Shoja Khalilzadeh ripped his jersey off before being mobbed by the entire Iran team after he fired a shot past Egypt goalie Mostafa Shobeir in the 93rd minute to seemingly give his side a 2-1 lead on Friday night.

For a few joyous moments, Iran was convinced it had advanced to the knockout round at the World Cup for the first time in the expanded 48-team pool at this year’s tournament.

The potential late winning goal was called back due to an offside, though, and Egypt advanced past the group stage.

Iran, meanwhile, will have to wait one day to find out its fate after the two teams played to a 1-1 draw. Egypt will play Australia in the round of 32.

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei lamented what was the third goal by his side waved off by video review in the tournament.

“Technology is justice,” Ghalenoei said in Farsi, “But, I'm upset about our bad luck.”

At the conclusion of what was promoted as a “Pride Match” in Seattle, one which neither Iran nor Egypt wanted any part in, the Pharaohs finished in second place in Group G. Belgium, which played to a 1-1 draw against Egypt on June 15, beat New Zealand 5-1 in Vancouver, British Columbia to win the group outright.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan was grateful his team didn't slide to third in the group, which would have been the case had Khalilzadeh's goal held up.

“We knew we had qualified already, we were sitting at the top of the group," Hossan said. "I thank God for everything. After this goal was ruled offside, I was very happy.”

Iran, meanwhile, could still advance to the knockout round for the first time in the expanded 48-team pool at this year’s tournament. But, they no longer controls their own destiny after Friday’s game.

“We’re here to make our history, too,” said midfielder Rouzbeh Cheshmi. “(Saturday), if our dream comes true, thank God. If not, we are proud of our game and our players because of how we did the game. The last three games, we held up, so let’s see what happens."

Egypt took an early lead on a goal by Mahmoud Saber in the fifth minute. Former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah provided some strong play in the box before Saber fired a shot between the legs of Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.

Iran was denied an equalizer in the 11th minute when Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir saved a penalty kick, but tied the game in the 14th minute on a goal by Ramin Rezaeian.

After Iran came up just short, its players aired their grievances about numerous complications off the field. The team has endured travel restrictions imposed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in light of the war in Iran.

In March, Iran sought to move its group-stage matches to Mexico, with which it has diplomatic ties. Its request to move its base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana was granted two weeks before the team’s arrival.

Ghalenoei said members of the team have been limited to their hotels and training facilities, and not explored Tijuana in any capacity. Several team officials and members of the support staff have been barred from traveling into the U.S. with the team.

“We don’t have recovery, we don’t have any logistic people here to help us. We always complain about these things, but no one helps us – no one,” said Roozbeh Cheshmi. “As you know, recovery is an important thing. Small details affect the football."

For the first two matches, near Los Angeles, the team was not permitted to travel until the day before and had to return to Mexico immediately after each game. The U.S. then eased its restrictions, allowing the squad to travel to Seattle two days before Friday’s match.

Ghalenoei said the team again had to immediately fly back to Tijuana after Friday's game.

“We were treated very, very badly,” Ghalenoei said. “I hope the world becomes aware of these issues.”

If only for a short stint of time, though, Iran's disdain was tabled in the aftermath of Khalilzadeh's near-goal. Iran did not finish Friday's game with a storybook ending, but it is still alive in the tournament — at least for another 24 hours.

“What these young Iranian national team players have done should be recorded in history,” Ghalenoei said. “Why? Because the host treated us in the worst possible way.”

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AP freelancer Mark Moschetti contributed to this report.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Authorities announced Friday night that they would block access to La Guaira, the epicenter of the destruction, as chaos and traffic began to hamper search efforts. Officials said anyone who wants to enter would now have to seek official permits, but provided few details of who would be allowed in.

Venezuelans took the search for missing loved ones into their own hands, citing a scarcity of government rescuers, as the human toll of Wednesday's quakes climbed to at least 920 dead and more than 51,000 missing. People reported seeing few state rescue teams in the hardest-hit areas, despite authorities projecting an image of a robust government response.

Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours to be a crucial time frame to retrieve people alive, though that can be extended if they have access to food and water.

“Each person saved is a miracle,” said Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly. “We are not going to hide absolutely anything about the magnitude of this tragedy."

Anxious families wait to see if relatives survived

In the state of La Guaira, just north of the capital, Caracas, Nazareth Jimenez sobbed into a loved one's shoulder as she watched neighbors use hammers and power tools to try to cut through slabs of concrete in a building reduced to a mountain of debris. She was wracked with anxiety as she waited to see if her siblings, nephews, nieces and friends would emerge alive.

“My God, how are we going to get them out of there?” Jimenez murmured.

“We're making a call for help to the government and countries across the world,” she said, pleading for machinery capable of moving collapsed structures. “There are still people alive in there.”

Government forces distributed food and water to survivors in La Guaira, and acting President Delcy Rodríguez said her government was mounting a full response during these “critical hours for rescuing people alive.”

She welcomed the arrival of international rescuers and humanitarian aid. She said La Guaira had been militarized and more help was on the way, even as residents said it was just a fraction of what they needed.

The disaster poses a huge challenge for Rodríguez, the former vice president who took office in January after the capture and removal of then-President Nicolás Maduro by the United States. Venezuela has been facing economic disarray for more than a decade, and many people reject the legitimacy of the political movement Rodríguez represents.

The number of dead was expected to climb, and people reported tens of thousands of missing on independent digital databases. Those figures likely included people who have been incommunicado due to the lack of cellphone signals, and some reports may be duplicates.

The number of injured was more than 3,300 as of midday Friday, and authorities said they rescued 243.

Millions of people reeling

The International Organization for Migration said up to 6.76 million people could be affected, some 2 million of them in Caracas alone. The destruction was amplified by the quick succession of shallow quakes, experts said.

Loyce Pace, the International Red Cross’ regional director for the Americas, said “people are still terrified to reenter what were their homes.”

Indeed, many continued to sleep on the street.

Omar Reyes said around 20 family members died.

“I’ve been left alone in this life,” Reyes said, walking through the rubble where two of his children were buried.

In the city of Maiquetia, people lined up outside stores and pharmacies that served them one by one behind closed doors. At one point a woman in a crowd threw herself to the ground to protect a package of diapers with her body, desperate to keep it.

Traffic and throngs of motorcyclists at times disrupted search efforts. Mexican soldiers and volunteers repeatedly asked for silence to try to hear signs of life under the rubble, but bikers — civilian and uniformed — continued to honk horns and rev engines to the first responders' frustration.

Some people began to carry off basic goods such as toilet paper and food from stores in Catia La Mar, adjacent to the country’s main airport. Others swarmed a civilian pickup truck that was giving out bread and water, until a soldier intervened. The parking lot of a pharmacy turned into a makeshift shelter with tarps, hammocks and tents.

A few miles away, Yuleidy Cadenas, 28, stood across the street from a collapsed public housing building, hoping her son, mother and brother would be pulled out alive.

She fled barefoot from another building as it collapsed Wednesday and found her mother’s 12-floor apartment tower had pancaked.

“I got on top of the rubble and told them to yell back, and nobody did, not my brother, nor my son or my mother,” Cadenas said.

International aid on the way

Venezuelan authorities said Friday that 861 volunteers from Mexico, the U.S., El Salvador, Switzerland, Colombia and beyond were in the country, and more were coming from elsewhere.

Acting President Rodríguez said she spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday and they reaffirmed their commitment to send rescue teams and aid equipment.

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Janetsky reported from Mexico City. Associated Press journalists Clara Preve in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed.

It was just a coincidence that the city’s “Pride Match” ended up as a high-stakes matchup between Iran and Egypt — ultimately a 1-1 draw — and it came with plenty of pushback from both countries. But Seattle officials and its soccer community say the distinctive pairing was an opportunity to showcase the city’s inclusivity as well as the common ground that can be found at the World Cup.

Some milled about the stadium with Pride Match scarves, while others had painted their faces with rainbows or clutched free flags handed out by a human rights organization. One man toted a large sign that spelled out PRIDE as an acronym: “Proud, Respectful, Inclusive, Diverse, Egyptian.”

Stacy Harbour works for an LGBTQ+ nonprofit invited by the local organizing committee and brought 20 young people to the match. Harbour said she’s glad these two countries were the ones competing.

“There are groups of folks that live here in Seattle that are of Egyptian, Iranian descent. This is their opportunity to represent their intersectional identities,” she said. “This is an opportunity to show the world what Seattle is. And Seattle is an inclusive city. We always have been, we always will be.”

Pride celebrations are low-key inside the stadium

Same-sex relations are illegal in Iran, where gay men have been executed on sodomy charges, while Egypt has prosecuted gay and lesbian people and suppressed outward expressions of gay pride, including rainbow flags. The countries had complained to FIFA about the “Pride Match” and asked that the celebrations be canceled. In a statement earlier Friday, Iran's federation said it had made its position clear to FIFA in multiple letters and meetings and was assured “that no ceremonies or promotional activities related to this issue will take place inside the stadium or as part of the official match programme.”

“Iran and Egypt are two Muslim countries with deep cultural and religious commonalities, and the views expressed by both federations reflect the shared values and beliefs of the people of the two nations,” Iran's federation said.

The pre-match festivities on the field did not include any references to Pride, and by halftime, some fans said they were disappointed by the lack of Pride-related celebrations.

“I don’t expect a lot from FIFA, so I am not that surprised, but it’s a little disappointing,” said Hunter Schafer, of Seattle, wearing a rainbow headband.

The Associated Press sent requests for comment on how the Pride Match unfurled to the Iranian and Egyptian federations, as well as the organizing committee, on Friday night. Hana Tadesse, a spokesperson for Seattle’s World Cup organizing committee, said before the match that FIFA treats the rainbow flag as a statement of human rights and would allow fans to wave it inside the stadium.

British activist Peter Tatchell brought a protest placard that read, “Iran & Egypt ban gay footballers. It's against FIFA rules.” He said in a statement that officials at the stadium tried to confiscate the poster, but he refused to hand it over and was ultimately told he couldn't leave his seat. A separate request for comment on the incident was sent to the organizing committee.

“I don’t have any idea about that,” Iran player Ramin Rezaeian said when asked about the match's Pride designation after the game.

Egyptian player Mahmoud Saber responded similarly, saying in Arabic, “Yeah, it’s not my business. I am not commenting on these things.”

The ‘Pride Match’ makes fans feel seen

Anthony Vega, 50, stood outside the stadium more than three hours before kickoff, waving a large rainbow flag he planned to bring inside. At his first World Cup match after winning the ticket lottery, he said he thought more people would be outside with Pride flags.

“If one or two kids in Iran or Egypt see who we really are as Americans and how we are accepting, especially here in my home, that could change the lives for a lot of people, or them,” said Vega, who celebrated his first Pride in 1991.

Paul Kahl, a West Seattle native who wore a purple shirt in support of Pride, said he didn't experience any issues getting into the stadium.

“I think there’s a difference between the fans of a country versus the government of a country. And, their government’s not here,” he said. “Their fans are here to see the game. It’s the World Cup. You leave your politics at the door.”

The match coincided with Seattle’s annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, including its popular Pride parade planned for the weekend.

Ilona Lohrey, president and CEO of the Greater Seattle Business Association, an LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce, described Seattle as one of the most inclusive cities in the country.

“I think it gives us an opportunity to showcase who we are as a city, who we are as a people and how diversity makes us stronger,” Lohrey said in an interview Thursday.

Sara Bunn, who identifies as pansexual, started to tear up, standing outside the stadium with a Pride flag wrapped around her shoulders and a shirt that read, “Trans People Belong.”

“This is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Bunn said, “and it’s really cool to be able to be a part of it and be a part of history of us being able to be represented.”

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AP Sports Writer Andrew Destin and Owen Cameros, a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State, contributed to this report.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

U.S. President Donald Trump said the drone attack violated the ceasefire. The strikes came shortly after Trump told reporters, “You’ll find out,” whether the U.S. would respond.

U.S. Central Command said the military struck missile and drone locations and coastal radar sites in Iran.

“I don’t like the fact that they took a shot yesterday, actually four of them,” Trump said at the White House shortly before the U.S. struck back. When asked why there would be strikes when Trump has insisted talks with Tehran are going well, Trump said of Iran: “They’re a little bit different.”

He then abruptly cut off questions and reporters were ushered out of his office.

Ebrahim Azizi, who heads the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, responded to Trump on social media earlier Friday, saying, “the Strait of Hormuz is governed by Iran, so: Respect the rules” and to “not mistake control for escalation.”

“This is not a violation of the ceasefire; it is ceasefire management,” Azizi wrote.

Friday evening, Vice President JD Vance said on social media that Iran should “pick up the phone” if there are disagreements about the ceasefire agreement.

“But violence will be met with violence,” Vance said.

Strikes conclude an hour later

The U.S. strikes on Iran concluded about an hour after U.S. Central Command announced the military action on social media, a U.S. official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing military operation.

The British military said on Thursday that a container ship was hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman, coming hours after Iran threatened vessels to stop using the route. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said no injuries were reported.

The development came during a fragile time for the U.S. and Iran as they work to negotiate a permanent end to the war. Iran has increasingly challenged the region and the U.S. over its control of the Strait of Hormuz, even with the current interim deal it reached with the U.S. last week.

The attack on the cargo ship happened while a United Nations maritime agency was beginning an operation to move stranded ships out of the strait this week, using an alternative route, hugging the shores of Oman rather than sailing through the central part of the strait.

The International Maritime Organization halted the evacuations after the attack and said on Friday they won’t resume until there are guarantees that the other ships won’t be attacked.

About 115 ships were able to move out of the strait in recent days, leaving about 500 still in the area, said Arsenio Dominguez, the agency’s secretary-general.

The opening of the alternative passage through the strait was expected to relieve pressure on the world economy and remove Iran’s main source of leverage in ongoing peace talks with the U.S.

The U.S. and Iran are still negotiating terms of the deal, including issues such as getting ships through the key strait and addressing the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Under the interim deal, the two sides have 60 days to work out the details.

Cargo ship attack poses a test for shipping

Shipping analysts said the drone strike cast a shadow over what had been a growing stream of trapped vessels finally leaving the Gulf and an increasing flow of tankers carrying crude oil.

“A week of widening commercial confidence in the Strait of Hormuz has hit its first significant test,” said marine data company Windward on X. It said that while the strait remains operationally open with 43 transits recorded after the incident, “the pace of normalization has slowed.”

On Wednesday before Thursday’s drone strike, 78 vessels transited the strait, the highest since the war began, although below the prewar averages of 130 or more per day.

At least two tankers reversed course while attempting to transit the strait on the U.N.-backed route near Oman after Iran insisted vessels use only the Teheran-approved routes, according to marine data and analytic firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

More than two dozen ships were still transiting the strait's southern route after the attack, Lloyd's said Friday.

Lebanon and Israel make a step toward peace

Ambassadors from Israel and Lebanon announced an agreement Friday described as a step toward peace following months of conflict between Israeli troops and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Nada Hamadeh, Lebanon's ambassador to the U.S., called the framework a move toward "enabling our people to go back to their land and allowing all Lebanese to live in peace, security, and prosperity.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the plan was a “great achievement” for Israel.

“The most important thing, first and foremost, is that Israel will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon,” he said, adding that they will stay until Hezbollah is disarmed and no longer poses a threat to Israel.

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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Ben Finley, Michelle L. Price and Josh Boak in Washington, David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.

In his first chance to pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his still-new Padres uniform Friday night, Buehler was a star in this NL West rivalry once again.

Buehler beat the Dodgers for the first time since he left the World Series champions 1 1/2 seasons ago, pitching three-hit ball into the sixth inning of the Padres' 7-1 win.

The veteran right-hander played a significant role in building the baseball-dominating powerhouse he faced from the Petco Park mound in the opener of this weekend rivalry series. Buehler came through against the Dodgers' high-powered lineup, striking out five and yielding just one run to an LA roster still packed with his longtime teammates.

Buehler acknowledged feeling good about the latest strong start in his revitalized season for the Padres — but not particularly because of the opponent.

“I have no bad blood against that organization,” Buehler said. “They treated me very well for a long time, and I think in some way, I did to them as well. My last pitch there was the last out of a World Series. I don’t really know how else I would have gone out any better than that. So yeah, I want to beat everyone, especially in the division, and especially a team that has been so successful against the organization I’m with now. I want to be a part of turning that around.”

Buehler made two All-Star teams and won two World Series rings with the Dodgers, going down in franchise history when he came on in relief and got the final out in the clinching Game 5 victory over the New York Yankees in the 2024 Fall Classic. He also was particularly effective in rivalry games against the Padres, going 6-1 with a 1.80 ERA in 12 starts.

He built a career and a life in Los Angeles, but injuries slowed Buehler in his final years, and the Dodgers let him walk after his title-winning heroics.

Buehler faced the Dodgers for the first time last season at Fenway Park, and he didn't get through the fifth inning of a start that went just about as poorly as most of his tenure for the Red Sox, who released him less than a month later. After a brief stint with Philadelphia, he signed with San Diego last February.

“I think the first one in Boston was a lot bigger emotional load, for lack of a better word,” Buehler said. “It’s a team in our division. I’m going to have to pitch against them, and it was good to get the first one in this uniform at home, and we’ll see what happens on the road. I haven’t thrown at Dodger Stadium yet, which will be kind of a different thing, but (it's) nice to have something to fall back on in terms of having some success.”

Buehler (5-3) has regained his footing with the Padres, allowing just five runs over five starts and 26 1/3 total innings in an excellent June. He has improbably become the most reliable starter in San Diego's injury-affected rotation.

The Padres are getting success from Buehler by not overextending the 31-year-old pitcher with two Tommy John surgeries behind him. He has yet to record an out in the seventh inning, but San Diego's superb bullpen has allowed Buehler to feel better about his new role.

“I think I’ve changed from trying to throw 120 pitches and owning the game to just kind of trying to get through the five, six innings and hand it off to our bullpen,” Buehler said. “Obviously we have a lot of super-talented guys back there, so I feel good about it.”

Buehler still wasn't particularly happy when manager Craig Stammen came out to get him in the sixth after just 74 pitches against the Dodgers, but that bullpen came through with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless, four-hit ball that included escapes from two bases-loaded jams.

“In the moment, he likes to let me know he’s not happy on the mound,” Stammen said. “And then when I get back to the dugout, he’s already cooled off. So he’s handled it really well. He’s been a very professional pitcher in that regard. He knows that he’s pitching well and he can get a lot of guys out, but he also knows we’ve got a really good bullpen that can finish a game and get him a win.”

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

Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews’ ruling overturns a June 15 decision by Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher to disqualify the challenger and keep him off the primary ballot. Matthews’ ruling can be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

Attorneys for the state have said Tuesday is the deadline for a final ruling so that ballots for the Aug. 18 primary can be printed.

The judge ruled that the Division’s decision to exclude Dan J. Sullivan because his candidacy was not “in good faith” was not based on the Constitution, Alaska law or the Division’s own regulations. The retired teacher from the small fishing community of Petersburg filed to challenge the incumbent.

“Instead, the decision was based upon a new, previously unstated, ‘good faith’ criteria,” the judge wrote.

Attorneys for the state did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday’s ruling. Jeffrey Robertson, Dan J. Sullivan's attorney, said in an email he expects the Division to appeal the ruling and couldn't comment until the Alaska Supreme Court rules on the case.

The controversy over the two Dan Sullivans has underscored the stakes involved in the incumbent’s reelection campaign. The Alaska race is one of about half a dozen U.S. Senate races expected to be highly competitive in the fall, and the seat is one Democrats are trying to flip in their efforts to try to regain the majority.

The senator and allies, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, have condemned the challenger’s efforts to join the race, arguing his presence could confuse voters. Under Alaska’s election system, the top four candidates from the primary, regardless of party, move on to the ranked-choice November general election.

The senator has accused the challenger Sullivan of working with Democrats and the campaign of Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola — who is considered the senator’s main opponent — to cause confusion and boost Peltola’s chances. Peltola’s campaign and state Democrats have denied the allegation, as has the challenger.

Sen. Sullivan and Peltola are the highest-profile candidates in the crowded race and the only ones to report raising any money.

Beecher has said she determined the challenger Sullivan is not eligible to run because his candidacy was not filed in good faith and instead was done with an intent to confuse voters. She said he had registered to vote as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. and, in conjunction with his candidacy, changed his party affiliation to Republican. She also cited similarities between his campaign website and the senator’s, and his work with a consultant whose clients have included some Democrats. She did not mention finding any evidence of alleged coordination.

In arguing to keep the challenger disqualified, attorneys for the state pushed back on suggestions the ballot could be designed in a way to reduce voter confusion over two candidates with the same name and party running for the same office.

“The Constitution does not require States to place a sham candidate on the ballot and then attempt to mitigate the damage through design choices,” attorney Rachel Witty, with the Alaska Department of Law, and outside attorneys Christopher Murray and Michael Francisco wrote in court filings.

Attorneys for the challenger Sullivan argued that the Constitution lays out three exclusive qualifications for the Senate, addressing only age, citizenship and residency. They said Beecher lacked the legal authority to boot their client off the ballot.

The challenger Sullivan has said that sharing a name and party affiliation with the incumbent gave him “an instant megaphone.” But the 69-year-old retired teacher and former U.S. Forest Service employee said he had considered a run for some time and had grown frustrated with the senator.

He initially was certified on the state’s candidate list as Dan J. Sullivan, with the senator listed as Dan S. Sullivan and identified as the incumbent.

“In basketball terms it was a slam dunk,” said VMI athletics director Jamaal Walton.

VMI has taken advantage of an opportunity to have its first ever court sponsorship. With a strong alumni base, it wasn’t long before conversations were had and Estes Express Lines was ready to deliver.

“The sponsorship provided an opportunity for funds to go directly to the athletic department budget,” said Steve Hupp. He serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Estes.

While he’s excited to have their logo on Costen Court, the partnership between Estes and VMI takes on special meaning--highlighting the importance of relationships.

“Our family heritage goes pretty far back at VMI, roughly 86 years or so,” said Hupp. “My dad matriculated in 1940 as a rat from Chase City, Virginia.

H. Thomas Hupp, Jr. started what would become a multi-generational family tradition. His son Billy is a 1977 VMI graduate, Steve earned his degree in 1984 before his sons Stephen and Thomas came through Lexington in 2016 and 2020 respectively. For VMI athletics director Jamaal Walton, the Hupp family is a big reason he too was able to be a cadet.

“Billy Hupp provided my scholarship, he was my scholarship donor,” Walton said. “So, it’s really cool to see what they’ve done for me but also what they continue to do for VMI athletics.”

Hupp says he’s grateful to be in a position to help provide the ultimate assist to Coach Wilson and the Keydets.

“Just so impressed with the work he’s done there at VMI in his 4-5 years, the person he is and type of person he is,” Hupp said. “Just want to do whatever we can to help him succeed there and for VMI to have the finances in place to do it.”

VMI and Estes—two brands with one mission—deliver success in more ways than one, for years to come.

“It’s just so many similarities in the two organizations and what they’re trying to do in the world of serving,” said Hupp.

“To be able to do some things at VMI shows that we’re progressing and that we’re doing things that a lot of people probably felt we couldn’t do here,” said Walton.

“He was looking at me and I kind of was thinking, maybe,” McKenna said with a laugh. “Crazy. Just crazy what’s going on right now.”

With most of Yukon watching and a loud presence of Maple Leafs fans in the stands, Toronto chose the Penn State left winger, validating longstanding projections of McKenna being his age group’s top prospect. The 18-year-old from Yukon’s capital of Whitehorse has been a prolific scorer on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border.

And if Bieber’s appearance and taking the stage to the artist's song “Yukon” wasn’t enough, McKenna was welcomed to the Maple Leafs with a video message from Toronto captain Auston Matthews.

“Obviously he’s on the first line. I’m going to have to prove myself to be able to play with a player like that. But that’s my goal,” McKenna said about Matthews, who was chosen No. 1 by Toronto in the 2016 draft, which also happened to be held in Buffalo. “My game’s obviously a playmaker, he’s a shooter, so I think we could complement each other pretty well.”

McKenna represents a major plank in in a rebuilding process for a team in transition under new general manager John Chayka. Toronto finished last in the Atlantic Division last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since Matthews’ arrival.

Canucks select coach's son, Caleb Malhotra

The draft featured dueling cheers — and boos — between large contingents of Maple Leafs and Sabres fans, several surprises, nine trades and a poignant father-son moment when Vancouver selected center Caleb Malhotra with the No. 3 pick, joining a team coached by dad Manny Malhotra.

“I hugged him right after, and we were happy,” said Caleb, who is from British Columbia and finished second among OHL rookies with 84 points with Brantford last season. “It’s the best feeling in the world. I’ve never felt anything like this. And that embrace was so comforting, and I’m so glad he’s here with me as dad.”

Malhotra said his dad was not aware of the Canucks’ draft plans. And he now has bragging rights on his father in being selected four spots higher, after Manny went No. 7 to the New York Rangers in 1998.

Run on defensemen

After forwards went with the first three picks, including Sweden’s Ivar Stenberg second to San Jose, the expected run on defensemen began with five selected over the next six picks, and 10 overall.

Buffalo selected Prince Albert blue-liner Daxon Rudolph at No. 4, followed by Latvia’s Alberts Smits going fifth to the Rangers. Chase Reid, who is from Michigan, went seventh to Seattle as the first American-born player selected.

Smits split last season playing professionally in Finland and Germany, while also representing Latvia at the Milan Cortina Olympics. He became the highest drafted Latvian.

Trades and more trades

This was a much more active first round with picks traded for NHL players than the previous couple of years. The Rangers got Pavel Dorofeyev from Vegas for picks 26 and 92, and a 2028 first-rounder. Boston acquired JJ Peterka from Utah for a pair of first-rounders. And St. Louis traded two of its picks to Anaheim for Mason McTavish.

The selections featured an international flavor with 10 Canadians, a first-round-record seven Swedes and seven Americans chosen. The first round ended with Ottawa selecting forward Jaxon Cover, who was born in Miami, raised on Grand Cayman where he played roller hockey, and developed his hockey skills in Toronto.

And Bieber wasn't the only music star to make a pick, with country music's Luke Bryan on hand to announce Nashville's selection of Wyatt Cullen before performing a concert a few blocks away.

Rudolph was wowed watching his good friend McKenna being welcomed to the stage.

“To see him be selected first and with Justin Bieber and everything, it was amazing,” Rudolph said. “I just remember talking to my mom and saying. ‘Wow, this is so cool,’ as I’m sitting there on the couch waiting to be picked.”

McKenna accustomed to the spotlight

McKenna is accustomed to the spotlight. He combined for 79 goals and 244 points in 133 games with Medicine Hat in the WHL. As a freshman at Penn State, he finished with 51 points, tied for fourth in the nation, last season.

He became just the fifth NCAA player to go first, and third in six years, since Michigan defenseman Owen Power went No. 1 to Buffalo in 2021.

McKenna also became the fifth Yukon-born player to be selected in the draft, and first to go No. 1. He now heads to a metropolis that is nearly 100 times larger than Whitehorse’s population of about 39,000.

This was the NHL’s second straight decentralized draft, with teams making selections from their respective headquarters.

Decentralized draft Part II

Lacking in the new format is each draft pick joining his new team’s front office on stage. Last year, the NHL attempted to rectify that by having teams welcome their prospects by video conference call on stage at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The interviews were widely panned for being awkward and glitchy, and contributing to the draft lasting nearly 4 1/2 hours.

This year the NHL had the top prospects seated with their families in what resembled a lounge area, featuring plush couches, directly in front of the stage. After being selected, each player was interviewed on a couch on stage, with the backdrop representing the team in a first round that took about four hours to complete.

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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno and AP freelance writer Denis Gorman contributed to this report.

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

She's only the second WNBA coach to enter the Hall of Fame, joining former Houston Comets coach Van Chancellor, who was inducted in 2001.

“(I appreciate) the magnitude of this recognition of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the great work that has gone into this institution,” Reeve said. “To walk around and see the history of how much has been done years before I could ever have this opportunity to coach. Grateful to the WNBA because I think there was some consideration given schedule wise.”

Reeve will be joined by WNBA greats Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne in this year's class. Parker and Delle Donne also will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame later this year. Other inductees include ESPN broadcaster Doris Burke, Kirkwood Community College coach Kim Muhl, Spanish star Amaya Valdemoro, French great Isabelle Fijalkowski and Clemson's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, Barbara Kennedy-Dixon.

Parker and Delle Donne were shocked to learn that Reeve was only the second WNBA coach to be honored.

“When you look at Cheryl’s career and what she’s done and all the winning and all the Hall of Famers she’s coached and then you look at her and she’s not ancient, like, that’s rare,” Delle Donne said. “That’s just how good she is and how long she’s been winning and doing it at a young age. Cheryl’s phenomenal. She made life really hard when we were playing against her.”

Reeve has won four WNBA championships with the Minnesota Lynx, whom she has coached since 2010. She also led the U.S. women's Olympic team to an eighth consecutive gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games. Reeve has 378 victories and is one win behind Mike Thibault for the most all-time in WNBA history.

She has a chance to match Thibault on Sunday when the Lynx play the Dallas Wings.

Parker won three titles in the WNBA playing with three different teams: Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas. She is the only player in league history to win both the MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season (2008).

She also won two titles while playing in college for Tennessee under Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, plus two Olympic gold medals and a second WNBA MVP award (2013).

“I'm super humbled to be going in with Elena and with the other inductees in the 2026 class,” Parker said.

Delle Donne won two league MVP awards in 2015 and 2019, the second of which came when she led the Washington Mystics to their lone WNBA championship. Delle Donne became the first player in league history to shoot more than 50% from the field, 40% from behind the 3-point line and 90% from the foul line.

Burke has covered basketball for ESPN since 1991 and in 2024 became the first woman to call the NBA Finals as a TV analyst. She was also the lead voice for the network in women's college basketball for many years. Burke played college basketball at Providence, scoring 1,372 points.

Valdemoro starred for the Spanish national team while playing on the 2004 and 2008 Olympic teams. She also was a member of the Houston Comets, winning three WNBA titles with the organization.

Muhl won 1,108 games and nine national titles at Kirkwood Community College. He had 37 consecutive 20-win seasons before retiring this past April.

Fijalkowski was a five-time French League champion and two-time EuroLeague winner. She was the French national team's all-time leading scorer with 2,562 points in 204 games.

Kennedy-Dixon had 3,113 points and 1,252 rebounds for Clemson. She was one of just eight players to have at least 3,000 points and 1,000 rebounds since the NCAA began sponsoring women's sports. She played professionally in Italy, and then played for the Virginia Wave in 1989 in the Women’s American Basketball Association before the league folded the same year.

Kennedy-Dixon died in 2018.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Lineburg announced his departure in a letter to the Brookville community, thanking Principal Christine White for giving him the opportunity to return to the classroom and coaching after spending nearly three decades away from both.

“It has been the pleasure of a lifetime to return to Brookville High School to teach and coach these past two years,” Lineburg wrote.

After spending the previous 15 years in executive leadership roles within school divisions, Lineburg said returning to education at the classroom level reshaped his perspective on today’s students and educators.

On the football field, Lineburg said coaching the Bees was equally rewarding.

“The young men on this team are unforgettable,” he wrote. “They came to practice each day, rarely missed a workout, and on Friday nights played their hearts out for one another and for our school.”

Lineburg returned to Brookville in 2024 in what was his second stint with the program. He first led the Bees from 1992 to 1997, compiling a 49-19 record. In 1996, Lineburg led the program to a state championship appearance.

With this announcement, Brookville has named Dustin Russell as its head varsity football coach for the 2026 season. The Alleghany High School grad played under Jack Baker from 2004-2007 before heading to Averett. Russell spent the 2024 season leading the Rustburg Red Devils to a 7-4 record and a Region 3C playoff berth before joining the Brookville staff in 2025.

“Brookville has a strong tradition of excellence, and I am committed to building on that foundation while developing young men of character both on and off the field,” Russell said.

But the charismatic Burnham may have difficulty — at least initially — distancing himself from policies set in motion by his predecessor.

Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester who was sworn into Parliament hours after Starmer announced his resignation on Monday, will be constrained by the platform the center-left Labour Party was elected on that decisively ended 14 years of Conservative rule in 2024.

It's not entirely clear how he'll navigate those limits and bring his unique brand of politics to the revolving-door post that would make him the 7th prime minister in a decade. He’ll lay out his economic vision in a speech next week.

“At the moment, Andy Burnham is being almost hailed and held up as a folk hero that will save British politics,” said Matthew Flinders, politics professor at University of Sheffield. “The tide is changing and the big issue for Andy Burnham is that when the world suddenly moves against him and he becomes a folk devil, will he sustain the pressure?”

Next PM will seek to boost a sluggish economy and ease cost of living

Burnham is currently the only contestant for the job of leading the Labour Party and the country, and will likely take over July 17 if no one else enters the race. His return to the House of Commons follows a decade leading the region around the U.K.’s third-largest city, birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, which has enjoyed an economic revival during his tenure.

His main challenge will be to overcome Starmer's inability to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living.

Burnham highlighted those issues — along with housing and creating opportunities for young people — in a post on social media after Starmer said he was quitting.

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

Burnham, who is widely regarded as sitting to the left of Starmer in the party, has said he'll revive a sluggish economy without going beyond the current government’s spending and borrowing plans. That pledge has helped reassure markets traumatized in 2022 after Prime Minister Liz Truss announced unfunded tax cuts and then withdrew them, leading to her 49-day record as Britain's shortest-serving leader.

“If you are a Labour prime minster from the soft left of the party, the markets don’t need that much invitation to panic,” said Mark Goodwin, a politics lecturer at Coventry University. “They will start from a position of skepticism. So he’d have to be very, very careful."

He said Burnham will face a challenge “to convince people that this is something different, without the markets reading that as ‘This is too different.’"

Burnham faces big questions over budget priorities

Burnham promotes what has been called “Manchesterism,” a business-friendly socialist approach that involves harnessing private investment for major projects and decentralizing government to give communities more control of housing, utilities, transportation and education.

In a possible preview of how he would move power from the capital, he is reportedly planning to move some of the prime minister’s operation closer to home, about 200 miles north of 10 Downing St., the London office and home of the U.K.’s leader.

He has said he would not raise taxes on workers — sticking to a Starmer pledge — and suggested policies that include easing the tax burden on businesses, and possibly reversing an increase in a tax employers pay to fund pensions, public health care and welfare.

The big question is how he will fund programs, if he'll scrap existing priorities, and how he'll meet demands for higher defense spending, said Jill Rutter, senior fellow at the Institute for Government think tank.

Starmer's government pledged to meet a NATO target of spending 3.5% of GDP on the military by 2035. But John Healey stepped down as defense secretary this month after complaining that Starmer was not moving fast enough to meet the target.

Burnham more comfortable with domestic issues

Burnham's lack of experience on the world stage could present a challenge improving the so-called special relationship with the U.S. after President Donald Trump turned on Starmer.

Trump described Burnham this week as a “town” mayor and said he heard he was “extremely liberal” and probably wouldn't expand North Sea oil drilling — one of his frequent gripes about Starmer.

Starmer made a priority of forging cordial ties with Trump despite their political differences, and was rewarded with a U.S.-U.K. trade deal. But it came at the cost of angering some in Labour's liberal voter base, and the president soured on Starmer after the British leader criticized his designs on Greenland and declined to enter the Iran war.

Burnham has not always said nice things about Trump. After Trump's followers stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Burnham posted on X that "any politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now.”

Starmer won praise from many for his international role, especially in bolstering European support for Ukraine. But he was criticized by some for being distracted by foreign affairs, Rutter said. She doesn't expect the same from Burnham and he could farm out some of those duties by choosing an experienced hand as foreign secretary, the U.K.'s top diplomat.

"I don’t think Andy Burnham will want to be ‘never-here Andy’ in succession to ‘never-here Keir,’” Rutter said in reference to Starmer's globetrotting moniker.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Wednesday that she spoke with Burnham about policy issues and said “he’s 100% behind our unwavering support for Ukraine” and ”is a fundamental believer in NATO and in our shared deterrence and in the multilateral partnerships that we have."

Playing it safe at first could allow radical reshaping

An early priority for Burnham will be something Starmer struggled with: crafting a clear and convincing narrative that people understand about the direction he wants to take the country, Flinders said.

That plays to Burnham's communications skills and the popularity he has achieved by presenting himself as an amiable northern everyman who favors T-shirts over suits and ties, plays soccer for kicks and is known for spinning 1990s tunes during DJ battles.

So far, he has played it safe and tried not to raise public expectations too high. But if he can prove himself to be a competent leader and win public support to survive the remaining three years before a general election must be held, he can lay out a bolder vision for another term in his own manifesto.

Burnham has spoken of reshaping the political system, such as replacing the House of Lords with an elected senate and introducing proportional representation in voting. He also said he'd like to see the U.K. rejoin the European Union in his lifetime, though he backed away from that during his campaign in a constituency that voted 2-to-1 in favor of Brexit.

“My sense is that he will take some time, sensibly, to build up his team, his narrative, his story and his connections in order to then try to secure a public mandate and the next general election to then approach the more radical phase that he wants to deliver, which is exactly what Margaret Thatcher did in the '80s,” Flinders said.

Birds, especially, are crucial to ecosystems across the globe, providing services like pollinating flowers, controlling pests naturally, dispersing seeds and even serving as early warning systems.

Experts said there are ways to respond if people see a bird in need in the heat, and how to react to other wildlife. Here's what to know.

What happens to birds in high heat?

Birds are very diverse, and often well adapted to dealing with prolonged periods of heat, said David Bird, McGill University emeritus professor of wildlife biology.

They also have a higher body temperature than mammals, with some birds around 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) or even slightly higher.

They may adjust their feathers in certain ways, or increase airflow across a complex series of air sacs, to help keep cool. They also adapt to heat behaviorally.

