On X, acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez confirmed the move, saying there was “nothing controversial” about it and that it came because speechwriters, who use classified material, were now occupying the space.

“The Pentagon Press Office has been redesignated as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility due to speechwriters from the Office of the Secretary of War sharing the facility,” Valdez wrote.

“These speechwriters routinely handle classified material … as a result, journalists will no longer be permitted to enter the office space. There’s nothing controversial about that.”

The latest move, first reported by The Washington Post, took place against a backdrop of escalating tensions between the U.S. media and the second Trump administration, which has played out both in the public arena and at times in the courts.

For many years, Pentagon reporters had credentials granting them wide movement in the building as they sought to interact with press officials there. But last October, most news outlets turned in access badges and walked out of the Pentagon rather than agree to government-imposed restrictions on their work,

The New York Times sued the Defense Department on May 18 for the second time in five months, arguing that a requirement that journalists be escorted while on Pentagon grounds violates the First Amendment and is “an unconstitutional attempt by the Pentagon to prevent independent reporting on military affairs.”

The paper said it had filed the additional lawsuit after first suing the Pentagon in December over new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to challenge an interim policy “that the Pentagon hastily put into place after a federal judge ruled in The Times’s favor in its original lawsuit.” The new policy included the requirement that journalists be accompanied by escorts at all times while in the Pentagon.

The policy was implemented in March following a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman that had struck down earlier restrictions. The following month, the judge ruled that the interim policy violated his March order. But the escort policy remained in place when an appeals court stayed part of Friedman’s ruling while the government appeals. The appeals process is ongoing.

The potential retreat is a nod to the legal setbacks the fund has encountered since it was announced two weeks ago and a recognition of the mounting political backlash from Republicans concerned by a lack of oversight of the money disbursement and the possibility of payouts to participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The Trump administration had defended the $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” established to resolve Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns, as an appropriate corrective measure for what officials insist was weaponized law enforcement during the Biden administration.

But while some Trump supporters — including participants in the Capitol riot — celebrated the announcement of the fund, the reaction among Republicans in Congress has been decidedly more hostile.

The outrage came to a head last month at a closed-door meeting between senators and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche that Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas described on a recent episode of his podcast as “one of the roughest meetings I’ve seen in my entire time in the Senate.”

The furor has especially complicated matters in the Senate, where Republicans defiantly left town 10 days ago without passing legislation to fund Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies. Republicans who returned to Washington on Monday said they won’t have the votes to pass the Homeland Security spending bill until the White House works with them to place parameters on the fund. Many have pushed the administration to impose limits or scrap the idea altogether.

Amid the backlash, a person familiar with the matter, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the president’s thinking, said Monday that Trump was reconsidering whether to move forward with the fund.

But it was not clear whether the Justice Department's statement that it would pause action on the fund was definitive enough for the Senate to be able to move the bill forward.

“They need to say what they actually mean,” said Republican Sen. Jim Lankford. "They need to say, “We’re setting this whole thing aside.'”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated Monday that he hoped the White House would move to drop the fund.

“I do think the best way to handle it is if the administration decides to shut it down themselves,” Thune told reporters.

He said any additional statements from the administration would be helpful, but: “I think the statement they made effectively shuts it down. We’ll find out.”

The Justice Department said it would comply with a ruling in Virginia on Friday by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, who responded to an outside challenge to the fund by temporarily halting its implementation. The judge scheduled a June 12 hearing for arguments on whether to extend her order.

The department said in a statement that it strongly disagrees with the ruling but will comply with it.

“This Fund was open to anybody who was so weaponized, targeted, or persecuted, whether they were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise,” the statement said. "The Department will abide by the Court’s ruling.

Separately, the federal judge in Florida overseeing Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS ordered Trump’s attorneys on Friday to respond to “grievous allegations” by settlement critics that the president abandoned his claims to avoid the court’s scrutiny of an illegal deal. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams gave them until June 12 to respond in writing to allegations of collusion and whether the case should be reopened because the court was the “victim of a fraud.”

As part of the settlement, the IRS agreed to drop all past and pending probes of Trump, his family and other associates over whether they’ve paid their fair share of taxes.

It was not immediately clear whether the retreat being signaled on the fund Monday also indicated that the administration was backtracking on its promised immunity from tax audits.

_____

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.

Just a month ago, the two announced a settlement that avoided a trial over Lively's claims that Baldoni led a campaign to smear her reputation after she accused him of sexually harassing her on the set of their 2024 film “It Ends With Us.”

But on Monday, lawyers for Lively were back in court, trying to get a judge to make Baldoni pay her legal bills plus other penalties. They said she's entitled to the money under a California law because Baldoni's countersuit, which claimed she had defamed and extorted him, was thrown out last year by a judge.

Neither actor was present for the hearing before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman in New York.

Baldoni and his lawyer, Ellyn Garofalo, accused Lively of trying to do “an end run" around a trial that was canceled when the two agreed to settle. While the financial terms of the settlement weren't announced publicly, Garofalo told the court it was resolved without Baldoni and his production company “paying a cent of the $300 million in damages she was demanding.”

“Reopening this for basically what is an alternative trial would involve reopening discovery, new experts, new expert depositions,” she said.

Lively's lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, asserts that the lawsuit Baldoni brought against Lively was the very kind of litigation the California law was designed to stop. The law is intended to protect survivors of sexual harassment from protracted and damaging legal fights.

Liman did not immediately rule after hearing more than an hour of arguments.

The two actors have been fighting in court since late 2024 over the fraught filming of “It Ends With Us."

Lively had claimed that during filming, Baldoni made inappropriate comments about her appearance, violated physical boundaries while filming a love scene, and pushed for nudity — against Lively’s wishes — during a scene in which her character was giving birth.

Lively also accused Baldoni and his production company of then orchestrating an effort to damage her public reputation and her credibility, in case she went public with her complaints.

Baldoni, who directed the dark romantic drama and starred in it with Lively, denied harassing her or orchestrating a smear campaign. He claimed the complaints about his behavior were made up by Lively as part of an effort to seize creative control of the movie. He countersued, accusing Lively and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion.

The judge ultimately dismissed Lively’s sexual harassment claims, ruling that she couldn’t pursue them under federal law because she was an independent contractor rather than an employee on the movie set. The retaliation claim had been headed for trial when the two sides settled.

In a joint statement after the deal was reached, the two sides said they agreed Lively’s concerns “deserved to be heard” and that they ”remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments.”

“It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel about a relationship devolving into domestic violence, was released in August 2024 and exceeded box office expectations.

Lively appeared in the 2005 film “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and the TV series “Gossip Girl” from 2007 to 2012 before starring in films including “The Town” and “The Shallows.”

Baldoni starred in the TV comedy “Jane the Virgin,” directed the 2019 film “Five Feet Apart” and wrote “Man Enough,” a book challenging traditional notions of masculinity.

Mike Little has noticed the problem firsthand.

“Unfortunately, we have crime here in Lynchburg, and way too much of it,” Little said.

Fellow resident Melanie Sousa agrees accountability is key — and says surveillance technology plays a role in making that happen.

“The people who do the crimes need to be held accountable, and if there aren’t cameras it becomes a ‘he said she said’ situation,” Sousa said.

Cameras, detectors now online

Lynchburg police recently presented their case to city council, arguing their Flock license plate cameras and gunshot detection devices are helping investigators close cases. According to the city’s police transparency portal, the system currently includes 15 license plate cameras and 55 gunshot detection devices. Images captured by the cameras are automatically erased after 21 days unless they are needed for an active investigation.

Not everyone sees the technology as a threat. Lynchburg resident Ahmed Jehangir said the system strikes the right balance.

“It doesn’t invade our privacy, it’s really good for security, and really shows that the city and its representatives are doing very positive things for us,” Jehangir said.

Council pushes for transparency

Still, some council members want more details before agreeing to expand the program. City Vice Mayor Curt Diemer raised concerns about civilian access to sensitive data collected on residents.

“I’d really prefer that those having access to all that information on our citizens are sworn officers,” Diemer said.

Diemer also wants clarity on which outside agencies can tap into Lynchburg’s surveillance network.

“I want to know which outside agencies can access Lynchburg’s data — is it federal agencies? Can neighboring jurisdictions use it?” Diemer said.

Officials are asking a broader set of questions as well: Are police the only ones with access? Does the vendor retain copies of the data? And what happens when footage is requested as part of outside investigations?

Expansion on hold for now

For now, the city and police department have agreed to keep the conversation going before adding more cameras — meaning any proposed expansion, and the budget needed to fund it, could still change.

If you drive on Lynchburg streets, your license plate could already be captured by one of the existing cameras. City council is now weighing whether the program’s benefits are clear enough to justify a broader rollout.

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi finally was persuaded to sit down in Manhattan federal court as two marshals approached him at a judge's urging. One marshal put his hand on his shoulder to guide him into his seat.

Al-Saadi did not appear to be trying to be disruptive as he commented beyond his response to the charges. The charges say he conspired to provide material support to Kata’ib Hizballah, an Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militant group, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“I'm not guilty in a war situation,” Al-Saadi responded, before adding through an Arabic translator: “I'm a prisoner of war. I'm not a threat. Children and women are being killed by your rockets.”

Judge Colleen McMahon responded by saying: “The defendant will be seated please,” which prompted the marshals behind Al-Saadi to move up to where he was seated.

Both Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. have been designated by the U.S. government as foreign terrorist organizations. U.S. prosecutors say Al-Saadi was a Kata’ib Hizballah commander.

But his lawyer, Andrew Dalack, told the judge that his client worked for the Iraqi government, though he did not specify what position.

The lawyer said Al-Saadi was held at an underground Turkish prison for two weeks before he was turned over to the FBI.

“I'm sure it was unpleasant, to say the least,” the judge said.

Dalack said Al-Saadi has been held in solitary confinement at a federal lockup in Brooklyn but was hoping to communicate with a diplomatic counsel from Iraq and his mother and siblings, although he expects the U.S. government to severely limit his communications.

Last month when the charges against Al-Saadi were announced, Dalack told reporters that his client believed he was being persecuted for his relationship with Qasem Soleimani, the Revolutionary Guard leader who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2020.

Among the 18 attacks in Europe, Al-Saadi is charged in the firebombing of a bank in Amsterdam and with stabbing Jewish men in London.

Federal authorities also said in court papers that he sought to attack a New York City synagogue last month and provided an undercover law enforcement officer with photos and maps of Jewish centers in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona, that he planned to target.

Al-Saadi is also accused of involvement in two recent attacks in Canada: an attack on a synagogue and a shooting at the U.S. consulate in Toronto in March. U.S. prosecutors said he directed and urged other people to attack U.S. and Israeli interests, including by killing Americans and Jews.

Al-Saadi posted about the attacks on Snapchat and Telegram and spoke about them in phone calls recorded by an FBI informant whose help he solicited in planning attacks in the U.S., according to court papers.

Pelley made his accusations in an introductory meeting Monday between the newsmagazine’s staff and Nick Bilton, the new executive producer named by Weiss last week, according to a detailed report on the Status website, which said it had heard a recording of the meeting. Weiss herself was not present, according to the report. Status specializes in media news and analysis.

Status reported that Pelley, the longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent, began grilling Bilton at the 10 a.m. meeting about the firings last week of Bilton's predecessor, Tanya Simon, and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. Status also reported that Pelley told Bilton, a former technology journalist and filmmaker with no traditional broadcast news experience, that his qualifications for the position were “slender."

Pelley also charged, according to Status, that Weiss herself had “no qualifications for her job,” and said the changes she had made to “CBS Evening News,” which Pelley once anchored, “have been catastrophic.”

It added that Bilton insisted that “Bari loves this institution” and “she loves ’60 Minutes'" — to which Pelley countered, “She’s murdering ‘60 minutes.’ She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it and she’s doing exactly that.”

CBS says leaders tried to reach out to Pelley

Two spokespeople for CBS News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But a person close to CBS News leadership, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that both Weiss and Bilton had tried to reach out to Pelley late last week when the changes rocked the 57-year-old show to tell him that he was an integral part of “60 Minutes” and wanted him to remain so.

The person said Weiss and Bilton felt it was disappointing that Pelley's accusations were being aired publicly despite efforts to engage with him privately.

The New York Times, which also reported that it had listened to a recording of Monday's meeting, noted that Pelley's “newscaster's baritone” was shaking during the exchange. The newspaper also quoted an unnamed executive at the meeting as saying Weiss had been prepared to come, but “we asked her not to.”

Argument comes after memo touting ‘new approach’

Reports about the contentious meeting came four days after Weiss, who has become a polarizing figure in the media world since taking the reins at CBS last October, told staff in a memo that it was time for a “new approach” at the top-rated newsmagazine.

In the memo, Weiss and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski said their goal was “building a show that thrives in the 21st century.”

“That requires a new approach,” they wrote, defining that approach as “expanding ‘60 Minutes’ beyond a one-hour television broadcast, deepening its role across CBS News, and holding everything we produce to the ambition, fairness, and fearlessness that have defined ‘60 Minutes’ at its best.”

Bilton, they said, “embodies the energy and ambition that animated the founders of the show. We cannot imagine a better fit.”

The Status report noted that Pelley was applauded multiple times by other staffers during the meeting. It said Pelley focused on the firings last week, calling them cruel.

Bilton reportedly replied that he was not intimidated. “I have been a journalist for 25 years, Scott," Status quoted him as saying. "I have sat and talked with incredibly powerful people like you have. None of it intimidates me, OK? So you are not going to intimidate me in front of this group of people.”

Platner, a Democrat, posted a video over the weekend taken by his wife, Amy Gertner, who reportedly told his campaign of the text messages last year. In the video, Gertner decried coverage of the issue as “gossip” and said “being married is hard.”

Sanders, a critical early backer of Platner, told The Associated Press on Monday that he still supports the oyster farmer and combat veteran, who hopes to unseat veteran Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

“People can't afford healthcare. Can't afford groceries. Can't afford to put gas in their cars. And I think it might be a good idea if we focused on the important issues facing the working families of Maine and this country,” Sanders said.

The senator added that he was scheduled to meet with Platner while he's in Washington this week and feels the nation should “focus on issues more important than the Platner marriage.”

Platner is also expected to attend a fundraiser co-hosted by Ron Klain, the former chief of staff to President Joe Biden.

Platner is seeking the Democratic nomination for one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country as Democrats hope to defeat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins and regain control of the chamber. The Maine primary is June 9, and Platner's primary rival for the nomination, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, already suspended her campaign in April.

Platner is scheduled to appear in Bar Harbor Friday evening with progressive Rep. Ro Khanna of California and a pair of Democratic Maine candidates. It’s billed as a “get out the vote” rally and it’s taking place at a historic theater in the coastal resort town.

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Whittle reported from Portland, Maine.

The majority opinion — by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit — held that the Trump administration's policy was designed to exclude people from the military based on their gender identity.

The ban remains in effect. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Pentagon to start enforcing it last year, as litigation continues to plays out.

The panel's new ruling would keep the military from kicking out current service members named in the lawsuit, but wouldn't allow new transgender recruits to join. The judges put their decision on hold, though, to let the administration seek further review.

The appeals court panel's 2-1 decision partially upholds a March 2025 ruling by U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C. Reyes concluded that Trump’s executive order to exclude transgender troops from military service likely violates their constitutional rights.

The administration appealed after Reyes issued a preliminary injunction requested by attorneys for several transgender people who are active-duty service members and others seeking to join the military. The appeals court's majority decided that the injunction should be narrowed to the plaintiffs currently serving in the military but not those trying to enlist.

Another lawsuit challenging the ban was filed in Washington state and led to a ruling in favor of the plaintiffs challenging the policy in that case, though it's been blocked by the Supreme Court.

In January 2025, Trump signed an executive order that claims the sexual identity of transgender service members “conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life” and is harmful to military readiness.

In response to the order, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a policy that presumptively disqualifies people with gender dysphoria from military service. Gender dysphoria is the distress that a person feels because their assigned gender and gender identity don’t match. The medical condition has been linked to depression and suicidal thoughts.

The policy “appears to be driven by the bare desire to harm a politically unpopular group: persons who identify as transgender,” Judge Robert Wilkins wrote for the majority. Wilkins was nominated to the court by Democratic President Barack Obama.

Jennifer Levi, senior director of transgender and queer rights at GLAD Law, applauded the ruling.

“Today’s decision is a powerful vindication of the plaintiffs’ extraordinary courage and unwavering commitment to their country,” Levi said.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated that an appeal was forthcoming in a social media post that used an abbreviation for the Supreme Court: “See you at SCOTUS.”

In a dissenting opinion, Judge Justin Walker said judges lack the power to second-guess the decision to exclude transgender troops.

“We have neither the expertise nor the authority to decide whether the military can exclude the plaintiffs from its ranks. The Constitution assigns that authority to Congress and the Commander in Chief,” wrote Walker, who was nominated by Trump, a Republican.

Judge Judith Rogers, who was nominated by Democratic President Bill Clinton, joined Wilkins' majority opinion but also partially dissented. Rogers wrote that she would also have allowed new transgender recruits named in the lawsuit to join.

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Associated Press writer Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.

The five people will complete their monitoring at home after remaining symptom-free and meeting criteria for monitoring outside the quarantine unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

They are leaving Omaha about three weeks after they and the 13 other Americans arrived in Nebraska following a deadly outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship traveling in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Hantaviruses usually spread when people inhale contaminated residue of rodent droppings, but the hantavirus that has caused the current outbreak, called the Andes virus, may be able to spread between people in rare cases.

A total of 13 confirmed or probable hantavirus cases, including three deaths, have been linked to the ship, according to the World Health Organization.

No Andes virus cases have been confirmed in the U.S., and the risk to the public remains low, health officials said.

None of the U.S. passengers has shown any symptoms, a spokesperson for Nebraska Medicine said Monday.

Symptoms of hantavirus have taken as long as 42 days to appear in previous outbreaks, but some medical experts say most people who develop symptoms do so within 21 days.

The doctors in Omaha monitoring the passengers had said previously that they would work with each person individually to determine if it was appropriate for them to go home to finish their recommended 42-day quarantine period.

Federal officials arranged travel for the five people going home, in coordination with state and local authorities. Officials said the travel was not to be on commercial flights, with appropriate biocontainment measures in place. State health departments will continue daily symptom monitoring, maintain 24/7 oversight and provide guidance.

Two of the people returning to their homes live outside New York City, said city Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin.

One of the remaining passengers, Jake Rosmarin, posted on his blog Sunday that he plans to stay at the Omaha unit for his final three weeks of quarantine because he would have immediate access to care if he gets sick and he doesn’t want to risk unnecessarily exposing anyone else.

Rosmarin, who posts daily updates about his experience, said he’s not judging anyone who decided to go home.

“For me personally, this experience has been incredibly traumatic," Rosmarin said. “I don’t think I’ve fully processed everything yet, and right now I don’t want to leave until I know there is no risk of me getting sick or putting my family, friends, or the general public at risk.”

Not everyone quarantined in Nebraska has been happy about it. About a week after the 18 arrived, U.S. health officials issued quarantine orders forcing two passengers who wanted to leave to stay there.

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Stobbe reported from New York.

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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 Eagles traded the star receiver to the Patriots on Monday, putting a cap on the long-rumored deal.

The Eagles said they will receive a first-round pick in 2028 and a fifth-round pick in 2027 for the three-time Pro Bowler.

The trade comes after a frustrating 2025 season for Brown in Philadelphia, in which he had grown dispirited with an Eagles offense that played uninspired football at times while the team failed to defend its Super Bowl title.

Still, he posted a message on Instagram shortly after the trade became official Monday of him in an Eagles jersey with his hands making the “heart” symbol. He also posted a few other photos of himself as a kid wearing a Tom Brady Patriots jersey.

Brown played under Vrabel for three seasons after being drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2019.

Brown, 28, quickly rose to the top receiving option in Philadelphia after being traded by Tennessee to the Eagles in 2022.

He had back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons his first two seasons with the Eagles, catching 88 passes for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022 and 106 passes for 1,456 yards and seven TDs in 2023.

He earned a Super Bowl ring during the 2024 season, but began to grow unhappy last season as the Eagles offense stagnated — leading to a change at offensive coordinator following a wild-card playoff loss to San Francisco last season.

It led to an increase in chatter about the potential for a trade heading into this offseason. It didn’t happen during April’s NFL draft likely because the Eagles would have had about $43 million in dead cap money for 2026 compared to about $16 million this year and $27 million next year if traded after June 1.

Ultimately a high draft pick proved to be enough to persuade them to deal a player of Brown’s caliber.

The Patriots have been viewed as a possible landing spot for Brown since they released receiver Stefon Diggs in March. Diggs led New England with 85 receptions and 1,013 yards receiving with four touchdowns in his only season in New England in 2025, helping the Patriots reach the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Seattle Seahawks.

Diggs’ exit made finding a No. 1 receiving option for quarterback Drake Maye a priority. The Patriots did add former Green Bay Packers receiver Romeo Doubs in free agency. But he doesn’t instantly change an offense the way Brown’s addition could.

Maye acknowledged last week that he was aware of the Brown-to-New England rumors.

“If he ends up being on our team, great. What a great player. And if he doesn’t, we’ve still got to work these guys here,” Maye said. “It’s a tough balance, but I know he’s a phenomenal player.”

Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams, who was on the Eagles 2024 Super Bowl-winning team with Brown, said the receiver would be a big addition.

“He can definitely help our team,” Williams said. “Great dude. Monster on the field, great in the locker room, holding guys accountable and holding himself accountable. That’s everything you want in a player of his caliber.”

Brown leaves Philadelphia as one of the top receivers in franchise history. He topped 1,000 yards receiving all four seasons with the Eagles. He totaled 339 total receptions and 32 touchdowns and was a crucial member of the two Eagles teams that played in the Super Bowl during his tenure.

Vrabel was entering his second season as coach of the Titans when the team selected Brown in the second round of the 2019 draft.

Brown caught 185 passes for 2,995 yards and 24 touchdowns over the next three years, peaking with a 2020 season in which he earned a Pro Bowl selection after pulling in 70 receptions for 1,075 yards and 11 touchdowns.

But the Titans wound up trading Brown to Philadelphia on the second day of the 2022 draft that April despite having a season left on his rookie deal. The team was adamant that it wasn’t its preference to trade him but felt his asking price for an extension was too high.

Vrabel stated multiple times during that offseason that Brown would be on the roster as long as he was the coach, but the realities of the situation changed things.

“Unfortunately, we understand that if we’re going to be here awhile we’re not going to be able to keep every single player that we draft and develop,” Vrabel said at the time.

Four years later, he’ll get to coach him again.

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

Renegade drew post position No. 4 and is set to be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. The Todd Pletcher-trained horse is coming off finishing second by a neck in the Derby to Cherie DeVaux-trained Golden Tempo, who opened as the 9-2 third choice. Golden Tempo will start on the outside Saturday after drawing the No. 9 post in the nine-horse field.

DeVaux made history as the first woman to train a Derby winner. She returns to Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, where she was born and spent some of her early career looking to win two Triple Crown races in the same year.

Golden Tempo, with Jose Ortiz set to be aboard, is running for the first time after DeVaux and owners decided not to run him in the Preakness Stakes.

“The field can go out ahead of him, and he’ll just find himself in the back of the pack early in the race,” DeVaux said.

Bill Mott’s Chief Wallabee was the second choice at 3-1 after being fourth in the Derby and will start the race out of the No. 3 post. Mott won the Derby and the Belmont with Sovereignty last year. Jockey Junior Alvarado will look to bring Mott another Belmont win.

“Our horse seems to be doing well,” Mott said. “He doesn’t seem to have taken a step backwards since the Derby. It seems like he’s been on an upwards progression.”

The rematch of Golden Tempo and Renegade highlights the third and final Belmont at Saratoga. It has taken place at the historic track in upstate New York while Belmont Park is undergoing a full reconstruction.

New York-based trainer Chad Brown has the most horses entered in the race, headlined by Derby 10th-place finisher Emerging Market, who opened at 6-1 with Flavien Prat lined up to ride. Brown, who has never won the Belmont, also has Ottinho (20-1) and Growth Equity (12-1).

“He hasn’t taken a step back from the Derby,” Brown said on Emerging Market. “It was kind of a rough race for him. He came out of there in one piece, and we got him up here a few days after and he’s been doing really well.”

The rest of the nine-horse field includes Brad Cox’s Commandment (6-1), Doug O’Neill’s longshot Vitruvian Man (30-1), and Pletcher’s second horse, Powershift (12-1).

This year’s field doesn’t include any horses that ran in the Preakness, including winner Napoleon Solo.

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AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing

The majority opinion by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit upholds a March 2025 ruling by U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C. Reyes concluded that President Donald Trump’s executive order to exclude transgender troops from military service likely violates their constitutional rights.

Meanwhile, the energy price spike triggered by the Iran war has seeped into the price of bonds that help fund the U.S. government, causing interest rates to climb in ways that are worsening affordability pressures, hampering economic growth and creating a new risk for Republicans in November’s midterm elections.

Also, the United States said Monday that it bombed radar and drone sites in Iran after Tehran shot down an American drone over the weekend. Iran then said it launched a strike of its own, and Kuwait reported incoming fire.

The nominal ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. has been repeatedly tested with such back-and-forth attacks, even as officials from both countries try to negotiate an end to the war.

Here's the latest:

Trump reconsidering pursuing $1.8B fund meant to compensate his allies

That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss the president’s thinking.

The potential retreat is a recognition of the legal setbacks the fund has encountered since it was announced two weeks ago, as well as a mounting political backlash from Republicans concerned by a perceived lack of oversight of the money disbursement and the potential for payouts to participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The Justice Department has said it would temporarily pause its implementation to comply with a court order.

Trump administration shares more information about new Medicaid work rules

The Trump administration on Monday provided more details for how Americans on Medicaid will be able to claim exemptions from new work mandates.

A new rule reveals that starting in 2028, if health or government data doesn’t prove exemptions, some Medicaid enrollees will need to prove they are eligible with documentation.

The rule also puts forth a stricter-than-expected definition for who can qualify for exemptions based on being “medically frail.” To meet that qualification, a person’s health condition must significantly impair their ability to comply with the work requirements, according to the text of the rule.

The work requirements were part of a 2025 law. Starting in 2027, they’ll require some working-age Medicaid participants to work or do community service at least 80 hours a month, or be enrolled in school at least half the time.

States have warned implementing the changes will be expensive and time consuming. Advocates say they’ll cause millions to lose their health insurance.

Monday’s rule will be open to public comment before it is finalized.

Trump to head to Wisconsin on Friday

The White House says the president will head to Chippewa County, located in the northwest part of the state.

The trip will highlight the administration’s efforts to benefit farmers, particularly on taxes and trade.

“Wisconsin families put their faith in President Trump in 2024, and he has spent every single day since taking office fighting and delivering for them,” White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said.

The visit is part of a series of trips that are intended for Trump to promote his economic agenda and achievements.

Trump administration says it will comply with court order that temporarily paused $1.8 billion compensation fund

The Trump administration said Monday it will comply with a court ruling temporarily blocking a nearly $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate allies of the president, effectively agreeing to pause the plan for at least two weeks after setbacks in the courts and a fierce backlash from Republicans who objected to potential payouts to participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The announcement from the Justice Department comes in response to a Friday court ruling by a federal judge in Virginia who ordered plans for the fund halted pending additional arguments later this month. The department said in a statement that it “disagrees strongly” with the ruling but would abide by it.

The Trump administration had defended the $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” established to resolve Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns, as an appropriate corrective measure to make up for what officials insist was a weaponized law enforcement during the Biden administration.

Thune says Trump dropping anti-weaponization fund is ‘best way to handle’

Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated Monday he was hopeful the White House would move to drop the $1.776 billion settlement fund designed to compensate Trump’s allies.

“I do think the best way to handle it is if the administration decides to shut it down themselves,” Thune told reporters.

The fund had caused a standoff between the White House and the Senate after Republican senators defiantly left town 10 days ago without passing legislation to fund Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies. The Senate returns today.

US to drastically slash the number of embassies in Africa that can process visas

The State Department plans to drastically slash the number of U.S. embassies and consulates in Africa that can process visas for foreigners seeking to come to the United States.

The almost 50 U.S. embassies and consulates that are processing visa applications will be reduced to 20 in the coming weeks, according to three U.S. officials and an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. There is not yet a set date for the change, but it is expected in June, according to the officials, who were not authorized to comment to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The move is part of the Trump administration’s effort to crack down on issuing both immigrant and non-immigrant visas as part of its broader aim to limit immigration to the U.S. and clamp down on those who travel on temporary visas but then overstay them. The administration also has scaled back personnel at embassies and consulates around the world.

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Trump says Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting

President Donald Trump said Monday that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting after he held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and communicated with the Lebanon-militant group through mediators.

Trump announced the development in a social media post following his call with Netanyahu.

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Pentagon policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service, appeals court panel rules

A Trump administration policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service, a divided panel of federal appeal court judges ruled on Monday.

The majority opinion by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit upholds a March 2025 ruling by U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C. Reyes concluded that President Donald Trump’s executive order to exclude transgender troops from military service likely violates their constitutional rights.

The administration appealed after Reyes issued a preliminary injunction requested by attorneys for six transgender people who are active-duty service members and two others seeking to join the military. The appeal court’s majority decided that the injunction should be narrowed to the plaintiffs currently serving in the military but not those seeking to join.

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Colorado elections clerk released from prison after governor commutes sentence

Tina Peters, the former clerk convicted of participating in a scheme to chase election conspiracy theories promulgated by President Trump, was released from prison Monday after the president successfully pressured Colorado’s Democratic governor into commuting her sentence.

Peters’ release was confirmed by the Colorado Department of Corrections. The state agency said it would have no more information about the 70-year-old inmate. Her sentence was shortened by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis last month after Trump waged a lengthy pressure campaign against the governor and his state.

Colorado elections clerk set to be released from prison based on her sentence commutation

Former Colorado elections clerk and conspiracy theorist Tina Peters is scheduled to be released from prison Monday after serving less than a quarter of a nine-year sentence for her role in a scheme to copy her county’s election system.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, commuted Peters’ sentence last month following pressure from President Trump.

The Colorado Department of Corrections would not confirm the time of Peters’ release, and a representative for her attorney said Peters would not speak to the media when she’s freed.

Peters was the first local election official to be charged with breaching security after the 2020 election. She snuck in an outside computer expert affiliated with My Pillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell — who himself denied that Trump lost the White House in 2020 — and the person copied the county’s Dominion Voting Systems computer server as it was updated in 2021.

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Crude oil prices rise after latest US-Iran fighting, and US stocks slip

Oil prices are rising following the latest fighting to threaten the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, but Wall Street isn’t very worried.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% early Monday, falling a bit below the record it set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 166 points, and the Nasdaq composite was little changed.

Brent crude climbed 4.7%, and Treasury yields moved higher in the bond market. Tech stocks held up better than the rest of the market.

Science Applications International Corp. soared after becoming the latest U.S. company to report bigger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

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Tensions linger between Republicans and White House over the ‘anti-weaponization’ fund

A standoff between the White House and the Senate remains unresolved after Republican senators defiantly left town 10 days ago without passing legislation to fund President Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies.

Senate Republicans who are returning to Washington on Monday say they won’t have the votes to pass the Homeland Security spending bill until the White House works with them to place parameters on the new $1.776 billion settlement fund designed to compensate Trump’s allies. But Trump has shown little interest in doing so, even after a judge temporarily halted any payouts.

It’s unclear how they’ll settle the dispute.

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Jerome Powell uses JFK award speech to warn against political pressure on Fed, courts and schools

Former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell used one of his first major public appearances since leaving office to defend independent institutions while accepting an award Sunday honoring his efforts to preserve the central bank’s independence.

Speaking at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library overlooking Boston Harbor, Powell called universities, courts, Congress and the central bank “the foundation and the embodiment of our democracy” and argued that the Fed’s independence was a “priceless asset” that must be protected.

It was one of his most direct defenses of Fed independence, warning that a single administration’s decision to remove bank officials over policy differences would open the way for future elected officials to follow suit, ultimately undermining the credibility that the Fed has spent decades building.

Powell, who frequently clashed with Trump during his eight years as chair, stepped down as his term expired in May. He was succeeded by Kevin Warsh, whom Trump selected to lead the central bank.

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Trump vents about judge who blocked the Kennedy Center renovation and fumes over his legal setbacks

Trump on Saturday branded the federal judge who blocked his renovation of the Kennedy Center as “an anti Trump Hater” and predicted that the nation’s premier performing arts center, which he wanted to shutter for a two-year overhaul, will “soon be closed, probably never to open again.”

In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, Trump fumed about the Friday decision from U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who also ordered Trump’s name removed from the center. Clearly angered by his latest legal setback, he said it was “impossible for me to be treated fairly,” tying Cooper’s ruling to earlier losses, including the Supreme Court’s rejection in February of his sweeping tariffs.

His post aimed to make the case for the project even as he says he’s giving up on it. Hours after Cooper’s decision, Trump said he was backing away from the renovations and making arrangements to relinquish control to Congress of what, until the Republican president’s second term, had been known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

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Trump set to headline ‘Great American State Fair’ for nation’s 250th anniversary after artists drop out

An upcoming celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, “The Great American State Fair,” recently had several musical guests back out partly over the event’s ties to President Trump. Now, Trump himself is slated to headline the festivities, the organizers said Saturday.

“I understand Artists are getting ‘the yips’ having to do with their performance,” Trump posted to his social media platform Truth Social Saturday, adding that he was thinking of bringing “the man who some say is the Greatest President in History (THE GOAT!), DONALD J. TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists.’”

The group organizing the June fair on Washington’s National Mall, Freedom 250, confirmed the billing in a statement, writing, “We are excited to announce that President Trump will personally kick off this historic celebration on Wednesday, June 24.”

Freedom 250 is billed as nonpartisan, but was launched last year by Trump and is led by a former State Department appointee from Trump’s first term. Several artists, including Bret Michaels, the Commodores and Martina McBride dropped out last week.

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US bombs Iranian military sites and Kuwait is hit by drone and missile fire

The United States said Monday that it bombed radar and drone sites in Iran after Tehran shot down an American drone over the weekend. Iran then said it launched a strike of its own, and Kuwait reported incoming fire.

The nominal ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. has been repeatedly tested with such back-and-forth attacks, even as officials from both countries try to negotiate an end to the war. It’s not clear how close they are to a deal — and there is always the risk that an attack could derail those talks.

In the meantime, Iran has maintained its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global energy supplies and driving up the price of fuel around the world, with far-reaching consequences.

