to tell.

The primary ballot for the state's Senate race, which is expected to be one of the country's most closely watched this fall, included both Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Trump ally seeking a third term, and another candidate also named Dan Sullivan.

Republicans had claimed the second Sullivan — who appeared on the ballot as “Daniel J. Sullivan Jr." — was a sham candidate running at the behest of Democrats to cause confusion. Dan J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher, has denied the charge.

Under the state’s open primary system, all candidates appear on the same ballot, and the four who receive the most votes move on to a ranked-vote general election. Sullivan, the incumbent senator, and former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, who would become the first Alaska Native senator if she wins in November, swiftly advanced Tuesday, but it was too early to call the other two spots on the November ballot.

Another Trump pick for governor loses their race

While he had success with Donalds, another governor candidate endorsed by Trump lost her race, this time in Wyoming. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder was defeated by state Sen. Eric Barlow, a U.S. Marine veteran and livestock veterinarian who is also a former Wyoming House Speaker.

Trump’s picks for governor have occasionally struggled in primaries this year, including Lindell in Minnesota, Randy Feenstra in Iowa, Burt Jones in Georgia and Pamela Evette in South Carolina.

Trump had better luck in the Senate race in Wyoming, where his endorsed candidate, Rep. Harriet Hageman, easily captured the Republican nomination for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Cynthia Lummis.

Pro-Israel group spending in former Swalwell seat

In California’s Bay Area, voters are choosing a replacement for Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, whose resignation amid sexual assault allegations ended his run for governor.

California's 14th District will remain under Democratic control as state Sen. Aisha Wahab and Bay Area Rapid Transit Board President Melissa Hernandez advanced from a special open primary.

However, the race was too early to call on Tuesday night, and California is notorious for counting slowly.

The campaign reprised a theme that dominated other Democratic primaries this year: outside spending, particularly from pro-Israel lobbying groups. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee's super PAC spent more than $2 million against Wahab and in support of Hernandez, and another group funded by the super PAC has spent nearly $2 million in support of Hernandez.

Pro-Israel group spending seemed to backfire in Michigan's recent Democratic Senate primary, where Abdul El-Sayed emerged victorious despite tens of millions of dollars backing his opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens.

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

Whether defendant Tyler Robinson acted out of political animus could be key for prosecutors seeking the death penalty — or for his attorneys in taking that punishment off the table.

The prosecution and defense have filed dueling documents focused on whether the crime included aggravating factors that would make Robinson eligible for the death penalty if convicted. Those include political targeting and whether the shooting endangered thousands of others who attended Kirk's Sept. 10 event at Utah Valley University.

Robinson is charged with crimes including aggravated murder and has not yet entered a plea. The 23-year-old defendant turned himself in a day after the shooting.

The latest batch of court documents follows a five-day preliminary hearing in July, when prosecutors presented what they said was “overwhelming” evidence against Robinson, while defense attorneys worked to sow doubt about analysts’ findings.

Judge Tony Graf said he will decide if the case should advance to trial after he hears again from both sides on Sept. 1.

In a document filed late Tuesday, prosecutors argued the engraved bullet found in the suspected murder weapon was an “overt political reference." They also noted that Robinson allegedly wrote in a text message about Kirk: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out."

Robinson's attorneys have argued that the text message is not strong enough evidence to prove a political motivation. They did not immediately respond to a request for comment on prosecutors' new filing.

Before his death, Kirk and the organization he co-founded, Turning Point USA, galvanized the conservative youth vote to help President Donald Trump win a second term.

Prosecutors contend that Kirk’s opposition to same-sex marriage and gender-affirming care stood in sharp contrast to Robinson, who was reportedly in a romantic relationship with his roommate, Lance Twiggs. Twiggs told investigators he had considered a gender transition around the time of Kirk's killing, according to prosecutors.

A handwritten note that prosecutors allege Robinson left for Twiggs read in part, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it.”

In a recorded interview shown in court last month, Twiggs said he had never heard Robinson talk about Kirk before the shooting. Robinson also did not talk much about gender issues or LGBTQ+ rights, but he did sometimes talk about politics, including Trump, Twiggs told investigators.

The Associated Press emailed Twiggs’ attorney seeking comment.

During the July hearing, investigators presented DNA analyses that they said linked Robinson to both the suspected murder weapon and a tool he allegedly used to engrave the bullet cartridges. Robinson’s attorneys repeatedly questioned the reliability of DNA tests and other evidence.

Defense attorneys also have argued against a possible sentence enhancement for endangering others, saying the shooter “hit the intended target.” Prosecutors said numerous people were within a “zone of danger” around Kirk when he was shot from a rooftop.

Swalwell resigned from Congress amid sexual assault allegations earlier this year. Regardless of who is chosen to replace him, the 14th Congressional District seat is guaranteed to remain under Democratic control.

In an open contest to replace term-limited Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Rep. Byron Donalds won the nomination on the Republican side and former Rep. David Jolly won the Democratic nomination. Sen. Ashley Moody won the Republican nomination to finish the remainder of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s term in the U.S. Senate.

Alaska voters will narrow down a wide field of candidates for a competitive U.S. Senate seat that’s expected to play a pivotal role in determining which political party will hold a majority in the Senate next year. Among the 16 candidates running in the all-party primary, the most notable are Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. The top four vote-getters will advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation and the winner in November will be determined by ranked choice voting.

An unusually high number of open-seat races are on the ballot in Wyoming's primary after two prominent Republican officials announced their retirements. The upcoming departures of Gov. Mark Gordon and U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, along with U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman’s decision to run to replace Lummis, mark the first time in 32 years that Wyoming has had open seats for governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House at the same time.

Here's the latest:

Winner of 9-way Wyoming GOP US House race calls for party unity

Chuck Gray, the winner of the GOP primary for Wyoming’s lone seat in the U.S. House, says President Donald Trump needs a Republican Congress that will stand for “America First values.”

Gray is a former state legislator who has been Wyoming’s secretary of state since 2023. He said in a statement the primary was a “spirited race” but that it’s time for Republicans to unite.

“What unites us is far greater than anything that divided us during this campaign,” Gray said.

Among others, Gray beat Steve Friess, son of the late financier and Republican donor Foster Friess, and Kevin Christensen, a former U.S. Bureau of Land Management district manager.

Gray will face Democrat Lisa Kinney in the general election.

Republican U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman isn’t seeking reelection and won the GOP nomination for Wyoming’s open U.S. Senate seat. Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis is retiring after one term.

Independent Hill sees momentum in advancing in Alaska House primary

Independent Bill Hill says he’s excited about the momentum building around his campaign for Alaska’s only U.S. House seat.

Hill and Republican Rep. Nick Begich advanced from Alaska’s open primary to the ranked vote general election in November.

Hill, a fisherman and former educator from a small Alaska village, has made affordability a key issue in his campaign. He says Alaskans are sick of paying high costs for healthcare, gas and groceries.

Begich is seeking a second term.

Independent Bill Hill advances from primary for Alaska’s lone US House seat

Hill, a commercial fisherman and retired educator, was one of the top finishers in Tuesday’s election. The four candidates with the most votes, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election, which is a ranked choice contest.

Hill, who lives in the tiny fishing village of Naknek in southwest Alaska and is Dena’ina Athabascan, has raised concerns about affordability, an issue that has hit especially hard in rural parts of the state where goods often arrive by plane or barge. He cited his own experiences with fragile supply systems that can delay fuel shipments and high costs for groceries and other staples.

The incumbent in the race is Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, who is seeking a second term.

The highest-profile Democrat on the ballot, Matt Schultz, suspended his campaign in mid-July and urged voters to back Hill.

Republican US Rep. Nick Begich advances from primary for Alaska’s lone US House seat

Begich, who is seeking a second term, was one of the top finishers in Tuesday’s election. The four candidates with the most votes, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election, which will be a ranked choice contest.

Begich, an ally of President Donald Trump, has had a large cash advantage and is the only Republican with widespread name recognition in the race.

His campaign emphasized his support for expanded oil and gas development in Alaska and success in getting legislation passed as a new lawmaker.

Begich comes from a family of prominent Democrats including his uncle Tom Begich, who is running for governor. His late grandfather, also named Nick Begich, once held the House seat.

Democratic former US Rep. Mary Peltola advances from Alaska primary for US Senate

Peltola was one of the top finishers in Tuesday’s election. The four candidates with the most votes, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election, which is a ranked choice contest.

Peltola and two-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan are the highest-profile candidates.

The campaign was dominated by news of another Republican named Dan Sullivan who also ran for the seat — and allegations by the senator and his GOP allies that the lesser-known Sullivan coordinated with Democrats to help Peltola. The challenger, Peltola’s campaign and state Democrats denied such claims.

Peltola emphasized affordability concerns, support for Alaska fisheries and fighting what she called a rigged system of politicians catering to billionaires and enriching themselves.

Republican US Sen. Dan Sullivan advances to general election in Alaska

Sullivan, who is seeking a third term, was one of the top finishers in Tuesday’s election. The four candidates with the most votes, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election, which is a ranked choice contest.

Sullivan’s chief rival is Democrat Mary Peltola, a former U.S. representative.

The campaign was dominated by news of another Republican candidate named Dan Sullivan who also ran for the seat — and unsuccessful efforts by GOP allies of the incumbent to keep him off the ballot.

Sen. Sullivan emphasized his military service and work supporting investments in the military, including efforts to bring more Coast Guard assets to the Arctic state.

Chuck Gray wins the Republican primary for Wyoming’s seat in the US House, beating 8 challengers

The crowded field of candidates sought the GOP nomination to replace U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, who is not seeking a third term while she runs for U.S. Senate.

Gray has a significant advantage headed into the general election. Wyoming has not been represented by a Democrat in the U.S. House in almost 50 years, and no Democrat in recent memory has come close to winning Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat.

Florida Republicans eye the 9th District

As of 12:30 a.m., fewer than 600 votes separated the top two candidates in Florida’s 9th District Republican primary.

Seven contenders vie for the chance to unseat five-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Darren Soto in November. Soto is running for a sixth term, but his district saw the biggest partisan shift after the state redrew the congressional map earlier this year.

Under the new lines, Florida Republicans hope to pick up the 9th District, along with the 14th, 22nd and 25th.

Wyoming GOP nominee for governor: ‘Show up, do the work’ wins the race

The Republican nominee for governor of Wyoming says he ran on a simple idea: “Show up, do the work, get the job done.”

“That is how we run our ranch, that is how I have served in the Legislature, and that is how this administration will operate,” state Sen. Eric Barlow said in a statement after winning the nomination Tuesday.

Barlow beat three other Republicans including retired U.S. Marine Col. Brent Bien and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder.

Degenfelder had President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Barlow said he won despite the efforts of “out-of-state money and outside voices.”

Barlow is a northeast Wyoming livestock veterinarian and rancher who was speaker of the Wyoming House before being elected to the state Senate.

In the general election he will face Democrat Ken Casner, a southeast Wyoming store owner who was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Wyoming hasn’t elected a Democrat to the governor’s office in almost 20 years.

Eric Barlow wins the Republican nomination for Wyoming governor, beating 3 challengers

Wyoming’s current governor, Republican Mark Gordon, is term-limited and serving his final year in office.

Barlow has a significant advantage with voter registration alone in becoming Wyoming’s third Republican governor in a row.

Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats in Wyoming by a 7-to-1 margin.

No Democrat has come close to being elected Wyoming governor since Democrat Dave Freudenthal left office in 2011.

Harriet Hageman beats 4 opponents to win the Republican nomination for US Senate in Wyoming

Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats in Wyoming by a 7-to-1 margin, giving Hageman a significant advantage in the November election.

The winner will succeed Republican U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, who is retiring after a single term.

Lummis has announced no future political plans after a more than 40-year career in politics. She served in the U.S. House, the Wyoming Legislature and as Wyoming’s state treasurer.

Wyoming has not had a Democratic U.S. senator since 1977.

State Rep. Angie Nixon becomes latest DSA member to win a Democratic primary

It’s another major victory for the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Nixon is a member, she previously told the radio station WUSF. Nixon, who secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Florida, chalks DSA candidates’ success up to voter frustration with the party establishment.

Other candidates hailing from the faction — who have won party primaries in New York and Denver — have made the same argument.

That progressive undercurrent on the left has disturbed the party’s leadership, who fear that such candidates will fare worse against Republicans come November. Nixon’s Republican opponent also sees it as a weakness, unfurling a diatribe against socialism in her victory speech Tuesday.

Donalds downplays possibly being Florida’s first Black governor

“Florida is a great meritocracy in America,” Donalds said when asked what it means to him and to the state to be Republicans’ first Black gubernatorial nominee and potentially its first Black governor.

Donalds did mention “my journey through life” and said many Florida voters are familiar with his story but also with his “voting record in Congress” and his conservative credentials.

Donalds has not emphasized the historic nature of his candidacy.

Black voters nationally and in Florida vote overwhelmingly Democratic, though Trump made notable gains with Black men in 2024, and Donalds promised to court all parts of the diverse electorate.

Donalds says Trump’s endorsement matters but isn’t enough

The Republican nominee’s intro video included a clip of the president praising the congressman. But in his lengthy victory speech, Donalds did not mention President Donald Trump or the endorsement.

Afterward, he told reporters he’s grateful for the support but won’t lean on it in a general election campaign.

“Obviously, he has the strongest following of anybody in our party,” Donalds said. “You start with that.” But, he added, “You can’t just sit back and think the president’s endorsement is going to carry you.”

He said he’s talked with Trump about that and “the president knows this.”

Florida’s Lt. Gov. Jay Collins loses bid to be Republican’s nominee for governor

After U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds won the GOP primary and spoke to his supporters, Collins took to the social platform X to thank his staff, adding that it was an “honor of a lifetime” to meet Floridians on the campaign trail.

“I congratulate Byron Donalds on his victory,” wrote Collins, who was previously elected as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ running mate, “and vow to continue fighting like hell to ensure we remain the free state of Florida in November.”

Nixon’s win means a Black Democrat is on the statewide ticket

State Rep. Angie Nixon’s win in Florida’s Democratic Senate primary means that both parties will have a Black nominee in the top statewide races.

Republicans made Byron Donalds the party’s first Black nominee for governor.

Some south Florida Democrats had expressed concerns that Black turnout in heavily Democratic Broward County could be down in November if Democrats had an all-white ticket.

Donalds’ Democratic opponent, Jolly, and his running mate, Gwen Graham, are both white and could benefit if Nixon’s candidacy helps drive turnout among Black voters who might have stayed home or even be drawn to Donalds’ candidacy.

There is still the complicating factor of Nixon’s progressive leanings. That could hamper her ability to reach Hispanic voters in south Florida, where many voters or their family members’ fled socialist regimes in Latin America.

Byron Donalds promises to continue DOGE in Florida during victory speech

“We are going to DOGE all local governments and all state agencies,” Donalds said. “There will be no sacred cows.”

One month after President Donald Trump and Elon Musk created the United States Department of Government Efficiency in early 2025, Gov. Ron DeSantis established Florida’s state-level DOGE, which his administration said would ensure accountability in local government, reduce waste and save taxpayer money.

Florida’s DOGE examines Florida county and state agencies. Previously, it subpoenaed Orlando county workers over failing to cooperate with officers, claiming workers were hiding records associated with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Donalds promised to post all state spending online for Florida residents to see.

“Taxpayers deserve to know their hard-earned dollars are being spent with transparency and hard-earned integrity,” Donalds said.

Voters in Alaska’s capital cite concerns with direction of the state and country

Jeri Kissner, who said she votes for the person versus for a party, said she thinks Congress must do more to push back against President Donald Trump.

She said she favored Democrat Mary Peltola in the Senate race.

Giap Nguyen, an independent who leans Democratic, said he wants elected leaders who challenge the status quo. He said he felt he had a lot of choices in the field of 16 Senate candidates but wasn’t sure on the quality of some of the choices.

He declined to say who he voted for for Senate.

Donalds takes aim at ‘liberal David Jolly’

Florida Democrats nominated a former Republican for governor, but Republican nominee Byron Donalds wasted no time in labeling him as “Liberal David Jolly.”

Donalds said the former congressman backs socialist policies. He noted that Jolly has been a commentator on MSNOW, a liberal-leaning cable TV network, and has defended Dr. Anthony Fauci’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, while supporting Kamala Harris for president in 2024.

“Liberal David Jolly is the change that Florida cannot afford,” Donalds said.

The once-Republican David Jolly speaks after winning Democratic nomination for Florida governor

Jolly did not shy away from his partisan history as he addressed supporters.

“To my Democratic friends, thank you for welcoming me into the party,” he said, which got a “Woo!” from the crowd.

Jolly’s speech detailed a platform that balances between both political parties: an embrace of capitalism and a lean government, but one that “needs to do its part to fill the gaps.” Then he turned to social issues, where the current governor has championed the conservative cause.

“As an old-school Republican, I talk about ending the culture wars not to celebrate some progressive platform,” he said, “but because I still believe in the old-school Republican, libertarian policy that government should simply stay out of your life.”

Florida voters end the comeback bids of 4 former members of Congress plotting a return to Washington

Former Democratic U.S. Reps. Alan Grayson and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick lost their races in the 7th and 20th Congressional Districts, respectively. Two Republican former members who previously represented districts in other states, Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina and Chris Collins of New York, lost the GOP nomination to replace U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds in the 19th Congressional District.

At the top of the ballot, two former members had better luck seeking higher office. Former Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly and his running mate, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, won the Democratic nomination for governor and lieutenant governor.

Donalds promises a unified GOP in Florida governor’s race

The congressman told his supporters at a Universal Studios resort hotel that he’d heard from GOP rivals who pledged their help in winning the general election.

“The primary is over,” he said. “Tonight we put aside our differences. Tonight we are one united Republican Party.”

Donalds talked of his economic struggles with his wife Erica when they were a newly married couple. He ran with Trump’s endorsement, but he has emphasized Floridians’ economic hardships without blaming the president for what voters “face every single day.”

He said he wants a state where people “can give your kids a better shot than you have.”

A Republican crowd lines up to replace Hageman as Wyoming’s lone US representative

Nine Republicans seek to succeed Harriet Hageman, Wyoming’s lone U.S. representative who is now seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

The GOP candidates include Chuck Gray, Wyoming’s secretary of state since 2022. The others include Senate President Bo Biteman, a certified landman who has also served in the Wyoming House.

Candidate Kevin Christensen is a former U.S. Bureau of Land Management district manager who was a U.S. Army colonel and attack helicopter pilot.

Also seeking the Republican nomination are former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow and Steve Friess, son of the late financier Foster Friess.

The winner in November will face one of two Democrats seeking their party’s nomination. Wyoming has not been represented by a Democrat in the U.S. House since 1978.

Hageman has served two terms since she defeated incumbent Liz Cheney in the 2024 Republican primary.

Ryan Elijah, a former television reporter, defeats Rep. Cory Mills for Republican nomination

Mills faced a series of scandals including allegations of domestic violence involving a former girlfriend, which he denies.

Florida Republicans including DeSantis abandoned Mills ahead of the primary. President Donald Trump initially backed Mills in February but did not include him in a list of endorsements on Monday.

State Rep. Angie Nixon wins Democratic nomination for US Senate in Florida

Nixon would be Florida’s first Black U.S. senator if elected in November. She is running to fill the last two years of a term Republican Marco Rubio won in 2022 before becoming Trump’s secretary of state in January 2025.

It’s the latest victory for progressive candidates who have found success in primary contests against establishment-backed Democrats this year.

Sen. Ashley Moody wins Republican nomination to finish Marco Rubio’s term

Moody, 51, was appointed to fill Rubio’s seat after he became Trump’s secretary of state. Now she’s running to finish the last two years of his term.