But birds have a maximum level of heat they can withstand, just like humans, said Aimee Van Tatenhove, a postdoctoral fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

“This level differs by species, and as you can imagine, species that live closer to the poles are often much more susceptible to heat than species that live closer to the equator,” Van Tatenhove said. “Prolonged intense heat like Europe is experiencing right now is likely pushing many species toward their maximum heat tolerances, putting them at risk of heat illness or death.”

Birds don’t sweat like humans and some other mammals do, but they have other ways to naturally beat the heat, experts say.

Some species, including backyard birds, will “gape,” opening their beaks and panting, not unlike a dog. Others will also flutter the pouch skin on their necks to cool off. This behavior is known as “gular fluttering."

Birds also often seek out shade, and dip in birdbaths, fountains and shallow ponds to lower their body temperatures.

What should people do if they see birds out i

n the heat?

It's difficult to fully protect birds that are also experiencing the ongoing heat wave, but experts offered a few tips.

In the short term, people could set up shallow water sources — in spots that are safe from harm, like predators — though experts caution it's important to keep these baths clean.

People can also fill bird feeders, providing an easy food source for birds that might be avoiding foraging for their next meal in the hot sun. Insect populations are also dramatically down, in part due to climate change and pollution, impacting a major natural food source for birds.

Over the long term, people who are able to can provide shaded areas around their yard, including layered vegetation such as small shrubs and taller trees, Bird noted.

If passive approaches aren't possible, it might be best to leave them be, said Jack Kottwitz, assistant professor at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “These birds know better than what we do about what is comfortable for them.”

Birds often seek out cooling temperatures, by finding lower places to perch or even fans.

What about other wildlife that might be seen and found?

As far as other wildlife, it might also not be the best choice to try to intervene by giving an animal foreign food or water or attempting to bring it indoors, experts say.

Local wildlife rehabilitators are the best resource to contact if a sick or injured animal is found, as signs of extreme heat stress can also be similar to those of diseases that wild animals may carry. Experts know best how to help wildlife and provide needed care.

“The best thing for wildlife is to let them be wild," said Lisa Duke, sanctuary grounds manager at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, also affiliated with Michigan State. "They know what to do with their bodies.”

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Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ast.john@ap.org.

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Read more of AP’s climate coverage.

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

“We are small,” he said. “But we have big hearts and we are fighters.”

Cape Verde completed an improbable run through the group stage with a third straight World Cup draw, a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia on Friday night to advance in the tournament.

The small island nation off the western coast of Africa, which is making its debut on soccer’s grandest stage, already held 2010 champion Spain to a 0-0 draw and then came from behind to get a 2-2 result against Uruguay.

“The team was very eager to show this to the whole world,” Cape Verde coach Bubista said while draped in his country's flag. “We are proud of having arrived at this stage. We have shown that we are a small country, but that we fight for the things that we want to achieve.”

Cape Verde’s three points put the team in second place behind Spain, which beat Uruguay on Friday night and won the group.

Cape Verde will play reigning World Cup champion Argentina in Miami on July 3.

Drawing all three group matches doesn't guarantee advancement at major soccer tournaments. But several teams have done it in the past, including Wales in 1958, Ireland and the Netherlands in 1990, and Chile in 1998. New Zealand, however, also got three draws at the 2010 World Cup and was eliminated.

On the eve of the match, Bubista mused, “everyone is entitled to dream and nothing is impossible.”

The Blue Sharks proved him right, overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds as this country of just more than 500,000 reached the round of 32.

A woman, her face painted with a flag of the archipelago, held a sign that read: “Small Islands, Big Dreams.”

A dream that these underdogs have made reality as they continue their charmed run on the world stage.

They did it with another strong game from Vozinha, whose tournament success has helped him amass more than 16 million Instagram followers.

He had a save in first half stoppage time, grabbing a header from Mohamed Kanno to keep Saudi Arabia scoreless. Another save came in the 66th minute when he leaped to deflect a shot from Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat.

A third came in the 92nd minute when he stopped a shot by Abdullah Al-Hamdan.

“There is a lot of quality in our national team,” Vozinha said. “Maybe for many of you, you think the Cape Verdean player is not good enough. But we came here to show that we have a lot of quality and we are here to compete and our players can play everywhere in the big competition, in the big leagues.”

A group of shirtless men in the crowd each painted one letter of his name on their chests as they cheered Cape Verde.

But Vozinha had a much bigger fan among the crowd of 68,278 as his mother Ana Candida Evora watched from a luxury suite, waving a tiny Cape Verde flag. It was her second match of the tournament after missing Vozinha’s epic seven-save performance against Spain because of visa issues.

Cape Verde had a chance to score in the 50th minute, but Kevin Pina's shot from distance was just above the crossbar. Another chance came in the 74th minute when Laros Duarte’s shot from the middle of the box was stopped by goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais.

A last chance to score came in the final seconds when Nuno da Costa sent a shot from the middle of the box wide left.

But it didn’t matter because a couple of minutes after the final whistle, Spain completed its victory over Uruguay and set off a joyous celebration among Cape Verde's players and fans, many of whom cried as they rejoiced.

Having led his squad to new heights, Bubista was asked if he could have imagined such a run entering the tournament.

“I’ve always said that sooner or later Cape Verde would be on such a stage,” he said. “Of course it’s hard to have such a forecast, but I always knew.”

Saudi Arabia was eliminated after finishing with two points in the group stage.

“We were very poor in terms of creating things, controlling the game and creating actions,” coach Georgios Donis said. “And one cannot win a game this way. It would be very difficult.”

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

That's right: There's a beef about beef between two of the top cattle-raising areas of the world, where steak is deeply ingrained in diet and culture. Texas ranks No. 1 in the United States in beef production and the U.S. is second only to Brazil globally, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Argentina ranks sixth.

It's a high-steaks question: Who does do it best?

The case for Argentine beef

“Argentine beef is simply unbeatable. The savory texture, the style of the cut — there is no competing with it,” said Carlos Eduardo Barahona, 64, an Argentine chef who's lived in Texas since 1998.

From the cheapest cuts to the most expensive, Argentina is tops, asserts Barahona, who has worked in restaurants across Argentina, Uruguay, and Texas.

“You can make an (Argentine) asado with the cheapest cut in our country and you will enjoy it. Here, you can use the best meat, like tenderloin, and depending on its source, it can turn out tough, inedible or tender. But our beef has a completely different flavor profile,” Barahona said.

Argentine beef cattle is mostly grass-fed on open pastures, taking longer to reach the point it is ready for market. The result is leaner meat with intense earthy flavors.

The case for Texan beef

Predominantly grain-fed beef in Texas and the U.S. will have more marbling — the streaks of intramuscular fat that act as internal baster and make the meat juicy and tender — and a sweeter flavor.

“There’s no better beef than U.S. beef, particularly Texas beef,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.

But Argentine beef is very good too, Miller said. Thanks to Texas.

Miller said his agency opened a marketing office more than a decade ago to connect Texas' cattle raisers with ranchers in South America, notably in Argentina.

“I don’t want to disparage our friends in Argentina, but we have helped them improve,” he said.

“Their genetics were lacking. We do have them up to pretty high quality. We sold them a lot of semen, embryos, and breeding stock,” Miller added.

Miller congratulated Argentine farmers on improving the quality of their cows.

“Their herds have American genetics in them, so they should be good,” Miller said.

The verdict is in the eye of the beefholder

Argentine fan Gonzalo Herrera browsed packaged meat at a Walmart in Arlington, Texas, after watching Messi score two goals in a win over Austria. He shrugged at the whose-beef-is-better debate.

“Honestly, I don’t see a massive difference,” Herrera said as he packed four T-bone steaks into his shopping cart.

“The key is knowing exactly which cuts to buy and finding the equivalent of what we eat in Argentina,” he said, shaking his head at the $45 price.

“Prices are higher here,” Herrera said.

The beef banter just as easily boils down to recipes and preferences in style and thickness of cuts. It's a matter of taste, quite literally, when it comes to seasoning, searing, smoking, butter, pepper, sauces and so forth.

At Corrientes 348 Argentinian Steakhouse in Dallas, steaks are prepared with just salt and mesquite charcoal, said assistant manager Emmanuel Tobon.

“There's a big difference. Texans use a lot of pepper, they use butter, they use a little barbecue (sauce),” Tobon said. “(Argentines) like to bring all the flavor of the steak by only using salt.”

Argentina still has at least one more match to play in Dallas, on Saturday. Fans of the Albiceleste have been packing the restaurant, seeking a quick taste of home during the World Cup.

“They have been enjoying the Texas culture,” Tobon said. “(But) it has been a great pleasure to have all of them, to make them feel like home.”

Argentines are fiercely proud of their steak culture, recipes that have been passed down for generations, and the “sacred” work of the grill master at large family meals, he said.

For Fernando Garcia Morillo, an Argentine from Buenos Aires who now lives near Miami, the meat from both countries is great. But he longs for the traditions of home whenever he orders steak in the U.S.

“I order just salt, no pepper, just plain,” Morillo said. “Sometimes they use a lot of sauce.”

He dismissed any notion of a beef between the U.S and Argentina.

“Maybe there's a rivalry as usual against Brazil, our neighbor,” he said. “I love the U.S. meat.”

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Vertuno reported from Austin, Texas.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

After more than 130 years, the once grand Aqueduct track is set to run its last live races this weekend. The final race, appropriately titled, “It Was a Good Run,” is posted for Sunday at 5:44 p.m.

The track, located next to John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, will remain open for betting on televised races — known as simulcasting — through Sept. 7.

“There’s a lot of history here. Just so many good horses,” said David Donk, a veteran horse trainer, in between afternoon races at Aqueduct earlier this month. “It’s had its use. But, you know, times change. Everything changes in life.”

Racing is a contracting industry

The end of the “Big A” comes amid increased competition for gambling dollars. Slot parlors, casinos, state lotteries and, more recently, legalized online and sports betting have all steadily eroded the allure of what once was dubbed the “sport of kings.”

There are roughly 75 thoroughbred tracks nationwide, compared to the more than 300 facilities offering some form of horse racing during the sport’s Gilded Age peak in the late 1800s, according to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, an industry trade group.

Among the other major tracks that have closed in recent years are Arlington Park in Illinois, which was purchased by NFL’s Chicago Bears for a potential new stadium, and Golden Gate Fields in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“For over 100 years, thoroughbred racing was one of very few sports outlets you could legally bet on,” said Tom Rooney, the association’s president. “With the expansion of sports gambling, our sport will naturally condense and coalesce around a more pragmatic number of marquee tracks and locations, similar to other sports.”

Indeed, a large chunk of Aqueduct’s hulking site, where a crowd of 75,000 celebrated Mass with Pope John Paul II in 1995, has for years been home to a Resorts World casino. The gambling hall began offering live table games like blackjack, poker and craps earlier this year after winning a lucrative state license to operate a Las Vegas-style resort, and has plans for a glitzy, multibillion dollar expansion.

Some 9 miles (14 kilometers) east, just over the city line on suburban Long Island, the famed Belmont Park racetrack — home to the third leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes — is set to reopen in September after a roughly $550 million renovation. State funding for that project was contingent on the New York Racing Association, which operates the tracks, returning Aqueduct’s more than 100 acres (40 hectares) to the state for future redevelopment and consolidating thoroughbred races at Belmont and Saratoga Race Course upstate.

“We couldn’t have gotten the money to rebuild Belmont and continue to race at Aqueduct. You have to make these choices,” said Andy Serling, the track's longtime television analyst and race handicapper. “I don’t think you’ll find anybody here that’s not gonna tell you they’re gonna miss Aqueduct, but we’re also incredibly excited to be opening this beautiful new building at Belmont.”

Aqueduct had humble beginnings

Originally opened in 1894, Aqueduct took its name from an old aqueduct running through the property that brought fresh water from Long Island to New York City.

It was a relatively modest operation until a dramatic reinvestment in 1959, which brought a dedicated subway stop, air-conditioned restaurants and lounges along with a roughly 35,000-seat grandstand complete with escalators, elevators and other amenities. The Associated Press, at the time, declared the transformed track “the world’s most modern and luxurious horse plant.”

Legendary Triple Crown winner Secretariat won the first race of his storied career at the track in 1972, then trotted out for a final farewell the following year.

Seattle Slew’s big win at Aqueduct in 1977 served as the final tuneup en route to sweeping the Triple Crown later that year. And in 1994, Cigar launched his historic, 16-race winning streak at Aqueduct.

Top jockey remembers track fondly

Taking a break between races on a recent Friday afternoon, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez recalled how his decorated career began at Aqueduct.

The 54-year-old native of Puerto Rico said it took weeks going up against some of the top horse riders of the time for him to win his first career race. Velazquez has since notched more than 6,700 victories and holds the most purse earnings of any jockey in North America.

“This is where I developed my craft, where I learned everything that I know,” Velazquez said after winning his first race of the day. “The years that I spent here made me the jockey that I am today.”

Inside the cavernous grandstand, longtime gambler Roy Brown reminisced how he tried getting into the business himself after one big win at the track.

The 68-year-old retiree from Queens said he hauled in around $60,000 on a “pick-six” in the late 1980s — a difficult bet in which a gambler has to pick the winning horse for six straight races.

The native of Jamaica, who had no experience in the industry outside of gambling, used some of his profits to buy two horses. But he and the thoroughbreds ended up having brief racing careers.

“It’s best to bet on them, not own them,” Brown said with a laugh. “If you’re really passionate about it, it’s your best two minutes. Nothing's sweeter than seeing your horse coming down the stretch or coming from behind and at the wire, knowing you got it.”

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Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo

Some of those companies, called pharmacy benefit managers, also own pharmacies, and one of them, CVS, has spent millions of dollars fighting the regulations.

Affordability is a key issue ahead of this year’s midterm elections. Legislators in at least a dozen states passed laws this year to limit compensation to the companies, set minimum payments from the companies to pharmacists and require the companies to disclose more information to their clients, states and the public.

A Tennessee law will bar pharmacy benefit managers from operating retail pharmacies as of July 1, 2028, though CVS Health Corp. has filed a federal lawsuit to avoid having to close its 136 pharmacies there.

About 6 in 10 U.S. adults said in a poll conducted earlier this year by healthcare research nonprofit KFF that they were at least somewhat worried about being able to afford their prescriptions. About 4 in 10 said costs had led them not to take medications as prescribed within the previous year, either by taking less than the prescribed dose, using over-the-counter substitutes or not filling prescriptions.

Dozens of proposals emerge across the US

Pharmacy benefit managers, particularly CVS and two other large companies, handle most U.S. prescriptions.

Lawmakers in at least 26 states introduced more than 120 bills this year on PBMs, according to an Associated Press search using the bill-tracking software Plural, with about a quarter of the bills clearing at least one chamber.

The companies manage pharmacy claims for health insurers and negotiate with manufacturers over drug prices and what medications will be covered. Critics concede that the size of the top companies gives them leverage that health plans wouldn't have on their own.

The benefit managers argue that they're the only player in the drug supply chain created to help push drug costs down and they claim credit for an increased used of less-expensive generic drugs, now 90% of U.S. prescriptions.

“If PBMs already didn’t exist, you’d need to invent one,” Prem Shaw, president of the CVS Health group overseeing its pharmacy and PBM operations, said in a recent interview. “Blaming PBMs for high drug prices is like blaming umbrellas for the rain.”

CVS fights restrictions in Tennessee

Drug companies, PBMs and their allies have spent at least $24 million on opposing broadcast and digital advertising since the start of 2025 to influence public opinion, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. CVS spent $4 million this year on ads opposing Tennessee's new law.

CVS sued Arkansas last year after it enacted similar legislation, and a federal judge blocked its law. CVS also settled three lawsuits in which Louisiana accused it of unfair trade and deceptive practices in lobbying against legislation there last year, agreeing to pay $45 million without acknowledging wrongdoing.

The CVS lawsuit in Tennessee alleges that the company, which operates 9,000 pharmacies nationwide, is facing “naked protectionism” from lawmakers who operate independent pharmacies — including the law's main sponsor, state Sen. Bobby Harshbarger, and co-sponsor Sen. Shane Reeves.

Independent pharmacies say they're being squeezed

In Knoxville, Seth White, who manages a CVS pharmacy, will have to find a new job if the Tennessee law stands, and he's also worried about hundreds of its customers having to go elsewhere for their medications.

Some 900 miles (1,400 kilometers) away in Coldwater, Kansas, Lisa Gales is on the opposite side of the debate. She and her husband operate the Main Street Pharmacy, and she said they rely heavily on sales of non-pharmacy items to offset low reimbursements from pharmacy benefit managers.

Gales calculates she lost money on 86% of the prescriptions she filled last year. A new Kansas law will require PBMs to pay a $10.50 dispensing fee per prescription. Gales called it a “great win,” even though, “It’s still way under what it’s costing us.”

A new Louisiana law imposes an $11.81 dispensing fee. Another says PBMs must operate for the benefit of their health-insurer clients and people enrolled in health plans.

Critics deride each mandatory dispensing fee as an extra “pill tax” that will drive up consumers' costs. Backers dispute that, saying the laws also limit what PBMs charge health plans for the cost of medications themselves — so that it's often well below wholesale prices.

Pharmacy benefit managers push drugmakers to give big discounts on those wholesale prices but face criticism for keeping any portion of them. Some states now require PBMs to pass along all discounts.

Patients are watching the debate

It all worries consumers, particularly in small towns, who fear it could become harder to get their medications if PBMs squeeze independent pharmacies on reimbursements to the point of endangering their businesses.

In southeastern Kansas, Faith Sanders, a 79-year-old retired nursing home administrator, said the pharmacy in her hometown of Cedar Vale is important because without it people would have to drive 35 miles (56 kilometers) “to go out of town to get anything.”

For her many elderly neighbors, she said, “We get to the point where it’s hard for us to get out of town.”

Meanwhile, even some PBM critics question whether states can effectively regulate them. In Tennessee, state Rep. Robert Stevens, a Nashville-area Republican, told colleagues during a debate that cracking down on PBMs “needs to be done by Congress and not by us.”

Congress did pass new PBM regulations in February. One law will prevent PBMs from keeping any rebates they’ve negotiated on drug prices for health plans that supplement federal Medicare coverage for Americans over 64.

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, who was endorsed by Trump, and state Treasurer John Fleming are competing in the runoff. The two finished ahead of Sen. Bill Cassidy in the May 16 primary after Trump denounced the two-term senator, who voted to convict him following his 2021 impeachment.

A Letlow victory would cap Trump's primary efforts to unseat Republicans who have not been in lockstep with him. Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, Texas Sen. John Cornyn and five Indiana state senators all lost reelection bids last month to challengers he backed.

Letlow was elected to the House in 2021 after her husband, Luke Letlow, won the same seat but died before taking office. She received Trump’s backing before entering the primary race in January.

She finished first in the primary with nearly 45% of the vote, compared with about 28% for Fleming and nearly 25% for Cassidy.

“We have a chance to send a clear message that Louisiana stands with President Trump,” Letlow said Thursday in an online rally with the president. “He endorsed me because he knows I will stand with him.”

Letlow has big advantages

Letlow's success on May 16, campaign spending on her behalf and support from prominent Republicans have her well positioned in the runoff. She was also endorsed by Gov. Jeff Landry, who consulted with Trump last year about her running for Senate, and U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

Last month Letlow won in parishes from the state's rural north to the New Orleans area in the southeast. She carried six of the 13 parishes that Fleming formerly represented in the U.S. House, including Caddo Parish, which includes Shreveport.

Fleming, a founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus while in Congress, later worked in Trump's first administration. He has reminded voters that he did not resign after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.

He has appealed to those who identify with the president's “Make America Great Again” movement, saying his voting record is more conservative than Letlow's. His campaign ads describe him as MAGA “long before it was cool.”

Fleming has told voters he was blocked from reaching Trump to seek his endorsement by White House allies of Landry. Fleming says he finally got on the phone with Trump and reminded the president who he was.

“I said nobody has been more loyal to you than me,” Fleming recounted during a June campaign stop. “He said, 'You’re fantastic! Why didn't you call?'”

Mary Patricia Wray, a Louisiana political consultant who advises Republican and Democratic candidates, said she expects Fleming to perform well in rural areas but Letlow has the upper hand.

“Higher-information voters in more populous areas are going to fall into that Letlow camp,” Wray said. “She is the more institutional-looking candidate.”

The two campaigns have spent comparably on advertising, roughly $1 million each. But a super PAC that supports Letlow has led all spending, accounting for $4 million since the primary, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.

Fleming attacked Letlow on DEI, and she criticized him over an AI video

Fleming has ads highlighting Letlow's previous public support for diversity, equity and inclusion policy, which Trump has tried to eliminate. Letlow, a former college administrator, said she supported DEI while interviewing for the position of president of the University of Louisiana-Monroe in 2020, but said this year she opposes it.

Fleming reposted an AI-generated video on the social platform X this month that purported to show Letlow saying she supported DEI because she “didn't know any better.” The fake image of Letlow also referenced her husband, who died from complications of COVID-19.

Fleming said he did not create the video “but it’s getting passed around Louisiana for a reason.”

Letlow condemned the sharing of the video as “disgraceful and indefensible,” chiefly for its mention of her husband.

Letlow has emphasized key priorities for social conservatives, notably her support for national legislation barring transgender women and girls from competing in school sports.

Fleming staked much of his campaign on opposition to carbon capture and sequestration, the process for injecting carbon dioxide waste underground to reduce industrial pollution. The technology’s build-out, included planned pipelines, has sparked backlash in rural Louisiana communities and divided the state GOP.

Fleming said such projects infringe on private property rights and federal government subsidies for the technology are wasteful.

Voters are also choosing a Democratic Senate nominee

In the Democratic primary, Jamie Davis, a northeast Louisiana crop farmer, faces Gary Crockett, a Navy veteran and business executive. Both have promoted addressing the cost of living and protecting social safety nets.

The state is heavily Republican. Trump carried Louisiana by 22 percentage points in 2024.

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Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.

Firefighters are facing more challenges on the ground from what fire managers and experts call unprecedented conditions.

Air tankers and helicopters were grounded Friday as winds picked up on the Cottonwood Fire, the largest blaze currently burning in the U.S. Gusts were clocked at 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) and humidity levels were in the single digits, leaving crews with few options for slowing the flames, especially as they raced through the treetops.

“We are not expecting the weather to be kind to us for the next couple of days,” said Alyssa Mason, a spokesperson assigned to the fire. "We are seeing extreme fire behavior out there with some crown runs and definitely some spotting.”

Burning in a sparsely populated area of southern Utah, the Cottonwood Fire ballooned Friday to more than 112 square miles (290 square kilometers). One of several large wildfires burning in Utah, it severely damaged the Eagle Point ski resort in Beaver County and forced evacuations. In the community of Marysvale, the smoke blocked out the sun Friday as ash rained down.

“We’re looking at a full 48 hours of critical weather that we have not seen in Utah in the last five years,” meteorologist Jason Straub told a community meeting in Beaver County Friday evening.

A cold front on Sunday will bring winds that could push the fire in new directions before the weather starts stabilizing next week, he said.

The smoke pushed mostly east, meaning air quality at popular vacation spots like Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks — located far south of the flames — hasn’t been significantly affected beyond some haze in the Bryce area.

Still, the plume was visible from miles away, even as far as Colorado.

It's like nothing seen in recent memory, Utah state forester Jamie Barnes said earlier this week. She acknowledged that fires are spreading farther and faster “under conditions that defy historical expectations.”

Nationally, nearly 3 million acres have burned since the start of the year, pushing the U.S. ahead of the 10-year average. The National Interagency Fire Center said firefighters are making progress on containing fires from Alaska to Florida.

Red flag warnings cover the West

Conditions including low humidity and strong winds have triggered red flag warnings across a wide swatch stretching from Idaho to southern Arizona and New Mexico. Some of the forecasts predicted winds of 25 to 35 miles an hour (40 km/h to 56 km/h), with the worst conditions expected from northern Arizona into central and southern Utah.

At Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, officials were preparing for a power outage on Saturday. The utility that serves the area had warned that it would likely initiate a safety outage in hopes of lessening the risk of wildfire in the area.

Visitors will be able to purchase park passes at entrance stations as long as backup power systems remain operational, but park officials said visitors should come prepared. That means downloading maps and other important information before arriving and ensuring that phones and other electronic devices are fully charged.

Power shutoffs have become more common in the West as wildfire risk has expanded. It's usually a last resort after utility forecasters weigh factors like sustained wind and gust speeds, available fuels and topography.

With extreme fire conditions persisting, Rocky Mountain Power has issued a public safety power shutoff watch/warning for areas of central, southern and eastern Utah through the weekend.

As long as it's hot and dry, the risk will be high

Tim Brown, a research professor and director of the Western Regional Climate Center, said the potential for extreme fire behavior will remain as long as it’s hot, dry and windy. He pointed to parts of the West that have been mired by persistent drought, including Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.

“I would not be surprised to see a lot of restrictions come out as we get closer to the July Fourth weekend,” he said. “People really need to be aware of their surroundings if they’re going to be out in the forested campground areas and grassland areas.”

Gov. Spencer Cox set the temporary fireworks restrictions through July 5 as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, saying “this year is different.”

While the Cottonwood Fire's cause was unknown, the governor’s order noted that humans have been the cause of most fires in the state so far this year.

Even in Florida, where there have been multiple brush fires, authorities are urging people to skip the personal fireworks and instead leave the pyrotechnics to professionals putting on carefully planned shows.

Back fire camp, Mason talked about Utah's snowpack and steam flows peaking early in March, resulting in what she called extreme dryness. Then came the wind storms like never seen before, she said.

“If anything happens out there, any kind of spark hits fuels," she said, "it is more than likely going to start a fire and more than likely going get pretty big pretty quick.”

Dembélé scored a first-half hat trick, including one off a feed from Mbappé, to help France beat Norway 4-1 at the World Cup on Friday.

Dembélé's goals came in the seventh, 20th and 32nd minutes. It was the first first-half hat trick at the World Cup since Russia forward Oleg Salenko scored three of his five goals in the opening 45 minutes against Cameroon at the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

“It is a unique moment,” Dembélé said. “But the most important was to finish first of the group in the group stage, and we are focused on the round of 32, which is the most important.”

France, which won the World Cup in 2018 and lost in the final four years ago, had already secured its place in the knockout round before Friday’s match. Norway was also assured of a spot in the round of 32 and ended up in second place in the group.

Désiré Doué scored France's final goal in second-half injury time.

Dembélé said changing their approach in the final group match was never a consideration. France has 10 goals through three games.

“We want to win all our matches, but we remain focused,” Dembélé said.

The fastest World Cup hat trick took only 7 minutes, 42 seconds. Hungary striker Laszlo Kiss, who had come on as a substitute, managed that feat late in the match against El Salvador at the 1982 World Cup in Spain.

The quickest World Cup hat trick from the start of the match occurred at the 1954 tournament in Switzerland when Austria striker Erich Probst scored his three goals in the opening 24 minutes against Czechoslovakia.

Dembélé, who won Ballon d’Or as Europe’s top player in 2025 and has now scored four goals at this year's World Cup, left the game in the 65th minute. He was replaced by Bradley Barcola.

Thelo Aasgaard got Norway on the scoreboard after Dembélé’s second goal, finding the back of the net only 14 seconds after the restart. But Dembélé added his third goal less than nine minutes later to push the lead back to two.

Dembélé increased his international goal total to eight while Mbappe now has 16 goals and four assists in 17 World Cup matches. He scored two goals in each of France’s wins over Senegal and Iraq.

Erling Haaland was among 10 regular starters absent from Norway’s starting lineup, presumably to rest. The wholesale changes included Egil Selvik starting in goal in place of Orjan Nyland.

Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said resting so many players was an easy decision for him.

“The break that we had from the last game to this game was the shortest of any team. ... So it's a no-brainer,” he said. “The fans around Norway and also in the arena would have like to see Erling. But that is not really the issue. We want to proceed as long as we can in the tournament.”

The Norwegians will next face Ivory Coast in the round of 32 on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas. France will play the same day against one of the eight best third-place finishers in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Mbappé nearly got France on the scoreboard only 21 seconds into the game. He sprinted up the right side and sent a hard shot that hit the crossbar beyond the outstretched arm of Selvik.

Dembélé was operating in space for his first goal when he took took a pass from Mbappé and blasted a right-footed shot across Selvik.

On the Paris Saint-Germain player’s second goal, Dembélé found space between three defenders at the top of the box and fired in a left-footer beyond Selvik’s diving save attempt.

Norway had a chance to close the gap back to one goal in the 49th when France defender Theo Hernandez was whistled for tripping Oscar Bobb in the box. But Jorgen Strand Larsen’s penalty shot toward the right corner was batted away by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Before the game, French fans in attendance displayed a banner reading “AVEC TOI DIDIER” (With you Didier), acknowledging France coach Didier Deschamps' mother, Ginette Deschamps, who died this week. The coach missed the match against Norway on Friday because he was in France with family, leaving assistant Guy Stéphan in charge.

Stéphan said Deschamps would rejoin the team for its next training session on Saturday.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Uruguay, a two-time champion, will go home without any victories in its three Group H games. Spain, the European champion, won the group with seven points and will face the second-place team from Group J — either Austria or Algeria — on Thursday in Inglewood, California.

Álex Baena scored in the 42nd minute after Muslera couldn’t fully swat away his shot from inside the area. It was the third blunder of the tournament by the 40-year-old Muslera, who asked coach Marcelo Bielsa to substitute him at halftime. Sergio Rochet came in to start the second half.

“He is the one who decided to leave,” Bielsa said.

The veteran Argentine coach said he feels like Uruguay deserved better luck considering its performances, and should have earned seven points instead of two from its group matches. But he took full responsibility for the team's failure.

“No one wants to listen to explanations now,” Bielsa said. “The blame is on me, I’m the one responsible for the disappointing work that I did. I had a group of quality players.”

At 19th in the FIFA rankings, Uruguay is the highest-ranked team to be eliminated so far.

“Every match is different and you have to win every type of match,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said. “This was a game with maximum difficulty.”

De la Fuente said midfielder Yéremy Pino likely suffered a broken collarbone that would sideline him for the rest of the tournament. Pino, who entered the match in the 66th minute, stayed on until the end despite the injury because Spain had already made all five substitutions.

Cape Verde, which played Saudi Arabia to a 0-0 draw in the other group game on Friday, finished second in the group with three points, one more than both Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. Uruguay finished third but without enough points to be among the best eight third-place teams that will advance.

A few Uruguay players cried on the field after the final whistle. Many fans booed the team as it left.

The match was one of the most anticipated of the group stage, but it featured few significant scoring chances by either team.

“I'm very proud of all the work that we have done,” Baena said. “We competed very well.”

Uruguay players loudly advocated for a penalty in the final minutes after Federico Viñas went down inside the area.

There was some tension near the end. Uruguay’s Agustín Canobbio was sent off in stoppage time for a tackle on Spain defender Paul Cubarsi. His teammates had to escort him off the field, and after the final whistle he returned to try to talk to the referee.

Uruguay, the World Cup winner in 1930 and 1950, came into the final group match in turmoil after draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. Uruguayan media said there were reports of players not being happy with Bielsa.

Spain, seeking its second World Cup title, opened with a shocking 0-0 draw against Cape Verde but was coming off a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia. La Roja haven’t made it past the round of 16 since winning their lone title in 2010.

Spain striker Lamine Yamal, who entered the tournament nursing a left hamstring injury, had a lackluster outing and again didn’t play the entire match, being replaced by Ferran Torres in the 76th minute. The 18-year-old Yamal was replaced at halftime against Saudi Arabia and came off the bench in the second half against Cape Verde.

Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte had to replaced because of an apparent knee injury near the end of the first half. He was on the ground seeking medical assistance when Spain opened the scoring, and was eventually taken off the field on a stretcher.

King Felipe VI of Spain was among the crowd of 45,065 at Estadio Akron.

A moment of silence was observed before the match in memory of those who died when back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela late Wednesday.

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Associated Press writer Maria Verza contributed to this report.

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

The Rangers acquired Dorofeyev from Vegas for the Nos. 26 and 92 picks this year, plus a conditional first-rounder in 2028. The 25-year-old is coming off scoring 12 goals on the Golden Knights' run to the Stanley Cup Final.

On their way there, they defeated the Utah Mammoth, who also made a big subtraction by sending a winger to the Eastern Conference. JJ Peterka is going to the Boston Bruins for the No. 23 pick and Florida's top-10-protected '28 first-rounder.

Peterka is changing places for a second consecutive offseason following his move from Buffalo just over a year to the day ago. The 24-year-old from Germany now gets to play for the league's only German coach, Marco Sturm.

“I would like to thank JJ for his commitment to our organization,” Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said. “JJ is a great person and will be a dynamic player for Boston.”

Midway through the first round, the St. Louis Blues acquired forward Mason McTavish from Anaheim for the Nos. 15 and 29 picks, getting a player entering his prime at 23 who's signed through 2031 at a salary cap hit of $7 million.

The Mammoth flipped the 23rd pick to Detroit for 23-year-old restricted free agent goaltender Sebastian Cossa.

Pre-draft trades aplenty

Getting Dorofeyev was New York GM Chris Drury 's second move of the day after sending forward Brett Berard to Montreal for defenseman William Trudeau, who has been in the minors and is still awaiting his NHL debut.

Also Friday, Buffalo got defenseman Olen Zellweger, who also needs a new contract, from Anaheim for the 45th pick and forward prospect Anton Wahlberg. Zellweger, who turns 23 in September, replenishes depth for the Sabres after they traded Bowen Byram to Chicago earlier in the week.

Chicago sent winger Andre Burakovsky to Ottawa for a 2027 sixth-round pick. Burakovsky joins the Senators more than three decades since his dad, Robert, played 23 games for them in the 1993-94 season.

The Blackhawks clear his $5.5 million salary cap hit off the books for next season, while the Senators get a 31-year-old winger who has twice won the Stanley Cup.

General manager Steve Staios said the Senators were happy to add a player of Burakovsky’s pedigree because he “adds skill and playmaking ability to our forward group.”

Staios was busy in the hours before adding Burakovsky, acquiring the rights to goaltender Samuel Ersson and re-signing another pending restricted free agent, defenseman Jordan Spence. Ottawa sent a 2027 fifth-rounder to rival Toronto for Ersson, whom the Maple Leafs got along with Emil Andrae in a cap space-clearing trade with Philadelphia for Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit.

Spence, 25, signed a four-year, $20 million contract. He was a big part of the team enduring injuries at the position and still making the playoffs, scoring a career-high seven goals and finishing with 31 points while skating an average of nearly 19 minutes over 73 games.

“Jordan was an excellent addition to our hockey club and proved to be a valuable asset on our blue line and stepped up when it counted last season,” Staios said. “We’re excited to have him as part of our core group.”

Teams take care of in-house business

Colorado re-signed defensemen Brent Burns and Brett Kulak, fresh off winning the Presidents’ Trophy and losing in the conference final to Vegas.

Burns, 41, signed for next season, his 23rd in the league, at the veteran minimum of $850,000 and can make up to $3 million in incentives, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because financial terms were not disclosed.

Burns has skated in 1,007 consecutive regular-season games and is 58 away from passing Phil Kessel for the longest ironman streak in NHL history.

Kulak got a five-year contract from the Avalanche worth a reported $22.5 million. President of hockey operations and franchise great Joe Sakic is reshaping the roster after reclaiming GM duties when Chris MacFarland left for Nashville.

The Islanders re-signed defenseman Tony DeAngelo to a two-year contract worth $9 million. He will count $4.5 million against the salary cap through the 2027-28 season.

DeAngelo, 30, is returning to the Islanders for a second full season after joining them upon returning to the NHL from a stint in the Russia-based KHL in January 2025.

“Tony has been great since he’s been here," GM Mathieu Darche said on a video call with reporters after the draft. “It’s tough to find puck-moving defensemen, never mind a right-shot puck-moving defenseman, so Tony’s a big part of our team. We’re excited to have him back.”

Los Angeles re-signed defenseman Brandt Clarke for $37 million over the next five years.

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

Highs today reside in the upper 80s to low 90s throughout the area, making for another hot and humid day. That temperature trend continues into the weekend as well, with the chance for showers and storms gradually increasing.

A front will pass through during the weekend, leading to the chance for thunderstorms both days. However, once that front passes, it won’t take long for the heat to return.

Highs next week will eventually creep into the upper 90s and potentially the 100s. This scorching weather looks likely to continue into the month of July as well.

A three-judge panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal unanimously issued the decision, saying his trial judge did not violate the former movie magnate's constitutional rights.

“We reject his attempts to disturb the jury’s guilty verdicts,” the judges wrote in their opinion.

Weinstein spokesperson Juda Engelmayer said in an email that “We are disappointed by today’s decision and respectfully disagree with the Court of Appeal’s conclusions regarding the fairness of Mr. Weinstein’s trial. At the same time, the court correctly recognized that his sentence cannot stand.”

The decision came a day after prosecutors in New York decided Weinstein would not face a fourth trial there, dropping the #MeToo-era case after the accuser said she could not bear to testify again.

The California panel said that resentencing was necessary because the judge that sentenced him considered New York convictions that were later thrown out as an aggravating factor. California's attorney general agreed.

Weinstein, 74, still stands convicted of another sexual felony in New York, and he remains behind bars awaiting a September sentencing there. Prosecutors there are seeking a 20-year prison term.

In California, Weinstein was convicted in December 2022 of one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault against an Italian model and actor known during the trial as Jane Doe 1. He would serve his new sentence there only after his New York term is complete.

After the trial, Jane Doe 1 came forward under her name, Evgeniya Chernyshova, when she sued Weinstein in civil court.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Chernyshova did. Her attorney also said she consented to being named.

Chernyshova testified that Weinstein arrived uninvited to her hotel room during the 2013 LA Italia Film Festival and assaulted her.

Weinstein’s defense argued that Weinstein deserved a new trial because Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa B. Lench wrongly prevented his trial lawyers from asking about Facebook messages between Chernyshova and festival head Pascal Vicedomini that would have shown they had a sexual relationship.