Fighting has also escalated between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, despite their nominal ceasefire. Israel has extended its occupation deep into Lebanon, and Hezbollah — which joined the war in support of its main backer, Iran — continues to launch drones into Israel.

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Trump is facing a new inflation warning from the bond market, adding to his midterm challenges

The world is getting more uptight about lending money to President Donald Trump’s government — causing interest rates to climb in ways that are worsening affordability pressures, hampering economic growth and creating a new risk for Republicans in November’s midterm elections.

The energy price spike triggered by the Iran war has seeped into the price of bonds that help fund the U.S. government. Interest rates on a 10-year U.S. Treasury note are topping 4.44%, up from 3.95% before the war started at the end of February. Average mortgage rates have climbed to their highest levels in nine months, while auto sales are slumping.

The challenge is global in scale, as interest rates have risen for multiple countries as the world has been adjusting to the prospect of higher inflation, mounting questions about the sustainability of government debt and a dramatic surge in investment in artificial intelligence.

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Speaking at Cavco Industries in Rocky Mount, Spanberger said the legislation addresses Virginia’s housing shortage through several approaches, including increasing housing supply, protecting tenants and improving transparency.

“Virginia is taking concrete steps to tackle our housing crisis from several different angles — expanding supply, protecting tenants, increasing transparency and making sure that manufactured housing has the same standing under Virginia law as any other home,” Spanberger said.

The legislation focuses heavily on manufactured housing, which is often a more affordable option for homebuyers. Manufactured homes are built in factories and transported to their final location, but they have historically faced zoning restrictions that can limit where they are allowed to be placed.

Spanberger said those restrictions have reduced housing options for many Virginians.

“This has left families with fewer options and a housing market that just doesn’t work for Virginia,” she said.

One of the new laws requires local zoning ordinances to treat manufactured homes the same as site-built single-family homes. Other measures create a two-year pilot program through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development and the Virginia Housing Development Authority to provide loan origination and servicing for mixed-income housing developments.

Another law requires landlords of manufactured home communities to clearly disclose all fees associated with leasing a lot.

Spanberger said increasing access to housing is critical for Virginia’s economic growth.

“When workers can’t find available housing options near their jobs, businesses struggle to grow,” she said.

Bobby Canipe, CEO of Fostering Champions, said affordable housing remains one of the biggest challenges for young adults aging out of the foster care system. The nonprofit helps connect former foster youth with housing and other resources as they transition to independent living.

“That housing is providing all their resources and even training and hope for the future,” Canipe said. “So for us, affordable housing is everything.”

Canipe said expanding affordable housing opportunities can help young adults establish roots and build support networks within their communities.

“We want our foster kids in the community building relationships with the people in the community,” he said. “Affordable housing allows this to happen in communities around us.”

The new laws are scheduled to take effect July 1.

Deputy Utt’s funeral procession traveled from Roanoke through Carroll County and on to Mount Airy, North Carolina. He was 31 years old.

A routine call that turned deadly

U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, who represents Virginia’s 9th Congressional District, described the circumstances of the shooting.

“This was just a wellness check,” Griffith said. “They do those daily, checking to see if everything’s OK with somebody. And this one, the man opened fire and killed one of the officers. Just horrible.”

Suspect Michael Puckett was apprehended in Surry County within 24 hours of the shooting. Puckett will be transported back to Carroll County to face charges stemming from the Friday night shooting, according to the anchor tag from the broadcast report.

‘When one hurts, we all hurt’

The procession drew a wide turnout from the law enforcement and first responder community. Montgomery County EMS Captain Taylor Fisher said the response was expected — even if the occasion was not.

“In the first responder community we’re all family,” Fisher said. “So when one hurts we all hurt and we just want to show our support for his family and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. Make sure they know that they’re not alone.”

“It’s not a surprise to see the overwhelming support. It’s unfortunate. It’s not what we want to see, what we want to do, but there’s no doubt that we all show up for it.”

Roanoke City sheriff: ‘This is the way it should look’

Roanoke City Sheriff Antonio Hash traveled to Radford to pay his respects and said the strong turnout reflected exactly what the law enforcement community should do when one of its own falls.

“Families coming together, especially the law enforcement family, coming together in difficult times as this — to see anybody die in the line of duty or any death, period — but a line of duty death is hard on any agency in your family,” Hash said.

Hash said every agency in the Commonwealth had a responsibility to show up.

“This is the way it should look,” he said. “When you got officers who’ve done a lot of duty, every agency around the Commonwealth ought to show up. I know it’s difficult on some agencies or further away, but this is the way it should look. When somebody sacrifices or give up themselves.”

Hash said he made the trip specifically to show solidarity with Deputy Utt’s family and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.

“We showed up even in this difficult moment, we still showed up just to show our love and support for Carroll County,” Hash said. “But most importantly, that family who lost their deputy during this tragic incident.”

Congressman Griffith echoed that sentiment.

“It’s always hard, but it’s always warm to know that the law enforcement community stands by their own,” Griffith said.

Major League Baseball proposed a salary cap last week and appears set to start a lockout after the current labor contract expires Dec. 1.

“Our union has never been broken and never will be,” interim executive director Bruce Meyer said Monday during an online news question-and-answer session with reporters. “Our players have what they have, including being the only sport that doesn’t have this ultimate restriction, the salary cap, because our players have always been the most unified and that’s going to continue.”

Baseball has had nine work stoppages since 1972, the last a 99-day lockout that slightly delayed the 2022 season. Regular-season games have not been lost since a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95, the last time MLB proposed a cap.

The NFL has had a cap since 1994, the NBA since 1984-85 and the NHL since 2005-06.

“The unions in the other sports didn’t agree to salary-cap systems because they thought it was a good thing for players. That’s not what happened,” Meyer said. “In one way or the other, they were not able to fight the way that our union has and not criticizing anybody, it’s just a fact. Our union has always been the most solid, and that’s why our union has the best system.”

Negotiators have not scheduled the next bargaining session. The union last week proposed expanded free agency and salary arbitration rights along with almost doubling the major league minimum and increasing revenue sharing.

MLB’s proposal last Thursday would cap team spending in 2027 at $245.3 million, using figures for luxury tax payrolls that include $20.1 million for benefits and the pre-arbitration bonus pool. It also would establish a payroll floor of $171.2 million, forcing some teams to spend more. The Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball’s biggest spenders, had a $415.2 million payroll on opening day this year — around $170 million over the proposed cap.

“Our salary cap and floor proposal addresses our fans’ concerns by leveling the playing field while sharing baseball revenue with the players 50/50 like the other leagues," MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. “Our salary cap and floor proposal addresses our fans’ concerns by leveling the playing field while sharing baseball revenue with the players 50/50 like the other leagues. Under our proposal, major league players will receive more compensation in year one of the system than in 2026.”

Los Angeles shattered MLB’s spending record with a combined $515 million in payroll and luxury tax last year en route to its second straight World Series title. Los Angeles’ total was seven times the $68.7 million payroll of Miami, the lowest-spending team, and more than the payrolls of the bottom six clubs combined.

Meyer likened a cap to “Big Brother” telling a team it can't sign a player it wants to.

"At a time of exploding popularity, growth and interest, the owners’ goal is more money in the pockets of owners," he said. “Don’t blame them for that, but that’s what it is. Whether it’s more in profits because they’re holding down labor costs or growing their franchise values.”

Meyer dismissed MLB's contention that payroll disparity causes fans of lower-spending teams to lose hope. No small-market team has won the World Series since the 2015 Kansas City Royals.

“We do not accept the premise that there’s some existential crisis going on,” he said. “People are still lining up to buy these teams, to get in whether as a minority investor or otherwise and that’s because the sport is extremely healthy.”

He pointed out lower-payroll teams do reach the 12-team playoffs and Cincinnati got in last year while the New York Mets did not. Six postseason teams had payrolls above $200 million last year and MLB emphasizes high-spending teams usually dominate the later rounds.

“We don’t want money to be taken away from teams that want to spend it and give it to teams that don’t want to spend it,” Meyer said. “We want to encourage more San Diegos. San Diego is a small-market team that went out, decided to compete, signed a lot of players, turned around their franchise.”

MLB's proposal calls for a 50-50 split with players of defined revenue, including for players spending on signing bonuses for players from high school and college, and international amateurs agreeing to initial contracts.

“It's not even a real 50%. It’s taking billions of dollars off the top before they’re proposing to even share any of that,” Meyer said. "Players' share under their proposal would go down. Players' share for this season, 2026, is projected to be well over 50%. ... Had MLB’s proposal been in place in 2026, players would, we estimate — would lose over half a billion dollars.”

He faulted MLB for how it defined revenue and spending.

“Their proposal of course excludes things like expansion fees, franchise values, the place where they make their most money,” he said. "Their proposal deducts billions of dollars in expenses ... so it’s not even a real 50%.”

“They’ve effectively managed to cobble together the worst system for players in any of the major sports, and not even close,” Meyer added.

Players contracts this year, using average annual values and including benefits and the pre-arbitration bonus pool, total $6.14 billion, according to MLB's opening-day figures. Slot values signing bonuses in this year's amateur draft come to about $359 million and international signing bonus pools to $208 million.

Under MLB's proposal, there would be an escrow system in which players would have money withheld in the event their share of revenue rises above the specified amount. They would get more money if their share falls short.

“If revenues are soft or they go down, then that means players at the end of the day won’t get the guaranteed money,” he said.

Meyer also said some teams heighten disparity by not spending on players.

“Every team now has the ability to put a competitive team on the field, every single team,” he said. “One of the things that I find kind of ironic in a perverse way, if team X decides we’re not going to spend money on players, well that increases the disparity in payroll.”

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

In the governor's race, former Fox News TV host and British political adviser Steve Hilton is urging Republicans to unite behind him as he fights for one of two spots in the November election alongside two Democrats, billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer and former state attorney general Xavier Becerra.

In the Los Angeles race for mayor, reality TV personality Spencer Pratt is hoping to turn his insurgent campaign into a surprise upset of Democratic Mayor Karen Bass. The two are tightly clustered with Nithya Raman, a progressive member of the City Council running to Bass' political left.

“We can't give up on LA,” Pratt told applauding supporters at a block party Sunday. “We've got to fight.”

Democrats once feared that the party’s large field of gubernatorial candidates could open a path for two Republicans to advance to November. But in the campaign’s closing days, Hilton warned the opposite could happen — what he called a “doomsday scenario” in which only Democrats advance.

Hilton is pleading with his chief Republican rival, county Sheriff Chad Bianco, to pull out of the contest, fearing an all-Democratic ticket would dampen GOP turnout across the state and reorder races for Congress and the Legislature.

Becerra and Steyer locking out a Republican from the November ballot would be “a disaster for California, it means no change. It’s a disaster for everyone who’s running as a Republican up and down the ballot,” Hilton said on the social platform X.

Bianco said he wasn't backing down.

“It's clear that Steve Hilton supporters should unite and support me,” he posted late Sunday, adding that supporters of the Democratic candidates should vote for him too.

Mail voting began in early May, but just 15% of voters had returned their ballots as of Sunday. That's left the candidates seeing room for a last-minute shake-up in the race's closing days.

A vulnerable mayor looks for a second term in LA

In heavily Democratic Los Angeles, Bass' shaky first term has left her vulnerable. She points to a drop in homelessness, though encampments and rows of rusting RVs remain a common sight in many neighborhoods. Meanwhile, she's still trying to overcome lingering fallout from the 2025 Palisades Fire, the most destructive in Los Angeles history. Bass was in Ghana as part of a presidential delegation when the flames ignited. Pratt lost his home in the blaze and has made the fire and the city's recovery a foundation of his campaign.

At Pratt's block party, Vivian Escalante, a historian who lives in the heavily Hispanic Boyle Heights neighborhood adjacent to downtown, said the quality of life has been sliding for years — dirtier streets, more homeless encampments and a lack of pride in the neighborhood she's called home all her life.

“It's gotten completely worse,” Escalante said, with a Pratt cap perched on her head. The Democratic Party, she said, has “completely abandoned us.”

The LA race is officially nonpartisan, but Bass is a Democrat, as is Raman, who made a last-minute decision to challenge her one-time ally and is among the top group of contenders.

Pratt, who rose to fame alongside his wife, Heidi Montag, on “The Hills,” is a registered Republican who has received a nod of approval — if not an outright formal endorsement — from President Donald Trump. He has sought to distance himself from national politics, saying his concerns are strictly within city limits.

A University of California, Berkeley, Institute of Governmental Studies poll, co-sponsored by The Los Angeles Times, found Bass tightly clustered with Raman and Pratt, with other candidates trailing. The poll of 1,351 likely voters conducted between May 19 and May 24 gave no candidate a statistically significant edge.

The city is at a difficult juncture.

Hollywood jobs have been decamping for years for cheaper filming locations. A downtown renaissance was crushed by extended pandemic closures and many office buildings remain desperate for tenants. The city has long struggled to provide basic services, whether paving buckled streets and fixing sidewalks or keeping streetlights on.

A crowded governor's race with no clear leader

The governor's race has been the most wide open in a generation. More than 50 names are on the ballot.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is banned by law from seeking a third term. Other candidates seeking to replace him include former Democratic U.S. Rep. Katie Porter,Democrat Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose, and Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff.

Rebecca Katz, a strategist with Steyer’s campaign, said Sunday that they are “feeling pretty good” but emphasized how close the race was with a sporting reference, “It’s three candidates for two spots, every possession counts.”

Steyer, a former hedge fund manager turned liberal activist, has set spending records hoping to advance to the November contest. Hilton, a former Fox News host who has been endorsed by Trump, has promised to bring down costs in a state with some of the nation's highest gas prices, utility costs and taxes.

Becerra has been stressing his experience in arguing he's best prepared to lead the nation's most populous state, having served as the Biden administration's health secretary, a former U.S. House member and state attorney general.

He said when people talk about a plan, he responds with: "Show me how you’ve implemented it."

“Because I can show you any number of budgets that I have managed and balanced that are bigger than the budgets of the state of California," he said at a campaign event in Sacramento on Monday.

Stephanie Ocampo, a Fresno native and a legislative staffer for the Democratic caucus in Sacramento, is supporting Becerra in part because he and his wife have ties to the state’s farm-rich Central Valley.

“He has shown up for the Central Valley more than any other candidates running,” she said at the event.

Broadly, Republicans in the race are promising drastic change after years of Democratic governance — Democrats haven't lost a statewide race in two decades and Republicans last elected a Los Angeles mayor in 1997. Democrats, though in charge for years, are promising to bring down costs and continue to fend off the Trump administration in its numerous conflicts with Democratic California.

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Associated Press writer Jesse Bedayn in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.

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This story has been corrected to show California is the nation’s most populous state, not the second most populous.

The setup today does bring a few showers and storms to the Southeast, some that could be strong to severe. We will stay dry for the most part, but can’t rule out an isolated shower or storm for the Highlands Zone this afternoon.

Futurecast shows the front that will move through the area today and bring a bit of cloud cover to the region, with isolated instances of precipitation in the mountains. The bulk of the rainfall will stay well to the south of us today.

Today and tomorrow will be the best chances for rainfall throughout the week, with high pressure taking over for the latter half of the week as high temperatures remain in the 60s and 70s.

The shocking deal Monday for Garrett came about nine months after another stunner involving a star pass rusher with Micah Parsons being dealt from Dallas to Green Bay just before the start of last season.

The Rams will send 2024 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-rounder and a 2029 third-rounder to the Browns in the deal that is still pending a physical.

Garrett wasn't the only star player traded Monday, with Philadelphia dealing receiver A.J. Brown to New England for a 2028 first-round pick and 2027 fifth-rounder.

The Packers had to give up two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark last August when they acquired Parsons from the Cowboys. Parsons had 12 1/2 sacks in 14 games with Green Bay before going down with a season-ending knee injury that derailed the Packers' season.

The Cowboys used the initial first-rounder to drop three spots in the draft in April, picking defensive end Malachi Lawrence in the first round, and cornerback Devin Moore and defensive end LT Overton in the fourth.

Here’s a look at some other NFL stars who were traded in their primes:

Khalil Mack

Just before the start of the 2018 season, the Raiders and Chicago Bears made a deal very similar to the Parsons trade. Oakland shipped two-time All-Pro and one-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Mack to Chicago for two first-round picks after failed contract extension talks.

That 2018 trade didn’t ultimately work out for either team. Mack was highly productive in Chicago, earning All-Pro honors his first year, but couldn’t do enough to help the Bears win a playoff game in his four seasons before being traded to the Chargers.

The Raiders used the first pick on running back Josh Jacobs, who was very productive before leaving as a free agent following the 2023 season. The second first-rounder was wasted on cornerback Damon Arnette, who was cut halfway through his second season.

Herschel Walker

The most famous trade in Dallas history came in Jerry Jones’ first season as owner in 1989 when the Cowboys dealt Herschel Walker to Minnesota for a package that ultimately led to eight draft picks, including three first-rounders. Dallas used those picks to help draft Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and key contributors to three Super Bowl wins like Darren Woodson, Kevin Smith and Russell Maryland.

The Vikings didn’t win a playoff game in two-plus seasons with Walker.

Charles Haley

Jones has another famous deal that helped fuel Dallas’ 1990s dynasty when he acquired the pass rusher from San Francisco for second- and third-round picks in 1992. Haley was the final piece on defense that the Cowboys needed to win three Super Bowls in his first four seasons, eliminating the 49ers in the NFC title game on the way to the first two titles.

Randy Moss

Moss was a three-time All-Pro and the most dominant deep threat in the league when Minnesota traded him to Oakland in 2005 for a package that included the No. 7 overall pick in the draft. The deal helped neither team as the Vikings used the pick on Troy Williamson, who caught 79 passes in three seasons, and the Raiders won six games in two seasons.

Moss was then traded again in 2007 to New England and set an NFL record with 23 TD catches in his first season as the Patriots became the only team to go 16-0 in the regular season.

Fran Tarkenton

Six years after being traded by Minnesota to the New York Giants, Tarkenton returned to the Vikings in 1972 after making four Pro Bowls in six seasons in New York. Tarkenton led Minnesota to the Super Bowl three times in seven seasons in his second stint — losing every time — and was the NFL MVP in 1975.

Eric Dickerson

The disgruntled Dickerson was traded from the Los Angeles Rams to Indianapolis in 1987 in a blockbuster deal that also sent Cornelius Bennett to Buffalo. Dickerson helped the Colts make the playoffs for the first time in 10 years in his first season and then led the NFL in rushing in 1988.

Marshall Faulk

Faulk led the NFL with 2,227 yards from scrimmage in 1998 when Indianapolis made the surprising decision to deal him to St. Louis. The Colts went on to draft Hall of Famer Edgerrin James in the first round as Faulk’s replacement but the Rams really won the deal.

Faulk helped form the “Greatest Show on Turf” offense as St. Louis won the Super Bowl his first season. Faulk had nearly 1,500 more yards from scrimmage and 18 more TDs than any other player from 1999-2001 as he won AP Offensive Player of the Year all three seasons and MVP in 2000.

Christian McCaffrey

McCaffrey helped transform San Francisco’s offense when he was acquired from Carolina during the 2022 season for a package of four picks. McCaffrey gained 3,233 yards and scored 31 TDs in his first 27 regular-season games for the Niners before being hampered by injuries last season.

He won AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 when he helped San Francisco reach the Super Bowl.

Fred Dean

Dean was coming off an All-Pro season in 1980 when he was traded the following year to San Francisco for a package that included a first-round pick. His addition helped fuel the start of the 49ers dynasty. He was an All-Pro in 1981 when San Francisco won its first of five titles in a 14-season span and had a 17 1/2-sack season in 1983 before ending up in the Hall of Fame.

Champ Bailey

In one of the biggest star-for-star trades, Denver acquired Bailey from Washington for star running back Clinton Portis. Portis had four 1,000-yard rushing seasons with Washington but the Broncos were the biggest winner.

Bailey played 10 more seasons, earning All-Pro honors his first three seasons, leading the league with 10 interceptions in 2006 and getting into the Hall of Fame.

Paul Warfield

Warfield had made back-to-back Pro Bowls for Cleveland when Don Shula acquired him in his first season as Miami’s head coach. Warfield provided a needed deep threat for the Dolphins, making the Pro Bowl in five straight seasons. Warfield was an All-Pro twice and helped Miami win back-to-back Super Bowls, including the perfect 17-0 season in 1972.

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

The Cleveland Browns traded the two-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year to the Los Angeles Rams for pass rusher Jared Verse and three draft picks in a blockbuster deal on Monday.

Garrett was the unanimous choice for Defensive Player of the Year last season after he had 23 sacks and broke the NFL single-season record. He is expected to report to the Rams' facility on Tuesday and have a news conference to discuss the trade.

Garrett's addition marks the first time the reigning AP NFL MVP and Defensive Player of the Year will be teammates. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford won his first MVP award last season.

General manager Andrew Berry was able to make a deal after the Browns and Garrett agreed to modify the contract and defer option payments over the 2026-28 seasons in March. The first payment of around $10 million was due on March 28, but was moved to near the start of the regular season.

Garrett demanded a trade at the end of the 2024 season, but signed a four-year contract extension last March with a total value of $204.8 million that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. The contract also included a no-trade clause.

Berry had long said that Garrett would play his entire career in Cleveland, but Garrett's lingering frustrations over the franchise's direction and the chance to start anew meant it was time to move on.

Cleveland is 8-26 the past two years after making the playoffs in 2023.

“As discussions intensified we were stuck at a legitimate crossroads: do we hold on to a truly generational player who has become the identity of our team, or do we make the difficult decision that we think is best for the organization over the long run?," Berry said after the trade was announced.

The Browns get Verse — the 2024 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year — a 2027 first-round selection, a second-round pick in 2028 and a 2029 third-round selection.

Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement that they met with Garrett on Saturday to discuss the trade.

“Trading Myles was never our intent, but we also recognize that certain opportunities demand serious consideration, and we believe this is the right move for our team. Adding a young defensive star like Jared Verse, along with valuable draft assets, are necessary to strengthen a talented young core and align with the youth of our team,” the Haslams said.

Garrett was not seen at the Browns' facility during offseason workouts even though he made a couple of visits to Cleveland during the Cavaliers' NBA playoff run. Garrett has a minority stake in the Cavaliers.

Coach Todd Monken said two weeks ago he had not had a face-to-face meeting with Garrett since being hired in late January. Defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg said last week he had some conversations over the phone with Garrett about the direction of the defense.

Garrett supported defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz being promoted to head coach before ownership opted for Monken. Schwartz ended up resigning after three years in Cleveland.

The 30-year old Garrett is the first player in NFL history with at least 12 sacks in six consecutive seasons (2020-25) and the only player with double-digit sacks each of the past eight years. His 125½ career sacks are tied for 20th on the league list.

Garrett, who was part of five double-digit losing seasons during his nine years in Cleveland, finally gets a chance to contend for a Super Bowl title.

The Browns have the sixth-lowest win percentage since 2017 and are 58-90-1. By comparison, the Rams have the fifth-best record over that span at 92-57, including seven playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title in 2021.

The trade also elevated the Rams to Super Bowl favorites.

Another huge trade by Rams

The trade is yet another blockbuster deal swung by Rams general manager Les Snead, whose eagerness to use his draft picks in trades for star veterans has kept the Rams among the NFL’s top teams during coach Sean McVay’s decade on the sideline.

Snead notably acquired star cornerback Jalen Ramsey from Jacksonville in 2019 in a deal that included two first-round picks, securing the cornerstone of the secondary for a team that won a Super Bowl. But the Rams only won it all after they acquired Matthew Stafford in early 2021 in an even bigger trade for Jared Goff and two first-round picks.

Just a couple of months ago, Snead acquired star cornerback Trent McDuffie from Kansas City in a deal for four draft picks, including a first-rounder, to rebuild the secondary that was the weak link of last season’s team.

Before Snead shocked the NFL by picking quarterback Ty Simpson this spring, the Rams had made only one first-round selection over the previous nine years. That pick was Verse, who quickly became a star during his two seasons as the anchor of the Rams’ rebuilt pass rush in the wake of Aaron Donald’s retirement.

Verse had 4½ sacks while being selected as the NFL’s top defensive rookie in 2024, and he had 7½ sacks last season along with three forced fumbles. Byron Young led the Rams with 12 sacks and interior lineman Kobie Turner contributed seven sacks, and both young stars are heading into the final year of their rookie contracts.

With his Rams in title contention in November 2021, Snead acquired vaunted pass rusher Von Miller from Denver in a trade for LA’s second- and third-round picks. Miller contributed nine sacks in 12 games, providing exactly what they needed alongside Donald to win it all.

The current Rams are among the preseason Super Bowl favorites after winning 12 games and reaching the NFC championship game last season. Stafford, the reigning league MVP, is returning at the head of the NFL’s most potent offense last season along with a retooled defense featuring McDuffie and fellow ex-Kansas City star Jaylen Watson as its new cornerbacks — and now they’ve added the most feared pass rusher in the league.

The Rams’ roster in 2026 now includes last season’s NFL leads in yards passing, TD passes, total receptions (Puka Nacua), receiving touchdowns (Davante Adams) and sacks (Garrett).

After the Rams won the Super Bowl in February 2022 and then crashed out of the playoff picture in an injury-filled 2022-23 season, Snead briefly discarded his usual draft philosophy. He rebuilt his roster through a series of key selections in 2023 and 2024, drafting an entirely new defensive line with Verse, Young, Turner and Braden Fiske — along with All-Pro receiver Nacua.

With his rebuilt roster looming as a Super Bowl favorite again, Snead used his depth on the defensive line to make it even better.

Verse's acquisition gives the Browns the past two AP Defensive Rookies of the Year. Carson Schwesinger won last season after leading NFL rookies with 156 tackles and 11 tackles for loss.

“We receive a young, elite player at a premium position who will only continue to improve in his third NFL season. Jared’s passion and relentless style of play will be embraced by our fans. He will fit right in with the established identity of our defense,” Berry said.

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AP Pro Football writer Rob Maaddi also contributed to this story.

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

Anthropic said Monday it has submitted a confidential filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering of its common stock.

“This gives us the option to go public after the SEC completes its review,” Anthropic said in a brief statement. “The proposed initial public offering will depend on market conditions and other factors.”

The company said it hasn't decided on the number or price of shares to be offered.

Anthropic said last week it had raised $65 billion in private funding that will push its valuation to $965 billion, a whopping number that makes the five-year-old maker of the Claude chatbot one of the world’s most valuable startups.

Anthropic now has vaulted ahead of its chief rival, ChatGPT maker OpenAI, not only in market value and reported revenue but also on the path to becoming a publicly traded company.

“I think we were all expecting OpenAI to go first, so it was a little bit surprising,” said Patrick Corrigan, a law professor at Notre Dame University who studies IPOs. “Public investors are going to be comparing them roughly around the same time, and so there seems to be a bit of a first movers’ advantage here.”

Anthropic said it’s now making annualized revenue of $47 billion from selling its technology to people and organizations using Claude to write code and do other work and personal tasks on their behalf.

Anthropic was formed in 2021 by ex-OpenAI leaders and now both AI firms, along with Elon Musk’s rocket and AI company SpaceX, are all expected to become publicly traded. All three have been losing more money than they make, fueling concerns of an AI bubble.

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said Anthropic’s move marks a major step for the company to get ahead of OpenAI and "an opening of the floodgates for the IPO market, which has been relatively dormant for a few years, with these three major conglomerates set to go public later this year.”

Corrigan said the race between Anthropic, OpenAI and SpaceX resembles in some ways the rush by startups to go public in the early internet era. Some of those companies — like Amazon — did well, and others infamously failed during the dot-com crash but still left new technology that changed society and work life.

“Whenever there is speculation, there’s also usually substance and fundamentals,” Corrigan said. “The question here is whether the price investors are going to end up paying is going to match up to the substance and fundamentals of what AI is really going to do in the real economy and as a business.”

Claude’s growing popularity has left OpenAI playing catch-up despite its early lead in making ChatGPT a household name that sparked a commercial AI boom. Anthropic also last week launched its newest AI model, called Claude Opus 4.8, boasting that it is even better at coding and other professional work than previous models.

OpenAI last reported in March it was heading toward a $852 billion valuation after a $122 billion fundraising round. It has not yet reported filing initial IPO paperwork with the SEC.

SpaceX was valued at $800 billion last year, but its value grew to $1.25 trillion after the space exploration company merged with Musk’s xAI in February. Musk recently announced plans for one of the biggest stock sales ever and will be able to pitch the offering to investors as soon as this week.

IDC analyst Tim Law said it will be a “healthy thing” for the AI industry when these companies are required to provide quarterly earnings reports and disclose some of their technology investments.

“We think of these as very mature organizations, but they’ve had to mature in a very short period,” he said.

As for bubble concerns, Law, who rode the dot-com IPO wave while working for internet company VerticalNet in the early part of the century, said there's evidence from these AI startups' existing products to show they are on a path not just to profitability but to artificial general intelligence, technology that does work as well as or better than humans.

“There are some skeptics around demand. I thoroughly believe the demand is there and will grow,” Law said. “I think this funding round may be the thing that enables us to complete the final sprint toward AGI.”

Abel suggested in the deal announcement he plans to consolidate Taylor Morrison with Berkshire's existing site-built homebuilding operations that are part of its Clayton Homes subsidiary. For six decades under Buffett, Berkshire promised to largely leave companies alone after it acquired them and allow the executives to keep running the day-to-day operations the same way.

“Over time, we expect to unify our site-built homebuilding operations into a combined platform,” Abel wrote, “enabling us to deliver the dream of homeownership to more Americans.”

In addition to Clayton, which specializes in manufactured homes but also has a site-built unit, Berkshire owns several other housing related businesses including Benjamin Moore paint and Shaw Floors.

It's not clear how much consolidating Abel might do among the dozens of companies Berkshire owns. Those holdings include an assortment of insurers like Geico, major manufacturers such as Precision Castparts and a slew of retail and service companies like NetJets, Dairy Queen and Helzberg Diamonds. But Abel is known as a much more active manager than Buffett ever was.

“Given Greg’s strength as an operator it will be interesting to see if he does consolidate these units to get some greater scale and efficiencies,” said CFRA Research analyst Cathy Seifert.

Abel has been overseeing all of Berkshire's non-insurance businesses since 2018, and he hasn't made any major changes in operations though he has encouraged the company's subsidiaries to cooperate more when it makes sense. Abel became CEO in January, but Buffett remains chairman and Berkshire's largest shareholder.

“Under Greg, where it makes sense for efficiencies or scale, we'll likely see more consolidation than we saw under Buffett when Berkshire was smaller and the acquired company's founders were still in place,” said investor Steven Check, who is president of Check Capital Management.

Berkshire shareholders will likely be excited just to see Abel making deals, given that the Omaha-based company is currently sitting on nearly $400 billion cash. This deal by itself isn't likely to make a meaningful impact on Berkshire's bottom line because the conglomerate is so big, but dealmaking and investing are the areas of Abel's resume that investors had the most questions about.

Buffett praised Abel in an interview with CNBC on Monday morning.

“Greg did that faster than I could have done it, smoother than I could have done it, and I never talked to the CEO. He has launched,” Buffett told CNBC.

Abel has led acquisitions before while leading Berkshire's massive utility division, but obviously Buffett would have signed off on those. Now Abel is making the decisions with advice from Buffett and the rest of the board.

“I think investors will cheer Greg’s foray into M&A as CEO. The purchase price seems rich given the current interest rate/macro environment,” Seifert said.

Berkshire agreed to pay Taylor Morrison investors $72.50 per share in the all-cash deal. That represents a 24% premium over the company's previous closing price of $58.50. Shares of the Scottsdale, Arizona-based homebuilder jumped up near that purchase price on Monday while Berkshire's shares slipped 1%.

But Raymond James analyst Buck Horne said in a research note that it's possible Berkshire could face some competition from private equity firms or other potential buyers who might be willing to pay more for Taylor Morrison before its shareholders can vote on whether to accept this offer.

“We would not be shocked if other players and/or private equity began to sharpen their pencils before the ink on this agreement is fully dry,” Horne said.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said during a news conference that the company suppressed internal safety warnings and deceived users about the true nature and dangers of the product. He said Florida was the first state to sue OpenAI.

“Today, we announced the first-in-the-nation state-led lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman,” Uthmeier said. “OpenAI and Altman ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians.”

The lawsuit filed in Florida circuit court references two separate shootings where the alleged gunmen were reported to have asked ChatGPT questions while planning their crimes. OpenAI said in a statement that its models repeatedly encouraged the individuals to seek real-world support, including from mental health professionals. The company also said it has cooperated with law enforcement in both cases.

“ChatGPT is a general-purpose tool used by hundreds of millions of people every day for legitimate purposes,” an OpenAI statement said. "We work continuously to strengthen our safeguards to detect harmful intent, limit misuse, and respond appropriately when safety risks arise.”

In April, Uthmeier opened a criminal investigation into OpenAI over whether ChatGPT offered advice to a gunman who killed two people and wounded six others last year at Florida State University. And in another case, prosecutors have said the man charged with killing two University of South Florida doctoral students had asked ChatGPT what would happen if a human body was put in a garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster, days before they went missing.

Florida's lawsuit alleges that OpenAI and Altman prioritized speed to market and commercial gain over user safety and disregarded repeated warnings from experts both inside and outside the company. The lawsuit claims the company deployed a product that facilitates and encourages harm, including self-harm and violence, while falsely assuring users it was safe.

The complaint also alleges that ChatGPT collects data from minors without meaningful parental oversight, as well as causes behavioral addiction and cognitive harm. The company has also actively downplayed dangerous errors, the lawsuit said.

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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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The lawsuit references a study by Nina Vasan, a psychiatrist and assistant professor at Stanford Medicine who posed as a teenage girl and told her AI chatbot that she was hearing voices in her head and was thinking about going out in the middle of the woods. The AI reportedly replied, “Taking a trip in the woods just the two of us does sound like a fun adventure!”

According to Vasan, these chatbots pose a special risk to adolescents because they are “designed to mimic emotional intimacy." Blurring of the distinction between fantasy and reality is especially potent for young people whose brains haven’t fully matured, Vasan said.

The lawsuit also references Adam Raine, a 16-year-old boy who killed himself last year following extensive conversations with ChatGPT.

According to the state's complaint, when Raine expressed suicidal thoughts, ChatGPT responded that it “won’t try to talk you out of your feelings." The chatbot allegedly helped Adam plan a “beautiful suicide" and even wrote his suicide note for him.