A former state attorney general, Moody has Trump’s backing. Florida has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 2012, when then-Sen. Bill Nelson won reelection.

David Jolly wins Democratic nomination for Florida governor

For the second time in a row, Florida Democrats have chosen a former Republican as their candidate for the state’s highest office.

Jolly, 53, served as a Republican U.S. representative but became a fierce critic of Trump. He became an independent and then joined the Democratic Party last year.

Four years ago, Democrats backed former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist. He was easily defeated by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is finishing his second term and is barred from seeking a third consecutive term.

Rep. Byron Donalds wins Republican nomination for Florida governor

Donalds, 47, was backed by President Donald Trump. If he wins in November, he would be the state’s first Black governor.

He defeated several opponents on Tuesday, including Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and political newcomer James Fishback.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is barred from seeking a third consecutive term.

“Byron Donalds will be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump wrote on social media.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz wins Democratic nomination in new Florida district

The victory positions Wasserman Schultz to serve a 12th term in Congress. She switched districts after Republicans redrew the state’s congressional map to boost their chances in November.

Wasserman Schultz, who is white, faced criticism for running in a district that has elected Black Democrats to Congress since 1992.

She defeated several opponents in the primary, including Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who wanted her seat back after resigning earlier this year while facing an ethics investigation.

Candidate with same name as incumbent Alaska senator seeks to advance

Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher, hopes to advance in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race, where the incumbent is Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.

The challenger successfully sued to appear on the ballot after the incumbent and GOP allies accused him of being a sham candidate intent on sowing voter confusion. Dan J. Sullivan has said his frustration with the incumbent was an impetus for his candidacy.

He appears on the ballot as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., with no party affiliation, while the senator appears as Dan S. Sullivan, Republican and incumbent. The decision to list them that way was made by the Division of Elections. Dan J. Sullivan appears as a Republican elsewhere, including on the division’s official candidate list online.

In Florida, Rep. Byron Donalds touts Trump endorsement but has a careful message on the president’s economy

The southwest Florida representative has had the president’s backing for the duration of his campaign to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

But Donalds has offered a broader message, promising to tackle an economy that’s tough on many Floridians — while not blaming Trump.

“Affordability is a problem for all Floridians. It doesn’t matter what your politics are. It doesn’t matter what the color of your skin is,” Donalds said, promising to address taxes, property insurance premiums and health insurance access.

His message is notable not just because he so carefully frames economic realities under Trump but also because Donalds explicitly mentions race. Donalds would be the first Black governor of Florida, but he typically does not emphasize that historic possibility.

California election will determine Eric Swalwell’s temporary successor

Tuesday is voters’ last chance to decide whether a progressive state lawmaker or a moderate San Francisco Bay Area transit leader will fulfill the remainder of Swalwell’s term ending in January. Swalwell, a Democrat, dropped his bid for California governor and resigned from Congress in April after he was accused of sexual assault. He denies the allegations.

Aisha Wahab, a state senator, is running against Melissa Hernandez, a Bay Area Rapid Transit director and former Dublin mayor. The two Democrats, who advanced after a crowded primary in June, are vying to represent California’s 14th Congressional District, which includes cities east of San Francisco such as Hayward, Livermore and Union City.

Wahab and Hernandez will also face off in a separate general election in November to determine who will serve the next full two-year term.

Aisha Wahab, a state senator, is running against Melissa Hernandez, a Bay Area Rapid Transit director and former Dublin mayor. The two Democrats, who advanced after a crowded primary in June, are vying to represent California’s 14th Congressional District, which includes cities east of San Francisco such as Hayward, Livermore and Union City.

Wahab and Hernandez will also face off in a separate general election in November to determine who will serve the next full two-year term.

Incumbent Sullivan and former Rep. Peltola headline Alaska’s US Senate race

Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola are the highest-profile candidates in a race that will be among the few in November to determine control of the U.S. Senate.

Sullivan and Peltola have vastly outraised any of the other candidates in the overall field of 16. The candidates and groups that support them have dominated the airwaves and filled mailboxes with flyers ahead of Tuesday’s primary.

Alaska’s primary features all candidates on one ballot, with the top four advancing to November’s ranked vote general election.

Sullivan has leaned into his background as a Marine and supporter of the military, while Peltola has repurposed the “fish, family, freedom” slogan that propelled her to the U.S. House in 2022. She lost reelection in 2024.

Race to replace Swalwell reflects Democratic divide

The special general election pits California state Sen. Aisha Wahab, a progressive who’s championed housing issues, against San Francisco Bay Area transit leader Melissa Hernandez, a moderate who’s made cracking down on crime central to her campaign.

Hernandez, who is raising more money, has accused her rival of being too soft on crime, which Wahab denies. Wahab, who won the June primary decisively, says she’s better positioned to fight against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

“Are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security issues for the United States and if so, why or how?” asked one of the moderators.

Graham started her answer by saying, “I’m just going to be honest here."

“I’m not that informed on national security," she said, then paused. "But I do support the military."

Graham’s brother, Lindsey, died unexpectedly on July 11. She was appointed to fill his seat temporarily, and now she’s running in a special election for her own term. Her opponent is Rep. Ralph Norman.

Her answer was noteworthy because her late brother was known for his involvement in foreign policy, something that Graham mentioned in her answer.

“My brother was in the Air Force for 33 years so I will do everything I can to support the military," she said. "My dad was in the Army. I’m not a polished politician up here, national security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military.”

Graham was endorsed by President Donald Trump. She and Norman advanced to the runoff in last week's primary.

What the police report reveals

According to the police report, when officers arrived at the scene, one officer observed “multiple EMS and firemen performing CPR on a white female patient who appeared to be unresponsive.”

In radio chatter, first responders used the word “overdose.” A dispatcher can be heard saying: “Respond Medic 29, Easley Bridge Road. Overdose. CPR in Progress.”

Toxicology results are pending and could take two to three months, according to Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel.

Her on-and-off-again boyfriend called 911

Panettiere’s on-and-off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother Zach were with her at the time of her death. They called 911.

Candid about her struggles

In recent years, Panettiere spoke openly about her battle with addiction. “So I was self-medicating and looking for relief at the bottom of a bottle,” she said.

In 2020, she spent eight months in a rehabilitation facility to address opioid and alcohol addiction and mental health issues. She said postpartum depression following the 2014 birth of her daughter played a role in those struggles. In a May 18, 2026, interview with Gayle King, Panettiere described her experience: “There I am with this beautiful, healthy, beautiful baby girl and this very fortunate life. And I could not for the life of me be happy.”

Family reacts

Panettiere’s former fiancé and the father of her only child paid tribute to her Tuesday, writing: “Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief … She left this world far too soon.”

Her mother, Lesley Vogel, also spoke about her daughter Tuesday, saying she believes Hayden “sadly lost her way and I wish it were different.”

Panettiere, best known for her starring roles in Heroes and Nashville, would have turned 37 on Friday.

They are growing in numbers and in political and cultural clout. That’s bringing their vision of faith, Jewish identity and civic practices into conflict with other Israelis, both religious and secular. Distrust spirals on all sides.

Mass protests over proposed changes to the exemption from the military draft for ultra-Orthodox men highlight the most contentious issue as the country approaches three years of war on multiple fronts — and national elections where ultra-Orthodox parties are likely to be kingmakers.

At the core of ultra-Orthodox doctrine is the belief that studying scripture — and teaching it to family and community — is the highest duty, above working or joining the armed forces even in wartime.

Judith Rosenblum, who has seven sons and one daughter, believes that ultra-Orthodox practice is under threat from secular culture, and that conscripting young men into the military can “compromise” their religious practice.

But when she ran into an acquaintance whose grandson lost two legs and an arm in the war in Gaza, she was proud to relay that three of her sons also signed up to serve after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

“If all my kids were cut out for full-time Torah learning and had the money to support themselves doing so, for sure that would be a preference,” Rosenblum said. “But my kids who left full-time Torah study are amazing human beings. And I believe that they did the right thing by going into the army and participating in the defense of the country.”

Full-time Torah study anchors ultra-Orthodox beliefs

In Hebrew, the ultra-Orthodox are called Haredim. The term was first used in the late 19th century by several rabbis and is derived from the Prophet Isaiah’s description of being “fearful or astounded by the word of God,” according to Rabbi Beryl Gershenfeld.

"God’s word is not supposed to be intuitive; you have to look deeply,” said Gershenfeld, who grew up in Philadelphia but has lived in Israel, studying and teaching the Torah, for half a century. “Understanding the Torah is the crucial mission of life.”

He runs two Jerusalem yeshivas — or seminaries — for ultra-Orthodox boys and men.

Such institutions are “the beating heart of the community,” said Rabbi Heshy Grossman, an administrator at a prominent yeshiva in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot.

Inside the residential yeshiva, students aged 17-22 in white shirts and black pants spend long days praying, studying and discussing sacred texts and commentaries. Etl Lovy, 22, is completing his five years of study at the age when families start matchmaking for marriage.

“We have a lot of belief in what we’re learning,” he said a day before the start of summer break.

The Torah guides every moment of daily life

Lovy enthusiastically described how days begin at 7 a.m. with a prayer and continue with Talmud studies until late evening, learning “all commands from God and how to get close to him.”

As he took a sip of water on the hot day, he whispered a prayer. “Everything comes from the one above,” he explained with a smile.

For the ultra-Orthodox, each commandment and each good deed is not just a God-given obligation, but a way to find fulfillment and holiness.

And the highest one is studying God’s word — especially for men. Women receive a broader education in secular subjects like math, and they are expected to work while also raising large families. Ultra-Orthodox Jews believe many forms of birth control are opposed to God’s will, a view held by other conservative faiths but not all branches of Judaism.

“My life is not about making money, or building a nice house,” said Lovy, who plans to continue to study the Torah while his future wife works.

For the ultra-Orthodox, “every second of life is devoted to God,” said Rabbi Emanuel Feldman, adding that other Jews will either follow suit or “disappear into the mainstream.”

“The Orthodox are fighting assimilation,” said Feldman, who in his late 90s has witnessed the growth of the practice and still writes columns for a popular Haredi weekly magazine. “If you don’t study Torah and observe the commands, you become like any other Mediterranean country.”

He added that the ultra-Orthodox follow civil law so long as it doesn’t interfere with religious belief, such as forbidding or “affecting” the study of the Torah.

The ultra-Orthodox Jews’ complicated relationship with Israel

Much of the Torah studies tradition was lost during the Holocaust. When the state of Israel was founded shortly after, it gave ultra-Orthodox scholars special rights so they could rebuild, said Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz, director of the Israel Democracy Institute’s Religion and State Program.

That included an exemption from the military draft, originally for a few hundred scholars and in later decades broadened by conservative governments to everyone who wanted to engage in Torah learning full-time, she said. The same body of men was also largely outside the workforce.

But the ultra-Orthodox have grown rapidly, outpacing other Israelis. Ravitsky Tur-Paz estimates they will be about 25% of the population by 2050, and about 40% of the potential army draft.

“Israelis aren’t concerned about the Haredi way of life; they’re concerned about their way of life,” she said, adding that includes everything from welfare tax impacts to how much time non-Haredi Israelis might need to serve in the reserves. “The question is, who’s paying the price for your choice of life? This has become the issue everyone is talking about.”

For many ultra-Orthodox, there’s no debate — they’re fulfilling their individual obligation to God, and nothing else matters more.

“The importance of the Torah is a genuine feeling, and not just an escape, not just an excuse,” Rosenblum said. “Haredi world will put Torah first, and then Israel.”

Fewer than 10% of ultra-Orthodox men reaching the conscription age of 18 enlist, according to a parliamentary committee, and they usually join separate units accommodating their religious practices. Reacting to a recent bill protecting the ultra-Orthodox from draft evasion prosecution, the Israeli army’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, called such exemptions "inconceivable” while troops are being asked for “unprecedented sacrifice.”

But most ultra-Orthodox rabbis are adamant about their youths' exemption from the draft, to avoid “diluting their piety” at a critical age. Other Jewish men in Israel are required to serve for nearly three years, and women for two years.

“Studying the Torah is itself a spiritual protection,” Feldman added — an argument wearing thin with many Israelis, especially since about 1,000 troops have been killed fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon since the 2023 attack.

Asked if he had any qualms about his peers serving as soldiers while he devotes his life to studies, Lovy, the yeshiva student, said he prays “all the time” for soldiers.

“But we think because we believe in the Bible, we believe this is the right way to live. We don’t apologize,” he said. “I’m doing what God wants.”

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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.

Africa's most populous country will hold the election against a backdrop of worsening economic and security crises that have caused anger among voters against Tinubu's government.

The presidential vote will be held Jan. 16 alongside parliamentary elections, while gubernatorial elections will be held Feb. 6.

Tinubu is challenged by 18 opposition candidates but analysts predict a three-man race, including the two top contenders that he defeated in 2023. They are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, a serial presidential candidate, and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, a former state governor who blew the last race wide open with his mass appeal to Nigeria’s youth.

Historically, the ruling party in Nigeria's presidential elections usually has a higher chance of winning when the race features more than one prominent opposition candidate.

Tinubu unpopular among young voters

Tinubu was elected president in 2023 after campaigning on promises to build on his predecessor's efforts to deliver democratic dividends to citizens in a country grappling with deadly security crises, corruption in the government, and widespread poverty and hunger.

But critics say the president has not met those expectations and has become unpopular among many of Nigeria's mostly young voters. His massive economic reforms and their poor implementation has had a knock-on effect on the price of just about everything, resulting in the country's worst economic hardship in a generation.

Nigeria's challenges, notwithstanding, analysts say the split opposition could give Tinubu a higher chance of winning as was the case in 2023. In that year's election, Tinubu emerged ahead of multiple prominent opposition candidates but recorded one of the lowest vote percentages ever for an elected president, showing how unpopular he was.

An opposition coalition formed by Atiku and Obi among others in 2025 to unseat Tinubu collapsed before it took off.

“Voters are overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the administration’s handling of inflation, insecurity and unemployment but because the anti-incumbent vote is split, the president has the edge,” said Ikemesit Effiong, a partner at SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based risk advisory firm.

The president has solidified his base

Tinubu has also shored up his support base through the defections of erstwhile opposition figures, with 31 of Nigeria’s 36 state governors now members of his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The defections had prompted fears of a one-party state, which the national government denied.

In a country where current and former governors command massive grassroots support and are often accused of working with local electoral officials to manipulate election results, analysts say the defections could work in Tinubu’s favor.

The Nigerian leader began his administration with centerpiece economic reforms. At his inauguration in May 2023, he announced the removal of the decades-long fuel subsidy and later floated the local naira currency by ending its distorted foreign exchange rate, which caused a major devaluation.

The bold reforms, which Tinubu’s government argues saved the economy and handed the government more money, were cheered by investors but resulted in soaring inflation.

Nigeria's security woes have also persisted in recent years with more mass kidnappings and killings, and have further spread to regions that were once spared the violence.

“No matter how bad things are, Tinubu will still win because they are not working together,” said Juliet Onah, a resident in the capital of Abuja, referring to the opposition candidates not uniting as one front.

Carson Kelly led off the bottom of the ninth with a double to left off Trevor Richards (0-1). The White Sox intentionally walked Crow-Armstrong before Bregman delivered the Cubs' MLB-leading 13th walk-off win of the season.

Bregman singled in pinch-runner Kevin Alcantara off Grant Taylor in the seventh to tie the score.

Crow-Armstrong led off with a home run, his 31st, for the second straight game and sixth time this season. He homered in consecutive at-bats after his first career walk-off shot Monday.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Crow-Armstrong is the first player in MLB history with two leadoff home runs and a walk-off in a two-game span, and the 13th since 1900 to follow a walk-off homer with a leadoff shot.

Crow-Armstrong also hit leadoff home runs in back-to-back games June 15-16 against Colorado.

Jacob Webb (6-2) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win, the Cubs' eighth straight over the White Sox at Wrigley Field.

Colson Montgomery had three hits for the White Sox, who saw their AL Central lead shrink to four games over the Minnesota Twins. The Cubs remained 4 1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.

The game was delayed 88 minutes by rain in the eighth inning.

After White Sox opener Bryan Hudson gave up first-inning solo home runs to Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch, Erick Fedde worked 4 2/3 shutout innings.

The Cubs' Kevin Gausman gave up three runs on seven hits before exiting the game in the fifth with a left (non-throwing) hand cramp.

After Drew Romo's RBI single in the second, Munetaka Murakami hit his 29th home run in the third. Tristan Peters put the White Sox ahead in the fourth with an RBI double.

Up next

The White Sox have not named a starter for Wednesday's series finale against Cubs RHP Clay Holmes (5-5, 2.56 ERA).

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The Brewers equaled baseball’s modern-era record for the biggest shutout with a power surge that included three-run homers from Christian Yelich, David Hamilton and Luis Lara and a two-run shot by Jake Bauers.

The Brewers have 117 home runs this season, the fewest in baseball, but as was pointed out by Seattle manager Dan Wilson, they have multiple players with the ability to go deep.

“They’ll put bunts down and put pressure on the bases and steal bags,” Wilson said before the game. “They also have the ability to hit the home run. You kind of have to prepare for all areas of the game.”

The Brewers also generated offense doing what they do best, pulling off a double steal in a five-run fifth inning that helped break open a tight game.

The 78-48 Brewers matched a franchise record for runs in a game, tying the 22 runs they scored at the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 28, 1992. The Brewers also had a season-high 22 hits.

“It’s one game but a pretty darn good performance,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “I’d like to order that every night.”

The only other 22-0 victories since 1901 were by Pittsburgh over the host Chicago Cubs on Sept. 16, 1975 and by Cleveland at the New York Yankees on Aug. 31, 2004.

Yelich connected for his ninth homer of the season, a three-run shot off Bryce Miller in the fifth. The Brewers tacked on five more runs in the sixth.

“It’s kind of crazy. It happened fast,” Yelich said. “It’s always fun to be on this side.”

Bauers smiled as he struggled to find words to describe the Brewers offensive outburst.

“I’ve got nothing for you on that one,” Bauers said. “It was just good performance all around. Just good at-bats all night up and down the lineup.”

Bauers hit his team-leading 22nd home run of the season in the sixth inning and he’s now reached base safely in 20 consecutive games.

The Brewers tagged Mariners infielder Leo Rivas, who came on to pitch in the eighth, for nine runs, which included a three-run home run from 21-year-old rookie Lara, his first career homer.

Lara took some good-natured ribbing about whether the homer counted since he hit it off a position player, but he was in a celebratory mood.

“For me, it all counts,” Lara said through an interpreter. “But I understand that it may not be common to get your first (home run) against a position player.”

Bauers and Yelich backed their young teammate.

“It’s a hard game. Every bloop single, dribbler single, home run off a position player, they all count,” he said.

Yelich urged Lara to embrace the moment.

“The first career homer is always cool,” he said. “Anytime you get to jog around the bases in a major league game is always special. It was cool for him to get his first one and smile and laugh about it.”

The Brewers also used a position player on the mound, veteran catcher/first baseman Gary Sanchez, with a much different result. Sanchez pitched a scoreless ninth with many in the announced crowd of 36,870 standing and cheering.

It was the third career pitching appearance for Sanchez and second this season. He has tossed two scoreless innings in the pair of outings the season.

“He did great. He was a showman as always,” Bauers said. “The crowd was involved. They loved it. He loved it. We loved it. But I still think he’s a better catcher than a pitcher.”

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Tatis' glove and bat were on display Tuesday night in a 5-2 win over the Mets as the 27-year-old robbed New York's Francisco Lindor of a grand slam in between hitting two homers.