The questioning would have demonstrated that she perjured herself when she said she and Vicedomini were just friends and colleagues, the defense said. And the lawyers argued it would have bolstered their assertion that she was not even in her room on the night of the alleged assault.

“The lower court all but gutted Mr. Weinstein’s defense,” attorney Jennifer Bonjean told the appeals judges at April 23 oral arguments.

But the appeals court said in its ruling that Weinstein did make the arguments he wanted during the trial based on other evidence, including another set of Facebook messages that Lench allowed.

“Thus, there was no denial of Weinstein’s constitutional right to present a defense,” the panel wrote in its opinion.

The three judges also found that Weinstein's lawyers failed to adhere to California's rape shield law prohibiting evidence of an accuser's sexual history when they tried to introduce the messages. Weinstein's lawyers had argued that the shield law was not pertinent because they wanted to use the messages only to impeach the witness's credibility.

And the appeals judges said testimony from accusers describing sexual assaults Weinstein was not charged with was appropriate, and allowed under state law.

Before his sentencing, Weinstein told the judge that this was a “made-up story” from a woman he had never met.

The Los Angeles jury acquitted Weinstein of the sexual battery of a massage therapist and failed to reach verdicts on counts involving two other women.

“This is not the end of the appellate process,” Engelmayer said in his email Friday. “We intend to seek review in the California Supreme Court because we continue to believe significant legal errors affected the proceedings and warrant further review.”

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said it would not have comment on the decision until the office reviewed it.

Chernyshova’s lawyer David Ring said in an email Friday that she “has persevered for years to reach this point against the man who raped her” and thanks the prosecutors and appellate lawyers “for putting Harvey Weinstein away for good.”

And on Friday, manager Carlos Mendoza took the fall.

Halfway through a wretched season, Mendoza was fired as skipper of the underperforming Mets and replaced by former San Diego Padres manager Andy Green, who was already working in the organization.

Last-place New York was 34-47 at the season's midpoint, 15 games behind NL East-leading Atlanta and 9 1/2 back of the final NL wild-card berth.

Mets owner Steve Cohen had high expectations for a team without a World Series title since 1986. New York opened the season with baseball’s highest payroll at $358 million and was projected to pay an additional $124 million in luxury tax.

“There is no sugar-coating it: This season has been a disappointment and our fans deserve better than what we’ve delivered,” Cohen said in a statement.

Although in some ways Mendoza had been on the hot seat for months, in others it was a stunningly swift decline for a skipper viewed as a rising star in 2024, when he earned high praise and was a Manager of the Year finalist after taking the Mets on a surprising playoff run in his debut season.

At a Citi Field news conference before Friday night's 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, president of baseball operations David Stearns thanked Mendoza for his contributions and called it “a very difficult day.”

“Despite all of our effors, Mendy’s included, we haven’t been able to get this going this year. And I take responsibility for that," Stearns said. "I also have a responsibility to push us forward, to look for solutions and to make difficult decisions and change when I think it's needed."

Slowed by injuries to Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Clay Holmes, Francisco Alvarez, Luis Robert Jr. and Jorge Polanco, the Mets (34-48) are a season-worst 14 games under .500 after dropping their seventh in a row. Friday night marked only the 10th time all year — and first since April 22 — that Lindor and Soto were both in the starting lineup. On two of those occasions, one left early because of a calf strain.

New York traded pitcher David Peterson, who had been the team's longest-tenured player, to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday and could pivot to a selloff this summer and retooling for the future.

“I understand we have an uphill battle ahead of us this year, but we're not turning the page,” Stearns said. “I think sometimes a new voice, a new perspective, a new view, helps. And sometimes it's really difficult to explain why or how. But at this point, it was time to try.”

Stearns said he informed Mendoza of the decision when they met Friday morning, and the Mets held a team meeting Friday afternoon.

“At the end of the day, this is not on him. It’s more on us, the players, that we didn’t perform to our capabilities,” Lindor said.

The 46-year-old Mendoza spent 15 seasons working for the New York Yankees, the last four as bench coach, before the Mets hired him to replace Buck Showalter after the 2023 season. They reached the National League Championship Series in 2024 but missed the playoffs last year and are among baseball's biggest disappointments this season.

“If we were playing better, he’d still be here. It’s just unfortunate he had to take the fall,” infielder Bo Bichette said.

Since starting 2025 a major league-best 45-24 through June 12, the Mets are 72-103. The team went 206-199 under Mendoza, who was in the final guaranteed season of a three-year contract. He was hired by the Mets a month after Stearns arrived.

After signing Soto to a record $765 million, 15-year contract before the 2025 season, Stearns made major changes last offseason. He overhauled Mendoza's coaching staff and allowed fan favorites Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz to leave as free agents. Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil were traded, and Stearns brought in Bichette, Polanco, Robert, Freddy Peralta and Marcus Semien.

None of it has worked.

New York had a 12-game losing streak in April, its longest since 2002, and made six errors in the nightcap of Wednesday's doubleheader loss to the Chicago Cubs, the team's most in a game since 2014.

The 48-year-old Green, a former major league infielder, joined the Mets in 2023 as senior vice president of baseball development and had been running their farm system. He was given the title of interim manager for the rest of the season and will wear uniform No. 70.

“Tough. I don't think anybody dreams of sitting in this seat this way,” Green said.

Green managed San Diego to a 274-366 record from 2016-19, finishing with losing records in all four seasons.

Stearns said Green will return to a front-office role after this season and the Mets will conduct a full search for a new manager. Green said he loves the player-development job he had and chose it largely to be able to spend more time with his three daughters.

“This wasn't something I was running to,” Green said. “This felt more like a responsibility than an opportunity.”

Green played four games for the Mets in 2009, his final big league appearances as a player. He became the team's fourth manager since Cohen bought the club from the Wilpon and Katz families after the 2020 season, following Luis Rojas, Showalter and Mendoza.

Mendoza is the third major league manager to lose his job since the season started. Boston's Alex Cora was replaced by Chad Tracy and Philadelphia's Rob Thomson by Don Mattingly, with both of those changes coming in late April.

Roster shuffle

In other moves, the Mets reinstated outfielder Tyrone Taylor (right hip flexor strain) from the 10-day injured list and recalled left-hander Zach Thornton from Triple-A Syracuse to make his second big league start Friday night against Philadelphia. The club optioned outfielder MJ Melendez and right-hander Daniel Duarte to Syracuse following Thursday night's 10-inning loss to the Cubs.

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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum and AP freelancer Jerry Beach contributed to this report.

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

It's not the kind of reaction most veteran artists receive. “And I’m thinking, you know, 20 years is a long time to work for something. But when you see that … What’s the next 20 years look like?” he asks.

The rancher, rodeo competitor and onetime prison guard started his two-decade career playing honky tonks and dive bars. That led to slow and steady growth for the country traditionalist, but in the last few years, something has shifted. He landed his fifth career No. 1 song with “The Fall.” He was named entertainer of the year at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards, the show's highest honor. That was a month after he headlined Stagecoach Music Festival. For an artist with legions of fans, it looked like he was accessing new heights.

“I feel like I’m closing a book and I’m opening another one and it’s all blank pages,” he says of this period. “Let's get to the next chapter."

On Friday, that new era began with the release of his album “Banks of the Trinity.”

Traveling to the ‘Banks of the Trinity’

It hasn't been an easy road. Last fall, Johnson had to cancel a bunch of tour dates after upper respiratory and sinus infections caused a burst eardrum that required surgery — an intimidating medical procedure for anyone, but especially nerve-wracking for a musician. “I was scared,” he said simply. But “in a roundabout way, it’s one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.”

It forced him to take three months off, which allowed him to be home during the birth of his son. It also rejuvenated his approach in the studio. Before the incident, he thought the album was complete. It was not: The additional time resulted in the inclusion of a few songs that now feel inextricable from the record: “Thank Somebody Country,” “Take Me Back (Leave Me There),” “Cricket on a Hook,” and the resilient “I Have” among them.

“What a blessing to have that kind of song fall in your lap when you’re kind of up against the ropes,” he says of the latter. “I mean, we thought we had the record done. It wasn’t done.”

A title track with real resonance

At the heart of “Banks of the Trinity” is its title track, which recalls Eagles' cover of “Seven Bridges Road” meets bluegrass and Southern gospel. Lyrically, it's an ode to Johnson's childhood. “I grew up on the banks of the Trinity (River.) Fishing for catfish, not so much out of pleasure or sport but for necessity to put food in the freezer. Deer season for me was not a trophy thing,” he said.

And while that track inspires a feeling of nostalgia within the listener, he doesn't consider this album a throwback collection. He says it's about showcasing his evolving sonic diversity. “The rest of the album for me is a musical journey from track one to track 16,” he said. “There’s a little bit of a flavor for everybody. It does kind of hit Motown. It does kind of hit Bluegrass. It does hit progressive country. It does it old country. It does a little rock here and there.”

It's the result of a new kind of freedom, one that is at least partially due to his recent accomplishments, including taking home the top prize at the ACM Awards. “I just did the thing that I’ve aspired to do in my career my entire life,” he says. “A really good place is a really good way to describe where I am.”

And now that the album is out, he's ready to take a breather. “I will be shirtless with no shoes on a beach at an undisclosed location,” he jokes about the days after record release. “'Cause I have already done all the prep work. I've been working on this album for two years. I’ve done all of the interviews. I’ve shook all the hands. Me and my wife and kids are gonna disappear for 10 days and I’m gonna become, I guess, every Kenny Chesney song ever.”

It's not a bad place to be.

Earlier this week, a Roanoke homeowner discovered that one of the cameras was installed on her property without her knowledge.

The City of Roanoke also announced they were putting a pause on the installation of Flock cameras.

However, the concerns are still out there, which is why a group of concerned citizens are taking matters into their own hands.

The Instagram account “deflockroanoke” has only been active for less than a week, but is already doing its part to raise awareness about Flock cameras.

Casey Meadows is the creator of the organization and says that the idea started with her and a few friends.

“A lot of folks share our concern about mass government surveillance in Roanoke,” Meadows said. “I guess the inspiration was just understanding how dangerous these systems of mass surveillance can be to all of us.”

Scrolling down the account shows multiple posts of Flock cameras alongside visuals of where they are located and what they look like.

Their website - which can be found on the account’s biography - also details more about their mission alongside a petition asking Roanoke City Council to end Flock cameras across the city, alongside some concerns they have.

“One of our concerns is that these systems are tracking our movements and even potentially our conversations without a judicial warrant are suspicion of wrongdoing,” Meadows said. “Just as concerning are some of the deliberate cases of misuse by individuals, police agencies, and even Flock themselves.”

As previously reported In April, the Roanoke City Council voted to install 75 Raven audio detection devices across the city. During the approval process, police described the devices as audio-only with no cameras. Officials said the units are placed in what they call data-driven, high-crime areas, and that the system is event-triggered — not continuous recording. Police also noted the system does not monitor conversations and is funded through grant money.

Flock camera has also said in the past that their devices do not listen in on conversations and only activate when hearing loud bangs similar to gunshots.

10 News has reached out to the city of Roanoke for comment.

Roanoke City Council member Nicholas Hagen said the following about Deflockroanoke:

As an attorney, I share their concerns over fundamental constitutional rights such as the right to privacy guaranteed by our fouth amendment and fourteenth amanedments to the US Constitution and further guranteed to us by the Virginia Constitution.

Nicholas Hagen

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said Friday, two days after Messi's 39th birthday, that the team's captain will begin the match on the bench, but also indicated through an interpreter that he “will come in a little bit later.”

Scaloni didn't say when Messi might substitute in to the game, or what his lineup would be against first-time World Cup participant Jordan, which lost its first two matches.

Messi scored all five goals for Argentina in the first two group matches, and now has 18 goals overall in his six World Cups. He had his first-ever hat trick in the tournament in a 3-0 win over Algeria to tie the career scoring record at 16 goals that had been held by Miroslav Klose of Germany. He broke that mark with the goals in a 2-0 win over Austria on Monday at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys — where the group finale will be played.

Klose played in 24 World Cup matches for Germany, which wrapped up his fourth tournament by winning the 2014 final 1-0 in extra time over Messi and Argentina. Kylian Mbappé matched Klose at 16 with two goals in France’s 3-0 win over Iraq later Monday. Mbappé, who has four goals in the tournament, didn't score in a 4-1 win over Norway on Friday in his final group match.

Considered by many to be the greatest player of all time, Messi has made 201 international appearances for Argentina, including a FIFA-record 28 World Cup matches. He has scored in six consecutive World Cup games, joining France striker Just Fontaine and Brazil great Jairzinho as only players to do that.

Messi had been dealing with a minor hamstring injury with Inter Miami of Major League Soccer that slowed him in the lead-up to the World Cup.

While there have been no indications of any issues since, Argentina has a lot of games left if it is going to get to another World Cup final. The knockout round for La Albiceleste begins next Friday in South Florida, and in this expanded 48-team tournament that would be the first of five matches in 17 days if they make it to the final on July 19.

Even with Argentina trying to go undefeated in group play for the fifth time, and first since 2014, Messi isn't the only starter expected to get a break.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez could be the only regular starter in a lineup that could feature several new faces. Nicolás Paz, who made his World Cup debut subbing in for Messi late in the opener against Algeria, is now expected to start in his place.

“The hope is that the team will play the same way. That’s what we’re going to try to do,” Scaloni said. “Jordan is a good opponent, and we’re not taking anything for granted. We’ll try to tweak some aspects of the last match, but with the same intention of controlling the ball and dominating the opponent.”

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Associated Press writer Débora Rey contributed to this report.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Citizens digging through the rubble of their homes said they have seen few state rescue teams in the areas hit hardest by the devastating 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes that struck late Wednesday, despite authorities projecting an image of a robust government response.

The lack of help compounded families' desperation as the pressure to find buried survivors increased with each passing hour. The South American nation on Friday marked nearly two days since the disaster. Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours to be a crucial time frame to retrieve people alive, though that period can be extended if they have access to food and water.

On Friday night, Venezuelan authorities announced they would block off access to La Guaira, the epicenter of the destruction, as chaos and and traffic began to affect search efforts. Government officials said that those who wanted to enter would now have to seek official permits, but provided few details of who would be allowed to enter.

Meanwhile, a broad international aid effort accelerated, with dozens of rescue teams from around the globe arriving in Venezuela or due to arrive there soon.

“Each person saved is a miracle,” said Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the country’s National Assembly. “We are not going to hide absolutely anything about the magnitude of this tragedy."

Anxious families wait to see if their relatives survived

Families across northern Venezuela searched in the ruins of buildings for relatives and whatever remained of their lives.

Nazareth Jimenez sobbed into the shoulder of a loved one as she watched neighbors try to cut through slabs of concrete with hammers and power tools in a building reduced to a mountain of debris. “My God, how are we going to get them out of there?" she murmured.

She was in the northern state of La Guaira, just north of the capital of Caracas, where some of the worst destruction unfolded. Jimenez was wracked with anxiety as she waited to see if her siblings, nephews, nieces and friends would emerge from the debris alive.

“We're making a call for help to the government and countries across the world,” she said, pleading for machines that would be capable of moving collapsed structures. "There are still people alive in there.”

Government forces distributed food and water to survivors in La Guaira as acting President Delcy Rodríguez said her government was mounting a full response during these “critical hours for rescuing people alive.” She welcomed the arrival of rescuers and humanitarian aid from all over the world. She said La Guaira had been militarized and that more help was on the way, even as residents said it was just a fraction of the aid they needed.

The disaster poses a huge challenge for Rodríguez, the former vice president who took office in January after the capture and removal of then-President Nicolás Maduro by the United States. Venezuela has been facing economic disarray for more than a decade, and many people reject the legitimacy of the political movement Rodríguez represents.

The number of dead was expected to climb, and civilians reported tens of thousands of people missing on independent digital databases. The number of missing likely includes those who have been incommunicado due to the lack of cellphone signals in disaster zones. Some reports may be duplicates created when multiple loved ones are searching for the same person.

The number of injured climbed to more than 3,300 as of midday Friday, and authorities said they had rescued 243 people.

Quakes leave millions of people reeling

The International Organization for Migration said that up to 6.76 million people in Venezuela could be affected by the quakes, some 2 million of them in Caracas alone. Destruction was amplified by the one-two punch of the successive shallow quakes, experts said. Loyce Pace, the International Red Cross’ regional director for the Americas, said “people are still terrified to reenter what were their homes.”

Desperation started to sink in Friday as many families still had not found missing loved ones, continued to sleep on the street or grieved relatives killed in the disaster.

“I’ve been left alone in this life,” said Omar Reyes, who walked through the rubble where two of his children were buried. He said around 20 family members died in the disaster.

In the city of Maiquetía, people lined up outside convenience and grocery stores and pharmacies as the businesses served customers one by one behind closed doors. At one point, a woman in a crowd desperate to keep a package of diapers threw herself to the ground to protect the package with her body.

Traffic and throngs of motorcyclists at times also disrupted search efforts. Mexican soldiers and volunteers repeatedly had to ask for silence to try to hear signs of life under the ruble, but bikers — civilian and uniformed — often ignored the requests honking horns and revved their engines to the frustration of first responders.

In Catia La Mar, a community adjacent to the country's main airport, throngs of people began to loot basic goods such as toilet paper and food from stores. Others swarmed a civilian pickup truck that was giving out loaves of bread and water, until a soldier intervened. People turned the parking lot of a pharmacy into makeshift shelter by setting up tarps, hammocks and tents.

A few miles away, Yuleidy Cadenas stood across the street from a collapsed public housing building watching fellow Venezuelans and recently arrived foreign and local emergency crews work on the rubble. She hoped her son, mother and brother would be pulled out alive.

She fled, barefoot, from a collapsing nearby building Wednesday and found her mother’s 12th-floor apartment tower had pancaked. Cadenas, 28, sobbed as she recalled that Friday was her son’s 12th birthday.

“I got on top of the rubble and told them to yell back, and nobody did, not my brother, nor my son or my mother,” Cadenas said. “I’m just here waiting for them.”

A few minutes later, a body was pulled from the rubble. It was not her mother’s.

International aid is on the way

Venezuela authorities said Friday that 861 international volunteers from Mexico, the U.S., El Salvador, Switzerland, Colombia and beyond were working in Venezuela. Many more from other countries were expected in the coming hours and days. The U.N. said 1,000 emergency responders in 25 search-and-rescue teams from across the globe were on their way.

Acting president Rodríguez said she spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday afternoon, and that they reaffirmed their commitment to sending rescue teams and aid equipment.

On the country’s main highway, caravans of state forces, emergency personnel, dump trucks and heavy machinery moved in the direction of the tragedy. A civilian pickup truck carrying thin mattresses had its windows marked with “Help from Trujillo.”

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Janetsky reported from Mexico City. Associated Press journalists Clara Preve in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Julie Watson in San Diego; Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Geir Moulson in Berlin; Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey; and Teresa Medrano in Madrid contributed to this report.

Yoon, who shot a record 63 in the first round at Hazeltine National Golf Club, had two bogeys with one birdie on the back nine to reach 12 under. The 23-year-old is seeking her first LPGA Tour victory.

“The remaining two days will obviously be nerve-racking, but being nervous is human nature, and I think I want to embrace that and focus on what I can in my shots,” said Yoon, who missed the cut at the U.S. Women's Open this month after tying for fourth at the first major of the season at The Chevron Championship.

Nasa Hataoka, Brooke Henderson, A Lin Kim and Hae Ran Ryu were tied for second. Ryu shot a 64 for the best score of the day, three strokes better than Hataoka. Henderson finished with three straight birdies for a 68. Kim shot a 70. They all left the course in good spirits, yet trying to figure out how to make up five strokes.

“It’s halfway done. She had a great first half, so hopefully I can just have a great second half to try to make up the difference,” said Henderson, the Canadian who won the Women's PGA Championship at age 18 in 2016 at Sahalee Country Club in Washington. “I feel like overall the way I’ve been playing the course has been really solid, so just hopefully I make a few more birdies and climb the board.”

LPGA Tour leader Nelly Korda, who opened her bid for a third straight major title this year with a quiet 70, had a 68 to climb into a tie for sixth place with Dongeun Lee at 6 under.

After rallying from a slow start to win the U.S. Women's Open at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, Korda put herself in a viable position.

“It is hard to have a big lead going into the weekend. I was there at Chevron and you do feel a little bit more pressure, like everyone is hunting you down. I’m just going to focus on, as boring as it is, one shot at a time and see where that takes me,” Korda said. “I know the wind will be higher this weekend so it’s going to play probably a little bit more difficult, and I’m sure that the pins will be tricked up.”

Yoon, Kim, Ryu and Lee gave South Korean four of the top seven at the midpoint of a tournament that has so far enjoyed calm, dry and comfortable conditions with high temperatures in the mid-70s. The 36-hole average score is the lowest for this event since 2008 at Bulle Rock in Maryland.

“I think I like this kind of grass, and the course fit my eye as well," Yoon said. “Yeah, I think I like this course.”

Yoon became the fourth player in the history of the Women's PGA Championship, which dates to 1955, to lead by five or more strokes through 36 holes, following Mickey Wright (eight, 1958), In Gee Chun (six, 2022) and Cristie Kerr (five, 2010).

Korda again had hundreds of fans following her every shot, streaming from hole to hole as she traversed the lengthy 6,700-yard course in suburban Minneapolis.

After birdies on four of her first nine holes, Korda faded a bit down the stretch and finished with six straight pars as she fought a hook with her tee shots. She hit into the rough along the treeline to begin her back nine before two-putting for bogey on the first hole.

Projecting confidence and humility as the sport's most dominant and popular player at the moment, Korda couldn't help but laugh with caddie Jason McDede at the difference in layouts from the last major to this one.

“At Riv it’s a dead right and now it’s left,” Korda said. “I would’ve killed for this shot at Riv. But, yeah, it’s just golf. It’s funny, right? It always kind of humbles you, and you’re always kind of scratching your head a little bit in some ways.”

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

Its chief rival, Anthropic, announced hours later that the Trump administration has approved a limited release of its strongest cybersecurity model, two weeks after the U.S. Commerce Department effectively banned it.

Both companies said their newest models would be available to small groups of trusted partners. OpenAI said its new AI product, called GPT-5.6 Sol, would be accessible only to customers approved by the Trump administration.

“We don’t believe this kind of government access process should become the long-term default,” OpenAI said in a statement. The company said it viewed the testing period as a temporary step on the “path to broader availability in the coming weeks.”

OpenAI's staggered release of a powerful new AI system follows actions the government took earlier this month against Anthropic, maker of the Claude chatbot. Anthropic took offline two new AI models, known as Fable 5 and Mythos 5, just days after unveiling them to comply with a Trump directive blocking their use by foreign nationals. The government on Friday lifted restrictions on one of those models, Mythos 5, enabling it to be “redeployed to a small group of cyber defenders and infrastructure providers,” Anthropic said.

The White House said Friday it continues to collaborate with frontier AI labs on addressing the challenges of scaling the fast-growing technology.

Officials have grown increasingly concerned since Anthropic warned earlier this year that its Mythos model was adept at finding software flaws in a way that could be weaponized by malicious hackers and threaten critical computer networks around the world.

New, powerful AI models have drawn White House scrutiny

Trump earlier in June signed an executive order on AI oversight that established a framework for the federal government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems for up to 30 days before their public release. The order described participation by AI developers as voluntary but the framework has not yet been fully developed.

Some of Trump’s allies have laid blame on San Francisco-based Anthropic and CEO Dario Amodei for the need for heightened government scrutiny.

“Dario came to Washington a few months ago, back in April, and basically said that he had created a cyber weapon called Mythos,” said investor David Sacks, who co-leads Trump’s council of technology and science advisers, on a recent podcast. “And he spiked the cortisol level, got everyone really worried. And there was some truth to it in terms of the sense that this model had advanced cyber capabilities.”

OpenAI, also based in San Francisco, said its new Sol model (pronounced ‘SOHL’ like the Spanish word for sun) “is better at helping people find and fix vulnerabilities” than it is at carrying out cyberattacks and does not cross the company’s own risk threshold. But it acknowledged there could be unforeseen risks especially if its model is combined with other tools.

“That uncertainty, along with the model’s broader step change in capabilities, is why we are pairing the model’s increased capabilities with stronger safeguards and a phased release,” the company said Friday.

OpenAI hasn't named any of the roughly 20 customers that have been approved to use the new model so far.

Critics warn that unpredictable government intervention can hold back US companies

U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, a Massachusetts Democrat and co-author of a bipartisan bill that would regulate AI, said in a statement that she is concerned “the Trump administration is deciding company by company who gets access to the newest AI model. No law. No process. No oversight. Just appointees in Washington deciding who’s in and who’s out.”

A broad group of technology experts has also criticized the government's actions that led Anthropic to shut down Fable, which the company had pitched as a safer version of Mythos. It's now been unavailable for two weeks, even after the government lifted restrictions Friday on the more powerful Mythos.

“I just want to say that pretty much nobody in the cybersecurity industry believes that there’s any factual basis for this action,” Stanford University cybersecurity expert Alex Stamos said on a call with reporters earlier this week.

Stamos, the chief product officer at AI security company Corridor and a former chief security officer at Facebook parent Meta, said he reviewed an analysis of research on Fable by Anthropic's primary cloud computing backer, Amazon, and didn't find any risks that aren't present with other publicly available AI models, including those made in China.

"If the administration is honest about wanting the United States to beat China in this race, then this is about the dumbest thing they could possibly do,” Stamos said.

Oversight ramps up as the AI companies move toward IPOs

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman spoke with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the model release Wednesday, part of a series of negotiations in recent weeks between AI industry executives and Trump officials.

Anthropic has also been part of those talks, but Amodei has had a more contentious relationship with the Trump administration. The Pentagon designated Anthropic as a national security risk for raising ethical and safety concerns about AI usage in war, and Trump himself ordered federal agencies to stop using Claude. Anthropic responded with a lawsuit that is still working its way through federal courts.

Anthropic said Friday it was “pleased” by the partial release of Mythos late Friday and will “continue to work with the government to expand access” and make Fable available again to general users. Lutnick told Anthropic in a letter dated Friday that its work to address the government's concerns “yielded significant progress.”

The government's heightened AI oversight adds another complication to exploratory moves by OpenAI as well as Anthropic to take their companies public on Wall Street, following SpaceX’s record-setting June 12 initial public offering.

Trump has floated the possibility of the U.S. government owning a stake in leading AI companies, describing a concept where “pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner with the companies.”

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Associated Press writer Jonathan J. Cooper contributed to this report.

Someone alerted authorities about the trailer in August 2022 after seeing small fingers reaching through gaps in the doors. Police stopped Samuel Bateman's vehicle as he was driving through Flagstaff and found three girls inside, who were ages 11 to 14 at the time. The trailer was enclosed with a makeshift toilet, a sofa and camping chairs.

In the federal case, Bateman was convicted of coercing girls as young as 9 to submit to sex acts with him and other young adults, and for scheming to kidnap girls from protective custody, the story of which is the focus of a Netflix series, “Trust Me: The False Prophet.”

Bateman previously claimed to have more than 20 "spiritual wives," including 10 girls under the age of 18. He testified in his own defense in the state case, telling jurors he would never harm the people he loves. He acknowledged during cross-examination that he knew the girls were in a hot trailer for hours and the ventilation wasn't good, but downplayed the conditions.

“I just trusted myself as a driver,” he said. “I asked God to bless me every time we hopped in that vehicle.”

He claimed he thought the girls had gotten out when they stopped. He said he was as “shocked as could possibly be” when he learned that they were still inside when he was pulled over.

During closing arguments, prosecutor Eric Ruchensky told jurors, “It’s common sense that you don’t carry people in a trailer designed for cargo on a hot day with no ventilation."

Jurors in the state case weren't supposed to hear about Bateman's conviction in federal court. The judge barred the evidence from being introduced. But Bateman brought it up several times as he represented himself, leading the judge to strike the comments from the record.

The jury delivered the verdict Friday in about 40 minutes, convicting him on all three counts of child abuse. . Each count carries a mandatory sentence, between four and eight years. The judge has discretion to run the counts consecutively or concurrently. A sentencing hearing is scheduled Aug. 25.

The Associated Press left a voice mail and email messages Friday for Bateman’s appointed advisory counsel.

Federal authorities said Bateman, a self-proclaimed prophet, traveled extensively between Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Nebraska as he built an offshoot network of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which historically has been based in the neighboring communities of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah.

He and his followers practiced polygamy, a legacy of the early teachings of the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which abandoned the practice in 1890 and now strictly prohibits it.

Bateman was one of the trusted followers of Warren Jeffs, who previously led the sect and is serving a life sentence in Texas for sexual assault of children.

The influence of the polygamous sect has waned significantly over time in the towns where the sect has historically been based. In 2017, a court order placed the towns under supervision, excising the church from their governments and shared police department.

But the area has since transformed so quickly that they were released from court-ordered supervision last summer, almost two years earlier than expected. Practicing sect members are now believed to account for only a small percentage of the towns’ populations.

Patients with brain and urologic cancers will soon have access to a broader array of the latest treatment options, thanks to new clinical trials for targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies.

What is theranostics?

Radiopharmaceuticals — also known as “theranostics” — are a form of precision medicine that uses radioactive isotopes for both imaging and therapy. The approach has shown effectiveness in treating a wide range of tumors and is considered one of the fastest-growing areas in modern oncology.

Bill Kiser, medical director of molecular imaging at Carilion Clinic, said the field has undergone a dramatic transformation.

“This is probably the most growthful area right now — what we’re seeing,” Kiser said. “It used to be what we called nuclear medicine was kind of put in the basement in the dark, nobody cared about it, the pictures were ugly, and now all of a sudden it’s on the forefront of imaging and treatment. So it’s a very exciting time to be in this.”

Kiser has been a leader in this field. He’s been at it for 27 years and said the past five years has changed his life because of what they are able to do now.

“We started out doing three PET scans a day and now we’re doing about 25-30 a day. So, it’s really exploded. We went from one scanner to two scanners, and we have two shifts now. I mean it’s just really growing, growing a lot," Kiser said. They expect to add a third scanner when the Carilion Taubman Cancer center opens.

New trials target brain, urologic cancers

In the pipeline are new theranostic treatment trials for cancer pain, renal cell carcinoma and glioblastoma. They build on the health system’s earlier research in partnership with Blue Ridge Cancer Care, which has attracted patients from across the country and led to FDA approval of therapies in use today, including Pluvicto (Lu177PSMA) and Lutathera (dotatate).

David Buck, president of Blue Ridge Cancer Care, said the partnership has put the region ahead of the curve.

“Our longstanding partnership with Carilion Clinic has allowed us to be early adopters of theranostics,” Buck said. “Through our shared collaboration with industry partners and the SCRI research network, we’re excited to continue to offer these novel, cutting-edge therapies to the patients here in their communities.”

Lana Wahid, M.D., vice chair for research in Carilion Clinic’s Department of Medicine, said access and ambition are driving the expansion.

“The opportunity to expand access to these much-needed, innovative therapies for patients is exciting, and we are aggressively seeking clinical trials that will make Roanoke a destination for cancer research and leading-edge care,” Wahid said.

Hope for patients in underserved communities

For patients in Southwest Virginia — a largely rural region that has historically had limited access to cutting-edge treatments — researchers say the expansion carries significant weight.

Cheng-Chia “Fred” Wu, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor involved in the research, said the work is about creating new possibilities where few previously existed.

“This type of research and these types of opportunities are really not available for everyone, and so for this area, for patients who have devastating cancers where radiation medicines can help, it creates new hope and new possibilities,” Wu said.

James Crowley, Carilion imaging services manager, said bringing theranostics beyond major academic health centers has been a central goal of the effort.

“Our overarching goal is to expand access to theranostics beyond larger academic health centers where they have traditionally been offered and into rural areas to benefit Carilion patients in Southwest Virginia,” Crowley said.

Crowley, along with Dustin Osborne, Ph.D., of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, were awarded the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging’s $100,000 Mars Shot grant in 2025.

Global researchers gather in Roanoke

Researchers from around the world recently met in Roanoke at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute to discuss and share findings on these emerging treatments. The gathering was part of the Appalachian Radiotheranostics Coalition workshop, which featured researchers presenting findings on astatine — a promising isotope for use in brain, prostate and other cancers.

The workshop is the second of four ARC is sponsoring as part of SNMMI’s Mars Shot initiative, a national effort to accelerate access to radiotheranostic therapies.

A growing research enterprise

Increasing theranostics-related clinical trials is part of Carilion’s rapidly growing research enterprise, which has prioritized novel therapies as the health system prepares to open the Carilion Taubman Cancer Center in 2028.

In all, Carilion has approximately 150 clinical trials underway in more than 20 specialties, broadening access to innovative therapies and strengthening care quality for patients across Southwest Virginia.

Carilion’s expanding research portfolio — alongside a new regional biotech incubator, an embedded usability consultancy known as Usability Works and other developments — is contributing to continued biotech growth in the region and state, both of which have targeted the sector for economic development.

For more information about clinical trials available at Carilion, visit Research and Clinical Trials at Carilion Clinic.

Video of the series of events was released Friday by a state judge in Hartford overseeing Jones’ family’s lawsuit against eight officers and a prison nurse, following a yearslong legal battle and after both sides agreed to certain redactions.

The Department of Correction had sought to keep it sealed since 2019, saying in part that its release could present security problems because it shows the physical layout of the prison and staffing patterns. But Jones’ family, the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut and local NAACP officials called for publicly releasing the video, saying transparency was needed in Jones’ death.

“The events in the video are as disturbing as the events in the video of George Floyd’s death,” Ron Murphy, a lawyer for Jones’ family, wrote in a court document, referring to the man killed by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. “But in some ways, the video of J’Allen’s death is worse.”

Jones, 31, from Atlanta, was serving a 10-year sentence for robbery at Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of New Haven when he died on March 25, 2018. Correction officers had been trying to take him to a medical unit in the prison at the time to get treatment for his mental illness.

Handcuffed inmate appeared in crisis as officers struck him

Portions of the 52-minute video show Jones handcuffed behind his back — and later with his legs shackled — as officers hit his legs and torso with their knees and fists, after he refused a strip search. At one point, an officer pins him down on a bed with a knee on his back while others hold him down.

Jones — who was having a schizophrenic episode, according to court documents — is heard yelling at this point, much of it unintelligible. He repeatedly shouts, “In the blood of Jesus Christ!” At one point, he tells officers, “I command you ... to uncuff me now!”

Officers, meanwhile, tell Jones numerous times to stop resisting and to calm down. One officer tells Jones they're just trying to help him.

About 17 minutes into the video, Jones appears to start having trouble breathing after the spit bag was placed over his head and he was pepper sprayed. Nearly five minutes later, Jones appears to be unconscious as officers struggle to hold him up and put him in a wheelchair. At around the 24-minute mark, an officer requests a nurse to evaluate Jones.

“Right now he's just being dead weight, and I just want to make sure he's OK,” the officer says, talking to the video camera held by another officer.

Minutes go by before life-saving measures are started

About 28 minutes into the video, a nurse starts performing CPR and an officer orders someone over the radio to call 911. An ambulance crew doesn't arrive until more than 43 minutes into the video. Jones was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Hours after Jones' death, the Department of Correction put out a brief statement saying that Jones had become “non-compliant and combative with staff and then became non-responsive.” It did not say anything about officers striking Jones but noted that there were no immediate indications that excessive force was used. It said life-saving measures were performed and he was brought to a hospital.

The medical examiner’s office determined that the cause of Jones’ death was “sudden death during struggle and restraint with chest compression and pepper spray exposure in person with hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.” It ruled his death a homicide, although that designation does not necessarily mean a crime was committed.

In January 2019, a state prosecutor investigating Jones’ death determined that no crimes were committed.

An internal Correction Department investigation found that excessive force was not used. But the eight officers and nurse violated policy by not recognizing for more than seven minutes that Jones was in medical distress — although not intentionally, the investigation report said.

Punishment of one-day suspensions without pay were handed down to the nine staff members, Correction Department records show.

The correctional officers' union did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

Family lawyer hopes video release spurs calls for reforms

Allen was Black, and his lawyer says eight of the nine defendants are white. One is Black. In court papers seeking release of the video, Murphy said it’s important that the public sees the footage and can consider “whether his race or schizophrenia played any role in how his cries for help and gasps for air were perceived and handled.”

“I hope everyone who chooses to watch the video does so with an open heart, remembering that J’Allen Jones was a father and a son and that his family grieves every day,” Murphy said in a statement Friday afternoon, adding that he hoped the video leads to prison system improvements.

He added, "I found the video very difficult to watch as it depicts the painful death of another human being. So please take care of yourself while watching and if you experience overwhelming feelings, consider taking a break or reaching out to someone for support. Thank you.”

Responding to a series of questions from The Associated Press about the video and how officers dealt with Jones, the Correction Department's interim commissioner Sharonda Carlos, said in a statement that the agency is continually focused on improving the services it offers to inmates experiencing mental health problems.

“Any loss of life in our facilities is a tragedy that we feel deeply, and our sympathy remains with Mr. Jones’ family and loved ones," she said.

Carlos said she appointed a psychiatrist to lead the department's inmate medical services in May, and the agency is rolling out major improvements to its mental health training for staff.

“Behind every individual in our care is a family hoping for their well-being, and we do not take that responsibility lightly,” she said.

The Bogotá, Colombia, native saw the scary scene two years ago during the Copa America final as thousands of ticketless fans breached the security gates at Hard Rock Stadium to watch Colombia face Argentina.

Colombia's soccer team will play Portugal on Saturday in a World Cup group stage match, returning to the stadium for the first time since that incident — this time with heightened security and multiple checkpoints.

“Now that we’re here, I feel a little pressure just to show myself better and like to show a better country to the world," said Nicolas, who said he was not at the match in 2024. "Colombia is new now. Colombia has new stuff to give to the world. We’re a different country, so now we have to show that.”