After describing his plan, ChatGPT responded, “That’s heavy. Darkly poetic, sharp with intention, and yeah—strangely coherent, like you’ve thought this through with the same clarity someone might plan a story ending.”

OpenAI's statement said AI is a new and powerful technology, and they believe minors need significant protection, which is why they have put in place protections and policies.

“In particular we built safety for minors directly into our products, including a more protective experience specifically for minors, an age prediction tool, defaulting users whose age we are not confident into our more protective experience, and giving parents tools to monitor their kids’ use of AI,” the statement said. "We know pointing to this work will not bring a child back, but we’re committed to getting this right.”

Florida law prohibits unfair and defective trade practices, officials said. The complaint alleges that OpenAI’s conduct causes ongoing harm to Floridians and demands accountability.

It was great seeing such a high turnout. You can see how participants felt about the event here:

GCSO said dispatchers received a call around 8:45 a.m on Monday regarding a vehicle fire at Tangent Outdoors in Pembroke. Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department arrived on scene and began extinguishing the fire, but the occupants of the vehicle began interfering with operations. The fire department then requested law enforcement assistance.

The sheriff’s office said members soon arrived. However, law enforcement said that during the incident, two members of the GCSO and three members of the Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department were assaulted while attempting to gain control of the scene. The two members of the sheriff’s office were taken to Giles Community Hospital and later released.

Bystander video shows most of the altercation, including two of the vehicles’ occupants wrestling with Giles County Sheriff Morgan Millirons.

Authorities said as a result, they arrested two of the vehicle’s occupants, 44-year-old Tynisha Lenea Scott of Gallion, Alabama, and 40-year-old Robert Leon Bryan of Eureka, California, on the following charges:

• Tynisha Lenea Scott
• • resisting arrest
  • child endangerment
  • assault on a firefighter (three counts)
  • assault on a law enforcement officer (two counts)
• Robert Leon Bryan
• • resisting arrest
  • child endangerment
  • assault on a firefighter (three counts)
  • assault on a law enforcement officer

Both are now being held at the New River Regional Jail without bond.

In addition, a child was present with Scott and Bryan, whom was being monitored by a bystander during the incident.

Trump announced the development in a social media post following a call with Netanyahu, whose forces recently made their deepest incursion into Lebanon in more than a quarter century. Trump said there would be no Israeli troops "going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back.”

The president said Hezbollah had "agreed that all shooting will stop — That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.”

Netanyahu confirmed the conversation but cast it less as restraint and more as a warning, saying he told Trump that Israel would strike targets in Beirut if Hezbollah’s attacks do not stop. The Israeli military will continue “to operate as planned” in southern Lebanon, Netanyahu added.

There was no immediate word from Hezbollah.

The two sides have been under a ceasefire since mid-April, but the militant group resumed attacks after Israeli strikes in Lebanon that Israel characterized as self-defense. The fighting also presents a major obstacle in the emerging deal to extend the ceasefire in the Iran war. Tehran wants any agreement to include Lebanon.

Lebanese authorities secured Hezbollah’s approval of a proposal by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Israel would not strike Beirut's southern suburbs, and Hezbollah would not attack northern Israel, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese Embassy to the U.S.

Moments after Trump’s message, Israel detected missile launches from Lebanon and warned Israelis in part of northern Israel to take cover.

The agreement comes ahead of talks between Israel and Lebanon scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington, where Lebanese negotiators hope to widen the scope of areas that will not be attacked in the country as they seek a complete ceasefire.

Israel orders strikes on Beirut suburbs

Trump's comments emerged after Israel’s government ordered strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut and as Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel, including the outskirts of the coastal city of Haifa.

A joint statement by Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the orders to attack targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs followed what they called repeated violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah and “attacks against our cities and citizens.”

The Israeli military's Arabic spokesman later posted on X that residents should leave the suburbs, adding that if Hezbollah continues attacking Israeli communities, Israel will launch attacks on the area known in Arabic as Dahiyeh, where Hezbollah enjoys wide support.

After Monday's warning, large numbers of people were seen fleeing Dahiyeh, jamming roads leading out of the suburb.

Mohammed Farhat, 23, fled with his brother and parents from Beirut’s southern suburb of Haret Hreik and was heading with his mother on a motorcycle to stay with relatives in another neighborhood.

“We are worried. I am used to it but left for my parents,” the university student said.

Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire overnight

Israeli airstrikes overnight on southern Lebanon left six people dead, including a Syrian citizen in a village near the city of Nabatiyeh, the state-run National News Agency said. Israel struck other towns and villages near the major city, close to the strategic Beaufort Castle and other towns the Israeli military captured in recent days.

An airstrike Monday afternoon in the port city of Tyre caused heavy damage to the Jabal Amel Hospital, the Health Ministry said. A video released by the ministry showed shaken women and children inside the hospital, where windows were blown out.

The Israeli military, meanwhile, said its air force had intercepted two projectiles launched from Lebanon toward Israeli territory, as well as a suspicious aerial target in the area where Israeli soldiers operate in southern Lebanon. No injuries were reported, the military said.

Hezbollah said early Monday that it attacked Israeli troops in Zawtar al-Sharqieh, just north of the Litani River, and struck what they said was Israeli military infrastructure in Tiberius, a few dozen miles south of the border.

Israel and Lebanon set to hold talks in Washington

The latest attacks happened just before the next round of direct Israel-Lebanon talks in the U.S. capital. Hezbollah has rejected direct talks, counting on pressure from Iran, which has demanded an end to the war in Lebanon in its talks with the U.S.

The talks that began in April in Washington were the first in more than three decades between the countries, which have no formal diplomatic relations.

Beirut is still committed to holding talks to end the conflict despite the boiling tensions, said a Lebanese diplomatic official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted Monday that any ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran is a “ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon."

“Its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts," Iran's top diplomat said in a post on X.

Lebanese capital has been mostly spared since ceasefire

Beirut, the Lebanese capital, has been mostly spared from airstrikes since the ceasefire went into effect, apart from two targeted attacks on the city's southern suburbs in May.

Saudi Arabia condemned Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, saying it “categorically rejects” Israel’s movement into the small Mediterranean nation. The Saudi Foreign Ministry called on the international community to prevent Israel from going deeper into Lebanon.

Lebanese parliament chief Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally, said in a statement Sunday that he could guarantee the militant group’s “full, comprehensive and immediate commitment to a ceasefire.” Berri added: “But who will force Israel to stop its aggression?”

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday in comments released by his office that his government continues work to end “the suffering of the Lebanese in general and the southerners in particular.” Later, he issued a statement reiterating Beirut's commitment to negotiations, saying it is “safer” than war."

At the United Nations, Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee told an emergency meeting of the Security Council that Israel’s push into Lebanon violates Lebanon’s territorial integrity and the 2006 council resolution requiring Israel to withdraw to south of the U.N.-drawn border with Lebanon.

Pobee accused Hezbollah of violating the resolution that requires the militant group to disarm. She urged Hezbollah to cooperate with Lebanese authorities to extend their authority throughout the country.

The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has killed 3,433 people in Lebanon and displaced more than 1 million people.

Israel’s military said a soldier was killed in southern Lebanon overnight in a drone attack by Hezbollah. Hezbollah’s use of hard-to-detect fiber-optic drones has been deadly for the Israeli military, which is struggling to respond.

According to Netanyahu’s office, at least 26 Israeli soldiers and a defense contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon. Two civilians have also been killed in northern Israel.

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Mroue and Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Melzer reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington, Geir Moulson in Berlin and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

"Well, it started with, obviously, America’s 250th birthday coming up. We had an opportunity to run on the 4th of July weekend, so we started brainstorming how could we make this big," said Zac McGinnis, Steam Operations Manager at the Virginia Museum of Transportation.

McGinnis and others knew they wanted to change the look of the steam engine. A wrap seemed to be the best way, but they needed someone to pay for it.

“I’m funding the whole wrap,” said Jay Escamilla, with an extra boost of enthusiasm.

Enter Sunset Models, Third Rail, a Colorado-based boutique high-end manufacturer of model trains, Miniatures that sell for thousands of dollars.

“And I didn’t know if I woke up and I was dreaming, because I never thought I’d have an opportunity like this. And that’s kind of how the whole thing started,” Escamilla said.

All of this - in May 2026, the 76^th anniversary of when the newly shined 611 came off the Roanoke assembly line and went into service.

“Well, the 611, of course, is the very last steam locomotive built for North American service in this country, and it was built right here in Roanoke, May 1950, and that’s a pretty significant part of rail history,” said Ken Miller, the chief historian of the Norfolk and Western Historical Society.

“We wanted it to be classy. We wanted, because that’s what the Norfolk and Western class J’s were, simple. So, we did the America 250 logo that we came up with, and we decided to keep the Norfolk and Western lettering and then just do them in red, white, and blue,” explained McGinnis.

So, Miller, a stickler for railway detail, crafted the lettering to match the original from N & W.

“The letters now had to been compressed and modified to the space that’s available. I did that because I’ve done lettering; I provided lettering for 611 when it was restored in 2015,” Miller said.

The love for the 611 spilled over into the community at large. When it came time to bid on the actual wrapping, a company from Danville stepped up.

“So we’re happy to be able to put it together that the actual laying of the vinyl is only gonna take us two days, but we’ve been working on this for about two months,” said Ashley Lumpkins of SOVA Vinyl Pros.

Ashley Lumpkins and her husband usually just wrap cars and smaller vehicles. But she says they really wanted this job. The company worked with Zac and Ken to come up with the design, which is more than just patriotic.

It seems simple. Put a sticker on a train and make it patriotic. But it’s so much more.

The country built the railroads – and the railroads built the country, and now one of the most noted locomotives will help carry that marriage home as she steams through the Virginia Countryside.

“Well, I mean, I’m personally stoked. I mean this I’ve been going through kind of like a whirlwind of emotions the past week where I mean as a kid this is something that you dream of and it essentially feels like a dream come true when I think about it when I see the pictures that have been coming in all week getting the chills and all that I mean it’s mind blowing like being able to be a part of not only I mean something with a real live steam engine but helping write the next chapter of her life and celebrating, I mean, the 250th anniversary of this great nation,” Escamilla said.

The fully wrapped steam engine rolled out for public viewing this past weekend to the cheers of the crowd who clearly appreciate the famous locomotive, and its role in commemorating the next chapter of American history.

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t get more Roanoke than this engine. Community pride when the railroad built these locomotives in town. So we always support our locals, and we wanted to keep this local. The Ken Miller NW Historical Society did the lettering for us. The local rapper in Danville, Virginia, the railroad in Stanton. Local is the way to go. And that’s how we operate. And it just brings community pride. It brings the community together. And something Roanoke and Virginia should be very proud of,” McGinnis said.

The suspect in the killing of a Carroll County Sheriff’s Deputy has been extradited to Virginia and is facing multiple charges, according to records.

Puckett faces the following charges:

• Two counts of assault firearm use in commission of a felony
• Convicted felon (Violent) possess/transport firearm
• Convicted felon possess taser, explosives, ammunition other weapon
• Attempted murder of law enforcement officer
• Murder of a law enforcement officer

Puckett is currently being held in the New River Regional Jail without bond.

June 1, 8 a.m. UPDATE

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office will conduct a ceremonial escort for fallen Deputy Logan Utt on Monday.

The funeral procession is scheduled to leave Roanoke at noon, with deputies leading the way to Moody Funeral Service in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

The procession route is as follows:

• Interstate 81 to Interstate 77
• Interstate 77 to Exit 8
• Chance’s Creek Road to Fancy Gap Highway
• South on Fancy Gap Highway through Cana and into Mount Airy

May 31, 11:43 p.m. UPDATE:

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) has released more details about Michael Puckett’s arrest. In a Facebook post, the agency says Puckett was arrested at 8:32 pm Sunday night in Surry County, North Carolina.

NCSBI says Puckett was arrested peacefully but was armed with a handgun at the time of his arrest. Agents reportedly used a drone to scan the area and found him ringing the doorbell of a house near Mt. Airy, N.C.

According to the post, Puckett has been booked into Surry County Detention Center without bond and will have a hearing Monday.

May 31, 9:19 p.m. UPDATE:

Michael Puckett, the man sought by law enforcement in connection with the killing of a Carroll County Sheriff’s deputy, has been arrested, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said.

CCSO said Puckett was apprehended in Surry County, N.C., on Sunday. They thanked neighboring law enforcement agencies for their support in the investigation.

May 31, 2:15 p.m. UPDATE:

Michael Puckett, the man being sought by law enforcement in connection with the killing of a Carroll County Sheriff’s Deputy, has been spotted on a wildlife game camera in North Carolina, Wytheville Police Department said.

WPD provided an update on Sunday afternoon stating Puckett was spotted on a wildlife game camera near Greenhill Road in Surry County, N.C., around 6:56 a.m. on Sunday. This is north of Mount Airy, N.C.

In addition to the $10,000 reward for information leading to Puckett’s arrest posted by the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI is now offering an additional $50,000 reward.

We will continue to update you with more information as it becomes available.

ORIGINAL STORY:

An armed and dangerous man is on the run after authorities say he fatally shot a Carroll County deputy and injured another Friday night.

According to Sheriff Kevin Kemp, deputies were dispatched around 9:26 p.m. to a home at 13658 Fancy Gap Highway after a family member requested a welfare check.

Two deputies arrived and made contact with a man identified as Michael Puckett. Authorities say Puckett opened fire on the responding deputies.

Both deputies were hit by gunfire. Unfortunately, Deputy Logan Utt, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead. He joined the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office in 2023.

The second deputy was hit in his ballistic vest and is receiving medical evaluation. Officials said the deputy is expected to be okay.

Puckett remains at large. Law enforcement agencies are conducting a coordinated search and warn that he should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.

Anyone who sees Puckett or has information about his whereabouts is urged not to approach him and to call 911 immediately. In addition, the United States Marshals Service is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to Puckett’s arrest.

“We’re not asking an entire large community to shelter in place, but be absolutely alerted, stay informed on what the latest is, and there may be messages of sheltering if there’s a location or a lead on a particular area.”

Cory McGookin, executive director for the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police

The investigation remains active and ongoing. Additional information will be released as it becomes available. Law enforcement has also asked anyone with footage from surveillance or trail/hunting cameras to check for any suspicious activity. They have also asked locals to lock vehicles, doors, and sheds and avoid leaving items outside that could assist Puckett to elude capture.

The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Wytheville Field Office, also said they are investigating the officer-involved shooting portion of this incident.

The S&P 500 added 0.3% to its prior all-time high set on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 46 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.4% to likewise set records.

A slight majority of U.S. stocks actually fell, including companies with big fuel bills hurt by higher oil prices. United Airlines lost 2.6%, and Alaska Air Group fell 3.3% after the price for a barrel of Brent crude oil climbed 4.2% to settle at $94.98. That clawed back a chunk of Brent’s loss from last week and means it’s still well above its price of roughly $70 from before the war.

Expensive oil has already sent inflation higher, which increases not only bills for households but also yields in the bond market. High yields worldwide recently have threatened to slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and all kinds of other investments.

But yields regressed during the day after oil prices came off their highest levels. That eased some of the pressure on Wall Street, and the Russell 2000 index of the smallest U.S. stocks went from a loss of 1.3% back to roughly even before finishing with a dip of 0.5%. Small companies can feel the pinch of higher borrowing costs in particular because of the need for many to borrow to grow.

Hope, meanwhile, seems to remain on Wall Street that the United States and Iran will ultimately reach an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, allow deliveries of oil to resume from the Persian Gulf and ease the upward pressure on inflation.

Strength from several market heavyweights also helped to power Wall Street.

Nvidia was the strongest force lifting the market and rose 6.2% after CEO Jensen Huang announced several product updates at a conference. What Nvidia does matters immensely for the U.S. stock market because it’s the biggest in terms of overall market value. That means the movements for its stock carry more weight on the S&P 500 than any other’s.

And Wall Street’s biggest companies have been growing so much that they’re dominating the market. The top 10 stocks control nearly half the S&P 500’s total market value, a 40-year high, according to Thomas Carroll, equity market strategist at Stifel.

That worked well as Big Tech stocks shot higher thanks to exuberance around artificial intelligence. But it could also weigh on the index if the market’s leadership broadens, Carroll warns. Even if most stocks end up rising in such a rotation, stagnation or declines for Big Tech heavyweights could drag on S&P 500 index funds.

A key indicator Carroll follows about market breadth “is signaling a rotation is coming,” he wrote in a report.

Elsewhere on Wall Street, Science Applications International Corp. jumped 10.4% after becoming the latest U.S. company to report bigger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. SAIC also raised forecasts for upcoming financial results.

A cavalcade of such better-than-expected profit reports has helped the U.S. stock market push to records despite the uncertainty created by the war with Iran.

Berkshire Hathaway fell 0.9% after saying it would buy homebuilder Taylor Morrison Home for $6.8 billion. It’s one of the first big acquisitions announced by the company since Greg Abel took over as its leader from famed investor Warren Buffett. Taylor Morrison Home jumped 22.3%.

MGM Resorts International leaped 16.1% after People Inc., Barry Diller’s business that was formerly known as IAC, offered to buy the rest of the company it doesn’t already own for $48.30 per share in cash.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 19.90 points to 7,599.96. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 46.42 to 51,078.88, and the Nasdaq composite rose 114.19 to 27,086.81.

In the bond market, Treasury yields climbed with oil prices and after a report said growth in U.S. manufacturing accelerated by more last month than economists expected. The yield for the 10-year Treasury briefly approached 4.52% before regressing to 4.46%, up from 4.45% late Friday.

High yields have already forced the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate to its most expensive level in nine months, and they could curtail companies’ borrowing to build the AI data centers that have supported the U.S. economy’s growth recently.

In stock markets abroad, indexes fell in Europe following a stronger finish in Asia.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.9% to an all-time high. SoftBank Group, the investment company that focuses heavily on AI, soared 21.2% and surpassed Toyota to become Japan’s most valuable listed company.

In South Korea, the Kospi index jumped 3.7% to a record after data showed the country’s exports surged 53% in May from a year earlier, buoyed by global demand for semiconductors.

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AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed.

Prosecutors have said the shooting was unprovoked, while defense lawyers have said Chikei Rick Chow only fired to defend his son.

Chow, 61, who is Asian, shot Cyrus Carmack-Belton in the back during a foot chase in Columbia. Chow believed — wrongly, prosecutors say — that the teen had stolen four bottles of water from the gas station convenience store. The killing sent waves of anguish and grief through the African American community in Richland County, where nearly half the population is Black.

Chow admits to shooting Belton. However, defense lawyers argue the teen pointed a gun at Chow's son, Andy, and the father fired one shot to defend his son.

“This case is not about a shoplifter. This case is about a father who sees a gun pointed at his son and had to make a decision," Defense attorney Shaun Kent told jurors. The defense attorney said Andy Chow testified that Carmack-Belton pointed a gun at him.

Defense lawyers have said Chow made a split-second decision to defend his son. They had argued Chow performed CPR on Carmack-Belton, which they said shows he acted without malice — a required element of a murder charge in South Carolina.

Prosecutors acknowledge Carmack-Belton had a semiautomatic pistol, but they say it fell on the ground during the chase and he never threatened anyone with it. Prosecutors said Chow chased the teen more than 130 yards (119 meters) from the store.

Solicitor Byron E. Gipson told jurors that Chow “chased a kid down, shot him in the back."

Gipson said multiple witnesses testified that they didn't see anything in Carmack-Belton's hands and didn't see him point a gun.

“Nobody testified that happened that doesn't have the last name Chow," Gipson said.

During closing arguments, Gipson placed a bottle of water before jurors. Gipson said that Chow “at the end of the day, believed that a human is not more than that.”

Prosecutors said a quick check of the surveillance tape would have shown that Carmack-Belton did not steal from the store. During the trial, witness Lori Carson testified that she saw Carmack-Belton running away from the store with Chow and his son in pursuit. She said she never saw a gun or anything else in the teen’s hands. She said the teen looked scared.

Protestors held vigils outside the store in the wake of the killing. Empty water bottles were arranged to spell out “Cyrus."

The suspect, identified as Michael Puckett, was found with a gun on Sunday night, two days after the shooting, as he was ringing the doorbell of a home less than several miles from the Virginia state line in Surry County, North Carolina. He was arrested booked without bond, the state's bureau of investigation said in a news release. Multiple law enforcement agencies took part in the search.

Puckett, 55, appeared for an extradition hearing Monday, where he waived his right to a court-appointed lawyer and awaited transport to Virginia, WXII-TV reported.

In Virginia, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said the fatal shooting occurred after law enforcement received a request from a family member to do a welfare check on Friday.

A man at the home began shooting, and the two sheriff's deputies who had responded returned fire, the sheriff’s office said. Both deputies were hit and the man ran away. Other people were in the home at the time. They were not hurt, according to Carroll County Sheriff Kevin Kemp.

Deputy Logan Utt was killed. The second deputy, who was struck in his ballistic vest, was recovering at home and was in good condition, Kemp said Sunday.

There was a massive search for the the suspect, who was “spotted on wildlife game camera in Surry County North Carolina,” north of the city of Mount Airy, on Sunday morning, police said. A drone was used to track his movements.

Utt, 31, was a military veteran who joined the department in 2023. A long procession of law enforcement vehicles escorted his remains Monday afternoon from Roanoke, Virginia, to Mount Airy, where Utt was a former firefighter.

“He had a servant's heart. He cared for others, he cared for his country, he cared for his family," Kemp said.

Second-place finisher, progressive Sen. Iván Cepeda, and his ally, President Gustavo Petro, have questioned the election results, without providing evidence.

Cepeda on Monday called on de la Espriella to debate him ahead of their June 21 runoff. De la Espriella replied on X: “Are you ready, coward? … First, acknowledge the election results and let’s debate right now.”

De la Espriella rapidly gained traction ahead of Sunday’s election and won nearly 44% of the vote. Cepeda, who had consistently led polling, won less than 41%.

In the runoff, De la Espriella is expected to scoop up additional votes from Colombians who supported other conservative candidates in the first round.

Cepeda will face an uphill battle, said Sergio Guzmán, a political analyst. De la Espriella's win is "a shift in public opinion that is very difficult to overcome. So now Abelardo is emerging as the likely favorite to win.”

Markets in Colombia and the Colombian peso jumped on Monday, likely a product of de la Espriella’s proposal to roll back regulations on businesses and willingness to open the country to fracking — a sharp turn from Petro’s environmental agenda.

Miroslav Jenca, head of the United Nations verification mission in Colombia, said Monday that his team observed firsthand the commitment of Colombian security and electoral authorities to ensure an orderly vote.

“I call for a peaceful election campaign, without resorting to any violence,” Jenca said. “I encourage all parties to address their differences through institutional mechanisms.”

A political shift in the Americas continues

The 47-year-old De la Espriella, known as “El Tigre” or “The Tiger,” has never held office in Colombia and prided himself on living a luxurious life in Italy before deciding to run for president.

He pitched himself as an outsider who would cozy up to U.S. President Donald Trump and follow El Salvador President Nayib Bukele's war on gangs, which has driven down homicide rates but fueled accusations of human rights abuses.

“I will wipe out narcoterrorism and those who I've declared a military target like cockroaches, like rats. I will unleash upon them the wrath of God never seen before,” de la Espriella said in an interview with The Associated Press in the final stretch of the campaign, where he promised to open 10 mega-prisons to fight crime.

He joins a growing number of leaders across Latin America, from Chile to Honduras, seeking to latch onto the “Bukele model” as voters across Latin America are ditching leaders who pitched progressive policies aimed at addressing the root issues of conflict such as lack of opportunities for young people and corruption.

De la Espriella's supporters come from a wide range of backgrounds. Yolanda Peréz, a 64-year-old woman serving coffee in Colombia's capital, Bogotá, said with a wink the day before the election: “I'm thinking of voting for El Tigre.”

Miguel Maheca, a 20-year-old first-time voter, flashed his ballot to his mother as he strolled out of the polling station on Sunday, saying with a grin, “Love isn't what's going to make us safe in Colombia."

But experts say El Salvador's security successes will be nearly impossible to replicate in a country like Colombia, which is more than 50 times larger than the Central American nation and has many more armed groups fighting for territory.

The Trump administration is playing a more aggressive role in Latin America than any U.S. government in decades, putting mounting pressure on countries like Colombia, Mexico and Ecuador to crack down on crime.

De la Espriella made a name for himself as a lawyer defending high-profile clients such as former President Álvaro Uribe as well as controversial figures like Alex Saab, a close ally of Venezuela’s ousted president Nicolás Maduro who faces legal issues in the U.S.

Cepeda had vowed to carry on peace efforts

The progressive Cepeda has promised to carry on his ally Petro's fraught plan to achieve “total peace” by negotiating peace pacts with guerrillas and criminal gangs.

Their political movement was born from a rejection by many Colombians of a militarized offensive by Uribe in decades past to beat back guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. Thousands of civilians were killed by Colombian forces in a scandal known as “false positives.”

De la Espriella “represents a return to the paramilitary politics and drug-trafficking — a mafia-run, plutocratic and corrupt past that the country experienced during Álvaro Uribe’s two administrations,” Cepeda said on Sunday.

Petro, a former rebel, won Colombia's presidency in 2022, ending decades of domination by leaders from Uribe's political movement. He gained massive support from rural-dwelling, Indigenous and poorer Colombians who felt they had never been directly spoken to by the country's leaders.

Now that movement is backed into a corner.

“This is de la Espriella’s election to lose,” wrote Renata Segura, director of International Crisis Group's Latin America and the Caribbean Program. “Cepeda thought he could win appealing squarely to the left, and that proved to be a massive mistake. How he pivots in the next month will determine if he has any chance to win.”

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

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This version corrects the spelling of the first name of the leading candidate to Abelardo.

Sabalenka beat Osaka 7-5, 6-3 on Monday to reach the French Open quarterfinals and move one step closer to finally winning the clay-court Grand Slam after getting beaten by Coco Gauff in last year’s final.

It was the first women’s night match at Roland Garros in three years and Osaka entered the court wearing a golden bomber jacket over her gold sequin playing dress, trailing a tiered train with puffs of tulle.

Sabakenka wore more standard tennis attire: A slightly sheer black flared tennis dress with a red underlayer; plus diamond necklaces.

In the matchup of four-time Grand Slam champions, Sabalenka improved to 3-1 in her career against Osaka, who was playing in the fourth round at Roland Garros for the first time.

Sabalenka overpowered Osaka from the baseline, and produced a huge forehand return winner on her first match point that Osaka barely got her racket on.

Tournament organizers had been criticized for not scheduling more women's matches at night, with Roland Garros officials responding that women's best-of-three set matches don't occupy enough time for TV broadcasters. The men play best-of-five set matches.

Sabalenka won in 1 hour, 27 minutes.

Sabalenka's quarterfinal opponent will be Diana Shnaider, who beat Madison Keys — the last American woman remaining in contention — 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.

French hopes were dashed following Diane Parry’s 6-3, 6-2 loss to 114th-ranked Polish player Maja Chwalinska.

Chwalinska had never been beyond the second round of any major, and her run is even more impressive since she came through three qualifying rounds.

Chwalinska's quarterfinal opponent will be Anna Kalinskaya, who surprised even herself by reaching the last eight after defeating Anastasia Potapova 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (10-7).

“Thinking two weeks ago that I will be here, I wouldn’t believe it,” Kalinskaya said. “I would probably laugh with my team.”

Many top women's players were already eliminated, such as Gauff, four-time winner Iga Swiatek and No. 2-ranked Elena Rybakina.

Sinner's out but Italians move on

Despite top-ranked Jannik Sinner losing in the second round, Italian fans will have at least two men in the quarterfinals.

Tenth-seeded Flavio Cobolli advanced to his second Grand Slam quarterfinal — and his first here — after beating American Zachary Svajda 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5).

“It’s for sure my favorite Grand Slam to play,” Cobolli said after winning on Court Philippe-Chatrier. “We have the best feeling with the surface as Italians.”

A little while after his win, Cobolli — a former youth soccer player at Italian club Roma — joined players from the Paris Saint-Germain team as they paraded the Champions League trophy on Court Philippe-Chatrier. PSG beat Arsenal in the final on Saturday.

Cobolli's next opponent will be No. 4 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat Alejandro Tabilo 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 to reach the last eight at all four majors. The Canadian has never been beyond a Grand Slam semifinal, though.

“Not having Sinner in the semifinals is another opportunity, but you need to be there,” Auger-Aliassime said. “So I have to focus on the next match.”

Big-serving Matteo Berrettini joined Cobolli in the quarterfinals after beating Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (6). Berrettini last reached the quarterfinals here in 2021 — but hadn't been back to the tournament since then because of a series of injuries and physical issues.

Matteo Arnaldi will try to make it three Italians in the last eight when he plays No. 19 Frances Tiafoe later.

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AP Sports Writer Samuel Petrequin, and AP Fashion Writer Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report.

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

The Lynchburg Police Department identified the bicyclist who was killed after a Saturday evening crash in Lynchburg.

The bicyclist has been identified as 55-year-old James E. Jones Jr., of Lynchburg.

Original:

A man is dead after a crash between a bicyclist and an SUV that occurred in Lynchburg on Saturday.

LPD said they, along with the Lynchburg Fire Department, responded to Monroe Street and 10th Street around 5:35 p.m. to find a crash involving a bicycle and an SUV. The bicyclist was taken to the Lynchburg General Hospital by the LFD. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries sustained in the crash.

Authorities said the driver of the SUV remained on scene and fully cooperated with police. The crash is now under investigation by the LPD Traffic Safety Unit.

We will update you with more information on this incident as it becomes available.

First up for the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion is the doubles tournament at Queen’s Club. But Wimbledon and the U.S. Open could be next.

“It seems like she’s trying to work her way up maybe to the U.S. Open, and those fans would be so ready to see her back on a singles court there,” former No. 1 Lindsay Davenport said at the French Open after the WTA Tour announced Monday that Williams has accepted a wild-card invitation to play doubles at next week’s grass-court tournament in London.

Williams won seven Wimbledon titles and six at the U.S. Open before stepping away from the game in 2022. In doubles, she won six titles at Wimbledon and two at the U.S. Open — all with her older sister Venus Williams.

John McEnroe suggested Williams could compete in singles at Wimbledon, which starts June 28.

“She’s not getting any younger but she’s Serena Williams so I bet you she would tell me about wanting to win the whole damn thing,” McEnroe said in Paris.

The Queen’s Club tournament starts next Monday and the WTA said Williams will play “with a partner to be announced in due course.”

“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” Williams said in a statement. “Grass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of my career and I’m excited to be back competing on one of the sport’s most iconic stages.”

Williams has not competed since bidding farewell at the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, Williams said she didn’t want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared that she was “evolving” away from tennis.

Davenport said some current women’s players went down to Florida to practice with Williams recently.

“I don’t think anyone’s admitted to that, but I do know that some of them were,” Davenport said. “So I think she has kind of a handle on where the level is. But I don’t know if she’s been playing a two-hour singles match, right? We’ll have to see how she can handle that physically.”

Williams, who has won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles overall in her storied career, became eligible to compete in February after re-registering with tennis’ mandatory anti-doping program six months earlier — which is the first step toward a comeback.

Djokovic is competitive at 39

Davenport noted how Novak Djokovic is still competitive at 39 — having recently pushed 19-year-old Joao Fonseca to five sets before getting beaten in the third round in Paris.

"It’s not going to be easy. If anyone could do it, certainly it could be her," Davenport said of Williams. “We’re seeing kind of an unprecedented time with players and how they train now, being able to play better longer, play at a level that we never expected.

“She always looks in incredible shape; and better shape than arguably when she left.”

While Williams' big serve automatically gives her an advantage on grass, it's a surface that also presents unique challenges because of the speed of play and low bounces.

“Grass is a tough surface to start on," Davenport said. "It goes very quick, very low, very physical, not as much running as clay, but a lot of bending. ... She wouldn’t come back unless she knew she could play at such a high level. But we’ve got to be a little graceful in the time we give her until she hits her feet.”

Williams sisters were role models for Osaka

Four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, who beat Williams in the 2018 U.S. Open final for her first major title, was excited at the prospect.

“It will bring people to watch tennis,” Osaka said Thursday. “I’m going to be tuned into the first match, for sure. I think a lot of people are. Everyone knows Serena and Venus were my role models growing up, so it’s going to be cool to see her on the grounds again.”

Williams recently posted a video on Instagram showing herself training on a hard court with her daughter: “Rumor has it…I got a new trainer,” Williams said in the post.

Williams’ second daughter was born in 2023.

Venus Williams, who also had a stint at No. 1 in the rankings and is a five-time Wimbledon champion, is still playing occasionally at 45.

McEnroe played doubles at 47

McEnroe was 47 when he returned after 12 years of retirement and won a tour-level doubles tournament with partner Jonas Bjorkman.

“Physically I still had it for doubles, so she definitely could still have it for doubles, there’s no question about that. She could win anything (in doubles),” McEnroe said. “The singles is more difficult. ... I’m not really sure what the plan is. She hasn’t called me to tell me the plan.”

Gauff never got to play Williams

“One of my biggest regrets was not being able to play her,” defending French Open champion Coco Gauff said.

Eighteen-year-old American player Iva Jovic was also thrilled.

“I have never seen Serena in real life," Jovic said. "Obviously I grew up watching her. In my entire childhood she was dominating tennis.”

Added fellow American player Madison Keys: “Serena Williams playing tennis is only good for tennis. Let’s be real. We all want to watch Serena play tennis.

“I mean, you literally get to watch history every single time she takes the court,” Keys added. “So why not watch more?”

Women returned to Queen's after more than 50 years

A women’s tournament rejoined the men’s competition at Queen’s last year after an absence of more than 50 years, meaning Williams will be making her debut at the historic grass-court tournament.

“Women’s tennis made a historic return to the Queen’s Club last year," Queen’s tournament director Laura Robson said, "and now we have an icon of the game stepping back on to court at this prestigious venue."

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AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire contributed to this report.

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

The almost 50 U.S. embassies and consulates that are processing visa applications will be reduced to 20 in the coming weeks, according to three U.S. officials and an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. There is not yet a set date for the change, but it is expected in June, according to the officials, who were not authorized to comment to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The move is part of the Trump administration's effort to crack down on issuing both immigrant and non-immigrant visas as part of its broader aim to limit immigration to the U.S. and clamp down on those who travel on temporary visas but then overstay them. The administration also has scaled back personnel at embassies and consulates around the world.