“Tough challenge,” Tatis said following his 14th career two-homer game, which ties him for second in franchise history. “But robbery today was more fun.”

Tatis hit the first pitch from New York's Zac Thornton 452 feet into the second deck in left field before adding a two-run homer off Thornton in the fifth. He has 15 homers after opening the season without a longball in his first 238 at-bats.

But Tatis’ biggest contribution in the game came in the field in the second inning, when reached over the wall in in right field and pulled back Lindor’s potential slam.

“It’s amazing — he’s seriously one of the most athletic fielders I’ve ever seen,” said Padres pitcher Robbie Ray, who loaded the bases with three walks. “What he’s able to do out there, just to be able to be in that spot to make that catch, was incredible.”

Tatis, Ray and manager Craig Stammen were all surprised as Lindor’s fly drifted toward the wall on an night with minimal wind.

“I knew it was going to be a play at the wall,” Tatis said. “Just great timing — prepare myself to launch and go for it.”

Tatis was one step from the wall when he jumped and grabbed the ball just as it began to clear the wall. The converted shortstop used his hands to break his fall as his hat fell off and bounced behind him.

Tatis stood straight up and stared toward the infield, which left everyone on the field and the crowd of 35,508 wondering if he’d made the catch.

“Just taking off a grand slam right there, that’s a game changer,” Tatis said.

Tatis then raised his glove, after which Ray raised his arms and put his glove on his head.

“He does it with a flair,” Stammen said. “And that’s who makes Fernando who he is and why we love watching him.”

Ray walked a few more steps with his glove on his hat, grinning in disbelief as he gazed at Tatis, who jogged in with his mouth agape before he exchanged low fives with centerfielder Jackson Merrill.

“I kind of blacked out in the moment,” Ray said with a grin. “Just a really cool — it was just an incredible play.”

Ray allowed just two baserunners over his final four innings.

“It’s up there as one of the most impactful games he’s had as a Padre, for sure,” Stammen said. “You look at how many runs he created and then how many runs he took away. That’s a pretty big number.

“They talk about plus/minus in the NBA and hockey and stuff like that. That was a big plus/minus game for ‘Tati’ tonight.”

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Tatis hit the first pitch from Zac Thornton 452 feet into the second deck in left field for his team-record 18th career leadoff homer. Tatis added a two-run homer off Thornton in the fifth. He has 15 homers after opening the season without a longball in his first 238 at-bats.

But, Tatis' biggest contribution in the game came in the field in the second inning when reached over the wall in in right field and pulled back Lindor’s potential slam. Tatis stood and stared straight ahead when he landed, leaving everyone momentarily confused as to whether he'd caught the ball. Tatis then help up his glove and Padres pitcher Robbie Ray raised his arms and put his own glove on his head.

Tatis’ leaping catch came a night after Mets outfielders Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing combined to throw out three Padres players at the plate.

Ty France added a run-scoring single in the seventh for the Padres, who lead the majors with an 18-6 record since July 24. Manny Machado hit his 24th homer of the season, a solo shot in the ninth inning.

Ray (11-7) allowed three hits, including Luis Torrens’ homer, and struck out four in six innings on the way to his first win since being acquired from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline. Mason Miller struck out two in the ninth and earned his 31st save.

New York's Luis Robert Jr. homered in the eighth.

Thornton (3-4) gave up three runs and tied a career-high with seven strikeouts in five innings for the Mets, who are 10-4 since the trade deadline.

Up next

Padres RHP Michael King (8-8, 3.41 ERA) starts against Mets RHP Robert Stock (0-2, 6.57 ERA) in Wednesday’s series finale.

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Hundreds of miles away, Ukrainian drone crews had barely paused after the night’s work before starting to prepare for another attack.

A small group of soldiers quickly assembled in a sunflower field in southern Ukraine, gathering around 20 small planelike drones laden with explosives, before launching them toward Russia.

The launch by the Ukrainian 413th “Raid” Unmanned Systems Regiment on Sunday morning was observed by a team of Associated Press journalists — a rare glimpse into a rapidly expanding part of Ukraine’s war effort.

It's Ukraine's latest tactic — long-range drones designed to carry the war deep inside Russia, striking military, industrial and logistical sites far from the front line.

Kyiv has stepped up its attacks on Russia this year, with long-range missiles and swarms of drones targeting military industries and energy facilities. It has also increasingly pummeled giant Wildberries depots, burning billions of dollars’ worth of merchandise belonging to the Russian online retail giant.

Those attacks have brought the war home to the Russian public, nearly 4½ years into Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The scale of the attacks has also forced Russia’s military to stretch air defenses over a larger area, disrupted airports, sparked fuel shortages and undermined morale in Russia.

The regiment's commander, Yevhen Karas, said his unit had also taken part hours earlier in the strike on the Wildberries warehouse, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Moscow, during one of Ukraine’s largest attacks on Russia to date.

Ukraine will need to punish the Kremlin “if we want to get a stable and long period of peace, and normal peace,” Karas said.

“The bigger casualties they have,” the sooner they will go for peace, he added.

Kyiv officials aim to make the Russian public feel the war’s consequences and pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into negotiating a peace settlement. Putin has so far shown no sign he intends to end the war.

Karas, however, believes the impact of Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign on Russia’s economy is bringing home the cost of the war to ordinary Russians and hopes this will drive Moscow back to the negotiating table after months of U.S.-brokered talks between the two sides stalled.

On Sunday morning, before the drones took to the skies, Karas took out a black marker and wrote a message on the fuselage: “Moscow burns under the sky, red flame rises so warm and high, dark smoke moves above the town, fire lights the night all around.”

Like the majority of Ukraine’s serving military, Karas had a very different life before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

But on that day, the 38-year-old who majored in philosophy in his university studies and his brother Volodymyr both volunteered for the front. His brother was killed while defending the Kyiv region. In the months that followed, Karas rose through the ranks to become an officer in Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces.

In 2024, Karas was appointed commander of the newly-formed 413th Raid Unmanned Systems Regiment, which began as a unit using drones for reconnaissance and other battlefield tasks.

As drone technology developed and flight range increased from hundreds to over a thousand miles, his unit was tasked with mounting long-range operations using Ukraine’s domestically produced FP-1 drones against targets deep inside Russia.

Others in the unit include a former opera singer, a computer programmer, a rapper and a cellist. Their routine now focuses on a very simple sequence of tasks: prepare the drone, check the systems, move it into position and launch.

Wait for the result, then repeat.

The unit's medallion — something militaries across the world refer to as a “challenge coin” — carries the troops' insignia on one side, a stylized, three-prong arrow. On the other is a relief depiction of a Kremlin in flames, with a drone flying over it.

Karas said that in this phase of the war, Moscow should fear the skies.

“Muscovites should spend their nights in their wonderful metro, just as residents of Kyiv have spent years going underground to escape Russian missile and drone attacks,” Karas said.

Back in the sunflower field, once the drones were airborne, the soldiers packed up their equipment and drove away, leaving hardly any traces of their activity.

They were on to the next launch site.

Teoscar Hernandez had a triple and double, and Tommy Edman doubled twice as the Dodgers broke out of an offensive slump in Denver.

Los Angeles scored 10 runs in the four-game series against Milwaukee over the weekend. Against Colorado, the Dodgers have scored 18 runs on 24 hits with four homers, including three by Ohtani, in the first two games of the three-game set.

Ohtani’s 30th homer traveled 448 feet into the Los Angeles bullpen off Ryan Feltner (5-7) and gave the Dodgers a 3-1 lead in the third inning. The Rockies tied it in the bottom of the inning before Los Angeles went ahead again in the fourth.

Edman, Kyle Tucker and Hernandez doubled in the inning to make it 5-3, and Hernandez scored on Freeman’s sacrifice fly.

Eric Lauer (8-6) allowed four runs on six hits with six strikeouts in five innings. The 31-yeare-old left-hander has been one of the best starters for Los Angeles since coming over from Toronto on May 17. He went 6-1 with a 3.48 ERA in his first 11 starts with the Dodgers.

Before the game, Los Angeles placed closer Edwin Diaz on the injured list with neck inflammation and recalled righty Emmet Sheehan from Triple-A. Tanner Scott, elevated to the closer role, earned his 17th save when he got TJ Rumfield to pop out to short with the tying run on.

Colorado's Will Castro hit his 14th homer of the season, a solo shot in the fifth inning.

Up next

Dodgers RHP Roki Sasaki (5-5, 4.46 ERA) faces Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (4-10, 6.27) in the finale of the three-game series Wednesday night.

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Elijah held his election night watch party at Decision Tactical in Sanford, where supporters gathered to watch the results. After the race was called, Elijah took the stage and addressed the crowd.

During his victory speech, Elijah spoke about his father, who died three years ago, and thanked family members who joined him for the election night celebration.

Elijah said he had already received a call from U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and Republican leaders in Washington, D.C., following his primary victory.

Elijah announced in April that he was leaving his job as an Orlando news anchor to challenge Mills for the congressional seat.

Throughout the campaign, Elijah presented himself as a less controversial alternative to Mills and emphasized his background as a family man.

He received endorsements from Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood and Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma. Both counties are represented in the 7th Congressional District.

Mills, who currently represents the district, has faced criticism during his time in office.

Last fall, a judge granted a temporary restraining order involving Mills after his former girlfriend accused him of threatening to release intimate photographs of her. Mills has denied wrongdoing in connection with the allegations.

Mills is also the subject of an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation.

President Donald Trump initially endorsed Mills but later released a list of Florida candidates he was supporting that did not include the incumbent congressman.

When asked what he would say to voters who had become discouraged by the controversy surrounding their representative, Elijah said he had heard their concerns.

“I heard them,” Elijah said. “That was why, when the endorsement happened in February, I knew no elected official was going to get in this race.”

As of Tuesday night, Mills and his campaign had not publicly commented on the primary results.

Elijah said his focus is now on the general election in November.

Unofficial results show Moore Russell leading the field with about 32 percent of the vote. Messina followed with about 28 percent.

Moore Russell credited her years in county government and a strong ground game for the first-place finish, saying she wants an Orange County where no one gets left behind.

“I have the most experience in this race,” Moore Russell said. “I have served as a county commissioner so I know this community. As the clerk, I understand the importance of how to serve residents as with dealing with tough budget times. So I think voters in Orange County can trust Tiffany Moore Russell because they know me to serve this community.”

Though it is a nonpartisan race, Messina emphasized his conservative credentials, telling supporters at Grills Lakeside that the campaign defied the odds.

“They said a conservative couldn’t make it this far,” he said.

Messina said his vision is focused on a 21st-century economy, one where Orange County is a national leader space technology, more high-paying jobs are available and blighted strip malls are revitalized.

“The experience is what’s got us into the situation where we’re at the very bottom in terms of net income of the top 50 metro areas,” he said. “We’re really right at the bottom so that political experience hasn’t solved those problems.”

The race for third was close.

Former U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy finished with about 26 percent.

Campaign officials tell News 6 Murphy called both opponents Tuesday night to concede and thank them for running a positive campaign.

Officers said they responded to 5572 MetroWest Blvd. on March 4 after three men — identified as Alan Vernon Florvilus, Roderick Barron and Howard Bennett — were involved in a shooting.

Background on what happened

Detectives said they learned Barron and Bennett had argued the night before the shooting. During that dispute, Bennett allegedly threatened to shoot Barron and contacted Florvilus, asking him to come to the location.

The next morning, Barron and Bennett encountered each other in a parking lot and continued arguing, police explained.

Investigators determined Bennett attempted to pull out a firearm. Before he could fire, Barron reportedly pulled his own gun and shot Bennett, killing him.

During the confrontation, Florvilus allegedly retrieved a rifle-style firearm from an apartment and opened fire on Barron, seriously injuring him. Florvilus then fled the scene, investigators said.

However, Barron survived and provided detectives with an account that investigators said was consistent with physical evidence and information from other witnesses.

Bennett’s death was determined to be a justifiable homicide, and thus Barron was not charged in connection with the shooting, detectives said.

Florvilus arrested in Tampa

Homicide detectives identified Florvilus as the person who shot Barron. On Aug. 13, detectives submitted an arrest warrant charging him with attempted first-degree murder.

Florvilus was arrested on Tuesday in Tampa by the U.S. Marshals Service Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force, Tampa Division.

He faces a charge of attempted first-degree murder stemming from the March shooting.

The investigation remains active and ongoing. Police said no further information is available at this time.

The major league-best Brewers (78-48) matched a franchise record for runs in a game. Since 1901, the only previous 22-0 victories were by Pittsburgh over the host Chicago Cubs on Sept. 16, 1975 and by Cleveland at the New York Yankees on Aug. 31, 2004.

Bauers scored the Brewers' first run in colorful fashion. He doubled with two outs in the first against Bryce Miller (4-7). William Contreras singled, and left fielder Randy Arozarena's throw to the plate easily beat Bauers, who slapped at catcher Cal Raleigh's mitt on his slide. Raleigh dropped the ball, and Bauers dived back to the plate.

Yelich's homer made it 6-0 in the fifth. Hamilton went deep in the sixth to make it 9-0, and Bauers' 22nd homer later in the inning made it 11-0.

Milwaukee scored nine times in the eighth against Mariners infielder Leo Rivas, including Lara's homer, which was the first of his career.

Kyle Harrison (10-3), who allowed eight runs (three earned) over 4 2/3 innings in his previous start, held the Mariners to two hits in five innings. Shane Drohan worked two innings, Grant Anderson pitched the eighth and catcher Gary Sánchez completed the five-hitter, working around two hits in the ninth while throwing several pitches under 40 mph.

Hamilton's four RBIs were a career high. Yelich and Lara also drove in four runs each, and Garrett Mitchell had four hits.

Up next

Seattle’s RHP Logan Gilbert (9-7, 3.28 ERA) and Milwaukee’s RHP Dustin May (6-7, 4.13) start on Wednesday.

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The vote followed a dramatic special meeting inside a packed commission chamber, where people on both sides carried signs supporting or opposing the mayor. The meeting ended with shouting, Espinosa’s defense team embracing her and police and security escorting the mayor from the chamber through the crowd.

The vote was not a decision on whether Espinosa violated the city’s ethics code. Commissioners were deciding whether to begin a public impeachment trial based on findings from court-appointed Special Prosecutor Mayanne Downs.

Downs found probable cause on three of seven ethics allegations involving the city’s BOOST 2.0 grant program, which used federal COVID-19 relief money to assist Kissimmee businesses.

Three businesses owned by Espinosa or members of her family received a combined $50,000. Records cited in Downs’ report identify Espinosa as the sole owner of Adanse LLC, which received $20,000, and as vice president with more than a 5% interest in Kissimmee Diner Inc., which received $15,000. Another family-operated business received $15,000.

Downs argued Espinosa participated in three commission actions funding and expanding BOOST 2.0 but never disclosed her financial interests. She also said the city attorney learned about the grants after they were awarded and warned Espinosa in December 2025 that receiving the money raised concerns under state ethics law.

Downs told commissioners that voting money into a program and later benefiting from it represented a clear violation of the city’s ethics code. She urged them to follow the process the city had already begun and allow the evidence to be considered during a trial.

Espinosa’s attorney, Migdalia Perez, argued the city does not have a clearly established impeachment process and was effectively creating one while attempting to use it against the mayor.

Perez also argued Downs had not identified a grant decision Espinosa improperly influenced or any employee she pressured. The businesses had not received the grants when Espinosa participated in the earlier commission votes, Perez said, and the applications were later evaluated by city staff.

Even if Espinosa should have disclosed her interests, Perez argued, that did not by itself establish corruption or justify removing an elected mayor from office.

Commissioners Janette Martinez supported moving forward with a trial.

Martinez argued a trial would allow the evidence to be heard publicly and could either hold Espinosa accountable or clear her. She pointed to more than $25,000 the city has already spent on the investigation and said completing the process would provide transparency.

The other two eligible commissioners voted against moving forward, producing the 2-2 tie that defeated the motion. Espinosa did not vote on the matter involving her own impeachment.

Perez told commissioners that a separate review remains pending before the Florida Commission on Ethics. She said Espinosa is prepared to return the grant money if that commission determines repayment is required.

The failed vote leaves Espinosa in office and ends the immediate effort to hold a city impeachment trial. The special prosecutor’s findings do not constitute a criminal charge or a final determination that Espinosa violated the law.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued the order on Tuesday, which suspends Caruso from his position effective immediately.

Per that order, 67-year-old Caruso is accused of sexually abusing his grandson, who is less than 12 years old and lives in Orange County with the rest of his family.

“During the period charged, Caruso enjoyed regular and unsupervised access to (the) victim by virtue of his position as a family member, including periods alone with the child in Orange County, in Palm Beach County, and aboard a family vacation in August 2025,” the order reads.

Investigators said that in October, the victim’s father learned from the boy that Caruso had showered and performed apparent sexual acts with him during a family cruise in August 2025.

“During the voyage, while in international waters, Caruso separated the victim from his parents under the stated pretext of taking the child to obtain ice cream,” the investigative report states. “Victim was away from his parent’s in Caruso’s company for at least an hour and was not taken to get ice cream.”

The victim later identified to law enforcement another occasion around Thanksgiving 2024 where Caruso had abused him, the report says.

By December, Caruso was confronted about the allegations, though he denied sexually abusing the boy. Instead, he asked whether his former spouse had interacted with the child, characterizing her as “evil” and having potentially made up the allegations “in an effort to poison the child against him,” investigators said.

Another conversation about what happened cropped up in February 2026, this time recorded at the request of law enforcement, the report says.

“Caruso asserted that the allegations were impossible because, in substance, sexual deviation is directed toward only one sex rather than two, and because he is attracted to women, he could not be a sex offender,” the report continues. “Caruso further stated, in substance: ‘If you report this to the authorities, there won’t be any of me left, I can tell you that.’”

Furthermore, the report claims that Caruso’s daughter had made previous accusations against him of “sexually inappropriate behavior,” including sexual battery.

As a result of the allegations involving his grandson, Caruso was arrested and now faces the following charges:

• Kidnapping
• Lewd or lascivious molestation
• Lewd or lascivious exhibition
• Luring or enticing a child
• Child abuse (mental injury)

Caruso is held in Palm Beach County, though he is expected to be transported to Orange County.

November's election will test President Donald Trump’s grip on his adopted state and Democrats’ ability to resurrect Florida as a national political battleground. Florida has moved notably to the right since Trump's victory in 2016, though Democrats hope to regain ground from his slumping popularity ratings.

DeSantis, a leading conservative figure who has both clashed and collaborated with Trump over the years, is barred from running for a third consecutive term.

Also Tuesday, progressive state Rep. Angie Nixon won the Democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate special election, defeating retired Army Lt. Col Alexander Vindman, a onetime National Security Council official who testified in Trump’s first impeachment in 2019.

Nixon, who was heavily outspent by Vindman, will face Sen. Ashley Moody, winner of the Republican nomination, in November to fill the last two years of Marco Rubio’s Senate term. Rubio left the seat to become Trump's secretary of state last year.

Donalds could be a historic figure in Florida

Donalds would be Florida's first Black governor if he wins in November. He defeated a former DeSantis running mate, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, political newcomer James Fishback and others Tuesday.

The 47-year-old congressman Donalds told his supporters at a Universal Studios resort hotel that he’d heard from Republican rivals who pledged their help in winning the general election.

“The primary is over,” Donalds said. “Tonight we put aside our differences. Tonight we are one united Republican Party.”

Donalds described Trump's backing as important but not determinative.

“Obviously, he has the strongest following of anybody in our party,” he said. However, he added, “you can’t just sit back and think the president’s endorsement is going to carry you.”