The crowd trouble began hours before the July 2024 match. Supporters — many of them wearing Colombia’s yellow and red colors — rushed the gates at the home stadium of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, leaving fans terrified and bloodied as security struggled to contain the rush.

Screams could be heard in the background of many videos circling social media, and posts showed some fans trying to climb through air vents to gain entry.

Questions were sparked on how to handle two more years of major soccer tournaments in the United States — the Club World Cup last year and this year's World Cup.

There was increased security last summer at the Club World Cup matches held in Miami, which served as a preview of the ticket-screening measures to expect on Saturday.

Fans must pass through three separate checkpoints that enclose the entire campus before getting close to the stadium, and parking passes are checked well before entry. Steel fencing is also set up around the perimeter.

“It’s been a layered approach that people have to go through,” said Andrew Giuliani, executive director of President Donald Trump’s World Cup task force, which is overseeing the tournament's multiagency security effort.

“We’re going to make sure that everybody is on their guard ready to go that day in particular,” Giuliani added, “just making sure that there are no issues. ... We’re leaning in on the 27th to make sure we can talk about the action that happened (on the pitch)."

Giuliani said there will be a “strong federal presence” both around the stadium and city on Saturday, declining to answer if that includes more than a typical match day. There have been three World Cup group matches in Miami so far. Each has seen a heavy police presence.

“I think we like showing up for our team, and some people take it a little bit too far," said Lucas Gaviria, a native of Manizales, Colombia, who attends Florida Atlantic University. “That has to do with our culture. We care about it too much, we have a ‘any means necessary’ type of thinking. ‘I need to see this game, even though I know I don’t have the money for it.’”

Saturday's match has been in high demand, both because of South Florida's large Colombian community and the draw of Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo. Tickets on the resale site StubHub were listed from around $3,000 to more than $5,000.

“If you don’t have tickets, you shouldn’t be on site here,” Giuliani said in January, when he and other members of the task force visited the stadium during the College Football Playoff national championship. “It’s not like an American football game where there’s tailgating. This is very different. We want to make sure the security resources are here for those ticketed fans. If you’re not ticketed, you have fan festivals. You have other events in the Miami area where you can go and enjoy and be safe.”

Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Stadium is its name during the World Cup because of FIFA’s policies about sponsorship — has not commented because of its ongoing involvement in multiple lawsuits related to the Copa America final.

Those lawsuits, which list multiple defendants, claim — among other things — that the stadium and soccer officials didn’t have enough security present to handle such a crowd, lacked proper numbers of Spanish-speaking personnel working at the event and didn’t protect legitimate ticket holders “from foreseeable criminal activity.”

Ahead of Saturday's match, Colombia supporters said they hope that moment doesn't define them.

"There are a lot of great things that Colombia stands for," said Nadia Rodriguez, a Bogota, Colombia, native living in Miami. “Great coffee, beautiful landscapes, amazing songs, the soccer team. The darkness is in the past.”

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AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.

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Zach Pascuzzi is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

The National Weather Service issued a rare “Particularly Dangerous Situation” warning as dry, windy conditions provided fuel for more fires across the western U.S.

The Cottonwood Fire in a sparsely populated area of southern Utah started Monday. It ballooned to more than 112 square miles (290 square kilometers) by Friday, burning unchecked as strong winds grounded air support, forestry officials said. One of six large wildfires burning in Utah, it severely damaged the Eagle Point ski resort in Beaver County, forcing mandatory evacuations.

“We have the 35 miles-per-hour (56 km/h) sustained winds that they predicted, and we definitely have the 45 miles-per-hour (72 km/h) gusts,” said Alyssa Mason, a spokesperson assigned to the fire. “So there has been a great increase in the fire activity. We are seeing extreme fire behavior out there with some crown runs and definitely some spotting.”

The smoke has been pushing to the east and northeast, meaning air quality at popular vacation spots like Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks — located far south of the flames — hasn’t been significantly affected beyond some haze in the Bryce area. Still, visitors to Bryce have posted videos on social media showing the giant plume in the distance.

The smoke could be seen for hundreds of miles, all the way to Colorado, as authorities put roughly 1,300 residents in the towns of Marysvale, Junction and Circleville on notice that they should be prepared to leave if conditions worsen and the fire pushes further. In Marysvale, ash fell from the sky and thick smoke blocked the sun on Friday, making the sky dark as night.

State forester Jamie Barnes had said Thursday that it's like nothing seen in recent memory. She said fires are spreading farther and faster “under conditions that defy historical expectations.”

Bruce Brown, 76, accompanied the sheriff on Thursday to find that his cabin and others in the area were gone. He found a burned out moonscape with power poles tipped over along the canyon.

Alyssa Olsen, 27, said her family’s cabin also burned. It was the last place they gathered for family photos with her grandmother before she died of cancer. Her brother was planning to get married there in two months.

“That stuff you can’t just build back,” Olsen said.

Fireworks will be limited in Utah through July 5

Gov. Spencer Cox set the temporary fireworks restrictions through July 5 as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, saying “this year is different.”

The weather service in Salt Lake City, for the first time in the office's history, issued a “ Particularly Dangerous Situation ” warning for five Utah counties, including the area of the Cottonwood Fire. The rare alert was first used to warn of tornado conditions. A red flag warning also was issued for most of the state.

“Prepare now for rapid fire growth,” it said.

A similar “dangerous situation” warning had been issued for the 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. A federal judge declared a mistrial Friday in the arson case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of sparking that fire. The jury said it couldn't agree on a verdict.

While the Cottonwood Fire's cause was unknown, Cox’s order noted that humans have been the cause of most fires in the state so far this year.

The governor’s order gives Barnes power to restrict or prohibit fireworks displays in Utah’s cities and towns, instead of leaving those decisions to the communities.

With extreme fire conditions persisting, Rocky Mountain Power issued a public safety power shut-off watch/warning for areas of central, southern and eastern Utah through the weekend.

Crews also were battling the Iron Fire southwest of Salt Lake City. The flames on Thursday forced the temporary evacuation of Eureka, population 1,000.

Wildfire danger prompts concern throughout the West

Red flag warnings, which mean conditions such as low humidity, warm temperatures and strong winds can create an extreme wildfire risk, were in effect Friday and stretched from Idaho to southern Arizona and New Mexico.

The warnings extended into Saturday, with forecasters predicting winds of 25 to 35 miles an hour (40 km/h to 56 km/h) and very low humidity levels. The worst conditions were expected from northern Arizona into central and southern Utah.

Much of Utah already is experiencing severe to extreme drought, while parts of Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico are experiencing severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Tim Brown, a research professor and director of the Western Regional Climate Center, said the potential for extreme fire behavior will remain as long as it's hot, dry and windy.

“I would not be surprised to see a lot of restrictions come out as we get closer to the July Fourth weekend,” he said. “People really need to be aware of their surroundings if they’re going to be out in the forested campground areas and grassland areas.”

Even in Florida, where there have been multiple brush fires, authorities are urging people to skip the personal fireworks and instead leave the pyrotechnics to professionals putting on carefully planned shows.

In Utah, federal land managers have closed public lands near the Cottonwood Fire as a precaution, and in New Mexico, forest officials closed campgrounds and trails near a wildfire burning in the Jemez Mountains.

Nationally, nearly 3 million acres have burned since the start of the year, pushing the U.S. ahead of the 10-year average. The National Interagency Fire Center said firefighters are making progress on containing fires from Alaska to Florida.

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Associated Press reporter Sudhin Thanawala contributed to this story.

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This story has been corrected; the state forester's first name is spelled Jamie, not Jaime.

Thousands of people have been reported missing. Some of the heaviest damage and casualties were in La Guaira, a coastal region north of the capital, Caracas.

Here’s what to know about the earthquakes and the search for survivors:

2 earthquakes in less than one minute

The powerful 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck 39 seconds apart along the San Sebastian fault on Venezuela’s northern coast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

They were among the strongest in the South American nation in more than a century.

The first earthquake, a 7.2-magnitude foreshock, hit west of Morón on the Caribbean coast, about 170 kilometers (105 miles) west of Caracas, with a depth of 22 kilometers (about 14 miles).

The second, a 7.5-magnitude mainshock, was centered 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of Morón, with a depth of 10 kilometers (about 6 miles).

The back-to-back earthquakes — known as a doublet because of their similarities in magnitude, time and proximity — resulted from shallow strike-slip faulting near the complex plate boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Many people are dead, injured, homeless or missing

The death toll in Venezuela is likely to climb as rescue crews comb through buildings toppled by the earthquakes. Thousands of Venezuelans left suddenly homeless have since poured into parks, plazas and even along the shoulders of blocked highways, looking for a place to sleep.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said authorities have deployed rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira, where dozens of buildings have collapsed.

The city, about 165 kilometers (103 miles) east of the 7.5-magnitude quake’s epicenter, is a “disaster zone,” she said.

Civilians and authorities pulled survivors out of concrete rubble, some of them covered in dust and blood. Families sobbed in front of destroyed homes.

Families began posting missing-person flyers with photos of loved ones, while others shared handwritten lists of names as they searched for those still unaccounted for.

Photos show rescue efforts across earthquake-ravaged Venezuela.

Significant damage in Caracas and beyond

Images shared by relatives in Venezuela and abroad showed desperate searches for missing loved ones following the earthquakes.

The earthquakes destroyed buildings in Caracas and led to evacuations as far away as Brazil’s Amazon, about 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) away.

In downtown Caracas, hundreds of people spent the night huddled in parks, parking lots and other open spaces.

Parts of the city lost power and cellphone service. Venezuela’s main airport in Caracas was damaged and closed, subway service was suspended and natural gas was shut off.

Classes will also be canceled for several days as schools are used as shelters and donation centers.

In Guaira — the hardest hit state just north of Caracas — families placed sheets on a dusty baseball field to claim their space, their belongings stuffed into plastic bags. Others sought shelter under palm trees.

Rodríguez said the government was creating a $200 million reconstruction fund for hospitals and homes damaged by the earthquakes.

International aid pours into Venezuela

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IFRC, has launched an Emergency Appeal for 50 million Swiss francs ($61 million) to assist its operations in Venezuela. The first 17 metric tons of humanitarian supplies left the IFRC’s regional humanitarian hub in Panama for Venezuela on Friday.

The Red Cross is also providing mental health and psychosocial support, safe water and sanitation services, the distribution of essential relief items and cash assistance, and family reunification and protection services. National Red Cross Societies in 10 Latin American countries have activated family links services to help locate missing relatives or obtain information about them.

The United States is sending $150 million in aid moving through the United Nations and nonprofit partners on the ground. It is also deploying two urban search-and-rescue teams with dozens of people, search dogs and search equipment. Military airlift, logistics and lifesaving support will also be sent.

The European Union said Friday that Czechia, Spain, Italy, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands are sending 520 responders to support Venezuela through the bloc’s civil protection mechanism. The EU also activated its Copernicus satellite service to provide Venezuelans with satellite imagery and other geospatial data.

Caritas, a global confederation of over 160 Roman Catholic organizations, said on Friday it is setting up a collection center at the headquarters of the Venezuelan Bishops’ Conference in the city of Montalbán, where donations of drinking water, nonperishable food and essential medicines will be accepted. Caritas also said more collection centers will be organized nationwide in partnership with the national private sector.

British Prime-Minister Keir Starmer said Friday evening his government has sent 2 million pounds ($2.6 million) in humanitarian aid to Venezuela, along with a search-and-rescue team with 68 members, including six specialist search dogs. Britain also sent an Air Force Voyager aircraft as well as drones to help assess structural collapses safely, identify hazards and direct rescue teams.

A spokesperson of China’s Foreign Ministry said Friday that the Chinese government and the Red Cross Society of China will provide emergency humanitarian aid to Venezuela. Guo Jiakun added that the government will provide further support to Venezuela whenever requested.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that he was sending his defense minister to Venezuela to assist needs on the ground. Earlier Friday, a KC-390 plane departed from Sao Paulo’s international airport with dozens of firefighters and other support personnel, chiefly telecommunications specialists. A second plane is scheduled to depart Saturday with equipment to assemble an open hospital, 100 solar-powered water purifiers, medicines and medical supplies.

India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that two Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircrafts departed Friday morning for Venezuela, carrying humanitarian relief supplies and a 41-member search-and-rescue team. The deployment includes a medical task force, an army field hospital unit, 30 tons of relief supplies, 6 tons of medicines and medical equipment and two portable hospitals.

Italy said Friday that an Air Force aircraft would depart later that day carrying medical personnel and members of the national fire service. The government said it was also preparing a package of humanitarian assistance, including possible support through Italian civil society organizations already operating in Venezuela.

Turkey is sending two military A400M transport aircraft to Venezuela on Friday. One will carry a 38-member search-and-rescue team and equipment, while the other will transport a 22-member humanitarian aid team.

Venezuelans in the U.S. are rushing to organize donation drives. More than 770,000 Venezuelans live in the U.S., with large communities in Florida, Texas and Utah.

Another challenge for Venezuela’s leader

The earthquakes are yet another crisis for Rodríguez, the former vice president who took office in January after the U.S. captured former President Nicolás Maduro.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are jailed in New York City while awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges.

Rodríguez inherited a country that has been in economic turmoil for more than a decade.

Many Venezuelans reject the legitimacy of her political movement, while some loyalists have criticized her leadership and warming relationship with the U.S.

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

The field for the Round of 32 will be finalized on Saturday following more than two weeks of competition across three countries.

While majority of the field is set, there are still some spots up for grabs with six group-stage matches remaining, leaving some teams jockeying for position and others fighting to advance.

Still others find themselves on the bubble, relying on other teams to determine their World Cup fate.

The knockout rounds begin Sunday.

The expansion to 48 teams in the World Cup has added intrigue — and in some cases, the confusion — over which 32 teams advance, with tiebreakers coming into play. The top two finishing teams from each of the 12 groups and eight third-place finishers move on.

The most intriguing match on Saturday might be Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal against Colombia.

Colombia has already secured a spot in the Round of 32 and can win Group K with a win or draw. Portugal needs a win to take the group, but can also advance with a draw or possibly even a loss.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said winning the group would be nice, but it doesn't matter as long as the team advances.

“It doesn't. It doesn’t,” Martinez said. “My experience, probably in my first World Cup, I would have said yes. You sit down and you are so inexperienced, you want to plan everything ... and then you realize that doesn’t happen in competitions.”

Martinez said in the end, “you have to be able to beat everybody and anybody.”

The match in Miami Gardens, Florida, will be played in typical June conditions, with temperatures expected to hover around 87 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) with high humidity when the match kicks off.

What to watch on June 27

— Panama vs. England, 5 p.m. EDT in East Rutherford, New Jersey (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Croatia vs. Ghana, 5 p.m. EDT in Philadelphia (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Colombia vs. Portugal, 7:30 p.m. EDT in Miami Gardens, Florida (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Congo vs. Uzbekistan, 7:30 p.m. EDT in Atlanta (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Algeria vs. Austria, 10 p.m. EDT in Kansas City, Missouri (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Jordan vs. Argentina, 10 p.m. EDT in Arlington, Texas (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)

Messi not starting with Argentina having clinched Group F

Lionel Messi, the top scorer in World Cup history, will not start when defending tournament champion and Group F winner Argentina plays Jordan.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said Friday that Messi will begin on the bench, but also indicated that he “will come in a little bit later.”

Messi scored all five goals for Argentina in its first two games of this tournament. He had his first World Cup hat trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria to tie the career scoring record at 16 goals, and broke that mark by scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over Austria on Monday.

England's Reece James to sit vs. Panama

Right back Reece James will miss England’s group-stage finale against Panama because of a hamstring injury, midfielders Declan Rice and Elliott Anderson may play and winger Bukayo Saka could make his first start of the tournament.

James was hurt during Tuesday’s 0-0 draw against Ghana, and coach Thomas Tuchel described the injury as minor. James did not travel to New Jersey, the site of Saturday's match, from England’s training camp in Kansas City, Missouri.

England beat Croatia 4-2 and tied Ghana, putting itself in position to reach the knockout rounds for the sixth time in seven World Cups.

Tuchel said his James’ status for the Round of 32 was unclear. Panama has already been eliminated.

Congo looks to join African teams in the Round of 32

Congo pulled off one of the surprising results of the World Cup by holding Portugal to a 1-1 draw in its opener, earning a point in the tournament for the first time. Now it hopes to earn its first win and join the wave of African teams advancing to the knockout rounds.

“We are very, very happy to have got this first point and first goal for Congo, but we have a final to play tomorrow,” coach Sébastien Desabre said ahead of Saturday’s Group K game against Uzbekistan. “I hope that I’ll get the Congolese people to dream tomorrow a little bit.”

Congo’s one previous appearance at the World Cup was under its former name, Zaire, in 1974, when it lost all three games, including a 9-0 rout at the hands of Yugoslavia.

A win gives Congo a chance to advance.

Uzbekistan has never earned a World Cup point.

Croatia and Ghana play for right to advance to knockout round

Separated by one point, Ghana and Croatia both have something meaningful to play for in their Group L match.

Ghana needs only a draw to reach the knockout round. Croatia, however, needs a win to be assured of a spot in the Round of 32.

England and Ghana are tied at four points, and Croatia has three points.

“Everyone’s ready, everyone was real happy with the result against England,” Ghana midfielder Antoine Semenyo said. “It’s going to be a tough game tomorrow, but everyone is excited and ready.”

Ghana hasn’t made it to the knockout round since reaching the quarterfinals in 2010 in South Africa.

Is Austria better off losing?

By the time Austria and Algeria begin their Group J finale, both will know how the knockout bracket looks, and what the consequences will be for finishing second or third behind group winner Argentina.

This is where things get awkward: It might actually behoove Austria to lose.

The way the bracket is set up, the Group J runner-up faces the Group H winner, which could be reigning European champion Spain. But the third-place finisher would face the Group B winner, which means a potentially easier matchup against Switzerland.

Asked if he wanted his team to avoid winning, Austria coach Ralf Rangnick replied: “No, definitely not.”

“Once we start we will know,” Rangnick said Friday, “but it will not influence our match. ... If we have a draw tomorrow, we can go on, but we cannot go into a match and just say, ‘We’ll play for a draw.’”

In 1982, in what became known as the “Disgrace of Gijon,” West Germany beat Austria 1-0, a result that advanced both teams over Algeria. Both teams seemed to quit trying after the first goal was scored, leading FIFA to implement simultaneous kickoffs on the final day of group play.

“We go out, we want to win the game,” Austria midfielder Konrad Laimer said. “It doesn’t matter who we face.”

More World Cup news

— ‘Pride Match’ organizers highlight Seattle’s inclusivity amid opposition from Iran and Egypt

— A maple leaf-shaped ‘Canadian clapper’ sparks a World Cup buzz across Toronto

— Mexico teenager Gilberto Mora impresses in first World Cup start and could see role expand

— Panama striker Cecilio Waterman, midfielder José Luis Rodríguez have training ground confrontation

— Bastian Schweinsteiger says his remarks on Ivory Coast’s style at World Cup were not about people

— Day 16 of the World Cup, in photos

Stats of the day

Scoring first in the World Cup is obviously a huge advantage, but doesn't necessarily lead to a win or draw. In fact, seven teams have overcome deficits in group play to win. South Korea rallied to beat the Czech Republic 2-1 with two late goals, Algeria battled back from a halftime deficit to top Jordan 2-1 and, most recently, Turkiye stunned the United States with a last-second goal to win 3-2. Egypt, Germany, Morocco and Ecuador have also overcome deficits to win.

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AP Sports Writers Dave Skretta, Alanis Thames, James Robson, Ronald Blum, Stephen Hawkins and Dan Gelston contributed to this report.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Paigelynne Gonyea said the confrontation happened Tuesday while she was working at a polling place in Syracuse. Two officers gave Gonyea a written notice stating that she might be in violation of federal laws that prevent publicly posting personal information about federal officers, she said.

Gonyea said the warning stemmed from a post she made on social media in January in which she posted a picture of Jonathan Ross, an ICE officer who shot and killed Good in Minneapolis during anti-ICE demonstrations that month. In the post, Gonyea wrote: “I think today is a great day for Jonathan to be indicted.”

Gonyea's post — which she made after Ross had already been identified by the news media — is still up. She said she has no intention of taking it down.

“I plan on using this experience to defend and support our First Amendment right,” Gonyea said. “Our first amendment rights definitely need to be protected now more than ever.”

Homeland Security considered post ‘doxxing’

Gonyea “committed a federal crime by posting the address of an ICE law enforcement officer online” and “if you doxx our officers, we will investigate you, and you will be brought to justice," said Lauren Bis, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland security, in a statement.

Bis shared a different social media post from the same one of Gonyea's accounts in which she said Gonyea shared Ross's address. Part of the post was redacted.

“Doxxing federal law enforcement officers is a federal crime that puts their lives and their families in serious danger,” the statement said. “This danger is not hypothetical. Our law enforcement officers are on the frontlines arresting terrorists, gang members, murderers, pedophiles, and rapists.”

Fellow poll worker recorded encounter

Another worker at the polls Tuesday recorded the encounter on her phone. The video shows two uniformed people coming into the polling place and talking briefly with Gonyea, who refuses to sign a warning letter.

Gonyea later posted the letter on social media. The unsigned letter states that it's from ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility, whose primary mission is investigating allegations of misconduct by ICE personnel and contractors.

The poll worker who shot the video, Sheilia Milledge, said workers were shaken by the incident. No voters were present at the time of the confrontation, Gonyea said.

“I felt like it was a scare tactic that they were using,” Milledge said.

Attorney General's Office is reviewing

A representative for the New York Attorney General's Office said the office is aware of the situation and is reviewing it, while a representative for the governor's office said the office had not heard of other similar incidents in the state.

The incident “did not disrupt voting and was not related to the election process,” said Kathleen McGrath, a spokesperson for the New York State Board of Elections. Onondaga County Democratic Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny said he responded to the polling place shortly after the incident, spoke with poll workers, made sure voting wasn't disrupted and "connected Paige to resources."

Gonyea said she initially missed a call from officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the parent agency of ICE, who wanted to meet with her.

A DHS agent left a voicemail saying they were calling “in reference to a post that we believe you made on Instagram where you doxxed an ICE agent back in January,” according a recording of the message she shared on social media.

"We just wanted to talk to you about it. You’re not in any type of trouble,” the agent said, according to a recording provided by Gonyea.

Gonyea said she returned the call to ask the officers to come into the polling place because she felt it would be safer to meet with them inside.

Advocates consider encounter intimidating

It appears to be incidental that the federal officers served Gonyea with the warning while she was working at the polling place, but their presence could still be intimidating to voters and poll workers, said Sean Morales-Doyle, director of the voting rights and elections program at Brennan Center for Justice, a left-leaning public policy institute.

Adam Steinbaugh, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said if officers are giving residents "a formal complaint about their protected speech, we’re in trouble.”

Rep. John Mannion, a Democrat who represents the area in Congress, also sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin calling for the department to review the incident and “put a stop to any ICE activities that target protected speech."

“ICE should not be broadly targeting online speech or actively monitoring social media accounts without cause and without proper judicial protections,” Mannion's letter stated.

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This story has been corrected to say that the Homeland Security official used the word agent, not officer, in the voicemail to Gonyea.

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Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press writers Anthony Izaguirre in New York City and Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed to this report.

Trout expects to return from the injury in plenty of time to play in the July 14 All-Star Game, but it will likely prevent the Los Angeles Angels center fielder from the home run competition the night before in Citizen’s Bank Park.

“They asked me when we were in Sacramento (last weekend), but I probably won’t do it,” Trout, 34, said before the Angels' game against the Athletics. “It would have been cool to do it, but the injury kind of threw things off.”

Trout, a three-time American League MVP and 11-time All-Star, has turned down numerous invitations to participate in the derby because he felt the high volume of maximum-effort swings the event requires would throw him off at the plate.

He always maintained that he would take part in the derby at least once before he retires, and this seemed to be the year to do it, with All-Star Game festivities in Citizens Bank Park about 45 miles north of his hometown of Millville, New Jersey.

Trout fueled more speculation that he would participate in the derby last weekend when he told USA Today that he was “considering” participating in the event.

But Trout, who was hitting .234 with 17 homers and 36 RBIs in 74 games when he was placed on the 10-day injured list on June 18, had a change of heart over the past week.

“When it came out that the All-Star Game was in Philly, I thought it definitely would have been cool to do,” said Trout, who ranks second behind Aaron Judge in All-Star voting for AL outfielders. “Then I hurt my leg, so I’m leaning toward not doing it.”

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

James Dale, who filed a complaint in a New York City federal court Thursday, alleges that both sides have provided conflicting answers, while the Pentagon is refusing to release a copy of its agreement with the organization.

The Pentagon made a deal with Scouting America in February that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said would refocus the organization away from diversity initiatives and other “woke” policies. Hegseth threatened to cease the military's longtime support of the organization if it failed to comply in six months, which would be in late August.

Hegseth put heavy emphasis on Scouting America’s acceptance of transgender youth, saying the organization will require members to use their “biological sex at birth and not gender identity.”

But Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America, said then that the agreement did not change existing policies regarding transgender youth and that they are welcome.

“We have transgender people in our program and we’ll have transgender people in our program going forward,” Scouting America President and CEO Roger Krone told The Associated Press in February.

In his complaint seeking the agreement, Dale states that both accounts “cannot be true, and the stakes are of profound public importance."

Hegseth had pledged in February to “vigorously review” the changes Scouting America has made, threatening to withdraw support.

“We hope that doesn’t happen, but it could,” Hegseth said at the time. “Ideally, I believe the Boy Scouts should go back to being the Boy Scouts as originally founded, a group that develops boys into men. Maybe someday.”

The scouts and the military have had longtime ties, including the military providing logistical support for the National Boy Scout Jamboree and scouts meeting on or near bases. The military also has maintained a strong relationship with the Eagle Scouts, whose members often enlist.

Dale had filed a Freedom of Information Act request in late March to get the memorandum of understanding between Scouting America and the Pentagon regarding the changes.

“The Department has invoked no exemption, produced no record, and missed every deadline,” his complaint stated. "Mr. Dale brings this action to enforce the public’s right to know, before the Department’s August deadline expires.

When asked for comment on Dale's lawsuit, the Pentagon said in a statement that it wouldn't comment on ongoing litigation and referred to the video Hegseth released in February that outlined the changes he said the organization was making. Scouting America did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Dale raised another question in his complaint about the government's ability to require the organization to accept or deny certain members.

In 1990, the Boy Scouts of America expelled Dale, then an Eagle Scout who had become an assistant scoutmaster, after discovering he was co-president of Rutgers University’s gay and lesbian organization. He sued in 1992, accusing the Boy Scouts of discrimination, and lost at the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that the organization could maintain membership and leadership criteria that excluded homosexuals.

“Here, if the Department’s account is true, the federal government has now obtained by contract what the Court once held it could not command by law,” Dales lawsuit states. “And if it is not, then the Department has misled the public about what Scouting America has agreed to do."

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Associated Press writer Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report.

The company said Friday that the new entity will be called Exemplar Luxury Group, and with an improved balance sheet, including a nearly 75% debt reduction and $500 million in extra financing. Its CEO, Geoffroy van Raemdonck, said the New York-based company is ready for its next chapter after navigating several tumultuous years.

“Today is really a brand new day for the organization and a new day where these three iconic banners have the right funding, the right equity and a bright future ahead of them,” van Raemdonck told The Associated Press on Friday during a phone interview.

Van Raemdonck said that the new name signifies the company's focus on having an exemplary shopping experience — the best merchandise, and better personalized service with customers, with help from its sales associates and the treasure trove of data it has on its customers. The company employs more than 1,500 sales associates who have sold more than $1 million of goods each, he said.

Saks Global had filed for bankruptcy protection in January of this year, buffeted by rising competition and the massive debt it took on to buy its rival in the luxury sector, Neiman Marcus, in July 2024.

Before the bankruptcy, there were 33 Saks stores and 36 Neiman Marcus locations, according to the company, as well as its Bergdorf Goodman store on Fifth Avenue and roughly 70 Saks Off 5th discount stores.

Now, there are a total of 49 stores — 15 Saks Fifth Avenue stores, 33 Neiman Marcus stores and its Bergdorf Goodman store. The company shuttered most of its Saks Off Fifth discount stores, and it now has 12 outlets, the company said.

Exemplar Luxury Group said it has been teaming up with Pentwater Capital Management and Bracebridge Capital throughout its restructuring process. Both firms will have two representatives on the seven-person board. In addition, van Raemdonck as well as former Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell and Philippe Schaus, who most recently served as Global CEO of Moët Hennessy, will serve on the board, the company said.

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Shotsie Buck-Hayes was sentenced to life in prison plus 10 years for aggravated malicious wounding and attempted first-degree murder. The judge suspended all but 35 years of the life sentence and all but five years of the additional sentence, meaning Buck-Hayes could eventually be eligible for release.

The sentence comes nearly 11 months after prosecutors say Buck-Hayes attacked Vogler at his workplace on July 30, 2025, pouring gasoline on him and setting him on fire.

During the sentencing hearing, Vogler and his family publicly spoke about the attack for the first time, describing the lasting physical and emotional impact of the attack.

Lee’s wife, Blair, described the fear and uncertainty her family faced while he was hospitalized.

“I had to look at my children and prepare them for the possibility that they may grow up without a father,” she said.

Lee’s father, Jack Vogler, said watching his son recover has been difficult.

“It’s like a bad nightmare that plays over and over,” he said. “To see Lee go through what he’s been through just breaks my heart.”

Family members told the court Vogler’s children continue to struggle with the aftermath of the attack, saying they witnessed their father endure severe injuries and miss important moments while recovering.

“They’ve seen their father endure unimaginable pain,” one family member said. “They’ve seen scars no child should ever have to see. They experienced fear, anxiety and trauma.”

Lee’s mother also held up a photo of his children during her statement, showing Buck-Hayes the impact the attack had on the family.

Danville Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Newman argued the sentence was appropriate, saying the effects of the attack will follow Vogler and his family for the rest of their lives.

He argued Buck-Hayes planned the attack, pointing to evidence that he drove past Vogler’s workplace to purchase gasoline before the assault.

Buck-Hayes also spoke in court for the first time, apologizing to Vogler and his family.

“What I did was devastating,” Buck-Hayes said. “If there’s something I could do to undo it, I would.”

His attorneys, Edward Lavado and Matthew Pack, argued Buck-Hayes had a history of mental health struggles and may have experienced a mental health crisis at the time of the attack. They called a mental health specialist to testify about his condition and said Buck-Hayes does not remember carrying out the assault.

Buck-Hayes’ attorneys argued the sentence was excessive, saying the judge went beyond the recommended sentencing guidelines.

“He went over those guidelines. He went above even that,” Lavado said. “So, it was definitely a shock.”

Outside the courthouse, Vogler said he was satisfied with the outcome and ready to move forward.

“It just brings closure to all this and lets the situation come to a close,” Vogler said. “I’m happy to see it come to an end. We’re all ready to move forward with our lives.”

Vogler said he plans to return his focus to his role as a city councilman, his family and serving the Danville community.

Buck-Hayes’ attorneys say they plan to appeal the sentence. Since Buck-Hayes is not an American citizen, they predict he will return to his native United Kingdom in the future.

As part of his punishment, Buck-Hayes must be on good behavior for life and can never have any contact with the Vogler family ever again.

10 News has obtained video footage of Buck-Hayes’ arrest, an interview with investigators and crime scene photos from Danville police. 10 News wants to warn viewers that some of the photos and videos could be hard to watch and possibly contain explicit content.

Buck-Hayes interview with detectives (Courtesy of Danville PD):

Buck-Hayes’ arrest video (Courtesy of Danville PD):

Evidence photos (Courtesy of Danville PD):

Original:

The man who pleaded guilty to setting Danville City Councilman Lee Vogler on fire has learned his fate.

Shotsie Michael Buck-Hayes was sentenced to life plus 10 years in prison, with all but 35 years of the life sentence and five years of the 10-year sentence suspended. In total, Buck-Hayes will serve 40 years behind bars, followed by five years of probation. His attorneys say he plans to appeal the sentence.

The Danville case drew national attention and left the community in shock. The incident occurred on July 30, 2025, when Buck-Hayes filled a five-gallon bucket with gasoline and added Styrofoam to make it burn longer. He then went to the Showcase Magazine office, where Vogler worked, and poured gasoline on him. Buck-Hayes chased Vogler through the building and set him on fire outside.

In April, Buck-Hayes pleaded guilty to malicious wounding and attempted first-degree murder.

After the sentencing, 10 News spoke with Vogler, who reflected on the past year.

“I’m just trying to be the best city councilman that I can be ... there’s this quote that I heard many years ago. They said that, ‘only when you’ve been in the deepest valley will you know how magnificent it is to stand on the highest mountain.’ And I’ve been in the valley for the last year. And I intend to spend every day with the life that I have left on that highest mountain, and I thank God that I am able to do that.”

We’ve covered this case extensively. You can find our previous coverage here.

“As far as boaters looking for slips, there’s definitely a demand for them,” said Michael Valach, owner of Mountain 2 Island Marina. “If you get on it early, you normally can get one. If you wait late season, they’re sort of hard to come by.”

Waitlists grow, loyal renters hold their spots

The crunch is driven partly by a renewal culture that keeps slips off the market. Valach said 90% of renters at his marina return each year, leaving only a trickle of openings driven by boaters who build private docks, relocate, or switch to trailering.

“If you had a slip the previous year, you get first dibs on it for the upcoming season,” Valach said.

That loyalty runs deep at Claytor Lake State Park as well. Tanner Bradley, the park’s assistant manager, said some renters have held their slips longer than he has worked there — nearly seven years.

“It’s a big pull for those folks who they’ve used it for years and years and years,” Bradley said. “It’s a great opportunity for them to come back and have that sense of place.”

The park’s waitlist includes people who signed up as far back as 2024. Bradley noted wait times can vary depending on boat size, since slip availability differs by size category.

For Pulaski resident and boat owner Timothy Heath, the combination of waitlists and pricing has pushed him toward daily launching rather than seasonal storage.

“Most of the places I’ve called is about a year wait list on some, and then some like state parks are more priced than DeHaven, so it’s just easier for us to bring it daily,” Heath said.

Stable water levels offer some relief for daily launchers

For boaters like Heath who are trailering to the lake each visit, water levels have not added to the difficulty this season. Bradley credited the New River’s water supply and AEP’s management of the dam at the far end of the lake for keeping levels steady.

“We have not seen really any drop,” Bradley said. “So it’s been really easy if you know what you’re doing to launch your boat and pull out with no real issues.”

Heath echoed that experience: “Luckily here so far we’ve not had to run into any issues with the water being too shallow or nothing like that.”

Marinas eye expansion to meet growing demand

All three major marinas are working to add capacity, though none of the projects will deliver relief this season.

At Conrad Brothers Marine, manager Mike Ratcliff said the marina currently holds about 26 lifts and roughly 125 total boat storage spots on and around the water. The marina is now pursuing permits to build additional lift slips.

“We are in the process of obtaining the permits to build more lift slips,” Ratcliff said. “Hopefully we can get quite a few more to get on the lake here.”

Ratcliff added that Conrad Brothers draws customers from well outside the immediate area, including West Virginia, Mount Airy, and Charlotte, as well as Salem and Roanoke.

Mountain 2 Island has also taken steps to expand, recently purchasing an off-water facility for boat storage and planning slip upgrades.

“There is more demand for it and we hope to be able to meet that demand,” Valach said.

At Claytor Lake State Park, Bradley said the existing docks are slated for a full replacement with aluminum docks within the next couple of years. The project could bring a net increase in slip count, though exact numbers have not been finalized.

“There is a possibility for increase,” Bradley said.

The work is tentatively planned for the fall and winter, with the goal of reopening by spring — though Bradley acknowledged that timeline could shift.

“With work like that, it is hard to tell,” he said.

For boaters hoping to secure a slip on Claytor Lake, Valach offered straightforward advice: don’t wait until summer.

“If you wait till Memorial Day or closer to the Fourth of July, your ability to find a slip anywhere on Claytor Lake or most any lake is going to be limited,” he said.

The British military said Thursday that a vessel was hit by a projectile off Oman. This comes at a fragile time for the U.S. and Iranian negotiations over interim peace deal.

Trump also threatened a 100% tariff on imports from any nation that taxes digital services from U.S. companies, specifically singling out Europe. His post on social media said those nations are considering “imminent” taxes, and that the tariff would override any previously negotiated trade agreements.

Here's the latest:

Vance warns Iran ‘violence will be met with violence’

The vice president said on social media that Iran should “pick up the phone” if there are disagreements about the ceasefire agreement.

“But violence will be met with violence,” Vance said on X after the U.S. strikes.

US retaliatory strikes in Iran have concluded, official says

The U.S. strikes on Iran in response to a drone attack on a cargo ship have concluded, a U.S. official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

The confirmation comes about an hour after U.S. Central Command announced the military action on social media.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss an ongoing military operation.

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By Konstantin Toropin

US strikes against Iran are ongoing, official says

The American strikes in response to a drone attack on a cargo ship are still ongoing, even as U.S. Central Command released a statement confirming the action, a U.S. official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss an ongoing military operation.

___ By Konstantin Toropin

Soot pollution rule stays in effect as court blocks Trump EPA effort to scrap it

A federal appeals court has rejected the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to abandon a Biden-era rule that sets tough standards for deadly soot pollution.

The unanimous ruling Friday by a three-judge panel is a setback for Trump’s deregulatory agenda.

The decision by the Washington-based U.S. Court of Appeals leaves intact a tighter standard set in 2024 on pollution from coal-fired power plants, factories and other industrial sources.

The EPA had asked the appeals court to invalidate the 2024 rule, arguing that the agency under previous leaders had exceeded its statutory authority and did not consider costs to businesses.

The appeals court denied the request, saying the EPA’s arguments “lack merit.”