On a conference call last Friday, U.S. diplomats, including consular chiefs, were told the U.S. would be scaling back its visa services across Africa, according to one of the officials who was on the call.

Under a directive approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week, the State Department will reduce consular operations in all but 20 “hubs” in Africa, according to the officials and the memo.

Visa processing in Africa has already been affected by a travel ban on certain countries as well as a requirement for applicants to post up to $15,000 bond in order to apply and more recently by restrictions caused by the Ebola outbreak.

The new rules mean that a citizen of a non-hub country will have to travel to one of the 20 approved sites, which could pose formidable travel challenges and costs.

Consular sections in non-hub countries will stay open but be limited in the services they can offer. They will still be able to assist American citizens with passport renewals and emergency consular requests as well as special national interest cases and diplomatic visa applications.

The State Department did not address the specific issues in the memo but said it “is constantly evaluating its overseas operations in order to deploy taxpayer resources in a way that advances America’s priorities as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

It said this “includes a visa process that maintains rigorous standards of security screening and vetting and aligns resources and operational capacity with America’s national interests.”

According to the memo, the 20 hubs to remain open for all processing are: Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Accra, Ghana; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Cape Town, South Africa; Dakar, Senegal; Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania; Djibouti, Djibouti; Johannesburg, South Africa; Kampala, Uganda; Kigali, Rwanda; Kinshasa, Congo; Lagos, Nigeria; Lome, Togo; Luanda, Angola; Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; Monrovia, Liberia; Nairobi, Kenya; Port Louis, Mauritius; Praia, Cape Verde; and Yaounde, Cameroon.

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Mednick reported from Tel Aviv.

“I didn’t play in the PCL. But I feel like I’ve experienced it a couple times here when it gets hot like this,” Boone said Sunday following a 13-8 win against the A's. “You’re never feeling safe. ... Just glad to escape here and get on the bird. It’s a challenging place to play. You have to figure it out.”

Less than halfway through their second season at their temporary home at Sutter Health Park in the Sacramento area, the A's are still trying to deal with the challenges of a ballpark that inflates offensive numbers.

The heat and jet stream can turn what might seem like normal fly balls into home runs. The high sky and unpredictable winds make catching fly balls an adventure. It combines to make the ballpark one of the friendliest in the league for hitters and has appeared to have taken a toll on the A’s pitchers.

The A's went 1-5 on their most recent homestand, allowing 47 runs against Seattle and New York — including 13 in one inning against New York — in what has become a pattern in the team's waystation before moving to Las Vegas.

The A's have shown promise this season and have spent plenty of time in first place in the AL West before this recent slump. They rank 10th best in the majors with a 17-14 mark on the road, while their 11-17 record at home is the second worst.

Pitching is the major reason why.

The A's are allowing 3.01 more runs per game at home than on the road. That would be the biggest discrepancy ever for a full season in the majors, according to Sportradar, beating the previous mark of 2.82 by the Phillies in 1923 and even topping any season played in the mile-high altitude in Denver.

“You watch games here,” A's manager Mark Kotsay said when asked about the challenge of pitching at the A's ballpark. “You got to keep the ball down the zone and get the ball on the ground. We’ve paid for our mistakes probably more than what we’ve paid for mistakes on the road. That being said, we’ve got to play better defense at home. … That’s a combination of what it takes to pitch better. It’s also to play better.”

While the A's try to downplay the impact knowing they can't change it, the evidence is stark. The ease with how the ball carries takes a toll on pitchers, who can become reluctant to challenge hitters.

The A's have walked batters at the second-highest rate in the majors at home, compared to 18th highest on the road. The A's walked 16 batters in the three-game series against the Yankees, including four with the bases loaded.

“We’re not going to overfocus on home-road splits right now but obviously we’re well aware that we haven’t played well in this ballpark," Kotsay said.

But the pitchers say they try to do their best to avoid letting it play with their heads.

“You can try and pitch to it, and if you do that, it might work one time, but you might also do something that you don’t want to do, or try and do something you’re not good at,” A's starter Aaron Civale said. “Sometimes the wind’s blowing out here, sometimes the wind is blowing out in another stadium or different place. So there’s factors everywhere, rain, weather, cold, hot. It’s all conditions that we can’t control. Unless you have a roof over your head, then surely there’s nothing you can do about it.”

While the A's pitchers have been hurt more by the environment than their counterparts, the conditions are a challenge for everyone. On Saturday night, Yankees starter Ryan Weathers had the kind of stuff that should have produced a strong outing.

Weathers had 10 strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings and generated swings and misses on more than 40% of swings for just the third time in his career. But three home runs — including two on what he considered to be good pitches — proved costly in a 6-4 loss.

But he said he couldn't change his approach even knowing the risks of any flyball.

“I did my time in the PCL, so I know how these parks work,” he said. “But obviously, that can’t go into your decision-making, can’t go into your pitching.”

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

Senate Republicans who are returning to Washington on Monday say they won’t have the votes to pass the Homeland Security spending bill until the White House works with them to place parameters on a new $1.776 billion settlement fund designed to compensate Trump’s allies. Trump and the White House have yet to say publicly whether they will do so, even after a judge temporarily halted any payouts.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated Monday he was hopeful the White House would move to drop the fund.

“I do think the best way to handle it is if the administration decides to shut it down themselves,” Thune told reporters.

Thune, of South Dakota, previously said that the settlement money — some of which could potentially go to Trump supporters who beat police and attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — was complicating the GOP's agenda. It “just makes everything way harder than it should be,” he said.

The impasse over the “anti-weaponization” fund could be an inflection point as Republicans try to keep their majority in this year’s elections and advance their agenda. Trump’s campaign year push to defeat GOP lawmakers who he sees as disloyal, including some of Thune’s most reliable Republican votes in the narrow 53-47 Senate, has only added to the tension.

Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and John Cornyn of Texas both lost reelection bids in May after Trump endorsed their primary opponents, and it's unclear how supportive they'll be of the president’s agenda going forward. And a growing number of GOP senators have become frustrated with the president as he ignores what they see as their political needs.

“I think it’s hard to divorce anything that happens here from what’s happening in the political atmosphere around us,” Thune said.

Democrats have said they plan to offer several amendments to the immigration bill to scale back or eliminate the settlement. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said in a letter to colleagues Monday morning that Democrats will launch “a coordinated effort to kill the slush fund before one cent goes out the door.”

“No matter what Republicans do, we will force them to vote on it,” he wrote.

As anger among Senate Republicans swelled, Trump made clear that he wasn’t highly concerned.

“I don’t care about the midterms,” Trump said last week in a discussion about the Iran war.

Senate Republicans draw lines on settlement fund

At a closed-door meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche before they left town, Republican senators gave an ultimatum of sorts — put some limits on the settlement or we will do it for you.

GOP senators had been discussing several ways that they could curb the fund, including limiting who can receive payouts, changing the makeup of the commission in charge of settlement decisions, adding some sort of judicial review for applicants or scrapping the fund altogether. Republicans have discussed adding parameters on the settlement to the unrelated immigration enforcement measure but would prefer that the White House make changes on its own.

There were few signs of progress over the Memorial Day recess.

Sen. Todd Young of Indiana told The Associated Press last week that he hadn’t seen any indications “that would suggest they sent us a plan that our leadership thought was acceptable.”

“It’s in their court,” Young said of the White House.

Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee said on Fox New Channel's “Fox News Sunday” that discussions are underway “to get to something that’s going to work.”

“I think there were just more details and more questions last week that needed to be resolved,” Hagerty said, adding that “I’m looking forward to seeing the details this coming week.”

Acting attorney general spars with the Senate

Blanche told the AP in an interview Thursday that “a lot of the questions will be answered in the short term.” But he would not elaborate, saying that “talking in hypotheticals is something that I don’t think is fair to the process.”

Blanche's meeting with senators before they left town was “angry,” according to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who described it on his podcast. Cruz said that of around 45 Senate Republicans who attended, “at least half of them were blasting the attorney general.”

The Senate had planned to stay in session late that night to vote on the immigration spending bill, but leaders canceled votes and sent everyone home. Cruz said Republican senators were “yelling” and told Blanche that the fund, which was part of a settlement that resolves Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns, “feels like self-dealing" and "feels like Trump cut a deal with himself.”

Cruz, who said he supports the fund, noted that Democrats had said they would offer amendments to kill it. Republicans "would have lost every vote” if they had stayed in session, he said.

He predicted that “we will see the administration announcing at a minimum a modification of this, because if they don’t, they’ve got a full-on revolt in the Senate.”

Jan. 6 defendants could get settlements

Cruz said that there were a lot of questions from senators about the Jan. 6 defendants and that Blanche reassured them that no one who committed an act of violence or assaulted law enforcement would get a payout. But Blanche has repeatedly declined to say that publicly, telling the AP that “there is no limit to who can apply.”

Asked about people who were violent on Jan. 6, Blanche suggested that might be too hard to define.

“Who is it? I mean, you tell me, right?” Blanche said. “You have to define something and then stick to it. So that’s something I’ve been hesitant to try to do because it’s very fact intensive.”

Trump has pardoned more than 1,500 defendants who were prosecuted in the 2021 attack, including hundreds who were convicted for violently beating and injuring police.

Unity on immigration enforcement derailed by other issues

The divide over the fund comes after Republicans already abandoned $1 billion in security funding for the White House, including for Trump’s new ballroom, as Democrats and some Republicans questioned using taxpayer money for the massive project at a time of economic hardship. Besides the settlement, Democrats had planned to force Republican senators to vote for or against the ballroom money.

Left in the legislation is funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, which Democrats have blocked for months in protest of the administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown.

Republicans are using a complicated budget maneuver called reconciliation to fund the agencies through the end of Trump’s term without Democratic support. Still, success requires GOP unity and Trump’s eventual signature.

Democrats say they hope their Republican colleagues continue to stand up to the White House. Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan said last week that he thinks the settlement fund is ”probably one of the most corrupt things that we’ve ever seen an American president do.”

It is “a bridge too far for some of my Republican Senate colleagues,” Peters said. "I hope they realize that what was done is simply unacceptable and that they’ll stand firm.”

___

Associated Press writers Steven Sloan, Joey Cappelletti and Kevin Freking in Washington and Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report.

The outbreak remains focused in eastern Ituri province, where 264 cases have been confirmed, the health ministry said. Congo has reported more than 1,000 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo virus, the species of Ebola that was confirmed weeks after the outbreak quietly began. There is no approved medicine to treat it, or vaccine.

The disease outbreak has killed 42 people in Congo and one person in neighboring Uganda, according to health authorities in both countries.

The outbreak has spread to 22 health zones across three eastern provinces in Congo, government data shows, even as the World Health Organization has sought to highlight signs of progress, like new deliveries of supplies to deeply under-resourced health centers.

Congo's health ministry says the main challenges in containing the outbreak in the remote region include early detection and rapid isolation of cases, rigorous contact tracing, safe and dignified burials and strengthening infection prevention and control in health facilities.

Meanwhile, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations said Monday that it would commit up to $62 million to accelerate development of three experimental vaccines targeting Bundibugyo. The three in development are from the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, Moderna and the University of Oxford.

Health workers have been at high risk. WHO honored five of them as survivors over the weekend, during a visit by Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, as he opened a new Ebola treatment center in Bunia, capital of Ituri province.

Baraka Bulambulu, a nurse, said that he was thrilled after the final Ebola tests on him returned negative.

“Coming out of this illness alive is an indescribable joy," Bulambulu said with a wide grin.

Ezo Étienne, another nurse who recovered, said that he had started feeling dizzy as he checked on patients.

“I called the team and told them, ‘Something’s wrong here,'" he recalled. "I decided to rest for a bit, and a few minutes later I started vomiting.”

The virus is spread through close contact with sick or deceased patients’ bodily fluids. Treatment has mostly targeted patients' symptoms, WHO has said.

“Your courage gives hope and your living story that this outbreak can be stopped,” Tedros told the health workers on Sunday.

Despite challenges that include threats by armed groups and anger against health workers by some wary residents, the recoveries are “a victory worth celebrating,” said Dr. Dieudonne Mwamba Kazadi, director-general of Congo’s National Institute of Public Health.

“It’s a strong message that it is possible to recover from Ebola when seeking care early in a dedicated health facility,” he said.

Uganda has reported nine cases of Ebola in this outbreak and closed its border with Congo, seeking to limit its spread. Although more than 20 Ebola outbreaks have taken place in Congo and Uganda, the Bundibugyo virus has been rare.

Attacks in the region by the Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, a rebel organization allied with the Islamic State group, and a coalition of ethnic militias have also hindered the response.

ADF fighters killed 16 people Saturday in Beni, North Kivu province, an area also affected by the outbreak, the Congolese government said Monday in a statement.

The illness also has been reported in both North Kivu and South Kivu, south of Ituri, where the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group controls many key cities, including Goma and Bukavu.

___

Jean-Yves Kamale contributed to this report from Kinshasa.

You may have seen predictions about what we could be in store for with this upcoming season, as both NOAA and Colorado State University have forecasted a below average season this year. This is largely due to the likely emergence of El Nino, which very well could become strong this year.

2026’s list of names was last used during the record breaking 2020 Hurricane Season. That was the year we ended up using every name on the list, and had to dip into a second, auxiliary list composed of the Greek alphabet.

Of the names from 2020, three were retired. Laura was the only one of the original list that was retired, and was replaced with Leah. Eta and Iota were also retired. The World Meteorological Organization would later decide to discontinue the Greek alphabet altogether for named storms, and replace it with a secondary list of names beginning in 2021.

Back to the topic of El Nino- we are currently in ENSO-neutral conditions, but that is likely to change in the coming months. The Climate Prediction Center is giving an 82% chance of El Nino emerging between May and July, with an even greater likelihood of it continuing into winter (96% chance).

El Nino years are classified as when sea surface temperatures run 0.5° C (32.9°F) above average at the equator in the Pacific Ocean, stretching from the International Date Line to the western coast of South America.

For this year, there’s a decent chance we see a strong or very strong El Nino. Strong El Nino years happen when sea surface temperatures run between 1.5° and 2.0° Celsius (34.7-35.6°F), with very strong years running anything above that. There is a 2 in 3 chance we end up in a strong El Nino, and a 1 in 3 chance we end up with a very strong El Nino.

So what does this mean for the tropics?

In short, El Nino creates more wind shear in the Atlantic Ocean. Tropical systems need lots of organization to form and sustain themselves, so when strong wind shear is introduced, they’re commonly ripped apart. El Nino makes it harder for tropical systems to form in the Atlantic. The contrary can be said in the Pacific, where there is less wind shear, and a good chance for an above average season.

Should we end up with a very strong El Nino year, it would be the first time since 2015-2016. That year, we had a significantly below average hurricane season, with 11 named storms, 4 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes.

As to what happens this year, it’ll largely depend on the strength of El Nino. While El Nino does not make it impossible for tropical systems to form, it makes it much harder for them to get organized.

I’ll also say this- stronger El Nino and La Nina events DO NOT always mean bigger weather and climate impacts. Stronger events make it MORE LIKELY certain impacts may occur, but nothing is certain. Just because you enter a raffle more than once, it doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to have your name drawn.

What El Nino means for winter on the other hand, is a bit of a different story that will most certainly get it’s own story later in the year.

BCSO said a deputy saw a vehicle speeding and momentarily driving with no headlights around 1:15 a.m. on Friday on Forest Road. When the deputy initiated a pursuit, the suspect vehicle began to rapidly accelerate and failed to stop for emergency equipment.

Authorities said the deputy never managed to catch up to the vehicle, staying around 150 yards behind. The suspect vehicle turned down Cottontown Road, where the deputy lost sight of it.

Around 1:20 a.m., other deputies located the vehicle crashed into a home off the road in the 1800 block of Cottontown Road.

On Sunday, charges for speeding and felony eluding were obtained against Isaiah Jerome Christian. He was then arrested early Monday morning.

Virginia State Police is now investigating the crash.

So while we had some pretty significant temperature swings throughout the month, ultimately it all averaged out. Roanoke had the biggest departure from normal, running 1.1° below average.

AS EXPECTED... all four areas ran drier than average for the month of May. You may have had more or less rainfall in your backyard, but these are totals based upon rain gauges in the area. That rainfall at the end of the month was certainly helpful for us following the extremely dry start to May.

LOOKING AHEAD... temperatures are likely to warm up to above average levels as we get into this weekend and beyond.

The overall pattern looks favorable for a *slightly* wetter than average, which would be beneficial in controlling that everlasting drought.

Tyler Robinson’s defense team had asked Judge Tony Graf to close portions of the preliminary hearing on July 6-10, when prosecutors must show they have enough evidence to warrant a trial. It will mark the most significant presentation of evidence to date in a case that has so far focused on matters of media access.

“The public and the media enjoy a presumptive right to access court proceedings, including preliminary hearings,” Graf said during his ruling. He said the defense hadn’t shown that presenting the evidence publicly would deny Robinson a fair trial.

Robinson's lawyers have tried to guard against media coverage that they say sometimes misrepresents their client, as his case has drawn tremendous public attention. The 23-year-old from southwestern Utah is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 assassination of Kirk on the Utah Valley University campus.

Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted. He has not yet entered a plea.

Prosecutors argued that the preliminary hearing should remain open, but they agreed with the defense that media should be limited from viewing or copying some exhibits that could be used in a future trial. They plan to introduce forensic analyses, surveillance video, recordings of witness statements, autopsy findings and alleged messages from Robinson admitting to the crime.

Authorities have said DNA consistent with Robinson’s was found on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk, the fired cartridge casing, two unfired cartridges and a towel used to wrap the rifle. Prosecutors also have said Robinson left a note for his romantic partner that read, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”

Graf also granted defense attorneys' request for a hearing on June 12 in which they will argue that prosecutors should be punished for comments they made in the media. Robinson's lawyers have said one prosecutor, Christopher Ballard, essentially went on a “media tour” in which he made “expressions of opinion as to Mr. Robinson’s guilt.”

Prosecutors responded to the claims last month, saying Ballard had a right to correct misinformation in the media about an inconclusive, preliminary finding by ballistics experts, which led to speculation about Robinson’s possible exoneration. They said Ballard did not make any statement of opinion about guilt.

U.S. District Judge James Bredar expressed frustration about the timing of last week's settlements, including deals resolving all pending claims over the deaths of six construction workers. The workers were filling potholes when the container ship Dali lost power and crashed into the bridge in the early morning hours of March 26, 2024.

Virtually all of the unresolved claims are alleging economic losses by businesses and local governments. None of the remaining parties were asking to start the trial as scheduled this week.

Bredar, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Barack Obama, was scheduled to hear attorneys' opening statements on Monday for a trial expected to last approximately five weeks. He postponed the proceedings indefinitely to consider legal arguments that could lead to further settlements and possibly end the litigation without a trial.

Bredar said he was “highly frustrated,” but acknowledged that civil cases often settle on the eve of trial.

“It's not directed at just one side or another. It takes two to tango,” Bredar said. “I'm frustrated on behalf of the public (and) the court.”

Details of the settlements with families of the construction workers weren't publicly disclosed.

Less than two weeks ago, Bredar rejected a prior request to delay the trial after the filing of criminal charges against companies that managed the Dali.

On May 12, Justice Department prosecutors announced the indictment against Singapore-based Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. and Chennai, India-based Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd.

The operator of the Dali and its technical superintendent are charged with conspiracy, misconduct causing death, failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a hazardous condition, obstructing the National Transportation Safety Board and making false statements.

The criminal indictment accuses the ship operator of intentionally relying on an improper fuel pump and then lying about it to investigators.

Synergy Marine accused prosecutors of improperly treating an accident as a crime and said it would “vigorously” defend itself against the indictment's “inaccurate” allegations.

“This was a maritime casualty that should be assessed through the full factual, technical and regulatory record, rather than through selective mischaracterizations in a criminal indictment,” the company said in a statement last month.

In April, a $2.25 billion settlement was announced between the state of Maryland, Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Singapore-based ship owner. Grace Ocean hasn’t been charged with any crimes related to the collapse.

The list of claimants with unresolved claims includes the city of Baltimore, which has claims for economic losses it blames on the bridge's destruction. The city joined the companies in asking for the trial to be delayed.

10 News is working for you to help protect your identity.

To ensure you are not a victim of identity theft, you’ll want to dispose of sensitive information most safely.

If you have personal documents, you can safely dispose of them on Saturday, May 30, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Berglund Center.

Listed is everything you need to know if you’re planning to attend. We’ve provided a list of commonly asked questions and answers below.

If you’re looking for a way to give back and support local families in need, WSLS 10 is encouraging you to bring canned goods and other nonperishable food items for our food drive. Donations will help support Feeding Southwest Virginia.

See you there!

Thank you to the Berglund Center, Commonwealth Document Management, First Bank, Appalachian Power, Feeding Southwest Virginia, and Alison O’Brien at MKB REALTORS for their contributions and for making this possible.

Where is the location?

Our location is at the Berglund Center. 

How can I identify the entrance?

Look for the large Berglund Center sign off Williamson Rd.

(THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN PREVIOUS YEARS)

Is there a limit on the number of bags I can bring?

Yes, there is a limit of 3 bags per person. Please respect this limit so we can efficiently help as many folks as possible. It’s preferred that bags are not cinched closed or are only lightly cinched. Please note that the bags must be no larger than a standard black garbage bag.

What should I do if there is a line?

Please be patient. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. This is a drive-thru event, WE WILL NOT ALLOW WALK-UPS!

How long will the event last?

The event will begin promptly at 8 a.m. and last until noon.

You need a star, like a Jalen Brunson or a Victor Wembanyama. They need some help. They need the right coach.

But this finals matchup, which starts Wednesday in San Antonio, also shows that there's no one way to get all those things done. Of the 10 players that the Spurs are most likely to have in the regular rotation for this series, six were drafted by San Antonio. Of the 10 most likely to appear for the Knicks, only one was drafted by New York.

It's Biggest Market vs. Smaller Market. Shopping vs. Drafting. Knicks vs. Spurs isn't just a clash for the NBA title, it's a clash in styles as well — with Knicks President Leon Rose seeming to constantly tinker until finding the right mix, and the Spurs building through the draft instead.

“I’ve said it before, I’ll keep saying it: Leon and his staff have done a freaking fantastic, fantastic job,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said.

Whether it was LeBron James, Kevin Durant or some other megastar, there was always hope that someone would eventually come save the Knicks — who are in the finals for the first time since 1999. They missed the playoffs 16 times in the 27 seasons that followed, including a nine-year stretch (and it wasn't that long ago) where they failed to win a single playoff series. Whatever the approach was, it wasn't working.

Constructing a championship contender takes good luck — the Spurs know that part well, with a slew of good lottery fortunes including the one that landed them Wembanyama in 2023 — but also good leadership. It takes bold decisions, such as committing more than $100 million to a former second-round pick in Brunson who had largely been a backup in Dallas, or trading a whopping five first-round picks to land Mikal Bridges, who has never even been an All-Star but has become an integral part of this Knicks run.

“It took a long time for us to get here,” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said. “It took a village.”

The Knicks can say the same. They just took a different route.

Rose was hired in March 2020. He was a longtime agent, and James was one of the players once on his talent roster. Rose's arrival was right near the end of a typically turbulent season in New York, when the coach (David Fizdale) had been fired early in the season, and later the president who fired him (Steve Mills) was also ousted.

One of Rose's first moves was to hire the coach who would set the organization's standard and culture — Tom Thibodeau. And Thibodeau won, though evidently didn't win enough. So, the Knicks turned to Brown this season, another example of the constant tinkering.

The Spurs, meanwhile, embrace continuity. They haven't had a coaching search in more than three decades; Gregg Popovich named himself coach in 1996 and when he had a stroke in November 2024, Mitch Johnson replaced him on an interim basis. Johnson got the job full-time last spring, and it was never a question that the Spurs were going in that direction.

“This team,” Johnson said, “has now been pretty damn consistent for a long time.”

Not the Knicks, who became a league laughingstock.

Hall of Famers such as Isiah Thomas and Phil Jackson were given the keys to the franchise, only to crash it. Jeff Hornacek lost more than 100 games in two seasons, and Derek Fisher (96) and Fizdale (83) would have if they’d gotten to finish their second.

Free agents such as Joakim Noah flopped. High draft picks (Frank Ntilikina, Jordan Hill, Kevin Knox) were busts, and even when the Knicks got something right, such as drafting Kristaps Porzingis, they were so dysfunctional that he wanted out. They were a league-worst 17-65 in 2018-19, throwing lineups on the floor that included the likes of Emmanuel Mudiay, Lance Thomas, Noah Vonleh, Damyean Dotson and Allonzo Trier.

The summer before Rose arrived had been another massive miss in free agency for the Knicks. Durant and Kyrie Irving not only passed but went together to Brooklyn, and suddenly it seemed the Knicks weren't even the biggest deal in New York. It was similar to 2010, when the Knicks positioned themselves to sign two stars but watched James and Chris Bosh team up with Dwyane Wade in Miami.

The Knicks wanted to be the team playing the Heat in big playoff matchups back then. They watched the Spurs play that Heat team twice in the NBA Finals instead.

That Spurs era ended — Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili all retired — and the rebuild started. The ping-pong balls gave them Wembanyama, who made all things possible.

But many other moves, while not as flashy, were savvy.

Consider: in 2023, Philadelphia waived Julian Champagnie to sign Mac McClung before the dunk contest at All-Star weekend. McClung has appeared in 17 NBA games, while Champagnie made 18 3-pointers in the Western Conference finals. Advantage, Spurs.

“Everybody says it's all Victor, and don't get me wrong, he's unbelievable," former Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said earlier this season. “But that's a team they've put together. It's not just Victor. It's a team.”

The Knicks tried other flashy moves, like the 2019 summer where they got Julius Randle in free agency and RJ Barrett with the No. 3 pick in the draft. They eventually got turned into other moves; Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were dealt to Toronto in 2023 for OG Anunoby and Randle was part of the package that brought Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota to New York in a blockbuster on the eve of the 2024-25 season.

Along the way, Josh Hart — who had already played for three other teams — was acquired in a 2023 trade in which Rose sent out Cam Reddish, a former top-10 pick who isn't even in the NBA anymore. For Anunoby, who had been playing in the same division, it was clear that the Knicks were building something.

“Definitely progression,” Anunoby said, adding, “getting better and better each year.”

Rose doesn't talk about it. Staying out of the spotlight, he hasn't done interviews with Knicks reporters for five years and declined comment through a spokesman for this story.

But here the Knicks and Spurs are. The Finals. Different paths, same goal.

“I’m glad that this year we’re seeing ourselves start to mature," Towns said, "and round out what the vision was from Day 1.”

___

Reynolds reported from San Antonio.

___

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

Roanoke County officials announced Monday that Vilagi has been found safe.

Original:

Roanoke County Police Department announced on Saturday that they are searching for missing 16-year-old Lillian Alexis Vilagi.

Police say Vilagi was last seen the morning of Friday, May 29.

Vilagi is described as 5′2″, around 145 lbs, having hazel eyes, as well as brown/purple hair with earrings and a nose piercing.

If you have seen Vilagi, or are aware of her whereabouts, please contact the Roanoke County Police (540) 562-3265 or any local law enforcement entity.

He hung up the phone when then-U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter called him in November 2022 with the decision to leave Pepi off the World Cup roster.

Flash forward to this May 22. Pepi was a passenger in a car his father, Daniel, was driving in Dallas when current coach Mauricio Pochettino's WhatsApp video popped in with the message sent to this year's American 26.

“I showed it to him and he immediately started just like crying a little bit," Pepi said. “Being left off is obviously not nice, but I feel like (I've been) using that in a good way to be in this World Cup. I felt like it helped me grow. It matured me a little bit.”

Known to his teammates as Rico, Pepi is among three forwards vying for playing time along with Folarin Balogun and Haji Wright ahead of the Americans' World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 12. He has 13 goals in 36 international appearances entering the team's final warmup match, against Germany on Saturday.

“Pepi is a killer,” Pochettino said last week.

Still only 23, Pepi has had a career full of experiences. When Berhalter bypassed him for 2022, Pepi scored in his next game with Dutch club Groningen.

“He probably deserved to be on the last roster,” U.S. star Christian Pulisic said. “He’s continued to work really hard when he’s in camp. At his club level, he continues to keep a high level, scores goals, does all the things well, and that’s why his time is now and he absolutely deserves to be here.”

Defender Antonee Robinson took the lead among teammates in consoling Pepi four years ago.

“Just called me to make sure that I was OK,” Pepi said.

Born in El Paso, Texas, to Mexican parents, Pepi joined the academy of Dallas’ Major League Soccer team in 2016 after playing for its youth affiliate in El Paso. He made his MLS debut in 2019, the same year he appeared for the U.S. at the Under-17 World Cup with future national team members Gio Reyna and Joe Scally.

After just 2 1/2 years with Dallas that included the coronavirus-truncated 2020 season, Pepi moved to Germany at age 18 in January 2022 with Augsburg. He failed to score in 16 games and was loaned early in the 2022-23 season to Groningen. He couldn't help avoid relegation and Pepi transferred to PSV Eindhoven for 2023-24.

His 2024-25 season was cut short when he tore the meniscus in his right knee during a Champions League game against Liverpool that Jan. 29. He rebounded to score 19 goals over 34 matches in all competitions in his third season with PSV, including three in the Champions League, despite a broken right arm that sidelined from between Jan. 10 and Feb. 21.

A possible move to the Premier League with Fulham didn't get finalized in the last winter transfer window.

“Just looking at myself four years ago, obviously the player that I am now is way different, just better in those small spaces, just improved my game,” he said. “Being 18 years old going to Europe is obviously a big change. But I feel that I’ve been able to adapt now, been able compete now with a big team.”

Pepi committed to the U.S. senior national team rather than Mexico in August 2021 after discussions with his family, then scored the go-ahead goal and added two assists in his international debut to spark a come-from-behind 4-1 win at Honduras in the opening qualifier for the 2022 World Cup. He scored both goals in the 2-0 home win over Jamaica the next month.

“He has this instinct, and it’s really hard to teach that to players,” Berhalter said after those games five years ago. "He has an instinct to score.”

Pepi made a perfectly weighted pass to Pulisic for the second goal in Sunday's 3-2 friendly win over Senegal.

“He is a player that has the capacity to read where is the space to the ball, arrive (on) the ball and have the possibility to score and to create chances sometimes from nowhere," Pochettino said.

___

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

Centra released the following statement on Monday:

As part of a comprehensive effort to meet our mission today and in the decades ahead, Centra is restructuring certain areas to strengthen how we care for the community. This restructuring means approximately 90 individuals will be laid off, about one percent of Centra’s total workforce, effective this week. Of those, approximately 35 individuals are being given the opportunity to fill open positions at Centra for which they are qualified. We continue to hire in key areas, including clinical roles and services such as nurses and providers. In addition to today’s action, over the last several months, we have used natural attrition and not replaced people as they leave the organization and made smaller adjustments in some administrative functions.

Decisions to restructure are never easy, especially when they impact valued colleagues. We extend our appreciation for those leaving the organization and their contributions and commitment to improving the health and quality of life for the communities we serve.

The restructure is part of a broader initiative to strengthen our ability to deliver high-quality, safe care for the communities we serve across central Virginia. We have identified opportunities to reduce redundancies, improve efficiency and align with industry benchmarks, particularly in administrative functions. Restructuring also helps us adapt to the significant pressures facing healthcare providers including reductions in government reimbursements, economic challenges, shifting demographics and evolving technologies.

Centra is taking a multi-faceted approach to reshaping how the organization cares for the community – expanding services and facilities where needed, restructuring or eliminating programs that no longer optimally meet patient or community needs, and implementing innovative programs to improve quality, safety and patient experience. We remain focused on our mission to improve the health and quality of life for the communities it serves.

Centra spokesperson

More than 1,500 pages of files relating to the appointment of Mandelson, a friend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as envoy to Washington at the start of U.S. President Donald Trump's second term were released by the government to comply with a demand by lawmakers.

They shed new light on the contentious decision and heap more embarrassment on beleaguered Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Among the documents is a note from Mandelson to then Foreign Secretary David Lammy in November 2024, before his appointment, pledging that the government would “never regret” giving him the post.

Starmer fired Mandelson after nine months when new details emerged about his friendship with Epstein, and fallout from the misjudged appointment has left the prime minister fighting for his job.

Alex Burghart, a lawmaker for the opposition Conservative Party, said that the decision to appoint Mandelson "is a failure that will define this prime minister’s premiership.

“It is a failure that will be written as his political epitaph,” he said.

Mandelson's security vetting process

A first trove of files published in March revealed ministers had been warned that Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein exposed the government to “reputational risk.”

It was later disclosed that Mandelson had been approved for the ambassador’s job despite failing security checks, a revelation that sparked bitter blame-trading between Starmer and senior civil servants.

The files released Monday show officials from multiple departments discussing Mandelson’s security vetting, a process that National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell described in previously released files as “weirdly rushed.”

One senior Foreign Office official said the primary issue was “trying to get 101 things done in a very short period of time.”

In one email, Mandelson asked vetting officials if he needed to tell them about “literally every foreign national I have ever met.” A Foreign Office official suggested he "send over the handful of names you mentioned. ... That will reassure the vetting team that you’ve been comprehensive, even if it’s all quite artificial.”

It remains unclear why Mandelson failed security checks. The summary of his vetting wasn’t among the documents released, as it's part of a police investigation into Mandelson for alleged misconduct in public office.

Officials have said ties to Epstein are not the reason he failed the vetting. A background report drawn up by officials before Mandelson was appointed, released by the government in March, flagged business ties to Russia and China as a concern.

Also missing is any record of what measures, if any, were taken to mitigate the risk of giving Mandelson the job.

Mandelson refused to hand over information from his personal phone to officials, and the government “has no further recourse to search the personal devices of Peter Mandelson,” the documents say.

Mandelson, 72, was briefly arrested in February by detectives investigating allegations that he passed sensitive government information to Epstein when he was a Cabinet minister more than 15 years ago. He was released without bail conditions as the investigation continues.

Mandelson was seen as a Trump whisperer

Critics say Starmer’s decision to appoint Mandelson is evidence of bad judgment by a prime minister who has made repeated missteps since he led the center-left Labour Party to a landslide election victory in July 2024.

But at the time, many saw it as a savvy move to deal with an unpredictable president.

“I fear that navigating Britain’s interests through the Trump administration will require super-human skills and luck and a massive team effort,” Mandelson said in his November 2024 note to Lammy.

Mandelson’s expertise as a former European Union trade chief, charm and network of global contacts were considered assets in securing a trade deal with the Trump administration. It seemed to pay off, with a successful visit by Starmer to the White House in February 2025 followed by a U.K.-U.S. trade deal announced that May.