Donalds has promised to push tax cuts, overhaul Florida’s insurance regulations to lower consumer costs and seek greater price transparency from healthcare providers.

The Democrats’ candidate for governor, Jolly, is a former Republican congressman who switched parties last year. He did not shy away from his partisan history as he addressed supporters Tuesday night.

“To my Democratic friends, thank you for welcoming me into the party,” he said.

Jolly’s speech detailed a platform that balances between both political parties: an embrace of capitalism and a lean government, but one that “needs to do its part to fill the gaps,” such as with education and housing.

“As an old-school Republican, I talk about ending the culture wars not to celebrate some progressive platform,” he said, “but because I still believe in the old school Republican, Libertarian policy that government should simply stay out of your life, and stay out of your bedroom.”

It's the second time in a row that Democrats have nominated a onetime Republican for governor.

Four years ago, they backed former Gov. Charlie Crist, only to see him lose by nearly 20 percentage points to DeSantis.

Rich Chamberlin, a retiree in Port St. Lucie, said he supported Jolly in Tuesday's primary, spurred on by attack ads against him.

“I saw anti-Jolly ads. I said ‘Ok, if they are against him, then I must be for him,'" Chamberlin said, adding it didn't matter to him that Jolly was once a Republican.

A progressive gets Democratic nomination for Senate

Florida voters haven't sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 2012, and this year's race was always going to be an uphill climb.

Moody, a former state attorney general, was appointed by DeSantis to fill Rubio's seat last year after he became Trump's secretary of state. She's now running to finish the last two years of his term.

Moody will face Nixon, a progressive state lawmaker who scored an upset victory over the Army veteran Vindman. Nixon would be Florida’s first Black U.S. senator if elected in November.

"Rep. Nixon ran a strong campaign," Vindman posted on social media. "I will be standing by her side in the fight against Ashley Moody. I hope you’ll join me.

Wasserman Schultz wins in a new plurality Black district

In U.S. House primaries, Tuesday’s biggest contest saw longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, defeat former U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and others in a redrawn south Florida district.

Wasserman Schultz, who is white, urged voters in the new, plurality Black district to help her return to Washington for a 12th term. Cherfilus-McCormick had sought a comeback after resigning earlier this year under a pending federal indictment and threat of House ethics sanctions.

Wasserman Schultz entered a new district after DeSantis' successful push for new congressional maps intended to boost Trump's midterm election prospects.

Her four Black primary opponents — including Cherfilus-McCormick — had argued that the district should have a Black representative. But the voters went with a candidate who touted long experience from serving in Congress since 2005.

Surrounded by her campaign staff Tuesday night, Wasserman Schultz tearfully thanked voters for having confidence in her. She said she wanted to “make all of you proud, to make sure that the people we spoke to all across this district know that I will fight so they can pay their rent.”

Republican Rep. Cory Mills is ousted by a challenger

Former television news reporter Ryan Elijah won the Republican nomination for Florida’s 7th Congressional District, ousting the scandal-plagued Mills.

A two-term congressman, Mills has denied allegations of domestic violence against a former girlfriend and other controversies.

But Florida Republicans including DeSantis had abandoned Mills ahead of the primary and the congressman was not included on Trump's final list of Florida endorsements. Elijah advances to the general election in a central Florida district that is considered reliably Republican.

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Associated Press reporters Gisela Salomon in Miami and David Fischer in Port St. Lucie, Florida, contributed.

Earlier this week, Trump also threatened to bomb Oman as the country sought a deal with Iran to manage shipping traffic through the strait, two regional officials said Tuesday, a day after Trump reportedly leveled the threat if Oman "gets in the way.” Iran says the waterway will not be reopened until the U.S. meets its conditions.

As talks between Iran and Oman continue, a projectile hit a ship in the strait and Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they fired drones at an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia.

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

Trump looms over negotiations to reopen Strait of Hormuz

As Oman and Iran say they are nearing a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said on social media Tuesday that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains “in full force and effect,” but asserted that all water mines have been removed and that other marine traffic was free to pass.

Trump posted a map depicting the strait as U.S. territory.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi appeared to respond to Trump’s post.

“Just as Trump correctly wrote the name of the eternal Persian Gulf, soon his delusion regarding the Strait of Hormuz will either be corrected or we will correct the delusions of this deluded man," he wrote on X.

The Trump administration has told Oman it opposes parts of the yet-to-be-announced deal, according to officials briefed on the U.S. position. Those include joint Iranian and Omani management of the passage's exit route and the collection of voluntary fees from vessels, even if the money is used for security and maritime environmental protection.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists.

The White House on Tuesday referred to Trump’s remarks in the Oval Office and declined to comment further about Oman.

— By Samy Magdy in Cairo

Egypt says Iran-Oman agreement could open door to Iran-US deal

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the Iranian-Omani deal could pave the way for Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations for a “comprehensive and permanent deal that addresses all concerns and enhances regional security and stability.”

The statement came after a meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Omani counterpart Badr al-Busaidi. But it did not address Trump’s latest threat against Oman.

The 60-day negotiating period ended this week between the U.S. and Iran with no clear end to the war in sight.

Ship traffic drops significantly in Strait of Hormuz

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped significantly last week, with confirmed crossings falling 19.5% to 95 transits. Only three vessels made it through the waterway on Sunday, according to shipping data platform Kpler.

The ships used the Iranian-designated route through the strait, with no crossings recorded through the Omani routes.

Crossings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait increased 6.7% to 254 transits, while so-called dark transits, in which ships turn off the transponders that broadcast their location, fell from 40 to 16, Kpler said.

Projectile damages ship in strait causing a casualty

An unidentified projectile damaged the engine room of a ship in the Strait of Hormuz near Oman and “resulted in a crew casualty," according to the British military’s UK Maritime Trade Operations center.

The maritime monitoring agency did not release any details about the ship or its cargo, and it was not clear whether the crew member was killed or wounded.

No environmental damage has been reported and the agency said the Omani Coast Guard was assisting other crew members and authorities were investigating.

Iran-backed Houthis claim an attack on a Saudi oil refinery

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they fired drones at an oil refinery in neighboring Saudi Arabia, the latest attack threatening to reignite Yemen’s civil war and open another front in the Middle East.

The attack targeted a facility run by Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company, according to a report by the Houthi-run SABA news agency. There were no immediate reports of damage or comment from Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis have escalated attacks against government forces in Yemen and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government, and the kingdom’s shipping in the Red Sea, an important alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel strike on Gaza City kills 6 people

An Israeli strike hit Gaza City on Tuesday, killing six people, including a child, and wounding 14 others, according to Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken.

The Israeli military said it struck Hamas commanders in the Shati area who it said were planning to carry out attacks against Israeli forces.

The heaviest fighting has subsided since a ceasefire in the more than two-year war took hold in October. Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes since then, killing at least 1,266 Palestinians, according to health officials in Gaza.

The Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. But it does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.

Missiles fired at the United Arab Emirates

The defense ministry of the United Arab Emirates said two ballistic missiles were launched from Iran toward the UAE on Tuesday.

One landed outside of the country’s waters, and the other landed within them, the Emirati Defense Ministry said. It was unclear whether the missiles were shot down by air defenses or fell. No damage or injuries were reported.

Iran early Wednesday rejected the UAE’s claims that it launched missiles toward the country.

In a post on social media, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Esmail Baghaei, said Dubai’s accusations were “detrimental to ongoing efforts to strengthen trust among the countries of the region and prevent a further deterioration of security.” He called on the nations in the region to not make “baseless accusations” against Iran.

In the weeks after the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, the UAE was frequently targeted by Iranian missiles and drones, but Tuesday’s reported attack was the first in weeks.

The same treat was served to her at breakfast the following morning. Delighted, she summoned her chef and rewarded him with a silver ingot.

“It was originally called ‘minced pork pancake,’ but because it had fulfilled her dream, it later became known as ‘dream pastry,’” said Zhou Tong, a chef at Fangshan Restaurant in Beijing.

Fangshan specializes in imperial cuisine, preserving dishes like the one associated with Cixi and other culinary traditions from China’s imperial court. The restaurant was founded in 1925 by former chefs from the Qing Dynasty at Beihai Park, a garden where royals from several dynasties rested, handled government affairs and performed ritual sacrifices.

“The name Fangshan literally means ‘imitating the imperial cuisine,’” said assistant general manager Di Xin.

A handful of other Beijing restaurants also serve versions of imperial cuisine, while the Palace Museum preserves Qing-dynasty objects tied to court dining, including pastry molds.

Every meal comes with its own rules

Imperial cuisine encompasses the meals emperors ate daily and the feasts their courts held throughout the year.

Each had its own rituals. Drinking milk tea, for instance, was an important first step at Qing-dynasty banquets, said Teng Deyong, a researcher at China’s Palace Museum.

During the banquet, the emperor bestowed wine or food on princes and officials. Recipients performed rites and paid their respects to him before they ate or drank.

Aside from banquets, sacrificial rituals were held. They followed a separate system and could involve meat offerings.

“At the Palace of Earthly Tranquillity, there was the eating of sacrificial pork, which we know was one of the most important rituals of the Qing imperial court,” Teng said.

In that ritual, fatty pork was boiled without salt. After the ceremony, it was distributed among guests, and receiving the sacrificial meat was considered a great honor.

Unseasoned food also appears in earlier Chinese ritual traditions. Wandi Wang, a professor of Chinese at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, said the “Book of Rites,” a classical work on rites and ceremonies, describes a meat broth known as “grand stew” that was served without seasoning during sacrificial ceremonies.

“The absence of added flavoring was itself meaningful: the unseasoned dish evoked an earlier and simpler way of cooking and thus expressed a ritual ideal of honoring antiquity and remembering cultural origins,” Wang said.

Traditional techniques keep imperial pastry-making alive

Pastries were key to imperial cuisine, and the court had an institution specialized in making them.

Sweets made at Fangshan by Zhou include Cixi’s dream pastry and a small steamed corn bun. Their recipes are rooted in the imperial court.

“When customers visit, our servers often tell them the stories behind these dishes,” Zhou said. “People enjoy them even more because they carry such meaningful history.”

He learned his pastry-making technique from a master who had also learned from a mentor. It’s a craft that has been passed from one generation to the next.

Traditional imperial methods mean cooking must be done by hand — no blenders or food processors are allowed. Ingredients like beans are pulverized using sieves and certain flours are handled in custom-made copper pots.

“A machine may be more convenient, but the texture is completely different,” Zhou said. “You lose the delicate graininess and sandy mouthfeel that handcrafted pastries are supposed to have.”

Among Fangshan’s bestselling delicacies are the pea flour cake and the red bean roll. During the busy season, customers order more than 200 of the cakes per day.

Balancing ancient cooking methods with a changing world

When he joined Fangshan as a kitchen apprentice, now-executive chef Fan Liangliang had to relearn everything he was taught at culinary school. Rather than employing techniques that allowed him to work quickly, he embraced slower processes he had never heard of.

One of them is “Nizihuo,” which Fan said involves mincing ingredients such as fish, shrimp or chicken into a smooth paste. It is then reshaped into decorative forms such as frogs, birds and flowers.

“This is one of the hallmarks of imperial cuisine,” Fan said. “Every dish had to be innovative, visually beautiful, nutritious and worthy of presentation on the imperial dining table.”

Rare ingredients such as bear paws are no longer served. Fan said adaptations are made to retain the spirit of each dish.

Chinese cuisine has long reflected cultural values, politics and ideals

A celebrated Chinese poet once wrote about cold noodles made with pagoda-tree leaves.

“The poem is not simply a description of a dish,” Wang said. “Du Fu turns the verdant, fresh, yet modest dish into an expression of his political loyalty and thwarted ambition to serve the emperor.”

She added that Chinese cuisine has historically carried meaning beyond food, reflecting broader ideas about politics, culture and aesthetics that have evolved as circumstances changed.

“Preserving a culinary tradition begins with taking its history seriously,” Wang said. “Culinary heritage tells us not only how people ate in the past, but also how people in the present choose to remember and give meaning to that past.”

Chef Fan said that at the heart of Fangshan’s imperial cuisine is a fusion of Manchu and Han culinary traditions, bringing together the culture of the Qing rulers and that of China’s majority population.

“It’s not simply a collection of dishes from the two cultures,” he said. “It represents the blending of their different approaches to food into a unified cuisine.”

Some inherited techniques such as stir-frying, braising and stewing have survived. And while some ingredients have been substituted both for availability reasons and to suit modern tastes, Fan said his team’s commitment to Chinese heritage remains strong.

“When people dine at Fangshan Restaurant, I hope they experience more than just a meal,” Fan said. “They experience the weight of history.”

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AP video journalist Wu Jia contributed to this report.

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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.

Hundreds of students were evacuated after shots rang out in the high school building of the Ateneo de Zamboanga university campus in the southern port city of Zamboanga. Two other people were injured, police and city officials said.

The suspect, identified by police as grade 9 student Mohammad Mael Jalani, fired at a teacher sitting in front of a class but apparently missed. He then shot a student on the fourth floor of the building before going up one floor and killing himself, police said in an initial report.

“He entered and started indiscriminately firing, hitting a Grade 10 student at the fourth floor then subsequently went to the fifth floor and jumped from the said building and committed suicide,” Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla told reporters.

“He showed this on Facebook Live starting when he was climbing up the stairs but there were only snippets,” Remulla said. “We'll look into his gaming history and his chat history so we cannot come up with a complete answer why this happened until we do a complete forensic analysis.”

Zamboanga city Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso and the police said the suspect shot himself.

The high school building, where the gun attack happened, is in a secured campus, separate from a larger campus of the privately owned Catholic university where its colleges and professional schools are located in Zamboanga. One of the largest and most prestigious universities in the south, Ateneo suspended classes at all levels Tuesday and Wednesday following the attack.

Joe Darryl Jaron has just driven his child to the school when he heard the gunshots that prompted students to scream in panic and dash to safety. He took a video of the commotion and posted it on Facebook. “There are gunshots here in Ateneo, help! help,” he said.

A few hours after the shooting, police said the situation was under control. They asked parents and guardians of students to remain calm and follow the high school's advice and arrangements to pick up their children.

“Authorities are currently establishing the circumstances surrounding the incident,” national police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said. The police “will provide verified information as appropriate and appeals to the public to refrain from sharing unconfirmed reports, photos, or videos that may cause unnecessary concern.”

The national police “assure the public that the safety and well-being of the school community remain a priority. We thank the school administration, parents, guardians, and the community for their patience, cooperation and understanding as authorities continue to manage the situation,” Nartatez said.

One of the pistols carried by the suspect came from his father, who was the Bureau of Customs police commander in Zamboanga, Bureau of Customs deputy commissioner Nolasco Bathan told reporters. He added that he recommended the temporary suspension of the father, who may face administrative charges for failing to properly safeguard the government-issued pistol.

The shooting happened despite police assurances that security in schools across the country would be strengthened after a shooting in June in which three high school students were killed and at least 20 others were wounded in central Tacloban city. Police arrested two students, ages 14 and 15, and accused them of carrying out that shooting.

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.

Days after the school shooting in Tacloban, Philippine authorities said they temporarily blocked an online gaming app to assess whether it played a role in fostering such violence. The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center said its decision to indefinitely block Gorebox was prompted by an ongoing police investigation which showed that one suspect was an avid user of the app.

The shooting in the Philippines also occurred less than two weeks after a school shooting in Thailand.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul took steps to restrict guns in the Southeast Asian country after a 14-year-old boy killed his grandparents, five school staff members and a 12-year-old girl in Nonthaburi province outside Bangkok.

Thailand’s high rate of gun ownership is second only to Pakistan in Asia, and far surpasses its Southeast Asian neighbors.

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Associated Press journalists Joeal Calupitan in Manila, Philippines, and Haruka Nuga and Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok contributed to this report.

More than 40,000 people were sheltering in tents, evacuation centers and makeshift camps after the earthquake struck off Flores, a remote island in East Nusa Tenggara province, early Saturday, damaging at least 11,925 homes, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.

The quake caused widespread destruction across the island, damaging 172 health facilities, 658 schools, 187 offices and 172 places of worship, the local disaster agency said.

At crowded evacuation camps across Flores on Tuesday, children played under tarpaulin shelters while aid workers and volunteers provided psychosocial support alongside food and medical assistance.

The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and residents fled in panic as tsunami warnings were issued but later lifted. Authorities recorded more than 2,100 aftershocks into Tuesday, though only 70 were felt by residents.

Fear and painful memories haunt survivors

An aftershock that struck during an interview Tuesday prompted Vincentius Rano and his wife to instinctively duck and cover their heads. Nearby, their daughter began crying, a reminder of the fear that continues to haunt many survivors.

Rano is a resident of Lamba Leda, one of the hardest-hit villages in the lush hills of East Manggarai regency, where widespread damage was reported, with at least 50 homes shattered and trees toppled over. He recalled the terrifying moment the earthquake struck Saturday just after he and his wife had woken up.

“Suddenly, we felt a tremor that kept getting stronger,” said Rano, the father of a 5-year-old girl. The couple rushed to grab their sleeping daughter, but before they could escape, part of the house came down, causing injuries to his back and shoulder.

“We didn’t have time to get outside. Everything happened so fast. The roof collapsed on us, and all I could do was shield my wife and child with my back,” Rano said, gesturing toward his flattened home, a modest house, built of timber rather than concrete.

Children in shelters treated for trauma

Psychosocial support programs, which combine mental health treatment and social care, are being rolled out across the region hit by the earthquake. Children have been encouraged to read books and join counselors for games, educational activities and group activities designed to help them cope with fear and anxiety.

“For many survivors, especially children, the psychological impact has lingered long after the shaking stopped,” said local police chief Yudhi Franata, who organized trauma-healing sessions for children displaced by the disaster in Ende regency.

Parents at an evacuation center said many children were afraid to return indoors and woke up frightened whenever aftershocks rattled the island, he said.

Mieke Suharni, a police officer who was among 30 personnel deployed to Lamba Leda, said much of their work is focused on helping children cope with the disaster’s emotional aftermath. She said officers have organized trauma-healing activities at several evacuation camps, but emotional distress remained widespread among survivors.

Earlier Tuesday, she comforted a woman who was visibly shaken by memories of the quake and used a psychological support method known as Universal Spiritual Emotional Freedom Technique, which she learned during a police training.

“We are trying to help people manage their fear step by step,” Suharni said. “Some survivors continue to experience anxiety and excessive fear. Our goal is to help calm that trauma so they can begin to recover.”

Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because of its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Flores experienced one of the country’s deadliest disasters in 1992, when an earthquake and an ensuing tsunami killed about 2,500 people.

His victory pits him against competitor David Jolly, who won the Democratic nomination, during the upcoming general election in November.

Donalds spoke about his victory on Tuesday night during a watch party held in Orlando.

His victory pits him against competitor Byron Donalds, who won the Republican nomination, during the upcoming general election in November.

Jolly spoke about his victory on Tuesday night during a watch party held in Miami Lakes.

Others remained in the courtroom to face the grim facts of what happened to his body.

The grisly photos came on the second day of testimony in the trial of 63-year-old Duane “Keffe D” Davis, who is charged with orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. He has pleaded not guilty and his lawyer in opening statements called the prosecution's narrative “fiction.”

Dr. Lisa Gavin, a forensic pathologist and medical examiner for Clark County, Nevada, described Shakur's injuries and explained his cause of death. Jurors were shown photos of his body. Some relatives who remained in the courtroom looked away.

Tupac's family in the Las Vegas courtroom

Shakur’s cousin Zayd Akinyela said he wanted to stay in court to learn more.