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Trump won’t say whether Iran will face consequences for attacks

Asked if Iran would face consequences for a recent drone attack on a ship, Trump said: “Well, you’ll find out.”

The president did not lay out options on how he could respond, or the status of technical talks between the United States and Iran on trying to end the war.

“I don’t like the fact that they took a shot yesterday,” Trump said.

The president did not answer a direct question about whether he thought the ceasefire was still in place.

Bible stories are approved as required reading in Texas public schools

The required reading list approved Friday by the Texas State Board of Education widens conservative efforts to bring more Christian teachings into U.S. classrooms.

The push in Texas has been closely followed by education observers, who say the required reading list appears to be the first of its kind in the nation.

The mandate required more than 5 million public school students in Texas must read traditional literary works such as E.B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web.” Also on the list are Bible stories, including passages from the New Testament and excerpts from the Book of Job.

The Texas State Board of Education, which is controlled by Republicans, approved the list of over critics who argued the titles lacked diversity and and blurs the separation of church and state.

Supporters say Judeo-Christian traditions were fundamental to the nation’s founding and that should be reflected in the public school curriculum.

Trump panel calls for bridges, not a wall, between church and state

The assertion — challenging a longstanding concept in American law — comes amid a raft of recommendations in a draft report of the Religious Liberty Commission, released Friday afternoon.

The advisory body was created by Trump last year and was filled almost entirely by conservative Christians. The report recommends a stronger role for religion in government, schools and the public square.

The report calls for eliminating the “ Johnson Amendment,” which forbids political activities by tax-exempt religious groups. It calls for compensating military service members who were discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccines on religious grounds.

Trump says Venezuelans are now ‘dancing in the streets’

The president celebrated the U.S. military mission he ordered to capture Venezuelan leaderNicolás Maduro.

He brought up the South American nation happily before interrupting himself to reference the back-to-back earthquakes that have devastated Caracas.

“By the way, we’re helping Venezuela” after the “tremendous” natural disaster, Trump said, before resuming his original thought on U.S. actions there.

“We’ve had a great relationship” since the mission to depose Maduro, he said. “Was a one-day war.”

He said oil processed since the action has “paid for the war many times over” and boosted Venezuela’s economy.

Trump said the earthquake “was terrible” but that, otherwise, “the people are happy; they’re dancing in the streets.”

Trump says ‘nobody saw’ drone that hit cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz

Describing the U.S. response to a drone strike that Trump blamed on Iran, the president said one got through unnoticed and struck a ship on Thursday.

“We knocked down three of them. One of them, I guess — we didn’t miss it. Nobody saw it coming,” Trump said on Friday.

He made the comment after remarking that Iran still has “some capability, not much.”

“You can’t do that stuff,” he added. Earlier on Friday he called the strike a violation of the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States.

Trump says Zohran Mamdani’s housing efforts will tank New York City

The New York City mayor “seems like a nice guy” but his push to make rent more affordable will backfire, the president insists.

“These buildings will soon turn into ghettos and slums,” Trump says, suggesting landlords won’t get enough revenue to take care of their properties. Trump argued, “It will be third world.”

Trump was referring to the city’s Rent Guidelines Board approving a citywide rent freeze for certain lease renewals beginning this fall. It affects nearly a million rent-stabilized apartments and helps fulfill one of Mamdani’s signature campaign promises to make housing more affordable.

Trump warns that the left’s election victories is a movement that ‘isn’t stopping with New York’

The president said the election results this week show that “the Democrat Party is in big trouble.”

He also described the winners as not “social democrats” but “hardcore, godless communists.”

Trump bashes Alaska Sen. Murkowski for opposing his bill to create stricter ID standards for voters

The president used his speech to the Faith & Freedom Coalition to attack a Republican lawmaker who has opposed his SAVE America Act.

“We have a few Republicans that are fighting it — Lisa Murkowski of Alaska,” Trump said. “You should call her and tell her to get on the ball. She’ll never win another election. I can tell you.”

The crowd, in support of Trump, booed the mention of Murkowski’s name.

Murkowski has said that the bill being championed by Trump could undermine state oversight of elections. She said the required proof of U.S. citizenship could deny legitimate voters the chance to cast their ballots or mandate states to change their driver’s licenses to conform to Trump’s interests.

Trump credits his presidencies with returning God to America

The president claimed that “religion is back in our country, bigger and stronger than it has been in many, many years.”

He referred generally to “all of these reports” he’s read suggesting religious practice is “going up.”

He ticked through steps his administration has taken, including establishing a White House Faith Office and ending what he described as persecution of Christians by the government. He also took credit for restoring Christmas.

And he insisted none of that would have happened if the 2016 and 2024 elections were won by Democrats. He described Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration as “so bad” and “so evil.”

Biden is a practicing Catholic who regular attended Mass while in office. Trump does not regularly attended services.

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Secretary of State Marco Rubio along with ambassadors from Israel and Lebanon announced a framework agreement Friday that was described as a first step toward peace following months of conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The officials did not share details on the agreement that was signed by Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, and Nada Hamadeh, ambassador of Lebanon to the United States.

Evangelical group founder touts Trump’s conservative record

In introducing Trump at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference, founder Ralph Reed sought to remind the audience of the president’s conservative track record.

“This is a man who, alone among all the leaders that we have had, gave us the most conservative Supreme Court in over a century,” Reed said.

He also noted Trump’s efforts to lower taxes and move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Evangelicals are a crucial part of Trump’s political coalition. Reed noted that the president has spoken to the group 10 times.

“I want to thank Ralph for the introduction,” Trump said as he took the stage. “Thank you to all of the true American patriots of Faith and Freedom Coalition. You’ve been with me from the beginning.”

Trump returns to hotel where correspondents’ dinner was held

The president on Friday appeared at an event at the Washington Hilton, where two months earlier he was rushed from the hotel when a gunman charged at the ballroom during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Trump was speaking on Friday to a gathering of Christian conservatives at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s annual conference, where he’s made previous appearances.

Security at the event was tighter than in the past, including officers in tactical gear stationed right outside the ballroom doors.

Trump says communism is ‘the most serious threat to our Country since its existence’ but says ‘I’d be the Greatest Communist in History’

The president wrote in a post on social media that his speech Friday afternoon to conservative Christians would include a warning about communism.

Trump and Republicans have been seizing on election wins by candidates endorsed by New York City’s democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“Communism is very easy to sell. I’d be the Greatest Communist in History. I’d give free rent, free houses, free food, everything is free,” Trump wrote in his lengthy post.

But, he said, after a few years, the country “would fail.”

Man is charged with obstruction of justice in connection with White House UFC attack plot

An eighth person has been arrested in connection with what authorities say was a planned attack on Trump’s UFC cage-fighting show at the White House earlier this month.

Law enforcement disrupted the plan a few days before the June 14 event, officials say.

Authorities say Alexander Iniguez Mercado of Chicago was an administrator of Signal messaging groups with members who are accused of plotting the attack. When an FBI agent called Mercado on June 13 and asked whether he planned to travel to Washington D.C. to help with an attack, Mercado denied it, the indictment says. He then deleted the Signal app from his phone, prosecutors allege.

Mercado, 20, is charged with obstruction of justice. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf and phone numbers for relatives could not immediately be located.

Trump threatens a 100% tax on European imports if countries tax digital services

Trump took aim at European countries that he said are discussing “imminent” implementation of taxes on American companies.

“Please let this statement serve to represent that any Country that imposes such a Tax will immediately be met with a 100% TARIFF on any and all Goods sent to the United States of America,” Trump wrote in a post Friday on social media.

He added that the new tax would supersede any previously negotiated trade deals. Trump said the penalty would apply to any country that moves forward with such a tax, but he singled out European nations in his post.

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Trump blames Iran for a drone strike on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz

The president called the alleged strike a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire agreement with the U.S.

Trump said one drone hit the upper deck of the ship and “damage was done,” but the ship was able to proceed. He added that the U.S. shot down three other drones.

His post on social media did not identify the ship or the time of the strike, but on Thursday the British military said a vessel was hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman.

It comes during a fragile time for the U.S. and Iran as they work to negotiate a permanent end to the war.

Bolton also agreed to pay a fine of $2.25 million

He can withdraw his guilty plea if the judge imposes a longer prison sentence or a larger fine.

Bolton must pay half of the fine within five days of his plea and the balance within 90 days. He agreed to forfeit his retirement pay for his federal service. The plea deal also requires him to submit to a debriefing with federal intelligence officials and perform up to 100 hours of community service.

After a prosecutor read aloud a summary of his offenses, Bolton agreed it was accurate.

“I’m sorry for it,” he told the judge.

Defense attorney Abbe Lowell said Bolton “did what real leaders do” by pleading guilty.

Other Trump adversaries have been charged with federal crimes during his second term

While some of those cases have collapsed under judicial scrutiny and amid claims of political retribution, Bolton didn’t mount a vigorous defense against his charges before cutting a deal.

FBI agents searched Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington, D.C., office last August, but the investigation began before Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

Bolton was charged with 18 counts of either retaining or disseminating classified information

That included diary-like notes he shared with relatives as he wrote a memoir about his career in government.

Bolton served for more than a year in Trump’s first administration before getting pushed out in 2019. He later published a book called “The Room Where It Happened” that presented an unflattering portrait of Trump’s leadership.

The Trump administration fought unsuccessfully to block the book’s release, claiming it contained classified information that could jeopardize national security. Trump derided Bolton as a “crazy” warmonger who would have led the country into “World War Six.”

Bolton’s indictment focused on notes he shared with his wife and daughter rather than the contents of his book. After sending one document, Bolton wrote in a message to his relatives, “None of which we talk about!!!” In response, one of his relatives wrote, “Shhhhh,” prosecutors said.

Ex-national security adviser John Bolton pleads guilty to illegally retaining classified information

Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty Friday to illegally retaining classified information, sealing a deal with federal prosecutors that could allow him to avoid a prison term.

Bolton, who became an outspoken critic of Trump after serving in the Republican’s first administration, is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 28 by U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Bolton pleaded guilty to a single count of illegally retaining classified information. His plea agreement with the Justice Department may enable him to avoid time behind bars, but the judge ultimately will decide his punishment.

The plea agreement recommends capping any prison sentence at five years but the judge isn’t bound by that part of the deal.

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DNC plans weekend of events to focus on affordability concerns

The Democratic National Committee is organizing hundreds of community events across the country this weekend in hopes of harnessing the same concerns about affordability that Trump capitalized on to return to the White House.

The events include school supply giveaways, food bank drives, neighborhood door knockings and organizer trainings.

“Everything costs too damn much under Donald Trump and the Republicans,” Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in a statement.

Martin said party members planned “to reach, engage, register, and mobilize voters who will make the difference in races up and down the ballot.”

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Touring Trump’s Washington: How the president is putting his imprint on the nation’s capital

The United States is celebrating its 250th year. And what better way to mark that anniversary than with an American summer staple — a trip to the nation’s capital.

But visitors to Washington will find that the city is undergoing tremendous change, courtesy of Trump’s takeover makeover.

Since returning to office 17 months ago, Trump has demonstrated a continuing fixation with the District of Columbia. The Republican president has slapped his image and name on buildings, torn down storied structures, altered others, started massive construction projects and deployed armed military personnel.

The traditional tourist sights remain. But with slight detours, an open mind and a critical eye, the ambitious walker can see all the ways the president has pushed to remake the capital.

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988’s LGBTQ+ hotline to relaunch this year. But the group that helped start it might be excluded

The Trump administration is moving to restart the specialized LGBTQ+ option for youth who contact the 988 crisis intervention hotline, but the group that helped pioneer the idea is being shut out.

The Trevor Project, the leading nonprofit for suicide prevention in LGBTQ+ young people, may not be allowed to offer the service it had helped develop for the 988 Lifeline just a few years ago.

The 988 hotline, which has been dubbed the 911 for mental health emergencies, is credited with reducing teen and young adult suicide deaths. It offers specialized options for certain groups, such as veterans and Spanish speakers, but in July the Trump administration stopped offering the “press 3” option for LGBTQ+ youth with a month’s notice.

The administration said it ended the service because the funding ran out. It’s now working to bring it back by the end of the year because Congress directed officials to allocate $33 million toward LGBTQ+-specific interventions for youth.

However, The Trevor Project might not be allowed to offer the services it developed and specializes in.

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Supreme Court’s ruling to end protections for Haitian, Syrian immigrants could have broader impact

The reach of the Supreme Court’s decision allowing Trump’s administration to end temporary legal protections for Haitian and Syrian immigrants may extend to many other countries.

Thursday´s decision directly applies to about 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians, but may be a sign of what´s in store for nearly 1.3 million people from 17 countries on Temporary Protected Status. Many have lived and worked in the United States for decades and have American children.

The decision exposes TPS holders from Haiti and Syria to potential detention and deportation. It could also pave the way for hundreds of thousands of other beneficiaries with pending asylum claims or other immigration relief to be forced to leave the country.

People of all nationalities whose TPS was ended by the Trump administration have filed dozens of lawsuits. Many of these cases are still ongoing, and judges will closely examine the Supreme Court’s decision.

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Reflecting Pool liner was cut with a sharp knife or razor, National Park Service says

A liner along the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was cut with a sharp knife or razor this month, causing damage to the foam sealant installed as part of a $16 million rehabilitation project, a top official at the National Park Service says.

The U.S. Park Police responded June 9 to a complaint by the park service, said Frank Lands, deputy director of operations for the park service. Lands made the statement in a court document filed late Wednesday as part of a lawsuit filed by a nonprofit organization to halt the Trump administration’s work on the project.

His statement does not say when exactly the damage occurred or whether it was a suspected case of vandalism and does not identify anyone who might have been involved.

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Vance, an admirer of Richard Nixon, says Watergate would be ‘a 12-hour news story’ today

Vice President JD Vance on Thursday said the Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon would have been a blip in today’s news cycle, and he drew parallels between Nixon and President Donald Trump — arguing that both were targeted by “deep state” forces.

Vance described his admiration for Nixon during a conversation at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California. Widely expected to be a presidential contender in 2028, Vance spoke at the library while promoting his new book, “Communion.”

After talking about the book and his faith journey, Vance shifted to Nixon, saying the legacy of the 37th president is “enjoying a bit of a renaissance.”

“If Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12-hour news story. The idea that it would have taken down a presidency is crazy,” Vance said.

He went on: “If you look at the story of how the deep state took down Richard Nixon, it’s not all that different from what the same groups of people, the same institutions tried to do to Donald Trump in the first Trump administration.”

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Federal judge halts Trump’s election executive order seeking to create a federal voter list

A federal judge on Thursday halted President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to create a federal voter list and limit who can receive a mail ballot.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani sided with a coalition of nearly two dozen states that challenged the Republican president’s order in granting a summary judgment. Her ruling applies to this year’s midterm election cycle.

Plaintiffs argued in two lawsuits, both filed in federal court in Boston, that Trump’s order should be found unconstitutional because the states and Congress, not the president, have the power to set election rules.

It was the second ruling in as many days against executive orders Trump has signed seeking oversight of the nation’s elections. A separate ruling Wednesday prohibited an executive order he had signed last year that would have required people to show documents proving their citizenship when registering to vote.

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It’s who finishes third.

Teams that are first and second in their groups move on automatically to the Round of 32. The United States, Canada and Mexico, co-hosts of the tournament, have all advanced, along with France, Germany, Brazil, Norway and others.

The U.S. will face Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday in Santa Clara, California, while Canada heads to Southern California to face South Africa on Sunday. Other marquee matchups are set, including Morocco versus the Netherlands, Japan versus Brazil and Norway versus Ivory Coast.

Third place is no guarantee. The eight best third-place teams also get in, with ties broken by goal differential and goals scored, if necessary.

Teams with four points — a win, a draw and a loss — almost certainly will make the Round of 32. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sweden and Ecuador already advanced that way, and Paraguay is poised to join that group, which would mean four qualifiers left.

That leaves eight other third-place teams for the final four spots, including Senegal, which routed Iraq 5-0. Others with three points are also hoping for the best.

“I personally didn’t want to end up in this kind of situation, where we have to wait and see if we will reach the knockouts,” South Korea forward Son Heung-min said. “It’s disappointing that we didn’t get the outcome we deserved, considering the amount of hard work we’ve done, but it’s out of our hands now and we will have to accept our fate, whatever it will be.”

Some matches to watch closely Friday night on the third-place front:

Group G

Egypt (four points) vs. Iran (two points): Egypt would likely be a third-place qualifier even with a loss, provided that loss isn’t by a ton of goals. Iran would be heavily favored to advance as a third-place team with a draw. (Belgium and New Zealand each has a mathematically possible chance of finishing third in Group G.)

Group H

Cape Verde (two points) vs. Saudi Arabia (one point): Cape Verde will advance (as a first- or second-place team) with a win. The Saudis need a win to advance, as well.

Uruguay (two points) vs. Spain (four points): Uruguay would likely qualify as a third-place team with a draw. If it loses, it goes home.

Here are the Round of 32 matchups already set:

US vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, July 1

The Americans had their powerful momentum from two consecutive victories stalled in the loss to Turkey. But in the knockout round, they’ll face a Bosnia-Herzegovina team that is 62nd in the FIFA rankings — the lowest-ranked World Cup qualifier from Europe. Bosnia finished third in Group B with four points. U.S. star Christian Pulisic entered as a substitute in the second half against Turkey. He had not played since leaving an opening win over Paraguay at halftime with a calf injury. “We play every game like a knockout game,” said U.S. midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who scored against Turkey. “You saw that in our intensity and the way we worked. For us, it’s keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

South Africa vs. Canada, June 28

These nations have already made history. It'll be the first time both are in the knockout stage of the World Cup. Co-host Canada advanced as runner-up in Group B with four points — one win, one draw and one loss. South Africa was runner-up in Group A, also with four points, including a surprising win over South Korea.

Brazil vs. Japan, June 29

Japan advanced as Group F runner-up with a hard fought 1-1 draw against Sweden and the Samurai Blue's reward is a knockout match against five-time World Cup champion Brazil. It'll be a full-circle moment for Japan, which welcomed Brazilian soccer legend Zico in 1991. He was brought in to professionalize the country's new domestic league and support Japan's successful bid to co-host the World Cup in 2002. Now, the Japanese have a chance to show how far they've come against a country that has set the standard.

Netherlands vs. Morocco, June 29

The Netherlands won Group F after a draw with Japan and outscoring Sweden and Tunisia by a combined 8-2. Morocco went unbeaten to finish second in Group C in pursuit of becoming the first African winner of the World Cup. Morocco reached the semifinals four years ago in Qatar.

Norway vs. Ivory Coast, June 30

It would have taken beating favored France for Norway to win Group I. Instead, coach Ståle Solbakken opted to rest Erling Haaland and all but one starter. That sets up a matchup against the Ivory Coast at the Dallas Cowboys' stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here.

Scheffler had to settle for a 10-under 60 on the soft TPC River Highlands course, setting an early target atop the scoreboard on a day of extreme low scoring at the final signature event of the regular season.

“Going out yesterday in the afternoon, when the greens get firm out here and the wind starts to blow, it can get tricky pretty quickly,” Scheffler said. “Going out this morning, you definitely had a feeling the conditions were going to be easier, so you need to go out there and try and take advantage of it.”

Scheffler was at 16-under 124, two shots ahead of Viktor Hovland.

“At the end of the day, I was very focused on just my execution out there,” Scheffler said. “Who knows what the lead is going to be after today. I’ve put myself in position now this week. Go home, get some rest, and get ready for tomorrow.”

Playing three groups in front of Scheffler, Hovland needed to birdie the final two holes for a 59. He settled for a pair of pars and a 61, matching his career best on tour.

“Certainly it was more gettable today than it was even yesterday,” Hovland said.

Akshay Bhatia had a 62 to match first-round leader Eric Cole at 12 under.

“I know how this golf course can play,” Bhatia said. “You got to kind of keep making birdies and try and limit mistakes.”

Cole parred the final eight holes in a 65.

“Maybe just being tired or something and making some tired swings,” Cole said.

Matt Fitzpatrick, Bud Cauley and Ben Griffin were tied for fifth at 10 under, each shooting 66.

Scheffler shot 59 in his rookie season in 2020 in the second round of The Northern Trust at the TPC Boston, another rain-softened course that featured low scoring. Dustin Johnson was 11 under through 11 holes that day and had to settle for a 60.

“Some days they’re kind of hanging on the edge and not quite going in, and then other days they’re finding the bottom of the cup,” Scheffler said. “Today was a day definitely in which most of them were finding the bottom of the cup.”

Furyk shot his first sub-60 round in the second round of the 2013 BMW Championship at Conway Farms outside Chicago, a 59 that included a bogey on his card. Three years later, he set the PGA Tour record at the Travelers Championship with a 58 in the final round.

Furyk did not win either tournament.

“It was like, `It would be cool to shoot 59, but somebody has already shot 58 here, so it’s not even the course record,’” Scheffler said.

Scheffler, who won the Travelers Championship two years ago, is coming off a tie for fourth in the U.S. Open when he played in the final round. His last victory was The American Express in the California desert, his first start of the year.

Scheffler bogeyed the par-4 second, leaving a wedge from the fairway well short and missing an 8-foot par try.

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

But visitors to Washington will find that the city is undergoing tremendous change, courtesy of President Donald Trump’s takeover makeover.

Since returning to office 17 months ago, Trump has demonstrated a continuing fixation with the District of Columbia. The Republican president has slapped his image and name on buildings, torn down storied structures, altered others, started massive construction projects and deployed armed military personnel.

The traditional tourist sights remain. But with slight detours, an open mind and a critical eye, the ambitious walker can see all the ways the president has pushed to remake the capital.

On the eve of the United States' birthday, take a trip with The Associated Press across a changing Washington.

First stop: An indefinite National Guard deployment

We start our tour at Union Station and Metro Center, the city’s main transit hubs. Notice the Greco-Roman architecture of the former, the Brutalist design of the latter. Now see the ongoing, indefinite deployment of armed National Guard troops there and in many other parts of the city.

National Guard members from the district and several states have been in the city since August 2025, deployed under an emergency order issued by Trump in what he called a bid to fight crime. Trump has portrayed the deployment as a lifeline for the city. They will be here for most, if not all, of 2026 and are expected to number 5,000 this summer.

It's not the first time the military has deployed to the capital. Troops were in Washington throughout the Civil War, to quell riots after Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1968 assassination and, famously, hours into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

But in Trump's Washington, Guardsmen at street corners and metro stations have become an increasingly normal part of the city’s scenery.

And no one knows when they will leave.

Second stop: Scars left by DOGE

Exit Union Station, take in the view of the Capitol and turn right down Pennsylvania Avenue. There sits a building now synonymous with the Department of Government Efficiency, the Trump administration's effort to shrink the federal government.

The U.S. Agency for International Development was the first major federal agency targeted by then-DOGE leader Elon Musk in the remake of the federal government, when cost-cutting measures prompted the terminations of tens of thousands of workers. USAID spent billions on humanitarian aid worldwide and was credited with saving millions of lives over time.

By eliminating 90% of foreign aid contracts, the Trump administration effectively cut some $60 billion in funding.

After workers cleared their desks in February 2025, the USAID offices on Pennsylvania Avenue were repurposed for other government uses.

The shuttering of the agency also contributed to a massive increase in unemployment in the region where about one-fifth of the workforce lives.

Many workers still ask: When their lives were upended, what was saved?

Third stop: Trump's image staring down

Walking south along any of the numbered streets leads to Constitution Avenue and the National Mall. Banners bearing Trump's image have adorned the facades of several government buildings over the past 17 months — an uncommon practice for a sitting American president and a highly literal sign of his imprint upon the city.

At the Department of the Interior, his image has equal billing with George Washington on similar banners proclaiming “America's First” and “America First.”

A mile away, Trump's face glowers from the storied Department of Justice building, a physical display of Trump's efforts to exert power over the law enforcement agency that once investigated him. It's also a striking symbol of the erosion of the department’s tradition of independence from White House control, as the president pushes to prosecute his political adversaries.

Next up: The Reflecting Pool painted ‘American flag blue’

Westward toward the Lincoln Memorial sits the recently repainted Reflecting Pool.

The site has always been a must-see on any tourist's checklist. But the Reflecting Pool, the scene of historic marches and protests, today also symbolizes Trump's drive to change Washington.

Trump called the area “filthy” and had workers paint it in a color he has called “American flag blue.” A Washington-based nonprofit that tried to block the move said it undermined the somber tone of the area, which sits near the memorials to Lincoln and to the Vietnam and Korean wars.

Since the makeover, the pool has been fraught with problems, from runaway algae growth to dead ducks and a torn lining. Authorities say vandals have been responsible for some of the problems and arrests have been made. The National Park Service said the liner was intentionally cut with a sharp razor or knife.

A walk over the Memorial Bridge across the Potomac River leads directly to the proposed future site of Trump's 20-story, gold-adorned triumphal arch. Although embroiled in a court battle, like a number of his projects, the arch has been approved by a key federal agency and survey work has begun at the site.

In a city meticulously planned and rich with the symbolism that defines the nation, new construction can unsettle the carefully crafted balance.

The arch, when built, will break up the intentionally designed symbolic sightline between Arlington House, once the home of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, and the Lincoln Memorial, which symbolized the reunification of a divided nation following the Civil War.

Just ahead: The Trump-Kennedy Center

Visible from the site is the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts — known for much of this year as the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center.

Congress named the performing arts venue as a living memorial to Kennedy in 1964, the year after he was assassinated. A law explicitly prohibits its board of trustees from making the center into a memorial to anyone else, and from putting another person’s name on the building’s exterior.

A court decision eventually stripped the center of Trump's name, but a tarp remains there, obscuring the change.

Trump also added his name to the U.S. Institute of Peace, part of a broader series of tributes that has been largely unprecedented for a sitting, living president.

In the middle of it all: A significantly changed White House

No tour would be complete without 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. — the White House. There, gazers can look at the construction site formerly known as the East Wing. It's now the president's ballroom-in-waiting as the courts and Congress battle over whether to build it.

The White House has said the $400 million cost would be paid by private donors, but public money — around $1 billion for the entire White House complex, including the ballroom — would be used for security measures. The proposed building has also expanded to a size larger than the rest of the White House. Trump argues the ballroom is necessary for security reasons, and amplified that assertion after the attack on the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in April.

Not viewable on the tour: the area formerly known as the Rose Garden. Planted by then-first lady Jackie Kennedy, it has been paved over into a patio.

Last stop: Black Lives Matter Plaza no more

Directly north, across Pennsylvania Avenue, is the area of town formerly known as Black Lives Matter Plaza. During Trump's first term, a more defiant Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered the painting and naming of the area as a remembrance of the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police.

BLM Plaza became a magnet point for years of political activism. Hundreds of protests started, ended or rallied there.

The plaza came down in March 2025 at Bowser’s direction, spurred by threats from Congress to hold the city’s funding. The decision served as an acknowledgment of a major shift in tone under Trump.

That's the tour, folks. Please enjoy your stay.

The CFL said Friday it won’t allow the 22-year-old to sign with any of its teams or be placed on their negotiation lists.

Sorsby admitted to placing thousands of bets totaling nearly $90,000 over his collegiate career, including at least 40 on Indiana football while he was a freshman there in 2022, although none was on games in which he played for the Hoosiers that year.

After being ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA, Sorsby attempted to join the NFL’s supplemental draft, but the league told him on Tuesday it wouldn’t hold one this year.

Instead, the NFL told Sorsby to focus on preparing for possible entry into the league via its regular draft in 2027, according to a letter from the league telling Sorsby of its decision that was obtained by The Associated Press.

The NFL hasn’t held a supplemental draft since 2023.

“Upholding the integrity of the league and ensuring fair competition are paramount to the CFL,” the CFL said in a statement. “The allegations involving Brendan Sorsby are serious and concerning.

“At this time, the CFL will not register a contract for him, and no team will be permitted to add him to its negotiation list.”

Sorsby had planned to work out for NFL teams on July 10. He was banished from competition by the NCAA for the gambling activity after transferring earlier this year from Cincinnati to Texas Tech.

After spending a month in a residential treatment program for a diagnosed addiction that led to thousands of bets, Sorsby sued the NCAA and gained a court-ordered reinstatement that prompted nationwide backlash toward Texas Tech. The controversy led Sorsby to try to play professional football instead.

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

Newsom also said the U.S. government should own a stake in artificial intelligence companies. His proposals, outlined in a Substack post, aligns him with the Democratic Party's populist left, and he argued that urgent changes are needed to prevent the elite concentration of wealth and power from undermining democracy.

“It’s time for an economic reset for America,” Newsom wrote.

The governor announced his agenda a day after an influential health care union in California pledged to go forward with a ballot measure that would impose a one-time 5% tax on the assets of billionaires living in the state as of Jan. 1, 2026.

Newsom opposes that measure, as do many of the liberal interest groups that typically favor higher taxes. They fear it would drive billionaires out of California, eroding the state’s tax base over the long term for a one-time influx of cash. A technology mecca, California has more billionaires than any other state — a few hundred, by some estimates.

“You may not be able to pick up and move to Texas or Florida to shelter your income from taxation, but I promise you that billionaires can, and do,” Newsom wrote. “Wealth is movable, and it shops for the state with the lowest taxes. The fight belongs at the federal level, where this broken system was created in the first place.”

A minimum tax on large net worths

Newsom said the solution is a new national tax policy, rather than a state-by-state system. He proposed a minimum tax on anyone with a net worth above $100 million. He also wants to make it illegal for the wealthy to borrow against their stock portfolios to fund their luxury lifestyles tax free.

Newsom said there should be new rules for inheritance taxes, warning that “the transfer of wealth among the ultra-wealthy will lock in a permanent American aristocracy of inherited wealth.” And he wants to raise corporate tax rates to where they were before President Donald Trump’s first-term tax cut.

The need is especially urgent as artificial intelligence threatens to displace workers and further concentrate wealth, he wrote.

“We need to ensure every American owns a stake in the future being built by AI through a national public equity fund that takes a major stake in the new economy,” he wrote. "Simply, as artificial intelligence reshapes the country, every American should own a piece of the future it builds."

Revenue generated by his proposals could be used to retrain workers, fund universal child care, make college free and increase funding for health care.

‘Money buys influence’

Newsom, who has drawn attention as one of Trump's most high-profile political antagonists, is getting an early start on laying out a policy framework for his potential White House bid months before the midterm elections, which have typically marked the informal start of overt presidential campaigning.

The embrace of a wealth tax by Newsom, a moderate on tax policy despite his liberal reputation, signals a notable shift in the political landscape since Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren struggled to get traction in her 2020 campaign, which she largely centered around a 2% wealth tax.

Newsom portrayed the nation's tax code as a corrupt system built to help an elite few.

“Money buys influence, and influence rewrites the rules,” he wrote. “Those rewritten rules funnel even more wealth to the few. Under this weight, democracy itself starts to buckle.”

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat from Silicon Valley who is also considering running for president, said Newsom is trying to duck the California fight with a national proposal that goes too easy on billionaires. He supports the California ballot measure.

“It’s not going to pass muster to say, ‘Well, when we were fighting to have a billionaire tax to save healthcare for 3 million Californians, I sided with the billionaires, but in the future, I want to tax these billionaires,'” Khanna told reporters.

The comedian and filmmaker has been awaiting the milestone. Earlier this year, Judd Apatow titled his retrospective documentary on him: “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!”

“I was born to make people laugh,” Brooks says in the film. “So, I do that.”

Brooks was born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York, on June 28, 1926. After serving in the Army during World War II and performing in the Borscht Belt, Sid Caesar hired him as a writer. On his “Show of Shows,” Brooks met Carl Reiner, who'd remain a lifelong friend and with whom he created the “2000 Year Old Man” sketches.

Reiner would pepper Brooks' ancient man with questions about what Jesus was like. “Jesus … yes, yes,” Brooks would answer. “Thin lad. Wore sandals. Always walked around with 12 other guys.”

Brooks went to make classic comedies like “The Producers,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein” and “High Anxiety.” It all started, Brooks told The Associated Press in 2021, with his childhood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

“I wanted to keep the party going. I wanted to keep the happiness and joy and explosions of laughter going into a dour part of our lives, not our childhood anymore,” Brooks recalled. “I was once interviewed and the guy said, ‘What was the happiest part of your life? Was it winning the Academy Award? Was it marrying Anne Bancroft?’ I said no, not at all. It was my childhood. From about 4 or 5 to 9, it was the most exciting, happiest, joyous life that anyone could experience.

“The guy said, 'What happened at 9?’ I said, 'Homework.'”

Even now, Brooks hasn't retired. In April, Brooks submitted a video message to Eddie Murphy to honor him for his AFI life achievement award. In May, he announced that he was donating thousands of his documents and photographs to the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York.

“I’ve always been proud to say that I make people laugh for a living,” Brooks said then in a statement. “So, knowing that my work will have a home at comedy’s national archive and continue making people laugh leaves me with a deep sense of pride.”

To mark the occasion of Brooks' centennial, the American Film Institute on Friday named 1974's “Blazing Saddles” the funniest film of all time. It has previously ranked sixth on its list of 100 greatest movies. Brooks' film displaced “Some Like It Hot” — which Brooks had long held wasn't as funny as his movies — from the top spot.

“He’s right!,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and chief executive. “We’re happy to right this wrong as Mel celebrates his centennial. It’s good to be the king, and may he live to be a 2,000 year old man. Happy birthday, Mel!”

Brooks has sometimes made mortality a joke, too. In a 1980s sketch, he created a coin-operated gravestone for himself that played a videotaped message. It began: “I was Mel Brooks, one of the funniest little Jews to walk the Earth.”

When asked in that AP 2021 interview if he thought much about death, Brooks said no.

“I gave up after 60 thinking about it because if I did, I’d be thinking about it all the time. So I don’t think about it much. When and if it happens it’s going to be a sad day — for everybody but me,” Brooks said, laughing.

“I enjoy living,” he added. “I’d like to do it as long as I can.”

The festivities kick off Friday evening with Party at the Museum, running until 9 p.m. Attendees can explore collector cars on display, enjoy live music, grab a bite from food trucks and tour the museum grounds.

“Tonight we’re having the kickoff party for Star City Motor Madness. We’re having it here at the museum. We’ll have a great number of cars on display here. We will have the band Supafly Five playing in the rail yard, beer, wine, and Dale’s Diner food truck. So it’ll be great,” said Mindy Fynn, executive director of the Museum of Transportation.

Saturday’s main event brings more than 300 vehicles to the streets of downtown Roanoke for the free Star City Motor Madness Car Show, running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The annual event raises money for the Virginia Museum of Transportation and other local nonprofits, while drawing thousands of automotive enthusiasts to the Star City.

Whether it’s a vintage classic, modern muscle car or something in between, organizers say there’s something for everyone at Star City Motor Madness.

“Me, personally, I don’t agree,” said Chambliss, who was coached by Kiffin last season. “I don’t think that what he said was truthful. ... The Oxford community is nothing but love and they care about their people no matter what they look like: brown, black, purple, yellow — you know what I mean?”

Kiffin, who is white, coached at Ole Miss from 2020 to 2025. He oversaw the Rebels' 11-1 regular season in 2025 but left for LSU before the College Football Playoff in a move that has since brought much scrutiny to college football’s recruiting calendar.

In May, Kiffin was featured in a Vanity Fair magazine article in which he described prospective Ole Miss recruits telling him: "Hey, coach, we really like you. But my grandparents aren’t letting me move to Oxford, Mississippi.”

“That doesn’t come up when you say Baton Rouge, Louisiana," Kiffin added in his comments to Vanity Fair.

Kiffin wanted to coach the Rebels in the CFP, but Ole Miss wouldn’t allow it because Kiffin also would have been simultaneously recruiting for LSU. Without Kiffin at the helm, Chambliss nonetheless led the Rebels into the national finals with a scintillating CFP quarterfinal performance against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

Chambliss, who is participating this weekend in the Manning Passing Academy as a counselor, said he still thinks highly of Kiffin, will always appreciate the opportunity Kiffin gave him at Ole Miss and does not harbor hard feelings about the way Kiffin left the program.

However, Chambliss sounded eager to point out that his experience in Oxford did not match Kiffin's comments to the magazine.

“The people in Mississippi and Oxford showed me nothing but love,” Chambless said of a visit he made before deciding to transfer to Ole Miss from Ferris State.

“One thing that I can really take away from my visit and the reason why I did commit to Ole Miss is I asked my family what they genuinely thought about the visit, what they thought about the people, if they trusted what they were actually saying, if they’re gonna be true to their word,” Chambliss added.

“They said, ‘I feel like this is the right place.' And my mom’s super religious, too, and she just had a good feeling,” Chambliss said. “We prayed on it, and that was the main thing. ... So, I felt like Oxford is home and it’s a great place.”

Kiffin will be back in Ole Miss' Vaught-Hemingway Stadium — but on the visitor's sideline — on Sept. 19 when LSU visits the Rebels. Pete Golding, who had been a defensive coordinator on Kiffin’s staff, took over at Ole Miss.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Six years in the making

BARCC President and Co-Founder Katie Lane says the organization has been building toward this moment for years.

“We began about six years ago, became a full 501C3 who created the name BARCC, we were an actual entity at the point,” Lane said. “The past couple of years we’ve really started hitting that fundraising a lot harder.”

The current shelter is frequently at capacity, forcing staff and volunteers to make difficult decisions about which animals can be housed and cared for.

What a new facility could mean

Lane says a new building would increase capacity, create more welcoming adoption spaces and reduce euthanasia by keeping more animals healthy and adoptable. The facility would also serve as an educational resource for children and students learning about animal care and welfare.

Building a shelter, however, comes with a hefty price tag.

“Per square footage, an animal shelter is one of the most expensive buildings you can build because of the proper coding and the proper HVAC that’s needed,” Lane said. “It’s actually more expensive than a school to build so while it might not be as big as a school, but per square footage is what’s required is a little bit different.”

