Three people on the cruise died, including a Dutch couple that health officials believe were the first exposed to the virus while visiting South America.

The passenger with the latest confirmed hantavirus case was in quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid. Other Spanish nationals taken from the cruise ship to the same hospital have all tested negative for the virus, the health ministry said.

With the evacuation of all passengers and many crew members completed, the MV Hondius is now sailing back to the Netherlands, where it will be cleaned and disinfected.

The director of the World Health Organization, who was in Madrid, said confirmed and suspected cases have only been reported among the cruise ship's passengers or crew.

“At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general. He added: “But of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.”

Meanwhile, a dozen staff members at a Dutch hospital where a hantavirus patient is being treated were told to quarantine after incorrectly handling bodily fluids.

A French woman evacuated from the stricken ship and taken to a Paris hospital remained in intensive care in stable condition, according to the French government.

Health authorities say it’s the first hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. While there is no cure or vaccine for hantavirus, the WHO says early detection and treatment improves survival rates.

Argentina sending experts to investigate source of outbreak

Argentina’s health ministry said Tuesday a team of scientific experts will be dispatched in the coming days to investigate the origin of outbreak.

A Dutch couple, identified by the WHO as the first cruise passengers infected with hantavirus, spent several months in Argentina and neighboring South American countries before boarding the cruise ship. The husband and wife later died.

Argentine officials have said the couple took a bird-watching tour that included a stop at a garbage dump where they may have been exposed to rodents carrying the infection. The health ministry said its team will investigate the landfill and other locations the couple visited where rats known to carry the virus are found.

The evacuation of the MV Hondius is complete

A total of 87 passengers and 35 crew were escorted from the ship to shore in Tenerife by personnel in full-body protective gear and breathing masks in a carefully choreographed effort that ended Monday night.

Two aircraft arrived in the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven overnight carrying Dutch nationals as well as passengers from Australia and New Zealand and crew members from the Philippines. All were placed into quarantine, according to the Dutch government.

Some crew stayed aboard the ship and set course for the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, said ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions.

Hantavirus usually spreads from rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people. But the Andes virus detected in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread between people in rare cases. Symptoms — which can include fever, chills and muscle aches — usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure.

WHO chief Tedros has advised that returning passengers should stay in quarantine, either in their homes or in other facilities, for 42 days. He added that WHO cannot enforce its guidance, and that different countries may handle the monitoring of passengers without symptoms in different ways.

Dutch hospital staff quarantined

Twelve employees at a Dutch hospital where a passenger from the Hondius is being treated have to quarantine for six weeks after improperly handling bodily fluids, Radboud University Medical Center said in a statement Monday night.

The “risk of infection is low” the hospital said, but was requiring the dozen employees to go into preventive quarantine as a “precaution.”

The hospital in the eastern city of Nijmegen received a passenger last week from one of the evacuation flights that landed in the Netherlands and the person has since tested positive for hantavirus.

Blood and urine from the patient should have been handled “according to a stricter procedure,” the hospital said.

___

This story has been corrected to show that the WHO says nine hantavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide. Two suspected cases have been reported but not confirmed. ___

Bynum reported from Savananh, Georgia. Associated Press writers Suman Naishadham in Madrid; Molly Quell in The Hague, Netherland; Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Isabel DeBre in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

Dozens of Labour lawmakers are calling on Starmer to resign, though several ministers publicly spoke of their support for Starmer as they left a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

The prime minister has insisted he has no intention of resigning. Starmer could be forced out if one-fifth of sitting Labour lawmakers, or at least 80 or them, agree to back a lawmaker to challenge him. So far, no formal leadership challenge has been triggered.

In a blow to Starmer, a junior minister became the first member of his government to quit on Tuesday.

Here's the latest:

Starmer could be latest PM turned out by revolving door of British politics

If Keir Starmer steps aside, Britain could get its fifth prime minister in four years.

Starmer’s Labour Party ousted the Conservatives in 2024 following 14 years in power that saw a series of chaotic leadership changes.

Liz Truss replaced Boris Johnson in September 2022 but only lasted 45 days after announcing unfunded tax cuts that spooked markets.

The party elected Rishi Sunak to succeed her, but he failed to rally public support for the Tories who were badly beaten by Starmer’s party in the general election.

US ambassador to London speaks about ‘frequent turnover’ of British leaders

Ambassador Warren Stephens was asked about whether political instability in the U.K. makes it more difficult for Washington to work with the British government.

“I don’t really think so. I think the policies don’t really change that much so long as the party in power is still in power,” he told LBC Radio.

“But certainly the ability to have personal relationships matters, and to the extent that there’s frequent turnover, that’s a problem,” he said.

Stephens added that the special U.K.-U.S. relationship “goes on regardless of who our political leaders are.”

Doctor quits Starmer’s government

A junior health minister is the latest to quit Keir Starmer’s government, blaming him for massive election losses last week in Scotland.

In a letter to Starmer, Dr. Zubir Ahmed wrote that at “door after door your name was specifically cited as the driving reason” Labour voters in Scotland had turned away from the party.

“It is clear from recent days, that the public across the U.K. has now irretrievably lost confidence in you as Prime Minister,” Ahmed said.

He said the U.K. government had inadvertently been the “midwife” that delivered the Scottish National Party to a fifth term leading the parliament in Scotland, which he said was “as intolerable as it was avoidable.”

Ahmed said he was resigning with a “heavy heart” after his achievements were “dwarfed and undermined by a lack of values-driven leadership.”

More than 100 Labour lawmakers reportedly sign a statement rejecting a leadership contest

Amid a flurry of calls within Starmer’s Labour Party for him to step down, British media report that some 100 lawmakers signed a statement supporting the prime minister.

The BBC, Press Association and others reported that lawmakers urged party members to “work together to deliver the change the country needs” after Labour suffered heavy losses at local elections across the U.K. last week.

“We must focus on that. This is no time for a leadership contest,” the statement reportedly said.

Downing Street statement silent on political chaos

In a statement about the Cabinet meeting earlier Tuesday, Starmer’s office said senior ministers are focused on the conflict in the Middle East and getting the Strait of Hormuz reopened.

It made no mention of the growing calls from Labour lawmakers for Starmer to resign, or his pledge to “get on with governing.”

Starmer appeared to be carrying on with the business of government, chairing a committee on responding to the Middle East conflict around noon.

Another minister resigns

Alex Davies-Jones, the minister for tackling violence against women and girls, wrote in a letter to Starmer to “act in the country’s interest and set out a timetable for your departure.”

She called Starmer a “good and honest man,” but described the scale of Labour’s defeat at last week’s local elections as “catastrophic.”

“The country has spoken and we must listen,” she wrote. “We waited fourteen years to get into power and change the lives of those we represent. The time now is for bold, radical action.”

“We have needed to do more and therefore it is with a very heavy heart that I feel I have no choice but to resign,” she said.

Second minister resigns from Keir Starmer’s government

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has lost a second member of his government amid a growing chorus of Labour Party members to resign.

Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, announced her resignation in a letter Tuesday.

“I think you are a good man fundamentally, who cares about the right things,” she wrote. “However I have seen first-hand how that is not enough.”

“I know you care deeply, but deeds, not words are what matter,” she added. “I want a Labour government to work and I will strive as I always have for its success and popularity, but I’m not seeing the change I think I, and the country expect, and so cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership.”

The king’s speech

The political crisis engulfing Starmer’s government comes just hours ahead of the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday.

King Charles III will deliver the King’s Speech to mark the beginning of a new parliamentary year. The speech, which is written by officials but read out by the monarch, will set out the government’s legislative agenda for the coming months.

“As far as I’m aware, the King’s Speech is going ahead tomorrow,” Starmer’s chief secretary, Darren Jones, said.

Growing number of lawmakers demand Starmer stand down

At least 80 out of Labour’s 403 lawmakers have now demanded the prime minister stand down, or at least set out a timetable for his departure, after Labour suffered heavy losses in local elections last week.

However, so far no Labour lawmaker has announced they will challenge Starmer for the leadership.

What to know about contenders who could replace Starmer as Britain’s Labour leader

While there is no clear frontrunner to replace Starmer, here are some of the leading contenders for the top job:

1. Wes Streeting - The health secretary is widely regarded as one of the government’s best communicators and has led on one of its key pledges, improving the creaky National Health Service.

2. Angela Rayner - the former deputy prime minister has long set herself apart as a different kind of politician with a compelling personal story. She was brought up in social housing and left school at 16 as a teen mother.

3. Andy Burnham - The former cabinet minister has long been seen as a potential rival for Starmer. But his leadership prospects were dented after Labour blocked him from standing as the party’s candidate for Parliament.

4. Ed Miliband - The energy secretaryis a former Labour leader, but his five years at the top of the party ended in the party’s 2015 election defeat.

5. Shabana Mahmood - The home secretary has become a favorite of many on the right of the Labour Party with her moves to tighten border controls and crack down on immigration.

British minister says ‘cabinet united’ around Starmer

A cabinet member in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government said there was no direct challenge to his leadership at Tuesday’s meeting.

Jenny Chapman, minister of international development, said she did not think Starmer’s authority had been destroyed by dozens of Labour Party members calling for him to step down.

“That’s not what I have just seen around the Cabinet table,” she told reporters outside 10 Downing St. “I saw a Cabinet united and focused on dealing with the issues that are confronting the British people.”

UK health secretary ignores shouted questions

U.K. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, long believed to be preparing for a leadership challenge against U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, didn’t comment as he left the Cabinet meeting at Downing Street.

“Wes Streeting, do you want the job, or not?” one person yelled from across the street. “Are you measuring the curtains?”

He was among senior ministers who dodged a barrage of shouted questions from a scrum of reporters gathered outside.

Starmer showing ‘steadfast leadership,’ Cabinet minister says

U.K. Business Secretary Peter Kyle has voiced support for embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer is showing “really steadfast leadership,” Kyle told reporters as he left the Cabinet meeting.

Kyle says the meeting discussed the economy and issues facing society. He said that he was on his way to Brussels to deepen the U.K. relationship with the European Union — one of the goals Starmer announced Monday as he delivered a speech aimed at winning back support.

No one has made a leadership challenge yet, official says

A U.K. official says that nobody had yet made a challenge to the leadership of U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“The prime minister talked about the challenges we faced as a country, the crisis in the Middle East and the impact on the cost of living here,” Liz Kendall, the secretary of science, innovation and technology, told reporters as she left a Cabinet meeting.

“This government will do what we were elected to do, which is serve the British people. The prime minister has my full support in this,” Kendall said.

“There is a process to challenge the leader. Nobody has made that challenge,” she said.

Treasury chief pulls out of business event

U.K. Treasury chief Rachel Reeves won’t be taking part in a London risk summit that she was due to appear at after attending a Cabinet meeting.

Her place will be taken by Treasury minister Lucy Rigby.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government is in turmoil as dozens of Labour Party lawmakers joined calls for him to quit, after poor local election results for the party last week.

UK housing secretary urges support for Starmer

Housing Secretary Steve Reed has urged Labour Party colleagues to support Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he faces calls to step down.

Reed posted a message on social media during a meeting of Starmer’s Cabinet.

“This is not a game,” Reed said on X. “This instability has consequences for people’s lives. The people who will be hurt most will be those that elected us less than two years ago. We must unite behind the Prime Minister.”

Treasury chief pulls out of business event

The Treasury confirmed that Rachel Reeves has pulled out of a London risk summit she was expected to take part in after attending a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Her place will be taken by Treasury minister Lucy Rigby.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government is in turmoil as dozens of his Labour Party lawmakers joined calls for him to quit Tuesday.

Starmer resolves to stay in office

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer doubled down Tuesday on his resolve to stay in office, despite calls to step down.

Starmer told Cabinet ministers that he took responsibility for devastating losses that his center-left Labour Party suffered in last week’s local elections across the U.K., but he would fight on.

Starmer said there’s a process to oust a leader and that hadn’t been triggered.

“The country expects us to get on with governing,” he said. ”That is what I am doing and what we must do.”

Junior minister quits UK government

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer lost the first member of his government Tuesday as he faced pressure to step down following losses in local elections.

Housing, communities and local government minister Miatta Fahnbulleh stepped down and urged Starmer “to do the right thing for the country” and set a timetable to step aside.

Fahnbulleh, a junior minister who is considered to be on the left of the party, said that she was proud of her service, but that the government hadn't acted with the vision, pace and mandate for change it had been given by voters.

How Starmer could be replaced

The next U.K. national election doesn’t have to be held until 2029, but British politics allows parties to change leader midterm without the need for a general election.

If it comes to it, the simplest option would be for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to announce his intention to resign, triggering an election for the Labour leadership. A resignation announcement could possibly come if members of his Cabinet tell Starmer in their regular meeting on Tuesday that he has lost too much support within the party.

If Starmer doesn’t resign, he could face a challenge from one or more Labour lawmakers.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called it a “preventable tragedy of enormous consequence.”

The indictment names Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd., based in Chennai, India. Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national who was technical superintendent for the Dali container ship, was also charged.

The Dali, bound for Sri Lanka, lost power twice in a four-minute span as it moved to sea from the Port of Baltimore, causing it to crash into the Key Bridge on March 24, 2024. Investigators say a loose wire in a switchboard likely caused the first power loss that caused its steering to fail.

After regaining power, the ship found itself in trouble again. The Dali turned to a certain pump to supply fuel to two generators but the pump was not designed to automatically restart after the first blackout, so a second blackout occurred, the indictment says.

The ship crashed into a supporting column of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m.

If the Dali had used the proper fuel pumps, according to the indictment, the vessel would have regained power in time to safely get under the bridge. It crashed instead, killing six construction workers who had been filling potholes.

“As alleged, the bridge was struck and collapsed because those who were responsible for the ship’s operation deliberately cut corners at the expense of safety,” said Jimmy Paul, head of the FBI’s Baltimore office.

The companies and Nair are charged with conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstructing an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and making false statements. Messages seeking comment about the indictment were not immediately returned.

The Synergy companies are also charged with misdemeanors for the release of pollutants into the Patapsco River, including shipping containers and their contents.

The FBI's investigation focused on the vessel’s operations and whether the crew knew of critical systems issues before leaving port. The NTSB found that the two electrical blackouts disabled the controls of the huge cargo ship before it crashed into the bridge.

The ship had experienced two blackouts in port a day earlier, but Synergy didn’t investigate or report those as required and provided false information to the NTSB, the government alleges.

Maryland officials estimate it could cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion to replace the bridge, which is expected to be open to traffic in late 2030.

“The altered skyline is a constant reminder of this tragedy,” Paul said.

But the true cost of the collapse was far greater, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. It halted shipping at the Port of Baltimore, disrupted the livelihoods of thousands, rerouted road traffic through communities already bearing disproportionate burdens and triggered economic problems statewide.

The indictment comes on the heels of a settlement in principle between the State of Maryland, Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Singapore-based ship owner, Attorney General Anthony Brown announced in April.

That lawsuit alleged the crash was the result of negligence, mismanagement and the reckless operation of a vessel that was not seaworthy and should never have left port. Plaintiffs include the families of the six construction workers who died, owners of cargo that was on the ship and local governments seeking damages for economic losses. The details of the settlement haven’t been disclosed and some portions of the lawsuit remain unresolved.

The state sought damages on behalf of its agencies for the destruction of the bridge, harm to the Patapsco River and surrounding environment, lost revenues and economic losses to Maryland and its residents.

The settlement does not resolve any claims the state has against the shipbuilder, Hyundai, the attorney general’s office said in April.

The bridge, a longstanding Baltimore landmark, was a vital piece of transportation infrastructure that allowed drivers to easily bypass downtown. The original 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) steel span took five years to build and opened to traffic in 1977.

___

White reported from Detroit.

“It’s just not true,” lawyer Marc Agnifilo said as closing arguments began in the retrial of an allegation that Weinstein raped hairstylist and actor Jessica Mann in a New York hotel in 2013. “She has taken on a false narrative about all of this.”

Prosecutors will get their turn later Tuesday to make their case to the jury, which will have to sift through the complexities of a yearslong relationship between Weinstein and Mann.

They met in early 2013, when she was trying to make it big in Hollywood. She testified that she anticipated a professional connection, was taken aback when he started making sexual advances but decided to have a relationship with the then-married, Oscar-winning producer.

A few weeks later, according to Mann, Weinstein abruptly took a room at a hotel where she and a friend were staying. When she accompanied Weinstein upstairs to tell him she didn't want a sexual interlude, she testified, he trapped her in the room, grabbed her arms, insisted she undress, went into the bathroom for a time, and then raped her.

“He just treated me like he owned me,” she testified last month.

Weinstein didn't testify, but his defense contends the encounter was consensual and part of a caring relationship that Mann fostered and leaned on until Weinstein’s #MeToo downfall in 2017, when news reports about allegations against him propelled a global campaign against sexual assault and sexual harassment. He has said he behaved “wrongly” but never assaulted anyone.

He was convicted in 2020 of raping Mann, got the conviction overturned, then saw a jury deadlock on it at a retrial last year.

In summations Tuesday, Agnifilo suggested that parts of Mann's account were ill-supported and implausible, and he underscored the warm email exchanges and continued get-togethers she had with Weinstein before and after the alleged rape.

“Throughout the four years, she is going to Harvey Weinstein for things that she needs, and Harvey Weinstein is doing the best that he can,” by supporting her acting ambitions and giving her emotional support, Agnifilo said. “They are emotionally close. She relies on him. He is a very important person in her life, and she lets him know that.”

Whatever the outcome of the trial, the former movie producer and studio boss still will stand convicted of other sex crimes in New York and California, though he is appealing those convictions.

The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they agree to be named, as Mann has done.

All three are expected to be fine in time for the World Cup, but others have not been so fortunate.

France's Hugo Ekitike sustained an Achilles injury in April that could take more than six months to fully recover, ruling him out of the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and possibly the start of next season.

Brazil stars Rodrygo and Éder Militão are definitely out. So is Bayern Munich and Germany forward Serge Gnabry after injuring his adductor in training.

Arsenal defender Ben White is out of contention for the World Cup after sustaining medial ligament damage. The Premier League leader confirmed the injury on Tuesday and said the England international would be out for the rest of the season.

Players and coaches have increasingly warned about the impact of an ever-packed playing schedule, and the expanded World Cup comes a year after the relaunched, supersized Club World Cup. The Champions League has also been expanded in recent years.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta describes the demand on players as “an accident waiting to happen."

With the World Cup just around the corner and the biggest club prizes up for grabs in the final weeks of the season for many top leagues, players are walking a tightrope to avoid injury before the tournament kicks off.

Players definitely ruled out of the World Cup

Argentina: Joaquín Panichelli (ACL)

Brazil: Éder Militão (hamstring), Rodrygo (ACL)

England: Ben White (medial ligament)

France: Hugo Ekitike (Achilles)

Germany: Serge Gnabry (adductor)

Netherlands: Xavi Simons (ACL)

United States: Cameron Carter-Vickers (Achilles), Patrick Agyemang (Achilles)

Ones to watch

Algeria: Goalkeeper Luca Zidane, the son of France icon Zinedine Zidane, is a doubt after a facial injury during an on-field collision last month.

Argentina: Cristian Romero has been ruled out for the season with a knee injury. It has not yet been confirmed if he is out of the World Cup, with Tottenham not giving a timeframe for his recovery.

Canada: Star left back Alphonso Davies injured his hamstring with just over a month to go before the tournament starts when he was hurt during Bayern Munich's exit to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semifinals.

Croatia: Veteran midfielder Luka Modrić broke his cheekbone last month but is expected to be available for the World Cup. Defender Joško Gvardiol returned to training for Manchester City in earlier May after four months out with a broken leg.

Morocco: Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has been sidelined with a right thigh injury.

United States: Midfielder Johnny Cardoso sprained his right ankle five weeks before the World Cup while training with Atletico Madrid.

___

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

___

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

Already, testimony about Altman's turbulent tenure at the ChatGPT maker has become prime fodder for internet jokes. One piece of evidence that has inspired countless memes was a text exchange between Altman and a company officer, Mira Murati, in 2023 during his short-lived ouster as CEO, when Altman asked if things were moving “directionally good or bad” and she wrote back: "Sam this is very bad."

Musk, the world's richest man, is seeking Altman's second ouster from the company leadership as part of a civil lawsuit accusing him of betraying their shared vision for OpenAI. Since its start as a nonprofit funded primarily by Musk, OpenAI has evolved into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion.

Even if Musk loses, the trial has invited further scrutiny of Altman’s leadership at a pivotal time for the company and its competition with Musk’s own AI firm and another rival, Anthropic, formed by a group of seven ex-OpenAI leaders. All three firms are moving toward planned initial public offerings that are expected to be some of the largest ever.

A jury that’s already heard about Altman’s character from a parade of his former allies and adversaries will ultimately decide the verdict. But the repercussions could reverberate widely.

“This is not looking good for any of them, and I think that that’s a little bit unfortunate for the AI industry at a time when the public perception of AI is quite negative and seems to be getting worse,” said Sarah Kreps, director of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute.

Musk warned Altman would be one of America's ‘most hated’ men

The lawsuit accuses Altman and his top lieutenant, Greg Brockman, of double-crossing Musk by straying from the San Francisco company’s founding mission to be an altruistic steward of a revolutionary technology. The lawsuit alleges they shifted into a moneymaking mode behind his back.

Shortly before the trial began, Musk abandoned a bid for damages for himself and instead is seeking an unspecified amount of money to be paid to fund the altruistic efforts of OpenAI’s charitable arm. In a text exchange with Brockman proposing a possible settlement, Musk warned that Brockman and Altman “will be the most hated men in America” as a result of the trial.

While Musk, the head of SpaceX, Tesla and a slew of other companies, was well known by the San Francisco Bay Area jury pool, fewer knew who Altman was before the start of the trial, even if they were familiar with ChatGPT.

As the trial has played out in a federal courtroom in Oakland, California over the last two weeks, jurors have heard from witnesses including OpenAI ex-board members Helen Toner and Tasha McCauley, who spoke about the decision to fire Altman in 2023 before they were themselves ousted from the board of directors when Altman returned to his role.

In video testimony last week, Toner said a starting point for the decision to oust Altman was when OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, a respected AI scientist, reached out to confide some of his own concerns.

“A phrase we used was ‘a pattern of behavior,’ so no one single cause,” Toner said. “The pattern of behavior related to his honesty and candor, his resistance of board oversight.”

Sutskever was instrumental in the unsuccessful attempt to oust Altman but later said he regretted his role in the shakeup. In his own testimony Monday, Sutskever confirmed that he wrote a 2023 memo to OpenAI’s board that characterized Altman as pitting his executives against one another and exhibiting a “consistent pattern of lying” that was causing a loss of trust and productivity.

Sutskever said Altman’s behavior contributed to an environment that was “not conducive” to the company's goals, including its mission to safely build artificial general intelligence. But he said he later backtracked and signed a letter supporting Altman’s reinstatement.

“I felt that, had I not done this, the company would have been destroyed, and I felt that this was a Hail Mary,” he testified.

OpenAI begins presenting its side

The trial has carried risks also for Musk, who is pursuing an initial public offering this summer for his rocket ship maker, SpaceX, which could make him the world's first trillionaire.