“I feel like the details, especially for people that are close to him, honestly for me helps, helps the grief process. I think we’ve been waiting 30 years to grieve properly,” Akinyela told The Associated Press outside the courtroom. “A lot of people don’t get to grieve until they understand what happened to their loved one and how it happened." He added, “That’s why I wanted to stay and just see for my own personal closure.”

He said he hadn’t known how many times his cousin was shot and can’t help but think of the ways the night could have played out differently.

Seeing the photos of Shakur’s body made him feel “Very angry, very angry, to say the least, very sad,” Akinyela said.

What the forensic pathologist said about the gunshots

Gavin described three bullets. One of them caused his lung to collapse and bleed, and doctors ultimately removed the damaged lung in an effort to save his life, she said.

Additional bullets damaged his intestines and other parts of his body, she said.

Jurors looked intently at the photos of Shakur’s body, which was bloated and had multiple chest wounds. The nearly full courtroom was silent. Chest tubes were still in his body from the six days he spent in the hospital before dying. .

Gavin was not at Shakur’s 1996 autopsy but was called as a witness because the examiner who performed it has since died.

Surveillance video of a clash before the drive-by shooting

Prosecutors allege Shakur was killed to avenge Shakur’s entourage attacking Davis’ nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson a few hours earlier at the MGM Grand after a Mike Tyson fight.

Jurors were shown the casino surveillance video of a group of people beating and kicking someone on the ground.

The video then showed Shakur and his entourage moving quickly through the crowded building in the minutes after.

A few hours later, Shakur, riding in a black BMW with hip-hop mogul Marion “Suge” Knight, was gunned down by shots fired from a white Cadillac that had Davis, Anderson and two other men inside. Davis is not accused of pulling the trigger.

‘Hostile’ witness refuses to revisit the past

After many technical and procedural witnesses, James McDonald brought both hostility and humor to the stand when he testified unwillingly under a court order.

McDonald, like Knight, had been affiliated with the Mob Piru Bloods gang, and worked security for Knight at his Club 662, where Shakur and Knight had been headed when they were fired on. Davis was a member of the rival South Side Compton Crips.

Asked by Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal if he was aware of why Anderson was beaten, he wouldn't say.

“I’m aware of a lot of things,” McDonald said, “things that was going on, people ain’t talked about them in 30 years. Today ain’t one of them.”

He said, “Me or anybody else bringing up the dead is wrong," and “you'd better treat me as a hostile witness.”

McDonald said he wanted to avoid answering questions that will hurt Davis, even saying the questions Sanft asked were not in his client's best interest.

He directly addressed the defendant. “What you’re going through, brother, is what you’re going through," McDonald said, adding "I didn’t want to be a part of it.” Davis had no visible reaction.

But McDonald also brought several moments of levity.

Asked if there were specific fights or disputes he could remember regarding the gang rivalry, McDonald said, “Are you serious?!” and laughter broke out in the courtroom.

After the testimony concluded, McDonald said prosecutors wanted him to say that he saw Davis and others pull up to Club 662 that night and why Anderson was beaten up at the MGM Grand.

“I'm not gonna send another Black man to prison,” McDonald told reporters Tuesday evening.

Death Row security officer chronicles Bad Boy rivalry

Reggie Wright Jr., a former Compton police officer who owned a security company that was contracted by Knight's Death Row Records, detailed the way tension had grown between the label and Sean “Diddy” Combs' Bad Boy Records leading up to the Shakur shooting.

He said he had doubled Shakur's security guards after he released the video for “Hit ‘Em Up,” one of the most vicious diss tracks in the history of hip-hop, aimed at Bad Boy's Notorious B.I.G., who was killed six months later. The night Shakur was shot, however, he had only one security guard.

Wright said Shakur was on his way to perform at a charity event at Club 662. Shakur was on probation for California weapons and assault convictions.

After the shooting, Wright went to University Medical Center where Shakur was taken, and said a crowd was gathering there. He called his father, who worked in the Compton Police Department’s gang division, to tell him about the brawl and shooting, and warned him that trouble could be coming there.

Wright testified that he received Shakur's ashes after he was cremated, and saw that they got to Shakur's family.

Wright has long been among those rumored to be involved in Shakur's killing.

Palal asked him if he had anything to do with it.

“Absolutely not," Wright replied.

Tupac's legacy and memory

Shakur remains a cultural icon. He is considered one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time and had a burgeoning film career as an actor. He died as his popularity was peaking at age 25, and his legend has only grown in the years since.

Akinyela, Shakur's cousin, said, “I’m very spiritual, so just seeing the body doesn’t affect me the same way as it might some people. I do believe that his spirit is still around and still lives on through his family and through his legacy.”

____

Associated Press Writer Rebecca Boone contributed from Boise, Idaho and AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton contributed from Los Angeles.

The remains are believed to be those of a man who may have been sacrificed during a ritual in which a canal linked to a ceremonial pool was closed.

Gladys Paz, the archaeologist who led the excavation, said the bones will help researchers better understand "the rituals of the Lima culture” and reconstruct ceremonies performed hundreds of years ago.

Paz said that the body was buried inside a canal, resting on its left flank, with the skull facing the pyramid and the Pacific Ocean.

The Lima culture flourished between the first and seventh centuries along Peru’s arid central coast, about 700 years before the rise of the Inca Empire.

Huaca Pucllana was one of the most important ceremonial and administrative centers of the Lima culture, which disappeared centuries before a group of Spanish conquistadors founded Lima in 1535.

Today, the pyramid is surrounded by parks, leafy streets and upscale apartment buildings in the districts of Miraflores and San Isidro.

Huaca Pucllana is open to tourists, with a restaurant serving Peruvian specialties like ceviche, stir-fried beef and roasted alpaca meat.

According to Peru’s government, there are more than 400 archaeological sites across metropolitan Lima. Pieter Van Dalen, an archaeology professor at the National University of San Marcos who was not involved in the excavation, said that it's common to find tombs, mummified remains and other burial-related items along Peru’s coast. Such discoveries have also been made while construction workers dig canals to install gas pipes.

___

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

Dr. David Morens is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 12 by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Greenbelt, Maryland. Morens pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government, a felony punishable by a maximum prison sentence of five years.

“By pleading guilty today, Dr. Morens has taken responsibility for what he did, and he will continue to do so," defense attorney Tim Belevetz said in a statement after the plea hearing.

Morens is accused of using his private email account to intentionally circumvent public records laws while employed at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The Justice Department alleges that he concealed or destroyed records of discussions related to COVID-19 research grants, including an effort to revive a controversial coronavirus grant.

The indictment follows a probe by House Republicans into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic that scrutinized Morens’ email communications and accused him of intentionally concealing records. In congressional testimony, Morens denied attempting to evade federal transparency laws by using his personal email.

In July, Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a congressional hearing on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last Friday, Fauci declined a request to appear voluntarily before a second Senate panel after majority Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee voted along partisan lines to hold him in contempt of Congress.

Fauci wasn't charged in the case against Morens, 78, of Chester, Maryland.

The decision comes about a week after News 6 reported that Kennedy’s family was seeking a fresh review of the case. The crash happened in September 2024 on U.S. 17 in DeLeon Springs.

Kennedy’s father, Darren Kennedy, said he and his family are relieved by the decision.

“It is ecstatic for me and my family,” Darren Kennedy said. “We are very, very happy that they’ve seen enough that they’re going to open the case and get to the truth and hopefully bring me and my wife closure.

Kennedy, a Volusia County deputy, has spent nearly two years seeking answers about his daughter’s death. The crash involved Kennedy’s Jeep Wrangler and a Chevrolet Silverado. The other driver was injured.

The family and its attorney say the Florida Highway Patrol reports contain conflicting information. An initial crash report said the Silverado crossed into Kennedy’s lane and struck her Jeep. A later traffic homicide report said Kennedy’s Jeep crossed into oncoming traffic and entered the Silverado driver’s lane. The reports also disagree about where the crash happened.

Darren Kennedy and his attorney sent FHP an analysis prepared by their own crash reconstruction expert. In an email shared with News 6, the agency said troopers reviewed the information, reopened the case and reassigned it to a special investigations and reconstruction team.

“It takes more effort and hours to uncover something than it does to just do the job right the first time,” Kennedy said.

News 6 emailed FHP to request more information about the next steps in the investigation but had not received a response.

Documents obtained by News 6 show that at least one of the troopers who investigated Kennedy’s case also worked on the case involving Lindsay Isaacs. Isaacs was wrongfully arrested and spent 13 days in jail in connection with a fatal crash in which she was not involved.

Kennedy said he is prepared to accept the findings of the new investigation, even if they determine his daughter was at fault.

“As long as all of the evidence that they bring forward to me 100% proves that my daughter is at fault, I will have to accept that and deal with those consequences,” Kennedy said. “But at least I’ll have closure.”

FHP also told the family it is trying to recover any available data from Kennedy’s Jeep. The agency expects to know within the next couple of weeks whether that will be possible.

William Frances Silvia, 61, was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. after receiving a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke.

Silvia was already strapped to a gurney with an IV in his arm when the curtain to the death chamber went up at 6 p.m. He remained relatively motionless with his eyes and mouth open throughout most of the execution, and a priest sat at his feet and prayed.

Asked if he had any final words, Silvia said, "I’m sorry all this happened. It was an accident. I never meant to hurt her."

A warden shook him and shouted his name several minutes after the lethal drugs began flowing but got no response. A medic declared him dead a short time later.

Silvia is the 13th prisoner put to death this year in Florida, which has two more executions scheduled in September. The state has carried out more than half of the nation’s 23 executions so far in 2026.

Courts twice sentenced Silvia to death

Silvia was sentenced to death after being convicted of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder for the deadly 2006 attack on Patricia Silvia, along with her mother, Betty Woodard.

According to court records, William Frances Silvia purchased a shotgun that year and then went to Woodard’s Orlando-area home, where his wife had been living since their separation two months earlier. The family was in the middle of a cookout when Silvia arrived, and after an unsuccessful attempt to reconcile, authorities said Silvia retrieved the shotgun from his truck and shot the two women.

Pamela Wyatt, Patricia Silvia’s sister, said William Frances Silvia’s actions not only took her sister's life but changed the lives of everyone who loved her.

“Nothing that happens today can give us those stolen years. No execution can return Patricia to her children and give her the grandchildren she dreamed of knowing,” Wyatt said after the execution. “But today can be an opportunity to remember that Patricia’s life was bigger than the terrible act that ended it.”

Silvia was first sentenced to death following his 2008 trial. He was briefly granted a new penalty phase, but the Florida Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 2018 because Silvia had previously waived his post-conviction appeals.

A Florida state agency, the Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, provides legal representation to death row inmates. Silvia’s attorneys have argued that the agency couldn’t provide adequate legal assistance because it was already helping another death row inmate. The Florida Supreme Court rejected the appeal.

Florida leads the way in executions

A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way with 19, a record in the state since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

In July, Florida executed two prisoners in one day, the first state in nearly a decade to do so.

Two more executions are planned in Florida next month. Harold Gene Lucas, 74, is scheduled to die on Sept. 1, followed by Daniel Owen Conahan Jr., 72, on Sept. 10.

Lucas was convicted of fatally shooting a 16-year-old girl who rejected his romantic advances and wounding two of her friends.

Conahan was convicted of kidnapping and strangling a man that he had paid to pose for nude photos, and authorities suspect him of similar homicides committed in the 1990s in southwest Florida.

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

A pivotal trial for the parent company of Instagram and Facebook kicked off in a California federal court Tuesday, with four states seeking billions of dollars in damages as well as fundamental changes to how Meta runs its platforms.

A jury will decide whether the states' attorneys general have made their case that the tech giant designed its apps to “hook the users, hold them for as long as they can, harvest their data and hide the truth from the public,” as Megan O’Neill, a deputy attorney general for the California Department of Justice, put it in her opening statement.

California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey were among the 29 states that sued the tech giant in 2023 over child safety and privacy — the other 25 will go to trial later. The company also faces lawsuits in state courts, including one underway in Tennessee.

The lawsuit accuses Meta of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features that addict children to its platforms and hides these harms from the public. It also argues that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, in violation of federal law.

The company has defended its safety record and said it has a strong case.

States argue Meta exploited research on child development

O’Neill laid out the states' case for the eight jurors during opening statements in federal court in Oakland, California.

“You're going to hear that Meta knew a lot about kids' brains,” O'Neill said. This includes how they are constantly seeking rewards, how they are sensitive to social feedback and “how they are still developing their ability to control impulses the way adults do.”

Meta, she said, researched these vulnerabilities and talked about how it could change Instagram to respond to them.

“ ‘The young ones are the best ones’ is a title of a Meta study we are going to show you,” she said, telling jurors that for Meta, “kids are the product.”

Meta, O'Neill said, also knew that kids under 13 were using its products even though they were banned from it, and “failed to take the simplest most obvious steps to keep them off.” For instance, she said, when Meta found that someone on Facebook was under 13, it would disable the person's Facebook account but not their connected account on Instagram.

The states called as their first witness former Meta executive Arturo Béjar, who worked as an engineering director at Facebook from 2009 to 2015, attracting wide attention for his work to combat cyberbullying. He returned from 2019 to 2021 as a contractor to work on safety issues.

Béjar said that, contrary to Meta's statements, the company's research on safety issues was not being used to improve products.

For example, regarding eating disorder content, Meta's engineers “had very good ideas on how to make it better” so that users, especially young ones, would not be exposed to it.

“But once it was reviewed, it got whittled down to a little pebble that didn’t make a difference,” he said.

Meta attorney highlights company work on safety

Meta lawyer Paul Schmidt laid out his case beginning with what is not disputed in the trial — that even though kids under 13 are not supposed to be on its apps, some lie about their ages; that some teens struggle to manage their time; and that some people post "negative content" on Facebook and Instagram.

But he said he will focus on the work Meta does to make its platforms safer and share information with the public.

“Much of this lawsuit is about the government attorneys and their witnesses saying in trying to improve, we’d do it a little differently,” Schmidt said. "In talking about how to improve, we disagree with how you talk about it. It’s meaningful, and the evidence will be meaningful, these efforts Meta has taken to improve.”

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland is overseeing the proceedings, which are expected to last six weeks with testimony from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other executives and former employees. Gonzalez Rogers, appointed to the bench by President Barack Obama in 2011, has overseen a bevy of complex, high-profile cases involving Big Tech. These include Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI and its founders as well as Epic Games' lawsuit against Apple over its app store.

If Meta loses the trial, the court would have wide discretion over the size of any financial penalty. Meta has said if it loses, the case could leave it liable for damages amounting to $1.4 trillion, but legal experts say anything close to that amount would be unlikely.

Meta faces thousands of lawsuits, angry parents

The trial is the latest in an avalanche of lawsuits against Meta Platforms and other social media companies including Google’s YouTube, TikTok and Snap, over arguments that their platforms harm young people, illegally collect their data and are deliberately designed to addict them.

As the trial began, child safety advocates and parents who trace their children’s deaths to social media harms gathered outside of the courthouse Tuesday. Many parents held photos of their late children as they spoke to reporters outside, at times speaking through tears.

Several parents held a banner with the names and ages of children who died from social media-related harms. It was several feet long.

Mary Rodee, whose son Riley Basford died by suicide at age 15 after being sextorted on Facebook Messenger, was among the parents and said she had helped write the names. They have had to add 39 new ones to the banner since March, she said.

“It’s not just a banner,” Rodee said. “Every name that I wrote on there is a promise that these children will never be forgotten and that their stories will force accountability where silence once reigned.” ___

Huamani reported from Los Angeles.

Written on it in black ink were the names of children and young adults who have died from social media related harms, including deaths by suicide after bouts of cyberbullying or sextortion. Giovanni, an 11-year-old, Bubba, a 13-year-old, and Englyn, a 14-year-old, were among the nearly 600 names. Parents said the names were “just the tip of the iceberg.”

“Behind us, justice is going to be served,″ said Lennon Torres, an advocate with the organization Heat Initiative. “The courtroom doors are open, and it is time that the public see what the executives at Meta have known all along: that their products are designed to addict and to harm children.″

Many of the gathered parents have attended previous trials, congressional hearings and other events related to online child safety. But they say this trial, in which the attorneys general from four states are seeking billions of dollars in damages for social media harms to children, marks a significant moment.

They see it as the culmination of years of work and public pressure on social media firms to do more to protect kids online. Social media companies are increasingly facing lawsuits over harms to young users, and Meta already has lost two pivotal cases over harms to children and teens this year, both of which it is appealing.

The trial represents a “groundswell of public perception changing against these companies,” said Amy Neville, whose 14-year-old son Alexander Neville died from fentanyl poisoning after being deceived by a drug dealer operating on Snapchat. Neville, like many other parents who have lost their children in similar ways, has dedicated her life to educating and spreading awareness of the dangers of social media.

“If we can keep holding them accountable over and over, something has to give, and I don’t want us to stop doing this until they’ve made their products safe by design,” she said.

Lawsuit focuses on broad claims

This lawsuit is not focused on any individual person, case or specific harm tied to social media, but rather broader claims that Meta made decisions in designing Instagram and Facebook that put young users at risk. The states also claim Meta knew the platforms to be dangerous and lied about how dangerous they were.

Meta has rejected the allegations and said the trial will show the work it has done to make its platforms safer.

The trial's outcome could have significant consequences for Meta’s bottom line and how its platforms are designed and operated. But many parents are eager for evidence from the trial, namely internal Meta documents, to be brought to light.

John DeMay, whose son Jordan died by suicide at age 17 after being subject to a sextortion scheme on Instagram, is one of those parents who will be closely watching the trial and the evidence that emerges.

“As this information starts to unfold and unfold and unfold, the American people, the American mothers and the American fathers who are not seeing this stuff every day can see it and go, ‘Oh my God, this is really what’s happening,’ ” he said.

Some of the parents present outside of the courtroom were residents of the four states that are the plaintiffs in this trial — California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey — and they thanked their attorneys general for the work on the case.

Lori Schott of Colorado said Attorney General Phil Weiser has viewed the content that populated her daughter Annalee's social media feeds and read her journals after her death by suicide. Annalee, who was 18 when she died, wrote in her journals about feeling ugly and comparing herself to other girls' social media profiles.

Parents call for accountability

In a message to Meta, its CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, Schott said outside of court that they have built one of the most powerful companies in the world, “but power does not excuse harm.”

“Profits does not erase the responsibility of Big Tech and no company — no matter how wealthy, no matter how influential, no matter how untouchable it feels it is — should get to stand above the truth, the law and our children," Schott continued.

Many parent advocates seemed to carry optimism with them on Tuesday. Erin Popolo, whose daughter Emily Murillo died by suicide after being subject to intense cyberbullying, was hopeful the trial's outcome could lead to meaningful change on social media.

“I think that we’re going to make history here," she said.

___

Associated Press journalist Terry Chea contributed to this report.

Attorney General Keith Ellison is asking a federal judge to bar the sheriff in Cameron County, Texas, from releasing ICE agent Christian Castro, and to order Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to sign his extradition warrant so that Minnesota officers can take custody.

Minnesota officials have clashed with the federal government over who has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute federal officers for on-duty conduct. Ellison is a Democrat and Abbott is a Republican ally of President Donald Trump.

Castro was arrested in Texas in May on Minnesota charges of assault and falsely reporting a crime in the Jan. 14 wounding of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. Castro, 52, is accused of firing a gun through the front door of a Minneapolis home, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg with a bullet that lodged in a child’s bedroom wall. Prosecutors say Castro then falsely accused Sosa-Celis and another man of attacking an ICE officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel.