Funding gap narrows

The project has received a significant boost from Campbell County itself.

“When we first started the county put aside $800,000 for it but the county is through the advocacy and the endlessly to their community has bumped up to 2.5 million so that puts us at 3.7 million total,” Lane said. “When we go the conceptual designs done, that was a 3.8 million dollar starting point.”

That puts BARCC within striking distance of its construction goal — but officials say the timeline and budget details are still being finalized. The $1.2 million milestone reflects strong community support, but more funding and approvals are needed before construction can begin.

Alvarado declined his player option and is working with the NBA champions on a three-year deal, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract was not yet finalized. ESPN first reported the plan, saying Alvarado would make more than $14 million with the new deal.

The guard was acquired from New Orleans during the season and had a player option for $4.5 million for next season.

“I'm home,” Alvarado wrote on X, ending his post with a series of orange and blue hearts.

Alvarado indeed came home on Feb. 5 when the Knicks acquired the Brooklyn native who attended Christ the King High School. He was primarily a backup behind Jalen Brunson but was on the floor with the All-Star for most of the fourth quarter of the Knicks' 107-106 victory over San Antonio in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, when they made a record comeback from a 29-point deficit. Alvarado had eight points and three assists in the period.

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

Ten of the 12 jurors insisted Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, is innocent. Judge Anne Hwang quickly set an Oct. 19 retrial date and ordered him jailed until then.

Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty to starting one of the most destructive wildfires in California history, and feels encouraged that so many of the jurors “resoundingly found that the government’s case was not strong, and they did not have enough evidence to convict him,” defense attorney Steve Haney said.

But First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said they have strong evidence and will seek a guilty verdict in a new trial.

Prosecutors said Rinderknecht used a barbecue lighter on Jan. 1, 2025 to spark a blaze that burned undetected deep in root systems before flaring back up Jan. 7 and killing 12 people as it incinerated entire neighborhoods in Los Angeles and Malibu. Only 17 rebuilt homes in Pacific Palisades have been certified for occupancy since then.

Prosecutors never provided direct evidence that Rinderknecht started the earlier blaze. They showed jurors he was in the area when it began and presented a digital trail to indicate he was motivated by a desire to take revenge on society.

His defense said fireworks were the likely cause and that investigators had zeroed in too quickly on Rinderknecht without clear proof.

“This is a big victory, and it feels so unfair that, given the circumstances, the government maintains my son in jail,” said his father, Joel Rinderknecht.

The new trial will begin as voters decide whether to re-elect Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who has faced criticism over the city's preparation and response. Meanwhile, the aftermath of the Palisades Fire and another wildfire that ravaged the community of Altadena continues to reshape the metropolitan area, with thousands of uprooted fire victims seeking insurance payouts and court judgments.

“The state and the city have tried for the past year and a half to distract from their own shortcomings in their own liability,” civil attorney Alexander Robertson said.

Digital records revealed Rinderknecht’s state of mind

The trial featured a trove of digital records and eight days of testimony from investigators, experts and witnesses.

Security camera recordings helped determine where the Jan. 1 fire is believed to have started: a mountainside spot off a trail in a neighborhood familiar to Rinderknecht. He dropped off his last Uber passenger in the same neighborhood, shortly before midnight, and later called 911 more than a dozen times. His phone’s geolocation data showed him at the clearing and walking down the trail as he reported the fire.

Jurors saw records from his phone, email, Uber, social media accounts and OpenAI. Thousands of comments showed he regularly consulted ChatGPT.

“Why am I so angry all the time?” he said in one exchange.

He vented over wealth inequality and global warming

Rinderknecht inquired about Luigi Mangione, who was charged with the murder of United Healthcare’s CEO, and on Reddit he searched “lets kill all the billionaires.”

He also vented about being rejected by a woman he contacted to see if she had New Year’s Eve plans, and sent her angry and vile messages from another phone.

Rinderknecht also recorded videos of firefighters battling the blaze, pausing to ask ChatGPT if someone would be responsible for a fire accidentally started by a cigarette. And he screen-recorded both the 911 calls and his ChatGPT prompt, which prosecutors said showed he was trying to mislead investigators.

On Jan. 6, a day before powerful Santa Ana winds rekindled smoldering roots into a conflagration, he recorded a selfie video saying he was having a mental breakdown.

Investigators interviewed him weeks after fire

Rinderknecht also spoke for roughly eight hours with a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent in late January, before he was a suspect.

ATF agent Matthew Beals drove with him to the site, so that Rinderknecht could identify his movements as the fire started — an account that conflicted with the place and time of his 911 calls, the agent testified.

Rinderknecht became “agitated” when asked for details and speculated that someone frustrated by inequality might hypothetically target the wealthy neighborhood, the agent said.

All such behavior is consistent with that of a “societal revenge motivated” arsonist, testified Kevin Kelm, an expert in arsonist behavior.

His defense suggested a rush to judgment

Haney said investigators never found any searches about arson, the best way to start a fire, or purchases of fire-starting materials. And while his DNA was found on a barbecue lighter in his car, they couldn’t prove a lighter sparked the blaze — only that it began with an “open flame,” he said.

Fireworks were the most likely cause that New Year’s Eve, the defense argued. One firefighter recalled hearing fireworks in the area shortly before and after midnight. And two residents and a security guard testified they either saw flashes of light or heard fireworks. Two saw a group of teenagers running down the trail afterward.

Former LA fire investigator Ed Nordskog accused the investigators of confirmation bias, noting that he often responded to dozens of fires on New Year’s Eve, most of them started by fireworks.

“They’re choosing to look at information in a very sinister way when they should be a little more open about it,” Nordskog said.

Defense witnesses also noted that the fire scene could have been compromised because access was not closed off until Jan. 14, nearly two weeks after the first blaze started.

“Can you convict a man based on a crime scene that was destroyed? Stripped of all evidence? Evidence that could’ve proved his innocence?” Haney asked jurors during closing arguments.

Juror explains why she voted against conviction

Juror No. 4, who identified herself as Syrena and wouldn’t share her last name, said she voted not-guilty.

“There’s just not enough proof,” she said. And even if he did start the Jan. 1 fire, she said he shouldn’t be considered responsible for the entire disaster given the negligence of other parties.

“Shouldn’t the firemen, shouldn’t they have known?” she said.

Rinderknecht’s attorney wanted to argue that the Los Angeles Fire Department had been negligent, but the judge ruled he couldn’t make that case in court.

Juror No. 4 said there wasn’t enough evidence to make her believe the prosecution’s assertion that Rinderknecht was alone in the area before it started.

As for his use of ChatGPT, she said he was “just being human” that she talks to ChatGPT frequently as well.

“It made me angry that they were putting his character down,” she said.

___

Associated Press reporter Safiyah Riddle contributed to this report.

What started with just 11 children in the early 1980s has grown into a tradition that’s now touched generations.

Founder Tommy Barber says the idea came from a Galax speech pathologist, who worried some of her young students would lose the progress they’d made over the summer.

“She said, ‘Well, I can’t handle all these 11.’ I said, ‘Well, let’s go get some teenagers and be their buddies,’” Barber said.

More than four decades later, that one idea has grown into Jill’s Buddy Camp - where children with developmental delays and other risk factors spend a week building skills, confidence, and friendships before kindergarten.

“From day one to the last day, just to see that improvement of the connection each day, it fulfils me,” Buddy Katherine Gibson said.

But just as important as the children are the high school students who stand beside them.

Macy and Katherine Gibson are on their fourth and final buddy camp.

“Even though we do take the time out of our summer, it’s very much time that we don’t mind because we know how much we’re helping these kids out,” Macy said.

Barber says that the connection often lasts far beyond camp.

Many former buddies have gone on to become teachers, speech pathologists, and special education professionals.

“We have all these buddies that have gone on to college and come back and say, ‘Oh, I’m going to be in special ed as a teacher, oh, by the way, I’m going to be a speech pathologist,’” Barber said.

One of those buddies was Jill Bailey Chenet.

After she passed away in 2012, Barber renamed the program in her honor.

“Knowing that she would be remembered and honored in that way was just a great gift,” Jill’s sister, Julie Hamilton, said.

Now, every summer Julie returns to Salem to help with camp.

Hamilton says she still sees a piece of her sister in every new generation of buddies.

“You just see someone who has the personality, who wants to give back, who has the patience to work with these kids, and a lot of them need that extra patience and that extra love,” Hamilton said.

The extraordinary inquiry comes less than a week after The Associated Press reported that DEA agents repeatedly monitored — but did not seize — shipments of the synthetic opioid in a bid to build bigger criminal cases between 2023 and 2025.

Current and former DEA agents, including whistleblower David Howell, told AP the strategy amounted to a gamble with public safety and may have violated U.S. Justice Department rules intended to safeguard the public.

The fentanyl went unseized amid the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history and as the DEA led a public awareness campaign — “One Pill Can Kill" — emphasizing that even a few milligrams of the substance can be lethal.

The criminal investigation turns a debate over enforcement tactics into a question of whether federal agents crossed legal lines while pursuing larger trafficking organizations.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, a Democrat, said federal agents “are not above the law,” but they enjoy substantial legal protections when carrying out official duties.

Still, Torrez said he would start “demanding documents and information about the DEA's conduct, in New Mexico and nationally, to determine whether what occurred here reflects a broader pattern of reckless or unlawful behavior.”

“If those allegations are accurate, the consequences for New Mexicans were not abstract. They were fatal,” Torrez wrote in a letter to Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who earlier this week called for the inquiry.

“New Mexico already ranks among the states hardest hit by fentanyl overdose deaths," he added, "and the families who have lost children, siblings and parents to this crisis deserve a full accounting of what the federal government knew, what it did and what it failed to do."

The DEA initially denied Howell's allegations in a statement to AP. But the agency later called upon the Justice Department's independent watchdog to conduct its own investigation.

“Should that review identify areas of improvement, the DEA will of course implement changes to better their practices,” the Justice Department said in a statement. “We welcome a partnership with Governor Lujan Grisham, as well as New Mexico state and local leaders, to fight the scourge of fentanyl and keep her constituents safe.”

A growing number of local and state leaders in New Mexico have expressed outrage in the wake of Howell's allegations. But those sentiments are not widely held by family members of overdose victims, said Paul E. Martin, founder of United Against Fentanyl, a nonprofit organization fighting the epidemic that represents 5,000 family members of victims.

“Law enforcement makes mistakes," Martin said. “But the DEA are the men and women putting their lives on the line. Their entire business is the removal of illegal and toxic drugs from our streets.”

The agreement does not include Hezbollah and prompted one of the group's officials in Lebanon to warn of civil war. The U.S. State Department said the framework establishes a process for dismantling Hezbollah and for Lebanon to regain territory that was taken by Israeli forces as they battled the militant group.

The U.S. will facilitate a newly created “Military Coordination Group for Lebanon” to implement the framework, the State Department said, while committing $100 million in humanitarian assistance.

“For Lebanon, this Framework provides a genuine pathway out of a long crisis,” the State Department said. “For Israel, it creates a verifiable path to removing the persistent threat on its northern border.”

Friday's agreement was signed in front of Rubio in Washington by Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, and Nada Hamadeh Moawad, the Lebanese ambassador to the United States.

Leiter said the final destination of the framework is peace between the two countries.

“Our language is we want to embrace Lebanon," he said. "Our language is we want to get in our car in Tel Aviv and take a drive up to Beirut, and we want Beirut to come down and take a drive to Tel Aviv. That’s where we’re going. That’s where we want to go.”

Leiter said that will depend on Hezbollah being disarmed and dismantled, which will allow Israel to withdraw and Lebanon to “regain its full sovereignty.”

“So it really depends on the Lebanese army,” Leiter said. “It depends on the support the Lebanese army gets from the U.S. And we think it’s going to be solid.”

Moawad said the framework “is a first step on the road to restoring Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, securing a permanent and final cessation of hostilities, enabling our people to go back to their land and allowing all Lebanese to live in peace, security and prosperity.”

Hezbollah official says group won't give up weapons

The latest conflict began when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel days after Israel and the U.S. launched their war on Iran on Feb. 28. Israel invaded Lebanon and has expanded its control.

More than 4,000 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli strikes since March. At least 37 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Lebanon or northern Israel during the fighting.

Lebanese officials have said that securing a withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon is a top priority for them in the negotiations, while Israeli officials have prioritized the disarmament of the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The talks between Israel and Lebanon were separate from the interim deal that was signed last week by the leaders of the U.S. and Iran to end the fighting in the Islamic Republic. That agreement set a 60-day period for negotiations on key issues, including the future of Tehran’s nuclear program amid concerns that Iran wants to use it for military purposes, a claim the country denies.

The Lebanese government had been wary of having Iran negotiate on its behalf, and Lebanon launched its own direct negotiations with Israel after the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war. Hezbollah was not part of the talks, which resulted in several ceasefire agreements that were never implemented on the ground.

Hezbollah is unlikely to agree to any plan that would include its disarmament throughout the country. The group has maintained that it is only required by previous agreements and U.N. resolutions to disarm in the area south of the Litani River, near Lebanon’s border with Israel.

Hassan Fadlallah, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, reiterated the group’s stance on Beirut-based pan-Arab Al-Mayadeen TV that it rejects Lebanon’s direct negotiations with Israel and that it will not give up its weapons.

Fadlallah said Lebanese authorities “will not be able to enforce the agreement signed in Washington unless they go, with American support, to civil war.” He also called the agreement in Washington “an attempt to derail the Islamabad process,” referring to the U.S.-Iran negotiations.

Israel establishes 'pilot zones' for Lebanon

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in a statement that the agreement “aims to achieve an Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory, restore state sovereignty over it, and facilitate the return of its citizens” and that under it Lebanon is obligated to “extend the authority of the Lebanese state, through its armed forces, over all its territory.”

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun had told a visiting British parliamentary delegation on Wednesday that a proposal for “pilot zones” where the Lebanese army is supposed to take exclusive control of the territory as Israeli troops will withdraw was “under discussion pending approval from the Israeli side.”

Israel’s direct negotiations with Lebanon include discussions about the redeployment of Israeli forces after southern Lebanon is cleared of Hezbollah infrastructure and Hezbollah has disarmed, said an Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video on Friday that the framework is a “great achievement” for Israel.

“The most important thing, first and foremost, is that Israel will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon,” he said. “This is a major achievement, and we will maintain it as long as Hezbollah has not been disarmed and as long as it continues to pose a threat to the State of Israel.”

Netanyahu said that Israel is allowing the Lebanese army to begin preparing to take control of territory, while the Israeli military is establishing two pilot zones.

“A small part of it is within the expanded security zone that we secured over the past two weeks and which, the IDF has made absolutely clear, it does not need,” Netanyahu said. “In other words, we are maintaining the original security zone at all times, outside the range of anti-tank missiles."

___

This story has been corrected to include Nada Hamadeh Moawad's full name. It's Nada Hamadeh Moawad, not Nada Hamadeh.

___

Sewell reported from Beirut. Lidman reported from Tel Aviv. Associated Press writers Koral Saeed in Herzliya, Israel, and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.

AG Jones met with city leaders and community partners during a crime reduction roundtable, where officials discussed the partnerships and programs they credit with helping Danville reach historic lows in violent crime and overdoses.

“We want to make sure that we’re spreading that message and going into other communities that may need to find some new solutions,” said AG Jones

The roundtable brought together 15 people involved in the city’s crime prevention efforts, including Danville Mayor Alonso Jones, Vice Mayor James Buckner and Violence Prevention Manager Robert David.

David said the collaboration between different groups has been a key factor in addressing violent crime.

“I think we have a unique situation here in Danville,” David said. “We have various resources coming together in order to fight the violent crime in the city.”

Danville officials say the city saw violent crime reach a 40-year low in 2025, decreasing by 28%. The city also reported a 48% reduction in overdoses during the same year.

David said addressing the root causes behind violence, including poverty, education gaps and a lack of resources, has been central to the city’s strategy.

“Violence prevention follows poverty and lack of education and lack of resources,” David said. “Trying to alleviate those barriers in every area is going to make a huge change.”

Officials said one of the biggest factors behind the progress has been partnerships throughout the community, especially efforts focused on preventing youth violence.

David said businesses, nonprofits and residents all have a role to play.

“This is a city issue,” David said. “Even the guy who owns the local business has an opportunity to reach out, or we can connect with them, and they can provide an apprenticeship.”

For Jones, the biggest takeaway from the discussion was the importance of bringing communities together and sharing what works.

“That’s what we really view as an important piece of our role — bringing communities together, bringing the information together, and then disseminating it to the right places to make sure that we’re having success on a broader level,” AG Jones said.

She felt like she needed to prepare for death — in case she gets deported back to Haiti, a country she fled at 9 years old.

After the Supreme Court decided Thursday to allow the Trump administration to end legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disasters in Haiti and Syria, fear ricocheted through those communities across the United States. Hundreds of thousands of people now face the prospect of deportation.

“I have been living with this internal fear, it’s like preparing for a funeral, just in case I die when going to another country,” said the nurse, who asked not to be identified for fear of being targeted for deportation.

She is among about 350,000 Haitians granted Temporary Protected Status, many of whom have legally lived and worked in the U.S. for decades and have children who are U.S. citizens. Thursday’s decision, which is expected to take effect July 27, also applied to around 6,000 Syrians. It could also open the door to the administration unwinding protections for 1.3 million people from 17 countries.

Temporary Protected Status allows people to live and work in the US

Congress created Temporary Protected Status in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries deemed dangerous, because of disasters, civil war or other violence or instability. It permits people to work legally in the U.S. but does not provide a path to citizenship. It can be renewed in increments of up to 18 months if the homeland security secretary deems conditions unsafe for return.

The Biden administration roughly doubled the number of people covered by TPS. The Trump administration ended those protections, insisting it was meant to be temporary, the countries are now safe and that President Joe Biden’s administration expanded the destination and poorly vetted its recipients.

TPS beneficiaries have, by definition, been living in limbo and their futures have been especially precarious under President Donald Trump, but the Supreme Court ruling delivered what could be a crushing blow to living and working legally in the United States.

Haitians in Ohio have been in the spotlight before

The Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, became a particular target of the administration during the 2024 campaign, when Trump spread fictional rumors that Haitians there were eating people’s cats and dogs. There is no evidence to support those claims.

Still, the community has been under intense pressure ever since, said Viles Dorsainvil, the executive director of the Haitian Community Help and Support Center in Springfield.

Thursday’s ruling added to the panic and chaos. People don’t know if they should withdraw all their money from the bank, Dorsainvil said. They don’t know if they can work, if their kids can go to school. Many are making preparations to leave their children who are U.S. citizens behind if they are sent away.

“As a Haitian, I always say that life has not been easy for us, nothing has been easy for us and this is another chapter in our life. And we’ve been in that type of situation since after the presidential campaign when they came up with that type of conspiracy theory of us eating cats and dogs,” he said. “We’ve been targeted. We’ve been in the spotlight for their political agenda.”

Dorsainvil said he’s focused on trying to keep people calm, telling them not to panic, not to feel hopeless or make desperate decisions that could further jeopardize them and their children.

Many TPS holders work in caregiving roles

On Thursday morning, a Haitian mother of a 17-month-old baby boy who lives in Florida woke up to the news.

“I was reading it and I just for a moment there I just felt like I couldn’t breathe, like as if something was just sitting on my chest, like my lungs couldn’t extend,” the 37-year-old said, her voice breaking.

She asked not to be identified for fears of being detained and deported.

“I did not expect this. It is so hard to accept. Maybe I am in denial but I think this can’t be real,” she said. “I had so much hope.”

She arrived in the U.S. in 1995 when she was 7 years old and graduated from high school here. But she could not go to college because she did not have legal status.

But in 2010 everything changed, when the U.S. granted Haitians protection after a catastrophic earthquake. The U.S. repeatedly extended that amid the gang violence that has consumed the country and displaced more than a million people.

The Florida woman applied, and she was able to go to school and become a nurse.

She was supposed to begin a new job in two weeks. Now she doesn’t know if she’s authorized to work.

TPS holders are overrepresented in caregiving roles, and the long-term care industry, like nursing homes and facilities for disabled people, industry groups said, could be hit particularly hard as fear and uncertainty ripples across America.

The nurse in Kentucky said she’s trying to focus on her work taking care of disabled people. But it’s hard to not think of the worst-case scenario, imagining being separated from her children, who are ages 13, 12, 8, and 2, and being sent to her home country that she left more than two decades ago. She reads in the news that there are gang wars, kidnappings, killings.

“I don’t want to go there. I am very Americanized,” she said. “It’s like someone saying, hey, do you want to go live in a horror movie? Like, you know, no, I don’t.”

—-

Aftoora-Orsagos reported from Springfield, Ohio, and Galofaro contributed from Louisville, Kentucky.

According to Buttigieg, a Michigan State Police officer and a child protective services worker came to his home in Traverse City after they received an anonymous report alleging he posed a danger to his children. Authorities arranged forensic interviews for his twins and instructed him not to be alone with them until the interviews were complete.

Buttigieg described the 24-hour ordeal in a Substack post as "among the darkest hours of my life.”

Michigan State Police said in a statement to The Associated Press they received an “anonymous report” and that they and child protective services “responded and determined the report was false.”

Buttigieg said investigators told him the anonymous caller claimed he had confessed years earlier to violent crimes during a chance meeting in Alabama. Buttigieg said he had never been to the town where the meeting allegedly occurred.

He said police told him the allegation would not be referred to prosecutors and that they believed it to be politically motivated, while Child Protective Services found nothing to substantiate the report.

“I cannot describe the mix of rage and sadness that I feel at the idea that someone brought our children into this," writes Buttigieg. “They are four years old. Four. They do not know or care what a Democrat or a Republican is.”

Buttigieg, who is widely viewed as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, has long been the target of anti-LGBTQ attacks.

In recent years, conservative activists and some Republican officials have opposed efforts to portray same-sex parents as ordinary families in schools and public life. June — widely recognized as Pride Month — is Strong Families Month in Alabama, intended to coincide with Father’s Day. Gov. Kay Ivey’s proclamation says fathers are “the head of the household” and “homes led by a father and mother provide children with the structure and discipline necessary to succeed throughout life.”

Buttigieg wrote that the incident occurred soon after he shared photos of his family online for Father’s Day.

Buttigieg drew criticism from some Republicans for taking paternity leave after he and his husband, Chasten, adopted their twins while he was serving in the Biden administration. Buttigieg also wrote that he has faced death threats during his career.

“But this is the ugliest thing that has happened to me since my career in service began,” he wrote.

Public officials from across the political spectrum have increasingly been targeted by swatting, which is the act of making a false call to emergency services to prompt a response at a particular address. The goal is to get authorities, particularly a SWAT team, to show up. Law enforcement agencies have warned that the incidents divert resources from other pressing tasks and pose risks to both law enforcement and the victims.

Buttigieg said the incident reflected a broader escalation in political attacks.

“Everyone knows politics is ugly these days,” he wrote. “It’s always been ugly, but now it feels more and more like bloodsport."

“Even so, this is different.”

The new gun control law, SB749, would restrict the sale, transfer and purchase of certain firearms and high-capacity ammunition magazines, with some exceptions. Violators could face a Class 1 misdemeanor. While current owners may keep firearms they already legally own, the new restrictions have sparked controversy and debate.

Virginia’s assault weapons ban was originally set to take effect July 1.

Attorney General Jay Jones called the ruling “disappointing” and said the state will file a motion to appeal the temporary injunction.

See Jones’ full statement below:

Today, in Lancaster County a judge issued an injunction against the Virginia State Police (VSP), pausing the VSP from taking steps to implement or enforce Virginia’s new assault weapons ban. Attorney General Jay Jones issued the following statement: 

“Gun violence is the key driver of violent crime in this Commonwealth and nation, and assault weapons are designed intentionally to inflict maximum damage in a matter of seconds. The assault weapons ban passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor will save lives in the Commonwealth and is compliant with the Constitution of Virginia.  

This ruling is disappointing and puts our communities at risk. The Commonwealth will urgently file a motion to stay this ruling and appeal this temporary injunction. We will continue to vigorously defend Virginia’s assault weapons ban and magazine capacity restrictions and uphold the laws designed to keep Virginians safe.” 

Attorney General Jay Jones

The S&P 500 finished nearly flat and slipped less than 0.1% to close out just its second losing week in the last 13. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 44 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.2%.

Stocks got a boost as the price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, dropped 3.8% to $72.60. That’s lower than it was the day before the United States and Israel attacked Iran, which eventually led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the curtailment of oil shipments worldwide.

The easier oil prices helped stocks of companies with big fuel bills, and American Airlines Group climbed 1.7%.

Health care stocks, meanwhile, were some of the strongest forces pushing upward on the market after a committee of the European Medicines Agency recommended several medicines for approval and the extension for another dozen of their therapeutic indications. That included one for Eli Lilly, whose stock jumped 7.1%.

Besides Lilly, nearly two out of every three stocks within the S&P 500 rose. But more drops for AI stocks helped to overshadow them.

After soaring to tremendous heights and leading the market for years, AI stocks have been under pressure recently because of worries their profits can’t possibly keep pace with the tremendous rallies for their stock prices. And those drops have an outsized effect because AI stocks have become Wall Street’s largest and most influential, giving movements for their stock prices more weight on indexes than others.

Micron Technology’s drop of 6.7% was the heaviest weight on the market, for example. The maker of memory for computers has been a big winner this year, with its stock roughly quadrupling, because the AI boom has created a surge of demand for its products.

But investors saw the downside of that surge Thursday, when Apple said it had to raise prices on laptops and other products by significant percentages to make up for the increases in memory prices. The worry is that such higher prices could ultimately lead to lower demand.

Highlighting the roller-coaster ride that AI stocks have been on, SpaceX briefly dropped 2.9% in the morning and fell below $149. It then erased the loss to swing to a gain of 3.5% before finishing with a modest rise of 0.2%.

After initially selling its stock at $135 apiece in its ballyhooed initial public offering earlier this month, SpaceX’s price briefly soared above $225 within its first few days of trading. Besides rockets, Elon Musk’s company also owns the xAI artificial-intelligence business.

The day’s largest loss in the S&P 500 was a 23.7% drop for ON Semiconductor, which said it agreed to buy Synaptics in an all-stock deal valued at roughly $7 billion.

All told, the S&P 500 slipped 3.47 points to 7,354.02. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 44.51 to 51,876.11, and the Nasdaq composite fell 60.99 to 25,297.62.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased with oil prices. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.37% from 4.40% late Thursday.

It fell after a report showed expectations for inflation in the coming year inched down among U.S. consumers to 4.6% from 4.8% in May. That’s still high, but moves downward mean less chance of a vicious cycle where expectations for higher inflation drive changes in behavior that create higher inflation.

High yields in bond markets worldwide caused by worries about inflation have been threatening to slow economies, and they have already sent rates higher for mortgages and other kinds of loans. High yields also hurt prices for investments, particularly those seen as the most expensive. That raises the pressure on AI winners.

Asian stock markets began Friday with sharp drops because of losses for AI winners.

In Japan, a 12.5% plunge for Softbank Group Corp. helped pull the Nikkei 225 index down by 4.2%. The company is a major investor in OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, and a report in The New York Times suggested OpenAI is considering delaying an initial public offering of its stock to next year from the second half of this year.

Such an IPO would give OpenAI the chance to raise more cash to spend on data centers, as well as the opportunity for early investors like Softbank to cash out some of their holdings. But the recent stumbles for SpaceX’s stock and for AI stocks broadly may be a signal of less appetite for big AI stocks among investors.

In South Korea, SK Hynix fell 8.4%, and Samsung Electronics sank 5.3%. That helped pull the Kospi 5.8% lower and trim its gain for the year so far to 99.6%.

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AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

The assertion — challenging a longstanding concept in American law — comes amid a raft of recommendations in a draft report of the Religious Liberty Commission, released Friday afternoon.

The advisory body was created by President Donald Trump last year and filled almost entirely by conservative Christians. The 224-page draft report — part policy document, part philosophical argument — echoes members' support for a stronger role for religion and religious expression in government, schools and the public square.

The report applauds recent Supreme Court decisions expanding rights to religious expression in public settings, such as creating opt-outs for religious objections to school lessons.

The report recommends eliminating the “ Johnson Amendment ” that forbids political activities by tax-exempt religious groups — a longstanding goal of Trump. It calls for compensating military service members who were discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccines.

It calls in general for allowing more religious expression in the public square, greater access to public money for faith-based agencies and broader exemptions for those claiming conscientious objections to policies ranging from vaccine mandates to pronoun usage to classroom lessons.

It recommends that federal agencies publish “Know Your Rights” posters for various settings and establish hotlines to receive complaints about religious liberty violations.

The draft report also calls for the creation of new honors — a Presidential Medal of Religious Liberty and First Freedom Hero Awards. And it calls for exhibits and markers at historic sites paying tribute to the role of religion in American history.

It calls for combatting antisemitism through various legal tools. It also recommends requiring any public official who says an employee engaged in improper religious expression to provide a written explanation.

At a news conference in the Oval Office, commissioners said witnesses who appeared at their hearings had suffered “persecution” at work and elsewhere.

The draft report is now available for public comment over the next 15 days. It is sure to draw opposition.

Some other groups defend the separation of church and state

Critics have said the commission has failed adequately to address issues like anti-Muslim efforts in some states and that, while its hearings spotlighted left-wing antisemitism, it gave less attention to similar right-wing movements.

Some groups, including the progressive Interfaith Alliance, have a pending lawsuit saying the commission lacks ideological diversity as required of federal advisory panels.

The Rev. Paul Raushenbush, president of Interfaith Alliance, said the report represents “a wishlist of divisive, unpopular ideas far-right religious groups have pushed for years,” such as expanding vouchers for religious schools and repealing the Johnson amendment.

At the same time, Raushenbush said in a statement, the commission “couldn’t bring itself to acknowledge the growing threat of Islamophobia” nor Trump’s own criticisms of Pope Leo XIV, Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde, and other religious critics of “his administration’s inhumane policies.”

The report comes as conservative states such as Texas have worked to incorporate more religion into public spaces such as classrooms, including Bible lessons and Ten Commandments displays.

Trump, speaking to supporters at a Faith & Freedom Coalition gathering in Washington on Friday, touted the newly released report.

“We saved religion, it was going down,” he boasted.

Trump contended that the administration of his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, had carried out a “reign of persecution.”

While the commission report downplays the separation of church and state, the commission didn't go so far as to call it a “lie,” as the commission chairman, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, did in April.

But it largely took the stance that the idea is misapplied.

“To be clear, this does not involve or require advocating ‘theocracy’ or even the total elimination of any separation between church and state,” the report says. Rather, it calls for honoring a “tension between the relevant clauses of the First Amendment” that guarantee religious freedom but forbid any government-established church.

Still, Patrick pressed the issue at the news conference, saying the phrase separation of church and state was used to “batter and hammer people of faith” for decades.

Americans "cannot be attacked by that phrase any longer,” Patrick said.

Supreme Court rulings on church/state issues have evolved

The phrase, “a wall of separation between church and state” does not appear in the Constitution, but it’s embodied in Supreme Court precedent. Thomas Jefferson used that expression in a letter to Baptists, supporting them in opposing official churches in U.S. states, a practice that soon ended.

Twentieth-century decisions by the high court invoked the “separation” phrase to extend the First Amendment’s prohibition on federal church establishment to state and local governments, citing the 14th Amendment’s ban on states denying citizens’ rights.

That led to bans on official prayers and Ten Commandments displays in public schools. The Supreme Court in recent years has steered a different course, permitting such things as a public school coach's on-field prayers and a religious opt-out for parents objecting to a lesson on transgender issues.

The draft report contends that even Jefferson didn’t believe in completely banishing religion from public life, but rather in keeping church and state in a kind of balance.

“In reality, the church and state strengthen and support one another,” it says.

The report touts the value of religion to society in terms of providing humanitarian work, anchoring families and acting as “conscience” monitoring government.

“In many cases the law protects the religious expression of Americans, but government officials and employers often use fear tactics to silence individuals into believing that they don’t have the right to publicly express their faith,” it argues.

It argues — citing one of its own members, Catholic media figure Bishop Robert Barron — that notions of strict church-state separation can be traced to a “God is dead” ideology that originated in Europe and saw traditional religion as an opponent to individual autonomy.

“This way of thinking made its way … into the American culture and courtroom,” the report said.

Little recognition for non-religious Americans

The report, while touting the value of religion, appears to give little emphasis on the large population of Americans with no religious affiliation. A key argument of many atheists and secular humanists is that one can be “good without God” — that religion doesn't have a monopoly on virtue and can do harm as well as good.

The lawsuit challenging the commission alleges that commissioners have asserted that America is specifically a Judeo-Christian or Christian nation, showing a lack of ideological diversity.

The Republican administration is asking a federal court to dismiss the lawsuit.

This draft report comes two months after another entity created by Trump — the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias — issued its own report. It claimed that Christians faced discrimination under the Biden administration. Progressive critics said that the report amounted to advocacy rather than an investigation.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Judge Tony Graf said the comments violated his restrictions on what the two sides can say about the case outside of court.

But Graf denied a defense request to take the death penalty off the table as a sanction for the violation. He said the problem could instead be resolved through the screening and questioning process for potential jurors, which is intended to weed out people who could be biased about the case.

Robinson has not yet entered a plea. The 23-year-old from southwestern Utah is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 assassination of Kirk, an ally of President Donald Trump who was shot in the neck while addressing a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University.

Defense attorneys had accused Deputy Utah County Attorney Christopher Ballard of trying to influence potential jurors by going on a “media tour” to talk about ballistics evidence in the case. Ballard also said prosecutors had enough evidence to show Robinson murdered Kirk.

Legal experts had said blocking the death penalty would have been an extreme remedy. Graf said it would have been “grossly disproportionate" to the misconduct.

Ballard argued that he had a right to speak to the press to correct misinformation about a preliminary finding by ballistics experts.

Those experts’ initial tests did not match the bullet fragment with a gun that investigators believe was used to kill Kirk. That spurred stories by some publications raising questions about the prosecution’s case: A March 30 headline in the U.K.-based Daily Mail reported that the bullet that killed Kirk “did NOT match” the rifle investigators say was used to kill Kirk.

Ballard said he was trying to “set the record straight,” when he told media organizations the ballistics tests were inconclusive to determine whether the bullet was fired from the suspected murder weapon.

Conjecture over that evidence fueled unsubstantiated conspiracy theories that there might have been a second shooter, or that Kirk's death was staged. Attorneys on both sides have raised concerns that the misinformation and extensive media attention could taint the potential jury pool.

Graf said the comments about the bullet did not violate the court's rules, but that Ballard went too far when he went on to say that prosecutors had "ample evidence to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that Tyler Robinson committed this murder.”

The judge said those additional public statements possessed a “substantial likelihood” of prejudicing the case.

The judge added that the comments were not made out of any malicious desire by prosecutors to taint the jury pool, and that his ruling had nothing to do with the charges against Robinson.

“Its sole purpose is enforcement of a narrowly tailored publicity order governing attorney conduct,” Graf said.

Authorities have said DNA consistent with Robinson’s was found on the trigger of the rifle, the fired cartridge casing, two unfired cartridges and a towel used to wrap the rifle.

The Associated Press left telephone and email messages seeking comment from prosecutors and Robinson's lawyers.

A court filing late Thursday says the plaintiff, Sam O'Hara, will drop his lawsuit's claims against the district and four Metropolitan Police Department officers within three business days of receiving the settlement payment. The filing doesn't specify a dollar amount for the deal between the district and O'Hara, who is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia.

In an email on Friday, an ACLU spokesperson referred to the settlement's financial terms as “a significant amount" that O’Hara "is pleased with” but said they aren't disclosing the dollar figure to protect his privacy. A spokesperson for D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb's office declined to comment on the settlement.

O'Hara's agreement with the district doesn't resolve his related claims against an Ohio National Guard member. Attorneys for the Guard member, Sgt. Devon Beck, has asked a judge to dismiss O’Hara’s claims against him.

“He was there because that was his assigned duty,” Beck’s lawyers wrote. “This was not an accidental encounter or a one-time disagreement on a public sidewalk.”

An earlier court filing, in February, said O'Hara had reached a settlement agreement “in principle” with the district. In response, a judge agreed to suspend the case while they negotiated terms.

“The government’s efforts to silence me ultimately backfired and brought more attention to the unjust deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C.,” O’Hara said in a statement. “This settlement serves as a reminder that constitutional freedoms are worth defending, especially when those in power would prefer we stay quiet.”

O'Hara sued the district last October, claiming police officers violated his First Amendment rights to free speech and his Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable seizures and excessive force.

The ominous orchestral music of “The Imperial March” from the Star Wars movies was the soundtrack for O'Hara's peaceful protests against President Donald Trump’s ongoing deployment of Guard members in Washington. Millions of TikTok users have viewed O’Hara’s videos of his interactions with troops, according to his lawsuit.

O’Hara, an artist who works in the hospitality industry, says he didn’t interfere with the Guard troops during their Sept. 11, 2025, encounter on a public street. One of the troops summoned Metropolitan Police Department officers, who stopped O’Hara and kept him handcuffed for 15 to 20 minutes before releasing him without charges, according to the lawsuit.

“The law might have tolerated government conduct of this sort a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. But in the here and now, the First Amendment bars government officials from shutting down peaceful protests,” the suit says.

Trump, a Republican, issued an executive order declaring a crime emergency in Washington last August. Within weeks, hundreds of Guard troops and federal agents were helping police patrol the city. The surge inflamed tensions with residents of the heavily Democratic district. Hundreds of Guard members remain deployed in the district nearly a year later, with no clear end in sight.

Saturday will be partly sunny with scattered showers and storms forming. The SPC has put all of us in a level 1 (marginal) risk for severe weather to start the weekend with the main threats being heavy rain, thunder/lightning, wind, and maybe even some hail. It will be very warm and humid with highs in the upper 80s.