Sutskever testified to his early admiration for Musk's competence as an entrepreneur but said that once they were working together as co-founders, Musk's push for a controlling stake in the startup “just felt aggressive to me.”

Among the witnesses has been Shivon Zilis, a former OpenAI board member who served as a conduit between Musk and OpenAI's leaders and didn't initially disclose that Musk was the father of her two young twins, according to trial testimony.

Not until midday Monday, on the third week of the trial, did OpenAI begin calling its own witnesses, starting with Bret Taylor, the current chair of OpenAI’s board who painted a more positive portrait of Altman’s leadership.

“I think Sam has done a great job as CEO,” Taylor said. “He’s been forthright with me and the other board members.”

Syracuse University professor Shubha Ghosh, an expert in business and technology law, said regardless of the outcome of the case, he has doubts about Altman staying on as CEO of OpenAI in the long run.

“A lot this of might depend upon a testimony,” he said. “And I don’t know what he’s going to say or how he’s gonna say it. But even like the best case, movie theater type performance, with all the music playing and the angels descending or whatnot, I don’t see him coming off as a fairly strong leader, especially (since) this case has gone this far."

____

O'Brien contributed from Providence, Rhode Island.

The Omaha-area district, where Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon is retiring, is one of the Democratic Party's biggest targets this midterm season. It's also a national focus every four years in presidential contests because Nebraska is one of just two states that splits its electoral votes. The 2nd District has gone to Democratic presidential candidates three out of five times since 2008 — a “blue dot” in an otherwise sea of red.

Three Democrats are seen as the top contenders in Tuesday's primary: state Sen. John Cavanaugh, political activist Denise Powell and district court clerk Crystal Rhoades. Republican Brinker Harding, an Omaha City Council member endorsed by President Donald Trump, is running unopposed on the GOP side.

Cavanaugh, more than anyone else on Tuesday's ballot, has been under attack from both parties.

Some Democratic opponents argue that a primary victory for Cavanaugh would jeopardize the district's “blue dot” status because he'd be leaving his valuable state legislative seat, making it easier for Republicans in the Nebraska Legislature to change the law that allows the state to split its electoral votes.

The issue has defined the primary contest perhaps more than any other.

Opponents say the ‘blue dot’ is in danger

The Democratic argument against Cavanaugh has little to do with his politics or policies.

His opponents and groups backing them have flooded mailboxes, airwaves and social media warning that if he wins the congressional primary, Nebraska's Republican governor would appoint a conservative Republican to replace him in the Legislature.

That move, they say, could give state Republicans enough votes to enact a conservative wish list that includes stricter limitations on abortion and transgender rights.

It could also empower Republicans to enact midcycle redistricting or change the state's unusual system of splitting presidential electoral votes, some Democrats argue. Republicans failed in 2024 to pass a bill that would have made Nebraska the 49th state to award its Electoral College votes on a winner-take-all basis.

“Our Blue Dot. We fought hard for it. But if John Cavanaugh goes to Congress, it could all fall down,” cautions one TV ad by the super PAC New Democrat Majority.

EMILY’s List, a national group that supports women running for office, has put its reach and money behind Powell, calling Cavanaugh’s candidacy “a gift to MAGA Republicans.”

Republican groups also target Cavanaugh

Republican groups have sent out mailers and social media posts claiming Cavanaugh “is in agreement with President Donald Trump” and showing a photo of Cavanaugh overlaid on a photo of the president, making it appear as if the two are standing together.

“Clearly, the Republicans know that I’m the strongest general election candidate,” Cavanaugh said. “And so they’re trying to hurt me.”

The attacks on Cavanaugh show Democrats and Republicans believe he has the best chance of winning the general election, said Paul Landow, a former Nebraska Democratic Party executive director.

He called the “blue dot” attacks disingenuous, noting Republicans already have a filibuster-proof majority in the Legislature but have still failed to pass key elements of their agenda because it is unpopular even among GOP lawmakers. The argument that a Cavanaugh win could weaken the state’s “blue dot” also assumes Democrats won’t pick up additional legislative seats this year, he said.

“There’s so many things that have to fall into place for this alleged danger to the ‘blue dot,’” Landow said. “It’s just wild speculation.”

The Democratic primary grows contentious

While all the Democratic contenders cite affordability and opposition to Trump administration policies — from immigration and healthcare to military actions — the top three contenders began attacking one another more aggressively in the days leading up to the primary.

Candidates and allied groups have spent more than $2.6 million on TV and digital advertising since Jan. 1, according to the advertising tracking company AdImpact. Nearly all of that has been by or on behalf of Cavanaugh and Powell.

Cavanaugh has spent about $375,000. Powell's campaign has spent almost as much — $345,000 — but with the help of groups backing her, campaign advertising has been overwhelmingly pro-Powell.

Powell co-founded Women Who Run Nebraska, a political action committee that supports progressive female candidates, and she has a decade of Democratic political activism. She's never held office but said her deep connections have helped her with independents and third-party voters who make up nearly 30% of the district's electorate.

“My name recognition has increased dramatically,” Powell said, adding that "people are really connecting with my message.”

Rhoades carries her own name recognition after 20 years in public service and running a slew of successful local Democratic elections — including that of Omaha Mayor John Ewing, who unseated a longtime Republican last year. Rhoades has raised a fraction of what Cavanaugh and Powell have amassed, but said she's intentionally eschewing campaign ads and instead blanketing the city with door-knocking and personal contact with voters.

Both Powell and Rhoades have leaned heavily into the concern that Democrats' influence in the district will erode if Cavanaugh is elected to Congress.

The winner of Tuesday's primary will head to a highly competitive general election. Trump won the district in 2016, and the retiring Bacon, who has clashed with Trump, has held the House seat for five terms.

Other Tuesday contests

Also on Tuesday's ballot is the race for U.S. Senate, where Republican incumbent Pete Ricketts is seeking a full term, following his 2023 appointment and 2024 special election victory to replace Republican Ben Sasse.

Ricketts faces four Republican primary challengers, but he’s already looking ahead to an expected general election contest against independent candidate Dan Osborn, an industrial mechanic and military veteran who came within 7 points of defeating Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer in her 2024 reelection bid. Running in the Democratic primary are William Forbes and Cindy Burbank.

In the race for governor, incumbent Republican Gov. Jim Pillen faces five primary challengers, while former state Sen. Lynne Walz and frequent candidate Larry Marvin compete for the Democratic nomination. Marvin previously ran for U.S. Senate four times since 2012.

___

Peoples reported from New York.

No note from the victim was recovered and officials determined the cause of death to be suicide based on their postmortem examination, said Sterling McLaren, chief medical examiner for the city and county of Denver. She did not provide further details.

The collision involving the Frontier Airlines plane sparked an engine fire that forced passengers to evacuate. Twelve people sustained minor injuries and five were taken to hospitals. Four have since been released, said airport Chief Executive Officer Phillip Washington.

A black-and-white video released by the airport shows, from a distance, a tiny figure walking toward the runway with arms swaying. The person crosses onto the runway at a slight angle and seconds later the plane is seen speeding past. It strikes the person with its right engine, which bursts into flame upon impact.

—-

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

—-

Passengers were evacuated via slides.

A few minutes before the man scaled the fence, a ground-based radar system activated in the area, triggering an alarm. Security personnel using a surveillance camera saw a herd of deer in the same area but did not initially see the trespasser, Washington said.

He said federal officials notified the airport about the trespasser minutes later. But because of the location and short time period between the man scaling the fence and crossing the runway, he said airport personnel were not able to intervene.

The man crossed about 650 feet (200 meters) from the fence to the runway before being struck by the Frontier Airlines plane traveling at 150 mph (240 kilometers per hour) on takeoff.

The plane’s engine caused the man’s death, McLaren said.

Trespassers breaching airport perimeters is a longstanding and regular problem, with perhaps dozens annually nationwide, said security expert Jeff Price, who assistant director of security at the Denver airport in the 1990s. Denver International Airport is located northeast of the city center and surrounded by about 36 miles of perimeter fence, which airport officials say is continuously inspected.

The vast majority of airport trespassers are intoxicated or simply “messing around just to see if they could do it,” said Price, adding that they typically don't post a real threat. Denver also gets the rare individual who will jump the fence seeking to prove a long-running conspiracy theory about a UFO base being based at the airport, he said.

The Transportation Security Administration oversees airport security programs, including perimeter security requirements.

“It's really not that difficult to jump an airport perimeter fence,” Price said. “They meet the standards for TSA, but the standards are not that robust.”

The fences are typically 6 to 8 feet tall with barbed wire at the top, he said. They must be approved by federal inspectors, but there are no set rules on their construction. Major airports such as Denver also have intrusion detection systems that include cameras and motion sensors. he said. Some systems detect the seismic impact of people dropping to the ground, Price said.

The person was killed on the airport’s easternmost north-south runway and at least 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) from any airport buildings. Empty fields and croplands surround Denver International Airport in most directions. Distant trees and structures in the video showed that the person was headed toward the airport when they crossed the runway.

The Transportation Security Administration has regulatory oversight of airport security programs, including perimeter security requirements.

Separately, the National Transportation Safety Board on Sunday said it is gathering information about the evacuation.

An agency spokesperson said an investigation would be launched if it's determined the injuries meet the agency's definition for “serious." That can include a person requiring hospitalization for more than 48 hours, suffering a broken bone or second- or third-degree burns affecting more than 5% of their body.

Frontier representatives declined to answer questions about the accident and evacuation submitted by email. The company referred The Associated Press to airport authorities.

The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at about 11:19 p.m. on Friday. The pilots aborted takeoff and smoke was reported in the cabin, Frontier Airlines said at the time.

Some people on board expressed concern about the evacuation, including being stuck in the plane for several minutes as smoke filled the cabin and left on the tarmac in the cold once they were out. Video also showed some passengers coming down the slide with what looked to be their carry-on bags.

__

Brown reported from Billings, Montana.

Hegseth has so far softened his tone from previous congressional hearings as he defended the Trump administration’s historic $1.5 trillion military budget request for 2027. The Pentagon’s top budget official told Congress the cost of the war has climbed to nearly $29 billion, up $4 billion from the price he provided nearly two weeks ago.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is facing increasing pressure from the economic shocks of Iran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor where 20% of the world’s oil normally flows.

Here's the latest:

Defense secretary tells senators Trump has authority to resume war

That posture has resulted in some tension between the Republican-controlled Congress and White House.

Presidents are required by law to gain authorization from Congress after 60 days of starting a war. However, the White House has argued that the 60-day deadline no longer applies because the war is currently in a ceasefire.

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski voiced some skepticism to that argument. Pointing to the troops and warships deployed to the region, she said, “It doesn’t appear that that hostilities have ended.”

Murkowski has hinted she may bring legislation that would authorize the use of military force against Iran.

Hegseth claims the US controls the Strait of Hormuz

He claimed to senators that “ultimately we control the Strait, because nothing’s going in that we don’t allow to go in.”

It was a striking statement from the defense secretary at a time when Iran has seized control of the waterway, causing a global spike in fuel prices that’s rippled through other economic sectors. In response, the U.S. has tried to cut off all Iranian traffic through the strait as well.

Hegseth claimed “the economic pressure that creates on them greatly outstrips the pressure on us.”

Cuban diplomat slams Hegseth’s testimony that Havana poses a threat to the US

Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, the Cuban ambassador to the U.N., said Tuesday that it is the U.S., not the small island country, that poses “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to the world and international law.

“Its acts of aggression and threats against Venezuela, Iran, Greenland, Canada, His Holiness the Pope, Palestine, Mexico, Cuba — and an endless list of others — demonstrate this to be true,” Guzman said in a statement.

His comments came hours after Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Florida Republican, asked Hegseth in a congressional hearing whether he believed the Cuban government poses a national security threat to the U.S. The Pentagon chief responded, “I do.”

GOP senator pushes for the military to take a harder line on Iran

There are plenty of lawmakers, including Republicans, who are uneasy with President Donald Trump’s war with Iran. GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham isn’t one of them.

He drew a tough line as he questioned the Trump administration’s efforts to draw down the conflict and questioned the decision to use China and Pakistan as intermediaries in peace negotiations with Iran.

Graham’s ire was mostly aimed at efforts by previous Democratic presidents to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He said those efforts had “failed.”

Graham praised the current war with Iran as “spectacular” and said there should be “more to come.”

White House holds off on beef executive orders

The president on Monday had planned to sign two directives meant to address short-term supply issues in the U.S. beef market.

But the White House is saying it’s reworking the orders a bit.

A White House official, noting that Trump is “committed” to lowering the cost of beef and other groceries, said Tuesday the administration is “accordingly finetuning potential executive actions.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

The two executive orders that had been on tap were meant to expand beef imports and support the renewal of America’s domestic cattle herd.

— Seung Min Kim

Hegseth offers no timeline on details for how Ukraine aid funds will be spent

The defense secretary wouldn’t offer lawmakers a timeline on delivering a plan for what the military will buy with the $400 million that was set aside for Ukraine aid by Congress at the start of the year.

Hegseth said he wanted to make sure U.S. European Command, which has been tasked with determining what the money will be spent on, “is fully informed in how they want to spend this.”

However, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons noted that “it’s May and this has been the law since January, and you or your representatives have been asked this repeatedly on a bipartisan basis by members of this committee.”

Hegseth has only publicly confirmed that he’ll spend the money about two weeks ago when he last appeared before Congress and just a day after Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell called out the Pentagon for withholding the funds in an editorial in The Washington Post.

Sen. Susan Collins critiques Trump administration’s shifting strategy on the Strait of Hormuz

The Republican, who’s in the midst of a reelection campaign for her Maine Senate seat, questioned whether the military anticipated Iran could take actions to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, told her the military’s briefings to the Trump administration “cover and consider the full range of things all the time in our careful consideration of military actions.”

But Collins, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, responded with criticism for the Trump administration’s current strategy.

“It seems there has been a different plan almost daily with dealing with this problem,” she said.

Collins late last month also joined Democrats to vote for failed legislation that would have forced Trump to halt the war with Iran.

Hegseth treads carefully on China but says the US works with regional partners

When pressed by Sen. McConnell about U.S.-China relations, the defense secretary said he wouldn’t speak for the president ahead of his Beijing summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

But Hegseth said the U.S. has “worked very hard in that region, in the Indo-Pacific, with Japan, with the Philippines and others” to prioritize U.S. security and security for its allies around China.

Hegseth said U.S. interests are “amplified by burden sharing of partners who recognize the shared threats that we face and are willing to invest alongside us.”

He insisted that “every aspect” Trump does regarding China “is to ensure that American interests are advanced.”

McConnell had asked explicitly whether Trump is trying “to preserve American primacy or simply to accommodate China’s rise?”

The senator also asked about Trump’s commitment to navigational freedom in the South China Sea. Hegseth said, “Americans ships should — should sail freely. So should others.”

McConnell warns against the administration’s budget approach

The Kentucky Republican got into the weeds on the president’s budget request, noting it’s not a $1.5 trillion annual baseline. Instead, he noted it’s a roughly $1.1 trillion request plus a supplemental bill.

The latter can be passed by “reconciliation,” a process that allows the Republican majority the easiest way to bypass Democrats’ objections. But McConnell suggested the White House think about future years when Republicans may not have the Senate majority.

He said the Pentagon’s approach means it’s putting necessary ongoing funding requests in the supplemental, one-time measure.

McConnell alluded to “continuing resolutions” that have become a common budget device for a divided Congress to extend agencies’ funding even without a larger budget deal. But one-time funding, McConnell noted, cannot be included in those CRs.

“I’m confused by the administration’s failure to prioritize” ongoing funding, the senator said.

Anti-war protester interrupts Hegseth’s opening statement

As Hegseth started his opening statement, a woman stood up and pronounced, “I am an Iranian American and against this war of aggression.”

Within moments, she was removed from the hearing room by Capitol police officers , but she continued to tell the hearing room she was opposed to the war with Iran.

There are a handful more anti-war protesters wearing pink shirts sitting in the back row of the Senate hearing room, but they remained silent. Several of them stood and walked out while Hegseth was talking.

Senate Democrat overseeing defense spending says administration ‘distracted’ from military priorities

Democratic Sen. Chris Coons launched into a wide-ranging critique of how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is leading the military and raised concerns that his decisions are undermining U.S. military priorities.

“I am concerned that we have a distracted administration and a distracted department,” Coons said, adding that “We have a president who seems more focused on a $1 billion ballroom and a victory arch, rather than achieving actual victory.”

Coons also questioned why the administration has withdrawn support from allies in Europe, including Ukraine, at a time when their drone defenses could aid U.S. efforts to counteract drone attacks from Iran.

Sen. Mitch McConnell emphasizes the need for US alliances in a rebuke of Trump’s approach

Without naming Trump, McConnell sternly critiqued the president’s belligerent approach to traditional U.S. allies and he advocated for NATO and defending Ukraine.

The former Republican Senate leader now chairs the Senate’s Appropriations subcommittee. McConnell told Hegseth that strained relationships with democratic allies “only serves our adversaries’ interests and limits our capacity and deterrent power globally.”

McConnell, who voted against Hegseth’s confirmation in 2025, said he wanted to see U.S. assistance previously approved for Ukraine “reach their destination without further delay.”

The senator said such aid is not “charity,” but part of cultivating relationships that can benefit the U.S. in the future.

“I want to hear about the future of capacity building with committed allies and partners,” he said.

“We have things to learn from our friends,” McConnell added, alluding to Ukraine’s success in drone warfare.

Hegseth’s Senate hearing gets underway

The defense secretary has started his hearing before a Senate appropriations panel after spending several hours Tuesday morning testifying before House lawmakers.

The hearing room is packed and there are a handful of anti-war protesters in the audience as well.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy greeted Hegseth with some friendly advice before the hearing got underway. “Don’t let them get you down,” Kennedy told Hegseth.

House panel adjourns with a final push for more information from the Pentagon

The budget subcommittee adjourned with a final bipartisan push for the Pentagon to provide more details about its $1.5 trillion budget request for the coming year.

The leading Democrat and Republican also noted the more professional tenor of the hearing, which did not feature the name-calling and other tense exchanges that have defined Hegseth’s previous Hill appearances.

“This is the way these hearings should be conducted, especially when it’s dealing with national defense,” said McCollum, the ranking Democrat, after urging Hegseth to answer the panel’s questions by the end of next week.

“I thank everyone for a respectful hearing, but we need the information, Mr. Secretary,” she added.

Rep. Ken Calvert, the Republican chair, clarified that the committee wants details both for the Pentagon’s more immediate supplemental funding request and the larger proposal for fiscal 2027.

The subcommittee plans to more formally consider the administration’s requests on June 11.

Hegseth says ceasefire with Iran remains in effect despite exchange of fire

He said “it’s evident” the ceasefire remains in effect in response to questions from lawmakers Tuesday.

“Cease fire means the fire is ceasing and we know that has occurred while negotiations occur,” Hegseth said even as the U.S. military said it intercepted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz last week.

Hegseth also said restarting military escorts of merchant shipping known as Project Freedom “could always recommence should the commander in chief want us to.”

As Trump heads to Beijing, Caine and lawmakers make clear China is a main focus

Caine told the panel the Pentagon wants “a range and mix of capabilities that create outsized dilemmas for XI Jinping and others that are out there, to ensure that we maintain and sustain deterrence.”

He added that it’s “our primary focus” to assess the risks and ensure that Trump and Hegseth can always consider “a range of military options across the world.”

Caine’s statement comes hours before Trump departs for a summit with Xi.

The Joint Chiefs chair was responding to Rep. Hal Rogers. The Kentucky Republican is among several lawmakers raising concerns about China.

Earlier, the chairman of the full Appropriations Committee, Tom Cole, said “China is modernizing its military at a pace and scale that is alarming.”

Rogers, in his questioning of Caine, said he appreciated the administration’s push for more money to bolster U.S. manufacturing for weaponry but cautioned that “we’re competing against the speed” at which China can build up its military.

The cost of the Iran War climbs to nearly $29 billion

The Pentagon’s top budget official told Congress the Defense Department now believes the cost of Operation Epic Fury is “closer to $29 (billion).”

Jules Hurst, the Pentagon comptroller, told Congress in testimony Tuesday that the estimate has climbed from the $25 billion he provided lawmakers nearly two weeks ago “because of updated repair and replacement of equipment ... and also just general operational costs.”

Hegseth claims reports of munition shortages are ‘overstated’

In response to lawmakers arguing the U.S. military is facing issues in replenishing the bombs and missiles it has expended in the war with Iran, Hegseth said the Pentagon is “well aware of all those dynamics.”

“The munitions issue has been foolishly and unhelpfully overstated,” Hegseth claimed before adding “we know exactly what we have, we have plenty of what we need.”

The comments come just days after Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly told “Face the Nation” on Sunday that it’s “shocking how deep we have gone into these magazines.”

Hegseth fired back on social media saying Kelly was “blabbing on TV (falsely & dumbly) about a (asterisk)CLASSIFIED(asterisk) Pentagon briefing he received.”

Hegseth sidesteps question about scaling back the Iran war

The defense secretary wouldn’t say anything specific about the next steps in Iran.

“We have a plan to escalate if necessary. We have a plan to retrograde if necessary. We have a plan to shift assets,” Hegseth told the subcommittee.

He was responding to Rep. Betty McCollum, the panel’s ranking Democrat, asking whether the administration has a “Plan B” to scale back operations.

US consumer prices rise 3.8% as Iran war sends energy prices higher

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that its consumer price index rose 3.8% from April 2025. On a month-to-month basis, April prices rose 0.6% from March as gasoline prices rose 5.4%.

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called consumer core prices rose 0.4% last month from March and 2.8% from April 2025, relatively modest readings that suggest the energy price burst isn’t spilling over much yet into other prices.

Inflation had been dropping more or less steadily since peaking with a 9.1% year-over-year spike in prices in June 2022, a surge caused by supply chain bottlenecks at the end of COVID-19 lockdowns and an energy price shock following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But inflation remained above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.

Then, the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, and Tehran responded by shutting off access to the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes. Energy prices rocketed in response.

▶ Read more

Defense Secretary Hegseth defends ‘historic’ budget request

Hegseth said the “admittedly a historic budget” the Pentagon is requesting from Congress is “a fiscally responsible budget, and it is a warfighting budget.”

Hegseth argued that the Trump administration inherited a defense industrial base that had been “hollowed out by years of America last policies, resulting in a diminished capability and capacity to project strength.”

However, in contrast with his Congressional testimony two weeks ago, Hegseth struck a much softer tone and did not personally criticize lawmakers in his initial remarks.

Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democrat from Minnesota, specifically noted that “it was disappointing that you referred to members of both parties as defeatist” in previous testimony.

“I will not question your patriotism, nor will you question mine,” she added.

The defense secretary said the $1.5 trillion request also includes a large troop pay increase and “eliminates all poor or failing barracks” while investing heavily in projects championed by President Trump such as the Golden Dome and Golden Fleet.

House Appropriations Committee chair subtly pushes against Trump approach

Rep. Tom Cole, the top Republican on the powerful House money committee, added his concerns about Trump’s approach on the world stage, saying “America First has never meant American alone.”

“American power is most effective when it’s exercised in concert with like minded nations who share our interests and our values,” the chairman said in his opening remarks.