Minnesota officials fear ICE agent could flee

Ellison told a news conference that unless he's extradited, Castro could be released from jail as early as next week — 90 days since he was detained — under Texas law. And if he's freed, Castro could slip into Mexico from the border town where he's being held, Ellison said. The lawsuit said Castro has been making calls from jail to a woman in Mexico, talking “about marrying her and buying a house in Mexico when he is released.”

If Castro was to reach Mexico, “it may be difficult or impossible to locate and have him re-arrested,” with the process slowed further by a complex international extradition process that normally requires requests from the U.S. Department of Justice, according to a legal memo filed by Ellison's office.

Complicating the situation, travelers face few difficulties crossing from the U.S. into Mexico. Pedestrian border crossings typically have no immigration checks for people leaving the U.S., and only occasional requests for passports on the Mexican side.

“Christian Castro has been charged with breaking the law in Minnesota,” Ellison said. “He must face justice in Minnesota. Gov. Abbott should have granted Gov. Walz’s extradition request long ago and is required to do so now.”

Ellison's office later said Castro could be freed as early as Aug. 26.

Abbott said Tuesday that he has no immediate intention to respond to extradition requests from Minnesota. He cited ongoing investigations of fraud in government social service programs in Minnesota, which Trump used to justify his immigration crackdown there.

“I will not respond to them at all until they step up and do what’s right and they acknowledge their fault in the fraud that took place,” Abbott said during a news conference on an unrelated topic in Austin, Texas.

Moriarty said that since Castro’s arrest, Texas has extradited three unrelated criminal defendants without incident to Minnesota.

“Gov. Abbott has received communication with us on an ongoing basis, including recently,” Ellison said. “We have to take the position that they are refusing to honor the extradition request.”

The lawsuit Ellison filed in U.S. District Court in Texas cites a 1987 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that compliance with the Constitution’s extradition clause is mandatory, affording no discretion to the governor of a state where a defendant is being held.

Peter E. Larsen, an assistant professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, said Ellison's argument was based on a “fairly straightforward legal principle” that requires states to hand over criminals, or accused criminals, to other states when they are asked.

Abbott's rationale, tying the extradition to unconnected fraud cases, makes the Minnesota argument even clearer, he said.

“I don’t think that the courts (even the fairly partisan Roberts Court) would consider that as a legitimate basis for noncompliance with the extradition request,” he said in an email.

It was not immediately known if Castro had a lawyer who could speak for him. Online court records in Minnesota and county jail records in Texas did not list a defense attorney. The jail holding Castro declined to relay a message to him from The Associated Press.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the legal action to compel Castro’s extradition “should be a completely unnecessary lawsuit.” She said jail officials and prosecutors in Texas have been “very cooperative,” and that an extradition “is not supposed to be controversial.”

The office of Cameron County Sheriff Manny Trevino declined to comment Tuesday on the case.

Federal agency has called agent's prosecution a 'political stunt'

Authorities say Sosa-Celis was shot after Castro and another officer chased a different man, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, to the Minneapolis apartment duplex where he and Sosa-Celis lived. Sosa-Celis and Aljorna were legally in the U.S., according to Minnesota officials.

Federal authorities initially accused Sosa-Celis and Aljorna of beating an officer. A federal judge later dismissed the charges, and ICE and the Justice Department opened an investigation into whether agents lied about what happened.

Regardless, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has called Moriarty's prosecution of Castro “unlawful and nothing more than a political stunt,” saying only federal authorities have jurisdiction in the case.

The federal government took a similar stance following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during the Minneapolis enforcement surge. Moriarty sued the Trump administration to gain access to evidence in those cases before federal prosecutors turned it over last month.

___

Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. AP journalists Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, Tim Sullivan in Minneapolis and Anna Wilder in Austin, Texas, contributed.

Last week, 10 more Central Florida eateries were forced to shut down (at least temporarily) after a visit from a health inspector, according to state records.

These records show that the reported eateries experienced violations like rodent droppings, roaches, and storage issues, among others.

One eatery in particular — Castello’s Pizza in Orlando — had around 300 dead roaches in glue traps around the establishment, a health inspector reported. However, the pizzeria was able to reopen just a couple of days later.

On Aug. 18, a representative for Castello’s Pizza provided News 6 with a statement explaining the circumstances behind the discovery:

“Prior to the incident, remodeling/construction had been taking place on the second floor of the building. Following that work, we experienced an unexpected migration of roaches into our space.

Castello’s already had professional pest-control measures in place, including glue traps throughout monitored areas. This is an important distinction because the approximately 300 roaches highlighted in the headline were dead and found in those glue traps, as your article itself reports. The inspection also reported 16 live roaches. This is NOT an infestation.

The large number of dead insects was therefore found in devices specifically installed as part of our pest-control and monitoring efforts. We are not trying to minimize the seriousness of finding any pest activity in a restaurant. We take it very seriously. However, we believe the distinction between hundreds of dead insects accumulated in pest-control traps and hundreds of live roaches actively present in the restaurant is important context for the public.

We responded immediately. We intensified pest-control treatment and monitoring and have been addressing the situation aggressively, including daily pest-control attention following the incident.

Most importantly, the restaurant was closed on August 4 and met inspection standards on August 6, allowing us to reopen shortly afterward. Your article also acknowledges that Castello’s was able to reopen just a couple of days later.

Unfortunately, since publication of the story, we have experienced prank calls and people posting the article and its headline on our social-media pages and Google Business Profiles, including on a separate Castello’s location that had nothing to do with this inspection. Some of these people have never been customers and are simply using the story to attack the business....

The majority of the insects referenced in the headline were dead and contained in pest-control glue traps; we already had professional pest-control measures in place; we immediately intensified treatment; and the restaurant passed the follow-up inspection and met state standards two days later.

We have operated Castello’s for almost 18 years and take food safety, cleanliness, and the trust of our customers extremely seriously. This is the first time we have been shut down. This was an unfortunate incident, but we addressed it immediately and continue taking aggressive preventative measures."

That said, many of the other Central Florida eateries that were forced to close down last week were also eventually allowed to reopen after meeting health standards.

The full list of Central Florida eateries required to close last week is as follows:

BUNNELL

• Taqueria La Calentana Dos — 604 E. Moody Blvd.
• • Closed on Aug. 3
  • • Over 20 live, flying insects found on premises
  • Met inspection standards on Aug. 6

ORLANDO

• Castello’s Pizza — 8947 Conroy Windermere Road
• • Closed on Aug. 4
  • • Around 300 dead roaches found in glue traps throughout establishment
    • Sixteen live roaches found on premises
  • Met inspection standards on Aug. 6
• Hooter’s — 8510 Palm Pkwy.
• • Closed on Aug. 5
  • • Over 40 live, flying insects found on premises
    • Employee touched raw burgers with gloves and touched clean utensils with same gloves
    • Time/temperature violations for chicken wings and hamburger patties
    • Ware-washing sanitizing solution exceeded maximum concentration allowed
  • Follow-up inspection required as of Aug. 6
• Jersey Mike’s Subs — 6700 Conroy Road
• • Closed on Aug. 7
  • • Nineteen dead roaches in traps under front counter
    • Six live roaches found on premises, primarily in traps under front counter
  • Met inspection standards on Aug. 8
• Subway Sandwiches & Salads — 8839 Conroy Road
• • Closed on Aug. 4
  • • Over 30 live, flying insects found on premises
  • Met inspection standards on Aug. 4
• The Juicy Crab — 7308 International Drive
• • Closed on Aug. 7
  • • Seventeen dead roaches found on premises, primarily beneath wok station
    • Dozen live roaches found on premises, primarily in wok holder on cooks line or under wok station
    • Nearly 30 small, flying insects found on premises, primarily by soda machine
    • Pesticide labeled for household use only was present on cooks line fan
    • Raw whole shell eggs were touching buckets in walk-in cooler
    • Time/temperature violations for potatoes and corn
    • Toxic chemical/substance improperly stored next to wok station
    • Vacuum breaker missing at fitting/splitter added to mop sink faucet
  • Follow-up inspection required as of Aug. 8
• White Wolf Café & Bar — 1829 N. Orange Ave.
• • Closed on Aug. 3
  • • Over 70 rodent droppings found beneath counter of bar area
    • Time/temperature violations for cheese; ham; sausage; pancake batter; chicken salad; turkey; coleslaw; poached eggs; and cut tomatoes
    • Server drank from cup while waiting to pickup food, which was served without first washing hands
    • Dish person loads and unloads dishes without washing hands
  • Met inspection standards on Aug. 4

ST. PETERSBURG

• Buffet City — 1030 58 Street N.
• • Closed on Aug. 3
  • • Three dead roaches found in sticky trap beneath hand-wash sink by kitchen entrance
    • Six other dead roaches found on premises
    • Over 20 live roaches found on premises (operator killed all roaches)
    • Roach droppings found in corners of shelving in dry storage area
    • Raw chicken kept over raw shrimp in reach-in cooler
    • Raw chicken kept over raw salmon in walk-in freezer
    • Raw chicken stored over pizzas in reach-in cooler near ovens
    • Dishwasher not reaching hot enough temperature
  • Met inspection standards on Aug. 6

TAMPA

• Devito’s Italian Specialties — 200 N. Tampa Street
• • Closed on Aug. 4
  • • Three dead roaches found on premises
    • Eight live roaches found on premises
    • Raw shell eggs stored over bread and desserts
    • Raw beef stored over milk in walk-in cooler
  • Follow-up inspection required as of Aug. 5
• The Fryer House — 6617 N. Nebraska Ave.
• • Closed on Aug. 3
  • • Two flies spotted in kitchen
    • Three live roaches found near stand mixer
    • Eight live roaches found near grease trap
    • Raw chicken kept over unwashed produce in reach-in cooler
    • Three rodent droppings discovered near A/C unit in closet
    • Employee touched phone and then chicken without changing gloves or washing hands
    • Time/temperature violations for coleslaw, butter and cut lettuce
  • Follow-up inspection required as of Aug. 4

“It was the Valkyries' first game ever, and somehow it felt like this arena was filled with lifelong fans who had been following this league for 30 years,” Engelbert recalled. “It was the true sense that the team already belonged here.”

Now, Engelbert is bringing the WNBA All-Star Game to the Bay Area and “Ballhalla” next summer so all of women's basketball can experience what she did that night in May 2025.

Engelbert made the announcement Tuesday that the WNBA showcase game will be held July 31, 2027, at Chase Center after a weekend of All-Star activities around the San Francisco region.

“I remember looking around that night and thinking to myself, ‘This place is going to be special,' and in less than two seasons the Valkyries family has proven just how special it can be," Engelbert said. “The Bay Area community hasn't simply welcomed the Valkyries, this community has embraced the Valks as their team.”

And Golden State has waited for this moment all along. For Warriors and Valkyries owner Joe Lacob, this is decades in the making since he first began supporting women's basketball.

Lacob has loved women’s basketball for decades and became one of the original investors in the former American Basketball League with the San Jose Lasers. He bought the Warriors in 2010 then Golden State was granted an expansion team in October 2023.

“It is actually a great honor to be hosting the All-Star Game. All I will say for all of us at Golden State but me in particular, it is a full-circle moment, well it will be full circle when we win the championship,” Lacob said.

At the All-Star Game in Chicago last month, players' union president Nneka Ogwumike, who played in college at Stanford, said many players felt that Golden State would be a great host for next year's mid-summer exhibition game.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr and guard Gary Payton II were among those in the audience for the announcement at Chase Center, where a cable car was set up inside the arena for the occasion.

“When you walk into this building for a Valkyries game, it is unlike any experience,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said.

Hosting world-class events was always in the plans since long before Chase Center opened in 2019. The Valkyries have sold out all of their home games since the franchise's inception last year — and the team became the first expansion organization to make the playoffs in its inaugural year. Golden State lost to the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. The Valkyries clinched a playoff berth for this year on Monday night with a win over Dallas.

The NBA All-Star Game was played at Chase Center last year.

“Hosting AT&T WNBA All-Star in only our third season is an incredible honor and a reflection of everything this fanbase, this region, and this organization have built together,” Valkyries President Jess Smith said. “From day one, the Bay Area has shown up for this team in a way that’s redefined what’s possible in women’s basketball, and we can’t wait to put that same energy on display for the entire league next summer.”

Last week, Major League Baseball announced the 2028 All-Star Game would return to nearby Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.

The Super Bowl was played in February at Levi's Stadium, which then hosted the World Cup this summer.

Smith can't wait for her team to add to that list — saying such an opportunity will never be taken for granted “to have a chance to be a part of the WNBA's growth.”

“But it's part of what we knew was possible from Day 1 with this organization,” she said. “We have embodied the bay's energy in every decision that we've made, along with the community and our fans and our players, and one of the things we keep in mind is this that we understand this is where the world looks to see what comes next, whether it's technology, innovation or how we treat people, how we connect what it means to gather, and we're doing that at Ballhalla. The opportunity to do that in honor of all those stakeholders here, on behalf of this league with the best players in the world, is immense.”

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

The space agency released before-and-after photos of the impact area on Tuesday.

The Falcon rocket’s upper stage plowed into the moon at 5,400 mph (8,700 kph) on Aug. 5 after drifting through space for more than a year. It launched a pair of private moon landers with experiments and even a tiny rover in 2025 as part of NASA’s push to commercialize lunar exploration.

Based on these new photos by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the fresh crater appears to be 60 feet (18 meters) across and less than 10 feet (3 meters) deep, according to scientists.

Dark and bright streaks are clearly visible emanating like butterfly wings from the crater. The darker lines represent excavated material that was close to the surface and shaped by eons of solar wind, cosmic rays and micrometeorite strikes. The brighter rays indicate fresh rocks and dirt that were hurled from farther down.

The spacecraft photographed the crater a week after the collision from 60 miles (96 kilometers) up, while zooming along at one mile per second. Flight controllers had to tilt the spacecraft so its cameras pointed toward the impact scene.

The orbiter completes a lunar polar orbit every two hours, as the moon rotates beneath. It took six days before the crash scene came into view.

South Korea’s Danuri spacecraft was first on the scene to beam back photos.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been orbiting the moon since 2009, serving as NASA's up-close eyes as the space agency works to return astronauts to the lunar surface.

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

The U.S. Forest Service is filing a proposal that would scrap the so called roadless rule adopted in the last days of Bill Clinton’s presidency in 2001. The agency described the rule as a one-size-fits-all restriction that has frustrated land managers and served as a barrier to reducing wildfire risks in the nation’s forests.

“Our forests can’t afford another decade of inaction. Across the country, we’ve watched preventable conditions — overgrown stands, insect outbreaks and disease — turn healthy landscapes into tinderboxes,” U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement.

Scientists say that worsening wildfires are driven by a combination of climate change that warms and dries out forests, less logging and decades of fire suppression that has allowed fuels to build up.

Clinton had signed the rule to safeguard undeveloped national forest land from commercial logging and mineral leasing, with a goal of keeping ecosystems pristine and protecting water supplies.

Calling the roadless rule a failure, Rollins said the proposal calls for restoring authority to local forest managers and removing barriers that have kept them from improving forest health across millions of acres.

The roadless rule has affected 30% of national forest lands nationwide, or about 59 million acres (24 million hectares), according to the Department of Agriculture, the agency over the Forest Service.

The Forest Service will gather public comment on the proposal and on a draft of the environmental impact statement that was filed Tuesday in the Federal Register. While the rescission removes national designation of roadless areas, officials say it doesn't mandate timber cutting or road construction.

The filing comes as no surprise as the Trump administration first announced its intention to get rid of the rule during a meeting last summer in New Mexico.

Environmentalists have been sounding the alarm since then and reiterated Tuesday that lifting protections would have detrimental effects for old growth forests, wildlife and water supplies.

“Americans across the political spectrum have made it crystal clear that they don’t want political appointees removing protections from public lands,” said Chris Krupp, an attorney with the group WildEarth Guardians. “It would be a gross misreading of public sentiment to take the roadless rule away from Americans and our wildlife, and politicians do so at their jeopardy.”

Numerous groups raised concerns about what a rescission could mean, especially for places such as Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, the nation's largest national forest and a lightning rod for litigation. State political leaders there have supported an exemption to the roadless rule that they argue impedes economic opportunities.

During the latter part of Trump’s first term, the federal government lifted restrictions on logging and road-building in the Tongass, something the Biden administration later reversed.

Emma Powell, the Alaska Wilderness League's government affairs manager, described the Tongass as a global treasure that serves as a home for salmon runs and abundant wildlife. She added that cultures and livelihoods are connected to the forest.

“From fisheries to tourism and outdoor recreation, these landscapes also support thousands of jobs and generate billions in economic activity each year,” Powell said.

Alex Craven, the Sierra Club's forest campaign manager, disputed officials' claims that getting rid of the rule would allow for more work to be done to reduce wildfire threats. Craven suggested more roads would lead to more fires and that it never prevented the Forest Service from doing targeted work to reduce wildfire fuels.

He vowed that the Sierra Club and other groups would fight the proposal at each step.

David Jenkins, president of the Virginia-based nonprofit Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship, criticized the proposal as fiscally irresponsible and pointed to an existing maintenance backlog that stretches into the billions of dollars.

“The agency doesn't have the budget to take care of the 368,000 miles of roads already riddling our national forests,” he said.

The deadline for comments is Sept. 21.

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A Greenville police officer who responded to the residence Sunday afternoon was met by the brothers and then observed paramedics performing CPR on an unresponsive woman, the report states.

“The patient did not seem to have any obvious physical reasons to be unresponsive,” the officer notes. After attempting lifesaving measures, the emergency workers declared Panettiere dead at 2:31 p.m.

No cause has been determined, and her death remains under investigation. An autopsy found no signs of trauma, and police said officers saw no signs of foul play.

The onetime child star, who soared to fame in the TV shows “Heroes” and “Nashville” while enduring struggles with alcohol addiction and depression, would have turned 37 on Friday.

Tumultuous relationship

Panettiere and Brian Hickerson had been in a tumultuous relationship for years, with allegations the 37-year-old aspiring actor physically abused her.

He was charged in 2020 with multiple counts of felony abuse, and he pleaded no contest to two counts of injuring a spouse or partner and served a short time in jail due to the case. He was sentenced to four years of probation and anger management and Alcoholics Anonymous sessions.

He completed the terms and recently asked a judge to reduce his conviction to misdemeanors; that request was denied Thursday by a Los Angeles judge. Messages were sent Tuesday seeking comment from Pat Carey, an attorney for Hickerson.

Panettiere wrote of Hickerson's time behind bars, and how she hoped it would change him, in her memoir, “This Is Me,” which came out in May.

“I wanted Brian to be in jail just long enough to scare him, but not long enough where’d he become a worse person,” she wrote. “I needed him to admit his wrongs and change because of them, but I didn’t want to traumatize him in an irreversible way.”

She wrote about her decision to “let go of my resentment” and try to forgive Hickerson, who she'd met at a West Hollywood restaurant in 2018 after noticing his “charming smile.”

Police report has redactions

The police report, which is heavily redacted, said the responding officer first spoke with Zach Hickerson, who said the unresponsive woman was his brother's girlfriend.

“I observed Zach to be very emotional while EMS were working on Hayden. Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased,” the officer said.

After she was declared dead, the officer escorted the brothers out of the apartment. The officer spoke with Brian “more in depth,” but the details of that conversation are redacted in the police report.

Also redacted is a list that of medications that Panettiere had been taking.

She had been open about addiction issues

In her book, Panettiere described lifelong scars from her early fame, and acknowledged being addicted to alcohol and enduring postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, Kaya, with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko in 2014.

Panettiere’s daughter, now 11, began living with Klitschko full-time in Ukraine when she was 2. At the time, the actor was struggling with mental health and addiction. She entered rehab in 2015, while filming “Nashville.”