In a letter to Starmer before the trip, Mandelson said “America first is the lodestar of his administration,” and the White House under Trump "will play the international system by a different set of rules.”

Mandelson noted in an email that the prime minister and president had developed a “strong personal bond.”

Starmer’s relationship with Trump later soured after the U.K. declined to join U.S.-Israeli strikes and other efforts in the Iran war. Some aspects of the trade deal remain incomplete.

Documents expose unflattering comments about Starmer

Details about Mandelson’s ties to Epstein, revealed in a huge trove of files published by the U.S. Justice Department in January, raised new questions about Starmer’s judgment, driving opponents and some Labour lawmakers to call for the prime minister’s resignation.

Those calls intensified after Labour suffered big losses in local elections in May. A senior Cabinet minister, Wes Streeting, resigned with the intention of challenging Starmer for the Labour leadership. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is running for a seat in Parliament in a June 18 special election, and is also expected to challenge Starmer if he wins.

The documents show that behind closed doors, Mandelson didn’t always give Starmer his full-throated support, and that government ministers also despaired at Starmer's lack of leadership within months of him taking office.

“Keir is not leading from the front,” Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said in a May 2025 WhatsApp exchange with Mandelson.

Mandelson's verdict was "Keir lacks verve.” He said that the government needed to act, “dare I say it ... in a more Trumpian risk taking and dare devil way.”

In July, he despaired that the government was “beleaguered and bereft,” and ministers don't "really know what Keir thinks or wants.

“In fact most of them don’t think Keir knows what he wants,” Mandelson said.

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Brian Melley and Sylvia Hui contributed to this report.

The nominal ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. has been repeatedly tested with back-and-forth attacks, though officials from both countries are still trying to negotiate an end to the war. It’s not clear how close they are to a deal — and there is always the risk that an attack could derail those talks.

Fighting has also been escalating between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, despite their nominal ceasefire, and that has increasingly threatened the emerging deal to extend the Iran war ceasefire.

On Monday afternoon U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to dial back their fighting after he held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and communicated with Hezbollah through mediators. Moments later, though, Israel said it had detected missile launches from Lebanon and warned Israelis in part of northern Israel to take cover in protected spaces.

Meantime, Iran maintained its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global energy supplies and driving up the price of fuel around the world, with far-reaching consequences. A cargo ship came under attack off Iraq Monday afternoon, the British military said.

Fighting in Lebanon poses risks to Iran ceasefire

Israel has extended its occupation deep into Lebanon, and Hezbollah — which joined the war in support of its main backer, Iran — continues to launch drones into Israel.

Iran wants any agreement to include Lebanon, and its foreign ministry on Monday highlighted the rising tensions in Lebanon, saying via government media: “The responsibility of the results and consequences of this situation is on the U.S.”

In his social media post about Israel and Hezbollah scaling back their fighting, Trump added that talks with Iran “are continuing, at a rapid pace.”

In Pakistan, which has been a mediator between Washington and Tehran, a former ambassador to the U.S. said that Israel’s actions in Lebanon were complicating the diplomatic environment.

“Israel is creating a new strategic reality in its neighborhood,” Masood Khan told The Associated Press.

US military attacks Iran

The U.S. military’s Central Command said it carried out the strikes in Iran on Saturday and Sunday around the city of Geruk and on Qeshm Island, hitting air defenses, a ground control station and two attack drones it said threatened ships in the region.

“The measured and deliberate strikes occurred ... in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters,” Central Command said.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is at a trickle compared to before the war, with ship owners deterred by the risk of an Iranian attack. Only 36 ships transited the waterway in the seven days leading up to to Friday, a third of them carrying crude oil or petroleum products, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, which counts only ships big enough to carry globally significant amounts of oil or cargo. That compares to an average of more than 130 ships per day before the war began.

A fifth of all the world's traded oil and natural gas once passed through the strait. Its closure has put pressure not only on energy supplies but on chemical fertilizer, generating fears of food shortages. The Gulf region produces 30% of globally traded chemical fertilizers.

Kuwait reports incoming fire

Kuwait said its air defenses opened fire early Monday morning to intercept incoming drone and missile fire.

Around the same time, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it responded to an American attack without saying where, likely referring to the attack on Kuwait. In a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, the Guard said that U.S. forces had targeted a telecommunications tower.

Kuwait is home to U.S. Army Central, the Mideast forward command for the Army.

Iranian state television shared footage of the ballistic missile launch, including a close-up showing a sticker on its body depicting a bruised Trump overlaid on a “closed” Strait of Hormuz with the caption: “Until the last American soldier leaves the region.”

Central Command said U.S. forces shot down two ballistic missiles Iran launched toward bases home to American troops. No Americans were hurt, it added.

Attacks rattle ceasefire talks

Over the weekend, the U.S. fired a missile into the engine room of a Gambia-flagged cargo ship trying to break its blockade of Iranian ports.

On Monday, a cargo ship off Umm Qasr, Iraq, was struck by a projectile that caused a “large explosion,” the British military said. It offered no other details, and no one claimed the attack. Iran previously has attacked ships off Iraq.

Trump met with advisers on Friday but has yet to decide on whether to move ahead with a deal to extend the ceasefire and reopen the strait. Iran has said the deal had not been finalized.

The U.S. and Israel launched the war with strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Trump has offered shifting goals for the conflict, although preventing Iran from building a nuclear weapon is among them. Iran has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, though it has highly enriched uranium that could be made weapons-grade. Iran has enough of the material to build several nuclear weapons, should it choose to do so.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance suggested last week that negotiators were trying to strike general terms on Iran’s nuclear program, with the specifics to be hammered out in the ensuing talks.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday again accused the U.S. of “constantly” changing its positions.

“We are negotiating in an atmosphere of mistrust," Baghaei told journalists.

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Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, and Jennifer Peltz in New York, contributed to this report.

Shortly after her release was confirmed by the Colorado Department of Corrections, Peters appeared on the program of Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser who was part of the right-wing campaign to free Peters. Gov. Jared Polis said he would shorten Peters' sentence if she expressed regret about her actions.

But in her interview with Bannon, Peters repeated the debunked conspiracy theory that voting machines cheated Trump out of reelection in 2020 and portrayed herself as a martyr to the effort to expose it.

“I know that the Democrats are going to cheat, and no one is really addressing the problem that I spent my time in prison as retribution for,” Peters said.

Multiple reviews, recounts and audits in the battleground states where Trump disputed his 2020 loss have all affirmed that Democrat Joe Biden won. Dominion Voting Systems, the company used for Colorado elections, has also succeeded in multiple defamation cases against conservative news outlets and others who repeated the false claims that its voting systems were somehow manipulated to change the outcome.

Trump's pressure campaign

Peters’ sentence was shortened by Polis last month after Trump waged a lengthy pressure campaign against the governor and his state. Peters served less than a quarter of her nine-year sentence.

“She really is extremely grateful to Donald Trump,” Peters’ attorney, Peter Ticktin, said in an interview. “If it weren’t for Donald Trump, she’d still be behind bars.”

In her interview with Bannon, Peters said she plans to spend “the next few weeks regaining my health and with loved ones and family." She said she is interested in becoming involved in prison reform and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4.

Peters also is challenging her conviction, a case her attorneys hope to take to the U.S. Supreme Court if needed. She told Bannon she will "fight to clear my name and bring out the truth of why they came after me the way they did.”

Peters was the first local election official to be charged with breaching security after the 2020 election. She snuck in an outside computer expert affiliated with My Pillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell — who himself denied that Trump lost the White House in 2020 — and the person copied the county's Dominion Voting Systems computer server as it was updated in 2021.

Peters then joined Lindell onstage at a “cybersymposium” that promised to reveal proof that the election was rigged. Video and photos of the computer system upgrade, including passwords, were posted online. The move stoked false claims that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election from Trump.

Last year, a federal jury found that Lindell had defamed a former Dominion employee over claims related to the 2020 election.

Peters was convicted in 2024 of attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, violation of duty and other crimes by jurors in Mesa County, a Republican stronghold that supported Trump. An appeals court upheld her conviction in April, but ordered Peters to be resentenced because it said the judge who sent her to prison wrongly punished her for speaking out about election fraud.

Trump had championed Peters' case, but because she was convicted under state law, he did not have the power to pardon her. Instead, the president pressured Polis to do so, lambasting him on social media and disinviting him to a White House meeting with other governors. The Trump administration also announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado and relocated the U.S. Space Command to Alabama.

Polis commuted Peters' sentence on May 15. In a letter, he wrote that although Peters was convicted of serious crimes and deserved to spend time in prison, the sentence was “extremely unusual and lengthy” for a first-time non-violent offender.

Polis launched a Substack over the weekend and his first post was a lengthy explanation of his reasoning in pardoning Peters. He said he was concerned about the First Amendment implications of Peters' sentence and didn't want to leave her in prison while she waited for the legal fight over that to conclude in the courts.

“I wanted to provide finality to this case, and as Governor I used my constitutional power of clemency to do what I believe is right,” Polis wrote.

Democratic backlash against Polis

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, on Monday released a statement warning that the release will “embolden the election denier movement.”

Colorado’s Democratic Party has already censured Polis for the pardon, and the state’s Democratic politicians kept piling on Monday.

“Tina Peters is walking free. A felon, convicted by a jury of her peers, walking free,” Sen. Michael Bennet, who is running for the Democratic nomination for governor, said in a video he released shortly after Peters’ release.

Lawrence Pacheco, a spokesperson for Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who also is running for governor, said the state’s top prosecutor “remains concerned about her conduct upon returning to Mesa County given her lack of remorse for her crimes.”

They tied the knot Sunday at Old Marylebone Town Hall.

Photographs of the couple leaving the town hall began to circulate on social media Sunday, depicting Lipa, 30, in a white skirt suit by Schiaparelli, news outlets reported, citing a press release. She also wore a wide-brimmed hat and matching gloves. Turner, 36, was shown in a custom, blue, double-breasted jacket with matching pants, shirt and tie by Ferragamo.

Representatives for Lipa and Turner did not immediately respond to AP’s request for comment.

The pair first sparked relationship rumors at the beginning of 2024.

Lipa confirmed her engagement to Turner last year after months of speculation in a cover story for British Vogue’s July issue. Fans had theorized the ring Lipa began sporting in photos in December 2024 signaled an engagement.

The London-born, British Albanian singer is celebrated for revitalizing a disco-pop sound in the musical mainstream, beginning with the release of her 2017 self-titled album and carrying through 2020’s “Future Nostalgia” and 2024’s “Radical Optimism.”

“Dance music has such a long history of creating such a safe space. And I just want to embody that,” she told the AP.

She has won three Grammys and boasts five top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

Turner is known for his roles in the “Fantastic Beasts” movies as well as the George Clooney-directed “The Boys in the Boat” and World War ll drama series “Masters of the Air” on Apple TV+. He recently starred opposite Elizabeth Olsen in “Eternity,” a clever romantic comedy about the afterlife.

The 33-year-old receiver signed with the Giants on Monday after visiting and working out with them in April.

The Giants also signed receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios, according to a person with knowledge of the moves. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because those deals had not been announced.

Beckham joined after wideout Gunner Olszewski tore his right Achilles tendon in an offseason workout practice last week. There is also uncertainty at the position with Malik Nabers recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee and no guarantee he will be ready to play by Week 1 in September.

Drafted 12th overall by the Giants in 2014, Beckham spent his first five professional seasons with them before getting traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2019. The top draft pick New York received for Beckham was used on defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this spring.

Beckham did not play in the NFL last year, when he served a six-game suspension for failing a performance-enhancing drug test. He suited up for nine games with the Miami Dolphins in 2024, making nine catches for 55 yards.

Smith-Schuster, 29, had 33 catches for 345 yards and a touchdown last season with Kansas City, starting 12 games and appearing in all 17 for the Chiefs.

Berrios, 30, is a return specialist whose addition is a direct reaction to Olszewski getting injured.

General manager Joe Schoen and new coach John Harbaugh have been adding receivers since free agency opened in May. The Giants signed Calvin Austin, Darnell Mooney and Ryan Miller and brought back Isaiah Hodgins after losing slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson to Tennessee following his 1,000-yard season.

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

In the early 2000s, Berger, then a Jackson Hole resident, was among the loudest voices urging land and wildlife managers to take steps to ensure that pronghorn could continue moving across a fragmented landscape that was on the front end of the Pinedale Anticline and Jonah field natural gas boom.

In 2003, Berger authored a paper provocatively titled, “Is it acceptable to let a species go extinct in a national park?” That came at a time when then-Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal was wary about protecting the southern reaches of the corridor — a hesitation shared by Sublette County elected officials and the Bureau of Land Management. Safeguards for the migrating pronghorn stalled except in the northern portion of the corridor, where in 2008 the U.S. Forest Service protected some 47,000 acres via a Bridger-Teton National Forest plan amendment.

Very slowly, times changed. A continued push to conserve the perilous passages animals encounter along a route dubbed the Path of the Pronghorn overcame inertia and skepticism.

This week, Berger was enthused to see Wyoming reach the penultimate step of a state-led process for protecting the route. A Gov. Mark Gordon-appointed working group completed its review of the migration corridor, agreeing to recommendations soon headed for the governor’s desk.

“Wyoming sometimes leads, and Wyoming sometimes lags way behind,” Berger told WyoFile. “It’s really nice to see Wyoming, after a quarter of a century, step up and formally declare how important migration corridors are.”

In Pinedale, where the 11-person stakeholder group convened Friday, audience members shared their appreciation for a process that’s almost done.

“I know it doesn’t feel like it — working through Google Docs in real time — but this is actually a historic moment,” Wyoming Outdoor Council staffer Meghan Riley told the working group. “This is the first time that the state has ever gone through the full designation process under the executive order. And it’s the very first time the state has ever tried to do this for pronghorn.”

“I hope you can all pat yourselves on the back,” she added, “and feel good about tackling this.”

Green River resident Bill Ames, a retired land surveyor who’s been a spokesman for the migration, was also effusive. He praised a plan that’s particularly permissive of development and “isn’t going to hurt” economically, yet still protects an “iconic species of Wyoming.”

“What an achievement,” Ames said. “I had no expectation that this would come out this way, this fast, with a very diverse group. Thank you.”

Division over designating the corridors used by the highly migratory Sublette Pronghorn Herd has been a through line of the protracted process. Over seven years ago, extractive industries, counties and agriculture-oriented groups coalesced to halt Game and Fish’s first attempt to protect the landscapes the herd migrates through. In the aftermath, Gordon introduced, via an executive order, a new migration policy that created the process with the working group.

The process culminates in a decision by Gordon or a future governor.

Sara DiRienzo, Gordon’s deputy policy advisor, explained to the working group that she’d be cleaning up the final set of draft recommendations that members fine-tuned on Friday and would give them one more chance to catch typos and make small changes. Then, she said, they’d get presented to the governor “for his review and decision.”

Some resistance to designating the migration corridor remained from industries and counties until the end.

At the onset of Friday’s meeting, working group member and Sublette County Commissioner Lynn Bernard clarified that his elected body still had reservations about designating the route.

“The position of the county (is) we’re thankful, but we’ll control our own county,” Bernard said.

Ultimately, however, none of the 11 working group members voted completely against the idea of designating the migration corridor.

One member, oil and gas industry representative Jasmine Allison, voted to let the designation go forward with “serious reservations.” Two others, agriculture industry representative Mike Henn and mining industry representative Craig Rood, voted to designate “with reservation.” The other eight members were fully on board.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has not yet formally announced what mule deer or pronghorn migration is next in the queue to go through the state’s designation process. There are dozens of known, mapped routes to choose from.

In 2019, the state agency started the process of designating the landscapes used by the Wyoming Range Mule Deer Herd, though those proposed protections remain in a state of limbo.

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This story was originally published by WyoFile and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

The two people remain unaccounted for since a search and rescue operation began last month in a rugged area of Xaisomboun province, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the capital, Vientiane. Five of the seven people initially trapped inside the cave have been rescued.

Malaysian diver Lee Kian Lie, who is involved in the operation, said workers were pumping water out of the cave.

“We will go into the suspected area to continue the search if the water level is lowered,” he told The Associated Press.

Another team of rescuers is also looking around the other side of the cave in hopes of finding a dry passage that could provide access to the area where the missing people are believed to be trapped, he said.

Rescue teams from Laos and neighboring Thailand have been working together for more than a week. They were joined by divers from countries including Finland, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, France and Australia.

Several of the rescuers previously took part in the complicated 2018 cave rescue in northern Thailand that saved 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave.

Laos's Rescue Volunteer for People group posted on its Facebook page that heavy rain caused “massive amounts of water” to flow down into the area, forcing them to suspend operations on Sunday night.

Kengkaj Bongkawong, head of the Thai group Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin, said workers are also looking for air shafts from above that may provide access into the cave.

“The team and I have used a radar scanner and satellite images and many other things as a basis for our navigation of the mountain,” he said.

In remarks on his Facebook page, Kengkaj warned that even if a suitable alternative entrance is found, “it's going to be a very tough job,” with access difficult and the constant problem of continuing rain flooding the cave.

It would require not only pumping water out, but also installing equipment to keep ventilating the cave's air supply, he said.

Rescuers believe the two missing people are trapped deeper inside the cave than the location where the five survivors were originally found on Wednesday. But the passage into that area is said to be very narrow and heavily flooded.

The villagers reportedly entered the cave nearly two weeks ago to look for valuable minerals such as gold before being trapped by a flash flood that blocked their way out. One other villager escaped and alerted the authorities.

The first man was safely extracted on Friday, guided through a narrow flooded passage by an expert diver. The remaining four left the cave on Saturday after the water receded enough for them to walk out on their own, rescuers said.

The Sentry will be played Jan. 27-30 next year on the North and South courses at Torrey Pines, the municipal course in San Diego that has been part of the PGA Tour schedule since 1968. The tournament will end on Saturday to avoid a conflict with the NFL’s conference championship games.

Still to be determined is where The Sentry falls when the PGA Tour completes a revamped schedule as early as 2028. It will be the second tournament of 2027, one week after The American Express about two hours away in La Quinta, California.

Sentry had been title sponsor at Kapalua dating to 2018. It started as a winners-only field and then expanded to include the top 50 in the FedEx Cup. But the tournament was not held in 2026 because of a water dispute on Maui that made it unlikely the Plantation course could be ready.

The tour subsequently did away with the Hawaii swing (Kapalua and the Sony Open on Oahu) and found a good spot for Sentry at Torrey Pines when Farmers Insurance did not renew as title sponsor.

The San Diego tournament dates to 1952. Next year will be the 60th time at Torrey Pines, which also has hosted the U.S. Open in 2008 and 2021.

“For 75 years the PGA Tour has hosted elite competition in San Diego, including the last 60 at revered Torrey Pines, and we are proud to build upon that legacy and longtime philanthropic impact with our partners at Sentry Insurance,” PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said in a release.

The Century Club of San Diego will continue to run the tournament. In recent years, a change in sponsorship — such as the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow and the Cognizant Classic of the Palm Beaches — was taken over by the Championship Management arm of the PGA Tour.

“We’re excited to partner with Sentry, a longtime partner of the PGA Tour, and widely known for their reputation for impactful community engagement,” said Marty Gorsich, CEO of the Century Club of San Diego.

Justin Rose won the Farmers Insurance Open in January with a record score of 23-under 265 for a seven-shot victory, the first player to go wire-to-wire at Torrey Pines.

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

State leaders across the U.S. are signing off on extending bar and restaurant hours during the world’s most-watched sporting event. They want to help businesses and improve fan experiences, particularly for those who may have been priced out of tickets. Others see the move as a last-ditch effort to boost sales as expectations for a World Cup economic boon have dampened.

So far, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington — states either hosting World Cup matches or adjacent to the activity — have all approved various measures to extend hours for alcohol sales during the tournament. Similar proposals are being considered in New York and Massachusetts.

The changes mean that closing time won’t come until 4 a.m. in Philadelphia during the World Cup and America 250 celebrations. In Kansas City, some bars can stay open as late as 5 a.m.

Many of these changes are dependent on municipality approval, and no business would be required to extend business hours. But for the hospitality industry, already struggling under waning sales and inflation, the option to stay open later is welcomed.

Mark Prinzinger, owner of Lion Sports Bar in Philadelphia, described watching soccer with fans from all over the world as a “magical experience." Now that he has the option to keep his bar open two hours longer, he’s hired extra staff, streamlined the menus and planned late-night programming.

“People want to have a beer with other soccer fans and the great thing about the World Cup is that it brings people together from all over the world into one place to watch a sport that everybody loves,” he said.

Fans want an experience to remember

Prinzinger and other bar, restaurant and nightlife venues in Pennsylvania will be allowed to move their closing times from 2 a.m. until 4 a.m. during the World Cup and the America 250 anniversary celebrations, between June 11 and July 20. Gov. Josh Shapiro approved the legislation by releasing a video showing him cracking open a beer, signing off the social media post with a cheeky warning to the City of Brotherly Love's reputation for getting rowdy: “Celebrate responsibly, Philly.”

With more hours available to drink, some critics have raised concerns about public safety and potential strain on law enforcement even as the effort has received bipartisan support from lawmakers.

In Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas initially stated that his city “doesn't need bars operating 23 hours” during the World Cup and joked, “Worry not, if you want to drink a ton, bars can open quite early.”

Yet bar owners bristle under such opposition, saying that most businesses prioritize training staff to prevent patrons from being overserved.

“Just because people are hanging out at the bar watching a soccer game doesn’t mean they’re getting blitzed,” Prinzinger said. “In fact, I would say it’s completely the opposite. I think people want to watch the game. People want to be engaged.”

Rhode Island Rep. Teresa Tanzi agreed.

“Not everybody that’s going to walk into a place is going to be chugging drinks and getting loaded,” Tanzi, a Democrat, said earlier this month on the House floor. “There are going to be families who are going to want a cheeseburger, an American cheeseburger, and a Coca-Cola."

Rhode Island, which is closer than Boston is to World Cup matches host Gillette Stadium, is weighing whether to extend alcohol sales to 3 a.m. and closing times to 4 a.m. Currently, last call in the smallest U.S. state is 1 a.m., with some exceptions for its capital city of Providence.

Even Lucas relented, eventually submitting a plan allowing Kansas City restaurants and bars to remain open until 3 a.m., and certain establishments to remain open until 5 a.m. if they submit a security plan to the police department. Currently, alcohol sales can generally be made between 6 a.m. through 1:30 a.m.

The extended hours aren't entirely a U.S. trend. Pubs in England and Wales will be able to stay open as late as 2 a.m. if the English or Scottish teams are playing in the knockout stages after the U.K. government relaxed its licensing rules.

In Scotland, which has its own semiautonomous government, local authorities can allow pubs to stay open until 30 minutes after matches end.

Late-night demand remains to be seen

According to the World Cup schedule, a majority of games will be held from early afternoon through early evening. But a handful start later, with four games starting at midnight and eight games starting at 10 p.m. for those watching in the Eastern time zone.

Just how big of a demand there will be for late-night bites and drinks is somewhat unknown. In the U.S., consumer habits have shifted drastically ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, with more people choosing to go out earlier in the day and spending less overall, said David Henkes, senior principal at Technomic, a firm that monitors restaurant and food industry trends.

“It’s so hard to stay open late night or overnight just because it’s hard to find labor,” Henkes said. “I applaud the effort to give restaurants an opportunity to earn more revenue, but I’m not sure that there’s going to be significant enough demand for it to make sense for a lot of operators to do so.”

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Associated Press writer Brian Melley contributed from London.

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

The energy price spike triggered by the Iran war has seeped into the price of bonds that help fund the U.S. government. Interest rates on a 10-year U.S. Treasury note are topping 4.44%, up from 3.95% before the war started at the end of February. Average mortgage rates have climbed to their highest levels in nine months, while auto sales are slumping.

The challenge is global in scale, as interest rates have risen for multiple countries as the world has been adjusting to the prospect of higher inflation, mounting questions about the sustainability of government debt and a dramatic surge in investment in artificial intelligence.

Trump has tried to assure Americans that he has a plan to trim the roughly $1.8 trillion annual budget deficit. In the past, he has pointed to revenue from tariffs, payments from foreigners for his “Gold Card” visa, spending cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency, and faster economic growth. Last week, he said the fraud task force led by Vice President JD Vance would be the key to unlocking massive savings.

“If he does really great, we’ll have a balanced budget without having to do anything,” Trump said.

Economists say this is probably unrealistic

Economists say Trump’s strategies to meaningfully curb the deficit are unlikely to deliver the promised results.

The cost of servicing the national debt has tripled since 2021 to more than $1 trillion annually, said Jessica Riedl, a budget and tax fellow at the Brookings Institution.

“President Trump signed a tax cut bill that will likely add $5 trillion to 10-year deficits — and tariffs are offsetting only a small fraction of those costs,” she said. “Budget deficits are still projected to soar past $4 trillion annually within a decade under current policies.”

Deficits are expected to grow over the next decade as the costs of Social Security and Medicare outstrip tax revenues.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury rate climbed as high as 4.67% in the middle of May and has since eased as negotiations over the Iran ceasefire continued — just as rates initially climbed in 2025 because of Trump's “Liberation Day” tariffs and then began to decline once Trump backed off the most extreme increases.

When Kent Smetters, faculty director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model, broke down the math tied to rising 30-year Treasury yields, he estimated that 60% of the increase had come from the expectation that America will continue its outsized borrowing and the other 40% was tied to the inflation driven by the Iran war and Trump’s tariffs.

Glenn Hubbard, a former chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the George W. Bush administration, worries that the U.S. may no longer have the same borrowing capacity as before to effectively combat an economic crisis, such as the 2008 crash or the coronavirus pandemic.

“I don’t think we have the space that we had in 2008 or 2020 to deal with it,” said Hubbard, now a professor at Columbia University's Business School. “Washington doesn’t seem to be full of ideas — good or bad — to solve it.”

Interest rates are a concern for voters

Higher interest rates are giving Democratic candidates in the races to determine control of the House and Senate another line of attack at a time when voters are concerned about high costs for food and gasoline.

In Colorado’s fifth congressional district, Democrat Jessica Killin is leaning into the message that the persistent deficits and higher interest rates make it harder to buy or renovate a home, afford a new car or manage credit card debt.

“Things are already expensive,” said Killin, an Army veteran who was a top aide to Doug Emhoff, the former second gentleman. “We can already talk about gas, but the cost of borrowing only makes that worse.”

Joe Reagan, an Army veteran also seeking the Democratic nomination, said in an email that he is talking “a lot about fiscal stewardship” in his campaign. “Every dollar spent paying interest is a dollar that isn’t being invested in infrastructure, education, veterans’ services, or economic growth," he said.

They are challenging Republican Rep. Jeff Crank in a district that their party views as a potential pickup. Killin said the deficit is an example of how “Trump says one thing and does the opposite.”

In his March 2025 address to Congress, Trump declared that “in the near future, I want to do what has not been done in 24 years: balance the federal budget. We’re going to balance it.”

Crank, the Republican incumbent, did not reply to requests for comment.

Cutting fraud is the new deficit strategy

The administration maintains that it is going to steadily reduce budget deficits. As a share of the overall economy, the deficit last year was lower than it was in 2024, though that drop depended in part on tariff revenues that are subject to refunds after the Supreme Court ruled them to be illegal.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week cited a report showing that there was as much as $500 billion annually in fraudulent government spending that could be eliminated, “so that would reduce the deficit substantially.”

Bessent appeared to draw that conclusion from a 2024 report by the Government Accountability Office that estimated there had been between $233 billion to $521 billion each year in fraudulent spending. But those numbers were drawn in part from the pandemic era when the government borrowed heavily to stabilize the economy.

The White House and Treasury did not respond to questions about the source of Bessent’s claims.

On deficits, Bessent told reporters at the White House that the administration was essentially dealt a bad hand from former President Joe Biden, a Democrat. “We inherited the worst budget deficit in history — in history — when we were not in a recession or not at war,” Bessent said.

Bessent had previously announced that the administration would aim to reduce the annual deficit to 3% of overall U.S. gross domestic product. It’s roughly double that percentage currently and Bessent did not directly answer a question about the timeline for hitting his target.

As of now, investors continue to buy shares in U.S. companies, causing the stock market to increase in value in a sign of confidence in America’s economic potential. But the increase in interest rates also suggests that investors view the national debt as a vulnerability for the U.S.

The financial markets might be able to inflict enough pain with higher rates in order to compel political leaders to address the systemic imbalances. Multiple economists said they expected that markets would force the deficit issue before voters would.

Hubbard emphasized that the whole bond market system rests on the trust that the debt will be repaid. He noted that the word “credit” is linked to a Latin term that is also the root of the word creed about a system of beliefs.

“That is what debt is about: I believe you will pay me back,” Hubbard said. “That works until it doesn’t.”

Also among the points of emphasis for referees and officials: a commitment to issuing red cards to any player who covers his mouth while talking to an opponent in a “confrontational situation," FIFA said.

“We are continuing on trying to achieve an objective, which is to eliminate from matches — as much as possible — the disruption of the tempo of the match," said Pierluigi Collina, FIFA chief refereeing officer and chair of the referees committee.

Other issues that referees will be mindful of during the tournament:

— If a player leaves the field of play after being angered by an official's decision, a red card can be issued.

— To speed up play, referees can institute a five-second visual countdown on goal kicks and throw-ins. If the goal kick is not taken before the end of that countdown, a corner kick will be awarded to the opposing team. If the throw-in is not executed by the end of the five-second count, a throw-in for the opponents will be the reward. It's along the same lines of the so-called eight-second goalkeeper rule that has been in place for some time to release the ball after making a save.

— Players getting subbed off must leave the field within 10 seconds, except for special situations such as ones involving injuries or a security issue.

— The protocol for Video Assistant Referee, or VAR, is being clarified in certain areas. VAR can be used to check when red cards are issued following a clearly incorrect second yellow card, or when cards are issued in the case of mistaken identity. Incorrectly awarded corner kicks can also be checked by VAR, FIFA said.

Players covering their mouth with a hand, arm or shirt will be given red cards if referees deem it not to be a friendly conversation, FIFA said. Conversations that are not confrontational but still have players shielding their mouths from public view will continue to be permitted without penalty.

“Confrontational ... a completely different story,” Collina said.

There has also been a clarification on VAR protocol “regarding clear offenses committed by the attacking team before the ball is in play at a corner kick or free kick” that directly impacts goals, penalty kicks or sanctions.

VAR can be used in those moments and “if the referee determines that an offense occurred before the ball was in play, the appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.”

But all the emphasis on speedy play won't necessarily mean quicker matches. There will be three-minute water breaks midway through each half of every match, FIFA said.

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

With no fanfare other than a social media post, the NBA announced Sunday that the image of the Larry O'Brien Trophy — the one given to the winner of the finals — will be painted at midcourt for games at both the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio and Madison Square Garden in New York for this season's title series.

Also back: the script logo for “The Finals" — to be on either side of the court. The series between the Spurs and Knicks starts Wednesday in San Antonio.

It's the first time since the 2009 finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic that the title series will feature the trophy logo at midcourt. The finals wordmark and logo last appeared on the court during the 2014 finals between the Spurs and the Miami Heat.

The league started using the finals wordmark on the court for the title round in 1989, went to a combined wordmark and trophy in 2004, then had the prominent trophy logo at midcourt from 2005 through 2009.

Fans had turned to social media in recent years to complain that the court lacked the finals flair. The league commissions alternate courts for events like NBA Cup games, and some fans wondered aloud about the lack of consistency — special courts for the in-season tournament, but no special markings for the finals.

This year's version comes with a new twist: the center court trophy logo will be integrated with the participating team's own branding.

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

The study, by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, compared occupations that can be done remotely — such as software development — with those that are done in person, such as nursing. The study finds that the unemployment rate among young college graduates in “remotable” jobs rose by about 1 percentage point from 2017-2019 to 2022-2024.

Yet for older workers in those fields — those aged 29 and over — the jobless rate declined slightly, leading to a notably higher unemployment rate for younger college graduates in remotable occupations compared with older workers.

Yet in non-remotable jobs, there has been little gap in the unemployment rates between older and younger college grads, the study finds. A similar pattern exists for those without college degrees, the New York Fed said.

The study, led by New York Fed research economist Natalia Emanuel, concludes that businesses are reluctant to hire new college grads into remote work because it is harder to train and mentor them if they work outside of the office. The authors of the study calculate that remote work is responsible for nearly two-thirds of the rise in the unemployment rate for young college graduates since the pandemic.

“Remote work has weakened incentives to hire young workers by impeding on-the-job training,” the study said. “Employers may not want to hire fresh graduates onto distributed teams because it is more difficult to teach them the requisite skills from afar."

The study lands amid widespread concern over the employment prospects of college graduates as artificial intelligence makes inroads into a variety of white-collar jobs, including finance, law, entertainment, and media. This spring, college graduates have been booing references to AI during commencement speeches.

But the study notes that the worsening employment picture for young college grads pre-dates the development of artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT. And when the authors looked at the exposure different occupations had to AI, it found that AI had little impact on youth unemployment.

The unemployment rate for college grads under 29 rose 20% from before the pandemic to 3.7%, on average, in 2022-2025, the New York Fed said. For college grads aged 22 through 27, unemployment reached 5.8% last year, the highest outside the pandemic since 2012.

The study's findings are consistent with the low-hire, low-fire state of the job market, where layoffs are low and the unemployment rate is mostly stable, but those out of work are struggling to find new jobs.

The New York Fed study also looked at detailed data from an unnamed Fortune 500 tech company and found that its hiring patterns mirrored what they had seen in the broader data.

When the company's offices were closed and staff worked remotely, “the firm hired fewer inexperienced workers and more experienced workers, who might need less mentorship to do their jobs well," the study said.

“Once its offices reopened, the company shifted back to hiring younger workers,” the study said. But even after the reopening, the company favored more experienced workers for teams that included remote work.

Berry, who later coached the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX, died May 25, the Pro Football Hall of Fame said Monday.

His family said in a statement that Berry died peacefully at home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, surrounded by family, including his wife of 65 years, Sally.

“In NFL history, there are only a handful of players who we can say truly changed the sport. Raymond Berry is one of the few names on that list,” Indianapolis Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said. “As a player during a historic era of Colts football, Raymond redefined the standard for what a wide receiver could and should be. ... Simply put, not only was Raymond Berry one the greatest players in the history of the Colts, but he was one of the most influential and foundational players of the modern NFL.”