He added an endorsement of NATO as a “critical pillar of collective defense” in the world.

“American strength is not diminished when allies shoulder their share,” he said. “It’s multiplied, and we must continue to sharpen our strategic advantages.”

Cole, an Oklahoma Republican, did not explicitly mention the president or his criticism of NATO and traditional U.S. allies. But his remarks stood as a clear contrast to Trump’s statements and approach.

Top Republican and Democrat open with concerns about Pentagon strategy

Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert, a California Republican, and Ranking Member Betty McCollum, a Democrat from Minnesota, opened the hearing expressing bipartisan worry over the Pentagon’s budget requests, especially to fund the Iran war.

They repeated their request that the Trump administration offer a more detailed breakout of what the war costs and how the Pentagon would spend any budget increase.

“The subcommittee needs to understand how the resources requested in this budget translates into real, measurable improvements in warfighting capability,” Calvert said, adding that he has “serious concerns” about the request.

“Questions persist about whether we are building the depth and reliance required for a high-end conflict,” he said.

McCollum noted that lawmakers have “asked several times for a complete update on ammunition levels, and it has not been provided.”

Lawmakers begin hearing with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine

The House Appropriations’ defense subcommittee has opened its Tuesday session to hear from President Trump’s top advisers on the Iran war.

The hearing is part of a series of congressional budget deliberations. The Pentagon is asking for $1.5 trillion for fiscal 2027, a roughly 44% increase from the current U.S. defense budget.

Hegseth has had contentious exchanges with Democrats in recent appearances on the Hill. But he’s been a staunch defender of the Iran war even as public opinion sours on the conflict.

Room bookings have been lighter than expected in most of the 11 U.S. cities hosting the world’s most watched sporting event, according to an April survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

In several cities, including Kansas City, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle, a majority of hotel operators said bookings were actually running behind typical seasonal demand. In others, including New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston, demand was flat so far compared with a regular spring and summer, according to the association.

The hotel association blamed travel concerns from international fans, worries about wait times for a U.S. visa and the cost of attending the tournament — including high ticket prices and transit costs in some cities— as major factors in the softer-than-expected demand.

“I think everyone had hoped the games would lead an influx of bookings, but with all going on in the world and the USA’s involvement, events are playing out differently for everyone,” said Michael Black, general manager at the Cloud One hotel in Manhattan.

Concerns about softer-than-expected bookings extend to Mexico, which is co-hosting the games with the U.S. and Canada. Hotels in Mexico City, which hosts the tournament’s opening match on June 11, are about 30% to 36% booked, according to the Asociación de Hoteles de Ciudad de México.

High prices may be a factor

Many hotels jacked up their prices after the tournament's schedule was announced, anticipating that soccer fans would pay exorbitant rates if they were able to score tickets to a match.

Near MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, for example, one hotel that normally charges around $200 a night was advertising a rate of $800 on nights around June World Cup matches. The costs soar to more than $1,300 a night ahead of the July 19 final.

Many seasoned fans are probably still waiting for those prices to drop, said Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, a Germany-based fan advocacy group.

“Fans that are used to traveling for tournaments know that this price will always go down,” Evain said. “There are many examples of hotel owners regretting that they priced too high and then panicking at the last minute and reducing prices.”

Others have already likely secured cheaper lodging farther from the stadiums or through Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms, he added.

Indeed, the metropolitan regions around Kansas City, Seattle, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami/Ft. Lauderdale are all enjoying an uptick in short-term rental bookings compared with the same period last year, according to a recent report from AirDNA, a rental data firm that tracks bookings on Airbnb and Vrbo.

Airbnb said last week that the number of guests expected to stay at its rental listings during the tournament is expected to exceed earlier estimates and even end up surpassing the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris as the biggest hosting event in the company’s history.

Unrealistic expectations

More than 5 million tickets have been sold for the tournament so far, out of the more than 6 million expected to be offered for all 104 matches, according to FIFA.

While many of those attending the tournament will be travelers who need hotel rooms, global events like the World Cup also tend to discourage other types of visitors, said Andrew Zimbalist, a Smith College professor who also specializes in the economics of sports.

“The general problem is that soccer tourists — and expected congestion, high prices and security concerns — push away normal business travel and tourism,” he explained.

Vijay Dandapani, president of the Hotel Association of New York City, said city hotels are seeing a modest upswing in summer bookings -- around 10% compared with the previous year — but nowhere close to the windfall promised by FIFA and other tournament boosters.

In Toronto, Canada, which will host six matches, demand for rooms is up about 28% over June 2025, said Sara Anghel, president of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association.

In Kansas City, where some 90% of respondents to the American Hotel & Lodging Association survey reported bookings below expectations, tourism officials are still holding out for a record-breaking number of visitors.

“While hotel occupancy in Kansas City has not followed the trajectory originally predicted by FIFA, there are positive indicators for Kansas City on the horizon,” said Derik Detter, market research director at Visit KC.

Jon Bortz, CEO of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, a real estate investment company that owns dozens of hotels nationally, is equally positive.

Overall, he said, occupancy rates are up at its many host city properties compared with last year, though he acknowledged cities like Boston with more marquee matchups are performing better than cities like San Francisco that host less in-demand games.

“We haven’t seen anything that would cause us to think it’s going to be less than what we were expecting,” he said. “Maybe other people had much grander expectations.”

___

Associated Press reporters David Skretta in Kansas City, Missouri, Carlos Rodriguez in Mexico City and Jim Morris in Vancouver contributed to this story.

___

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

Rather than waning, a national redistricting battle that began 10 months ago has intensified — inflamed by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the federal Voting Rights Act and provided grounds for states to try to eliminate voting districts with large minority populations.

Missouri was the second Republican state after Texas to heed Trump's call last year to redraw congressional districts to help the GOP win additional seats in the midterms. At issue before the Missouri Supreme Court is whether the new districts violate a state constitutional requirement to be compact, and whether they can remain in place for the midterms despite an initiative petition seeking to force a public referendum.

In South Carolina, the issue facing Republican lawmakers is whether redrawing the state's lone Democratic-held seat could open the door to a clean sweep for Republicans or backfire with losses by making more districts competitive for Democrats. State senators have yet to decide whether to allow consideration of a redistricting plan put forth in the House after the legislature's regular work ends Thursday.

Congressional redistricting also is under consideration in Louisiana, where the Supreme Court's recent ruling invalidated a majority-Black district as an illegal racial gerrymander. The state's May 16 congressional primaries already have been postponed. What remains undecided is how many seats Republicans will try to pick up while redrawing the districts.

Alabama also is poised to switch its congressional districts after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday overturned an order mandating use of a map with two largely Black districts. The high court sent the case back to a lower court, where plaintiffs quickly requested a new order stopping Alabama from switching U.S. House districts. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday set an Aug. 11 date for special congressional primaries in the four impacted districts — the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th.

The winner-take-all primaries will select nominees first in the midterms.

“For years, we have fought for this outcome, and I am proud to celebrate this win for Alabamians,” Ivey said.

Republicans think they could gain as many as 14 seats from new House maps enacted so far in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida and Tennessee. Democrats, meanwhile, think they could gain six seats from new maps in California and Utah. The Virginia Supreme Court last week struck down a redistricting effort that could have yielded four more winnable seats for Democrats.

South Carolina weighs political risks of redistricting

A South Carolina House committee is to consider Tuesday whether to send a congressional redistricting plan to the full chamber for debate. The House also appears poised to pass legislation that could delay the June 9 congressional primaries until August to allow time for new districts to be enacted. That comes even as some absentee and overseas military ballots already have been cast.

Any redistricting effort also must clear the Senate, where support is less certain. Two-thirds of senators have to agree before the regular General Assembly session ends Thursday to let the legislature take up redistricting later.

Trump said on social media Monday that he was closely watching the redistricting vote, urging South Carolina senators to “be bold and courageous” and to delay the House primaries so new districts can be drawn.

Although Republicans have a supermajority in the chamber, several senators aren’t sure the proposed map guarantees the GOP will win the seat long-held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn. They also think enough Democratic voters could be pushed into other districts that the plan could backfire, resulting in a 5-2 or even a 4-3 Republican split.

Some also question whether it is fair for Republicans to get all the seats in a state where the Democratic presidential candidate has gotten at least 40% of the vote every election this century, even if Trump is asking for the new map.

Louisiana GOP looks to target one or two seats

State Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, a Republican who oversees the Louisiana Senate committee tasked with redistricting, said his panel plans to vote Tuesday on a U.S. House map, with a full Senate vote expected Thursday.

The committee has several options, including versions that would leave Democrats favored in one district or none. Kleinpeter said a map that eliminated all majority-Black districts would be difficult to defend in court.

Last Friday, dozens of people urged lawmakers to retain two majority-Black districts during a grueling nine-hour hearing that featured civil rights activists and the only four Black congressmen elected to represent the state since the end of Reconstruction.

Missouri map splits Kansas City district

Six Republicans and two Democrats currently represent Missouri in the U.S. House under a map passed by the Republican-led legislature after the 2020 census. But with Trump's backing, Republican state officials adopted a new map last September that improves their chances of winning an additional seat by targeting a Kansas City district held by longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who previously was the city's first Black mayor.

The new House map places portions of Kansas City in neighboring Republican districts and stretches the remainder of Cleaver's 5th District eastward into Republican-heavy rural areas. A state judge in March rejected an assertion that the map violates a constitutional compactness requirement, finding that the new districts on average are more compact — even if the 5th District is not. That was appealed to the state Supreme Court.

A separate case also being argued Tuesday at the state Supreme Court contends the new districts should have been automatically suspended in December when opponents submitted more than 300,000 petition signatures seeking to force a statewide referendum.

Republican Attorney General Catherine Hanaway and Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins contend the new districts can be suspended only if — and after — Hoskins determines the petition meets constitutional requirements and has enough valid signatures. Hoskins has until Aug. 4, the day of Missouri's primary elections, to make that determination.

A state judge in March agreed with Republicans' position while also ruling that the plaintiffs lacked grounds to sue and had done so too soon.

___

Brook reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Chandler from Montgomery, Alabama, Collins from Columbia, South Carolina, and Lieb from Jefferson City, Missouri.

The Labor Department's consumer price index rose 3.8% from April 2025, the biggest jump in three years, and up from a 3.3% year-over-year gain in March. On a month-to-month basis, April prices rose 0.6% from March as gasoline prices rose 5.4%, according to the data released Tuesday. The month-over-month gain was down from 0.9% increase in overall prices from February to March, when the initial shock of the war hit the U.S. economy.

Labor Department figures showed that gasoline prices are up more than 28% compared with a year ago. However, the AAA motor club listed the average regular gallon of gasoline above $4.50 on Tuesday, about 44% more than it cost last year at this time.

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called consumer core prices rose 0.4% last month from March and 2.8% from April 2025, relatively modest readings that suggest the energy price burst has yet to spill over more broadly into prices for other goods.

Grocery prices rose 0.7% from March to April as meat prices rose after they had declined slightly in the month before.

Prices are rising at time when Americans are already frustrated by the high cost of living. Affordability is likely to be a key issue when voters go to the polls Nov. 3 to determine whether President Donald Trump's Republican Party maintains control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

“Inflation is the key drag on the U.S. economy now,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, wrote. “There is a real financial squeeze underway. For the first time in three years, inflation is eating up all wage gains. This is a setback for middle-class and lower-income households and they know it. They are having to cut back on spending and stretch every dollar.”

In April, average hourly wages fell 0.3% from a year earlier after accounting for inflation – the first year-over-year drop in three years.

Inflation had been dropping more or less steadily since peaking with a 9.1% year-over-year spike in June 2022, a surge caused by supply chain bottlenecks at the end of COVID-19 lockdowns and a jolt for energy prices following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But inflation remained has above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.

Then, the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, and Tehran responded by shutting off access to the Gulf of Hormuz through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes. That has sent oil prices, and most visibly gasoline, racing higher.

The Fed, which had been expected to cut its benchmark interest rate in 2026, has turned cautious as it waits to see how long conflict lasts and whether higher energy prices spill over into other products and cause a broader inflationary outbreak.

Trump has lambasted the Fed and its outgoing chair, Jerome Powell, for refusing to slash rates to boost the economy. Kevin Warsh, the president’s hand-picked choice to succeed Powell, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate this week; but it’s unclear whether Warsh would pursue lower rates given the uncertainties arising from the war — or whether he could persuade his colleagues on the Fed’s rate-setting committee to go along if he tried.

Some companies are also starting to feel the pain.

Whirlpool, which makes KitchenAid and Maytag appliances, reported last week that revenue dropped nearly 10% in its most recent quarter and said that the war has caused a “recession-level industry decline″ that has undermined consumer confidence.

Grace King of Ames, Iowa said that higher prices in the food aisle and at the pump are making her cut back on spending for things like clothing. The administrative assistant, 31, used to spend $200 per month on clothing, mostly on Amazon, but not anymore.

“There’s pressure basically everywhere from the groceries that I buy to the gas to fill up the tank,” she said. “I’ve severely cut back on my frill spending.”

For example, King noted that while it’s only a five-minute drive to work, she makes the trip twice a day. And if she needs to do any big shopping, that’s a 40-minute drive to malls in Des Moines, Iowa.

____

AP Retail Writer Anne D'Innocenzio in New York contributed to this story.

Under sunny French Riviera skies, strong breezes gusted though the resort town as Cannes unfurled the red carpet to launch 12 days of nonstop premieres that will culminate May 23 with the presentation of the prestigious Palme d'Or.

Inside the Palais des Festivals, winds of change were likewise blowing. At the introduction of the jury that will decide the Palme d'Or, Cannes' top honor, jury members spoke bluntly about holding a film festival during a time of geopolitical conflict.

Paul Laverty, the Scottish screenwriter known for his films with director Ken Loach, pointed toward this year's Cannes poster, of “Thelma and Louise,” while discussing attending Cannes during what he called “genocide in Gaza.” Quoting “King Lear,” he said: “Madmen lead the blind.”

“Cannes has a wonderful poster,” said Laverty. “Isn’t it fascinating to see some of them like Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo blacklisted because of their views in opposing the murder of women and children in Gaza? Shame on Hollywood people who do that.”

The nine-member jury is being presided over by Park Chan-wook, the South Korean filmmaker of “Oldboy” and “No Other Choice,” who said that politics and cinema go hand in hand.

“Art and politics are not concepts that are in conflict with each other,” said Park. “One cannot disqualify a film on the pretext that it has a political message. Just as one cannot reject a film because it would not be political enough.”

Other jury members include Chloé Zhao, Stellan Skarsgård, Ruth Negga and Demi Moore, who two years ago was celebrated in Cannes for her comeback performance in “The Substance.”

Moore spoke about a topic that's already dominated conversation at this year's festival.

“AI is here, and so to fight it is to, in a sense, to fight something that is a battle that we will lose,” she said. “So to find ways in which we can work with it, I think, is a more valuable path,” she said. “Are we doing enough to protect ourselves? I don’t know. My inclination would be to say probably not.”

A Palme for Peter Jackson

The festival will kick off on Tuesday night with the opening-night film, “The Electric Kiss,” a French period-comedy, and the awarding of an honorary Palme d’Or to the “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson.

What isn’t at Cannes has been as buzzed about as much as what is. Hollywood is largely absent this year.

While recent blockbusters like “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Elvis” have touched down at previous incarnations, studio films this year have been either scared away by the possibility of a rocky reception or by the high cost of flying in A-listers to the Cote d’Azur. The closest thing in Cannes' slate is an anniversary celebration for “Fast & Furious.”

Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux said Hollywood “is reshaping” in the midst of Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

“I hope the studio films will come back,” Frémaux told a press conference on Monday.

Oscar season starts early

Cannes has become better known for its lengthy standing ovations than its boos.

This year, a long list of big-name filmmakers will have center stage. Among the filmmakers set to unveil new movies are Pedro Almodovar (“Bitter Christmas”), James Gray (“Paper Tiger”), Na Hong-jin (“Hope”), Pawel Pawlikowski (“Fatherland”) and Ryusuke Hamaguchi (“All of a Sudden”).

If Cannes has waned as a global launchpad for studio releases, it has grown as a breeding ground for Oscar contenders.

Two years ago, Sean Baker’s “Anora” won the Palme before winning best picture. Last year, Cannes selections like “Sentimental Value,” “The Secret Agent” and “It Was Just an Accident” went on to play prominent roles in awards season.

More often than not, the specialty distributor Neon has been at the forefront of the Cannes-to-Oscars pipeline. Neon has backed the past six Palme d’Or winners, an unprecedented streak that it may be poised to extend. The company is attached to more than a quarter of the 22 films in competition for the Palme d’Or.

While Cannes may be light on big Hollywood movies, it isn’t lacking in stars. Set to appear over the next two weeks are Kristen Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Adam Driver, Javier Bardem, Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Rami Malek, Sebastian Stan, Sandra Hüller and many others.

How much any of this will serve as backdrop for “The White Lotus” remains to be seen. The fourth season of Mike White’s acclaimed HBO series is based around a trip to Cannes. Last month, the show began shooting on the French Riviera.

While the Pentagon chief softened his tone from hearings before Congress nearly two weeks ago, notably avoiding the same pointed criticism of lawmakers, he got far more pushback from members of his own Republican Party about the levels of the U.S. munitions used in the Iran war and President Donald Trump’s intense criticism of traditional allies, including NATO countries, for not taking part in the conflict.

“I take issue with the characterization that munitions are depleted in a public forum,” Hegseth told House lawmakers. “That’s not true.”

Even as he insisted that the U.S. military has plenty of missile defense systems and other munitions for the Iran war or future conflicts, Hegseth outlined the Trump administration’s efforts to ramp up production of weapons and other military capabilities in two hearings before Senate and House panels.

The cost of the Iran war has risen to about $29 billion, the vast bulk of which — $24 billion — is related to replacing and repairing munitions but also includes operational costs to keep forces deployed, Pentagon comptroller Jay Hurst told lawmakers. That's up from $25 billion that he told lawmakers nearly two weeks ago.

Republicans tout importance of American allies

Hegseth faced notable pushback from Republicans on the Trump administration's straining of relations with longtime allies, with Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell telling Hegseth that “NATO is the most important military alliance in world history.”

“It seems to me that a lot of the European countries think that we’re reducing our influence there, they’re sort of on their own,” said McConnell, the GOP chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense.

Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, voiced his concerns in a separate hearing, saying that “America First has never meant American alone.”

“American power is most effective when it’s exercised in concert with like-minded nations who share our interests and our values,” Cole said.

Hegseth and Caine face bipartisan pushback on munitions stockpiles

The powerful House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees that oversee defense spending held back-to-back hearings to review the Trump administration’s 2027 military budget proposal, which calls for a historic allocation of $1.5 trillion. But the discussions quickly veered into the handling of a war that appears locked in a stalemate as higher fuel prices pose political problems for Republicans in the midterm congressional elections.

Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, told Hegseth that the "question must be answered at the end of this crisis: What have we accomplished and at what cost?”

“This administration has not presented Congress with any kind of clear or coherent strategy week to week, day to day, hour to hour," DeLauro said. "The rationale shifts, the objectives change. The end game is ill-defined when it is defined at all.”

California Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, the House subcommittee's chair, also asked about the impact of the Iran war on military funding as well as the U.S. military's weapons stockpiles.

“Questions persist about whether we are building the depth and reliance required for a high-end conflict,” Calvert said.

Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum, the defense subcommittee's ranking Democrat, pressed Hegseth on whether the military has a plan to draw down troops in the Middle East if Congress passes so-far-unsuccessful efforts to end the Iran war.

“We have a plan to escalate if necessary," Hegseth said. "We have a plan to retrograde if necessary. We have a plan to shift assets.”

He said he would not reveal any next steps publicly. Noting repeated questions from lawmakers over the military's weapons stockpiles, drawn down from the Iran war, Hegseth said the concerns have been “unhelpfully overstated” and that "we have plenty of what we need.”

He said the defense industry has been told to "build more and build faster,” blaming the military industrial base's inadequate capacity on previous administrations and U.S. aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies has painted an alarming picture of U.S. stockpiles of munitions, including interceptors that can defend against incoming enemy missiles on land and sea.

The think tank said in an April analysis that American forces “expended more than half of the prewar inventory” on four key weapons systems and that rebuilding to adequate levels for a possible war with China “will take additional time.”

Trump administration faces pressure from impact of the Iran war

Trump is facing increasing pressure from the economic shocks of Iran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor where 20% of the world's oil normally flows. The U.S. military in turn has blockaded Iranian ports and the two sides have traded fire, with American forces thwarting attacks on their warships and disabling Tehran-linked oil tankers.

Trump said Monday that the ceasefire is on “massive life support” and criticized Iran for its latest proposal, pointing to his demands that Iran significantly limit its nuclear program.

“I would call it the weakest right now after reading that piece of garbage they sent us,” Trump said.

The Republican president also said he wanted to suspend the federal gas tax to help Americans shoulder surging fuel prices. He has previously said higher costs are worth it to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

Tuesday's hearings were giving a mostly new group of lawmakers the chance to grill or applaud Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the planning and execution of the war.

——

Barrow reported from Atlanta.

Starmer tried to shore up support within his Cabinet following a febrile few days in the wake of hefty losses for the Labour Party in local elections last week, which if repeated in a national election that has to be held by 2029 would see it overwhelmingly ejected from power.

Several junior ministers stepped down from their government posts Tuesday, calling for a change in leadership, though no candidate had yet come forward to challenge Starmer directly. The resignations stoked speculation that Starmer could suffer the fate of Boris Johnson in 2022 when dozens of ministers quit en masse and forced him to step down.

Around 80 Labour lawmakers have now said Starmer should stand down or at least set out a timetable for his departure, but that’s not enough to trigger a leadership contest. Under Labour party rules, a fifth of its lawmakers in the House of Commons, or 81 members, must publicly give their backing to a single candidate, and that hasn’t happened yet.

First resignations

On Tuesday, Miatta Fahnbulleh, minister of housing, communities and local government, became the first member of his government to step down, urging Starmer “to do the right thing for the country” and set a timetable for his departure.

She was followed by Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, whose resignation letter called Starmer a “good man fundamentally” but vented about his inability to make bold changes.

“I know you care deeply, but deeds, not words are what matter,” Phillips said. “I’m not sure we are grasping this rare opportunity with the gusto that’s needed and I cannot keep waiting around for a crisis to push for faster progress.”

Despite winning a landslide election victory in July 2024, Labour’s popularity has sunk and Starmer is getting much of the blame.

The reasons are varied, including a series of policy missteps, a perceived lack of vision, a struggling British economy and questions over his judgment — especially over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.K. ambassador to Washington despite the envoy’s ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Starmer defiant

At the start of the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Starmer said he took responsibility for the losses in last week’s local elections across the U.K. but that he would fight on.

Labour was squeezed from right and left, losing votes to both anti-immigrant Reform UK and the Green Party, as well as nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales. The result reflects the increasing fragmentation of U.K. politics, long dominated by Labour and the Conservatives.

Starmer said that there’s a process to oust a leader and that it hadn't been triggered.

“The country expects us to get on with governing,” Starmer said. “The past 48 hours have been destabilizing for government and that has a real economic cost for our country and for families.”