“I think there’s been this very common misconception that I just gave up my child,” she said in an interview with podcaster Jay Shetty in May. “That could not be farther from the truth.”

In a statement Tuesday, Klitschko said he will make sure their daughter always remembers her mother.

“She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry. Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives," Klitschko said on Instagram.

Panettiere had endured numerous family struggles, and tragedy. Her parents’ marriage was strained, and eventually ended. Her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who was also an actor, died of a heart condition in 2023, at age 28.

Started out as a child actor

Panettiere was one of two children born to Skip Panettiere, a former New York City fire captain, and Lesley Vogel, a former soap opera star who had been the prime force behind her early career before the two became estranged. Panettiere began acting in commercials and soap operas, including as the ever-troubled Lizzie Spaulding on “Guiding Light.” In “This Is Me,” she wrote that the traumas her character endured, from being kidnapped to killing her mother’s boyfriend, led her to associate “catastrophe with adoration.”

“Is it any wonder why I’ve faced so many real struggles in my life?” she wrote.

She had much warmer memories of her role as a cheerleader with supernatural powers in “Heroes,” which propelled her to fame in 2006. The series revolved around the mantra: “Save the cheerleader, save the world.”

She went on to win three Teen Choice Awards for that role. She was also nominated for a Grammy for a children’s spoken word album, “A Bug’s Life: Read-Along.”

Panettiere later played a brash country upstart opposite Connie Britton on “Nashville,” which aired on ABC for four seasons before being canceled and revived on CMT. She did her own singing in the show, which scored some hits on country charts, spawned U.S. tours and earned Panettiere two supporting actress Golden Globe nominations.

The officials said the Trump administration has told Oman it is opposed to parts of the yet-to-be-announced deal, including the joint Iranian and Omani management of the exit route out of the passage that’s critical to global supplies of oil and natural gas. The officials were briefed on the U.S. position and how the administration views Oman's position.

Meanwhile, a projectile hit a ship as it sailed out of the strait, and a cargo vessel was rendered a “constructive total loss” by multiple projectiles off the coast of Yemen, according to the British military's maritime monitoring agency. The defense ministry of the United Arab Emirates said two ballistic missiles were launched from Iran toward the UAE.

An Iranian official said the strait would not reopen until the United States meets Iran’s conditions.

US believes Oman has not been tough enough with Iran

The U.S. believes Oman has not been tough enough in its negotiations with Iran and is unhappy with Oman’s agreement to collect voluntary fees from vessels, even if the charges are related to security and maritime environmental protection, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists.

Trump on Monday threatened to bomb Oman as it works with Iran on a deal to open the strait and pave the way for the U.S. and Iran to resume negotiations to end the war.

He posted a map on social media on Tuesday depicting the strait as U.S. territory. The president first mentioned the idea in an offhand comment last week. On Monday, he told reporters in the Oval Office, “I like the idea of declaring it a territory,” without providing details.

The White House on Tuesday referred to Trump’s remarks in the Oval Office and declined to comment further about Oman.

Iran refers to Trump's ‘delusion’ about the strait

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi appeared to respond to Trump’s post on social media depicting the strait as American territory.

“Just as Trump correctly wrote the name of the eternal Persian Gulf, his delusion regarding the Strait of Hormuz will soon either be corrected, or we will correct this deluded man’s delusions for him,” Gharibabadi wrote on X.

Trump's comment on Monday was not the first time he has threatened Oman. In May, he told reporters during a Cabinet meeting that Oman “will behave just like everybody else, or we will have to blow them up.”

Iran reiterated Tuesday that Tehran plans to maintain its grip on shipping traffic until Washington meets its conditions.

“Until the United States fulfills its commitments under the agreement, including lifting the blockade, releasing frozen assets, lifting oil sanctions, ending threats and military operations on all fronts, and implementing the other conditions to which it committed, the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen,” said Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and negotiator in previous talks with the U.S.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the Iranian-Omani deal could pave the way for Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations for a “comprehensive and permanent deal that addresses all concerns and enhances regional security and stability."

The statement came after a meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Omani counterpart Badr al-Busaidi. But it did not address Trump’s latest threat against Oman.

Trump insists the strait is open as more attacks are reported

Trump said on Tuesday the U.S. has no planned talks with Iran but insisted the strait is “open and operating,” despite limited traffic, the reported boat strike and the end on Monday of the 60-day negotiating period between the countries.

Trump wrote on social media that a U.S. blockade of the strait remains “in full force and effect,” adding that all water mines have been removed.

As the talks between Iran and Oman continue, more attacks were reported in the region.

Both missiles fired at the UAE fell into the sea, the UAE Defense Ministry said. No damage or injuries were reported. Iran disputed the UAE’s claim that it launched missiles toward the country.

The ministry later said assessments showed that the missiles targeted maritime traffic. It was not clear whether they directly targeted UAE ships or the country’s territorial waters.

In the weeks after the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, the UAE was frequently targeted by Iranian missiles and drones, but Tuesday’s reported attack was the first in weeks.

An unidentified projectile hit a ship early Tuesday in the strait off the coast of Oman, damaging the engine room and causing a casualty, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations center.

The monitoring agency did not release any details about the ship or its cargo, and it was unclear whether the crew member was killed or wounded. The agency said the Omani Coast Guard was assisting other crew members and that authorities were investigating.

Elsewhere, the cargo ship that was deemed a loss was struck about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometers) southeast of Mokha, Yemen, the UKMTO center reported.

The center did not identify the projectiles or those responsible.

The Iran-aligned Houthi rebels resumed attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea in July and escalated attacks on Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces. The renewed assaults have threatened shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, another key global trade route.

In other developments, the Houthis claimed they fired drones at an oil refinery in neighboring Saudi Arabia, the latest attack that threatened to reignite Yemen’s civil war and open another front in the Middle East.

The attack targeted a facility run by Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company, according to a report by the Houthi-run SABA news agency. There were no immediate reports of damage or comment from Saudi Arabia.

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Associated Press writer Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report.

Johnny, Jimmy, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss reiterated their stance Tuesday in a statement issued to ESPN, saying they “remain united in that decision. ... We intend to move forward thoughtfully, respectfully and through the appropriate process."

The five Buss siblings said Monday they had voted to sell the family trust's remaining 17.8% stake to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, who are acquiring majority ownership from Mark Walter.

Jeanie Buss announced her intention to fight back against the plan later Monday through a letter from her attorney, Adam Streisand. Jeanie Buss claims the siblings can't sell the trust's ownership shares without her approval.

If the five siblings are able to sell their remaining ownership, Jeanie Buss would no longer be able to serve as the Lakers' governor, a position she is scheduled to hold until at least 2030 under the deal struck with Walter last year when he purchased majority control of the team at a valuation of $10 billion.

The Buss siblings reportedly made nearly half a billion dollars apiece in that sale, but the 17-time NBA champion team is considered to be worth even more with Walter flipping his ownership to Kushner and Iger at a valuation of $12.5 billion.

Jeanie Buss has been the Lakers’ governor since Jerry Buss’ death in 2013, and she led the family’s decision to sell to Walter, who is now under federal investigation for tax issues. Not all of the siblings were in favor of relinquishing majority control of the Lakers last year, and Joey and Jesse were fired from their front-office jobs with the team last November.

The Buss siblings have been in frequent conflict since their father’s death in 2013, with Jeanie firing Jim from his job as the Lakers’ head of basketball operations in 2017, followed a week later by a lawsuit against her brothers amid an attempt by Jim and Johnny to oust Jeanie from her role as the Lakers’ controlling owner.

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

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The complaint alleges that the investigations into some of the nation's most prestigious academic institutions were designed to strong-arm the schools into cutting deals for political purposes. Outcomes of the investigations were "predetermined, without regard to the evidence" in a “politically mandated effort” to extract money from schools through settlement demands and funding freezes under the pretext of rooting out antisemitism, the complaint alleges.

The work of the multi-agency task force, launched by the Justice Department under then-Attorney General Pam Bondi in February 2025, was “marked by extraordinary procedural irregularities, predetermined outcomes without factual or legal support” and disregard for the law and Constitution, lawyers for the former government attorney wrote in seeking watchdog investigations into their client's complaints.

The complaint taps into a broader public discussion about the administration's efforts to confront allegations of antisemitism at colleges, a problem that received renewed attention during campus protests over Israel's war in Gaza that some Jewish students said made them feel unsafe. President Donald Trump returned to the White House with a goal of rooting out antisemitism that he said had gone unchecked during the Biden administration, but critics have called his government's response heavy-handed and said it infringed on free speech rights and coerced concessions from public institutions.

A key House Democrat is publicizing the whistleblower's allegations

Lawyers for the former Justice Department attorney, identified as Haley Van Erem, filed the disclosure with the inspectors general at the departments of Justice and Health and Human Services, as well as with the Office of Special Counsel.

Van Erem spent nearly a decade working in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division before being involuntarily assigned to HHS to work on the Title VI investigations into the universities, the complaint says.

The health department assignees were initially told to scrutinize allegations of antisemitism at medical school commencement ceremonies — the lawyers were advised of a New York Post story describing antisemitic conduct at graduation events, the complaint says — but the inquiries were later expanded to focus on the entire schools in the cases of Columbia and Brown, according to Van Erem's account.

Van Erem left the Justice Department in May 2025 because she was "unwilling to be made vulnerable to further participation in politically motivated investigations unsupported by facts and contrary to law," says the complaint, which also says “officials targeted some Middle East Studies faculty for the content of their work and other professors for their Muslim faith.”

Kiersten Pels, a Justice Department spokesperson, said the department “stands behind the integrity” of its investigations. A spokesperson for the Health and Human Services Department did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment Tuesday.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, wrote separately to Harmeet Dhillon, who as the assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has been a public face of the department's efforts to counter antisemitism. In his letter, he said antisemitism at colleges and medical schools is a real problem that needs to be investigated.

“But,” he told Dhillon, “your 'investigation’ into antisemitism was fake, a pre-baked frame-up operation thoroughly political in nature.”

Raskin wrote that “the whole project was designed to harass professors and administrators at major universities, to curtail their freedom of speech and academic freedom, and to strip targeted institutions of hundreds of millions of dollars in grants that they had already been awarded on the merits of their applications.”

Scrutiny over the handling of investigations into elite schools

The whistleblower complaint deals chiefly with investigations into three Ivy League universities: Brown, Harvard and Columbia.

It alleges that in the case of Brown, the investigative team did not find evidence to support a violation of Title VI, the section of the Civil Rights Act that bars discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin in programs that receive federal funding, but that “leadership refused to permit a notice of no violation and instead sought some form of settlement or resolution despite acknowledging the absence of a legal basis for doing so.”

Investigators did find evidence of discrimination at Columbia, the complaint says, but the investigation was done on an accelerated timetable before “adequate factual development and legal review were completed” and relied on allegations that “were unsupported, based on news reports or litigation filings, or that implicated protected First Amendment activity."

Columbia University agreed to pay the government $200 million as part of an agreement restoring access to federal funding. Brown University separately agreed to pay $50 million to Rhode Island workforce development organizations to end the three federal investigations involving allegations of antisemitism and racial bias in admissions, with no findings of wrongdoing.

In the investigation into Harvard, Trump administration officials discussed “extraordinary funding freezes and sweeping proposed settlement terms” before an investigation had been completed that could establish Title VI violations. Sean Keveney, then-HHS acting general counsel, said he believed Harvard would settle because they were “over a barrel,” according to the complaint.

A federal judge last year ordered the Trump administration to reverse its cuts of more than $2.6 billion in research funding for the university, saying the government “used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country’s premier universities.” And a different judge last week dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit that accused Harvard University of turning a blind eye to harassment of Jewish students.

Asked if he thought Marte would play for Arizona again this year, Lovullo said he hoped so. A three-time All-Star, Marte is hitting .249 with 21 home runs and 67 RBIs over 118 games this season.

“We need him,” Lovullo said before Tuesday's game against the Red Sox. “He’s one of the best players in the National League as far as I’m concerned.”

Arizona placed the 32-year-old Marte on the restricted list Monday, the second time in as many seasons the D-backs have done so.

Marte failed to show up for Arizona’s 11-1 loss at Boston on Monday night in what Lovullo said was a crazy day as Marte deals with a personal issue. Lovullo said he spoke to Marte on Monday trying to find out what was going on without getting any answers.

The second baseman traveled with the team to Boston and Lovullo wasn't certain after Monday night's loss if Marte was still there.

This wasn’t the first time Marte had a strange disappearance.

Last season, he went on the restricted list when his home in Arizona was broken into during the All-Star break. He missed three games after flying back to his native Dominican Republic and later apologized for his absence.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

The backlash to the massive server warehouses is enveloping races for governor in some of the nation's biggest states and presidential battlegrounds.

On Tuesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said his administration would no longer put data center projects at the head of the line when it comes to issuing construction permits or granting developers a lucrative tax exemption if they don't meet certain standards.

Those include plans to pay the full cost of their electricity and show how they will use advanced technology to limit water use. They also must first win local approval before they can seek state approval. They are, he said, the “strictest guardrails in the nation,” although he stopped short of imposing a moratorium on issuing permits.

Shapiro, considered a potential contender for the White House in 2028, is facing increasing pressure from his GOP opponent, Stacy Garrity, as communities across the state revolt against proposed data centers.

At a news conference, Shapiro slammed what he called “predatory developers” trying to bully local officials and ram through dozens of projects in Pennsylvania — his administration said it counted reports of more than 100 — that likely will never be built because they don't have the financing, power supply or tech-sector clients to use the space.

“These speculators are nevertheless scaring our communities, being aggressive with township officials, bullying our neighbors, our fellow Pennsylvanians, and refusing to listen to the people,” Shapiro said. “And they are threatening to fundamentally change the character of our communities.”

In particular, he singled out developers aiming to build six campuses of about 50 server warehouses in tiny Archbald Borough that has spawned a community uprising, a lawsuit by one developer and motions by another to force the recusal of six of the town's seven council members.

In a statement, Garrity said Shapiro “lit the fuse on the chaos we are seeing in community after community.”

Meanwhile, in Texas, Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa released a TV ad in rural markets Tuesday accusing Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of “selling you out” to data center executives and companies.

The ad airs as Hinojosa, a state lawmaker, has aggressively looked to exploit an undercurrent of discontent in rural, Republican strongholds over data centers' perceived threat to rural life, ranchland and dwindling water supplies.

Challengers are capitalizing on growing discontent

At one time, both Shapiro and Abbott had been cheerleaders for data centers and actively sought to recruit them, with Shapiro appearing with Amazon officials to announce a $20 billion investment in Pennsylvania, and Abbott, likewise, appearing with Google execs to announce its $40 billion investment in Texas.

But in recent weeks, Abbott ordered regulators to take steps to ensure Texans were not paying higher electricity bills because of data centers, even telling them to hold up data center projects until they complete their work.

He also promised to push a legislative agenda next year to impose regulations on data centers, including taking away the state’s billion-dollar-plus-per-year tax break.

For much of the past year, a growing number of data center projects have met rejection in local zoning or permitting board votes across the U.S., as angry residents pack once-sleepy municipal meetings.

Losing open space, farmland, forest or rural character is a big concern. So is the damage to quality of life, property values or health by on-site diesel generators kicking on or the constant hum of servers. Others worry that wells and aquifers could run dry or electricity bills will skyrocket.

Small, under-the-radar data centers have been around for decades. But the explosion of artificial intelligence chatbots has given rise to data centers that are larger than anything just about any town has ever seen. Some of them dwarf football stadiums and factories and use more energy than small cities.

States trying to tighten the screws on data centers

In some states, governors and lawmakers are trying to force data centers to pay for their own electricity supply, limit their water use, disclose more about their operations and do more to win community support. They are also chafing at the rising tab for the sales tax exemption most states offer data centers.

In Arizona, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who is seeking reelection, got lawmakers to agree to slap a three-year moratorium on the state's sales tax exemption for data centers. Hobbs, who had voted to create the tax credits when she was a legislator, called it a “corporate handout.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat seeking reelection, ordered a one-year ban on large data centers to give the state time to impose protections for the environment and its energy grid.

Shapiro isn't the only potential 2028 White House hopeful to step up his criticism of data centers. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat running for a third term, halted new sales tax exemptions for data centers there until lawmakers impose tougher standards on their operations.

In Ohio, the Democratic and Republican nominees for governor — Dr. Amy Acton and Vivek Ramaswamy — in recent days each unveiled dueling data center policies that called for developers to meet tougher standards before being built.

Data center opposition isn't necessarily a golden ticket

In Wisconsin, the Democratic nominee for governor, David Crowley, narrowly defeated a challenger who made her call for a one-year moratorium on data center construction a centerpiece of her campaign.

Crowley has taken a more nuanced approach, saying local communities must have veto authority, while also saying data centers are a part of the modern economy and could bring significant economic benefits to the state.

His Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, has attacked Crowley on the issue, including a TV ad released this week where he calls him “Data Center David Crowley.”

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Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, and J.J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this report.

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Follow Marc Levy at http://twitter.com/timelywriter.

One of his formative memories was seeing his father celebrating the Cowboys' success watching a game on TV. His mother, however, is not a fan.

"This should be the first year where everybody’s unified on one team, so it’s pretty cool to have everybody in blue,” Miller said at an introductory news conference after signing a one-year contract that could be worth up to $7.5 million with his hometown team on Tuesday, with the 37-year-old standout pass rusher hoping to return them to their Super Bowl-winning heights of his childhood.

Miller had previous conversations about joining the Cowboys, including after claiming his second Lombardi Trophy with the Los Angeles Rams following the 2021 season. He ended up signing with the Buffalo Bills, where he spent three years, before joining the Washington Commanders last season. This time around, everything lined up.

"It's like that movie, 'Inception,' like a dream within a dream. I always wanted to play in the National Football League, and then to play for the Dallas Cowboys. We're going deep with it, year 16,” Miller said.

It helped that Miller has ties to the Cowboys' new defensive coaching staff. Pass rush consultant B.T. Jordan is his longtime trainer. Miller also worked alongside coordinator Christian Parker in Denver and line coach Marcus Dixon in Los Angeles.

Add in his relationships with several Cowboys players, including outside linebackers Rashan Gary and Donovan Ezeiruaku, and even crossing paths with star quarterback Dak Prescott in Las Vegas last month, Miller felt everything was coming together to finally fulfill his aspirations of wearing the famous “star” helmet.

“For it to happen, it just shows you that you can really manifest everything. And to be here with the Dallas Cowboys back in my hometown, it's really cool,” he said.

Miller, the NFL's active sack leader, is coming off one of his better seasons in recent memory. He had nine sacks last season with a carefully managed workload for the Commanders, and Miller is confident he can “walk into eight of those” playing a similar number of snaps for the Cowboys.

“Like, am I gonna go out here and just beat somebody to death for 60 plays a game? Probably not, but it's still in there. And I can still win a lot of these reps, especially when it's crunch time," he said.

Not everything is finalized for Miller. He is still trying to figure out what number he will wear for the Cowboys. Miller and fullback Hunter Luepke both had No. 40 on during a joint practice with the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday.

“I'm not gonna get caught up in the number, but I did make some offers to him already that I feel like he can't really come off of those. I think a lifetime supply of chicken will do it," said Miller, who owns and operates a poultry ranch. “A number would be fine, but I think the most important thing is to win a lot of these games, play in big games, and the number would just be an afterthought.”

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

The deportees will be received within a year, with the first batch of 20 expected on Thursday, Liberia’s Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah told reporters. The 1,200 deportees will include Africans as well as nationals from North America, South America and the Caribbean, Piah said.