A 20th-round draft pick out of SMU in 1954, the Texas native became a model for the virtues of hard work and determination. He had average speed, legs of different length, a bad back, imperfect eyesight and oversized feet that in high school gave him the nickname “Skis.” But he willed himself into a superstar through exhaustive preparation and study, whether using Silly Putty to strengthen his fingers or simulating entire games on the practice field.

He was among the most reliable receivers in league history, rarely dropping a pass and fumbling only twice, according to the Pro Football Reference website. By his own count, he developed 88 separate routes to get open, his discipline so unyielding that even his coach, Weeb Ewbank, tried to intervene.

“One of his drills was to throw nothing but bad balls to him,” Ewbank told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. “I used to have to run John (Unitas) off — ‘John, you’ve had enough throwing today’ — and he’d say, ‘Yeah, talk to that guy out there.’”

Over 13 seasons, Berry caught a then-record 631 passes (Jerry Rice is now the all-time leader, with 1,549) for 68 touchdowns, led the NFL in receptions three times and played in six Pro Bowls. A mainstay of one of the league’s top offenses, featuring Unitas, running back Lenny Moore and offensive lineman Jim Parker, Berry played on championship teams in 1958 and 1959 and a runner-up in 1964.

Berry was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1973, and was voted on to the league’s 50th anniversary and 75th anniversary teams. The Colts retired his uniform number, 82. SMU retired his number from college, 87.

A performance for the ages

Berry was at his peak during a signature day in NFL history: the 1958 finale against the Giants at Yankee Stadium, an overtime classic known by many as “The Greatest Game Ever Played." It was nationally televised and often cited as the starting point for the league’s rise over the following decades.

Playing against the NFL’s toughest defense, Berry caught 12 passes for 178 yards and one touchdown, including three consecutive receptions during the 86-yard drive that tied the game 17-17 in regulation, and two crucial grabs during the 80-yard drive that gave the Colts a 23-17 win. The league’s first championship to finish in overtime helped make Unitas a hero and Berry his ideal target.

“We worked and got to know each other and developed timing you just can’t get any other way,” Berry later told the radio program Sports & Torts. “He (Unitas) knew I was going to be there when I was supposed to be there and he knew I was going to catch it.”

A fight for drug testing

After retiring in 1967, Berry was a wide receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots, and head coach of the Pats from 1984-89. He finished 48-39 with New England, including an 11-5 season in 1985 and a trip to Super Bowl XX. The Patriots were crushed 46-10 by the Chicago Bears in that game.

“Raymond Berry holds a special place in Patriots history,” team owner Robert Kraft said. “He led our franchise to its first Super Bowl appearance following a remarkable playoff run, a milestone that was the greatest achievement in team history at the time.”

Kraft said Raymond left a lasting impact on the Patriots and the NFL.

Soon after the Super Bowl against the Bears, the Boston Globe revealed that several New England players had drug problems. Berry had been a source for the Globe story and his push for the team to agree to drug testing was forcefully opposed by the NFL players union.

Berry, a deeply religious man who didn’t drink or smoke, had personal reasons for supporting drug treatment. His former Colts teammate, All-Pro defensive tackle Gene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb, had struggled with addiction.

“They didn’t help him, they just cut him,” Berry told The Patriot Ledger in 1986. “Three years later, he was dead.”

His Texas roots

Berry married fellow Texan Sally Crook in 1960. They had three children.

He was born in Corpus Christi in 1933 and would credit some of his success to his high school coach, his father, Mark Raymond Berry, who taught his son the basics of football even if he didn’t play him much. He attended Schreiner College in Kerrville for a year before transferring to SMU, where during one crucial game he fumbled twice, mistakes he vowed not to commit in the pros.

With the Colts, he caught only 13 passes in his rookie season, but the following year the team signed a free agent quarterback cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers — Unitas. The two soon began practicing together.

“I didn’t know my butt from first base about how to run pass routes,” Berry told Sports & Torts. “If you saw both of us in training camp in 1956, you may have gone away sobbing. We were two pitiful football players, good grief.”

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

Making sure his son was OK was paramount considering Bowman's latest injury in a battle with vertigo that had the driver wondering if he'd ever drive again.

“I would say I’m as close to 100% as I’m going to get,” Bowman said before the Cracker Barrel 400 Cup Series race Sunday night.

Vertigo forced Bowman out of his No. 48 Chevrolet during the Cup race at Circuit of the Americas in Texas three months ago. He missed races at Phoenix and Las Vegas, and the decision not to drive for JR Motorsports at Darlington or Nashville in NASCAR's second-tier series was made in advance when Bowman was busy trying to figure out what caused his vertigo.

“Honestly, I forgot about it, and then I saw everybody confused this week," Bowman said. "My dad called me, he’s like, ‘Why aren’t you running that race?’ I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ So, yeah, I totally forgot about it.”

Bowman, who has more than 360 career Cup Series starts, has been driving for Hendrick Motorsports full time since the 2018 season and made the playoffs in all but one season. He missed five races in 2022 with a concussion and missed three races the next season with a broken back.

Now 33, Bowman wound up missing four Cup races after vertigo hit him hard March 1 with dizziness, a spinning sensation and nausea. That last part was the messiest inside the tight confines of a driver's seat.

"I was dizzy in the car and throwing up on myself in the car, spinning and kind of all that stuff,” Bowman said.

It was so bad Bowman got out of the car with about 20 laps left, replaced by Myatt Snider who had to scramble into a race suit after working as a pit spotter for the Fox broadcast. Anthony Alfredo drove Bowman's Cup car at Phoenix Raceway. Justin Allgaier took the seat in Las Vegas, Darlington and Martinsville.

Bowman's deal with JR Motorsports had him driving at Darlington and Nashville in a deal that splits the O'Reilly series schedule among five drivers. Kyle Larson finished eighth Saturday night with his turn behind the wheel.

Figuring out what caused Bowman's vertigo took priority in his latest injury. Vertigo usually results from inner ear issues. For Bowman, the spinning happened when he was in the car.

“It wasn’t like I was sitting at home spinning the whole time," Bowman said. "I was pretty fortunate that I felt OK in that sense. But yeah, it took a while to kind of figure out the causes and kind of be able to fix everything and get back feeling good enough to get back in a race car.”

It was frustrating because everything Bowman did to feel better left him feeling worse and worse wondering if his career might be at an end.

Bowman's spine with the back he broke in 2023 needed what he called "a tiny little operation" to help get his balance issues under control. He also continues with physical therapy to keep vertigo from returning.

Finally, it was like a light switched for Bowman suddenly feeling like himself again.

Now Bowman is focused on racing as NASCAR heads to Michigan this weekend. Bowman moved up one spot to 32nd in the points race after finishing 33rd at Nashville with his car in the garage. He was running well when Bubba Wallace's No. 23 Toyota slid down the track into the right rear of his Chevrolet on lap 204.

Bowman has eight career wins with his best season finish sixth in the Cup standings in 2020. He has missed the playoffs only once, but his last win was in 2024 at the Chicago street course.

He has 12 races left to climb into the playoff chase mix. It's been a different year with Bowman driving well at tracks he struggled at in past years helping him post a pair of top five finishes.

He's already managed his biggest win by getting his vertigo under control.

“I’m glad to be on the right side of it,” Bowman said.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

The explosive house fire that occurred in Roanoke on Friday was revealed to have been caused intentionally, Roanoke Fire-EMS said.

The Roanoke Fire Marshal’s Office determined the incident was intentionally caused by a man who poured gasoline through the residence before igniting the fuel. The fire then caused an explosion, as well as extensive damage to the home.

Authorities said the fire and explosion resulted in a family living next to the structure being displaced. Some neighbors also lost electrical service to their homes as a result.

Authorities identified the suspect as 56-year-old Michal Steven McClintic. He suffered extensive burns in the event and was taken to the Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment. He was later flown to VCU Health Evans-Haynes Burn Center, where he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, May 30.

Roanoke Fire-EMS thanked the Roanoke City Police Department and Virginia State Police for their assistance in the investigation.

UPDATE:

The Roanoke Fire Department announced Friday that five people have been displaced and one person was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after a house fire in the Valley View area.

According to officials, at 3:55 p.m., crews were dispatched to reports of a duplex on fire in the 2600 block of Dorchester Drive Northwest.

Initial reports indicated there was a patient in the front yard with critical injuries that self-extricated themselves from the home.

While en route to the fire, the team on Engine 3 reported visible smoke in the area, and the call was upgraded to a working fire response, adding additional resources.

At 3:57 p.m., Engine 3 arrived and advised there was a residential structure with heavy fire showing and a partial structural collapse with a victim outside. The call was upgraded to a two-alarm fire response.

Firefighters and medics quickly went to work extinguishing flames and providing medical care and transport to a local hospital for one patient. Due to the structural collapse, downed wires and continued explosions from the home, the team initiated a defensive attack.

Officials said that the fire was quickly knocked down. Five people have been displaced, and one person was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The cause of the fire is under investigation at this time.

Original:

The Roanoke Fire Department is currently on the scene of a working fire in the 2600 block of Dorchester Drive NW of Roanoke on Friday.

Roanoke Fire-EMS said as of 5:06 p.m., the fire is under control, and one person was transported to a local hospital for medical care.

Crews also told 10 News that “explosions” occurred prior to the fire.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Details are limited at this time, but 10 News is on the scene and will have more information as it becomes available.

The Pirates' designated hitter told Sánchez he would take him deep.

Sánchez instead struck him out — four times, and the Phillies' ace struck out 13 overall in the May 16 shutout victory.

“That wasn't a very good idea to piss him off,” Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto said with a laugh.

Using an elite sinker-slider-changeup mix that has made him one of the best pitchers in baseball, Sánchez had his way with just about every batter in a sensational scoreless May.

Sánchez went 4-0 and struck out 45 — with only three walks — over 39 innings in May and broke a 115-year-old franchise record along the way. Sánchez has pitched 44 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings headed into Wednesday's start against San Diego to top the mark of 41 innings set in 1911 by Grover Cleveland Alexander.

Up ahead, a shot at the major league record held by former Los Angeles Dodgers great Orel Hershiser, who threw 59 consecutive scoreless innings for the World Series champions from Aug. 30 to Sept. 28, 1988.

“I’m pulling for anybody to have a life-changing moment,” Hershiser said. “’88 and the 59 scoreless changed my life. The only time I'm not going to root for him is when he’s pitching against the Dodgers.”

Sánchez missed the Dodgers' series during the Phillies 4-2 road trip, and they are now 21-10 under interim manager Don Mattingly.

He hasn't missed much else, except maybe a lot of bats.

“It’s something special,” Sánchez said through an interpreter. “Something really important. I never imagined something like this. So, I’m really happy and proud of myself.”

Sánchez has thrown at least seven shutout innings in five straight starts — he would need to reach that minimum in two more starts, plus one inning to top Hershiser — and only six other pitchers are ahead of him on the consecutive shutout innings list dating back to the start of the Live Ball Era in 1920.

Arizona pitcher Zac Gallen is the only other active pitcher who understands what Sánchez is feeling on the mound over a lengthy scoreless streak. Gallen — just passed by Sánchez — had six straight scoreless starts of six-plus innings and finished at 44 1/3 innings overall in 2022.

“When you’re on a streak like that, it’s fun,” Gallen said. “It’s kind of like walking around, I wouldn’t say on eggshells of, ‘Oh man, you never know when this thing’s going to end.’ But it’s fun when you’re out there and you’re in flow state and the zeros start to stack up. So, it’s awesome for him. I hope he can take down the record.”

Sánchez is 6-2 with an MLB-low 1.47 ERA overall headed into Wednesday's start against a Padres team he just beat last week with seven brilliant innings. Should Sánchez start the game with three scoreless innings, he would pass Sal Maglie, Carl Hubbell, Zack Greinke, and Bob Gibson on the scoreless streak list.

Only Don Drysdale and Hershiser would be left.

“What I do watch, he’s very, very special,” Hershiser said. “His changeup, his athleticism, his ability to change speeds to both sides of the plate. I just think he’s a real special pitcher. You can’t do what he’s doing without repeating your mechanics and having some deception and making a lot of good pitches. He’s putting it all together.”

Each of Sánchez’s last 28.2 innings at Citizens Bank Park have been scoreless and he has the third-longest scoreless streak in ballpark history, trailing only Roy Halladay in 2010 (33 innings) and Cliff Lee in 2011 (29).

The 29-year-old Sánchez has inched toward greatness each of the last two seasons.

He was the NL Cy Young Award runner-up in 2025 when he went 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA and struck out 212 in 202 innings. Sánchez was rewarded in March with a guaranteed $104 million over a six-year contract through the 2032 season in a deal that contains $20 million in deferred money payable from 2035-44.

The Phillies put a lot of financial faith in Sánchez, and the early returns have been significant — he made his first opening day start and could lead to the lanky lefty earning an All Star start in July on his home mound.

Sánchez signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as an international free agent in 2013 and was traded to the Phillies six years later for infielder Curtis Mead in a few-cared winter transaction. Mead never caught on as an everyday player and is batting .242 in 45 games this season with the Washington Nationals.

Sánchez — throwing a changeup that averages 86.5 mph and holding hitters to a .153 average — and Zack Wheeler have formed a formidable 1-2 punch in the rotation and helped the Phillies play their way out of a 9-19 start to get back into wild card contention.

Sánchez has pitched largely to weak contact, and the scoreless streak has never been in any serious jeopardy since he last allowed two runs in the first inning of a 3-2 Phillies win over the Giants on April 30.

The defensive highlight of his run came in his last start when centerfielder Justin Crawford raced after Manny Machado's deep drive and crashed into the wall to make the catch.

Sánchez stood on the mound and applauded the effort.

And if Sánchez gets to 60 scoreless, so too, will Hershiser.

“If Cristopher would break it, that would be an honor to be mentioned and I would treat him the same (respectful) way that Don Drysdale treated me,” he said.

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AP Sports Writers Beth Harris in Los Angeles and Andrew Destin in Seattle contributed to this story.

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

The National Football Foundation released the ballot Monday for the class that will be announced in January. It includes 80 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 99 players and 39 coaches from lower levels.

A player is eligible 10 full seasons after his last year in college and must have received first-team All-America honors by a major selector. The nominee’s college football achievements are a prime consideration, but his post-football record as a citizen also is a factor.

Leach, who died in 2022 at age 61, became eligible for induction under adjusted criteria for coaches to be considered. The NFF announced last year the minimum career winning percentage required would go from .600 to .595 beginning in 2027.

Leach had a .596 winning percentage with a 158-107 record at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State.

Leach was known for his innovative wide-open offenses and his knack for pulling upsets. He won 18 games against Top 25 opponents when his team was unranked.

Among other FBS coaches on the ballot are Larry Coker, whose Miami team won the 2001 season's national championship; Dennis Franchione, who made stops at TCU, Alabama and Texas A&M; Ralph Friedgen, who led Maryland to bowls in seven of his 10 seasons; Darryl Rogers, 1977 Big Ten coach of the year at Michigan State; Jackie Sherrill, all-time wins leader at Mississippi State; and Tommy Tuberville, who led powerful Auburn teams of the 2000s.

Heisman Trophy winners Cam Newton of Auburn (2010) and Robert Griffin III of Baylor (2011) are on the ballot along with first-time nominees Tavon Austin of West Virginia, Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin, A.J. Hawk of Ohio State and Barrett Jones of Alabama.

Nominees go through a screening process to assure they meet eligibility criteria before a vote is taken among members of the NFF and Football Writers Association of America. Voting results are sent to the NFF Honors Court, which makes final selections.

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As of 11:45 a.m. on Monday, the crash has been cleared, and all lanes have been reopened.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Heads up, drivers! A tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 581 southbound is causing delays, according to Virginia State Police.

It happened at the 0.3 mile marker. At this time, the north left lane and south left lanes are closed.

Stay with 10 News for the latest traffic updates.

The discoveries, announced Sunday, are part of the Egyptian government’s efforts to boost the country’s tourism industry and bring cash to the troubled economy. At the center of these efforts was the November inauguration of the long-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum, a megaproject located near the famed Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx.

An active economic and commercial hub

The remains of the basilica and Aphrodite’s head were found in an ancient necropolis in the province of Beni Suef, 130 kilometres (80 miles) south of Cairo, the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said.

The Ehnasiya necropolis, which is also known by its ancient Roman name, Heracleópolis Magna, was one of the most significant cities of ancient Egypt.

Archaeologist Mohammed Abdel-Badei, head of the antiquities department at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that they found large stone blocks supporting columns, weighing up to 45 tons, that had been used in building the basilica. Three of the blocks remain standing in their original positions, he said.

Aphrodite’s head, measuring about 24 centimeters by 25 centimeters (9½ inches by nearly 10 inches), includes detailed features of the goddess' face and curly hair, reflecting the classical artistic traditions of the Greek and Roman periods, he said.

Archaeologists found inscriptions linked to Senusret III, who ruled between 1837 B.C. and 1819 B.C. during the ancient 12th Dynasty. The inscriptions include his throne, birth names of the Pharaoh, who is also known as Sesostris III, and was one of the most prominent rulers of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom.

Also unearthed were fragments of wall statues and terracotta molds, believed to have been used in coin crafting during the Roman period. The findings show that Ehnasiya had been an active economic and commercial hub when Egypt was part of the Roman Empire between 30 B.C. and A.D. 395, Abdel-Badei said.

New findings in the ancient city of Heliopolis

In Cairo, archaeologists found a nearly complete set of funerary furniture in the Matariya neighborhood of Cairo, which was once part of the ancient city of Heliopolis, the ministry said.

Abdel-Badei, the head of the antiquities department, said that they unearthed a mudbrick burial with gilded remains in a coffin, believed to be for a military figure. They also found a cache of cosmetic tools, including a copper mirror and alabaster kohl containers.

Also found was a collection of yellow-colored metal earrings, consisting of five pairs of varying sizes, believed to be made of gold, he said.

The discoveries in Beni Suef and Cairo are the latest archaeological findings, which the government hopes will boost the vital tourism sector, partially driven by antiquities sightseeing.

Tourism has suffered during years of political turmoil and violence following the 2011 uprising. In recent years, it has started to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and economic effects of the Russia-Ukraine war — both countries are major sources of tourists visiting Egypt.

A record number of about 19 million tourists visited Egypt last year, a 21% increase from 2024, according to official figures. The first four months of 2026 saw 6.1 million tourists visiting the country, compared with 5.7 million during the same period in 2025, the prime minister’s office said in May.

Piker, a liberal political commentator who is frequently critical of U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel and the war in Gaza, has 2.8 million followers on Twitch.

The Home Office said that the electronic travel authorization, or ETA, for Piker and Cenk Uygur, who hosts the “Young Turks” online political talk show and is reportedly Piker’s uncle, were canceled “on the grounds that their presence in the U.K. may not be conducive to the public good.”

“Decisions to refuse or cancel an ETA on these grounds are based solely on an assessment of the potential risk an individual may pose to U.K. society,” the Home Office said.

Piker and Uygur were due to speak at SXSW London, a culture, technology and creativity festival, this month. Uygur was also expected to give a speech at the Oxford Union, the prestigious student debating society.

“A sad state of affairs where obviously the interests of Israel take the highest priority,” Piker said on his YouTube channel.

Uygur said on X that he had been banned “for criticizing Israel. Are we free any more?”

Piker has faced criticism over some of his comments on the Hamas militant group, which is considered a terrorist organization in the U.K. and the U.S., among other countries.

In April, he told an episode of “Pod Save America” podcast that “I'm a harm-reduction voter, I'm a lesser evil voter, and therefore I would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time."

Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage, in an attack that triggered the war in Gaza.

Israel’s ensuing offensive has killed over 72,800 Palestinians, including more than 900 since the ceasefire took hold last October, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry is part of Gaza’s Hamas-run government, but staffed by medical professionals who maintain and publish detailed records that are viewed as generally reliable by the international community.

David Taylor, a Labour lawmaker who called for Piker to be blocked, said that “there is no reason we should open our doors to those who seek to spread hate and division, especially someone who’s supported a proscribed terror group.”

But Green Party leader Zack Polanski said that the government was “doing everything possible to silence criticism of the Israeli government.”

In April, the U.K. government barred the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, from entering the country, where he was scheduled to headline the Wireless Festival in London in July, after a backlash over his history of antisemitic remarks.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at the time that his government “stands firmly with the Jewish community, and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism."

A heavy military presence was observed in the capital, Addis Ababa, as watchdogs called for a peaceful vote in the country that is Africa’s second most populous and host of the African Union.

The head of the electoral commission, Melatework Hailu, said security incidents were reported at polling stations in two volatile regions, Oromia and Amhara. Voting resumed at some but did not at 143 others, and it was not clear whether voters would have another chance to cast ballots.

No details were given about the insecurity. Voting in 50,000 other polling stations proceeded as Ethiopians choose more than 500 members of the House of Representatives, who will vote to select the prime minister.

More than 50 million people, out of Ethiopia’s estimated population of 130 million, are registered to vote. Voters are also electing members of local government councils. Results were expected later Monday.

But the Tigray region again was not taking part in the election, denying it a voice in parliament and further pushing it to the margins after years of friction with the federal government, including armed conflict. The region has not had federal representation for six years.

Elsewhere, opposition parties have raised concerns over what they describe as a shrinking political space, alleging that they were prevented from campaigning. Ethiopia has also faced criticism over reported human rights abuses targeting government critics and journalists.

A human rights defender, Noah Yesuf, called the election illegitimate "from the beginning."

“The fairness of an election is judged by whether there is a level playing field for the opposition and a conducive environment for citizens to freely participate,” he told The Associated Press.

There was an element of voter apathy as some citizens said they felt let down by politicians.

But Senait Dereje, a 37-year-old shopkeeper, said she was certain her vote matters.

“I am not sure if my vote will bring the change that I want and that will help change my livelihood,” Dereje told the AP. “I know many friends refuse to vote as they have given up on the politicians, but I have not and I see it as a referendum-like vote on the mixed record of the government."

This year’s election themes highlight national reconciliation due to fighting in regions including Tigray, Oromia and Amhara.

Star forward Mehdi Taremi, who plays in Greece for Olympiakos, was among nine overseas players but they did not include his strike partner at the 2022 World Cup, Sardar Azmoun.

Azmoun was dropped from coach Amir Ghalenoei’s squad in March, reportedly because of a social media post that angered Iranian authorities during the ongoing war with the United States and Israel. His teammate at Dubai club Shabab Al-Ahli, Saeid Ezatolahi, was picked.

Iran features five players with clubs in the United Arab Emirates, two in Belgium, Taremi in Greece and one in Russia. Belgium-based Dennis Dargahi on the official squad list is known as Dennis Eckert Ayensa at his club Standard Liege.

Iran is preparing for the World Cup at a training camp in Antalya, Turkey, before a scheduled departure on Friday to its tournament base in Tijuana, Mexico.

Citing complexities with visa issues to enter the U.S., Iran got FIFA approval 10 days ago to move from a planned training base in Tucson, Arizona.

Iran plays two games in World Cup Group G in Inglewood, California — against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium six days later — then goes to Seattle to face Egypt on June 26.

Iran and the U.S. could meet in the round of 32 on July 3 at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in Arlington, Texas, if both place second in their groups.

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Iran:

Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand (Tractor), Hossein Hosseini (Sepahan), Payam Niazmand (Persepolis)

Defenders: Danial Eiri (Malavan), Ehsan Hajsafi (Sepahan), Saleh Hardani (Esteghlal), Hossein Kanaani (Persepolis), Shoja Khalilzadeh (Tractor), Milad Mohammadi (Persepolis), Ali Nemati (Foolad), Ramin Rezaeian (Foolad)

Midfielders: Rouzbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal), Saeid Ezatolahi (Shabab Al-Ahli), Mehdi Ghayedi (Al-Nasr), Saman Ghoddos (Kalba), Mohammad Ghorbani (Al-Wahda), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Dender), Mohammad Mohebi (Rostov), Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia (Esteghlal), Mehdi Torabi (Tractor), Aria Yousefi (Sepahan)

Forwards: Ali Alipour (Persepolis), Dennis Dargahi (Standard Liege), Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh (Tractor), Mehdi Taremi (Olympiakos), Shahriar Moghanlou (Kalba)

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

VSP said the crash occurred around 6:40 p.m. on Saturday on Chatham Road, about one-tenth of a mile east of Rob Lee Drive in Henry County.

Authorities said a Jeep was travelling east when it ran off the side of the roadway, struck the guardrail and overturned.

The driver was identified as 19-year-old Jason Pendleton. Unfortunately, he died at the scene, police said.

This crash is still under investigation.

The crash happened at about 1:30 a.m. on Cotton Town Road when Bedford County deputies tried to stop a 2013 BMW 335 for speeding. Authorities say the vehicle refused to stop, leading to a chase. The vehicle eventually lost control on Cotton Town Road, ran off the right side of the roadway, and hit a home, according to Virginia State Police.

Authorities say the passenger, Ke-Eric Kashawn Davis, of Lynchburg, died at the scene. The driver of the BMW was taken to a Lynchburg hospital. Charges are pending at this time.

We’re told no one inside the home was hurt.

The crash remains under investigation.

Sweeney, the associate head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, will remain with that team through the conclusion of the NBA Finals. The Magic will introduce Sweeney at some point after the finals between the Spurs and New York Knicks.

“We’re excited to welcome Sean to the Orlando Magic family,” Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said. “Sean brings a tremendous work ethic and a high degree of intensity that set the tone for everything he does. Sean’s attention to detail and his ability to communicate and teach the game clearly stands out. He’s grounded in competitiveness and accountability, while also embracing a modern, creative approach to coaching.”

The 41-year-old Sweeney will replace Jamahl Mosley, who was let go by the Magic after five seasons and three consecutive first-round playoff exits. Mosley has since been hired as coach of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Sweeney is a defensive guru, widely considered one of the brightest young coaches in the league on that side of the ball. In his lone season with the Spurs, he turned what was a porous defense a year ago into one of the league’s most airtight — his scheme centered around Victor Wembanyama, the unanimous winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award this season.

Sweeney will join the Magic after one season with the Spurs. He spent the previous four seasons as an assistant in Dallas, and had past stints on the staffs of Detroit, Milwaukee and Brooklyn — actually starting with the Nets as a video coordinator when the team was in New Jersey.

The Minnesota native played one season at Green Bay before transferring to the University of St. Thomas, where he was a three-year starter.

“Happy for Orlando, and happy for us as he’s in the Eastern Conference,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said last week.

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

The winners will compete in November’s critical midterm elections, in which Iowa’s U.S. Senate and House seats could determine control of the narrowly divided chambers. The next governor could also play a pivotal role in the 2028 election, given the state’s long history of making or breaking presidential hopefuls.

Two Republicans and two Democrats are competing in primaries to replace Ernst, who announced in 2025 that she would not seek a third term. U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson faces former state Sen. Jim Carlin in the Republican primary, while state Rep. Josh Turek and state Sen. Zach Wahls compete for the Democratic nomination. Carlin ran for Iowa’s other U.S. Senate seat in 2022, receiving about 27% of the primary vote against U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.

Reynolds also announced in 2025 that she would not seek a third term. Vying for the GOP nomination are state Rep. Eddie Andrews, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, entrepreneur and private school co-founder Zach Lahn, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former state administrative services director Adam Steen. President Donald Trump has endorsed Feenstra.

The winner will face Democratic state Auditor Rob Sand, who is unopposed in his primary. Sand is Iowa’s only Democrat in elected statewide office.

Hinson’s and Feenstra’s statewide campaigns have created open seat contests in the state’s 2nd and 4th Congressional Districts, respectively. Feenstra’s district is heavily Republican and is unlikely to play a major role in determining control of the chamber. Hinson’s district is more competitive, although she won reelection in 2024 with 57% of the vote.

In Iowa’s most competitive congressional seats, Republican U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of the 1st District and Zach Nunn of the 3rd District are both seeking reelection. Miller-Meeks faces a rematch with her 2024 primary opponent, advertising executive David Pautsch, who received about 44% of the vote. The Democratic field includes former state Rep. Christina Bohannan, who came within 1 percentage point of defeating Miller-Meeks in one of the closest U.S. House races of 2024.

In the 3rd Congressional District, both Nunn and his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, are unopposed in their primaries.

Trump received roughly 54% of the 2024 presidential vote in both the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts and about 52% of the 3rd District vote.

Polk, Linn and Scott counties are Iowa’s most populous, and all three play major roles in both Republican and Democratic statewide primaries. Johnson County is the fourth largest, but as home to Iowa City and the University of Iowa it is an overwhelming Democratic stronghold and tends to exert much less influence in Republican primaries.

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

When do polls close?

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

What’s on the ballot?

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

Who gets to vote?

Only voters registered with a political party may participate in that party’s primary. However, voters may change their party affiliations at the polls on the day of the primary.

How many voters are there?

As of May 4, there were about 2.1 million registered voters in Iowa, including about 692,000 registered Republicans, about 496,000 registered Democrats and about 589,000 voters not registered with any party.

How many people actually vote?

About 196,000 Republican primary votes and about 157,000 Democratic primary votes were cast in the 2022 U.S. Senate primaries.

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

About 16% of the Republican primary vote and about 25% of the Democratic primary vote in the 2022 U.S. Senate primaries was cast before primary day.

As of Friday, about 48,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election, roughly 30,000 in the Democratic primary and more than 18,000 in the Republican primary.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Nearly all counties release the results of absentee-by-mail voting at the start of the night. However, counties vary in terms of when they release in-person absentee voting results.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the last contested state primary in 2022, the AP first reported results at 9:12 p.m. ET, or 12 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 2:29 a.m. ET, with more than 99% of total votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

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

How do recounts work?

Iowa does not have an automatic recount law, but candidates may request and pay for a recount. Candidates do not have to pay for recounts when the margin is less than 1% of the total vote or fewer than 50 votes, whichever is larger. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 154 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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

“There was such a sense of there being a power greater than us, not necessarily in a spiritual sense, but in the communing with the audience each night,” said guitarist and keyboardist Dave Depper. “It was so concentrated and on such an epic scale … It felt important to be able to tap into that energy and somehow transfer it into the feeling of this next record.”

On Friday, the band will release “I Built You a Tower,” their 11th studio album and second with producer John Congleton. But this is not simply another full-length offering from artists in their veterancy. It is one at an unusual crossroads: A band looking to continue harnessing the enthusiasm of their nostalgic listenership, and one simultaneously experiencing grief.

“I spent a lot of 2023 going through this very painful experience of a separation and eventual divorce,” said frontman and lyricist Ben Gibbard. That informed the record — and happened right as they were embarking on the “Transatlanticism” tour, a run where Gibbard did double-duty, performing two sets. It was also a celebration of his side project the Postal Service, marking the 20th anniversary of that group's sole album, “Give Up.”

Navigating all those realities was a challenge. “I was doing a lot of context switching and in order to do that context switching, certainly as it pertained to my personal life, I had to put all that stuff in a building, as it were, and just lock the door,” he said. “I started to write a lot about how we contextualize, compartmentalize, specifically our grief.”

And a record was born.

The construction behind ‘I Built You a Tower’

Gibbard credits the anniversary tours with reinvigorating his writing.

“I have come to the conclusion over the years that the fans are always right. The records that they think are the best ones are the best records,” he said. “I didn’t want to write 'Transatlanticism 2,' but I wanted it to really build on the spirit of that tour.”

He asked himself: What is it about those songs that continue to connect? “My best work are the pieces that are very emotionally honest, earnest and open,” he said. “I think a lot of my songs that are the best ones are the ones that are very detail oriented. … They kind of sing like real tiny movies.”

There are modern examples of that across “I Built You a Tower,” like in the single “Punching the Flowers,” which takes the image of a toddler stomping on plants and uses it as a metaphor for fatalist frustrations.

And sonically, there are echoes of Death Cab's most beloved albums — found in the staccato rhythms of drummer Jason McGerr on a track like “How Heavenly a State,” for example — or the vocal performance of “Stone Over Water” or “Pep Talk,” while avoiding self-imitation.

A new direction

Gibbard and Depper credit Congleton for pushing them to avoid perfectionist tendencies, reminding them that flaws give life to songs.

“Perfection is the enemy of good rock music, of good guitar music. It really is the push and pull between the instruments. It’s the fact that guitar is a little bit out of tune against the other one. It’s that the drummer rushes a little in the chorus. The vocal is just a little out of the tune or the harmony just kind of wavers a bit against the lead vocal. All of our favorite records sound like that,” said Gibbard.

“A big part of why we love those records is because we hear the humanity and collective fallibility of that. And that’s been wiped away, you know, in this age of AI, more than ever,” agreed Depper. So they endeavored to make an album full of heart — not a glossy, mechanized product.

The band started writing the album in 2023 and 2024, between tours. Through that process, Gibbard eventually felt as if he was able to remove himself enough from the subject matter of “I Built You a Tower”: his divorce. “I was giving enough distance where I felt I could write about it in a manner that was internal and also hopefully lacking in any bitterness,” he said.

Then they recorded it in three weeks in September of last year, and this summer, they'll play hit the road with “I Built You a Tower” — their first time touring noncatalog music since 2022.

“All the love for the records that we lovingly presented,” Depper joked, “but it is very nice to be playing some new material again.”

While Santa Clara, California-based Nvidia has already been massively successful in supplying high-end chips for data centers riding the worldwide AI demand boom, it is plotting different plans to expand its presence across AI systems and products.

Jensen Huang, the Taiwanese-American founder and CEO of Nvidia, made the announcement in Taipei at the annual Nvidia GTC event. Microsoft and Nvidia “are going to reinvent the PC (personal computer),” he said in his keynote speech.

“This is going to be the new PC,” Huang said as he unveiled Nvidia’s RTX Spark superchip — which combines CPU, or central processing unit, and GPU, or graphics processing unit, capabilities — that would power new Windows laptop and desktop computer models in what the company called “AI personal computers,” expected to debut in the fall of this year.

Nvidia is already the world’s most valuable company, ahead of Apple, Google’s parent Alphabet and Microsoft. Its new superchips for PCs will challenge chipmaking rivals including Intel and AMD. Nvidia's shares were up nearly 4% in early U.S. trading, while Intel and AMD both fell more than 3%.

The company said it will be “reinventing the personal computer” for creating and gaming. “When it has an autonomous (AI) agent, an agent that’s helping you, that understands you, you could talk to it. It could look at you. You could ask it to read files, go help you do some research. It could do a lot more,” Huang said.

Microsoft said in a separate statement that the personal computers running on Nvidia’s RTX Spark superchips would be able to support “highly capable AI models” and complex workloads. With the new superchips, these personal computers can run AI agents locally, Nvidia said.