That cost was evident in financial markets on Tuesday, with the interest rate charged on British government bonds up by more than those of comparable nations. That shows that investors are putting a higher price on taking on government debt.

As Cabinet ministers left 10 Downing Street, some voiced their support for the embattled prime minister.

Works and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said nobody publicly challenged Starmer at the meeting, while Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the prime minister was showing “really steadfast leadership.”

Potential candidates

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, long believed to be preparing for a leadership challenge against Starmer, was among senior ministers who dodged a barrage of shouted questions from a gaggle of reporters outside.

“Wes Streeting, do you want the job, or not?” a man yelled from across the street. “Are you measuring the curtains?”

The other two names often touted as possible successors are Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister who had to quit last year over an unpaid tax bill. She has long set herself apart as a different kind of politician with a compelling personal story, brought up in social housing and leaving school at 16 as a teen mother.

Andy Burnham, the popular mayor of Greater Manchester, is widely perceived to be one of the strongest candidates. but is not eligible to stand at present, because he’s not in Parliament. So to get in the race, he'll have to find a seat where he can be elected. That may involve a close ally of his in the northwest of England vacating his or her seat for him to stand. However, he may be blocked as was the case earlier this year or even if sanctioned, could lose, if last week's results are any guide.

___

Danica Kirka and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

The S&P 500 fell 0.9% from its all-time high set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 231 points, or 0.6%, as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was down 1.6% from its own record.

Some of the sharpest drops hit chip companies and stocks that had been on electric runs because of the artificial-intelligence boom. Intel slumped 9.8% after its stock had more than tripled so far this year. Micron Technology dropped 7.4% after coming into the day with a gain of nearly 180% for the year to date, and CoreWeave sank 10.1% to cut into its gain of 60% for 2026.

The pullback for AI stocks began earlier in the day in Asia, where South Korea’s Kospi index sank 2.3% from its all-time high on worries that the government may redistribute windfall AI profits from companies to its citizens.

Also weighing on Wall Street was another rise in oil prices as the war with Iran threatens to drag on. The price for a barrel of Brent crude climbed 3.7% to $108.05 as a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire looks more tenuous. The war has essentially shut the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers, keeping them stuck in the Persian Gulf instead of delivering crude to customers worldwide.

The resulting leap for crude oil prices, with Brent up from roughly $70 per barrel before the war, caused inflation in the United States to worsen last month by more than economists expected, according to a report released Tuesday. In another discouraging signal, price increases accelerated by more in April than economists expected even after excluding gasoline and food costs.

That could be a result of tariffs and bad weather also pushing prices higher, according to Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management.

Treasury yields rose in the bond market following an initial zigzag, suggesting traders suspect the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates high to combat inflation.

The Fed has been keeping its cuts to interest rates on hold recently, as it waits to see how high inflation will go because of the war with Iran and the tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump. That’s because lower rates can worsen inflation at the same time that they give the economy a boost.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.45% from 4.42% late Monday and remains well above its 3.97% level from before the war.

Traders still largely expect the Fed to keep its main interest rate steady this year, but they're now betting on a better than 1-in-3 chance that it could hike rates by December, according to data from CME Group. Higher rates tend to push down on stock prices, while also slowing the economy.

Despite the climbs for Treasury yields, oil prices and uncertainty because of the Iran war, the U.S. stock market has remained remarkably resilient recently, in large part because companies keep producing bigger profits than analysts expected.

Zebra Technologies became the latest company in the S&P 500 to top analysts’ expectations for earnings, and its stock leaped 16.1%. The company, which helps customers digitize and automate their workflows with bar code scanners and other products, also gave a forecast for profit over the full year that topped analysts’ expectations.

But Under Armour sank 18.4% after reporting a worse loss for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Kevin Plank said the company is continuing steps to “reset the business and restore the discipline required to operate as a best-in-class brand.”

Outside of earnings reports, GameStop fell 1.2% after eBay rejected a buyout offer from the much smaller company, calling it “neither credible nor attractive.” It highlighted uncertainty about how GameStop would raise the money to pull off the purchases, among other challenges for the deal, and eBay's stock added 0.2%.

Beazer Homes USA fell 2.5% after likewise rejecting an unsolicited buyout offer. It said that Dream Finders Homes has repeatedly undervalued it in its attempts to buy the homebuilder, including with its latest bid, which offered less than prior offers.

Dream Finders fell 11.5%.

In stock markets abroad, indexes mostly fell across Europe and Asia.

Besides South Korea’s tumble, losses of 1.6% for Germany’s DAX and 1.1% for France’s CAC 40 were some of the world’s sharpest.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.5%.

___

AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

It's the second rule change officials have made since the series moved to Indianapolis for the month of May, though this one won't affect the series biggest race — the Indianapolis 500 on May 24 — since there are no local yellows on oval courses.

The move comes three days after an angry Alexander Rossi criticized race officials for not immediately throwing a full-course caution when his No. 20 car stalled on the front straightaway next to a concrete wall and out of the standard racing line on Lap 21 of the Indianapolis Grand Prix.

Rossi, the 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner, eventually climbed out of the car and over the wall separating pit lane from the race track and walked to his pit stall.

Race officials initially responded by throwing a local yellow to alert other drivers to the stalled car near the track's start-finish line before throwing a full-course caution on Lap 22.

Series officials said Tuesday the initial decision was based on a standard set of considerations that will remain in place and two that will not — pit windows and running order — moving forward.

“The Lap 21 incident on Saturday made clear there needs to be a cleaner standard for how race control moves from a local to a full course yellow,” said Raj Nair, chairman of the series' Independent Officiating Board. “IndyCar Officiating, with IndyCar’s full support, has made this change of approach to ensure that the only inputs to the full course yellow escalation are safety ones.”

The decision came just hours before Rossi and 32 other drivers were to begin practice for this month's Indianapolis 500.

“The most important job in race control is to ensure the safety of our drivers, crews, safety workers and fans,” IndyCar President Doug Boles said. “Saturday highlighted that we must not waver from that central mission and aligning everyone on that philosophy was critical to discuss over the last 48 hours.”

___

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

The SWVA Wildlife Center explained in a Facebook post that this owlet is a victim of unnecessary tree cutting. All trees, even dead ones, are possible habitats for local wildlife. If you need to cut a tree down, the best time to do so is in January. During the winter, many animals are searching for mates and have not yet begun nesting.

Luckily, the owlet under the care of the Wildlife Center was uninjured when his tree was cut down, but he is effectively orphaned.

For more information on the SWVA Wildlife Center, click here.

Reed died at his Manhattan home after a short illness, publicist Sean Katz said on behalf of Reed’s friend William Kapfer.

In a career spanning more than six decades, Reed became one of the most well-known voices in cultural criticism. He published eight books, acted in movies (playing himself in “Superman”), counted movie stars like Angela Lansbury as friends and often found himself in the spotlight for controversial comments. Most infamous among them was his assertion that Marlee Matlin’s Oscar win for “Children of a Lesser God” was a pity vote, and, decades later, comments about Melissa McCarthy’s weight and size in a review for “Identity Thief.” He also perpetuated a false conspiracy theory that Marisa Tomei’s 1992 Oscar win for “My Cousin Vinny” was fake.

When it came to the movies, he had a reputation for being a bit of a crank as well, often bemoaning the old days and feeling out of step with the next generation of film critics.

“I like just as many films as I dislike,” Reed told The New York Times in 2018. “But I think we’re drowning in mediocrity. I just try as hard as I can to raise the level of consciousness. It’s so hard to get people to see good films.”

Reed was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 2, 1938, and spent his childhood moving around the South for his father’s job. He told the New York Times in 2018 that his origin story as a “controversial writer” began in the eighth grade, when he started writing a gossip column in the school paper and plotted his exodus to a more cosmopolitan life.

One of his first jobs was in the publicity department at 20th Century Fox, during the making of “Cleopatra,” but he was laid off due to budget cuts. The way he told it, he faked his way into film journalism while gallivanting around Europe with friends and looking for ways to fund a ticket home, including writing a Buster Keaton story for The New York Times. In the 1960s and '70s, he established himself as an in-demand magazine and newspaper writer and became a television staple, appearing on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson and “The Dick Cavett Show.”

One of his most famous profiles was of Ava Gardner in 1967 for The New York Times (“There Is Nothing Like This Dame”), which was included in his collection “Do You Sleep in the Nude?” with profiles of Barbra Streisand, Lucille Ball, Warren Beatty and others. His work appeared in Vogue, Esquire, GQ and Women’s Wear Daily. He spent nearly four decades writing about films for the Observer.

Reed also acted occasionally, playing the pre-transition Myron in “Myra Breckinridge” and appearing alongside Laurence Olivier in the Korean War movie “Inchon.” He never married and has no immediate survivors. It was his writing that was his legacy.

“I’d like to be remembered as someone who really tried to make things better,” Rex told his Observer editor earlier this year. “Or at least respected what was good when it happened. Not as a curmudgeon. That’s not what I am in real life.”

The 81-year-old was sworn in Tuesday for a seventh consecutive term to extend his presidency over a further five years that may well be his last — although not necessarily for the Museveni family.

Army chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the president's son and presumptive heir, oversaw dayslong rehearsals of the military parade that animated the inauguration of Museveni, with Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets flying noisily over official ceremonial grounds in Kampala, the Ugandan capital.

Museveni took the oath of office and received the ceremonial instruments of power while being cheered by thousands attending the event in the Kampala suburb of Kololo. The president urged Ugandans to work hard and build wealth for their families, citing the stories of individuals whose entrepreneurial spirit had paid off.

“No more excuses,” he said.

Many Ugandans now accept that Museveni’s presidency — the only one that many millions of them have known — is nearing its end.

What remains uncertain is the nature of the transition and how orderly things would be in the time he has left in office.

Two possible routes to the top

Kainerugaba looks poised to take over. He has declared his wish to succeed his father and said recently that the mission is unstoppable.

Still, his path is narrow and could follow one of two ways: either a bloodless but unconstitutional takeover by Kainerugaba or a constitutional amendment that allows lawmakers with the ruling party — which has an overwhelming majority — to pick him as Museveni’s successor. An electoral win is seen as a hurdle too high for Kainerugaba, whose challengers would include opposition leader Bobi Wine, the popular entertainer who has twice run for president and rejected the outcome of the January election that gave Museveni his next term.

Anita Among, the parliamentary speaker, said last month that legislators would do everything possible to assist Kainerugaba in his pursuit of the presidency.

“For the sake of MK, just assure MK that we will do whatever it takes,” Among told a group of lawmakers celebrating the general's birthday, mentioning Kainerugaba's initials. “In the 11th parliament, the opposition got swallowed. In the 12th parliament, it is going to be walloped.”

In addition to the speaker, many other leaders have been scampering to show allegiance to Kainerugaba. While their moves display a quest for political survival, they also underscore Kainerugaba’s rise as Uganda’s de facto leader as his father ages and relies more on the army chief to exercise authority.

“Many Ugandans close to power have learned this lesson. That the president is old and exhausted, both intellectually and physically,” Andrew Mwenda, a close ally and friend of Kainerugaba, wrote last month in The Independent online newspaper. “He has a limited ability to monitor many things across a large spectrum of sectors.”

Kainerugaba, 52, joined the army in the late 1990s, and his rise to the top of the armed forces has been controversial, with critics dubbing it the “Muhoozi Project” to prepare him for the presidency.

Museveni and Kainerugaba denied the existence of such a scheme, but it has become apparent in the last two years that hereditary rule is possibly what the president prefers.

Museveni, who has not said when he will retire, has no rivals within the ruling party — the reason many believe the military will have a say in choosing his successor.

“While people are waiting for the legal transition from Museveni, the de facto transition has already happened,” said Angelo Izama, an analyst who runs the Uganda-based Fanaka Kwawote think tank. “Kainerugaba, more than the president, is the final voice on defense and security matters.”

A more confrontational style than his father's

Kainerugaba’s associates describe him as a dedicated military officer who often eschews ostentatious displays of wealth. He attended military schools in the U.S. and Britain before taking charge of a presidential guard unit that has since been expanded into an elite group of special forces.

In addition to his military duties, he is the founder of a political activist group known as the Patriotic League of Uganda. Its members and well-wishers range from government ministers to businesspeople.

But Kainerugaba lacks the public charisma and folksy style of Museveni, who has kept power in part by striking deals with his political rivals and even convincing some to serve in his government. Kainerugaba's style is more confrontational, expressed often in harsh online posts that can give offense. He has ordered the arrest over alleged corruption of multiple generals, including some known to have once been his friends.

Museveni first took power by force in 1986 as the leader of a guerrilla force whose goal was to democratize Uganda after years of chaos and civil war. He said at the time that Africa’s problem was leaders who overstayed their welcome. Much later, he changed his stance to say his criticism was of leaders who prolonged their rule without an electoral mandate.

Museveni, a U.S. ally on regional security, is often credited with presiding over relative peace and stability. But many others see an increasingly authoritarian streak at odds with his early promise of democracy. Term and age limits have been scrapped and some opponents jailed or sidelined.

Lawmakers recently passed a punitive bill whose stated purpose is to deter foreign interference, but which drew widespread concern over its potential to hurt the work of non-governmental organizations and opposition groups.

The legislation forbids an “agent of a foreigner” from obtaining grants or other monetary support from external sources exceeding 400 million Ugandan shillings — roughly $110,000 today — within a 12-month period without the approval of the interior minister.

Wine's party, the National Unity Platform, condemned the legislation as “unconstitutional, irrelevant and brought in bad faith to further persecute those with divergent views.”

___

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Judge Darren Steele approved an agreement between Woods' defense attorney and prosecutors following a four-minute hearing in Martin County circuit court, just north of Palm Beach County.

Prosecutors had issued a subpoena seeking copies of all prescription medication records for the legendary golfer at a Palm Beach pharmacy from the start of the year through the end of March. Defense attorney Doug Duncan had previously argued that Woods has a constitutional right to privacy when it comes to his prescription medications, but he acknowledged during the hearing that the right is not absolute and that prosecutors could make a compelling argument for why they were needed.

Meanwhile, prosecutors agreed to Duncan's request for a protective order limiting the release of records only to prosecutors, law enforcement officers, state experts and Woods' defense team.

Woods has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence. A sheriff’s office report said deputies found two pain pills in his pocket, and he showed signs of impairment after his SUV clipped a truck's trailer and rolled onto its side.

Woods was traveling at high speeds on a beachside, residential road on Jupiter Island with a 30 mph (nearly 50 kph) speed limit when his Land Rover caused $5,000 in damage to the truck, according to an incident report. Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but refused a urine test, authorities said.

The accusation brought Tuesday came just before U.S. President Donald Trump was to depart for Beijing where he'll meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a high-stakes visit over the war and other issues.

Iran didn't immediately acknowledge the allegation by Kuwait, which came under attack by Iran in the war and during the shaky ceasefire still holding. But that allegation and ongoing attacks throughout the region have threatened to reignite open warfare.

The narrow Strait of Hormuz remains in Iran's chokehold, the U.S. is maintaining a blockade against Iran and negotiations between the two countries appear at a standstill.

With the risk of the conflict breaking out again, Israel has sent Iron Dome air-defense weapons and personnel to operate them in the United Arab Emirates to defend the country during the war, the U.S. ambassador to Israel said.

That underlined the growing relationship between Israel and the UAE, both long suspicious of Iran. It also represents the first publicly acknowledged deployment of Israel's military to the Emirates, home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Kuwait alleges Iran planned attack

Kuwait said a paramilitary Revolutionary Guard team tried to infiltrate Bubiyan Island in the northwest corner of the Persian Gulf near Iraq and Iran on May 1.

It accused the team of planning to carry out “hostile acts,” without elaborating.

Kuwait said it detained four men, and that two escaped when its forces disrupted the attack. Kuwait said one of its security officials was wounded.

Bubiyan Island is home to Mubarak Al Kabeer Port, which is under construction as part of China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. That project also came under Iranian attack during the war.

Kuwait provided no reason for why it delayed linking the attack to Iran after initially announcing it on May 3 without any details. Trump is traveling this week to China for a summit where Iran will likely be a main topic. Beijing long has been a buyer of sanctioned Iranian crude oil and has been hurt by the strait's closure, which has sparked a global energy crisis.

Huckabee says Israel deployed to UAE

U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a one-time presidential candidate, revealed at a conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, that Israel has sent Iron Dome air-defense to the UAE.

The United Arab Emirates diplomatically recognized Israel in 2020. That drew criticism from Iran, long Israel's main regional enemy. Iran didn't immediately respond to Huckabee's remarks, though it has repeatedly suggested over the years that Israel maintained a military and intelligence presence in the Emirates.

The Israeli military declined to comment on Huckabee’s statement about the Iron Dome while the UAE didn't immediately respond.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, was quoted as making comments similar to Huckabee's during an event at the Israeli mission — suggesting the release of the information was intentional, likely with the Emiratis' and Israelis' blessing.

The UAE has faced Iranian missile and drone fire even after the ceasefire was reached last month. It has been trying to signal to nervous investors and the public that it remains open for business and safe.

Huckabee urges other Gulf states to recognize Israel

Huckabee added that he was “very optimistic” that additional countries in the region will soon join the Abraham Accords, the 2020 diplomatic recognition deal that also included the Gulf Arab kingdom of Bahrain, for formal relations with Israel.

However, many Arab states remain incensed by Israel's wide-ranging military campaigns after Hamas' 2023 attack on the country. The Gaza Strip has been leveled and Iran's allies have been attacked across the region.

Huckabee sought to shore up U.S. support for the recent war, suggesting that “Israel is the appetizer, America has always been the entrée" for Iran's theocracy.

“The Gulf states now understood they will have to make a choice — is it more likely they will be attacked by Iran or Israel?" Huckabee asked. "They see that Israel helped us and Iran attacked us. Israel is not trying to take over your land, and is not sending missiles to you.”

Hegseth tells Congress: ‘We have a plan’

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told members of Congress Tuesday that the military was not running low on bombs and missiles amid concerns about its stockpiles.

“We know exactly what we have, we have plenty of what we need,” he said while facing tough questions from Republican and Democratic lawmakers who oversee defense spending.

Hegseth avoided going into specifics about the next steps in Iran. “We have a plan to escalate if necessary. We have a plan to retrograde if necessary. We have a plan to shift assets,” Hegseth said.

The Pentagon’s top budget official told Congress that the cost of the war is close to $29 billion so far — that’s up from an estimate of $25 billion just two weeks ago.

Bahrain sentences two dozen over alleged Iran ties

Prosecutors in Bahrain said Tuesday that at least two dozen people were handed prison sentences on charges including espionage and conspiring with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. They said three were sentenced to life. Others received shorter Iran-related sentences.

Bahrain — an island nation ruled by a Sunni Muslim monarchy with a Shiite-majority population — has sentenced dozens on Iran-related charges since the start of the war. Prosecutors and the Interior Ministry have alleged that Iran maintains cells that carry out espionage and help identify targets there. Rights groups say the island nation has widened a crackdown on dissidents during the war, as well as on Shiites.

___

Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press reporters Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank, and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed.

Andriy Yermak is suspected in an alleged 460-million-hryvnia ($10.5 million) money-laundering scheme, the agencies announced late Monday.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy met with the CEO of Palantir Technologies, part of Ukraine’s growing cooperation with the U.S. defense sector, as a three-day U.S.-brokered ceasefire that decreased the fighting but failed to stop it altogether ended Monday.

Russia’s invasion of its neighbor is now in its fifth year, with no sign of a peace settlement within reach.

Graft investigation embarrasses Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said in a Telegram announcement that the investigation into Yermak is ongoing.

The move is a step short of formally charging Yermak, who resigned in November. He was the country’s lead negotiator in talks with the U.S and left during the scandal that brought the biggest threat to Zelenskyy’s government since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The investigation is deeply embarrassing for the Ukrainian leader as he pushes for his country’s admission to the European Union, a process that will likely take years. Endemic corruption is one of the obstacles slowing Ukraine’s admission.

Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council and a key negotiator in U.S. diplomatic peace efforts, has been questioned and is a witness in the case revolving around a luxury real estate development near the capital, prosecutors told a media briefing in Kyiv.

Several other senior officials, including former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov, are “implicated” in the case, according to the prosecutors, as is prominent Ukrainian businessman Tymur Mindich.

The graft investigation also involves suspected wrongdoing in Ukraine’s energy sector, the defense industry, and the procurement of drones and other military equipment, they said.

Yermak was a trusted confidant of Zelenskyy, who resisted persistent pressure to replace him, and a powerful figure in the government. Investigators searched his home in November.

Zelenskyy made no public comment on the anti-graft agencies’ announcement, but his press officer, Dmytro Lytvyn, said: “The investigation is ongoing, it’s early to draw conclusions.”

Yermak’s attorney, Ihor Fomin, called the suspicion notice groundless and denied his client’s involvement in the alleged laundering of 460 million hryvnias ($10.5 million) through an elite construction project outside Kyiv.

“In my view, this entire situation has been provoked by public pressure,” Fomin said in an interview with Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne.

A decision on whether to bring formal charges against Yermak could still take months.

Zelenskyy holds talks with CEO of US firm Palantir

Zelenskyy said Tuesday he met in Kyiv with Alex Karp, as part of Ukraine’s growing cooperation with the U.S. defense sector.

The Ukrainian leader said in a social media post that Ukraine and Palantir “can be useful to each other.”

“We discussed directions of technological development both in the context of combat operations and civilian needs,” Zelenskyy said on the Telegram messaging app.

Palantir Technologies is an artificial intelligence software company that helps global defense agencies. It specializes in software platforms that collate and analyze large volumes of data and has partnered with Ukraine for several years.

AI can help combatants quickly sift and decipher a huge volume of battlefield information, enabling more accurate attacks, among other things.

Ukraine Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said after meeting with Karp that cooperation with the company is giving Ukraine a technological edge in the war.

It has enabled detailed analysis of air attacks, AI solutions for handling large volumes of reconnaissance data, and the integration of technology in the planning of Ukraine’s deep-strike operations on Russian soil, Fedorov said on Telegram.

Also, Ukraine and Palantir have created a platform for developers to get battlefield data to train AI models, with more than 100 companies currently involved, he said.

Russia launches strikes on Ukraine after relative lull

Ukraine offered to extend the pause in hostilities, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said. But he reported Tuesday that Russia launched over 200 drones against Ukraine overnight, striking civilian infrastructure and killing at least one person and wounding another six.

“It is time to strengthen our positions and force Moscow to end the war,” Sybiha said on X. Russian President Vladimir Putin “must realize that it will only get worse for him.”

Western analysts and officials say Ukraine’s battlefield position has recently improved as it deploys cutting-edge drone technology to hold Russia’s bigger army at bay.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who visited the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions of Ukraine on Tuesday, said he thinks that “the Ukrainians really have momentum” at present.

“Russia is having a phase of weakness, economically as well as in domestic political terms and on the battlefield,” Pistorius said, according to German news agency dpa.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday that its air defenses intercepted 30 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions on the border with Ukraine.

___

Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

___

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

Their record at the playoffs' halfway point disagrees.

The Thunder completed their second straight series sweep of the spring Monday night when they held off the resilient Lakers 115-110 in Game 4 of the second round. Oklahoma City went 8-0 against LeBron James and the Lakers this season — and the defending champs are also 8-0 in these playoffs after back-to-back routs of Phoenix and Los Angeles.