Under a series of often-secret agreements, the Trump administration has deported thousands of people to nearly two dozen countries that are not their own, advocates say, with about 10 of them in Africa.

A key issue in the agreements is that they can involve migrants with protection orders from a U.S. immigration judge not to be returned to their home countries because of concerns for their safety. The Liberian minister did not say if the deportees expected in Liberia had such protection orders.

Liberia’s Justice Minister Natu Oswald Tweh said at Tuesday’s briefing that the country has screened the list of migrants ahead of their arrival.

“Most of them are people who had immigration violations and offenses,” he said.

They “may wish to seek asylum” in Liberia after their arrival or “can leave the country whenever they desire,” Piah said.

Piah added that Liberia will receive support from the U.S. to manage the program and strengthen its migration system.

“Liberia’s gesture is entirely humanitarian and in keeping with the country’s longstanding traditions,” he said.

“The government of Liberia intends to provide the transferred persons with the necessary support to seek protection in Liberia and to be safe during their stay here."

Immigration lawyers have said the Trump administration uses deportations to third countries as a legal loophole to indirectly force asylum seekers back to their home countries.

In many cases, migrants are deported to countries they've never been to or where they face safety risks and are left with little choice other than to return to the home countries they were fleeing from.

Widespread thunderstorms are expected to develop after lunch and continue through the afternoon.

Storms should begin along and around I-95 and I-75 early in the afternoon.

Gradually storms will march inland into the 3 - 6 p.m. ballpark.

Storms should wind down heading into the evening.

Highs will climb into the low-to-mid 90s before storms roll through.

Elected storm chances will continue through the end of the work week.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

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“Lindsay was struggling — we were all concerned,” said Susan Clancy. Her son, Patrick Clancy, found the Massachusetts couple's children after they had been strangled in the family basement in January 2023. Lindsay Clancy also attempted to take her own life that night and was left paralyzed. Lindsay and Patrick Clancy are now divorced.

The trial centers not on whether Lindsay Clancy killed her children on Jan. 24, 2023, which her lawyers do not dispute, but on her state of mind at the time. Her attorney argues she should not be held criminally responsible because she was suffering from postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth.

Former mother-in-law says Lindsay was open about her struggles

Susan Clancy’s testimony echoed emotional accounts the day before from Lindsay Clancy’s mother and sister, who recounted for jurors how they saw her become increasingly anxious, paranoid and suicidal starting in the fall of 2022.

Susan Clancy, who, like Lindsay, worked as a labor and delivery nurse, said in Plymouth Superior Court that she and her former daughter-in-law were close and described Lindsay as a “wonderful mother” who was “very nurturing, very loving.”

Susan Clancy said that Lindsay was open with her about struggling and asked for her mother-in-law's support. The jury was shown texts between Lindsay and Susan Clancy in which Lindsay spoke about fears that she had developed a dependence on benzodiazepines, but couldn't sleep without taking them.

“I'm not okay and I'm terrified of taking meds tonight,” Lindsay texted her mother-in-law on Nov. 30, 2022, two months before the killings.

On Monday, Lindsay Clancy’s mother, Paula Musgrove, said her daughter was scared of sleeping alone, became increasingly paranoid and believed the medications she was taking “were destroying her mind.”

That December, Lindsay Clancy told her mother and her then-husband, Patrick Clancy, that "she had thoughts of harming the children,” Musgrove said. Lindsay Clancy’s sister Allison Ozga testified that at the end of December, Lindsay told her she had experienced suicidal thoughts every day for a month.

Psychologist who visited Lindsay in the hospital said there's no evidence she's lying

Prosecutors argue that Lindsay Clancy planned the killings and contrived to get her husband out of the house by sending him out on errands. They have pointed to normal activities she performed that day, including taking her children to the doctor and playing with them in the snow.

Lindsay Clancy’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, has argued that in addition to suffering from postpartum psychosis, she had bipolar disorder and that antidepressants prescribed after the birth of her third child worsened her condition.

Dr. Paul Zeisel, a clinical and forensic psychologist who visited Lindsay Clancy in the hospital in early February 2023, described seeing her handcuffed to a hospital bed and unable to move below her sternum. Her memory of what had happened was “fuzzy and foggy,” he said, and she was taking medication for significant pain following surgery.

Zeisel said Clancy knew who she was but didn’t know where she was and wasn’t sure of the time. She asked about Patrick, how he was doing and whether she could speak to him. Two days later, she spoke to Patrick using Zeisel’s cellphone.

“She told Patrick that she loved him very much,” Zeisel testified. He said Lindsay Clancy then told Patrick “that she heard a male voice ordering her,” telling her she had no choice but to kill her children and then herself.

Zeisel has met with Lindsay Clancy dozens of times since then. He testified that psychological testing administered by a government doctor found no evidence she was faking or exaggerating psychiatric symptoms.

Zeisel also testified that before the killings, Lindsay Clancy described having “horrible thoughts” and believing her thoughts were so loud other people could hear them.

He testified that psychotic symptoms can come and go, and that a person experiencing psychosis can still perform ordinary activities such as making a phone call or driving a car.

If convicted of murder, Lindsay faces life without parole

Clancy’s livestreamed trial has generated intense public interest. Over the prior weeks, jurors visited the home where she killed her children, and heard emotional testimony from Patrick Clancy.

At the start of the trial, Patrick Clancy described the horror of returning home to find his dead children. Prosecutors played a seven-minute 911 call in which he can be heard finding the bodies and telling a dispatcher, “She killed the kids!”

If convicted of murder, Lindsay Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty because of a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

The State Department said Tuesday it had hit ICC president Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, and ICC senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, who is from Senegal, with sanctions that freeze any assets they have in U.S. jurisdictions or come into contact with the U.S. financial system.

“The Trump Administration has been clear: the International Criminal Court is a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. “We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty.”

The move is the latest by the Trump administration against the ICC, which it says has exceeded its mandate by investigating or trying soldiers, commanders and political officials from countries, such as Israel and the United States, that are not members of the court.

The ICC was quick to respond, as it has done when faced with previous Trump administration actions, saying that the sanctions “undermine the rule of law.”

“When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk,” it said.

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Associated Press writer Mike Corder in The Hague contributed.

“You have a ton of time just to put in your system and put in the techniques and then, the page gets flipped, and you’re getting ready for a new opponent,” said Frost. “We’re just taking one more swing at it, making sure that fundamentally and the basic things that our guys have to do, they’re good at them.”

He wants to solidify the team’s fundamentals before installing a new play scheme, and Frost emphasised the next three practices will be focused on that.

“I want our guys to be laser-focused, and right now, it’s laser-focused on our team,” he said.

With only two weeks left in fall camp, the Knights’ are feeling the urgency to get things right.

“Everything is just ramped up on every single front,” offensive lineman Preston Cushman said. “We always talk about, from the beginning, that every rep is a Big 12 Championship, so executing with the best detail and the best effort you got, and we’re going to do some big things.”

The players feel they are ready for the next practices, even in the extreme heat.

“I can’t wait to see the guys make plays,” wide receiver Duane Thomas, Jr., said. “We’re tired of beating up on each other; we’ve been beating up on each other all camp and all spring. I think we’re ready to go

The Knights’ first game is at home against Bethune-Cookman on Thursday, Sept. 3.

Now that he has joined the New York Giants, the veteran running back does not anticipate making them wait for him to contribute. Fresh off signing with them following a workout Monday, Harris has his confidence back and is eager to play sooner than later.

“How long’s it going to take? I don’t know, but I’m going to be good,” Harris said Tuesday after doing limited individual work in practice. “It’s not going to take a long time. It doesn’t take a long time for me to get in shape. I take that seriously. I’m committed to that, so I’m not really too worried about that at all.”

Coach John Harbaugh estimated it would take 2-3 weeks for Harris to be game ready. New York's season opener against Dallas on Sept. 13 is 3 1/2 weeks away.

"Just in time, probably," Harbaugh said. “He’s an experienced back. Anybody that’s watched him play knows what type of a back he is. He’s a downhill runner, a physical runner."

How substantial Harris' role might be is anyone's guess as the 28-year-old joins a backfield that includes prospective starters Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy and another runner with more than 100 games of experience in the league, Devin Singletary. Skattebo only recently became fully healthy again after breaking his right fibula and dislocating his right ankle in October.

Harris also went through a long rehabilitation process after tearing his left Achilles tendon on a noncontact play with the Los Angeles Chargers against Denver on Sept. 21.

"I’m proud of the work that I did," Harris said. "It’s been a process, but I learned a lot about myself: Just trying to get back, get the strength back and push off of it. It went really well."

Before the injury cut his season short at three games, Harris was a full-time feature back with the Pittsburgh Steelers and eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing four years in a row from 2021-24. Even with that resume, he feels he has a lot to prove.

“Everything that I did in the past is in the past, and really everything I do now is really what matters,” Harris said. "I know there’s going to be a lot of questions of how I’ll come back looking, and I’m ready to answer all those.”

The Giants with Harbaugh in charge are expected to rely heavily on the running game. Harris at 6-foot-1 and over 240 pounds gives them another battering ram, and he said he likes the opportunity in front of him, even at a crowded position.

“The style of play that they’re heading towards is the style of play that aligns with me,” Harris said. "I’m willing to just put my foot in there and help out any way I can.”

Forcing his way into carries means there may be fewer for Skattebo and Tracy. Harbaugh said he's excited for the possibilities with Harris but hasn't addressed the situation with the other backs.

“Everybody understands,” Harbaugh said. "Football’s competitive, the NFL’s competitive and we’re building the strongest team we can and he’s a really good football player.”

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

The S&P 500 fell 0.7% for a third straight modest loss since setting its all-time high on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 116 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1.3%.

Leading the way lower were stocks that have been big winners in the boom around artificial-intelligence technology. They’ve been veering up and down this summer on worries that their prices shot too high in the AI frenzy and that the strong demand for memory, processors and other building blocks of data centers may fizzle out if AI proves less profitable than promised.

Micron Technology dropped 7%, and the seller of computer memory was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500. So were chip companies Nvidia, which fell 2.3%, and Broadcom, which sank 3.2%.

Even with their recent swings, such stocks remain big winners, and Micron has more than tripled this year.

But stocks that critics call too expensive get more scrutiny when interest rates are high, and yields remained that way in bond markets worldwide Tuesday.

The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury edged down to 4.70% from 4.72% late Monday but remains well above its 3.97% level from just before the war with Iran began. The 30-year Treasury yield also ticked lower but is still near its highest level since 2007.

Yields have jumped since the war began because high oil prices are pushing upward on inflation. All the while, continuing worries about huge debt loads for governments and their increases in borrowing keep yields high.

When yields are high, investors are less willing to pay high prices for stocks and other kinds of investments, particularly those seen as the most expensive.

Much of the pressure on yields has come from oil prices, and Brent crude added 0.2% to $91.02 per barrel. It’s been swinging sharply on uncertainty about when and whether the United States and Iran can reach a deal to allow oil tankers to exit the Persian Gulf freely again. Brent was going for $72.87 per barrel just before the start of the war.

High yields have already sent the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate near its highest level in a year, which has hurt the housing industry. A report on Tuesday said homebuilders broke ground on fewer new houses last month than economists expected.

Such data helped to restrain Home Depot’s stock, which slipped 0.1% even though the retailer reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Chief Financial Officer Richard McPhail said Home Depot saw its customers continue to pursue smaller projects.

High yields could also slow the borrowing Big Tech companies are doing to pay for data centers, putting at risk one of the big sources of growth for the U.S. economy.

Elsewhere on Wall Street, Klarna fell 22.8% even though the payments company reported stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The buy-now, pay-later company cut some of its financial forecasts for 2026, largely because of expectations for Germany, its largest market by volume.

Meta Platforms fell 4.4% as opening statements began in a pivotal trial in a California federal court, where states are seeking billions of dollars in damages for social media harms to children.

All told, the S&P 500 fell 53.30 points to 7,691.76. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 116.38 to 53,343.40, and the Nasdaq composite sank 355.20 to 26,289.71.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe and Asia.

South Korea’s Kospi fell 1.5%, which counts as relatively modest move for it. It had swung by at least 2.4% in each of its three prior days. Seoul’s market has been home to some of the world’s sharpest AI-induced swings because it’s dominated by two tech giants, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

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AP Business Writer Yuri Kageyama contributed to this report.

Oswaldo Pirela, a catching coach in the Padres' minor league system, was being held in a detention center in El Paso, federal records show. The Padres said in a statement that the team was aware of Pirela's arrest and was trying to gather more details.

Pirela was on a work trip when he was arrested Sunday around 5 a.m. at an airport in El Paso, according to Daniela Pirela, his sister. The Padres have a minor league affiliate team in the city, the El Paso Chihuahuas.

Daniela Pirela said her 34-year-old brother has lived in the U.S. for 12 years and has followed the law. She said he applied for asylum in 2015 and lives in Peoria, Arizona, with his wife and two children, ages 9 and 4, who are both U.S. citizens.

“Since he arrived in this country, the only thing he’s done is follow the rules of this country and do things properly,” Daniela Pirela told The Associated Press.

The Department of Homeland Security said Oswaldo Pirela entered the country legally in 2014 and was granted permission to stay until 2018. He then “overstayed his welcome,” DHS said in a statement, adding that work authorization or pending applications “do not confer” U.S. legal status.

Pirela is in ICE custody pending removal, DHS said.

Oswaldo Pirela had a brief minor-league playing career as a catcher in the Texas Rangers organization.

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

Terrell Williams, 44, has been charged with second-degree burglary, safe cracking, money laundering and other felonies, Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell announced at a news conference. Williams was being held without bond in Cobb County, Georgia, on suspicion of another home burglary. Jail records did not list an attorney.

Campbell said investigators were led to Williams in July, when Cobb County police arrested him and found items taken from Biffle's home.

Biffle, his wife and his two children, along with three others, died in the Dec. 18 crash, which remains under investigation by the NTSB.

Authorities reported a break-in at the home on Jan. 8 and have said $30,000 in cash, two Glock handguns, NASCAR memorabilia and gold and silver coins were stolen.

Investigators have recovered some of the stolen items, including NASCAR memorabilia, Campbell said. They also found a radio-frequency detector they believe Williams used during the burglary to locate security cameras.

He said Williams is also suspected in another North Carolina burglary that occurred when a law enforcement officer was in the hospital.

“He used headlines, social media posts, different things to find out when people were and were not home, and he executed his plan in that capacity,” Campbell said.

Campbell said investigators have also identified a person of interest in a separate fraud case following the Biffle family's death.

Investigators have said bank, Venmo and PayPal accounts tied to the Biffles were accessed online using personal information, with phone numbers and email addresses changed to gain control of funds. Money was then allegedly transferred to accounts not belonging to the family and used for purchases, according to a search warrant affidavit.

At least one fraudulent check tied to Biffle’s business interests was cashed, and other attempts were made to access accounts. The activity occurred across multiple states.

Riley English, a 26-year-old transgender woman, said she was in the grips of a mental health crisis and abusing drugs when she drove to Washington in January 2025 and told Capitol police that she was there to kill Bessent on the day of his Senate confirmation.

“I never wanted to hurt anyone,” she told U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras. “I'm not a political person. I'm not a violent person.”

Contreras, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Barack Obama, sentenced English to six years and one month of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. English has remained jailed since her arrest and will get credit for the nearly 20 months that she already has spent in custody. She pleaded guilty in March to two weapons charges.

“You’ve had a very difficult life,” Contreras told English. “Hopefully, the progress you’ve made in jail to this date has set you on the right path.”

Nobody was injured, and Contreras said her plan to harm Bessent had an “exceedingly low or non-existent” chance of success. Bessent wasn't at the Capitol when English arrived on Jan. 27, 2025. The Molotov cocktails that English brought to the Capitol appeared to be incapable of igniting, the judge noted.

Prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of 10 years and one month for English. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan said English had been planning the “attempted political assassination” for at least a month at a time when the threat of politically motivated violence has been mounting in the U.S.

“This was not a chance encounter or an impulsive act,” Horan said.

The case against English fits a pattern of politically motivated violence that has plagued the U.S. over the past decade. In a letter addressed to the judge, Bessent said he worries the country “cannot survive this assault.”

“Political violence is an attack on the rule of law and on representative government itself,” Bessent wrote. “It also deprives our country of service by talented men and women with ability and integrity who may reasonably decide that no job is worth threats to themselves and their families.”

English's prosecution drew comparisons to the case against California resident Sophie Roske, who was sentenced last October to over eight years in prison for attempting to assassinate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at his Maryland home. Prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of no less than 30 years for Roske, a transgender woman. They appealed Roske's sentence by U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, calling it unreasonably lenient.

Defense attorney Maria Jacob said English was “terrified and traumatized” by fears of what would happen to transgender people under the second Trump administration.

“Our argument is that she was in a diminished mental state,” Jacob said.

Investigators said they found a folding knife, two homemade firebombs and a lighter in English’s possession at the Capitol.

English, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, told police that she was influenced by Luigi Mangione, the man who was charged with fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. She said she was “on a mission” and “had been thinking about this for a while because of Luigi Mangione,” prosecutors said. English told officers that she was terminally ill and “wanted to do something before I go,” according to prosecutors.

English also said she traveled from Massachusetts to Washington intending to kill other Republican political figures — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson — and to burn down the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, according to police. English changed her target to Bessent after reading an internet post about his confirmation hearing, police said.

Jacob said English's actions last year were “a cry for help.”

“There was no indication that she was acting rationally that day,” the judge said.

The lawsuit, originally filed in October 2022, alleged that the two men were racially profiled and illegally stopped by Clayton County police at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The settlement agreement, announced Tuesday by the pair's lawyers, does not include an admission of fault or liability but says the county has ended the program at issue and has no intention of reactivating it.

Both men said officers at the airport singled them out because they were Black and grilled them about drugs while other passengers watched during separate stops about six months apart. In an interview when the lawsuit was filed, André called the experience “dehumanizing and demoralizing.”

The stated purpose of the program was to fight drug trafficking, but the lawsuit said drugs are rarely found, criminal charges seldom result, and seized cash provides a financial windfall for the police department.

“It’s a major victory that Clayton County has confirmed that it has ended this program and is now taking steps to prevent this type of abuse from happening in the future,” André said in a press release.

“What happened to me was wrong, and I wasn’t willing to let it happen to other people,” English said in the release.

“As reflected in the settlement agreement between the parties, there has been no admission of any fact or liability whatsoever relating to the incident involving the plaintiffs,” county spokesperson Valerie Fuller said in an email. “However, all have agreed that it is in everyone’s interests to resolve this matter to end litigation and move forward.”

The county Board of Commissioners authorized a payment of $30,000, with half going to each comedian, as part of the settlement, according to minutes from the board's Aug. 4 meeting.

The county also agreed to require police officers assigned to the airport to use body-worn cameras and to undergo training on constitutional limits regarding police encounters at airports, the settlement says.

Police records cited in the lawsuit showed that from Aug. 30, 2020, to April 30, 2021, there were 402 jet bridge stops, and the passenger’s race was listed for 378 of those stops. Of those 378 passengers, 211, or 56%, were Black, and people of color accounted for 258 total stops, or 68%, the lawsuit said.

Those 402 stops resulted in three reported drug seizures: about 10 grams of drugs from one passenger, 26 grams of “suspected THC gummies” from another, and six prescription pills without a prescription from a third, the lawsuit said. Only the first and third person were charged.

Those 402 stops also yielded more than $1 million in cash and money orders from a total of 25 passengers. All but one were allowed to continue their travels, and only two — the ones who also had drugs — were charged, the lawsuit said. Eight of the 25 challenged the seizures, and Clayton County police settled each case, returning much of the seized money, the lawsuit said.