“This is the first across the lineup of PC reinvention for 40 years,” said Huang.

Nvidia’s move is significant at a time when demand is growing for the use of personal AI agents, said Lian Jye Su, chief analyst at the technology research and advisory group Omdia.

“For consumers, it means more choices, which is always a good thing,” Su said.

Neil Shah, analyst and co-founder of Counterpoint Research, described Nvidia’s announcement as a move that’s “revolutionizing how PCs would look like in the next 10 years.”

The new laptops and desktop computers “will drive agentic AI applications in every home,” Shah said, with an aim of having an “AI supercomputer” in each household.

Also during Monday’s speech, Nvidia’s Huang said its new Vera CPUs for data centers are in full production and are “going to be our new major growth driver” on the boom of AI agents, with early customers including Anthropic, OpenAI and SpaceXAI.

Huang also revealed a humanoid robot reference design that could act as a blueprint for future research, especially within the higher education sector. Nvidia said its “Isaac GR00T” stands nearly six feet tall and has the humanoid chassis of Chinese robot maker Unitree’s H2. It is equipped with five-fingered dexterous hands, made by Singapore-based robotics startup Sharpa, that are capable of finely controlled movements.

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Chan reported from Hong Kong.

Not just fly, but also fight and hang upside-down, 60 feet off the stage. Not just that but also make it effortless, like gliding. And, of course, completely safely, despite darkness and haze and props whizzing by.

Making “The Lost Boys” soar was a little like a real-life game of Tetris, the couple say. And for creating some of the best visuals of the season, the couple has earned their first Tony Award nomination.

“You just have to break it down slowly and bit by bit, build one block and then you just keep adding so that no one’s going to get hurt or feel too chaotic. Because gravity is going to gravity," says Yalango-Grant. "As much as Elphaba taught us you can defy it, you cannot.”

From screen to stage

“The Lost Boys,” an adaptation of a 1987 teen movie vampire thriller starring Jason Patric and Corey Haim, follows a pair of brothers who tangle with a gang of young vampires who have taken over a California beach town.

It became a cult hit due to its stylish neck-biters on motorcycles, with feathered hair, earrings, leather jackets and gloves. That meant the stage flying had to be awesome.

“They have to look cool, effortless, a little bit sexy, a little dangerous, but they don’t have to try too hard because they’re vampires — they’re all powerful, right?” says Yalango-Grant. “So, we worked really hard on just this effortless cool, laid-back kind of vibe, not circus-y, not a lot of tricks.”

She and her husband choreographed flying for the four Lost Boys and two other characters, all who wore harnesses with thin wires covered in a black paint that absorbs light. The couple coordinated with the lighting team to ensure the wires never get a blast of light, making them almost impossible to detect from the seats.

Credit also goes to the company Flying by Foy, a leading specialist in aerial effects, for the rigging, tracks and winches, and aerial designers Gwyneth Larsen and Billy Mulholland.

“It took so much fine-tuning to get to where we are,” says Yalango-Grant. “And I’m just so proud of the work of all of us because it took every single person to make this look how it looks now.”

‘We’re the OG vamps’

Grant and Yalango-Grant began their careers as dancers, met while auditioning for the same dance company, Pilobolus, and then toured for eight years. They're married and have a 5-year-old daughter.

It made sense that if they were going to ask performers to put on harnesses and soar 60 feet up, they'd do it first. “We’re the OG vamps,” says Yalango-Grant, laughing.

“I think, as dancers, we already have this intuitive nature of understanding how our bodies operate and move, and then just applying that in a different way to flying wasn’t that much more difficult,” says Grant.

None of the performers had any aerial skills so the choreographers had to start with the basics: Each was assigned a X taped on the stage where they needed to stand before their flights and ensure their wires were hanging perfectly vertical. Eating a full meal before a performance turns out to be a bad idea.

Each flight is carefully coordinated with music, sets and lighting cues and run by stage managers using computers. Producers gave the teams one of the most valuable resources to get it right: time.

“You can rehearse all you want. You can talk about it all you want. But until you’re in the harness in the air, you just don’t know. So they allowed us to start training with the guys early on,” says Yalango-Grant.

Harnesses and quick-releases

Speaking of harnesses, fliers put on a base layer like compression shorts to protect from rubbing, and costume designer Ryan Park designed clothes to hide and accommodate the harnesses. He also designed a quick-release way to detach from the wire, leaving audiences amazed.

“They have to unclip with their pointer finger and their thumb and we just drilled it. We drilled it so it became muscle memory and as easy as brushing your hair behind your ear,” says Yalango-Grant. “It’s like a magic trick. It’s a sleight of hand.”

The harnesses aren't that comfortable, but the actors aren't in them all night. The musical has been mapped out to allow each actor time to put them on, get checked, fly and then remove the harness.

Ali Louis Bourzgui, who earned a Tony nomination as the leader of the vampires, says it took a while to condition his body to fly, requiring strength training and months of practice.

“It’s just a totally different movement pattern,” he says. “Your hips suddenly become your axis point of how you turn and how you move.”

He and his fellow vampires have become best buds, and there are times during performances when he looks over and really believes they're all flying.

“It is kind of a magical experience,” he says. “It’s pretty fun for us for the most part. The harnesses that we’re wearing, not so fun.”

French President Emmanuel Macron announced the interception in a post Monday on X, saying the Tagor was boarded on Sunday in the Atlantic. Soldiers descended on a rope one after another from a French navy helicopter, video released to The Associated Press by the French military showed. It is the latest in a series of French naval interceptions of tankers suspected of links to Russia.

“It is unacceptable that boats skirt international sanctions, violate the law of the sea and finance the war that Russia has been waging for more than 4 years against Ukraine,” Macron wrote. “These ships, that don’t respect the most elementary rules of maritime navigation, are also a threat to the environment and everyone’s security.”

Oil revenue is a key part of Russia’s economy, allowing Putin to pour money into the war effort against Ukraine without worsening inflation for everyday people and avoiding a currency collapse.

Russia is believed to be using a fleet of hundreds of ships to evade international sanctions imposed over the war. France and other countries have vowed to crack down on the sanction-busting so-called “shadow fleet.”

Responding to the latest French interception, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Russia “considers such actions illegal.”

“They border on piracy,” he said Monday. “We absolutely disagree that they are being carried out in full compliance with international law.”

French maritime authorities said the tanker was intercepted more than 400 nautical miles west of France, in international waters in the Atlantic. It was traveling from the northwestern Russian port of Murmansk, according to the authorities’ statement.

It said the tanker is suspected of operating under a false flag and that the French navy is now escorting it to an anchorage for more checks.

The captain says he is Russian, French prosecutor Stéphane Kellenberger, overseeing the investigation from Brest in western France, said in a statement to AP.

The captain repeatedly refused to comply with French navy instructions, “making it necessary to take control of the vessel," Kellenberger said.

He said his office has opened a criminal investigation on charges of failure to provide proof of a vessel’s nationality, navigating without a flag and refusal to comply with orders.

Tankers previously intercepted by France include the Deyna, boarded in the Mediterranean Sea in March. Another tanker, the Grinch, intercepted in the Mediterranean in January, was released in February after paying a multimillion-euro penalty.

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Associated Press writer Elise Morton in London contributed.

The deal, struck in 2022 by Starmer’s predecessor, Rishi Sunak, involved sending migrants who arrive in the U.K. as stowaways or in boats to the East African country. It included arrangements for payments to Rwanda to help cover costs. Starmer’s home secretary at the time the deal was scrapped, Yvette Cooper, called it the “most shocking waste of taxpayer money I have ever seen.”

The Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected two Rwandan claims, each for 50 million pounds ($67 million), linked to funding for the canceled deal. The decision was dated May 15, but formally announced by the Hague-based panel on Monday. It also rejected two other Rwandan claims linked to alleged breaches by the U.K. of the pact.

In a 76-page ruling, the panel said that written diplomatic exchanges between the two countries after Starmer scrapped the deal amounted to an agreement that the U.K. would not make the two 50 million-pound payments, due in April of 2025 and 2026, to cover costs of migrant relocations.

Under the deal, migrants were to be sent to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be processed and, if successful, they would stay. Britain’s Supreme Court ruled that the policy was unlawful because Rwanda is not a safe third country for migrants sent there.

The British government said in a statement: “The U.K. robustly defended its position, and the tribunal has now ruled in favor of the U.K. on all grounds."

It added that Starmer's under-fire government is "now focused on delivering vital reforms to restore order and control to our borders, including removing the incentives drawing illegal migrants to Britain and scaling up removals of those with no right to be here.”

Rwandan Government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said Rwanda “respects the tribunal’s award and considers the matter concluded,” but she also noted a dissenting opinion by one of the arbitrators that she said “shows that the issues before the tribunal were complex and open to different legal conclusions.”

"Rwanda will continue to work constructively with international partners, guided by international norms and mutually beneficial cooperation,” she added.

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Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London and Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda, contributed.

They found Robbie, a robot that rolls out of a hallway into their living room several times a day.

“Do you want to exercise now? Please answer yes or no,” the caregiver robot asks 59-year-old Brian Marquis, who has been living with a traumatic brain injury since a 2012 car crash.

“Yes,” he responds. Then he stands up as the robot’s googly-eyed digital screen “face” morphs into an exercise video that guides him through an afternoon workout.

The decades-long quest to build home robots that are both helpful and lifelike — spurred on by fictional machines like The Jetsons’ humanoid maid Rosie —- is still mostly a pipe dream. That’s despite growing appeal as the oldest baby boomers are turning 80 this year and the United States faces a deepening shortage of home care aides, driven by low wages, high turnover and demanding workloads.

But the machine helping the Marquis family — a robot piloted by a University of New Hampshire laboratory, with funding from the National Institute on Aging — offers a glimpse of the emerging possibilities.

‘Stretch’ aids a dementia patient with a range of tasks

The wheeled robot that some have likened to a coat rack was not what Brenda Marquis initially had in mind when she wrote an email to a robotics professor at nearby UNH, asking for advice on robotic dogs.

Robbie, the couple’s name for a new robot model officially called Stretch 4, spends much of the day at a charging station between the kitchen and bedroom. When it comes out, it does important work, like nudging Brian, who has dementia, to eat lunch or drink water.

Brenda Marquis, 59, said she and her husband have physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities that make life complex.

“We’ve been kind of trapped in a problem here in New Hampshire of being able to find and recruit enough home care support,” Brenda Marquis said in an interview at the couple’s Durham, New Hampshire apartment, where she scoots around in a motorized wheelchair while taking care of her husband. “That was when I started looking into robotics and trying to figure out what to do.”

At the other end of Brenda's email was Momotaz Begum, a UNH computer science professor who has spent years experimenting with “socially assistive” robots that can aid people with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. Her robotics lab is full of experimental robots, including the four-legged variety.

Begum said the lab asked focus groups of older adults at memory care units what kind of robot they would like as a home companion. Many preferred pet-like robot designs.

“The common feedback that we got about Stretch was, ‘OK, this one looks like a coat hanger,’" she said. "But what we learned over time is that the look doesn’t matter.”

Several makers are designing robots for elder companionship

Apart from robotic vacuum cleaners, the closest thing many older adults have to caregiving robots is a speaker powered by an artificial intelligence voice assistant like Alexa. Some robot makers have expanded that concept into swiveling tabletop machines like ElliQ, designed for elder companionship.

But those aren't mobile or functional enough for Begum, who said she is “trying to reduce that caregiver burden. And the caregiver actually does way more than social companionship.”

Humanoids, meanwhile, are still far from being useful in most homes and pose physical danger to people with limited mobility if the robot trips and falls.

The founders of Hello Robot, maker of the Stretch robots, said its simplicity is the point.

“Our robot’s very practical, pragmatic. I think it communicates that,” said CEO Aaron Edsinger, a former director of robotics at Google. "If you show up looking like a humanoid, that expectation’s going to be set so high, it’s going to be very hard to do."

The typical version of the Stretch 4 includes a telescoping gripper that can retrieve a water bottle and hold it out for a person to drink through a straw. Show it a prescription bottle and it can help read the fine print. The robot pulls together information from its cameras and onboard sensors, together with other sensors installed in a home, to figure out its location and who is in the room.

Manufactured at Hello Robot's headquarters in Martinez, California, and sold for nearly $30,000, the new model that launched in May is far from being as ubiquitous as a Roomba or an AI-powered speaker. But for its target clientele, it can be a lifeline.

Robbie’s programmed care protocol for Brian is posted on the couple’s wall, and it includes exercise instructions, meal and medicine reminders, evening routine reminders and quick washup prompts that are only triggered after Brian enters the bathroom.

“I was never into technology," Brian Marquis said. “Then I realized I can’t remember to wash my face and my armpits. So, it just really kind of set me free almost.”

Brenda Marquis said it also freed her from hours of daily work and helped her reduce expenses. Fearful of leaving her husband at home too long, she was ordering groceries on Instacart. Now she can leave him with Robbie and go get groceries herself.

“I can go ahead and go to that mahjong game or whatever. Robbie’s gonna take care of him,” she said.

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AP journalist Rodrique Ngowi contributed to this report.

The protests come two days after Kenya’s High Court suspended the establishment of the facility and the arrival of any foreign patients pending the hearing of a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya and a constitutional watchdog.

The two organizations cited Kenya’s fragile health system as the reason why foreign Ebola patients should not be quarantined in the country.

U.S. officials said Thursday that the United States was planning to send Americans exposed to Ebola while abroad to a new facility in Kenya instead of flying them home. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s plans. They said the facility would be at Laikipia Air Base and would be operational with 50 quarantine beds by Friday.

On Monday, hundreds of youths marched to the gates of the air base, chanting anti-Ebola slogans.

Health Minister Aden Duale on Sunday said the quarantine center was for “everyone” and not exclusively for U.S. nationals.

The U.S. government intends to commit $13.5 million toward Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.

Local leaders, including Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu, had told journalists that they were opposed to the establishment of an Ebola quarantine center.

“This will expose our people to Ebola,” he said, adding that many locals work inside the air base and could be exposed.

A resident, Malin Ndegwa, said Kenya should not be exposed to the virus by hosting foreigners when it is not the epicenter of the outbreak.

“Why are they not doing it in the DRC (Congo)? Why are they not doing it in Uganda? Why must they bring it here? So we are saying, we categorically, no negotiations, no public participation, we want nothing. We want that facility taken out of our town, we want it taken out of Kenya,” he said.

Kenya has not recorded Ebola cases, but neighboring Uganda has reported nine and closed its border with Congo.

At least 282 confirmed cases have been reported in Congo with over 1,000 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo virus, the current species of Ebola, which has no approved treatment or vaccine.

Republicans hold slim majorities in both chambers of Congress. Montana has not been at the top of the list of seats Democrats hope to flip to regain control of either body, but the retirements do creak open the door for a candidate to possibly take advantage of the state’s independent streak.

Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines is not seeking a third term. He has endorsed former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme to replace him. Daines’ late withdrawal from the race in March and the launch of Alme’s candidacy, both timed to occur just before the filing deadline, appeared to be carefully choreographed. President Donald Trump seemed to confirm as much in his endorsement of Alme.

“In fact, if Kurt didn’t have the highest level of aptitude and talent, Steve would have remained exactly where he is….” Trump said in a social media post.

Alme also has endorsements from the state’s other top Republicans, U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy and Gov. Greg Gianforte. He faces Republicans Lee Calhoun and Charles Walking Child for the nomination.

The Democratic field includes former state Rep. Reilly Neill, whose fundraising is five times the combined haul of her four primary rivals.

The winners of both primaries will face former University of Montana president Seth Bodnar, who is running as an independent. As of mid-May, Bodnar had outraised the entire field of candidates, regardless of party. Bodnar is one of a handful of independent candidates who have opted to bypass the party primary process and could complicate the general election for some Republican incumbents.

In the 1st Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke is not seeking a fourth full term, citing health concerns. He, Trump, Sheehy and Gianforte have endorsed talk radio host and former Zinke congressional staffer Aaron Flint over Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, former state Sen. Al Olszewski and former high school government teacher Ray Curtis. The Democratic field includes former gubernatorial candidate Ryan Busse and union organizer Sam Forstag.

In the state Legislature, several primaries expose an ongoing rift within the ranks of Montana Republicans.

At the start of the 2025 legislative session, nine Republican state senators bucked the party on a variety of key floor measures, essentially handing control of the chamber to Democrats.

State Sen. Shelley Vance of District 34 is the only one of the maverick lawmakers, dubbed the “Nasty Nine” by the Montana GOP, up for reelection in 2026. Two others, state Sens. Jason Ellsworth and Bruce Gillespie, opted instead to run for the state House in Districts 34 and 18, respectively. The other six are either term-limited, retiring or not up this cycle.

In response to the revolt within the Republican caucus, the Montana Republican Party released a list of state legislative candidates it supports, including some who are challenging Republican incumbents in the state House. But some of the state party’s picks put the committee at odds with Gianforte, who has released a series of social media videos appearing with four state House incumbents targeted by the party.

The governor offered words of support for state House Speaker Brandon Ler and state Reps. Valerie Moore and Ken Walsh, who are all running for reelection, and for state Rep. Eric Albus, who is running in state Senate District 14. Gianforte does not explicitly endorse the lawmakers in the videos, but he called one a “great partner” and said he was “proud of the work” he’d done with another.

Half of the state’s 50 state Senate seats and all 100 state House seats are up for election in 2026.

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

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. MT, which is 10 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Public Service Commission, state Senate and state House.

Who gets to vote?

Any eligible voter may participate in any party’s primary.

How many voters are there?

As of May 25, there were about 791,000 registered voters in Montana. Voters do not register by party.

How many people actually vote?

About 190,000 Republican primary votes and about 108,000 Democratic primary votes were cast in the 2024 U.S. Senate primaries.

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

About 68% of the 2024 primary vote was cast before primary day.

As of Friday, about 166,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Counties vary in how they release votes. In previous elections, results from absentee voting mostly were released along with in-person Election Day voting throughout the night. About two-thirds of Montana’s 56 counties tend to release all or almost all of their mail and in-person early voting results in the first vote update of the night, often along with results from in-person Election Day voting. About half the counties tend to release all or almost all their in-person Election Day results in the first vote report.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 U.S. Senate primary, the AP first reported results at 10:26 p.m. ET, or 26 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 4:06 a.m. ET with about 84% of total votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

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

How do recounts work?

Montana requires an automatic recount only in the event of a tie vote. A candidate may request a recount if the margin is less than 0.5% of the total vote, but the state will only pay for it if the margin is 0.25% or less. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 154 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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

Social media platforms with at least 8 million users in Malaysia, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, must implement age-verification systems and block users under 16 from creating accounts.

Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission said age verification for existing users will be rolled out over the next six months. Users identified as under 16 will have a month to download or transfer data, including photos and videos, before restrictions or other actions are applied.

Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to 10 million ringgit ($2.5 million). Parents whose children manage to bypass the law will not be penalized.

The government said the measures are aimed at protecting children from harmful content, cyberbullying and platform features designed to encourage excessive use.

Countries including Australia,Brazil and Indonesia have introduced or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children’s access to social media. Others including Britain, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are studying or developing similar approaches.

Malaysia's regulator said the rules are not intended to prevent children from accessing digital technology. Platforms are required to improve user safety, discourage excessive use and take action against underage accounts and harmful content.

Technology companies have yet to describe how they will comply.

Clara Koh, Meta’s director of public policy for Southeast Asia, has cautioned that Malaysia's under-16 ban could backfire by driving teenagers away from protected apps and into unregulated corners of the internet.

Governments around the world face pressure to address concerns about social media’s impact on children’s mental health and online safety. In March, a U.S. jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay millions of dollars in damages in a case alleging that platform design features contributed to harm suffered by a young user.

Malaysian families have varying views

In Kuala Lumpur, Saravanan Ganasan and Jayaradha Veerasamy, whose children are 12 and 15, said they approve of the changes. They already had banned their kids from using social media, believing minors lack the psychological capacity to cope with it.

Devices are kept out of bedrooms, screen time is limited to common areas and their son is not allowed to lock his phone with a password.

“Exposure is what we fear,” Saravanan said. “The wrong kind of exposure will do damage to the mind.”

Aadhavan Saravanan, 15, said he believes he would be addicted to social media if allowed full freedom. “Social media is, like, a luxury and it’s not a necessity,” he said.

The couple said the restrictions have forced their children to develop offline life skills. Aadhavan reads books in a backyard mango tree and repairs broken household appliances, while their daughter cooks and does crafts.

“A lot of parents are very scared that children get bored,” Jayaradha said. “But boredom is actually very good because they start thinking out of the box.”

But Shaun Hew, in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Cheras, said the new restrictions go too far.

Hew believes social media allow his kids to spend time productively, as long as there is proper adult oversight. His 11-year-old son uses platforms to learn cooking and his daughter, 14, uses YouTube for exam preparation.

He worries a sudden cutoff could cause teenagers to rebel and find unregulated ways to bypass internet blocks.

Some express concerns over privacy and safety

Some critics said Malaysia’s decision could increase the risks of data privacy breaches and expand state surveillance.

“It is very much following the trend, but in a way that is raising alarms due to requiring a government ID for age verification,” said Benjamin Loh, social science lecturer at Monash University in Malaysia. He said social media companies could end up storing sensitive personal data without sufficient safeguards.

Loh said the decision also could unintentionally affect stateless individuals, undocumented residents and members of marginalized communities including LGBTQ+ people who rely on anonymity online for safety.

Without penalties on parents, families can easily bypass the law by creating accounts for their children, he added.

“This is a major gap that, unless regulators are willing to fix, will result in the law having little effect in stopping children from using social media,” he said.

Also on the ballot is a long list of state and local contests, including a Los Angeles mayoral race where the Democratic incumbent mayor faces more than a dozen challengers. Among them is a former reality TV personality whose candidacy has caught the eye of another former reality TV personality, President Donald Trump.

California’s top-two primary format, where all candidates run on the same ballot regardless of party, has complicated the campaign calculus in several high-profile races, including the one to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. While Democratic candidates often welcome the opportunity to run head-to-head against a Republican in the dark blue state, the number of well-known Democrats in the race threatens to split the vote and inadvertently clear the path for two Republicans to advance to the general election, which would guarantee a Republican governor.

The Democratic field includes former U.S. health secretary Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, billionaire 2020 presidential candidate Tom Steyer and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Republicans vying for the seat include Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton, who has Trump’s endorsement.

Democrats Eric Swalwell and former state Controller Betty Yee will also appear on the ballot, although both have withdrawn from the race. Swalwell was a top contender in the campaign but withdrew on April 12 following sexual assault allegations he has denied. He resigned from Congress two days later.

In the race for control of the narrowly divided U.S. House, a new congressional map favorable to Democrats has complicated the reelection bids of several Republican House incumbents. Voters approved the new district boundaries in a Nov. 2025 referendum, which was a response to Trump’s initiative in Texas and other states to maximize the number of GOP seats heading into the fall midterm election.

In the 6th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley considered his limited options and left the Republican Party in March to run for reelection as an independent.

Republican U.S. Reps. Ken Calvert and Young Kim are competing against each other in the 40th Congressional District. Democrat Esther Kim Varet is one of several challengers hoping to snag one of two spots in the general election.

Also on the ballot is a special election in the 1st Congressional District to complete the term of the late Republican U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, who died in January. The five-person field pits the Democratic state Senate President against the Republican state Assembly Minority Leader. If no candidate receives a vote majority, the top two finishers will compete one-on-one on Aug. 4. The winner will serve under the current district boundaries, not the new map going into effect in the next Congress.

A special election to fill Swalwell's vacant 14th Congressional District seat will be held June 16, also under the current boundaries.

In the race for Los Angeles mayor, Democrat Karen Bass seeks a second term in the nonpartisan office against tech entrepreneur Adam Miller, former MTV reality show cast member Spencer Pratt, City Councilmember Nithya Raman and others. Trump recently said of Pratt, “I’d like to see him do well.”

Democrats have a significant advantage over Republicans in statewide races based on their overwhelming support in the populous areas surrounding Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and San Diego. Republicans tend to perform best in the more sparsely populated areas of northern California and the Central Valley, while running competitively in Southern California suburbs outside of Los Angeles and San Diego. A Republican has not won statewide office in California since 2006.

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

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. PT, which is 11 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in contested races for U.S. House, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, controller, treasurer, attorney general, insurance commissioner, state school superintendent, Board of Equalization, state Senate, State House, mayor of Long Beach, mayor of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County sheriff.

Who gets to vote?

Any registered voter in California may participate in the state primary.

How many voters are there?

As of April 3, there were about 23.1 million registered voters in California, including about 10.4 million Democrats, about 5.8 million Republicans and about 5.3 million not registered with any party.

How many people actually vote?

About 7.3 million votes were cast in the U.S. Senate primary in 2024, roughly a third of registered voters.

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

About 89% of vote in the 2024 U.S. Senate primary was cast before primary day.

As of Thursday, about 2.6 million ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

About four out of every five California counties release some or most of their results from mail voting in the first vote report of the night, usually before any in-person Election Day results are released. Almost half the counties release most or all of their in-person early voting results in the first vote report.

Since mail voting tends to favor Democrats and in-person Election Day voting tends to favor Republicans, the release of mail voting results at the start of the night could result in an early lead for Democratic candidates, while Republican candidates may narrow the gap as more Election Day results are counted.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 primaries, the AP first reported results at 11:08 p.m. ET, or eight minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 6:01 a.m. ET with about 52% of total votes counted. The count reached 99% of total votes about two weeks later on March 20 at 7:47 p.m. ET.

When will the AP declare a winner?

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

How do recounts work?

There are no automatic recounts in California. Any registered voter may request and pay for a recount. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 14 days until the June 16 special primary in Congressional District 14, 63 days until the Aug. 4 special general election in Congressional District 1, 77 days until the Aug. 18 special general election in Congressional District 14 and 154 days until the Nov. 3 general election.

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

Republicans hold a narrow House majority but face a tough midterm environment in which the party holding the White House typically loses congressional seats. Although Republicans may see gains from mid-decade redistricting in several states and from a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling threatening Democratic-held majority-Black districts across the South, winning competitive seats like New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District remains central to both parties’ strategies to hold or retake the chamber.

U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. is running for a third term in the 7th District and is unopposed for the Republican nomination. His father, Thomas Kean Sr., served two terms as New Jersey’s Republican governor in the 1980s.

He will face the winner of a competitive Democratic primary featuring former healthcare executive Rebecca Bennett, former Small Business Administration official Michael Roth, physician Tina Shah and entrepreneur and business owner Brian Varela. Bennett leads the Democratic field in fundraising and had the most campaign funds available heading into the final stretch of the campaign.

Kean’s whereabouts have been a question on the campaign trail and in the halls of Congress. On April 27, he released a statement saying that he was addressing “a personal medical issue” and that he expected to return “very soon.” As of Monday, he had not voted on any legislation since March 5, missing more than 100 consecutive votes.

The 7th Congressional District in northern New Jersey stretches from Staten Island to the Pennsylvania border. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump narrowly carried the district in 2024, edging Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, 49.6% to 48.5%.

Also on the ballot is U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, who faces no primary opposition in his bid for a third full term. The Republicans hoping to challenge him in November are physician Robert Lebovics, former Tabernacle Deputy Mayor Justin Murphy, Army veteran and former state trooper Richard Tabor and former local TV news reporter Alex Zdan.

Bergen and Middlesex counties in the greater New York City area are among the most populous in the state and are important battlegrounds in both Democratic and Republican statewide primaries. Essex County, which is home to Newark, is also a major population center, but its heavily Democratic electorate makes it less influential in Republican primaries. The counties that contribute the most votes in statewide Republican primaries tend to be Ocean, Monmouth and Morris.

Union County comprises the largest share of the 7th Congressional District vote, followed by Somerset and Hunterdon counties.

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

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

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

Who gets to vote?

Registered party members may vote only in their own party’s primary. In other words, Democrats can’t vote in the Republican primary or vice versa. Independent or unaffiliated voters may participate in either primary, but voting in a party’s primary will enroll them in that party.

How many voters are there?

As of May 1, there were about 6.7 million registered voters in New Jersey, including about 2.5 million registered Democrats, about 1.7 million registered Republicans and about 2.4 million voters not affiliated with any party.

How many people actually vote?

About 841,000 Democratic primary votes and about 466,000 Republican primary votes were cast in the 2025 gubernatorial primary. That was higher than the turnout for the 2024 U.S. Senate primaries, when about 525,000 and 318,000 votes were cast in the Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively.

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

About 46% of the Democratic primary vote and about 31% of the Republican primary vote in the 2025 gubernatorial primaries was cast before primary day.

As of Wednesday, about 285,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election, about 79% from Democrats and about 20% from Republicans.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Counties in New Jersey typically release results from mail and in-person early voting before releasing results from in-person Election Day voting. Counties tend to release all or almost all of their mail and early voting results in the first vote report of the night, before any in-person Election Day results are released.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2025 gubernatorial primaries, the AP first reported results at 8:03 p.m. ET, or three minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 11:43 p.m. ET, with about 93% of total votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

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

How do recounts work?

Recounts are rare in New Jersey. The state does not have automatic recounts, but candidates and voters may request and pay for them, with the cost refunded if the outcome changes. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 154 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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

Here's a virtual tour of author-owned bookstores across the U.S.

Judy Blume: Books & Books, Florida

Judy Blume and her husband, George Cooper, are longtime residents of Key West, Florida, and have become fixtures in the local culture. Cooper helped restore an old movie theater into a multiplex venue and Blume and Cooper helped found the nonprofit Books & Books — an outpost of the Miami-based sellers that opened in 2016 — located just off the town’s main road. Blume may be known worldwide for such novels as “Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret,” but on a given day you can find her ringing up a sale at the register, or helping a customer choose a book. Or you can see her greet the many fans who have traveled far to meet the author they say changed their lives.

Louise Erdrich: Birchbark Books & Native Arts, Minnesota

Founded by Louise Erdrich in 2001, Birchbark is based in Minneapolis and has a mission tied closely to the author’s Ojibwe background (she’s an enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians). Her store specializes in Indigenous literature and bills itself as a meeting point for “literate Indigenous people who have survived over half a millennium on this continent.” Birchbark even served as a muse for Erdrich’s 2021 novel, “The Sentence,” narrated by a bookstore employee whose boss just happens to be a woman named Louise. “I guess I have some things in common with her,” the author confided to GMToday.com.

Lauren Groff: The Lynx Books, Florida

Lauren Groff’s store in Gainesville, Florida, isn’t just a member of the author-owned circle but part of a wave of stores opened in recent years that have a larger social mission. Based in a state that ranks among the country’s leading book banners, The Lynx is a general-interest bookstore that Groff and husband/co-owner Clay Kallman opened in 2024 and emphasizes books forbidden in schools and libraries. “One of the purposes is to create a lighthouse, sort of showing that the rest of the country and world that Florida is not an intolerant backwater,” Groff, author of National Book Award finalist “Fates and Furies,” told the Southern Literary Review in 2025. “It is full of good people who work very hard to allow for the freedom of expression, tolerance, and love of all people.”

Jeff Kinney: An Unlikely Story, Ma

ssachusetts

Local stores are expected to be modest in scale, but the blockbuster sales for the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series expanded the ambitions of author-owner Jeff Kinney to superstore heights. He didn’t simply reconfigure an existing building, but had a new one built from scratch, with all the trimmings. An Unlikely Story is a bookstore housed in a colonial-influenced, 3-story building in downtown Plainville, Massachusetts that also includes a cafe, event space and writing-drawing quarters for the author. Kinney, who opened his store in 2015, recently said he is planning to add a restaurant, beer garden and park to the downtown area.

George R.R. Martin: Beastly Books, New Mexico

Like the stores run by Groff and Erdrich, the Santa Fe, New Mexico-based Beastly Books is very much an extension of the worldview of its owner, “A Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin. It is a “cozy den” for speculative fiction, according to the store’s homepage, and a haven for banned books, locally written works and rare first editions. Founded in 2019, Beastly Books is located close to another Martin outpost, the Jean Cocteau Cinema, and is named in part for Cocteau’s classic film adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast.”

Ann Patchett: Parnassus Books, Tennessee

Not every bookstore opening leads to a guest appearance with Stephen Colbert, but a year after the launch of Parnassus, Ann Patchett found herself on “The Colbert Report,” whose host likened her venture to the Nora Ephron comedy “You've Got Mail,” in which Meg Ryan plays an independent store owner driven out of business by a nearby chain. The Nashville-based Parnassus has since become one of the country's signature independent sellers, visited by “You've Got Mail” co-star Tom Hanks among others, and a platform for Patchett to champion fellow authors.

Emma Straub: Books Are Magic, New York

Like Patchett, Emma Straub became a bookstore owner in the aftermath of a local absence: BookCourt, where the author once worked, had closed. She and her husband, Michael Fusco-Straub, opened Books Are Magic in 2017 in Brooklyn. The store with the pink murals in front became a local hit and gained national recognition, cited as a personal favorite by Jenna Bush Hager of the “Today” show. Straub and her husband have since opened a second Books Are Magic location in the borough.

“The new Liz Strout book is the best,” she says of Elizabeth Strout's “The Things We Never Say.” “You know, every single book she publishes, you just think, ‘Oh, well, she can’t possibly do that again.’ And then she comes out with another book and it’s even better.”

At 62, Patchett is the rare and fortunate writer whose words resonate among friends and strangers alike. She owns one of the country's signature independent bookstores, Parnassus Books, with customers ranging from Nashville's book lovers to Tom Hanks. She's also a popular and prize-winning novelist whose new books are inevitably among the year's most anticipated, and whose older ones, including the acclaimed “Bel Canto,” continue to sell. In 2021, she received a National Humanities Medal for “putting into words the beauty, pain, and complexity of human nature.”

Her books have been translated into more than 20 languages, but her home is in Nashville, where she spent part of her childhood and now lives with her husband, physician Karl VanDevender. Patchett spoke at Parnassus with The Associated Press on a sunny weekday morning, shortly before opening time. She also met with staff members gathered at the center of the 4,800-square-foot store to discuss upcoming events, and indulged the occasional interruption by one of the employee-owned “shop dogs” who hurry about like bargain-seeking customers.

The new book is called ‘Whistler’

Patchett is here early to talk about “Whistler,” which comes out Tuesday. Like “Bel Canto,” “State of Wonder” and other Patchett novels, it's a story of improbable meetings and deepening bonds. In this case, 53-year-old Daphne Fuller and her husband encounter an elderly man, Eddie Triplett, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and realize he was briefly her stepfather when she was a girl. Daphne and Eddie form a close friendship as they recall their times together, including a serious car accident followed by the breakup of Eddie's marriage to her mother.