Sure, coach Mark Daigneault can see areas for improvement and problems to be solved. MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander warns that the job is far from finished.

Yet the Thunder are unquestionably the class of the sport with this playoff streak following their dominant regular season as they seek the NBA's first back-to-back championships since Golden State did it 2017 and 2018.

General manager Sam Presti's merciless machine is looking fairly unbeatable as it heads to the Western Conference finals for the second straight year and the sixth time in the past 16 seasons.

“We’ve done our job so far, that’s all it really means,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We’ve gone out there, we’ve executed, we played at a high level and we’ve been able to win eight tough games against really good opponents. That’s all it really means. And nothing is guaranteed. In the playoffs, no two games are the same, especially when you change opponents. So the challenges are all coming up, I guess you can say.”

The next challenge is a date with either the San Antonio Spurs or the Minnesota Timberwolves in the conference finals — after several more days of rest than those teams, which are tied heading to Game 5 on Tuesday night.

But whoever emerges from that rock fight of a series will face the NBA's biggest challenge in the smooth, relentless Thunder, who appear to be operating on an even higher level than they reached last season while winning the title.

“We’ve been very, very good,” Daigneault said. “I thought we had more lapses tonight than we had had in previous games, so we have to learn from that. Obviously we have to play better in more of the 48 minutes, but I also think the wind is going to be in your face in a playoff game for different reasons at different times, and you’ve got to be able to recenter. I thought we did that exceptionally well.”

The Thunder had never swept back-to-back playoff series, and neither did the Seattle SuperSonics before them.

The Lakers got blown out by Oklahoma City three times before managing one close game. The Thunder trailed in a fourth quarter for the first time in these playoffs, and their five-point win was the smallest of the spring.

But the Thunder rallied, as they almost always do.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine of his 35 points in the fourth quarter. Ajay Mitchell, the backup guard who has become a star in Jalen Williams' injury absence, poured in 10 of his career playoff-high 28 in the same period. Chet Holmgren had arguably the biggest baskets of all, including a go-ahead dunk with 32.8 seconds left.

The Thunder celebrated a closeout quarter that seemed to feature a big play from everybody who touched the court. A few minutes later, they were back to business.

“Everything that we’ve done so far is behind us,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We still have a huge target on. We have two more series to win to reach our ultimate goal, and that’s what we’re focused on.”

Los Angeles coach JJ Redick and his staff appeared to have a surprising, effective game plan to harass the Thunder’s scorers — and yet it didn’t make much of an impact on the scoreboard at all.

Daigneault found teachable moments during his team's demolition of the Lakers, who sent double-teams at Gilgeous-Alexander and other ball-handlers at a rate they hadn't seen since the Thunder's playoff series with Denver a year ago.

In perhaps the most dismaying aspect of this series for the Thunder's future opponents, they've learned and improved from the Lakers' meager successes.

“It really had us having to sharpen our attacks, but I thought we did a great job of that,” Daigneault said. "Down the stretch, we had some big-time plays (with) high-lows, traps, and we had a dunk for Chet. That was a great attack, and I just thought we showed great execution of that. So I think we’re a lot better in that area than we were coming into the series.”

___

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

On Tuesday, researchers said a single dose of those revved-up cells strongly suppressed HIV in two people — one for nearly a year and the other for nearly two years — without requiring their usual medicines.

Larger and longer studies are needed to prove if what's called CAR-T cell therapy might really offer long-lasting help for HIV, cautioned Dr. Steven Deeks of the University of California, San Francisco, who led the research.

“We find the fact that two people have had such a really sustained response provocative,” he said. “There is a real need for a one-and-done, safe and scalable cure ... and this is one of the strategies that we’re pursuing.”

The data is being presented at a meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy in Boston.

There are nearly 40 million people living with HIV around the world. Today’s medicines have turned the virus that causes AIDS from a fast killer into a manageable chronic disease, often keeping the virus at undetectable levels, but only if people can afford the drugs and stick with them. The virus hides out in reservoirs in the body and rebounds fast if people stop treatment.

Researchers have long hunted an elusive cure, pursuing such clues as a rare gene mutation that makes some people naturally resistant to HIV or how a handful of HIV patients who also had certain cancers were declared cured or in long-term remission after receiving a stem cell transplant, something too risky for most people.

CAR-T therapy involves taking immune soldiers called T cells out of a person’s blood, genetically engineering them into “living drugs” and infusing them back into the patient. They’re widely used to cure certain types of cancer and are being studied for other diseases.

For HIV, scientists at the nonprofit drug developer Caring Cross created CAR-T cells with dual features. They're programmed to better find and kill HIV-infected cells — and engineered with protection against infection by the very virus they’re supposed to fight.

With that added armor, they should be able to reproduce enough to keep HIV in check, said Caring Cross executive director Boro Dropulić.

Deeks’ early-stage experiment tested different dosing strategies in people who stopped their HIV medicine the day they received their CAR-T cells. There were no serious side effects. The first three recipients showed no response and resumed their usual medicines.

Six others received a small amount of chemotherapy to make space for the new T cells. Those two strong responders saw their HIV drop to undetectable levels, inching up only occasionally when the CAR-T cells presumably got to work again. A third patient had a temporary response and resumed regular HIV treatment.

Those three patients all had started their original HIV treatment soon after they'd been infected, Deeks said. That makes sense because people treated early tend to have less HIV hiding in the body and a healthier immune system.

“This is certainly very fascinating that they’ve had this positive response,” said Dr. Hans-Peter Kiem, a gene therapy expert at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center who wasn’t part of the new study. He cautioned that it will take additional research to prove if CAR-T really works.

But the strategy is exciting because it’s “boosting what our body, our immune system, can already do,” said Andrea Gramatica, vice president for research at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, which is funding some work to create easier-to-use versions.

___

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.

Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, was charged in April with one count of acting in the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign government. She was accused of doing the bidding of Chinese officials, such as sharing articles favorable to Beijing, without prior notification to the U.S. government as required by law.

The 58-year-old was elected in November 2022 to a five-person city council, from which the mayor is selected on a rotating basis.

City manager Dominic Lazzaretto said in a news release that no city finances or staff were involved.

“We want to be clear: this investigation concerns individual conduct, and the charges are for conduct that ceased after Ms. Wang was sworn into office in December 2022,” he said.

Federal officials said she has agreed to plead guilty to the felony, which comes with a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

Wang’s attorneys Jason Liang and Brian Sun said in a statement that she recognizes the seriousness of the charge and accepts responsibility for “past personal mistakes.”

“She apologizes and is sorry for the mistakes she has made in her personal life,” Wang’s attorneys Jason Liang and Brian Sun said in a statement. “Her love and devotion for the Arcadia community have not changed and did not waver.”

According to her plea agreement, Wang and a colleague, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, worked on behalf of government officials for the People’s Republic of China from the end of 2020 to 2022 to promote their interests by promoting pro-PRC propaganda in the U.S. Sun is serving a four-year sentence after he pleaded guilty to the same charge last October. He was also listed in campaign filings as the treasurer for Wang’s 2022 election campaign.

Wang and Sun operated the news website U.S. News Center, aimed at the Chinese American community, and were instructed by Chinese government officials to post pro-PRC content on it.

In one instance in June 2021, a government official sent Wang a link to a letter to the editor published in the Los Angeles Times written by the the consul general of the People’s Republic of China in Los Angeles.

The piece refuted reports of the persecution, forced labor, and abuse of Uyghers in China’s Xinjiang province, stating, “There has never been genocide in Xinjiang or forced labor in the region’s cotton fields or any other sector.”

Within minutes, Wang shared the link on her news site.

The U.S. and several other countries have declared that Beijing’s policies against the Uyghurs amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity.

At the time, Wang was engaged to Sun, her attorneys said. She has said that relationship ended in spring 2024. Their statement references “her trust and love for apparently the wrong person who ultimately led her astray.”

Wang has also communicated with John Chen, who also pleaded guilty to being an agent for the Chinese government and was sentenced to 20 months in prison.

Wang is expected to appear in federal court Monday afternoon in downtown Los Angeles and plead guilty in the coming weeks.

Arcadia is located about 13 miles (21 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles. The city of about 53,000 is majority Asian and has a high concentration of Chinese residents.

The crash happened Monday at about 7 a.m. on southbound Interstate 81 at the 198.6 mile marker.

Authorities say a Lexus RX-450 lost control of the vehicle, ran off the right side of the roadway, and hit the trees. We’re told the passenger, 82-year-old Foster Lee Ware, II, of Montgomery, Alabama, died at the scene. No word yet on the state of the driver.

The crash remains under investigation.

From now until July 2026, you can recognize your favorite educator. Each month, one exceptional educator will receive a $250 check for themselves and their school, courtesy of Blue Eagle Credit Union.

Tell us why YOUR educator should be chosen to win this award and our judging panel will choose a recipient based on the following criteria:

1. Originality/creativity of statement
2. Inspirational power of Nominee’s story
3. Embodiment of “Education Impact” theme.

Nominees must be a K-12 educator within the WSLS viewing area to be considered.

Click here to view the official contest rules.

Here’s a look at some of our previous recipients:

• Jason Long - Woodrow Wilson Middle School - August 2023
• Tami Oliver - W.E. Cundiff Elementary School - September 2023
• Paul Craft - Lord Botetourt High School - October 2023
• Daniel ‘Squeaky’ Valentine - Andrew Lewis Middle School - November 2023
• Sydney Hepler - Mountain View Elementary - December 2023
• Dawn Custalow - William Fleming High School - January 2024
• Moir Hill - James Breckinridge Middle School - February 2024
• Consuela Stokley - Northside Middle School - March 2024
• Seth Davis - Eastern Elementary and Middle School - April 2024
• Steven Williams - Liberty Middle School - May 2024
• Gregory Souder - Dublin Elementary School - June 2024
• Kit Prillaman - North Cross - July 2024
• Elise DeMoss - North Cross School - August 2024
• Ron Snow - E.C. Glass High School - September 2024
• Sheri Marlowe - Mountain View Elementary - October 2024
• Courtney May - Central Academy Middle School - November 2024
• Bryce Vandenberg - Patrick Henry High School - December 2024
• Chrystal Shawn - Cave Spring High School - January 2025
• Sara Rhodes - Burlington Elementary - February 2025
• Josh Whitlow - Hidden Valley High School - March 2025
• Debra Williams-Arthur - William Byrd - April 2025
• Ashley Adams - Rich Acres Elementary School - May 2025
• Amanda Waldron - Northside Middle School - June 2025
• Chris Badgett- Lucy Addison Middle School- July 2025
• Cassie Long - Appomattox County High School - August 2025
• Madison Webb - Blacksburg High School - September 2025
• Lauren Burgess- Northside Middle School- October 2025
• Ryan Clifton- Natural Bridge Elementary School- November 2025
• Kacey Day - Burlington Elementary School - December 2025
• Megan Emanuel - Brookville High School - January 2026
• Matthew Payne - Susie G. Gibson Science and Technology Center - February 2026
• Michelle Fulcher - Campbell Court Elementary School - March 2026
• Jamie Nichols - William Byrd Middle School - April 2026
• Marie Levine - Staunton River Middle School - May 2026

Black Dog Salvage is moving a significant part of its operation over the nearby Memorial Bridge to a warehouse they have long called Black Dog Salvage Two. The second location is located at 629 Ashlawn Street SW in Norwich, less than a mile from the Main Showroom.

The famous Dog Bowl stage will remain, as will a significant part of Black Dog’s retail operation.

They will be moving larger items from the company’s salvage business to the new location, which will also receive a makeover.

The vacated space will be filled by Roanoke Mountain Adventures, which has outgrown its space as a bike and consignment shop near the Wasena Taproom.

“Well, you know, Black Dog’s been in business for 26 years, so we’re kind of a staple. We’re kind of a staple here in Roanoke, and we just needed a renewal, so to speak, and we’ve got too much stuff, and we needed a reason to kind of start condensing it and cleaning it up and remarketing it,” Mike Whiteside, co-owner of Black Dog Salvage said.

The move is all part of a re-shuffling of iconic brands along the Roanoke River and Roanoke River Greenway.

Not far away, Roanoke Mountain Adventures, which sells outdoor gear and clothing, mostly on consignment, has outgrown its space near the Wasena Tap Room. RMA also supports river activity by renting kayaks and tubes.

“Yeah, when Black Dog became a conversation, it just kind of happened that it’s in an almost better spot on the Greenway. I mean, we have prime real estate on the river and the Green Way right here. Somehow Black Dog is just that much better,” said Charity Hall of Roanoke Mountain Adventures.

No major changes are expected until the end of the summer.

Host city Vienna has been bedecked in hearts and the contest’s “United by Music” motto for a week in which singers and bands from 35 countries will compete onstage for the continent’s musical crown. But five countries — Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland — are boycotting to protest Israel's inclusion.

Several pro-Palestinian demonstrations are planned in Vienna during Eurovision week, and security is tight, with police officers from across Austria deployed in the capital, and support from forces in neighboring Germany.

Last month a 21-year-old Austrian man accused of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group pleaded guilty to plotting to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024, and the head of Austria’s DSN intelligence service, Sylvia Mayer, said “the terror threat posed by Islamist terror groups, as well as Iran-affiliated groups, is still at a high level.”

Israel aiming for the Eurovision final

Israeli singer Noam Bettan is among 15 acts competing for votes from viewers and national juries in Tuesday’s semifinal at the Wiener Stadthalle arena. The top 10 will go through to Saturday’s grand final, along with 10 from Thursday’s second semifinal. The U.K., France, Germany and Italy automatically qualify because they are among the contest’s biggest funders. Austria, last year’s winner, goes through to the final as host country.

Bettan is seeking to get Israel, which came second in 2025, into Saturday’s final with the ballad “Michelle.” Like last year’s Israeli competitor, Yuval Raphael, he has practiced singing while being booed.

Hoping to cement its status as bookmakers’ favorite is Finland, with the intense “Liekinheitin” (“Flamethrower”) by violinist Linda Lampenius and pop singer Pete Parkkonen.

Other competitors in Tuesday’s semifinal include Greece’s Akylas with fan-favorite party-rap track “Ferto” (“Bring It”); Portuguese quintet Bandidos do Cante with the soulful “Rosa”; and singer Senhit, representing tiny San Marino with “Superstar,” a party anthem featuring a guest appearance by Boy George.

Long a forum for good-natured — and sometimes more pointed — national rivalries, Eurovision has found it hard to separate pop and politics in recent years. Russia was expelled in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The 2024 contest in Malmo, Sweden, and last year’s event in Basel, Switzerland, saw pro-Palestinian protests that called for Israel to be expelled over its conduct of its war against Hamas in Gaza and allegations it ran a rule-breaking marketing campaign to get votes for its contestant.

The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, has toughened voting rules in response to the vote-rigging allegations, halving the number of votes per person to 10 and tightening safeguards against “suspicious or coordinated voting activity.”

But the EBU declined to kick Israel out, spurring five countries to announce in December that they would not participate this year.

Protesters urge artists to withdraw

At a press conference on Tuesday the group No Music for Genocide urged participants to pull out of the contest.

“Israel will not withdraw. The Austrian government will not have Israel removed from the competition, from the Song Contest. So I think it is a moral obligation for each and every artist to take action and step away from the competition,” said Congolese-Austrian activist Patrick Bongola, a member of the group.

Israel strongly denies committing genocide in Gaza. Demonstrations in support of the country's participation are also planned this week in Vienna.

The five-country boycott is a revenue and viewership blow to an event that organizers say was watched by 166 million people around the world last year. Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania have returned after skipping the event for artistic or financial reasons in recent years, but the number of participants, at 35, is still the lowest since 2003.

Jonathan Hendrickx, a media researcher at the University of Copenhagen, said any more boycotts will stress the structure of the contest and raise doubts if the very show can still go on as usual.

“They really are at their limits now, in terms of what they can handle with the current format,” Hendrickx said.

Dean Vuletic, the author of “Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest,” is confident Eurovision can weather the latest storms.

“We’ll see demonstrations, but we’ll also see a lot of colorful events going on which will really represent what Eurovision is about, which is bringing Europeans together,” he said.

“If you look at the history of Eurovision, it’s gone through so many crises, so many political challenges, so many geopolitical changes in Europe, and it’s always managed to survive.”

___

Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed to this story.

___

For more coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/eurovision-song-contest

Trump has veered between venting that China, the world’s biggest buyer of Iranian oil, hasn't done more to get the Islamic Republic in line and acknowledging that Xi's government helped de-escalate the conflict last month by nudging Tehran back to ceasefire talks when negotiations wobbled.

But ahead of the U.S. leader's high-stakes visit, the White House has set low expectations that Trump will be able to persuade Xi to change China's posture.

Instead, Trump's Republican administration seems determined not to let differences on Iran overshadow efforts to make headway on other difficult matters in the complicated relationship — ranging from trade to further Chinese cooperation to block exports of fentanyl precursors.

“We don’t want this to be something that derails the broader relationship or the agreements that might come out of our meeting in Beijing,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Bloomberg TV last week.

US administration sanctioned China ahead of the trip

Beijing publicly insists that it wants to see the war end and has been working diplomatically behind the scenes to help its ally Pakistan push to broker a peace agreement. It has also sent a “subtle message of discontent to Iran” for closing the Strait of Hormuz and to the U.S. for its blockade of Iranian shipping, said Ahmed Aboudouh, a specialist on China’s influence in the Middle East with the London-based Chatham House think tank.

“They are very cautious, risk averse, and they don’t want to be involved in anything that would drag them into something that they don’t consider their problem,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kuwait on Tuesday accused Iran of dispatching an armed paramilitary Revolutionary Guard team to launch a failed attack earlier this month on an island in the Middle East nation that is home to a China-funded port project. Iran didn’t immediately acknowledge the allegation by Kuwait, which came under repeated attack by Iran in the war and even during the shaky ceasefire still holding in the region.

In recent days, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have stepped up their calls for China to use its influence to help reopen the strait, through which about 20% of the world's crude flowed before the war began.

The State Department announced on Friday it was sanctioning four entities, including three China-based firms, for providing sensitive satellite imagery that enables Iranian military strikes against U.S. forces in the Middle East. Earlier, the Treasury Department moved to target Chinese oil refineries accused of buying oil from Tehran, as well as shippers of the oil. The sanctions cut off the companies from the U.S. financial system and penalize anyone who does business with them.

Beijing has called the sanctions “illegal unilateral pressure” and enacted a blocking statute — passed in 2021 and never used until now — that prohibits any Chinese entity from recognizing or complying with the sanctions.

Ahead of Trump's arrival, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last week hosted his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Beijing. The Chinese foreign minister used the moment to defend Iran’s right to develop civilian nuclear energy.

Xi has also offered implicit criticism of the U.S. over the war. He has said that safeguarding international rule of law is paramount, adding it “must not be selectively applied or disregarded,” nor should the world be allowed to revert “to the law of the jungle.”

China and the US want to avoid a return to a tariff war

Trump on Monday downplayed differences with China over Iran and underscored that Xi wants to see the strait reopened. “He’d like to see it get done,” Trump said of the Chinese leader.

Like Trump, Xi also has plenty of reason to not let differences over Iran impact other facets of the relationship, analysts say. China imports about half of its crude oil and almost one-third of its liquefied natural gas from Middle Eastern countries affected by the closure of the strait, according to China’s General Administration of Customs.

Beijing wants to guard against further deterioration of the U.S.-China relationship — something that would add further challenges to its economy.

“(Xi) wants the summit to validate China’s superpower status, preserve the tariff predictability, and to reaffirm that Washington has to deal with Beijing on Beijing’s terms," said Craig Singleton, senior director for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ China program

Yet, since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February, there have been difficult moments between Trump and Xi that threatened to set back the relative stability in their relationship.

China has long supported Iran’s ballistic missile program and backed it with dual-use industrial components that can be used for missile production, according to the U.S. government.

Last month, Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on China after reports that Beijing was preparing to deliver a shipment of new air defense systems to Iran, but he later backed away from the threat, claiming that he had received written assurance from Xi that he would not provide Tehran with weaponry. Days later, Trump said cryptically that the U.S. Navy had intercepted a Chinese vessel carrying a “gift” for Iran. He has not offered further explanation.

Both Trump and Xi may be eager to avoid creating dark economic clouds, as they did last year, when the two powers appeared on the precipice of a massive trade war.

Trump had set tariffs on Chinese goods at 145%, and China announced a further tightening of rare-earth export controls that would have hurt U.S. industry — before the governments backed off from inflicting maximalist penalties on each other. The two sides reached a fragile truce in their long-running trade disputes in October.

Trump and other administration officials have made the case that the Iran conflict — particularly the closure of the strait — has caused greater harm to China and its Pacific neighbors than it has to the United States, which is far less dependent on Middle East oil and has an export-driven economy.

“You can’t buy from them if you can’t ship it there, and you can’t buy from them if your economy is being destroyed by what Iran is doing,” Rubio told reporters last week, making the case that it was in China’s interest for Iran to let traffic resume.

But for now, China has shown little interest in wading deeper into the conflict and has appeared reluctant to be seen siding with Washington.

“It will be difficult to get the Chinese deeply involved under any circumstances,” said Kurt Campbell, a former deputy secretary of state during President Joe Biden's Democratic administration and chair of The Asia Group. “They will want to be careful because they can see political quicksand as well as the next guy.”

___

Associated Press writers Didi Tang in Washington, Adam Schreck in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this report.

A fisherman on the island of Lefkada found the craft inside a coastal cave on May 7 and towed it close to a nearby harbor. It was moved a day later to a naval base on the mainland for inspection and the explosives were later destroyed, according to Greece’s public broadcaster, ERT.

“We have certainty now that it is a Ukrainian USV,” Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said, referring to the drone as an unmanned surface vehicle.

Ukrainian authorities didn’t immediately return a request seeking comment.

Dendias made the remarks in Brussels at a meeting of European Union defense ministers, saying that he would raise the issue with his European colleagues and with the Ukrainian officials directly.

“You understand that the presence of that USV — the drone, the sea drone — affects the freedom of navigation and affects also the security of navigation,” Dendias said. “This is an extremely serious issue.”

Ukraine has used surface drones to attack Russian naval vessels in the Black Sea, and more recently to target tankers used to transport Russian oil as part of an illicit network when returning empty as part of a campaign to hammer Moscow's energy exports.

Greek authorities gave no further details of the drone, while Greek naval experts said that its features resemble Ukrainian Magura-type craft — a platform developed by Ukraine's intelligence service.

Lefkada, off the west coast of the Greek mainland, is on a busy waterway between Greece and Italy, and is popular with tourists traveling by yacht or ferry, as well as commercial vessels. “It appears that the (drone) suffered some malfunction and was moving in an uncontrolled way,” Stefanos Gikas, a Greek deputy minister for maritime affairs, told public television on Monday. “So this craft — a black thing without navigation and carrying explosives — could have struck a tourist vessel.”

The heightening drone-led confrontation between Ukraine and the invading Russian military has led to multiple incidents on the territory of NATO and EU member states — the incursions mostly involving suspected Russian drones entering their airspace.