The coverage area of the rain should be a little less on Sunday under a mix of sun and clouds. And it will be a bit hotter too with highs close to 90.

Very important to note: the weekend does NOT look like a washout...far from it. Just keep your eye to the sky from around lunch-time on.

A hot week ahead

The big weather story next week will be the high heat. Temperatures early next week will reach the lower 90s. That’s the lowest high temperature of the week. We will be in the low-to-mid 90s on Tuesday, and the upper 90s mid-to-late next week. A few of us may get to or maybe even over 100 degrees on Thursday or Friday. And that’s only half the battle. The humidity will be up there too, making it feel even worse. Heat indices (feel-like temperatures) may get to 105 or slightly above late next week in some spots. A Weather Authority Alert Day will be possible at times next week because of this oppressive heat. Please make sure to stay hydrated, wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, and take frequent breaks in the A/C. Keep an eye on the elderly and bring your pets inside too.

Rain chances look to be pretty low most of the week. A couple of PM storms are possible Tuesday through Thursday with a better chance for some cooling t-showers by Friday. Otherwise expect quite a bit of hazy sunshine.

Want to share what you’re seeing as the storms move through? Pin your weather photos and videos at WSLS.com/pinit/.

The program places local students in paid internships, covers community college tuition and rewards graduates with a scholarship — called the “Stay Close, Go Far” scholarship — if they commit to growing their career in Lynchburg. The goal is straightforward: give students real training and financial support now so they are equipped to live and work in the city long-term.

Students begin with a week-long professional development workshop before heading to their internship sites.

“They attend a workshop for about a week, where they learn professional skills, they learn how to dress up, they learn how to deal with conflict, dealing with different personalities in the workforce, and then they go to their sites,” said Serena Hernandez, a Summer Internship Program mentor with Beacon of Hope.

The model is designed to benefit more than just the students. Employers gain workers who are already trained and familiar with local workplace expectations, while the broader Lynchburg community benefits when those graduates choose to stay and contribute to the local economy.

Virginia Scott, Lynchburg Beacon of Hope’s director of communications and development, said the program is built around the idea that every graduate deserves a meaningful path forward.

“It’s important that we understand that every single child that graduates has a valuable post-graduation plan whether that’s military, whether that’s college, whether that’s going right into the workforce. It feels like a lot of the programs that we have are aligning with the needs of our local workforce,” Scott said.

Hernandez said the level of community buy-in behind Beacon of Hope signals that the program has significant staying power.

“Just seeing how many businesses collaborate with Beacon of Hope and how many people believe in Beacon of Hope’s mission, helps me think that this program is going to continue growing,” she said.

Colleges connected to the program include Longwood University, Sweet Briar College, University of Lynchburg, Liberty University and Randolph College. For details on eligibility, application deadlines and how to apply, visit WSLS.com and search “Beacon of Hope,” or click the Education section on the homepage.

The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel is a setback for the Trump administration's deregulatory agenda and its repeated efforts to boost coal, a reliable but polluting energy source.

The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit leaves intact, for now, a tighter standard set in 2024 on pollution from coal-fired power plants, factories and other industrial sources.

The EPA under President Donald Trump asked the appeals court last year to invalidate the Biden-era rule, arguing that the agency under previous leaders had exceeded its statutory authority and acted unreasonably by failing to consider costs to businesses affected by the rule.

The court denied the Trump administration's request, saying in a decision written by Senior Judge Douglas Ginsburg that the agency's arguments “lack merit."

The ruling leaves in place an annual ⁠limit of 9 micrograms of fine particle pollution — often called soot — per cubic meter of air, down from 12 micrograms established more than a decade ago. The EPA rule sets an air quality level that states and counties must achieve in the coming years to reduce particle pollution from power plants, vehicles, industrial sites and wildfires.

The EPA's bid to walk away from the Biden-era rule came in response to a lawsuit by 25 Republican-led states and a host of business groups that attempted to block the 2024 rule in court. A suit led by attorneys general from Kentucky and West Virginia argued the EPA rule would raise costs for manufacturers, utilities and families and could block new manufacturing plants.

The EPA under Biden had said the tighter limits would avoid more than 800,000 ‌cases ⁠of asthma symptoms, 2,000 hospital visits and 4,500 premature deaths.

An EPA spokeswoman said in November that the 2024 rule would cost “hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars to American citizens" and ​was not based on ​a full ⁠review of available science.

The EPA said Friday it was reviewing the court decision.

Environmental groups hailed the ruling as a victory for public health and a rebuke of EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.

“Clean air is not a luxury. The 2024 soot standard is a critical advancement for public health, projected to save thousands of lives every year,'' said Patrice Simms, vice president of healthy communities at Earthjustice, an environmental law firm. “Lee Zeldin’s EPA must stop catering to polluters and must instead fulfill its mission to protect public health," Simms added.

The ⁠Natural Resources Defense Council, another environmental group, said the delay in implementing the 2024 rule has meant millions of Americans continue to breathe unhealthy levels of soot.

"The science has long been clear, and now the law is too. The EPA must stop stalling and deliver the clean air the Clean Air Act requires,'' said Vijay Limaye, a climate and health scientist for the NRDC.

The giraffe was spotted about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) south of her enclosure during an aerial search in the Texas Hill Country, according to Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson. He said Gracie's owner, Vick Jones, contacted a veterinarian and began putting together a team to bring the giraffe safely back to the ranch.

“She’s in good shape,” Jones said. “She’s standing there, swishing her tail.”

Gracie, who is about 3 years old and weighs at least 1,200 pounds, was found within a half-mile of a pond and creek and had plenty of vegetation to feed on, said Jones, adding that she appeared to have been in that area for about a week.

Getting the 10-foot-tall giraffe home to the Cedar Hollow Ranch, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of San Antonio, was taking some work.

Veterinarians needed time to sedate Gracie and put a hood over her eyes, Jones said. From there, Gracie will be moved with an open-pasture trailer to a taller, enclosed trailer made for giraffes for the trip back to the ranch.

Parts of the remote area cannot be reached by car, which prompted the search by helicopter. While Real County's 2,700 residents were urged to keep an eye out for her, Gracie was found on private property where no one lives, Jones said.

“We didn't bother her,” Jones said of the sighting. “She's got water. She looked in really good shape.”

The Texas Hill Country has one of the largest concentrations of exotic captive animals in the U.S.

Johnson said this week he’s had reports of missing wildebeests, water buffalo, zebras and monkeys, though never a giraffe previously.

The area has a mild climate and rugged terrain — and plenty of vegetation for Gracie to eat. In Africa, giraffes thrive best in dry and semidry savannahs and grasslands.

Jones believes that Gracie, who arrived at the ranch in May, didn't mean to leave it. She had been wandering up to a rocky area to feed on trees growing out of the rock and had always come back to the ranch's giraffe enclosure.

Jones said Gracie wandered into the rocky area, fed, and came down on the wrong side of the gate. At that point, he said, it was easier for her to keep walking in the same direction than to try to go back.

The area wasn't fenced because giraffes had not been going there until Gracie did — and building a fence requires jackhammering through rock to put up the posts. But Jones said he plans to have a fence put up now, and Gracie will stay in the ranch's giraffe enclosure until it's ready.

Despite Gracie's size, she wouldn't have harmed a person who encountered her off the ranch, Jones said.

“If you move toward her, she's taking off,” he said.

Black is the co-founder and former chief executive of the private equity firm Apollo Global Management who stepped down in 2021 amid fallout over his ties to Epstein. He became the 16th person to appear before the committee as part of their broader investigation into the web of wealth and influence around Epstein.

Lawmakers emerged from the closed-door voluntary interview with Black saying he refused to answer questions about non-disclosure agreements, prompting the committee to issue a subpoena about the NDAs. A second subpoena was issued for Black to testify under oath on July 16.

“This is a result of refusing to answer specific questions,” Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the committee chairman, told reporters after Black's interview.

Susan Estrich, the lawyer representing Black, said the decision to serve the subpoenas was a “premeditated political decision.” She called it a “planned political stunt.”

Democrats emerged from their hour of questioning Black saying he had not answered questions, and they praised Comer's decision to subpoena him.

Rep. Robert Garcia, the top ranking Democrat on the committee, told reporters that “it was clear from the moment this interview started that Leon Black was not going was not going to answer critical questions.”

Black was featured prominently in the Epstein files

Black is mentioned repeatedly in files that the Department of Justice has released related to the Epstein investigation. He also appears in a collection of birthday messages sent to Epstein that were released by the House committee last year, including a poem attributed to him that refers to “Blond, Red or Brunette, spread out geographically.”

Black maintained Friday that he was not aware of Epstein’s “nefarious activity” until 2019 and that he paid Epstein for legitimate purposes, in part due to his “unrivaled network of relationships” with influential figures.

“I knew Jekyll. I didn’t know Hyde,” said Black.

A 2021 review commissioned by Apollo found that Black paid Epstein $158 million from 2012 to 2017, after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor. The review said the payments were for “bona fide tax, estate planning and other related services.”

“I gave Epstein a second chance, as did many others. I wish I had not,” Black said.

Epstein was indicted in July 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. The Justice Department alleged that Epstein created a vast network of girls, some as young as 14, for him to sexually abuse between 2002 and 2005. He died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial.

Comer said earlier this year that Epstein’s former accountant, Richard Kahn, told lawmakers in his testimony that Epstein received significant sums of money from a number of high-profile individuals, including Black.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., this month referred findings from a nearly four-year investigation into Black to the House committee. In a statement, Wyden said, “Epstein even appears to have acted as a middleman for Black to pay women on Black’s behalf.”

Black broadly denied the allegations in his opening statement, calling them “rank speculation.”

“I have never abused a woman. I have never been with an underage woman. I have never engaged in sex trafficking. I have never paid Epstein for access to women. I was never blackmailed by Epstein.”

Many high-profile figures have been summoned to testify about Epstein

Other figures to have appeared for the investigation include former Democratic President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, former Attorney General Pam Bondi and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

Gates testified earlier this month and said he had made a “grave error in judgment” by meeting with Epstein.

Black said Epstein's network included SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal and Palantir.

Democrats on the House committee have pushed Republicans to seek testimony from President Donald Trump, a Republican who had his own yearslong relationship with Epstein. Republicans have refused, saying they have not come across any evidence that Trump did anything wrong during his well-documented friendship with Epstein.

Comer has said he has been in touch with the Justice Department about acting Attorney General Todd Blanche coming in for questioning soon.

Bondi, in her testimony, stressed that Blanche had overseen the chaotic release of the federal Epstein files, which included the unintentional release of victim information.

The town said that at this time, the project remains in its preliminary stages and there are several important steps that must occur before it can move forward. A home storefront is not solidified, and a number of locations are being looked at by Rosie’s.

One of the key requirements is obtaining the necessary number of voter signatures required by Virginia law to place the matter on a future ballot, potentially this coming November, for public consideration.

The town manager said that if the required signatures are obtained and all statutory requirements are met, the citizens of Pulaski will have the opportunity to decide if Rosie’s has a future in the Town of Pulaski.

The Town Manager, Todd Day, said that the Town of Pulaski remains open for business and the office appreciates the interest and engagement of its residents and looks forward to providing updates on the opportunity Rosie’s Gaming Emporium presents.

A misunderstanding led to a highly unusual exchange for the restrained and traditional atmosphere after the nation’s highest court took the bench Thursday to hand down their decisions. Those rulings included two major immigration wins for President Donald Trump.

After conservative Justice Samuel Alito finished his reading of the majority’s ruling limiting how people can seek asylum at the southern border, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor spoke up to read from her biting dissent.

She traced the difficult journey many asylum seekers face and outlined a painful chapter in the country’s history: When the U.S. and other countries turned back a ship full of Jewish refugees attempting to flee persecution in Nazi Germany in 1939. About 250 of those passengers later died in the Holocaust.

Sotomayor, the first Latina justice, said the majority’s opinion would allow the Trump administration to block people from applying for asylum at the border, which would result in more deaths. The decision “regrettably and tragically extinguishes the light of the torch of the Statue of Liberty.”

Justice Brett Kavanaugh watched her intently as she spoke, while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson looked straight ahead.

Majority opinions are always read from the bench and dissenters can speak up as well to underscore their objections, which typically happens in few cases every term. Additional rulings are expected on Monday.

Sotomayor’s spoken dissent, however, appeared to be a surprise for Alito. In a very rare move, he spoke off the cuff. He sounded surprised and frustrated, saying he would have added more detail to his summary if he'd known about plans to speak.

The confusion turned out to be a misunderstanding on Alito's part; Sotomayor's chambers had passed along word of her plan.

For the conservative majority, the case was about whether the law allows border officials can delay asylum seekers’ entry into the U.S. “until they can be processed in a safe and orderly way," not about the wisdom of the policy itself.

Out loud, Alito defended his opinion by noting that the policy at the center of the case had been used under both the Obama and Trump administrations. “I won’t add anything more to that,” he said.

The exchange comes during the court's busiest time of the year, as the justices prepare to release opinions next week on some of the biggest issues of the term, and Trump’s presidency so far. Those include his push to restrict birthright citizenship and expand the president’s power to fire board members at independent agencies.

Supreme Court justices have spoken publicly about their cordial working relationships and regular lunches as a group where they set aside cases to talk and share each other's company. And while there are ideological splits between the court's conservative majority and its liberal wing, they also decide many cases unanimously, including one this month about the Second Amendment rights of marijuana users.

Still, it isn’t the first time unusual tensions have surfaced this term. Sotomayor issued a rare public apology in April to another justice, Brett Kavanaugh, for what she termed “hurtful comments.” She had said during a law school talk that a colleague “probably doesn’t really know any person who works by the hour.”

In another public appearance in March, Kavanaugh and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson sparred over the many emergency orders the court had issued allowing Trump to move ahead with key parts of his agenda.

They are among the images posted by relatives within Venezuela and abroad desperately searching for their missing loved ones following two powerful, back-to-back earthquakes on Wednesday evening.

Hundreds have been killed and thousands injured. The number of casualties is expected to climb after the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes that caused widespread damage and were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.

With communication patchy, social media and online registries have become a crucial tool for many Venezuelans seeking information and resources beyond sparse government statistics. One independent online registry documented 51,000 people missing, while another listed 24,000 people unaccounted for, reflecting the lack of official data or information on those missing.

While some rushed to search beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings, others created digital flyers on WhatsApp, Facebook and X with their relatives’ details.

Searching for relatives

Among them was Vanesa Marcano, 31, who posted photos from Madrid of her uncle and aunt, who live in La Guaira state, north of the capital Caracas, which suffered some of the heaviest damage and casualties.

Marcano posted the images in the hopes that they were only unreachable due to damaged communication lines. Her uncle’s daughter and his 7-year-old grandson were visiting from the United States and also are missing.

“It’s a feeling of impotence and uncertainty,” Marcano said by phone. “I know you must stay calm and focus on the actions you can take. But it’s very easy to fall into despair.”

Jhoyser Concalves, a Venezuelan from the northern coastal city of Catia La Mar, was talking to his partner and her daughter just minutes before the shaking. It was the last he heard from them.

When the earthquake stopped, Concalves ran out of his house to their apartment building, where they lived on the sixth floor. There was only debris and people desperately trying to rescue neighbors from the rubble.

Concalves posted a flyer reading “MISSING” on X and Facebook in a desperate attempt to find them.

“They are pulling people out of the building alive. So I still have hope that they are in there alive,” he said.

United Nations calls for restored social media access

The search was complicated by the country's restrictions on social media and messaging platforms.

On Thursday, the U.N. human rights mission in Venezuela issued a statement calling on the government to lift local restrictions on social media and saying timely access to reliable information can save lives.

Sites including X and messaging app Signal were blocked in August 2024 by then-President Nicolás Maduro in an attempt to suppress communication among those who rejected his claim of victory in the presidential election. Former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez became the acting president in January after the U.S. captured and removed Maduro from power.

Shortly after the U.N.’s request Thursday, Venezuelans in the country were able to access X.

Search from abroad

Outside the country, such sites have become even more important for many of the 8 million people who have migrated from Venezuela in recent years and were unable to check on their loved ones.

Elibel Tovar's 70-year-old father moved to Brazil more than 20 years ago but was in La Guaira for business. Félix Ramón Tovar Hernández was planning to travel Friday to Chile for his first reunion with his son in more than a decade. But Tovar, 38, said he hasn't heard from his father.

“I feel powerless because I don’t know how this is affecting him: the shock, the decisions he’s having to make, whether he is physically okay, or even whether he is still alive,” said Tovar, who registered his father on the website for the missing.

“Being in Chile makes it very difficult to get information, and everything we see feels confusing,” he said via WhatsApp.

In Madrid, Marcano said she was trying to stay calm for the sake of her 1-year-old daughter.

“You keep hoping someone will organize a fundraiser or some kind of initiative where you can help,” Marcano said. “But the truth is, from far away, there is very little you can do.”

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Hughes reported from Rio de Janeiro.

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

The space rock — 1997 NC1 — makes its closest approach Saturday morning, coming within 1.6 million miles (2.6 million kilometers), according to the European Space Agency.

Discovered nearly three decades ago by an asteroid-tracking system in Hawaii, the asteroid is between 2,461 feet (0.75 kilometer) to 5,413 feet (1.65 kilometers) wide — roughly the size of two to four Empire State Buildings.

Skygazers with binoculars and small telescopes may be able to spot the asteroid as a small point of light passing harmlessly through the sky. It won't greet Earth from such a distance again until 2133, according to NASA.

The last time an asteroid similar in size passed safely by Earth from an even closer distance was in 2022, when a space rock called 1994 PC1 made its approach.

NASA, ESA and other space agencies track the paths of asteroids and other space junk so they can keep Earth safe from any possible collisions. Last year, astronomers tracked a smaller asteroid resembling a spinning hockey puck and said there's no chance of it hitting Earth or the moon.

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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.

In a post on social media, Trump took aim at European countries that he said are discussing “imminent” implementation of taxes on American companies. The U.S. president has repeatedly sought to use tariffs as way to deter such taxes, but many countries are looking for revenues as their economies increasingly operate in digital realms that are dominated by American companies.

“Please let this statement serve to represent that any Country that imposes such a Tax will immediately be met with a 100% TARIFF on any and all Goods sent to the United States of America,” Trump wrote.

He added that the new tax would supersede any previously negotiated trade deals. Trump said the penalty would apply to any country that moves forward with such a tax, but he singled out European nations in his post.

The move could lead to a larger showdown that could increase prices and hinder economic growth, possibly setting off a larger trade war if the 27-member European Union was compelled to retaliate.

“Unilateral measures targeting such legitimate policies are unjustified. If pursued, the EU will respond swiftly and decisively to defend its rights and regulatory autonomy,” said Olof Gill, a spokesperson for the European Commission on Friday.

He defended taxation on technology companies as “non-discriminatory” and applied equally to “all large companies, regardless of their origin.”

Trump has repeatedly pushed against foreign efforts to tax or regulate American tech giants. Last year, he threatened new tariffs on any country that moved to do so. A post from last August said that digital taxes and regulation “are all designed to harm, or discriminate against, American Technology.”

The threat comes ahead of Trump's July 4 deadline for the European Union and the United States to start implementing a tariff deal that caps tariffs on most EU exports at 15%.

The European Union in May finalized a trade deal with the United States that caps most tariffs on EU exports at 15%. The deal followed months of debate within the EU after European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen tentatively struck the deal last year while visiting Trump’s golf course in Scotland.

Digital taxes were not part of the agreement and have remained a sticking point between the U.S. and the European bloc.

The U.S. government has previously conducted tariff investigations into digital services taxes under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. But it was unclear how Trump would carry out his threat and whether he would apply the tariffs broadly or initially target certain nations.

Britain, which is no longer part of the EU, has since 2020 levied a 2% digital services tax on revenues earned by search engines, social media sites and online marketplaces that “derive value” from U.K. users.

The British government said in a policy document at the time that corporate tax rules for digital businesses had “led to a misalignment between the place where profits are taxed and the place where value is created.”

The U.K. tax includes thresholds, so mainly large international companies will pay it. The tax was designed to “ensure the large multinational businesses in-scope make a fair contribution to supporting vital public services,” the document said.

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AP reporters Sam McNeil in Brussels and Kelvin Chan in London contributed to this report.

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Her sound, anyway.

Speakers inside the interview room at the stadium started blaring some of Lipa's songs for a few minutes in the middle of Martínez’s availability session. It wasn't totally clear why — some wires got crossed, evidently, during a rehearsal happening inside the stadium — but nobody seemed to mind that it happened.

Martinez even swayed a little in his chair while workers tried to find a way to silence the music.

“Dua Lipa's supporting Portugal, I believe," he said.

Lipa — the three-time Grammy-winning, London-born, British Albanian singing powerhouse — is a huge soccer fan and has been at countless major events in recent years. And when Martinez was asked later in his news conference about the balance of his midfield play so far in the tournament, he couldn't resist bringing the talk back to the music.

“Balance and Dua Lipa, those were the two main topics,” Martínez said.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

The Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium will grant $350,000 to two dozen Southern community organizations working in thirteen states. The grants will fund organizations that address acute challenges facing underserved Black women and girls, like maternal health, gender-based violence prevention and educational support.

The funding and tour come at a moment when organizations focused on supporting underserved communities face funding crunches following the Trump administration's crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

The administration has invoked civil rights laws traditionally understood to have protected the rights of marginalized communities to investigate or prosecute instances of “anti-white racism” and “illegal DEI” in companies, non-profits and government agencies.

“We’ve seen this retrenchment in philanthropy, and people are not putting resources on the ground,” said Chanceé Lundy, Southern Black Girls’ executive director. “Organizations are struggling, and we want to make sure that people know that we see them. We value the work that we’re doing, and we want to be able to help fill some of the gaps that they are experiencing.”

The grants coincide with the organization’s summer “Joy and Justice” tour, which convenes community building activities, resource drives and festivals in nine cities. Most of the tour stops take place at schools and community centers in majority-Black neighborhoods. One rally will take place at the Virginia Capitol alongside agency leaders promoting diversity in the state's government.

Southern Black Girls has maintained funding from some major corporations and foundations, though Lundy described the efforts to maintain those relationships as “extremely difficult” for most groups in the current political climate, where supporting race and gender conscious organizations may prompt backlash from the federal government.

“We’re being punished for who we are,” said LaTosha Brown, a voting rights activist and co-founder of the organization.

President Donald Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman presidential nominee of a major party. About 9 in 10 Black women backed Harris for the presidency, according to a survey of voters by AP VoteCast. Brown said that Black women’s longstanding participation in liberal politics made them a “target” in the current political climate.

“We have always been anchored, particularly in the social justice movements of this country, and I don’t think that that’s any different now. I think in many ways it has been exacerbated, just given the environment,” said Brown.

Both Brown and Lundy noted that Black women have always faced discrimination and marginalization in the South despite being integral to the region's economy and culture. Lundy recalled stories of past generations of Black women who raised the children of white families that upheld Jim Crow policies that underfunded schools, restricted voting and enabled political violence against Black communities.

“You have to have a deep, deep sense of humanity to be able to do that,” said Lundy. She said that the tour was part of promoting Black women's place in the country's history and future as the U.S. prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary. “We've kept our humanity intact through it all, and I think this moment requires that.”

Lundy said she hoped the tour and grants would enable Black girls to reach their full potential.

“You matter now in this moment,” Lundy said was her “joyful” message to young Black girls. “And you’re not a victim. You are actually the solution, that you are the antidote to what is happening right now.”

After entering as a substitute for Germany, Undav scored three goals and set up two more, putting him just behind top-scoring superstars such as Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé of France and Vinicius Jr. of Brazil on the leaderboard.

Undav, who identifies as a Kurdish Yazidi, is the son of Yazidi refugees. His success is being celebrated by a small, insular community that has endured decades of oppression and violence, notably a 2014 onslaught in which thousands of Yazidis in Iraq's Sinjar region were killed or abducted by militants from the Islamic State group who considered them to be heretics.

Responding to a question at a news conference Wednesday, the German-born Undav said he hoped his performance would inspire fans everywhere, especially within the Yazidi community.

“I always get the news from my parents how they view me, how they see me and it’s making me proud, you know, that we finally have somebody,” he said.

Undav has fans across Syria, Germany and Iraq

In the village of Khirbet al-Ghazal in northeastern Syria, a small group of Yazidis gathered Thursday night to watch the Germany-Ecuador match at the home of community leader Ismail Dalaf. Many residents are related to Undav’s mother, who is from a now-deserted nearby village whose residents left for economic reasons or fled during Syria’s long civil war that began in 2011.

Dalaf said Undav’s World Cup performance has made him “a symbol that shows Yazidis can reach a higher position and be seen with respect.”

“When people see a Yazidi entering the field, scoring goals and changing the result of matches, it changes public perception,” he said. “It tells the world that Yazidis have a role in the world.”

The Kurds are among the largest stateless ethnic groups in the world, with roughly 30 million living as minorities in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. Yazidis are a Kurdish-speaking religious minority mostly found in Syria, Iraq and Turkey. There are around 235,000 Yazidis living in Germany today, according to Irfan Ortac, chair of the Central Council of Yazidis in Germany. Many arrived after the 2014 onslaught.

“Until now, we have mostly been known as victims of violence,” Ortac said. “Whenever we spoke about Yazidis, we always had to talk about genocide, discrimination, and displacement. It makes us very proud and happy to be able to talk about something positive.”

In Iraq — home to the largest concentration of Yazidis in the world and the location of their most holy site, the Lalish temple — members of the community also have embraced Undav's success.

“It makes me very happy to see a Yazidi bringing our name to the World Cup and playing in front of the whole world,” said Luqman Sleiman, spokesperson for the temple.

Diyar Bakir, 29, a Yazidi from Sinjar, hopes to travel to Germany one day to see Undav play.

His family "came from a place where his ethnicity and religion were not appreciated, yet he is now recognized and valued by a great team like Germany,” Bakir said. “He emerged from the womb of suffering, and we wish him every success.”

Undav has faced abuse for his heritage, but his popularity surges

At times, Undav has faced abuse over his heritage from spectators and on social media.

When his club team Stuttgart played in Turkey at Fenerbahce last year, German media reported the outbreak of obscene chants about his mother. Two Kurdish anti-discrimination groups said social media insults were part of a growing campaign of “racist and ethnically motivated hostility.”

Undav’s decision to represent Germany and not Turkey, as other eligible German-born players have done in the past, also resulted in some online hostility from Turkish fans. But now, his popularity is surging.

Düzen Tekkal, a German documentary filmmaker and author of Kurdish Yazidi heritage, is from northwestern Germany, like Undav. She is the co-founder of Scoring Girls(asterisk), a nonprofit offering free soccer classes for girls from diverse backgrounds.

“There definitely is a Deniz Undav effect and it’s very important,” she said, referencing children who can celebrate their heritage and feel they belong in Germany at a time when migration is often treated as a political problem.

“It is no coincidence that he plays with this lightness and freedom,” Tekkal added. “People are asking how come he’s so good under pressure or he can cope with so much pressure? Because he doesn’t know it any other way. That is the DNA, that is the resilience. ... That’s how he scores these goals because what is that pressure compared to being Kurdish or Yazidi?”

When Undav scored one of those goals, against Curacao, he broke into a Yazidi-inspired jig with his hands clasped behind his back. He was joined by Antonio Rüdiger, a Black German soccer star who has faced racist and anti-Muslim abuse during his career, in what Tekkal called “one of the highlights, no matter how this World Cup goes from here.”

“Dancing is a form of expressing resistance for us,” Tekkal emphasized. “We dance on the graves of our dead. Our mantra is that resistance is life. He’s dancing there for his forefathers who were oppressed.”

Mahmoud Kanabi, a Kurd from Irbil, moved to Berlin in 2020 and works in a Kurdish restaurant. Because of Undav, he purchased a Germany jersey.

“Unfortunately, for us Kurds, we don’t have a team because we don’t have a country,” he said. “Now, when a Kurdish player is in a team, we have to be fans of it. It doesn’t matter what team it is.”

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Martany reported from Irbil, Iraq; Fahey from Berlin and Ellingworth from Duesseldorf, Germany. AP Sports Writer Ron Blum in East Rutherford, New Jersey, contributed reporting.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

The events include school supply giveaways, food bank drives, neighborhood door knockings and organizer trainings.

“Everything costs too damn much under Donald Trump and the Republicans,” Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in a statement.

Martin said party members planned “to reach, engage, register, and mobilize voters who will make the difference in races up and down the ballot.”

Two years ago, Democrats were the ones accused of being indifferent to Americans’ anger about rising prices. Now they're pointing the finger at Trump, who has downplayed the impact of lingering inflation.

He has described affordability concerns as a “hoax” and recently said, “I love the inflation” because he expects costs to drop as he tries to resolve his war with Iran.

About one-third of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling the economy, according to an AP-NORC poll from June. That’s down from the start of his second term, when 40% approved.

About 7 in 10 U.S. adults say the country’s economy is “poor,” according to an AP-NORC poll from June. That’s up from 65% in March, and underscores Americans’ ongoing unhappiness with the cost of living, which is being compounded by high gas prices due to the war in Iran.

Slightly more U.S. adults say the Democratic Party would do a better job than the Republican Party in handling inflation and the cost of living, according to a Marquette Law School/SSRS poll from May. Roughly one-third of U.S. adults — 35% — said the Democrats would do a better job, while 28% believe the Republicans would. Roughly one-third say the parties would be the same, or neither would be good.

This weekend's events vary by region.

In New Mexico, Gov. Michelle Luján Grisham will convene a training for 150 potential campaign staffers. Nevada’s statewide campaigns will knock on doors in rural and working class neighborhoods. Others will call voters in swing districts with competitive U.S. House races to talk about the rising price of gas.

Some events are geared toward directly helping voters to persuade them that Democrats are concerned about affordability.

For instance, the local party in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, plans to collect and distribute school supplies to poor families. And canvassers will fan out to discuss affordability issues in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The Republican National Committee dismissed the weekend's events.

“Despite being millions of dollars in debt, the DNC is choosing to throw pitiful pep rallies to distract from the fact they created the inflation crisis," said Delanie Bomar, an RNC spokeswoman. "Meanwhile, Republicans are hard at work fixing the economic mess Joe Biden and the Democrats created.”

Democrats hope that the events will show that their time in the political wilderness has made it more serious and effective at tackling kitchen table issues. But some fear their agenda may not be heard by voters in an increasingly fractured media environment.

“One of Donald Trump’s greatest strengths is that he’s so loud,” said Brian Derrick, a Democratic strategist. He said that events like the weekend’s itinerary help Democrats focus on an “Achilles’ heel” issue for Trump, “which right now is his lack of interest in addressing everyday costs for people.”

In a social media post, Flightradar24 posted the flight path of the plane, a Sunward SA 60L Aurora, which took off from an airport about 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Beijing. It headed westward and ended just east of the East Third Ring Road shortly before 6 p.m. in local time. The flight data provider said the plane crashed into the CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, which rises more than 1,700 feet (528 meters), just east of a major ring road in a cluster of skyscrapers.

The 108-story CITIC tower, shaped like an ancient Chinese wine vessel, is one of the most recognizable skyscrapers in Beijing.

It wasn't immediately known what caused the crash in a city with strict airspace controls, including a recent ban on drones. Information on the pilot also was not immediately available. There was no immediate information on whether there were any on-ground casualties.

Chinese authorities have not issued a statement, nor has the crash been reported by state media. Social media posts about the crash have been scrubbed from China's walled-off internet, though footage has made its way outside of China's firewall and is circulating on overseas sites such as X.com.

Images and videos shared on social media appeared to show debris from a small aircraft near the skyscraper. While the images were consistent with the location, it was not possible to independently confirm their authenticity. One image of the wreckage shows a partial registration number of “B-12." The full registration number of the aircraft is B-12PP.

Photos by The Associated Press show what appears to be a hole in the glass facade on one side of the CITIC Tower.

A person working in the building told AP that an aircraft crashed into the skyscraper, and a fire alarm was triggered. The person spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. Incidents such as crashes are considered sensitive by Chinese authorities.

A heavy police presence, as well as fire engines and ambulances were seen outside the building. Onlookers gathered to observe and take pictures, but police asked them to stop photographing and leave the area.

Last month, Beijing authorities enacted new curbs on its already tightly regulated airspace, effectively banning the sale and operation of consumer drones within the capital.

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Associated Press writers Didi Tang in Washington and Josh Funk in Omaha, Neb. contributed.

Governments, nonprofits and members of the Venezuelan diaspora around the world are mobilizing to respond after the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes. Help is needed for search and rescue efforts, emergency shelter for displaced families and emergency health care, followed by safe water and sanitation, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Humanitarian organizations will face many challenges, including airport closures and the need for fast-tracked visas for aid workers, said Michael Capponi, president of Global Empowerment Mission (GEM).

“No single organization can meet all the needs alone,” he said. “Collaboration across governments and NGOs is critical to ensuring we cover all ground efficiently and swiftly.”

Here are some of the responding organizations you can support. The nonprofit evaluator Charity Navigator recommends donors avoid fraudulent fundraising campaigns by assessing whether an organization has a history of working on the specific type of disaster and in the affected region, and if it is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

How to help those affected by the Venezuela earthquakes

Global Empowerment Mission: The Doral, Florida-based humanitarian relief organization is collaborating with its long-term partner We Love Foundation, which supports Venezuelans. GEM immediately began packing emergency supplies for shipment Thursday to Caracas, where it has set up a distribution hub. GEM has responded in Venezuela before, including in 2018 and 2019.

CORE: The humanitarian nonprofit is deploying personnel and partnering with The Wayuu Taya Foundation, a nonprofit that supports Indigenous Wayuu communities in Venezuela and Colombia and who has staff on the ground in Caracas. They aim to support impacted families with food, drinking water, hygiene kits and other critical resources. CORE was founded after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Direct Relief: The California-based medical humanitarian organization is funding the deployment of a team from Spanish Bomberos Unidos Sin Fronteras (BUSF) to assist search-and-rescue efforts, and is poised to send medical supplies to local healthcare partners as needed. Direct Relief has responded to multiple earthquakes, including the 2023 disaster in Syria and Turkey.

International Red Cross: Despite experiencing damage to its own headquarters, the Venezuelan Red Cross' nationwide network of hospitals and clinics remains active and continues to deliver care. Rescue teams are supporting evacuation and search efforts as well as mobilizing prepositioned relief supplies. Red Cross Societies in Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras and Argentina — countries home to large Venezuelan communities — have activated services to restore family links and help people find news of their loved ones.

Children's Bereavement Center/Lift from Loss: The Miami-based group offers free bereavement counseling to children and adults. It is offering free online support in Spanish and English to those impacted in Venezuela and in the diaspora. Those seeking support can sign up online.

Airlink: The global humanitarian organization helps facilitate transport and logistics for other nonprofits needing to send relief and personnel to disasters worldwide. It will mobilize airlines and logistics companies to send search-and-rescue teams, medical responders and supplies to Venezuela.

World Central Kitchen: The nonprofit founded by Chef José Andrés is mobilizing to serve hot meals to affected families and first responders as quickly as possible. WCK has led multiple responses in Venezuela, most recently in 2024 when families in the state of Sucre were displaced by Hurricane Beryl.

Catholic Relief Services: The international aid agency of the U.S. Catholic Church is working with local partner Caritas Venezuela to deliver emergency shelter, food, water and medical care to impacted families.

Global Impact: The philanthropy adviser and intermediary has set up a Venezuela Earthquakes Response fund that will funnel aid to multiple vetted organizations, including UNICEF USA and Save the Children, which has had a team in Venezuela since 2019.

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

Blyth died Wednesday of “natural causes” at her home in Rancho Santa Fe, California, according to her daughter, Eileen McNulty. Blyth's family was at her side.

One of the last surviving actors from the Hollywood studio system, Blyth appeared in youth movies as well as dramas such as "Another Part of the Forest," and her co-stars included Bing Crosby, Power, Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. Blyth had stopped appearing in films by the end of the 1950s when she chose to spend more time with her children. But she would work in TV musicals and dramas and tour in concerts and musicals from "Show Boat" to "The Sound of Music."

She was acting and singing from an early age and her first big break came at 13 when she was cast as Paul Lukas's daughter in Lillian Hellman's anti-Nazi play, "Watch on the Rhine," which also starred Bette Davis. She stayed with the play for almost a year on Broadway and a year on the road.

When "Watch on the Rhine" appeared in Los Angeles, Universal Studio signed her to a term contract starting at $175 a week. A dark-haired actor with a melodic singing voice, she appeared with a young Donald O'Connor in low-budget musicals such as "Chip Off the Old Block" and "Bowery to Broadway." The loan-out to Warner Bros. for "Mildred Pierce" elevated Blyth's career and led to grown-up roles.

Good at being bad

Like "Double Indemnity," adapted for the screen by Billy Wilder in 1944, "Mildred Pierce" was a James M. Cain thriller about vengeance and calculation. Crawford won the 1945 Oscar as a waitress who rises to own a string of Los Angeles restaurants. Blyth was nominated in the supporting role as Mildred's spoiled daughter, Veda, who seduces her mother's second husband (Zachary Scott), then riddles him with bullets in a jealous rage.

Directed by Michael Curtiz of “Casablanca” fame, "Mildred Pierce" was a memorable piece of film noir that took place mostly at night. For Blyth it was a major change from the cheery musicals she had been known for. It was also a stretch for an actor who was the subject of magazine articles entitled "Incorruptible!", "Angelic Annie" and "Ann Blyth: Success Without an Enemy."

In 1946, Blyth broke her back in a toboggan accident, and it appeared her career might be over. She spent seven months in a body cast and another seven months in a wheelchair, relying on her Roman Catholic faith for courage.

"The busy, exciting world I had known faded away, and my life slowed down to little things," she later told The Associated Press. "But even here I found myself blessed, for a new sense of prayer began to unfold to me."