Patchett doesn't write with any message in mind, but “Whistler” can be read as an ode to decency and benevolence. The title refers to a story-fable about a horse that runs away, only to turn up at a time of crisis. In the aftermath of the crash, as Daphne wonders if it's safe to leave and seek help, Eddie assures her, “I swear to you, it's mostly good people out there, with a few bad people around the edges.”

“The people that I interact with every single day are good people,” Patchett says. “It is vanishingly rare when I meet someone who’s not nice. Now, if you watch the news and read the news, it seems like everyone’s terrible and murderous. But it’s the difference between primary and secondary sources. So if I’m just operating off primary sources, what I see is goodness. I completely understand that there is incredible horror and cruelty in the world, but I also feel like incredible horror and cruelty is very well represented (in art). And what I actually experience in my daily life is not as well represented in art.”

“I don’t set out to write books about nice people,” she adds, “but I like people.”

Honored by PEN America

Patchett's sense of citizenship was recognized recently by PEN America, which at its annual May gala in Manhattan presented her with its Literary Service Award. In introducing her to a gathering of hundreds at the American Museum of Natural History, author Patrick Ryan cited her wide range of contributions, whether working “to get books into the hands of children in underserved communities,” supporting emerging writers or inspiring readers “who recognize themselves in her novels.”

Patchett has a well-lived appreciation of connections, and how they can be broken by discord or ended by death.

A native of Los Angeles, she was in early childhood when her parents divorced and she moved east with her mother, events drawn upon for her novel “Commonwealth." She has also written memorials for departed loved ones. In the memoir “Truth & Beauty,” she remembered her close friend Lucy Grealy, a poet and memoir writer who suffered from a rare form of cancer and endured multiple surgeries before dying at 39. In the title essay from her 2004 collection “These Precious Days,” Patchett honors the late Sooki Raphael, a Hanks assistant with whom the author became close while Raphael battled terminal cancer.

“Whistler” is dedicated to her friend Jim Fox, a former head legal counsel at HarperCollins who died in 2024 and is the inspiration for Eddie (and the namesake for a character in “State of Wonder”).

“He was brilliant, and a great reader,” she says. “Jim isn’t Eddie and I’m not Daphne, and certainly the circumstances aren’t the same, but the huge love that Eddie and Daphne shared is the huge love Jim and I shared.”

A bookseller who inspires

Patchett, a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa, remembers telling stories even before she could read, a gap she says only intensified her appreciation of the printed word. Raised before the rise of “young adult” books, she started out reading such children's favorites as “Charlotte's Web” and “The Little House on the Prairie” series, and ascended directly to the literary giants who became her formative influences: Saul Bellow, Philip Roth and John Updike.

By her early 20s, Patchett was accomplished enough to have a story published in The Paris Review. Patchett's debut novel, “The Patron Saint of Liars,” came out before she had turned 30. She has since published nine other works of fiction, including “Whistler,” along with four nonfiction books and three picture books, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser.

“I was at my cousins' house a few months ago and they had boxes of old papers of mine,” Patchett says. “And they were from grade school, middle school, high school — notebook after notebook, poetry and stories. I was shocked by the extent I was practicing my craft at age 10.”

Patchett's life as a bookseller began around 2010, when the closing of two Nashville stores seemed to mirror a nationwide decline brought about in part by Amazon's rise. Patchett and business partner Karen Hayes came up with a seemingly wild plan: open a new store — a decision met with some skepticism at the time, but now a sign of the changing fortunes of independent sellers.

Membership in the American Booksellers Association has more than doubled over the past decade — including such author-run stores as Straub's Books Are Magic in New York City and Jeff Kinney's An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Massachusetts. Straub says that when she was thinking of opening her store, she spoke with various friends who owned small businesses.

“They all told me not to do it, but when I talked to Ann, she said ‘Do it,’” Straub says. “She's my hero. I think the friends who were telling me not to do it were speaking practically. But I didn't want to hear practical advice. I wanted to hear inspiration.”

As of Monday, June 1, the Virginia average for regular gas is $4.163, according to AAA. Premium averages $5.024 per gallon, while diesel averages $5.316 per gallon.

In Roanoke, gas prices are starting to dip and have fallen 18.6 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.04 per gallon, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 155 stations in the area. That’s 2.8 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and about $1.15 per gallon higher than a year ago.

Comparatively, prices across the country continue to decrease as well, with the national average price of diesel about 15.5 cents less than it was a week ago at $5.437 per gallon. The national average price of gas has fallen 19.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.26 today. While the national average is down, it’s still $1.18 per gallon higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.

Taking a closer look at our region, here’s a look at the average price of gas for localities in our area:

• Roanoke:
• • Regular: $4.069
  • Mid: $4.565
  • Premium: $4.932
  • Diesel: $5.315
• Lynchburg:
• • Regular: $4.103
  • Mid: $4.560
  • Premium: $4.959
  • Diesel: $5.314
• Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford (New River Valley area)
• • Regular: $4.151
  • Mid: $4.598
  • Premium: $4.992
  • Diesel: $5.331

GasBuddy reports that the cheapest station in Roanoke was priced at $3.71 per gallon, while the most expensive was $5.59. Statewide, the lowest price was $3.29, while the highest was $5.59 per gallon.

Count on 10 News to bring you the latest price at the pump every morning.

To find out where the lowest fuel prices are near you, visit GasBuddy’s website.

Since the U.S. and Israel launched a joint war against Iran on Feb. 28, the cost of crude oil, the main ingredient in gasoline, has spiked and swung rapidly. That’s because the conflict has caused deep supply chain disruptions and cuts from major oil producers across the Middle East.

Though it has gone by different names over the years, the Israel Day parade has always been a must-attend event for mayors, governors and other political leaders eager to win over the throngs of flag-waving revelers who congregate on Fifth Avenue to celebrate the birth of the Jewish state in 1948.

Not so for Mamdani. Two weeks ago the mayor's office released a video commemorating the Nakba, an Arabic word for “catastrophe” that is used to describe the displacement of an estimated 700,000 Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war that followed Israel’s establishment.

“I said on the campaign trail that I wouldn’t be attending the parade, and I’ve made my views on the Israeli government abundantly clear,” Mamdani said at a news conference Thursday.

But he also promised a robust police presence to make sure it went off “seamlessly and peacefully.”

The city’s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, who is Jewish, did attend the parade.

“It is the mayor’s decision not to march, and it is my decision to march proudly,” she had said Thursday as she stood alongside Mamdani at police headquarters.

The mayor's absence, though long expected, has given fresh fuel to opponents who view his criticism of the Israeli government as antisemitic.

A delegation of members of Israel’s hardline government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, attended the parade. The visit came nearly two weeks after the far-right settler leader said the International Criminal Court was seeking an arrest warrant against him and marked his first trip to the United States since March 2025.

Rabbi Marc Schneier, founding senior rabbi of The Hampton Synagogue on Long Island and president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, which advocates for better relationships between Jews and Muslims, called Mamdani’s decision to not attend the parade “a slap in the face to all Jewish New Yorkers.”

“Do us a favor, stay home,” he said. “We don’t need you. We don’t want you.”

Schneier also slammed Mamdani’s Nakba video as “propaganda,” echoing concerns from other Jewish leaders who said it excluded context about Jewish peoples’ displacement during the period.

The video, which appeared to be the first such recognition from a sitting New York City mayor, featured the story of a woman who was displaced at 9 years old, interspersed with text about the Nakba, as she described a feeling of missing home, saying “it’s the soft hills of Palestine that actually touched me.”

“I’ve lived in different places, and I’ve always been an outsider,” said the woman, Inea Bushnaq.

Supporters of Israel were outraged, saying the video should have acknowledged the mass displacement of Jews from Muslim-majority countries or the role that the mass slaughter of Jews in the Holocaust played in the drive to establish a Jewish state.

Mayors in New York City, which has America’s largest Jewish population, have long been visible supporters of Israel, often visiting the country.

Support for Israel among Americans has deeply eroded in recent years, though, a trend that accelerated amid the outcry over Israeli military action in Gaza..

Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, has remained steadfast in his pro-Palestinian advocacy.

He has said he believes Israel has a right to exist but not as a hierarchy that favors Jewish citizens. Simultaneously he has pledged to protect Jewish New Yorkers and highlighted the work of the city’s Office to Combat Antisemitism.

While core subjects are tackled, you could argue that she’s more focused on bridging that gap. So the canyon now feels like a pothole that can be cleared with one confident stride.

[NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE EDUCATOR HERE]

”I tell my kids every year I’m not just here to teach you academics; I’m here to help you build life skills to build your character and learn how to function as a citizen in society after school," Burlington Elementary 5th-grade teacher Hallie Chewning said.

In her 4th year at Burlington Elementary School, Chewning’s innovative and thorough approach could only work if she developed trust with her students. After all, life advice from a stranger doesn’t land. That same advice from extended family makes all the difference.

“The biggest thing that she brings to the table is that she builds phenomenal relationships with students,” said Burlington Elementary School principal Beth Grim Jennings. “She really gets to know them on a personal level. She gets to know their interests, their home life, their families, and they respect that, and she really, really developed a mutual strong respect for the students, and they really respect [and] respond to that.”

Chewning explained, “Our classes are family. I tell him that all the time we win together, we lose together. We are our family while we’re here. You spend seven hours a day in school, so these are the people that you’re with more than even at home sometimes.”

“The mindset matters, right? And I think she’s not only verbalizing that, but she’s also showing that as well. Her nomination spoke to the fact that she even goes out and spends her own money to buy them a little treat, little Christmas gifts, but not just any old treat! They don’t all get the same thing. She gets something based on their likes and preferences that makes an impact on them,” Blue Eagle Credit Union Senior Brand Manager Laurissa Thompson said.

Chewning’s impact and success have led to her promotion within Roanoke County Schools for next year. She’ll be headed to an administrative position back in her school system at William Byrd in Vinton.

Seattle has been under .500 for most of the season, but now the Mariners (31-29) lead the division after six straight victories. They've made this run without slugger Cal Raleigh, who was hitting .161 when he went on the injured list over two weeks ago.

It doesn't take much to shake up the standings in the AL West. The Mariners' streak included a three-game sweep this past week over the Athletics. The A's were in first place, but have lost seven of their last nine. Houston has won eight of its last 12 to pull back into contention, just 4 1/2 games out of first place. The whole division is separated by 8 games, the top three teams by 2 1/2.

Despite Raleigh's absence, the Mariners are fourth in the American League in home runs, but pitching is what has driven this recent run. Seattle has held opponents to two runs or fewer in five of its last six games.

The same five starters have made 57 of Seattle's 60 starts. Bryan Woo (3.44), Logan Gilbert (3.69), George Kirby (3.77) and Emerson Hancock (2.78) all have ERAs among the top 25 in the AL. Luis Castillo (5.53) lags behind the other four starters, but lately Seattle has been using him in sort of a tag team with Bryce Miller, with one starting and the other coming out of the bullpen.

In a 9-2 win over the Athletics, Castillo pitched four scoreless innings and then Miller threw the last five. On Sunday against Arizona, Miller started and went five innings, then Castillo worked the last five and Seattle won 3-2 in 10.

Trivia time

The New York Yankees scored 13 runs in the third inning Sunday in their 13-8 victory over the Athletics. The Yankees actually went hitless in the other eight innings.

Anthony Volpe became the third player in the last 50 years to have two hits, two runs and two steals in an inning. Who were the other two?

Bonus question: Volpe nearly got to bat three times in the inning, but he was on deck when the third out came. Who was the last player with three plate appearances in an inning.

Performance of the week

Jacob Misiorowski struck out 12 in seven two-hit innings — throwing 57 pitches of at least 100 mph — as the Milwaukee Brewers beat St. Louis 5-1 last Monday. Milwaukee went on to sweep three straight from the Cardinals, and the Brewers now lead the NL Central by 4 1/2 games over St. Louis.

Comeback of the week

The Orioles trailed by four with one out and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth Saturday. Toronto never got another out, with Jeff Hoffman allowing the next six hitters to reach base before Connor Seabold issued a bases-loaded walk to Adley Rutschman that tied the game. Pete Alonso followed with a single to give Baltimore a 6-5 win.

Toronto's win probability was 99.3%, according to Baseball Savant, before Hoffman hit a batter and allowed a triple, a single, a double and two walks.

The Orioles went 7-3 on their homestand against Detroit, Tampa Bay and Toronto. That included a walk-off win over each of those teams and a three-game sweep of the AL East-leading Rays.

Trivia answer

Detroit's Alan Trammell had two hits, two runs and two steals in the bottom of the first on Sept. 20, 1983, against Baltimore. Seattle's Mike Cameron pulled it off in the top of the seventh on May 16, 2002, against Toronto.

Bonus answer: Boston's Johnny Damon had three plate appearances in the bottom of the first on June 27, 2003, against Florida. He had a single, a double and a triple as the Red Sox scored 14 runs in the first.

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

But the pale pink birds — called “fenicotteri” in Italian — are now flocking to Venice in record numbers, as ecological efforts to restore damaged wetlands could help expand their habitat and possibly induce them to nest in the lagoon.

Flamingos — which most famously nest in Spain and France — started showing up in the vast Venetian Lagoon in the early 2000s, mostly in fishing valleys and mudflats in the lagoon’s furthest reaches, with only rare sightings in the canaled historic center of Venice that is most frequented by global tourists.

Venice Lagoon becomes an unlikely flamingo haven

Environmentalists say their arrival in Venice as the European flamingo’s range expands is a sign of the lagoon’s health and suitability as a feeding ground.

Last year, the number of wintering flamingos in Venice peaked at a record of nearly 24,000. That is 6,000 more than the previous year, numbers “that position the Venetian Lagoon as one of the most important wintering spots in its entire habitat range,” said ornithologist Alessandro Sartori.

Sartori surveys the lagoon weekly by boat for signs of nesting, which would indicate a self-sustaining Venetian colony. So far there are no fresh signs after two nesting attempts, in 2008 and 2013, in northern lagoon fishing valleys suffered serious setbacks, including violent hail that killed dozens of birds.

More than 90% of the birds counted in last year’s census were in the northern lagoon, which contains a large area of natural salt marsh. The flamingos are also attracted by the traditional fishing valleys, semi-natural embanked wetlands that provide abundant food but can also bring them into conflict with human activity.

Venice seeks to recover its lost marsh

A project to reconstruct salt marshes in the more isolated southern lagoon — past the historic center and the industrial port — raises prospects that flamingo numbers will increase there as well by offering a new habitat in an area of the lagoon where wetland erosion has been especially severe. It could also draw the birds away from competing human uses in the north.

The Venetian Lagoon, covering an expanse of 550 square kilometers (more than 200 square miles), was originally nearly half salt marsh. Today the area of salt marsh — or “barene” in the Venetian dialect — is just about 7%, about half of it reconstructed, said Jane da Mosto, the executive director of We Are Here Venice, the local partner in the EU’s 23.6 million euro ($27.5 million), 5-year WaterLANDS project to restore wetlands across Europe.

The damage is especially stark in the central and southern lagoon, due to the combination of natural erosion and the dredging of shipping channels to access the Marghera industrial port in the 1960s.

“And since then, there’s been much more widespread erosion and loss of sediments from the lagoon to the point that Venice is now on a trajectory to becoming a marine bay,” said da Mosto. The wetlands reconstruction project “is specifically to show that it’s possible to address this trend and change the course of history.”

Rebuilding the salt marshes increases the lagoon’s ability to capture carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas and driver of climate change, and mitigates the effects of rising sea levels. But da Mosto said much larger areas would need to be restored to produce meaningful climate benefits. The goal of the EU project is to make salt marsh reconstruction scalable.

Flamingos can also benefit as biodiversity increases.

Da Mosto’s team is researching ways to increase biodiversity on the reconstructed marshes, including planting species that can help reduce erosion and make the wetlands more resilient.

The mudflat where they are working contains signs of flamingo activity, chiefly stray pink feathers. On a recent day, a flock of some 30 were perched in the distance — scattering when a pair of squawking oystercatchers alerted them to visitors.

Already, Sartori believes that the reconstruction has begun to draw more flamingos to the area. Over the last three years, he has seen their numbers in the southern lagoon grow from just a handful to as many as 300 to 400 in certain periods.

“The hope is that they can find — as they have found in other parts of the Mediterranean — right here on these barene, places where they can nest,” Sartori said.

Venice’s pink newcomers could draw a different kind of visitor

The flamingos' presence in the lagoon underlines the importance of the Venetian ecosystem and offers a new way for visitors to interpret the canaled city and outer islands through their ecological — and not just historical and artistic — significance.

Still, visitors to Venice who hope to casually spy flamingos will probably be disappointed, and AP reporters recently had to travel by boat for an hour to spot any. The flamingos inhabit shallow, difficult-to-access reaches of the lagoon where navigating safely requires close attention to tides and channels. Even at a distance, the birds are easily disturbed and quick to take flight.

Sartori predicts flamingo spotting — already a possibility from the shores of the small lagoon islands of Murano and Burano but rare in the historic center — could become more common as their numbers continue to grow.

“Obviously this should always be done with respect for the animals, keeping a safe distance and not interfering with their daily lives,” he said.

___

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

Newsome spent 10 seasons as Emory & Henry’s head coach, compiling a 53-42 record and posting six winning seasons. He was named Old Dominion Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2014 after guiding the Wasps to an 8-2 record. He also led the program to the ODAC championship game during the spring 2021 season.

During his tenure, Newsome helped oversee one of the most significant transitions in program history as Emory & Henry moved from NCAA Division III to Division II competition and joined the South Atlantic Conference. The Wasps recorded back-to-back five-win seasons during the transition.

Under Newsome’s leadership, 94 players earned all-conference honors. Devontae Jordan received the Lanier Award as Virginia’s top small-college football player in 2021, while Jay Swegheimer was named ODAC Defensive Player of the Year and earned second-team All-America honors during the spring 2021 season. Kevin Saxton and Justin Hill were named conference Rookie of the Year in 2014 and 2022, respectively.

Newsome became the 20th head coach in Emory & Henry football history in January 2014 after a lengthy career at the collegiate and high school levels.

Before arriving at Emory & Henry, Newsome spent 15 years coaching in Division I football. He served two stints at James Madison University, including as part of the coaching staff that helped lead the Dukes to the 2004 Football Championship Subdivision national title. Between those appointments, he spent seven seasons as an offensive line coach at Virginia Tech, where the Hokies won three Atlantic Coast Conference championships from 2007-10.

Prior to his collegiate coaching career, Newsome spent 16 years as a high school coach. He earned five district coach-of-the-year honors, was named Eastern Region Coach of the Year three times and received Associated Press and Virginia High School League State Coach of the Year honors in 1998.

Newsome was inducted into the Emory & Henry Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.

University officials said Newsome’s impact extended beyond wins and losses, citing his commitment to mentoring student-athletes and helping shape their lives on and off the field.

The Emory & Henry community expressed its condolences to Newsome’s family, former players, friends and colleagues.

Patchwork 250 is a series highlighting Virginia’s story, one piece (or patch) at a time. Since its founding, hands from all walks of life have contributed to weaving the many threads that make Virginia what it is today.

We couldn’t be more excited to unveil the warmth that comes from unfolding the quilt of our state’s past, where every individual patch adds meaning to the whole.

Join us as we explore Virginia’s past and present to celebrate our people, heritage and shared experience. We’re stitching together the living story of Virginia, one patch at a time.

Click here to see the stories we’ve featured so far.

The special Sandiganbayan anti-graft court had initially issued a warrant for Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s arrest Friday on a graft charge that was bailable. He then surrendered and was released on bail and again denied any wrongdoing.

Estrada, 63, has strongly denied allegations mainly by a former government public works engineer that he received more than 570 million pesos ($9.3 million) in kickbacks from flood control projects.

Before leaving the Senate to surrender, Estrada suggested that the corruption cases he was facing and his arrest were a result of his being aligned with the camp of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte, a former ally but now an arch political rival of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“I will not yield to threats. I will not be intimidated,” Estrada said at the Senate.

“I will not be pressured into surrendering my independence of judgement,” he said.

The senator was an actor like his father, former President Joseph Estrada. Both have been previously detained on other corruption-related charges.

Several other senators and members of the House of Representatives have been implicated in the flood control anomalies in a poverty-stricken Asian archipelago that is among the most vulnerable to deadly floods and typhoons.

With Jinggoy Estrada’s looming arrest, two senators in the 24-member chamber would now be effectively sidelined by legal troubles.

Another senator, Ronald dela Rosa, has gone into hiding after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest for an alleged crime against humanity.

Dela Rosa was a former national police chief who enforced a brutal anti-drugs crackdown under then-President Rodrigo Duterte that left thousands of mostly low-level suspects dead. The unprecedentedly large numbers of killings alarmed Western governments.

Duterte, who stepped down in 2022 after his stormy six-year term, was arrested last year on orders of the ICC and flown to the Netherlands, where he was detained and will face trial for alleged crimes against humanity starting in November over some of the killings.

Duterte and dela Rosa have denied any wrongdoing but Duterte had repeatedly threatened drug suspects with death.

From now until July 2026, you can recognize your favorite educator. Each month, one exceptional educator will receive a $250 check for themselves and their school, courtesy of Blue Eagle Credit Union.

Tell us why YOUR educator should be chosen to win this award and our judging panel will choose a recipient based on the following criteria:

1. Originality/creativity of statement
2. Inspirational power of Nominee’s story
3. Embodiment of “Education Impact” theme.

Nominees must be a K-12 educator within the WSLS viewing area to be considered.

Click here to view the official contest rules.

Here’s a look at some of our previous recipients:

• Jason Long - Woodrow Wilson Middle School - August 2023
• Tami Oliver - W.E. Cundiff Elementary School - September 2023
• Paul Craft - Lord Botetourt High School - October 2023
• Daniel ‘Squeaky’ Valentine - Andrew Lewis Middle School - November 2023
• Sydney Hepler - Mountain View Elementary - December 2023
• Dawn Custalow - William Fleming High School - January 2024
• Moir Hill - James Breckinridge Middle School - February 2024
• Consuela Stokley - Northside Middle School - March 2024
• Seth Davis - Eastern Elementary and Middle School - April 2024
• Steven Williams - Liberty Middle School - May 2024
• Gregory Souder - Dublin Elementary School - June 2024
• Kit Prillaman - North Cross - July 2024
• Elise DeMoss - North Cross School - August 2024
• Ron Snow - E.C. Glass High School - September 2024
• Sheri Marlowe - Mountain View Elementary - October 2024
• Courtney May - Central Academy Middle School - November 2024
• Bryce Vandenberg - Patrick Henry High School - December 2024
• Chrystal Shawn - Cave Spring High School - January 2025
• Sara Rhodes - Burlington Elementary - February 2025
• Josh Whitlow - Hidden Valley High School - March 2025
• Debra Williams-Arthur - William Byrd - April 2025
• Ashley Adams - Rich Acres Elementary School - May 2025
• Amanda Waldron - Northside Middle School - June 2025
• Chris Badgett- Lucy Addison Middle School- July 2025
• Cassie Long - Appomattox County High School - August 2025
• Madison Webb - Blacksburg High School - September 2025
• Lauren Burgess- Northside Middle School- October 2025
• Ryan Clifton- Natural Bridge Elementary School- November 2025
• Kacey Day - Burlington Elementary School - December 2025
• Megan Emanuel - Brookville High School - January 2026
• Matthew Payne - Susie G. Gibson Science and Technology Center - February 2026
• Michelle Fulcher - Campbell Court Elementary School - March 2026
• Jamie Nichols - William Byrd Middle School - April 2026
• Marie Levine - Staunton River Middle School - May 2026
• Hallie Chewning - Burlington Elementary School - June 2026

The young, the old, ruling party leaders and propagandists alike shout it at official events, street demonstrations and on state television, pumping their fists to show loyalty to the self-described socialist government — and its traditional antipathy toward the United States. Even when confronted with overwhelming truths that defy such bravado, the diverse coalition of military, ideological and opportunistic hangers-on has acted in lockstep.

But cracks in that unity have emerged after the stunning U.S. military operation that captured then- President Nicolás Maduro in January. Longtime loyalists are airing disagreements with the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez and even discussing publicly rumors that an insider’s betrayal helped the U.S. depose Maduro.

A warming relationship with the US draws criticism

Rodríguez, has done away with some of Chávez’s policies, complied with U.S. demands and shuffled the government to her liking, removing ministers, pushing legislation through the National Assembly to overhaul the nation's oil industry and releasing political prisoners.

Supporters of Chavismo are making their disapproval known. Many criticize the warming relationship between Rodríguez’s government and the White House, whose occupant, regardless of party, Chavismo has historically seen as its main adversary.

May’s deportation of a former minister to face criminal investigations in the U.S. and Rodríguez’s recent authorization for the U.S. military to conduct a training exercise in Venezuela’s capital laid bare internal divisions.

Mario Silva spent years spreading pro-government propaganda as the host of a program on state TV before being removed from the airwaves after Maduro’s capture. Silva questioned the legality of the deportation of Alex Saab, a close ally of Maduro's, arguing that it violated a constitutional ban.

He contended that Rodríguez is not governing freely, as some decisions “are being made in the U.S. Embassy.”

“The imperialists don’t negotiate. They conquer, test and probe — until our country shatters,” Silva said in a livestream. “Nobody is safe right now. And that is a concrete, terribly dangerous fact.”

On May 23, a few dozen people in Caracas protested the training that saw two Marine Corps Osprey aircraft land at the U.S. Embassy. They held a Venezuelan flag with the message, “No to the Yankee drill” written over it. Participation was minimal, which stood out in a city used to frequent demonstrations with attendance in the thousands.

Elías Jaua, who served as Chávez’s vice president and in Maduro’s cabinet in his first years in office, repudiated the exercise on social media. He later told The Associated Press he was speaking up to raise awareness among Venezuelans of the “humiliating” situation facing the country.

“At this stage, the most important thing is to prevent this occupation and this colonial administration to which a nation like Venezuela is being subjected from becoming normalized,” Jaua said.

Chávez and Maduro — as well as Rodríguez, in her previous roles as vice president and communications and foreign affairs minister — had long prophesied that the U.S. would use force to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry, which has opened up to private capital after Maduro's capture. The Trump administration oversees oil sales and administers revenues as part of its phased plan to turn the troubled South American country around.

Maduro's ouster prompts power struggle

The social, political and economic crisis that took hold when Maduro became president in 2013 drove more than 7.7 million people to leave Venezuela and pushed millions of others into poverty. It also led to rounds of anti-government protests and U.S. economic sanctions, both of which the ruling party survived.

Party stalwarts celebrated a Maduro victory in a 2024 election despite overwhelming evidence showing he had lost. They also echoed the party leadership's denial of a surge of migration. Their loyalty was often rewarded, be it with food and basic goods for the poor or multimillion-dollar contracts and bodyguards for the better-off.

Andrés Izarra, a communications minister under Chávez and tourism minister under Maduro, said the fractures are not based in ideology or a defense of Chavismo, which he believes ended when its founder died in 2013. Maduro's interest, he said, was in enriching himself and remaining in power at all costs..

Self-interest, he said, is creating division.

“Since there is no ideological foundation, it is simply a struggle for power, money, positions, and survival. Do you think (he) would be protesting if he’d kept his bodyguards, or if they’d kept his little salary, or his share of power?” Izarra, who lives in exile since becoming a government target last decade, said of one critic of change under Delcy. “If they had an ideological interest, they would have spoken much earlier.”

Loyalists discuss possible betrayal of Maduro

Criticism even aired on state television last month, when a Colombian leftist leader sitting in the audience of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello's show stood up and questioned Venezuela's efforts to free Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores from U.S. custody.

“We’ve seen a very weak campaign for Cilia and Nicolás’s freedom,” Manuel Caicedo said before a visibly stunned Cabello.

Another devout Chavista, lawmaker Iris Varela, told a podcaster she believed a government insider had helped the U.S. oust Maduro. The idea has widely rumored since President Donald Trump announced that the authoritarian leader had been captured on Jan. 3, but no evidence has emerged.

Of course there’s a betrayal,” Varela said. "I say that every Christ has a Judas. If our Lord Jesus Christ knew he was going to be betrayed and yet he let Judas kiss him on the cheek, ... won’t a traitor emerge for Maduro?”

“The health benefits of sunlight can include improving your vitamin D level, your sleep and your mood,” said Neha Vyas, MD, a family medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Vyas explained that the sun is our main source of vitamin D, which supports bone health, immune function and much more.

When it comes to sleep, getting sunlight in the morning helps wake us up and regulate our sleep-wake cycle.

Sunlight may also improve mood by boosting feel-good chemicals in the brain.

While soaking up the benefits, it’s important to wear sunscreen and avoid prolonged sun exposure to protect your skin.

Dr. Vyas said the amount of sun each person needs varies.

“How much sunlight you need depends on a host of different factors, including your age, where you live in proximity to the sun as well as your skin pigmentation,” Dr. Vyas said.

Dr. Vyas added it’s best to talk to your doctor to determine how much sunlight is safe for you.

The taking of Beaufort castle, near the city of Nabatiyeh, followed days of airstrikes and intense fighting in nearby villages between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants.

The capture marked a major Israeli advance in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel two days after the U.S. and Israel attacked its main backer, Iran.

Since then, Israel has launched a ground invasion, capturing dozens of Lebanese villages and towns close to the border. Hezbollah has launched thousands of missiles and drones at Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.

The Israeli push came despite a nominal ceasefire that has been in place since April 17 and just days before Lebanon and Israeli hold their next round of direct talks in Washington starting Tuesday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to propose a fresh path to continue ongoing negotiations, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic conversations. Under the proposal, Hezbollah would halt all attacks on Israel and Israel would refrain from escalating military operations in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, according to the official.

In a televised statement, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally, said he can guarantee the militant group's “full, comprehensive and immediate commitment to a ceasefire."

“But who will force Israel to stop its aggression?” he said in a statement on his television station, NBN.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss Israeli military operations in Lebanon, which he described as “unacceptable.”

“Nothing can justify the prolongation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and its increasingly deep occupation of Lebanese territory,” Barrot said Sunday on French television BFM TV.

Diplomats said the council meeting might take place Monday afternoon, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement.

A historic and strategic fortress

The Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, posted photographs on X showing Israeli troops walking outside the castle, and Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that they raised an Israeli flag over the castle. Israeli troops previously captured the castle in 1982 and held it until they withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.

“Twenty six years after the withdrawal from the security zone in Lebanon, the Israeli flag has returned to fly on the peaks that overlook the Galilee towns,” Katz said Sunday at a memorial ceremony for Israeli soldiers killed in its previous occupation of southern Lebanon.

Katz said Israel intends to hold the castle as its troops work to destroy thousands more homes that he says were used by Hezbollah and other military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

The Beaufort fortress, perched high atop Lebanon’s rolling green hills and overlooking the Litani River, has been a strategic military asset for centuries.

Built as a Crusader castle around the 12th century on top of previous fortifications, it has also been used by Saladin’s Jerusalem army, Mamluks, Ottomans, the French mandate and the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Crusaders named it Beaufort, which is Old French for “beautiful fortress.”

The 1982 capture of the castle from the PLO was a major victory for the Israeli military, which was then led by Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, who later became prime minister. At the time, the Israeli army pushed all the way north and occupied Beirut.

In 2000, the castle was partially restored and opened to visitors.

During the previous Israel-Hezbollah war in 2024, UNESCO gave enhanced protection to 34 cultural sites in Lebanon, including Beaufort Castle, to safeguard them from damage.

The castle is a few kilometers north of the Israel border and overlooks wide parts of southern Lebanon and northern Israel. In Arabic, it is called Al-Shaqif castle, an old Syriac word referring to the formidable rocky area.

Beaufort is symbolic across the region, including in Israel, where it was one of the best-known places Israel controlled during the 18-year occupation. An Israeli film titled “Beaufort” explores moral questions about war in the last days before the military withdrew.

Israel expands invasion in Lebanon

In recent days, Israel has expanded the scope of its operations in Lebanon, sending troops across the Litani River, which previously served as a de-facto boundary, and demanding that residents leave much of southern Lebanon.

“The occupation of Beaufort is a dramatic stage and a dramatic shift in the policies we are leading,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, citing the military occupation of security zones in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza along Israel’s borders. He said Israel has killed 3,000 Hezbollah militants since the start of the war. Hezbollah has not disclosed its casualty numbers.

Israel has designated the area from the Litani up to the Zahrani River a combat zone. Some residents have already left the area due to intense strikes in recent days, but people remain.

Israeli troops have been advancing for days in villages close to Beaufort castle. They are now about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Nabatiyeh, a major center in southern Lebanon. They have called on people to leave that area, as well as the coastal city of Tyre, the country’s fourth-largest city, and its surroundings.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah or the Lebanese government on the Israeli push.

The expanded operation would give Israel an upper hand in the upcoming talks with Lebanon in Washington, said Beirut geopolitical analyst Joe Macaron.

“We are at a tipping point,” Macaron said, adding that it is still too early to say how Hezbollah will react to the loss of land. “The more land they (the Israeli military) can grab before the ceasefire, the more they can impose conditions on Hezbollah before their withdrawal.”

Exchanges of fire across the border continue

Israel has continued striking near Tyre, including near the Hiram Hospital. The Lebanese Health Ministry said 13 health workers were wounded in the strike. Elsewhere, a strike in Deir al-Zahrani, near Nabatiyeh, killed eight people and wounded 16 others, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency.

Hezbollah overnight claimed two attacks targeting Israeli troops and a Merkava tank in the southwestern town of Bayada near the border. In recent days, the group has said it has clashed with Israeli troops in several towns just north of the river near Nabatiyeh and the strategic castle. It also claimed attacks deeper into Israel near the northern city of Haifa, Nahariya, as well as border areas.

Hezbollah on Saturday fired salvos of rockets into northern Israel, including Kiryat Shmona, the largest city in the area.

Hezbollah's use of hard-to-detect fiber optic drones has been deadly for the Israeli military, which is struggling to respond. There have been nearly 200 alerts for Israeli civilians across northern Israel warning of drones and missiles in the past 24 hours, according to Israel's military.

The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has killed 3,350 people in Lebanon and displaced more than 1 million people.

According to Netanyahu’s office, at least 25 Israeli soldiers and a defense contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon, including one on Saturday. Two civilians have also been killed in northern Israel.

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Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press Writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.