“They are violating our airspace. And it’s very clear that inside the European Union we should rearrange our capacities, our capabilities, in order to decrease this type of violations,” Romanian Defense Minister Radu-Dinel Miruța said in Brussels on Tuesday.

“It is very important to understand that this is a common threat,” he said. “It is happening on the entire eastern flank.”

___

Lorne Cook reported from Brussels. Theodora Tongas contributed to this report.

’’Children crying, and even babies,” said Ross, the French widow of a U.S. military veteran, whose arrest last month as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown made international headlines.

Ross spoke to The Associated Press on Monday about her 16 days in federal immigration custody after being arrested on April 1 in Alabama following an alleged visa overstay, and the late-in-life love story that brought her to the United States. She has been released and returned to France.

The experience in detention, she said, changed her and her view of politics.

She was held in a dormitory-style room with 58 other women, mostly mothers. ‘’Some of them didn’t know where their children were,'' she said. ‘’I think it’s terrible for a woman not to know where her children are.”

Her arrest in Alabama unfolded so quickly that she barely understood what was happening. Five men, who identified themselves as immigration officers, banged on her door and windows at 8 a.m. before handcuffing her and placing her in a vehicle, she said. She was still wearing her bathrobe, slippers and pajamas.

She was transferred two days later to a facility in Basile, Louisiana. Later that month she was freed. She is now recovering in a suburb of Nantes in western France with her family. The French foreign minister had publicly called for her release, saying that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement methods are “not in line” with French standards.

Ross had entered the U.S. to start a new life with William B. Ross, a retired U.S. soldier she had met decades earlier when he was stationed in France in the 1950s and she was a secretary at NATO. They married in April 2025.

After he died of natural causes in January, a dispute emerged over his estate. An Alabama judge found that Ross’ stepson, a U.S. federal employee, allegedly intervened to prompt her placement in immigration custody.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Ross had overstayed her 90-day visa at the time of her arrest. The AP on Tuesday sought comment from DHS, which previously didn’t respond to requests.

Ross described strict rules and constant shouting from guards and condescending treatment at the detention facility in Louisiana.

“The prison was clean, the food was okay, but it was the way they spoke to us,” she told the AP. “The guards could not speak without yelling.”

She described the place as noisy. ’’Everybody was talking loudly so everybody could hear what they were saying, but when silence came, you could hear children crying and even babies crying,″ she said. ’’There’s babies in this jail.″

Despite the conditions, Ross described moments of solidarity among detainees. “During the night, if my bed cover slipped away, I felt a small hand putting it back,” she said. “I didn’t know who it was, but they pampered me because I was older than them.”

She said the women called her “Grandma.” She kept a handmade friendship bracelet given to her by another detainee, a gift she wears today.

Family members said Ross is still struggling with memory gaps and emotional distress following her detention. She said she wants to seek medical follow-up in France to address symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress and is receiving support.

Ross said she continues to think about the women she met in custody, most of them from South America. Many were mothers separated from their children.

Her experience changed the way she sees the United States and its immigration policies, Ross said. Her husband was a Trump supporter and they used to watch Fox News together. But she was shocked to learn firsthand how immigrants are treated inside immigration facilities.

She used to view the U.S. as a “country of freedom, where people are not arrested based on how they look, and where those who are detained are treated fairly and with respect.” But the women she met did not deserve to be detained, she said. “Their only fault was to be South American.”

As she recovers in France, Ross still thinks about them: “When I left this jail in Louisiana, I told them that if I ever had the chance to speak about them, I would do it, to help them.”

From above, the plant forms dense, almost carpet-like mats that stretch across the surface. Up close, its long strands extend deep below the water, with roots reaching toward the lagoon bed, making it difficult to remove completely.

The scenes are unfolding in Colombia’s Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta, a vast coastal wetland on the Caribbean coast about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the city of Santa Marta. What was until recently a lifeline for fishing and transport is now being choked by dense vegetation, turning it into what he describes as an unfolding environmental crisis.

“What we’re seeing here today is a problem. One that affects not only movement or fishing, but the community as a whole,” said 32-year-old Cantillo, a local environmental and social leader from Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta.

Over the past year, residents say the fast-growing invasive plant native to Asia — Hydrilla verticillata — has spread rapidly across the wetland after first appearing around mid-2025. The dense vegetation, which some locals refer to as “horse tail,” is choking fishing routes, clogging waterways and restricting access to areas where residents collect water, while driving up costs in communities that rely almost entirely on the lagoon for their livelihoods.

The Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta is one of Colombia’s most important fishing ecosystems, serving as a nursery for many species.

In Nueva Venecia and Buenavista — two isolated fishing communities built almost entirely on wooden stilts over the water — large swaths of open water are now covered by the invasive plant. The communities themselves are largely informal and exist outside many basic state services.

Nueva Venecia — the older of the two, founded in 1847 as a fishing settlement — is home to roughly 4,500 people living in about 500 colorful houses. Buenavista, which emerged in the 1950s, has around 1,150 residents and 163 similarly vibrant homes, where residents travel between houses, shops and schools by small boats or canoes.

"A year ago, there were canoes fishing here. Teachers and students crossing the lagoon. Today, what we see is a problem,” Cantillo said.

A growing crisis for fishing communities

The impact is rippling through already vulnerable communities. Fish catches have dropped, transport has become more difficult and families are facing rising costs as they are forced to buy potable water.

In Nueva Venecia, one small-scale fisherman stood shirtless in the midday heat, pulling brittle strands of dried vegetation from his fishing nets, which he had laid out in the sun to make them easier to clean.

“We can’t work because of this plant,” said 61-year-old Santander Cueto. “It doesn’t let us cast our nets — everything gets tangled.”

What was once a routine task now takes significantly longer.

“The lagoon's completely covered. There’s nowhere left to fish,” said Demóstenes Guerrero, 58, a fisherman and representative of a fishing association in Buenavista.

In some areas, groups of residents head out in wooden boats to cut narrow “lifeline” passages through the thickest vegetation, allowing canoes to pass without getting their propellers tangled. These efforts are labor-intensive and largely driven by the community itself, and must be repeated every few days as the fast-growing plant quickly closes the routes again.

The wetland spans about 428,000 hectares (1,600 square miles) of lagoons, mangroves and marshes — roughly the size of Los Angeles — and has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2000.

Pollution and changing water flows fuel the spread

The Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta is fed by the Magdalena River — one of Colombia’s main waterways — which carries untreated wastewater from across much of the country, said Julián Arbelaez, a water and sanitation engineer working in the region.

That influx of nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus, creates ideal conditions for invasive species when water slows in wetlands like this one.

“That load causes the river to enter a state of eutrophication,” Arbelaez said, referring to a process in which excess nutrients fuel rapid plant growth.

The vegetation is also cutting off access to cleaner water sources. Residents typically travel by boat to collect freshwater from channels connected to the Magdalena River, but many of those routes are now blocked. As a result, Arbelaez said, people are increasingly collecting water closer to their homes — often in areas contaminated by untreated sewage.

Residents say another invasive plant, Eichhornia crassipes, which floats on the water’s surface, has long been present in the lagoon and also disrupts fishing and transport, though its impact has been less sudden.

Local leaders say changes in water flow have also contributed to the crisis, with freshwater now dominating areas where saltwater once helped suppress or kill Hydrilla verticillata.

Sandra Vilardy, a professor at Universidad de los Andes who has a doctorate in ecology and who has worked in the region for about 20 years, said there is still limited research on how the plant arrived and that current explanations remain hypotheses.

She said one of the most likely pathways is maritime transport, with the plant potentially entering through major river systems before spreading into wetlands through smaller vessels and dredging activity. A second possibility, she said, is the release of aquarium plants into waterways, a common cause of biological invasions globally, though she noted that explanation appears less likely in this case given the region’s environmental conditions.

Communities say response has been slow and insufficient

“This is a monster in terms of growth,” Cantillo said, describing how it spread from a limited presence early last year to surrounding entire communities within months.

Even attempts to remove it can make the situation worse, as fragments can break off and spread further. Residents say efforts to remove the plant have largely been limited to small-scale manual clearing by fishermen and sporadic pilot efforts by authorities, with no effective large-scale solution in place.

The crisis is now pushing some residents to consider leaving altogether.

“We now face a risk that we didn’t have 20 or 25 years ago — the risk of mass displacement,” Cantillo said.

Protests and road blockades have already taken place as frustration grows over what locals describe as a slow and insufficient government response.

Alfredo Martínez, director of CORPAMAG, the regional environmental authority, said Hydrilla verticillata is not officially classified as an invasive species in Colombia and that national guidelines for its control are still pending. He said monitoring and removal efforts are underway with local community involvement, adding that no further expansion has been observed since March and that lower water levels may be slowing its spread.

César Rodríguez Ayala, a community leader in Nueva Venecia, said the crisis is affecting nearly every aspect of life.

“If the fisherman can’t work, the shop doesn’t sell,” he said. “We are living a very difficult situation, economically and environmentally.”

While mechanical removal methods exist, complete eradication is unlikely in the short term due to high costs and limited capacity, according to Cantillo.

“We are part of Colombia too,” Rodríguez said. “We live on the water, but we also deserve to be seen — and helped — in a moment like this.”

___

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

The Associated Press was allowed to witness the Swedish-led military exercise this week as Europe faces not only the threat of Russia but the wavering of NATO’s most powerful member, the United States.

The war game that also involved U.S. forces played out with a real threat in mind. For months, Russia has ramped up sabotage including cyberattacks against critical infrastructure and disinformation against countries across Europe, as detailed by an AP investigation.

The war game scenario — with the Swedish island of Gotland in theory facing power outages and food shortages because of sabotage — tested what NATO members might do before NATO’s collective defense clause, Article 5, has been invoked.

“In theory, it could happen tomorrow,” said Rear Adm. Jonas Wikström, director of the exercise.

Europe considers Trump's volatile approach to NATO

Sweden’s chief of defense, Gen. Michael Claesson, noted that the U.S. is Europe’s most militarily capable ally so “any change in the American presence” affects the overall dynamics. He told the AP that announcements by President Donald Trump of troop reductions in Europe are interpreted “as the Americans are leaving — and they are not.”

Europe’s military leaders, however, are watching closely how Trump and his administration treat NATO, which Trump has described as a “paper tiger.” Most recently, he has ordered the withdrawal of at least 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany and threatens to remove more.

Trump also has criticized allies, and NATO, for not coming to the aid of the U.S. in the Iran war, while U.S. air defense systems and missiles have been moved toward the Middle East from Europe, raising concerns about gaps in protection. Some European nations have been told they will face delays to their orders of U.S. weapons.

Claesson denied that recent announcements — including that of a “hybrid navy” by a group of Nordic and Baltic nations, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands — was a hedge against a possible future where the U.S. does not come to the aid of NATO allies.

But, he said, “everything that offers European allies freedom of action is good.”

The U.K. and Norway also aim to build a combined frigate fleet, said Marte Gerhardsen, state secretary at the Norwegian Ministry of Defense.

Ukrainian drone forces destroy Swedish troops in exercise

Since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, he also has paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine and at times aligned with Moscow in negotiations to end the war.

In the war game scenario this week, Ukrainian forces had a chance to demonstrate what they have learned on the battlefield and why their country might be a worthy NATO member.

A group of Ukrainian drone pilots, invited to teach Western forces how to win at drone warfare, destroyed Sweden’s troops in an exercise, a 24-year-old drone pilot told the AP.

“They stopped the training three times” for troops to work out what to do better, but if it were real life they would have been dead, he said, giving his call sign Tarik in line with Ukrainian military regulations.

Swedish troops have potential but need to improve their drones and tactics and commanders need a deeper understanding of drone warfare, said another pilot with the call sign Karat.

He described flying small, first-person-view attack drones on the front line against Russian forces. Sometimes drone pilots are supported by reconnaissance drone teams but other times they are “working blindly.”

Western forces cannot understand what it is like, he added: “You need to see this with your own eyes.”

All Western forces need to “learn rapidly” how to perform drone and counter-drone operations, and the “fastest” way is to listen to the Ukrainians, Claesson said.

“What they’ve taught us is you have to really focus on your survivability and how you can’t be detected,” said Brig. Gen. Curtis King with the U.S. military. At the same time, he said, Western nations need to focus on “deep” detection capabilities to spot drones from far away.

Such knowledge is desperately needed along Russia’s border with NATO where there has been a spate of drone incursions in recent months, including from Ukrainian drones sent off course by Russian jamming.

The goal is to have systems that work together so that radar made by different companies in different countries can be integrated to share data and track threats, King said. That process has started but, “we’re not there yet.”

Putin could use Gotland to test the alliance

The war game exercise focused on the Swedish island of Gotland because it is strategically located in the Baltic Sea between the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad – where Moscow has stationed missiles – and Sweden.

“If you control Gotland, you pretty much control the central part of the Baltic Sea,” Claesson said.

The Baltic Sea is a financial lifeline for Russia as vessels with its “shadow fleet” carry oil and liquefied natural gas that Moscow uses to fund its war in Ukraine.

After the Cold War, Sweden effectively abandoned its military presence on Gotland but Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 prompted a rethink and a strengthened military presence there. And Sweden, along with Finland, decided to join NATO in 2024.

“A very reasonable scenario” is that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use Gotland to test NATO by trying to take a thin sliver of alliance territory to probe the collective reaction, Claesson said.

___

Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed.

Random House Children's Books announced Tuesday that Riordan is collaborating with different co-authors on each of four “Camp Half-Blood” middle-grade novels set during the time between Riordan's first two Percy books, “The Lightning Thief” and “The Sea of Monsters.”

Since “The Lightning Thief” was published in 2005, Riordan’s “Percy Jackson” novels have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide and have been translated into dozens of languages. His books feature such beloved characters as Percy, the boy whose father is the Greek god Poseidon; best friend Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. Riordan said in a statement that working on the Emmy-winning Disney+ adaptation of his work stirred his curiosity about Camp Half-Blood.

“It made me wonder what was happening back at camp between the books of the original series, when Percy, Annabeth, and Grover weren’t around,” he said. “This new series gives me a chance to explore that idea, while opening up Percy’s world by introducing a new group of demigod heroes, co-created with amazing authors who can write authentically about those heroes’ backgrounds. It’s been an incredible thrill!”

The first installment, “The Wild Zone,” was written with Annebelle Oh and comes out Sept. 29. Kyle Lukoff, Jade Adia and Pablo Cartaya are working with Riordan on the second, third and fourth books, respectively. Each will be published six months apart.

According to Random House, “The Wild Zone” tells of “ancient threats and long-buried secrets” and how “campers begin to disappear, unlikely new heroes must face monsters, curses, and impossible choices, all while discovering what it truly means to belong.”

The Thunder — who trailed in the fourth quarter for the first time in these playoffs — eliminated LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night, winning 115-110 to close out another four-game sweep.

Oklahoma City also swept Phoenix in Round 1.

The Thunder join the New York Knicks as teams in the conference finals. Their opponents won't be known for at least a couple of days — with both remaining series tied at 2-2.

Game 5 in the Western Conference matchup between San Antonio and Minnesota is on Tuesday. Game 5 in the Eastern Conference semifinal between Detroit and Cleveland is on Wednesday.

Tuesday's schedule

— Game 5, Minnesota at San Antonio, 8 p.m. EDT (NBC, Peacock)

Series: Tied, 2-2.

Odds: San Antonio by 10.5.

San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama — who will play, after the NBA said nothing more than an ejection was merited after he elbowed Minnesota's Naz Reid in Game 4 — is about to face the most pressure-packed game of his career, with the Spurs looking to keep home-court advantage against the Timberwolves.

Wednesday's schedule

— Game 5, Cleveland at Detroit, 8 p.m. EDT (ESPN)

Series: Tied, 2-2.

Odds: Detroit by 3.5.

Home teams are 4-0 in this series, and the Pistons need to continue that trend. Everyone knows Game 5 in a tied-up series is a swing game, but the Pistons — who fended off elimination three times in the Round 1 win over Orlando — are used to playing amid pressure.

Monday's recap

— Cavaliers 112, Pistons 103 to tie series at 2-2. Donovan Mitchell ran wild after halftime.

— Thunder 115, Lakers 110 to win series 4-0. And now, all eyes are on LeBron James' future.

Sleepy, you have company

Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell backed up his talk.

He told teammates at halftime Monday night that he had to be better — so he went out and scored 39 of his 43 points in the second half to lead the Cavs to a Game 4 win.

Mitchell's 39 points tied the NBA record for points in a playoff half. Sleepy Floyd also had 39 in the second half for Golden State against the Lakers on May 10, 1987 — a record that was unmatched for, ironically enough, 39 years (and one day).

Charles Barkley (for Phoenix against Golden State on May 4, 1994) and Kevin Durant (for Golden State against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 26, 2019) both had 38-point first halves in playoff games.

Awards watch

A breakdown of this season's NBA awards:

— Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year: DeAndre Jordan, New Orleans.

— Hustle Award: Moussa Diabaté, Charlotte.

— Defensive Player of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio.

— Clutch Player of the Year: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City.

— Sixth Man of the Year: Keldon Johnson, San Antonio.

— Sportsmanship Award: Derrick White, Boston.

— Most Improved Player: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta.

— Rookie of the Year: Cooper Flagg, Dallas.

— Executive of the Year: Brad Stevens, Boston.

Among the announcements still to come:

— Most Valuable Player: Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama or Denver's Nikola Jokic.

— Coach of the Year: Johnson, Detroit's J.B. Bickerstaff, or Boston's Joe Mazzulla.

Betting odds

Defending champion Oklahoma City (-165) is favored to win the NBA title, according to oddsmakers.

The Thunder are followed by San Antonio (+350), New York (+600), Detroit (+2000), Cleveland (+4000) and Minnesota (+5000).

Key dates

— Through Sunday: NBA draft combine.

— May 17 or 19: Eastern Conference finals begin on ESPN and ABC.

— May 18 or 20: Western Conference finals begin on NBC and Peacock.

— June 3: Game 1, NBA Finals on ABC. (Other finals dates: June 5, June 8, June 10, June 13, June 16 and June 19).

— June 23: Round 1, NBA draft.

— June 24: Round 2, NBA draft.

Quote of the day

“They threw a lot of pitches at us, and I think we’re a better team at the end of the series than we were at the beginning. And that’s a credit to them. So, just a tip of the hat to them. Deep respect.” — Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault, on the Lakers.

Stats of the day

— Oklahoma City got its first fourth-quarter comeback win of these playoffs — because the Thunder had not trailed in the fourth quarter in any of their first seven playoff games this year.

— LeBron James got his 147th playoff double-double Monday night, breaking a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for third-most in NBA postseason history. Only Tim Duncan (164) and Magic Johnson (157) have more.

___

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

Where that game will be played was not part of Tuesday morning's announcement. The location has not been determined yet with the NFL still finalizing things ahead of Thursday night's 2026 season schedule release.

Another unknown is whether two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes will be available for that season opener. His goal is to be ready for Week 1. The Chiefs quarterback tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee on Dec. 14 in the final minutes of a loss to the Chargers, which effectively eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention.

Quarterback Bo Nix is expected to be ready for training camp after breaking a bone in his right ankle on Jan. 18 during the AFC playoffs. Denver finished last season losing the AFC championship game to New England.

More matchups will be revealed in the coming days.

The trio of games announced Monday came as NBC, Fox and Prime Video made their upfront presentations to advertisers. The Buffalo Bills’ first regular-season game in their new stadium will be against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 17 and will kick off Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” schedule.

The Dallas Cowboys were part of the other two unveilings. The Cowboys will visit the New York Giants in the first NBC “Sunday Night Football” game of the season on Sept. 13 and they will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox on Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 26.

___

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

At first glance, Fayette Street might look like any other street in Martinsville. But take a closer look, and you’ll find a corridor that helped shape a generation in Southside Virginia. Charisse Hairston, executive director of the Fayette Area Historical Initiative (FAHI) Museum, knows this history well. She noted that, at one point, this area had the most millionaires per capita.

“This was like the mecca where you would have seen most of your Black-owned businesses, your barbershops, your theaters, your pharmacies, anything like that, your hospital,” Hairston said.

At its height, people came from miles away just to experience what many referred to as the Black Wall Street of Southside Virginia.

“They would get bused here to the city to come to like Dr. Baldwin’s Pharmacy, where they could get their medicine and then also get a good cheeseburger and some ice cream,” Hairston explained.

To many, the corridor was not only an escape from the harsh realities of the Jim Crow era, but also a safe haven in a society where African Americans were systematically treated as less than. It offered a glimpse of the country so many yearned to see.

“It was important to the community as a whole because it showed the potential of what an area could really be and develop, even in adversity.”

Many of the corridor’s businesses were a part of the Green Book, a nationwide travel guide for African Americans traveling through segregated states listing safe businesses to stop at.

“If you didn’t have those Black-owned businesses that open and provided those services, they lacked a lot.”

Now, as the city continues to transform, Hairston feels lessons from the past can help shape the city’s future.

“It’s hard to go to revitalization when people don’t really understand the culture of what used to be here, and that’s why it’s so important that you have your local museums.”

It’s a culture that Hairston hopes to preserve for generations to come.

“If you take the time to learn the history of the area, particularly the Black history, I say that it’s a history wrapped in resilience. Then you understand that if it’s not here, make it. If it’s available, create it. Learn what these people did. Learn the fight and the struggle that they had.”

The lessons and progress of Martinsville’s Fayette Street corridor are forever enshrined in the buildings, preserving a legacy for generations to come.

Want to discover more stories that make Virginia unique? Visit the Patchwork 250 page to explore the full quilt of our region’s history, one patch at a time.

In a rare feat of preservation, a 75-year-old steam locomotive continues operating in the same city where it was built, serving as a rolling testament to Roanoke’s railroad heritage.

The Norfolk and Western Railway’s Class J 611, known for its streamlined design and bullet nose, stands as one of the most successful passenger steam locomotives ever built. After its retirement in 1994, many thought its days of running the rails were over.

“It’s such an iconic engine, one of, if not the most successful passenger steam locomotives ever built, most modern steam locomotive ever built,” said Zach McGinnis, steam operations manager for the Virginia Museum of Transportation. “The streamlined look on it, the bullet nose, the stripe, it just has a cult following, a worldwide following.”

The 611’s second chance came in 2014 when the museum launched a restoration campaign. Its 2015 homecoming drew unprecedented crowds along the tracks from North Carolina to Virginia.

“That trip back to Roanoke in 2015 was something, never seen that many people trackside before to see her come home,” McGinnis recalled.

What makes the 611 unique is its continued operation in its city of origin.

“I cannot think of any engine in the country that operates out of the, or maybe even in the world that operates out of the city it was designed and built in,” McGinnis said. “We’re very fortunate to have that.”

The locomotive maintains all its original components after three quarters of a century.

“It’s 75 years old, all original,” McGinnis explained. “It’s going to outlast us because that’s the way it was designed to be and designed to operate.”

Tom Cox, executive vice president of the museum, emphasizes the broader significance of the railroad to Roanoke’s development.

“Roanoke as we know it would not exist were it not for the railroad,” he said.

The city’s importance grew from its strategic location.

“Everything that came to southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina, southeastern West Virginia... came through this freight station here which is located in Roanoke and it really established Roanoke... as a transportation hub,” Cox explained.