Once recovered, she appeared as the love interest for Sonny Tufts in "Swell Guy," Howard Duff in "Brute Force" and Mickey Rooney in a prizefight movie, "Killer McCoy." She displayed her dramatic skill as the young woman in love with a suspected wife-killer, Charles Boyer, in "A Woman's Vengeance."

Her strongest role after "Mildred Pierce" came with "Another Part of the Forest," Hellman's prequel to her stage and film drama "The Little Foxes." Blythe appeared as the young Regina Hubbard, created as an adult on Broadway by Tallulah Bankhead and in the film by Bette Davis.

Add a little music

Blyth's career made a turn in 1951 when she starred with Mario Lanza in "The Great Caruso." Her lilting soprano made an ideal match for his tenor, and they were cast in "The Student Prince." But the temperamental Lanza dropped out after recording his songs, and British actor Edmund Purdom acted his role and mouthed the songs. Blyth co-starred with Howard Keel in "Rose Marie" and "Kismet."

Her other films included "Top o' the Morning" with Crosby, "The World in His Arms" (Peck) and a reunion with O'Connor, "The Buster Keaton Story." Her last film was in 1957, “The Helen Morgan Story,” which co-starred Paul Newman.

Born in 1928 in Mount Kisco, New York, to an Irish mother and English valet father, she grew up in New York City. After the father left the family, Nan Blyth supported herself and two daughters by washing clothes and working in beauty parlors.

She had high hopes for daughter Ann's future as an actress, and at 5 the girl began appearing on a New York radio show. She continued as a radio performer and spent three years studying and performing with the San Carlo Opera Company.

After becoming a movie star, Blyth admitted of her early career: "I'd become blue and despondent when I failed to get a job, and my mother's encouraging words made me want to try again." Before the actress's breakout performance in "Mildred Pierce," her mother died of cancer.

In 1953, Blyth married Dr. James McNulty, brother of tenor-comedian Dennis Day. They had five children and remained married until McNulty’s death, in 2007. A few weeks before son Timothy was born in 1954, she made television history of a sort performing the song "Secret Love" at the Oscars — visibly pregnant as she sang, "Once I had a secret love ... and my secret love's no secret anymore."

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Thomas, a former Associated Press Hollywood correspondent who died in 2014, was the primary writer of this obituary.

Congo accused Rwanda of breaching international conventions on genocide, racial discrimination, discrimination against women and torture. It said civilians in the east have suffered massacres, extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual violence, forced displacement and ethnic and gender-based discrimination since the 1990s.

Mineral-rich eastern Congo has been battered by decades of conflict as government forces and allied militias fight more than 100 armed groups, the most potent of them the Rwandan-backed M23. Its fighters made major advances early last year, seizing Goma and other key cities as they quickly expanded their presence.

The U.N. has called the conflict in eastern Congo “one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth.”

The violence goes back to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when Hutu fighters responsible for the killings fled across the border into eastern Congo. Rwanda has repeatedly sent troops or backed armed groups there in the years since, saying it was acting to neutralize Hutu fighters and protect its security. Congo and the U.S. government have accused Rwanda of using the rebels as a pretext to gain access to the region’s mineral wealth.

Congo named a string of Rwandan-backed rebel groups it blames for the violence over the years, including M23.

It asked the ICJ to declare Rwanda internationally responsible for the conflict, order it to halt its activities in Congo, demand guarantees they won’t be repeated, and award reparations to Congo and civilian victims.

The court said in a statement that Congo had filed an application instituting proceedings. It did not say whether it had determined if it has jurisdiction to hear the case.

Rwanda’s government did not immediately respond publicly to the filing of the case. It has consistently denied backing armed groups in Congo, though U.N. experts have said they found evidence that Rwandan troops have fought alongside and directed M23.

This is Congo’s third attempt to bring Rwanda before the ICJ, the United Nations’ highest court for disputes between states. Congolese authorities withdrew an earlier case in 2001, and the court dismissed a second in 2006 for lack of jurisdiction, finding Rwanda had not signed or had entered reservations to some of the treaties Congo cited, or that other conditions for a case weren’t met.

The new filing comes as separate, U.S.- and Qatar-mediated peace talks between Congo and Rwanda have struggled to produce a lasting deal.

On Thursday, the U.S. imposed sanctions on a Rwanda -based gold refinery, describing it as being part of “a network working in coordination” with M23 in eastern Congo. It said the sanctions against Gasabo Gold Refinery were in support of the U.S. and Qatari peace efforts.

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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writer Rodney Muhumuza in Kampala, Uganda contributed to this report.

The restraining order was issued Wednesday at the request of three Nashville doctors who treat some of those children and who sued after state officials sent letters to providers and immigrant families saying a new law required them to share identifying information for those on the program after the end of June.

The law was part of a group of bills that Tennessee Republicans introduced this year to support President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

A spokesperson for the state attorney general's office said Thursday that it had no comment on the lawsuit and the complaint was under review. State officials have not replied to the complaint in court documents.

“This is an impossible choice for mothers, and it risks the lives and the dignity of these children,” said Michele Johnson, executive director of the Tennessee Justice Center, which filed the lawsuit on the doctors' behalf.

Johnson also said the center has been advising families that they should stay on the program while the issue is before the court. A hearing is set for July 2 in Nashville.

The Children's Special Services program, which is partially funded by federal funds and has been around for decades, covers medical costs for children in need who have serious medical conditions such as cancer, cerebral palsy, seizure diseases and diabetes.

The letters sent by the state told families that, based on their immigration status, they would be reported to the immigration division of the Tennessee Department of Safety if they continued to stay on the program.

The new law required government agencies to check the legal status of all residents before they can obtain public benefits and was among a slate of bills in recent years targeting immigrants' ability to work, get licenses and access free public education and other services.

“We’re going to do what we can to make sure that if you’re here illegally, we will have the data, we’ll have the transparency, and we’re not spending taxpayer dollars on you unless you’re in jail,” House Speaker Cameron Sexton said in January.

The doctors behind the lawsuit, all of whom work for Siloam Health clinics that serve uninsured and underserved patients, said in affidavits that some of their patients were afraid they be unable to get important medical care for their children.

One said some patients who received a letter are not in the country illegally but merely lived with families with “mixed status,” and they left the program or planned to to because of the threat to inform immigration officials.

The lawsuit argues that implementing the rule would prevent the doctors from caring for their patients.

“The harm will be irreparable if the court didn’t intervene,” Johnson said.

MLB's plan would eliminate deals such as Juan Soto's $765 million, 15-year contract with the New York Mets. The league said just seven players this year exceed the proposed maximum and 98% of free agent contracts would not have been impacted.

"There’s no question that we’re very far apart,” union head Bruce Meyer said during an online news conference.

During a bargaining session Thursday at the union's office, MLB said it would accept the union's proposal granting free agency a year early for players who have reached age 30 if the union accepted the league's salary cap system. MLB proposed boosting the minimum salary from $780,000 to $1 million for those with two years of big league service.

MLB also proposed increasing the pre-arbitration bonus pool from $50 million to $65 million next year and $75 million by 2032, the sixth season of MLB's proposed seven-year deal.

Meyer said “the debate got a little more vigorous today.”

“The league has done us a favor because their proposals are in fact so obviously and extremely bad for players at all levels that it’s actually been a benefit for our unity,” Meyer said. “Anybody’s who’s banking on Major League Baseball players cracking, it’s never happened. It’s not going to happen. That’s why we’re the only ones who don’t have a salary cap.”

MLB also said it would agree to eliminate the qualifying offer for free agents that since its inception in 2012 has restricted the market for some players.

Bargaining started May 13 for a contract to replace the five-year deal that expires Dec. 1, and owners proposed a salary cap for the first time since the union fought off the system during a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95. MLB is expected to impose a lockout in December, halting free agent signings and trades.

After the prior agreement expired in December 2021, intensive bargaining did not start until late February as the threat approached of losing regular-season games — along with revenue and salary. The sides reached an agreement on March 10, the 99th day of the lockout, preserving the 162-game schedule.

In the league's cornerstone proposal, made last month, team spending would be capped next year 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 several teams to spend more. The two-time World Series champion 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.

“The biggest issue baseball fans want solved to strengthen the game is fixing the payroll disparity that leaves too many fans without hope of their team competing for a World Series title," MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. “Every other major U.S. sport has tackled this problem, and every year more small market teams in those leagues have a chance to win. The salary cap and floor proposal levels the playing field.”

Meyer took issue with that.

“It’s appalling that the stewards of the game, the people whose job it is to grow the game primarily and promote the game, have for whatever period of time now in the last couple of years been saying nothing but the game’s broken,” he said.

As part of the plan, MLB would establish a “cornerstone player” similar to the NBA's Bird Rule, which would allow a team to re-sign a player at 16% of the cap. A free agent switching clubs would be limited to a $36.8 million salary next year and a re-signing player to $39.2 million.

Salaries for free agents in additional seasons of a multiyear contract would be limited to 5% increases, as would salaries for younger players in multiyear deals that cover potential free agent seasons.

Contracts would be capped by service time: at $500 million and 12 years for those yet to make major league debuts, $461 million and 11 seasons for those with 0-1 years of service, $421 million and 10 years for 1-2, $382 million and nine seasons for 2-3, $343 million and eight years for 3-4, $304 million and seven years for 4-5, and $265 million and six years for free agent eligible players.

Agent Scott Boras claimed the then-record $252 million, 10-year contract he negotiated for Alex Rodriguez in December 2000 would not have been allowed.

"It’s like offering a few pieces of furniture if you agree to live in a house with a 4-foot ceiling," he said, "an attempt to move player contract values back to the 1990s.”

Banning deferred compensation would eliminate a business practice used most prominently by the Dodgers, who owe $1.107 billion to 12 players from 2028-47. The 30 teams owe $2.382 billion to 82 players through 2051.

MLB said it would accept the union's proposal to drop free agent eligibility to five seasons of service from six for those turning 30 by the Nov. 1 of the offseason. MLB said 354 players on big league rosters as of Thursday would reach free agency a year earlier. MLB would start the change in the 2027-28 offseason.

As part of the minimum salary proposal, MLB said players with less than two years of service would have a $900,000 minimum and if earning a full year of service would get an additional $100,000 from the pre-arbitration bonus pool. Minor league minimums for players with major league contracts would increase from $63,600 to $73,400 for initial big league deals and $127,100 to $146,700 for additional contracts.

The union proposed to jointly lobby with MLB for the prohibition on prop bets; to allow player endorsement and sponsorship of legal betting entities, including sportsbooks and prediction markets; to have players under MLB betting investigations to be placed on administrative leave, similar to the domestic violence policy; and to allow players near the end of suspensions for betting to have unpaid 15-day minor league assignments, similar to the drug policy.

In addition, players asked for increases for in-season meal and tip allowances; housing benefits for players with major league contracts who are assigned to the minors; and increased moving expenses, including for assignments from one minor league affiliate to another.

Meyer expects at least one more bargaining session before the All-Star break.

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

The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, who is 44, accepted a wild-card entry to the grass-court Grand Slam, where she’ll also compete in doubles with her older sister Venus, who turned 46 last week.

It's all part of a tennis comeback that started with two doubles warmup matches but kicked into high gear Sunday when the All England Club announced Serena would play singles. Brackets were set in Friday's draw.

Joint was born in Michigan — as was Williams — but represents Australia through her father. She is ranked No. 53 and made her Wimbledon debut last year, losing in the first round to Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2.

“It’s an honor. I always dreamed about playing Serena Williams,” Joint said. "If you told me 10 years ago that I’d be playing her first round at Wimbledon, that’s just crazy.

“I hope it's on Centre Court, that would be pretty cool. You just have to play the ball. You can't really think about who you are playing because I’ll just get too nervous. I’ll just take it one ball at a time.”

Joint won the grass-court Eastbourne Open last year for one of her two WTA tour-level singles titles, but she was slowed by a back injury earlier in 2026.

Williams hasn't played a singles match since a third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, she said she didn’t want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared she was “evolving” away from tennis. Her second daughter was born in 2023.

Tomljanovic said she hopes Joint “enjoys the moment."

“Especially after (Serena) officially retired four years ago, no one thought that they’d get another chance to play her,” Tomljanovic, an Australian, said Friday at Wimbledon.

Williams is “here to win," Tomljanovic added.

“You never lose that champion mentality. Her coming into the draw means that she thinks she can win,” she said.

Williams' most-recent appearance at Wimbledon was in 2022 when she lost in the opening round to then-115th-ranked Harmony Tan.

If Williams beats Joint on Tuesday, she may face rising Filipino star Alexandra Eala, who is seeded 29th, in the second round. She could meet defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round.

Swiatek opens against Taylor Townsend of the U.S. on Centre Court on Tuesday.

In a projected quarterfinals by seedings, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka would meet French Open champion Mirra Andreeva; No. 2 Elena Rybakina, the 2022 champion, would face 2025 runner-up Amanda Anisimova; Swiatek, the No. 3 seed, would play Elina Svitolina; and No. 4 Jessica Pegula would meet Coco Gauff.

Sinner could meet Djokovic in semifinals

On the men's side, No. 1 Jannik Sinner will begin his Wimbledon title defense against Miomir Kecmanovic on Centre Court on Monday.

Sinner and Novak Djokovic, the No. 7 seed, are in the same half of the draw and could meet in the semifinals.

Sinner underwent checks following his French Open meltdown — losing in the second round amid a heat wave in Paris — and said he felt physically good after an exhibition match this week in London, which also experienced high temperatures.

Djokovic, a seven-time champion at the All England Club, will play Wu Yibing of China. Djokovic could meet third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals.

Two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz, who lost to Sinner in the 2025 final, will miss this year’s tournament because of a wrist injury.

Wimbledon starts on Monday.

Serena and Venus in doubles

The Williams sisters are wild-card entries in the women's doubles and will play their first-round match against Colombia's Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra of Argentina.

Serena and Venus have won 14 Grand Slam titles together in doubles, including six at Wimbledon — the first in 2000 and the last in 2016. Their first two doubles titles at the All England Club, in 2000 and 2002, came as wild cards.

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

The annual commemoration is observed on the 10th day of the month of Muharram in the lunar-based Islamic calendar. Ashoura is the culmination of a 10-day mourning period and marks the day Hussein was killed alongside members of his family and companions as he fought against the army of Caliph Yazid, to whom Hussein had refused to pledge allegiance.

Hussein’s killing cemented the schism between Sunni and Shiite Islam and remains a powerful symbol of resistance against oppression and injustice.

Ashoura this year comes after a war between predominantly Shiite Iran and the United States and Israel, who launched strikes on the country on Feb. 28, killing senior officials including Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The 86-year-old Khamenei was not just Iran’s top political leader but also had a final say on all religious matters and was revered by millions of Shiites worldwide.

A funeral procession for Khamenei is scheduled to take place in early July.

On Friday, large crowds of people gathered in the Iraqi Shiite holy city of Karbala to mark Ashoura. Hussein is buried in the city where he was killed in the battle that took place in 680, and his shrine is visited by millions of Shiites from around the world every year.

In Baghdad, thousands marched through the streets, including some who slashed their heads with razors and performed other forms of self-flagellation in a show of grief to mark the occasion.

In Lebanon, where a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah is in place, thousands of black-clad mourners gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs at a shrine to Hezbollah’s former longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in a series of massive Israeli strikes in 2024.

Women clutched photographs of sons and brothers killed in the war — many of them fighting for Hezbollah — while others held photographs of Nasrallah or Iran’s Khamenei, who was killed in February in an attack by the U.S. and Israel.

Many of them sobbed. Expressions of grief for the death of the Imam Hussein are traditional during Ashoura, but many of the mourners were also grieving more personal losses.

Nagham Jaber said her fiance was killed in the war.

“This war was truly harsh on all of us, and now we are feeling the meaning of Ashoura more than usual,” she said.

In the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh, that is usually a major center to commemorate Ashoura, dozens of people gathered near the main square, much of which was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes over the past weeks, with some of them inflicting head injuries on themselves to express their mourning. The practice is widely opposed by many Shiites, including Hezbollah.

Earlier on Friday, state media and Associated Press journalists on the ground reported two Israeli airstrikes on the nearby village of Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa. It was not immediately clear if the strike inflicted any casualties.

“Despite all the hardships, everything happening to the Shiite Muslim community, and the wars we are facing, we came to reaffirm our loyalty, our love and our unwavering passion for Imam Hussein,” said Khader Kamal.

To Shiites, who make up the second-largest branch of Islam after the Sunni majority, the killing of Hussein holds deep religious and historical resonance and plays a key role in shaping identity.

Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Kassem, said in a speech Friday that Ashoura is being repeated again by the U.S. and Israel, adding that his group and its supporters were subjected to a “war of elimination.”

“America and Israel also wanted to eliminate Iran by removing the regime and controlling the country,” Kassem said. “The memorandum of understanding is a declaration of defeat for America and Israel,” Kassem said of the deal reached this month between Washington and Tehran.

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Sewell reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.

Indiana coach Stephanie White said Friday morning that Clark wouldn't play. Indiana doesn’t play again after Saturday until visiting the Las Vegas Aces on July 5.

“She's OK. She's going to be out on Saturday. She's doing all right,” White said. “Obviously, it's a good time as we have all week next week. Take this opportunity to get her treatment, get her healthy and get her back on the floor and see what happens.”

Clark only played in 13 games last season because of a variety of injuries. She’s missed one game this season because of her back. Clark is tied for fourth in the league with 21.2 points a game. She had 19 points in 20 minutes against Phoenix.

“Long-term health and wellness is the most important thing," White said. “I think we want her to be healthy physically, mentally, emotionally. When you've gone through injury and the traumatic aspect of injury that she had last year, it's ups and downs physically, mentally and emotionally. Making sure that she's 100% ready to go is the most important thing.”

Clark was also hit in the throat Wednesday by Phoenix's Alyssa Thomas. While no foul was called, the Mercury forward was suspended by the league for a game on Thursday for that play.

Clark is currently second in All-Star fan voting that was released Wednesday behind teammate Aliyah Boston. The All-Star Game is July 25 in Chicago.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Stewartsville Elementary School is at the center of a dispute that has left families scrambling for answers. In March, the Bedford County School Board introduced a plan to close the school. At that same meeting, the board held a public hearing and then voted to move forward with the closure.

One parent, Joy Powers, has since taken the fight to court. Her lawsuit alleges the board violated state rules by failing to publish a required seven-day notice before the public hearing.

“I would encourage all parents of the Staunton River School Zone to be on high alert on how these decisions are going to be impacting their students,” Powers said. “There is still a high likelihood that they are not just going to impact Goodview and Stewartsville students, but these are also going to impact Moneta and Huddleston 4th graders as well.”

Capacity concerns

Parent Amanda Bryan says the numbers don’t add up. She argues that closing Stewartsville and redirecting its students would push a neighboring school well beyond its limits.

“Stewartsville is underutilized. We’re going to take Goodview and put it over capacity,” Bryan said. “Moving all of the Stewartsville projected attendance for next year to Goodview would put Goodview at about 114% of its capacity.”

Bryan also says the school board is not doing enough to involve families in the decision.

“They’re not actually seeking parental input and I think our kids deserve a lot better than that,” she said.

Unanswered questions

Parents say the closure was sprung on them with no clear answers about where students will go, how bus routes will change, or which grades will move — and the uncertainty is already disrupting plans for the upcoming school year.

Parent Alicia Botts says families with children in specialized programs are particularly frustrated by the lack of communication.

“There’s still so many questions that nobody can get answered — especially with the adaptive program,” Botts said. “I wrote an email and gave them 10 days to answer a lot of the questions that needed to be answered.”

What’s next

A judge has thrown out a lawsuit that questioned how the Bedford County School Board handled votes concerning the future of Stewartsville Elementary School.

The lawsuit, brought by Powers, asked Judge Nance to cancel both the initial and subsequent votes, claiming the district had already begun the process of closing the school between the two meetings.

The school board’s attorney argued that the case should be dismissed since the board had repeated the vote. The judge agreed with this argument.

Powers said she hopes the board will include Stewartsville in its redistricting plans before making any decisions about closing the school.

Derek Lewis has been sentenced in connection with the shooting death of Tyler Johnson that happened at Lynchburg’s Iron and Ale in 2022.

Here’s a breakdown of his sentence:

• Second Degree Murder
• • 40 years with 4 years suspended, meaning he will serve 36 years
• Use of a firearm in the commission of a felony
• • Three years
• Possession of a firearm by a convicted violent felon
• • Five years
• Possession of a concealed weapon by a convicted felon
• • 5 years, with 2 years suspended, meaning he will serve three years
• Maliciously discharging a firearm in an occupied building
• • 10 years, with 2 years suspended, meaning he will serve 8 years

In total, he was handed a 63-year prison sentence, with 8 years suspended, leaving 55 years of active time to serve. The sentences will run consecutively.

ORIGINAL STORY

Derek Lewis was found guilty on all four charges he faced Friday afternoon following a trial that took place this week. This takes place following the murder of Tyler Johnson at the Iron & Ale restaurant in Lynchburg on Nov. 11, 2022.

Lewis was found guilty on the following charges:

• Second Degree Murder
• Use of a firearm in commission of murder
• Shooting in commission of a felony
• Maliciously discharging a firearm in an occupied building

It took the jury 6 hours and 15 minutes of deliberation.

" Man, it’s the best feeling in the world. It’s like a new life almost. There’s no justice greater than this other than having Tyler back here, but it’s all that we could ask for. Today, four counts of guilt,y and that’s exactly what we wanted and that’s exactly what was deserved," Lexi Goosley, Tyler Johnson’s best friend of 15 years, said.

Miller, 48, was arrested June 6 in Fremont County, which borders Montana and Wyoming, and charged with possessing psilocybin mushrooms. He pleaded not guilty last week and said his friend who was with him had a small amount of drugs he didn't know about.

County Prosecutor Lindsey Blake said in a statement provided to The Associated Press on Friday that her office will be dismissing the drug possession and drug paraphernalia charges against Miller.

“Although the deputy had sufficient probable cause to arrest Mr. Miller at the beginning of June, we recently received information which resulted in our office determining it is in the interest of justice to dismiss Mr. Miller’s misdemeanor charges,” she said. "I will not be discussing the specifics of this recent information due to it being related to another active case.”

Blake did not provide details on the other active case. Online court records related to Miller's case list another man who was charged with the same crimes.

Miller's lawyer, Jeromy Stafford, did not immediately return phone and email messages Friday. He told media outlets earlier this week that Miller did not have any drugs on his person when he was arrested.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Miller said he was pulled over after accelerating to pass a vehicle on a highway. He said his friend had a small amount of cannabis and a cannabis pipe, which Miller said he didn't know about.

“We fully cooperated with the officer,” he said. "I am hopeful the misdemeanor charges will be dropped once the facts are reviewed.”

In a probable cause statement, Fremont County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Hurt wrote that he found Miller with a white dispensary bag containing 4.1 grams of the psychedelic mushrooms.

The 48-year-old Miller took a gambler’s approach to ski racing. His high-risk, high-reward style resulted in six Olympic medals, including gold in the super-combined at the 2010 Vancouver Games, and numerous crashes.

His last major race was at the 2015 world championships in Beaver Creek, Colorado, when a bad wipeout knocked him out of the super-G. He later underwent surgery to fix a torn right hamstring tendon caused when his ski sliced him. He said in late 2017 that he was retired for good.

Miller won 33 World Cup races and a pair of World Cup overall titles. He also captured four gold medals at world championships.

The 51-year-old Calvelli replaces Giorgio Furlani, who was fired by U.S. owner, RedBird Capital Partners, last month as it cleaned house after what it deemed “an unequivocal failure” of a season.

“The mandate is clear — we will play to win, instead of playing not to lose — in everything that AC Milan touches, but most importantly on the field,” RedBird managing partner Gerry Cardinale said in a statement.

“The entire organization at AC Milan will now benefit tremendously from his full time appointment and sense of urgency to bring a winning culture and results back to the club.”

Calvelli will continue to serve as CEO International at RedBird Development Group and Operating Partner at RedBird Capital Partners. A former professional tennis player, he was previously ATP CEO from 2020-25.

“Since joining RedBird last year, Massimo has distinguished himself as a leader and driver of organizational design that brings people together and establishes a culture of collaboration and professionalism,” Cardinale added.

“Our model at RedBird often requires our senior leadership to go “in house” in our most important investments to ensure best in class execution, especially in situations requiring change and innovation.”

Milan spent much of last season in the top two positions and fighting for the Serie A title. But a run of only two wins in its last eight matches dropped it to fifth on the last day of the campaign and saw it miss out on Champions League qualification.

That led to a number of dismissals, including coach Massimiliano Allegri. He was replaced by Rúben Amorim earlier this month.

“The opportunity to lead AC Milan as it navigates this critical moment in its football trajectory, as well as within the overall state of Italian football, is something I take very seriously and with a profound sense of urgency,” Calvelli said.

“The mandate from Gerry is to bring a culture of winning and results both on and off the field back to AC Milan … I’ve had a full year working collaboratively with the senior leadership of the club across all functions and have a hands-on sense of what needs to be fixed and innovated.”

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

As a historic heat wave gripped the French capital, fashion houses fought to keep guests cool with mist machines, chilled towels, parasols and iced Evian on silver platters.

It wasn’t enough. Historic venues sweltered, guests were packed in tight, air conditioning was absent or inadequate and water ran short — at one house, organizers weighed serving none at all, having found only plastic bottles to hand out.

That mattered because Paris Fashion Week is not a minor cultural event.

It is one of France’s most visible export machines: six fashion seasons a year, global luxury houses, celebrities, editors, buyers and clients moving through an industry worth billions, often inside aging venues built for a cooler age.

This week raised a harder question: whether Paris should keep staging menswear and haute couture in the height of summer at all if climate change keeps bringing more frequent and intense heat waves.

“I honestly thought I was going to pass out,” said Ben Freeman, a London-based fashion critic from Australia.

Paris neared 41 degrees Celsius (106 Fahrenheit) during a heat wave that pushed France into emergency mode. Large parts of the country were under red alert, and hospitals were told to prepare for more heat-related cases.

Like the dusty Louvre, which cut hours and said its historic building “remains vulnerable and is not sufficiently adapted to climate change,” fashion week exposed a Paris problem as much as a fashion one: how to keep prestige institutions running when the weather no longer fits the building, the calendar or the crowd.

“Paris Fashion Week is the canary in the mine,” Freeman said.

The deeper contradiction was on the runway.

At a Paris Fashion Week Men’s where the industry paid to imagine next summer could barely survive this one, houses cooled the people watching the shows, then dressed their models in unseasonable leather, neoprene, wool and fur.

“The calendar does not make any sense,” acknowledged Dior’s Jonathan Anderson, blaming fractured delivery cycles and a business that bears no relation to the season outside.

Some in the front row suggested that fashion week in the hottest months be scrapped.

“In Paris we don’t have AC everywhere, it’s quite rare,” said Thomas Levy, 24, a fashion student outside one show. “I don’t know how the models did it this week in some of the leather and knit coats."

The venues couldn’t cope

Pascal Morand, who heads France’s fashion federation, said organizers were following the government’s heat-wave plan.

“We are conscious of the challenges and very attentive to preserving the Fashion Week experience in this context of structural change,” he told The Associated Press.

The cause ran deeper — an industry whose fixed parts, from the buildings to the clothes, were designed for a cooler world and a customer who lives somewhere else.

The response included earlier shows, more water, more mist, more shade.

Fashion had already been warned about heat management. In March, Celine built an okoumé-wood pavilion in the courtyard of the Institut de France for a winter show, packed guests inside and still saw some leave because of the temperature.

Dior shifted its show to 9 a.m. from mid-afternoon, and Rick Owens moved his forward too. Yet inside Dior’s half-renovated mansion, water was scarce, there was no air conditioning, and some guests looked ready pass out.

The strain had already shown at Milan Fashion Week last week. At Thom Browne’s first show there, giant misting fans ran and black umbrellas went out as guests waited out the midday sun.

Runways out of season

The clothes were made not for summer in Paris but for global markets and customers who pass the hottest months in refrigerated air — the malls of the Gulf, the towers of New York and Shanghai. For them, a wool coat in June is not a contradiction. It is just a purchase.

Louis Vuitton presented wetsuits in neoprene, as well as coats in cashmere and fur.

At Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello sent models through cooling clouds of vapor from a Fujiko Nakaya fog sculpture, then ran hot and cold at once: featherweight, unlined tailoring stripped down for the heat, against leather briefs, choker scarves and transparent shoes fogging with the wearer’s sweat.

Issey Miyake’s IM Men gave the clearest practical answer, handing out ice packs at the door, then bamboo-thread fabrics and shadowy prints that moved with the air rather than against it.

Rick Owens made the anxiety literal, sending models through mist in garments with fans whirring inside. One critic called it metaphor for climate catastrophe.

France’s uneasy cooling debate

Air conditioning remains culturally suspect in France — blamed for sore throats, dismissed as wasteful or bad for the planet — even as heat waves turn cooling into a question of public safety.

President Emmanuel Macron’s government leans toward shade, insulation and trees; environmentalists warn that mass cooling would only deepen the emissions driving the heat.

Europe is the fastest-warming continent, but its old cities are short on the cooling a hotter climate demands. From sport to tourism to construction, industries built around fixed calendars and outdoor crowds are being forced to adapt to heat that comes earlier, lasts longer and climbs higher.

The question is how much longer an aging 19th century Paris can host a summer spectacle where guests need ice packs to reach the finale.

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Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report.

Vance described his admiration for Nixon during a conversation at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California. Widely expected to be a presidential contender in 2028, Vance spoke at the library while promoting his new book, “Communion.”

After talking about the book and his faith journey, Vance shifted to Nixon, saying the legacy of the 37th president is “enjoying a bit of a renaissance.”

“If Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12-hour news story. The idea that it would have taken down a presidency is crazy,” Vance said.

He went on: “If you look at the story of how the deep state took down Richard Nixon, it’s not all that different from what the same groups of people, the same institutions tried to do to Donald Trump in the first Trump administration.”

Vance then noted his own similarities with Nixon.

“Young senator, vice president, writes some bestselling books, is hated by the media,” he said. “It kind of sounds like JD Vance. I've always liked Richard Nixon."

Nixon was in his second term when he resigned over the Watergate scandal in 1974.

The operation saw dozens of Israeli commandos storm the Entebbe Airport where Palestinian and German militants — backed by Ugandan forces — had taken 106 passengers from a hijacked flight from Tel Aviv to Paris. It lasted less than an hour with limited casualties among the commandos and hostages, most of whom were either Israeli or Jewish, making it the stuff of lore given the difficulty and high-risk nature of the mission.

Israel released the files ahead of the raid's 50th anniversary on July 3, and as the nation still grapples with the aftermath of the hostage crisis that began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The attack killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage to Gaza.

The files on the Entebbe raid build on earlier disclosures and what was already known about then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s ad hoc crisis team and show how officials weighed negotiating for the hostages’ release against attempting a long‑range operation that would require Israeli commandos to fly thousands of miles (kilometers) over multiple hostile states.

The team initially insisted there should be no negotiations with the hostage‑takers — the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and West Germany’s Revolutionäre Zellen. The groups, which hijacked the Air France flight from Tel Aviv when it stopped over in Athens, demanded the release of prisoners in multiple countries and warned they would start killing hostages if talks hadn’t delivered by their self‑imposed deadline.

But as the crisis dragged on over six days and pressure from the families of the hostages grew, Israeli leaders gradually became more open to talks, according to a summary of the files released by the Israel State Archives.

“The zero hour is approaching … We believe that a supreme effort must be made and break the ultimatum,” Rabin’s crisis team wrote in one memo, authorizing negotiations over some of the conditions.

Israel has historically negotiated with Palestinian militant groups to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners and detainees even as critics warned the practice could encourage more kidnappings. Entebbe is often viewed as a moment when Israel pivoted -- choosing a risky military operation -- but Friday’s documents suggest otherwise. Behind the scenes, officials moved to force only once negotiations stalled and confidence in a potential operation grew.

According to the documents, Israel took a two-pronged approach. It pushed forward France-led negotiations with Ugandan President Idi Amin, while mocking up blueprints of the airport and preparing to send transport planes to Kenya and onto Uganda to raid the airport under the dark of night.

The commandos broke into the airport and saved all but three hostages killed in the crossfire. During the gunbattle, Israeli forces killed all of the hijackers and dozens of Ugandan soldiers. Only one commando — Yonatan Netanyahu, brother of future Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — was killed.

The operation was criticized by Amin and the Organization of African Unity — the African Union's predecessor organization — which saw the raid as a violation of Uganda’s sovereignty at a moment when it claimed to be negotiating for the hostages’ release.

For Israel, Entebbe was widely seen as a success just four years after all nine Israeli hostages were killed in a German-led rescue attempt at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Still, its leaders knew that military successes would not end conflict.

“Let us not deceive ourselves,” Rabin wrote in one of the memos released Friday. “It was an extraordinary operation and achievement. However, the problem is not over. Terrorism continues to operate. What other problems terrorism will pose to us and what lessons we must learn from this matter, it is too early to say. We have finished one battle, but the war continues.”

ATF, the federal agency responsible for enforcing the nation’s gun laws, told The Associated Press that it discontinued what it called a “pilot” program using a tool called Webloc after Rep. Michael Cloud, a Republican from Texas, and Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, expressed reservations about the agency's use of bulk commercial location data.

Webloc, which is made by a vendor called Penlink, sources data from consumer apps and advertising networks, which collect the location of mobile devices from consumers who download apps or browse the web. Such data is sometimes called “ad tech” and has been controversial in criminal law enforcement as it allows agencies to bypass warrant requirements to identify the mobile devices present in certain areas at specific times.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that police needed a warrant to obtain historic movement data from cellphone companies on a criminal suspect. But it has never addressed the growing practice of commercially acquired data.

Other users of Webloc include the U.S. military and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement but also local law enforcement agencies such as police in places like Elk Grove, Calif. and Durham, N.C. The technology has also expanded around the world, with the national police in El Salvador and Hungarian intelligence agencies as customers, according to a report from earlier this year from Citizen Lab, a group of researchers at the University of Toronto who investigate digital threats to civil society.

“A victory for Americans’ constitutional rights”

ATF said in a statement that it determined that the tool “does not meet our needs.” The agency said it is not using any other ad-tech-sourced services.

“ATF continually evaluates tools and techniques to enhance our investigations and ultimately reduce violent crime in American communities. We did conduct a pilot with Webloc to determine if it could improve our investigative capabilities,” an ATF spokesperson said in an email.

Wyden called ATF’s decision to abandon the software “a victory for Americans’ constitutional rights.”

“For years, I have warned that the government’s purchase of Americans’ location data from shady data brokers is an unacceptable end-run around the Fourth Amendment,” Wyden said in a statement. After Rep. Cloud and my staff informed the ATF about the legal and privacy quagmire surrounding adtech data, the agency did the right thing.”

Under questioning from Cloud, ATF Director Robert Cekada acknowledged in a congressional hearing in May that the agency had been buying geolocation data on American cell phones.

After the hearing, Wyden and Cloud’s office were briefed by ATF. In a joint press release, the two lawmakers said they learned ATF had conducted more than 300 warrantless searches using the tool — including more than 200 tied to active ATF cases.

In one instance involving suspected arson at a facility belonging to a U.S. defense contractor, both a prosecutor and a judge expressed concerns about the use of Webloc ad tech data, according to the two lawmakers. The agency “was ultimately forced to backtrack and obtain a traditional court order for bulk cellphone tower data” from cell carriers instead, Wyden and Cloud said in a release.

Webloc was originally made by an Israeli company called Cobwebs before it was bought and merged with a U.S. company called Penlink.

Penlink said in a statement that it is “proud to have a long-standing relationship with ATF that has enabled us to support its mission to protect America’s communities from violent crime involving the illegal use of firearms, explosives and arson.” The company added that it “looks forward to continuing our relationship in support of that mission.”

Practice continues in other government agencies

Other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security continue to buy commercial geolocation data.

DHS issued a request for information to private industry in January asking about how commercially available advertising data might be used to assist in its deportation and law enforcement mission. And earlier this year, FBI director Kash Patel told the Senate: “We do purchase commercially available information that’s consistent with the constitution and the laws under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and it has led to some valuable intelligence for us.”

A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Wyden, Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio, and Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, have introduced a bill that would ban the practice of buying data without a judicial order.

The crash happened on Thursday at about 1:30 a.m. on Route 501 at the intersection of Route 841.

Authorities say 64-year-old Harald Dee Hiser, Jr. of Buena Vista was riding north on a Harley Davidson when he hit a deer and was thrown from the motorcycle.

He died at the scene, according to Virginia State Police.

The crash is still under investigation.

Hours after Paris police authorities said they wanted the event canceled, the French athletics federation (FFA) confirmed that it would take place on Sunday at Charlety Stadium, in agreement with the police prefecture.

Citing the exceptional heat that has affected Paris since June 21, the police prefecture had asked organizers of the meet, and other events scheduled this weekend including a music festival and a Pride march, to cancel.

The prefecture said it would be forced to comply with the order if they didn’t agree voluntarily as emergency services needed to concentrate their efforts on protecting the most vulnerable people.

Noah Lyle, Femke Bol and Mondo Duplantis are among the athletes expected to compete in Paris.

The FFA, which organizes the meet, said it would be staged in “an adapted format designed to ensure the safety of all participants.”

Only competitions involving professional athletes will be held, with all other activities cancelled.

“Since the beginning of this extreme weather event, the French Athletics Federation has been closely monitoring the situation in constant coordination with government authorities. The safety of athletes, coaches, volunteers, officials, spectators and all staff involved remains our highest priority,” the FFA said.

Among the measures put in place to mitigate the effects of the heat, the FFA cited delaying the opening of the stadium gates to the public, reinforcing medical and emergency services and providing additional drinking water stations and shaded areas.

The average temperature recorded at 30 weather stations by the Meteo France weather agency on Thursday reached 30 degrees C (86F) again, matching the record for the hottest day nationwide set the previous day.

More than three-quarters of France has been placed under a red weather alert for the first time.

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