The museum now faces the challenge of preserving this piece of history for future generations.

“What we really need right now is the support and fundraising. We need grants. We need endowments,” McGinnis said. “The only way to keep this thing going is raising money for it.”

A unique aspect of the preservation effort is the knowledge transfer between generations. “We have our older guys who learned to operate, maintain 611 from the guys from the Roanoke shops in the 80s and 90s,” McGinnis said. “They’re passing it down to us.”

The museum takes pride in its role as caretaker of this historic artifact.

“We’re incredibly blessed to have both 611 and 1218 in our collection,” Cox said. “Both of them are world-class artifacts that are the envy of many many museums across the country and indeed throughout the world.”

McGinnis and his team remain committed to the locomotive’s future.

“We’re carrying that on, and we want to pass that on to the next generation as well to keep 611 running,” he said. This dedication ensures that this unique piece of American railroad history will continue inspiring visitors for generations to come.

Think you know your history? Test your knowledge of the 611 steam locomotive with the quiz below:

Want to discover more stories that make Virginia unique? Visit thePatchwork 250 page to explore the full quilt of our region’s history, one patch at a time.

The matchup was one of three announced by the NFL on Monday as NBC, Fox and Prime Video made their upfront presentations to advertisers.

The Dallas Cowboys were part of the other two unveilings. The Cowboys will visit the New York Giants in the first NBC “Sunday Night Football” game of the season on Sept. 13 and they will host the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox on Thanksgiving Day Nov. 26.

The full schedule will be released on Thursday with other matchups revealed in the coming days.

The Bills are one of 10 teams to have new coaches this season with Joe Brady taking over after Sean McDermott was fired after nine seasons. The game will feature two of the top quarterbacks in the league with Josh Allen and the Bills hosting Jared Goff and the Lions. Detroit is looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs last season.

The NFL has traditionally used Week 2 to showcase new stadiums in a primetime game.

This is the eighth time in the past 15 years the Cowboys and Giants are opening the season against each other. It also marks the 15th time the NFC East rivals are meeting on NBC's Sunday night package, the second-most played matchup since the network started the package in 2016.

Dallas is always a national television draw as “America's Team,” and New York could get more primetime exposure with Super Bowl winner John Harbaugh in his first year coaching the Giants and Jaxson Dart established as the franchise quarterback coming off his eventful rookie year.

This also could be the NFL debuts for a pair of former Ohio State teammates: Giants linebacker Arvell Reese, taken with the fifth pick, and Cowboys safety Caleb Downs, drafted not long after at No. 11.

This will only be the third time, and first since 2014, that the Eagles will be the Cowboys' Thanksgiving opponent.

Dallas has won its past four Thanksgiving games, including a 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs last year.

The late afternoon Thanksgiving game is traditionally the most viewed of the regular season. Last year’s game averaged 57.23 million viewers on CBS, making it the most-watched regular-season game in league history.

This will be the second straight season Philadelphia will have the spotlight on Thanksgiving week. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles hosted last year's Black Friday game and lost to the Chicago Bears 24-15.

Monday's announcements mean the Cowboys know the dates for three of their 17 games. It was announced a couple of weeks ago their game in Rio de Janeiro against the Baltimore Ravens will take place in Week 3 on Sept. 27 and air on CBS.

Dallas at New York in Week 1 also means neither of those teams will be the visitor at Seattle on Wednesday night, Sept. 9, when the defending champion Seahawks unveil their Super Bowl banner and kick off the season. Chicago, Arizona, Kansas City, the Los Angeles Chargers or a title-game rematch against New England are the remaining possibilities.

___

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

Ryan Cohen’s GameStop disclosed earlier this month that it was pursuing a takeover of eBay, seeing it as a vehicle to compete with online retail giant Amazon.

The national gaming retailer said at the time that its approximately 1,600 U.S. stores could become drop-off and shipping locations. One proposal included live sales broadcasts from GameStop locations featuring eBay products.

GameStop’s bid is worth $125 per share in cash and stock. The equity value of the proposed deal is $55 billion on paper. The company previously said that it started accumulating shares in eBay beginning in February and currently has a 5% stake.

In a letter from eBay Chairman Paul Pressler sent to Cohen, eBay's board said that it had completed its review of GameStop's offer and believes that eBay is a “strong, resilient business.”

“With its differentiated global marketplace and a clear strategy, eBay’s board is confident that the company, under its current management team, is well-positioned to continue to drive sustainable growth, execute with discipline, and deliver long-term value for our shareholders,” the letter said.

GameStop did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company's stock fell 4% before the market open on Tuesday.

Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, said in an online post that it “reached an agreement with the unauthorized actor involved in this incident.”

The company didn’t provide any details on the agreement, including whether it involved a payment, and didn’t elaborate who was behind the hack. Instructure temporarily took the system offline while it investigated, locking out students and faculty.

A hacking group named ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for last week's breach, threatening to leak data involving nearly 9,000 schools worldwide and 275 million individuals if schools did not pay a ransom by May 6. The group then extended the deadline, indicating some schools had engaged with them to negotiate.

As part of the deal, the data was returned to Instructure. The company said Monday that it also received “digital confirmation" that the hackers destroyed any remaining copies, in the form of "shred logs.”

The company acknowledged that there was no way to be sure that the data was erased for good, and said it took action because of concerns about potential publication of the data.

“While there is never complete certainty when dealing with cyber criminals, we believe it was important to take every step within our control to give customers additional peace of mind, to the extent possible,” Instructure said.

The data breach appeared to involve student ID numbers, email addresses, names and messages on the Canvas platform, Instructure’s chief information security officer, Steve Proud, said earlier this month. The company found no evidence that passwords, dates of birth, government identification or financial information were compromised, it said.

The company said it was working with "expert vendors" to do a forensic analysis, “further harden” its systems, and carry out a “comprehensive review of the data involved.”

The disruption caused panic last week among students and faculty members when they were locked out of a platform they rely on to manage grades and access course notes and assignments.

Schools and universities use Canvas to manage nearly all aspects of instruction. The platform acts as a gradebook, a hub for digital lectures and course materials, a discussion board for classroom projects, and a messaging platform between students and instructors.

Some courses also give quizzes and exams on the platform, or use it as a portal where final projects and papers are submitted on deadline.

San Francisco-based startup Andon Labs has put an artificial intelligence agent nicknamed “Mona” in charge at the eponymous Andon Café in the Swedish capital. While human baristas still brew the coffee and serve the orders, the AI agent — powered by Google’s Gemini — oversees almost every other aspect of the business, from hiring staff to managing inventory.

It is not clear how long the experiment will last, but the AI agent appears to be struggling to turn a profit in Stockholm’s competitive coffee trade. The cafe has made more than $5,700 in sales since it opened in mid-April, but less than $5,000 remains from its original budget of $21,000-plus. Much of the cash was spent on one-time setup costs, and the hope is that it eventually levels out and makes money.

Many cafe patrons have found it amusing to visit a business that's run by AI. Customers can pick up a telephone inside the cafe and ask the agent questions.

“It’s nice to see what happens if you push the boundary,” customer Kajsa Norin said. “The drink was good.”

Experts worry about AI's role going forward

Experts say ethical concerns abound, ranging from technology's role in humankind's future to conducting job interviews and judging employee performance.

Emrah Karakaya, an associate professor of industrial economics at Stockholm’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology, likened the experiment to “opening Pandora’s box" and said putting AI in charge can cause many problems. What might happen, he said, if a customer gets food poisoning? Who’s to blame?

“If you don’t have the required organizational infrastructure around it, and if you overlook these mistakes, it can cause harm to people, to society, to the environment, to business,” Karakaya said. “The question is, do we care about this negative impact?”

Founded in 2023, Andon Labs is an AI safety and research startup that says it focuses on “stress-testing” AI agents in the real world by giving them “real tools and real money.” It has worked with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Claude’s Anthropic, Google DeepMind and Elon Musk’s xAI, and the startup says it is preparing for a future where “organizations are run autonomously by AI.”

The Swedish cafe is billed as a “controlled experiment” to explore how AI might be deployed going forward.

“AI will be a big part of society in the future, and therefore we want to make this experiment (to) see what ethical questions arise when we have AI that employs other people and runs a business,” said Hanna Petersson, a member of Andon Labs’ technical staff.

The lab previously held pilots that put Anthropic’s Claude AI in charge of a vending machine business and a San Francisco gift store. The vending machine simulation revealed some worrying traits: The AI agent told customers it would issue refunds but never did, and it also intentionally lied to suppliers about competitor pricing to gain leverage.

AI agent struggles with inventory orders

Mona got to work after it was prompted with some basic instructions, Petersson said. The team told it to try to run the cafe profitably, be friendly and easygoing, and figure out operational details by itself but ask for new tools if needed.

From there it set up contracts for electricity and internet, and secured permits for food handling and outdoor seating. The agent then advertised for staff on LinkedIn and Indeed, and set up commercial accounts with wholesalers for daily bread and bakery orders. It communicates with the baristas via Slack, often messaging them outside of working hours, which is a workplace no-no in Sweden.

Other problems have arisen, particularly related to inventory.

The AI agent has placed orders for 6,000 napkins, four first-aid kits and 3,000 rubber gloves for the tiny cafe — plus canned tomatoes that aren’t used in any dish the cafe serves.

And then there’s the bread. Sometimes the agent orders far too much, while other days it misses bakeries’ daily deadlines, forcing the baristas to strike sandwiches from the menu.

Petersson said the ordering issues are likely due to the AI assistant’s “limited context window.”

“When old memory of ordering stuff is out of the context window, she completely forgets what she has ordered in the past,” Petersson said.

Barista Kajetan Grzelczak said he isn’t worried about being replaced by AI just yet.

“All the workers are pretty much safe,” he said. “The ones who should be worried about their employment are the middle bosses, the people in management.”

The move came after the Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a constitutional amendment that voters narrowly passed just last month. The 4-3 state court decision found that the Democratic-controlled legislature improperly began the process of placing the amendment on the ballot after early voting had begun in the Virginia’s general election last fall.

Democrats argued unsuccessfully that the U.S. Supreme Court has held that, even if early voting is underway, an election does not happen until Election Day itself.

The appeal is the latest twist in the nation’s mid-decade redistricting competition. It was kicked off last year by President Donald Trump urging Republican-controlled states to redraw their lines and was supercharged by a recent Supreme Court ruling severely weakening the Voting Rights Act.

“The Court overrode the will of the people who ratified the amendment by ordering the Commonwealth to conduct its election with the congressional districts that the people rejected,” wrote lawyers for Virginia Democrats and the state’s Democratic Attorney General, Jay Jones. They added, “The irreparable harm resulting from the Supreme Court of Virginia’s decision is profound and immediate.”

The filing is a sign of Democratic desperation after the Virginia decision deprived them of four winnable House seats in the mid-decade redistricting race that President Donald Trump kicked off last year. Democrats are still favorites to recapture the House of Representatives, but their GOP rivals have claimed to have gained more than a dozen seats through redistricting. The voter-approved Virginia map would have partly offset that.

Democrats are taking a legal long shot in asking the justices to reverse the Virginia court’s ruling. The Supreme Court tries to avoid second-guessing state courts’ interpretations of their own constitutions. In 2023, it turned down a request by North Carolina Republicans to overrule a state Supreme Court decision that blocked the GOP’s congressional map.

Politically, the appeal could help a party struggling to compete with Republicans in the unusual mid-decade redrawing of congressional boundaries by providing fodder for election-year messaging about a partisan Supreme Court. The court recently allowed Louisiana Republicans to proceed with redistricting after the justices struck down a majority Black district as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

Democrats have been set on their heels because, days after the Virginia ballot measure passed, the Supreme Court’s conservatives reversed decades of rulings and effectively neutered the Voting Rights Act, paving the way for Southern states to eliminate some majority Black districts and further pad Republican margins in Congress.

The Virginia amendment had been launched long before that ruling. It was intended as a response to Republican gains in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, and to blunt a new map in Florida that just became law. Once the Virginia amendment passed, it briefly turned the nationwide redistricting scramble into a draw between the two parties.

That was unraveled by the Virginia Supreme Court’s decision. The justices are appointed by the legislature, which has flipped between the two parties in recent decades, and the body is generally not seen as having a clear ideological bent.

__

Riccardi reported from Denver.

Your out-the-door forecast is a chilly one as well, so you will need to grab the coat as you head out the door. We warm up quickly Tuesday afternoon with our highs reaching back into the 70s! It will be a fantastic day to get outside later on in the day.

We are seeing temperatures slowly increasing for the second half of the week and weekend, thanks to the ridge out toward the west making its way into the eastern half of the country.

Besides the temperature change, we do have a shift headed our way Wednesday as our next weather maker moves into the region. Showers and storms will head our way Wednesday afternoon and evening, some of which could be on the stronger side. Heavy rainfall and damaging wind gusts are possible with these storms.

Once we get through Wednesday’s stormy weather, we are dry and beautiful for the second half of the week! Temperatures rebound quickly into the 70s, 80s and possibly 90s for the second half of the week and weekend.

Investments worth 23 billion euros ($27 billion) will fund various sectors in Africa including, energy, AI and agriculture, Macron said, adding that 14 billion euros ($16.4 billion) will come from French companies and 9 billion euros ($10.5 billion) from African entities.

Macron said the summit marks a financial shift in relationships between the European nation and African countries, including those that once were its colonies.

President William Ruto of Kenya, which is co-hosting the summit with France, referred to sovereignty eight times in his speech on the summit's final day. He reiterated that the days of European dependency were over for Africa in favor of mutual respect between cooperating nations.

New partnerships between the African nations and France “must not be built on dependency but on sovereign equality, not on aid or charity but on mutually beneficial investment, and not on extraction or exploitation but on win-win engagements," Ruto said.

The event, which is set to close Tuesday with a declaration that is expected to be signed by all 30 heads of state and government, comes at the height of a fallout between France and its former colonies, mostly in West Africa.

France has long maintained a colonial policy of economic, political and military sway dubbed Françafrique, which included keeping thousands of troops in the region it controlled.

After years of criticism from leaders and opposition parties in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso over what they described as a demeaning and heavy-handed approach, France has withdrawn most of those troops. It completed the withdrawal of troops from Senegal in July.

Macron said Paris will be respectful of each African country's independence, adding that “sovereignty and autonomy is shared, and your success is our success.”

France’s new strategy, according to Macron, is based on a shared agenda and the “days of offering assistance are behind us.”

“I’d like to focus on co-investment,” he said.

Macron hailed a strong show of unity from the African heads of state and governments as “an image of a united continent with a shared agenda.”

The company, which revolutionized online shopping in 2005 with two-day deliveries for Prime members, is rapidly opening small order-processing hubs in dozens of U.S. and foreign cities to cater to shoppers who can't or don't want to wait for cough medicine to relieve flu symptoms or tomatoes for tonight's dinner salad.

The ultrafast service, called Amazon Now, first launched in India last June. Amazon says 30-minute deliveries now are also available in urban areas of Brazil, Mexico, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The mini-warehouses devoted to Amazon Now are about the size of a CVS drugstore. They stock about 3,500 products for expedited delivery, including beer, diapers, pet food, meat, nonprescription medications, playing cards and cellphone charging cables.

“We know that customers love speed and always have,” Beryl Tomay, Amazon’s head of transportation, told The Associated Press on Monday. “What we see customers doing, when we offer faster speeds, are they purchase more from Amazon. And Amazon becomes more top of mind for that or other types of items as well.”

In the U.S., the company first tested Amazon Now in Seattle, the home of its headquarters, and in Philadelphia. Most residents of Atlanta and the Dallas-Fort Worth area now have access as well. The service also is live or expected to land by year-end in Houston, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Florida, and dozens of other cities, Amazon said.

The service charges for Amazon Now start at $3.99 for Prime members, who pay an annual fee of $139, and $13.99 for non-members. A $1.99 small basket fee applies to orders under $15, Amazon said.

The company's bet on a need for speed also comes as some consumers are rebelling against rushed deliveries as they weigh the potential impact on the environment and the workers tasked with preparing orders at a rapid rate.

Amazon’s approach

A relentless focus on speed helped Amazon build a logistics and e-commerce empire. After it made two days the new delivery time normal, Amazon moved into one-day and same-day deliveries for its Prime members. This spring, the company began making 90,000 products available in one hour or three hours at an extra cost.

The scaled down and sped up microhubs that are designed to handle 30-minute orders represent another step in Amazon's pursuit.

Only a handful of people prepare orders from aisles of shelves in the 5,000- to 10,000-square-foot facilities, unlike the sprawling fulfillment centers storing millions of items where Amazon employs a mix of human workers and robotics to pick and pack orders.

Amazon tailors the product inventory to each location and uses artificial intelligence and other technology to analyze what customers buy, as well as when and how often. The most popular U.S. purchases so far include soap, toothpaste, mouthwash, toilet plungers, bananas, limes and wireless earbuds, Amazon said.

The competition

Amazon’s attempt to up the instant gratification ante provides direct competition to on-demand food delivery platforms like Instacart, Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub, which don't have the scale of the e-commerce titan, according to independent retail analyst Bruce Winder.

“What Amazon brings is their prowess in supply chain,” Winder said.

These smaller companies said they don't see Amazon as a threat, though, citing the hundreds of thousands of items they are able to deliver to users' doorsteps by partnering with various merchants and restaurants.

“DoorDash has a mission to empower grocers and retailers and augment their existing footprint, not to replace them,” DoorDash spokesperson Ali Musa said in an emailed statement. “We win only when they win, which is how we can offer over half a million grocery and retail items in under an hour across the country.”

Amazon also is in a race with Walmart to become the retailer that reliably gets orders to online shoppers in under an hour.

For an additional $10 on top of standard delivery charges, shoppers can place Walmart Express Delivery orders from among more than 100,000 products that are guaranteed to arrive in an hour. Many customers, however, are receiving the items under 30 minutes, Walmart CEO John Furner told analysts in February.

Domino's cautionary tale

Companies have promised deliveries in 30 minutes or less before, but the landscape also is littered with failed attempts to break the speed barrier.

The COVID-19 pandemic produced a flurry of companies that promised 10- to 15-minute grocery deliveries from microwarehouses in dense neighborhoods, according to Sucharita Kodali, an analyst at market research firm Forrester Research.

But soaring operating costs, low customer loyalty and the drying up of investor money ultimately caused most to fail before the pandemic was over, analysts said.

Domino’s in 1984 pushed a guarantee that customers would receive their pizzas for free if they weren't delivered in under a half-hour. The company amended the “30 minutes or it’s free” policy after two years, providing only a $3 discount for late deliveries.

The promotion helped Domino’s win market share, but it ended up tarnishing the company's reputation. It dropped the guarantee in December 1993 after a string of crashes and lawsuits involving drivers racing to meet the deadline.

Brad Jashinsky, a retail analyst at information technology research and consulting firm Gartner, said he thinks Amazon should take the pizza chain's experience as a cautionary tale.

“You get in trouble when you start overpromising something like that,” he said.

Amazon won't be making any time guarantees and instead plans to keep customers who chose the 30-minute delivery option updated on the progress of their orders, Tomay said.

“There's no rushing either in our building workers or the gig workers,” she said.

Taking it slow

Kodali thinks Amazon will need a lot of people placing orders around the same time from the same or adjacent apartment buildings for the 30-minute service to be cost-effective.

Consumers may appreciate rapid receipt of products like toilet paper and batteries, but retailers and logistics experts said they also see some online shoppers, especially members of Generation Z, choosing no-rush shipping for products they don't need in a hurry.

Amazon for several years has invited customers to skip one- or two-day delivery and to receive their orders on the same day in as few parcels as possible. Consolidating orders into fewer packages by electing to have them delivered at the same time cuts down on boxes, shipping envelopes and fuel use, analysts said.

“The millennials who came to age in an era that was on fast delivery came to expect it de facto, whereas ... Gen Z is more accepting of a slower speed than previous generations before them,” said Darby Meegan, a general manager at Flexport, a supply chain and logistics company that fulfills orders for thousands of online merchants.

Still, Amazon executives have cited positive early results for Amazon Now in India, where they said Prime members tripled their requests for 30-minute deliveries once they started using the service.

Amazon Now also is attracting more repeat American customers, Tomay said.

“It’s in early days and time will tell,” she said. “I think that it will be interesting to see how it evolves.”

The attack took place in Lakki Marwat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police chief Azmat Ullah said. He said that two traffic police officers and a woman were among those killed.

Ullah provided no further details but said traffic police officers were apparently the target of the attack. The bombing also damaged nearby shops. Most of the dead and wounded were passersby, he said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Suspicion in such attacks often falls on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, which has intensified its campaign against Pakistani security forces in recent years. The group is separate from but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban government.

However, the Pakistani Taliban denied involvement in Tuesday's attack, saying in a statement that it had learned about the bombing but was not behind it.

The latest attack came days after 15 police officers were killed in a suicide bombing and gun assault on a security post in the nearby Bannu district on Saturday, prompting Islamabad to summon a senior Afghan diplomat to lodge a formal complaint.

Pakistan on Monday blamed that attack on Afghanistan-based Pakistani Taliban.

On Tuesday, Afghan Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in a post on X, rejected Pakistan’s claim that the recent attack in the Bannu district was planned in Afghanistan, calling it baseless.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan believes that problems can be resolved through understanding, mutual respect and genuine cooperation, rather than accusations, threats and emotional reactions,” he said. Mujahid reiterated that Kabul’s position remains that Afghan territory will not be used against any country, and that no one will be allowed to engage in activities that undermine regional security and stability.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Tuesday's attack and conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims.

In a statement, he said the government and all relevant institutions were committed to eliminating terrorism and would not allow militants to obstruct peace and development in the country. He directed authorities to swiftly complete the investigation, identify those responsible and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.

Pakistani authorities have long accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of sheltering militants. Kabul has denied the allegation, saying it does not allow militants to use Afghan soil to launch attacks against other countries.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent years, straining relations with Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups have grown more emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have persisted, including fighting that has killed hundreds of people since late February. In early April, the two sides held peace talks mediated by China. However, sporadic cross-border clashes have continued, though at a lower intensity than before.

___

Associated Press writers Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Abdul Qahar Afghan in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report.

The ICC in The Hague unsealed Monday an arrest warrant for Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a former national police chief who first enforced then- President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drugs crackdowns that left thousands of mostly petty suspects dead.

Originally issued in November, the warrant charges dela Rosa with the crime against humanity of murder of “no less than 32 persons” allegedly committed between July 2016 and the end of April 2018 in the Philippines.

“If I have something to answer for, I will face those in our local courts and not before foreigners,” dela Rosa told reporters in the Senate, which took him into “protective custody” Monday when he reappeared after months of absence.

“I will avail of all legal processes,” he said, and pleaded to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.: “Don’t bring me to The Hague.”

After winning the presidency in 2016, Duterte designated dela Rosa, a loyal ally, as head of the national police force, which enforced the brutal campaign against illegal drugs.

Dela Rosa also once headed the police force in the southern city of Davao, where Duterte served as a longtime mayor and built a political name for his extra tough approach to crimes.

“My role was to lead the war on drugs, and that war on drugs was not meant to annihilate people,” dela Rosa said when he was asked about the huge death toll.

“When the lives of police officers came under threat, of course they needed to defend themselves,” dela Rosa said.

Duterte’s six-year term ended in mid-2022. He was arrested in March last year and detained by the ICC in the Netherlands, where he is now awaiting trial for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with several killings under his crackdowns.

Duterte withdrew the Philippines in 2019 from the ICC, in a move human rights activists say was aimed at escaping accountability. The court, however, said it retained jurisdiction over crimes committed when the Philippines was still a member.

Asked if the Philippines will enforce the ICC’s arrest warrant against dela Rosa, officials suggested they were ready and could surrender him to the global court’s jurisdiction like Duterte under a Philippine law enacted to address crimes against humanity like genocide.

“We have an obligation that all those who should be held to account should be held responsible,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a news briefing.

Dela Rosa cannot invoke a privilege of immunity from arrest while attending formal sessions or staying within the Senate because the crimes he allegedly committed were serious and punishable by a long prison term, Castro said.

Police have deployed nearly 350 law enforcers outside the Senate, sparking concerns from dela Rosa and allied senators, but officials said they were assigned to keep order and not to eventually help arrest the senator.

And while they are taking some steps to help with prevention, such as playing brain games and maintaining social connections, there is more they can do.

“Some of the strongest science of preventing dementia comes from a few risk factors that can be controlled. These are your cardiovascular risk factors, so knowing your numbers, your cholesterol, your blood pressure, your blood sugar, because what’s good for the heart is good for the brain,” said Pelin Batur, MD, medical director of the Cleveland Clinic Women’s Comprehensive Health and Research Center.

Dr. Batur said diet, exercise, sleep and your mental health play a role too.

“One that might be a surprise to folks is preventing depression because depression is very closely tied to dementia risk,” she explained.

The report shows there is also a gap in knowledge with menopause.

More than two in five women do not know that menopause can affect multiple body systems, including the heart, brain and bone health.

“It’s changing our cardiovascular risks; our cholesterols are changing. We have a harder time metabolizing our sugars, which we call insulin resistance. Putting us at increased risk for diabetes or pre-diabetes,” said Dr. Batur.

Another notable finding was nearly one-third of women haven’t seen their primary care provider in the past two years, believing they are healthy and simply not feeling the need to go.

“This actually pains me to see this statistic because if they don’t come in for their preventative care needs, they are really missing an opportunity to catch diseases at an early or silent state,” she said.

Dr. Batur said the report makes it clear that more needs to be done to help raise awareness about women’s health – especially as women age.

“I want women at midlife and beyond to really prioritize themselves, which oftentimes they’re not. The reason it’s so important at this phase of life is because how you assess your risk factors really determines whether you’re going to transition in later life into a state of disease or a state of wellness. So really a critical window,” she concluded.

He could stay with the Los Angeles Lakers. He could decide to join another team. He could even retire and end the longest career in NBA history. He knows all this.

He just doesn't know the answer.

“I don't know what the future holds for me, obviously,” James said.

His 23rd season ended Monday night when the Lakers were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder. At 41, James likely doesn't have many years left to play — if any. And now he'll start the process of figuring out what he wants to do, what his family wants him to do and what's best for all parties involved.

Dwyane Wade, James' longtime friend and former teammate, was on the Amazon Prime broadcast of Game 4 of the Thunder-Lakers series as an analyst. And when the conversation turned to what James is going to do, he had some thoughts.

“That’s the question," Wade said. "And I think if we all know LeBron James, he’s going to take some time off and go drink some wine, go yacht a little bit around the world. He’s going to spend some time with his family. He’s going to sit down and try to make the best decision for the James family at the end of the day.

“And then from there, you've got to look at the picture of the Lakers," Wade continued. "LeBron, Year 24 coming back next year if he does, he wants to play for something. So, are they in a position that he can play for something and compete for something?”

Salary will be another issue. He made nearly $53 million this season. He could command somewhere around $60 million next season if he wanted. If he gives a team a discount to preserve flexibility, he could certainly afford to do so.

Wade doesn't seem to think that's likely.

“History shows that Mr. James ain’t taking a lot of discounts, right? I don’t think no one knows," Wade said. “I think one of the things that him and his entire team have been great at is they hold their cards close to their chest. Decisions are made by LeBron, and they all respect it. And they wait on him to decide what he wants to do.”

A look at some of what James' next moves could be (and for purposes of this exercise, the realities of the salary cap, the aprons, tax ramifications and whatever James will command in salary if he decides to keep playing do not apply):

Retirement

This one doesn't seem likely even though James posted the lowest scoring average of his career — 20.933 points per game, down a teeny-tiny sliver from his 20.937 average as a rookie. Another made free throw this season would have been enough to keep this season's average from being his worst.

The pessimists, or the anti-LeBron crowd, can say — accurately — that his numbers are declining. They are. He averaged 30.3 points in 2021-22, and his per-game scoring average has fallen in every season since, going to 28.9 in 2022-23, 25.7 in 2023-24, 24.4 last season and 20.9 this season.

Of course, his role has changed as well and that has some effect on the numbers. James spent much of this season as the Lakers' third option behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and did so happily.

Stay with the Lakers

To be fair, this wasn't a bad season. Getting ousted in Round 2 by the overwhelming favorite to win the NBA title — the defending champion, too — isn't exactly a collapse, and Doncic not being able to play because of injury almost made the outcome expected.

The Lakers have the seventh-best record in the NBA during James' eight seasons there. Not great, not bad. But the playoffs, even with the run to the bubble championship in 2020, have not been to James' expectations. The Lakers went 32-31 in playoff games during these last eight seasons, and remember, 16 of those wins came in the bubble. Since then, the Lakers are just 16-26 in playoff games.

Good enough? It wouldn't seem so. The Lakers will have to give James reasons to stay. It's simple as that.

Return to Miami

James' jersey will sway from the rafters one day in Miami, assuming he ever actually retires and allows such tributes to finally take place. And there's no question that James still holds many people within the organization — Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra and more — in high regard.

But it's not like James has unfinished business in Miami. He became a champion in Miami; two of his four titles were won with the Heat. He'd be welcome, of course, but it's hard to envision James saying Miami would be the place for his final act.

Return to Cleveland

Northeast Ohio is home and will forever be close to James' heart. He's still (and forever will be) beloved there, and whatever anger existed over him leaving in 2010 was washed away forever when he delivered Cleveland's NBA title in 2016.

Time healed all wounds. If James wants to go the sentimental route, he might go home again. It would likely be contingent on the Cavaliers finding a way to keep a roster that's capable of contention.

He takes his talents to New York

The Knicks have tried and failed before to land James.

They have some serious selling points right now — among them, a good team and Madison Square Garden. That's a place James has always revered.

The bright lights of New York wouldn't scare him off. Then again, wherever James plays, the lights will be bright there, too.

Pair up with Stephen Curry again

James won Olympic gold in Paris in 2024 with Steve Kerr coaching and Stephen Curry starring at the end.

The respect James has for Curry is off the charts, and he's often raved about Kerr as well. Kerr's coming back to the Warriors, and you know Golden State will do anything it can to give Curry one more chance at a title.

Bear in mind, it's highly improbable that this would ever work financially. But if James wants to play there, the Warriors will surely find a way.

The wild scenario: James and Wemby?

The greatest scorer ever teaming up with the game's most prolific defensive player in San Antonio?

Now that would be fun.

James is one of the people who dubbed Victor Wembanyama as an “alien” and did so with the utmost of respect. James is unlike anyone the league has ever seen, and Wembanyama might be thought of in the same way.

And even though Gregg Popovich doesn't coach the Spurs anymore, he's still there and James has always had the utmost respect for the NBA's winningest coach. James would be accused of ring-chasing if he tried this one, but then again, he knows detractors won't like anything he does anyway.

___

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

“Here we go again,” Alex Fitzpatrick said with a laugh.

Hold up, the younger Fitzpatrick said.

Time to clear the air — and clean the room — it's actually big brother Matt who can be a bit unkempt, especially in the bathroom.

“I’m a normal brush my teeth at night guy,” Alex said after practice rounds Monday. “He's got all these different things on the side of the counter and stuff. I'm not as bad as what he makes it out to be. He's exaggerating a lot. He's a bit of a neat freak.”

The brothers out of Sheffield, England can agree more these days that it might be better to share a trophy — as they did in April when they won the Zurich Classic team event — than share a house.

Only one can win at the PGA Championship this weekend at Aronimink Golf Club and each brother is a strong contender to win the first major in the Philadelphia region since the 2013 US Open at Merion.

Matt Fitzpatrick has three PGA Tours wins this season while Alex shared one win with his brother and entered Sunday with the lead at Quail Hollow before a double bogey on 17 derailed his shot at winning the Truist Open.

It’s rare for brothers to win in tandem on the PGA Tour. There haven’t historically been many team events, but brothers Danny and David Edwards did it at the Walt Disney World Team Championship in 1980.

“I think a lot of people feel like that once they get to this stage or even to the DP World Tour that they need to change a bunch of things and that’s going to help success,” Alex said. “I just felt like I keep doing what I’m trying to do. I’ve got a circle around me that I really trust. All the advice that I get is great.”

Alex has finished tied for ninth and fourth in his first two signature events since the Zurich Classic and has won about $2.84 million over that span. Pretty good for a golfer who wasn't on the PGA Tour before that date.

A day later, Alex tried to put the late fade at Quail Hollow behind him as he practiced for the PGA.

“I think if I looked back two months ago and someone said you’d finish fourth at the Truist Championship, I’d have kicked myself," if he was crushed, Fitzpatrick said. “I was disappointed in just in that I wish I’d have scored a little better. Overall, it was a great week and I have no complaints.”

Little brother's recent hot streak has sparked a bit of a role reversal in their dynamic.

Alex Fitzpatrick is 27 — about 4 1/2 years younger than Matt — which has led to years of answering questions about his brother.

Matt Fitzpatrick was a U.S. Amateur champion in 2013 and the U.S. Open champion in 2022, both at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. He beat Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, in a playoff in April at Harbour Town.

“It can be such a blur at times, and I think it is trying to take a step back and kind of remember those moments, even on a week like this and think about, oh, yeah, I won the Valspar or I won Harbour Town, whatever it may be,” Matt said.

Fitzpatrick has enjoyed the roles this season of watching, winning — and analyzing — his younger brother.

“I have to get used to that now because he’s had it for much longer than me,” Matt said. “I’m probably known as Alex’s brother now, as opposed to him being Matt’s brother. I love talking about my brother. It’s an amazing position to be in to have that privilege to talk about how well he’s doing. I’d so much rather have these questions, conversations, than the opposite of, you know, why is he not playing well."

Maybe one of the brothers can talk Sunday about the feeling of winning a major.

“I’d say my head is still spinning and I haven’t woken up from the dream yet,” Alex said.

___

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

As of Tuesday, May 12, the AAA states that the average price for regular gasoline in Virginia is $4.284 per gallon. Premium is averaging $5.125 per gallon, while diesel sits at $5.591.

In our region, drivers in Botetourt County are paying the most for gas in Southwest Virginia, with an average price of $4.327, the AAA reports. Additionally, drivers in Highland County are also seeing prices around $4.449 for regular gas, and in Nelson County, prices at the pump are approximately $4.396.

Some of the lowest gas prices in Southwest Virginia are in Carroll County, with the average price for regular gas sitting at $4.107 per gallon. Drivers can also find low gas prices in the Lynchburg area. Those in the Hill City are seeing an average price of $4.167, and $4.132 in Appomattox County.

There are still some deals if you know where to look.

According to GasBuddy:

• The lowest price for regular gas in the Roanoke area is $3.89 per gallon at Triangle off Cove Road. Additionally, BJ’s on Hershberger Road has regular gas for $3.91 per gallon, premium gas for $4.29 and diesel for $5.33.
• In the Lynchburg area, you can find the lowest price for regular gas at Royal Farms on Wards Road in Rustburg, where it’s $3.89.

Across the Commonwealth, some of the highest gas prices are found in the D.C. area. For regular gas, you’ll spend about $4.353 per gallon.

Count on 10 News to bring you the latest price at the pump every morning.

To find out where the lowest fuel prices are near you, visit GasBuddy’s website.

Since the U.S. and Israel launched a joint war against Iran on Feb. 28, the cost of crude oil, the main ingredient in gasoline, has spiked and swung rapidly. That’s because the conflict has caused deep supply chain disruptions and cuts from major oil producers across the Middle East.

For many people, that means using a do-it-yourself lead test kit. But do they actually work, and are they reliable?

Consumer Reports put nearly a dozen popular kits to the test to find out.

Cookware, spices, protein powders, even faucets—recent headlines about lead showing up in everyday products may have you wondering what in your home could be a concern.

“A lot of people are concerned about lead in their home, vintage dishes or vintage toys,” said Consumer Reports Investigative Reporter Lauren Kirchner.

Consumer Reports safety experts noticed more people filing complaints with the Consumer Product Safety Commission after home test kits flagged toys and other household items for possible lead. That raised a big question: how accurate are these kits? CR put 11 of the most popular DIY lead kits to the test.

“Pretty much all of the test kits did very well in clearly detecting high levels of lead,” said Kirchner. “Lower levels that could still be potentially harmful, the test kits didn’t do as well.”

In some cases, the kits failed to detect lead in a toy known to contain it.

“That shows us that if you get a negative test kit result, you might still potentially have a problem,” said Kirchner.

What can parents do then to reduce their kids’ lead exposure?

A good place to start is to avoid vintage toys, cribs, and painted furniture. Newer toys are generally safer, thanks to stricter regulations enacted after 2008.

If you’re concerned about something in your home, Consumer Reports says the safest option is to send it to a certified lab to have it professionally tested or simply keep it away from kids.

Consumer Reports reached out to all 11 test kit manufacturers.

Many of them said their products are meant for a quick initial screening, not as a substitute for professional lab testing.

Pain at the Pump

Feeling the pain at the pump? You’re not alone! Millions of Americans are still dealing with high gas prices as costs continue to surge, driven in part by the ongoing Iran war. In response, President Donald Trump has proposed suspending the federal tax on gasoline to provide drivers with some relief.

But will it make a real difference?

Experts say pausing the 18.4-cent-per-gallon tax on gas and the 24.4-cent-per-gallon tax on diesel may not do much to ease prices. Some even argue it could push prices higher and hurt the Highway Trust Fund, which depends on that revenue.

It’s also important to note that the president can’t suspend the federal gas tax alone, as Congress would need to approve the move.

So, how much could drivers actually save?

Industry experts say savings may not fully reach consumers because retailers and supply chain costs can offset the cut.

A Wharton Business School analysis estimates drivers filling a 15-gallon tank weekly from June through October could save about $35 total.

Wordle Is Becoming a TV Show

Love Wordle? Soon, you’ll have a new way to put your vocabulary skills to the test. The popular mobile game is set to become a prime-time game show on NBC, with a premiere planned for 2027.

“Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie will host the game show, and if you want to get involved, now’s your time to shine. The production company is currently looking for contestants for the first season.

Teams of three will compete for a chance to win big. If you’re interested, you just need to submit a video sharing your love for the game.

Wordle has been a fan favorite since it went viral in 2022 and was acquired by The New York Times. According to Caitlin Roper, executive editorial director of film and TV at the Times, a television version has been in the works for several years.

New Limited-Edition Doughnut Flavor at Krispy Kreme

Calling all foodies! Krispy Kreme is rolling out a new ice cream-inspired doughnut flavor just in time for the warm weather.

The nearly 90-year-old chain is launching a limited-time Orange Dreamsicle Original Glazed doughnut to help you get in the summer spirit. This sweet treat is the first of its kind for Krispy Kreme.

“Summer flavors have a way of sparking instant happiness,” said Alison Holder, Krispy Kreme’s chief brand and product officer, in a statement. “Our first-ever Orange Dreamsicle Original Glazed doughnuts are here to deliver that feel-good flavor now.”

Inspired by the classic orange-and-cream Creamsicle, this new flavor is available only for a limited time, May 14-17 at participating shops. Plus, you can get an Orange Dreamsicle Original Glazed dozen for just $5 when you buy any dozen at the regular price.

To address the ongoing opioid crisis, the organizations have installed six naloxone vending boxes in high-need areas across the region, including Roanoke, Martinsville and Henry County.

“We’re proud to support the Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition in expanding access to naloxone across the Western Piedmont,” said Jamie Dixon, Whole Health & Equity Director for Anthem HealthKeepers Plus. “Increasing access to this lifesaving resource is critical to preventing overdose and strengthening the health of our communities.”

Naloxone is a rapid-acting medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and restore normal breathing. The vending boxes will provide free naloxone to anyone who needs it.

“Overdose rates in our communities are more than double the state average, and these are lives that matter,” said Danny Clawson, Executive Director of the Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition. “These naloxone boxes put lifesaving tools directly into the hands of those most likely to respond first, and we’re grateful to Anthem HealthKeepers Plus for helping make that possible.”

The Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition is a peer-run organization dedicated to improving community health by reducing the adverse effects of drug use. In addition to distributing naloxone, the group provides testing for diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C, offers social services support for people experiencing homelessness or domestic violence, and delivers education and training on overdose prevention and harm reduction practices.

Macy will address the recent Virginia Supreme Court decision overturning the redistricting vote, as well as other topics related to the 6th District campaign.

The former Roanoke Times reporter and “Dopesick” author officially announced her run for Congress in November 2025.

“I have spent my entire professional career giving a voice to the voiceless, giving a face to the forgotten and holding those who abuse power to account. Those of us in the Sixth District, or whatever it may become, will fight for all the people in the region,” Macy said previously.

The event will be held near Elmwood Park at the corner of Jefferson Street and Franklin Road, rain or shine.

The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office announced that 13 additional indictments for Clayton Martin and they are as follows:

Charges as follows:

• 1 Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon
• 1 Possession With Intent to Distribute Schedule II Controlled Substance while in possession of firearm
• 1 Possession of Schedule II Controlled Substance
• 3 cts Distribution of Schedule II Controlled Substance within 1000 ft of school
• 4 cts Possession With Intent to Distribute Schedule II Controlled Substance (3rd or subsequent offense)
• 3 cts Felony Child Abuse and Neglect

• Original:

The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that it had arrested a man after an investigation that began in April of last year conducted by the James River Regional Drug Task Force.

Officials said that members of the task force executed a search warrant on Feb. 25 on a residence in the 1200 block of Penn Forest Lane. During the execution of the warrant, law enforcement officials seized the following:

• 21 grams of Powder Cocaine
• 13 grams of Crack cocaine
• 396 grams of Marijuana
• 40 grams of suspected Psychedelic Mushrooms
• 7 suspected Ecstasy Pills
• U.S. Currency $6100
• 4 Firearms

Martin was arrested and charged with the following:

• Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
• Possession of cocaine
• Possession of a firearm while in possession of narcotics

The top scorer in league history stuck to the strategy he has taken into the past several summers when he declined to announce his future immediately after the Lakers' final postseason defeat.

He hasn't ruled out retirement or a return to the Lakers, and he said nothing about the possibility of moving to another team as he contemplates an unprecedented 24th NBA season.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me, obviously, as it stands right now tonight,” the 41-year-old James said. “I’ve got a lot of time now. I think I said it last year after we lost to Minnesota. I’ll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them and spend some time with them, and then obviously when the time comes, you guys will know what I decide to do.”

James' record 23rd season ended with a heartbreaking 115-110 loss, completing a four-game sweep of the short-handed Lakers by the defending NBA champions. Los Angeles began the playoffs without NBA scoring champ Luka Doncic and second-leading scorer Austin Reaves due to injury, yet James led the Lakers to a first-round upset of Houston before running into the league's best team in the second round.

“It’s amazing what he’s doing out there at this age," Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It's very impressive. It's hard to put it to words. He's not very old in the grand scheme of life, but for the NBA, he's pretty old, and he doesn't seem like it out there. He was a force. He was the top of the scouting report all series. His size gave us issues at times. He was impressive out there. I'm not sure we'll see anything like that again, his longevity and his greatness.”

James has played in more games, won more games, scored more points and taken more shots than everybody else who ever put on a uniform, but he has never put a limit on his time in the game.

Instead, he repeated his oft-stated declarations that he'll figure it out with his family over a few glasses of wine in the next couple of months.

“Nobody has any idea what the future holds, and I don’t either,” James said. “I’ll take time to recalibrate and look over the season and see what’s best for my future, and when I get to that point, everyone will know.”

James showed only marginal signs of age's encroachment in his 23rd season, continuing to play versatile basketball at an elite level throughout the Lakers' successful regular season.

Injuries forced his largest compromises: He missed training camp and the first 14 games of the season with sciatica, and he missed eight additional games during the regular season, eliminating him from consideration for inclusion on the All-NBA teams for the 22nd consecutive time.

With Doncic winning the NBA scoring title and Reaves emerging as a legitimate top-level NBA scorer, James willingly assumed a supporting role as the No. 3 option in the Lakers' offense — and it worked.

His 20.9 points per game were his fewest since his rookie season, largely because his 3-point shooting accuracy declined to 31.7%, and his 33.2 minutes per game were his fewest ever. Yet he contributed 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds with another season of steady performances — and when the Lakers needed him to step up, he did it repeatedly.

“It was so many different seasons in one season with our ballclub,” James said. “Obviously injuries played a big part in it, but as far as our identity, I thought it was super-resilient.”

James was chosen for the All-Star Game for the 22nd time, and right before the midseason break, he became the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. He surpassed Robert Parish's record for the most regular-season games played in late March.

The Lakers picked up steam down the stretch in the regular season, winning 16 of 18 heading into April and kindling hope of being a dark-horse candidate to give trouble to the Thunder or Spurs in the playoffs. But that's when Doncic and Reaves both incurred major injuries, sidelining both indefinitely.

James handled the disappointment by stepping up and coolly taking charge of the Lakers' offense again. While nearly every NBA observer wrote off Los Angeles' chances of any playoff run, James and his supporting cast improbably knocked off the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets in six games in the first round, sending the Lakers into the second round for only the second time since 2020.

“For our group to have the moment that we had when Luka goes down with the hamstring and AR goes down with the oblique and we’re staring down the barrel of a playoff series with Houston, I thought our guys responded and were just super-resilient,” James said. “To win that series was big-time for the group that went out there.”

James' reasons to prolong his career in Los Angeles would be multifold.

He has spent the past two seasons playing alongside Bronny James, his oldest son and a backup guard for the Lakers. They even got significant playoff minutes together this season, allowing LeBron to live another dream.

His family loves living in Southern California — and while his sons are both out of the family home, he has spoken frequently of his desire to watch the progress of his 11-year-old daughter, Zhuri, a competitive volleyball player.

And the Lakers' outstanding play down the stretch suggested they could be among the NBA's best teams with full health for Doncic, James and Reaves — who is expected to sign a massive contract to stay with the Lakers this summer.

Whether the Lakers can actually contend for a championship next season will be one factor that James must weigh, but finding a true title contender to join at this stage of his career would be difficult even if the Thunder and the rising San Antonio Spurs didn't appear to be head and shoulders above the rest of the league.

For now, James will take time off to enjoy life away from the daily grind that has allowed his career to reach unprecedented lengths — and if he decides not to come back, he doesn't appear to have regrets about how this season ended."

“I left everything I could on the floor,” James said. “I control what I can control, and I can leave the floor saying even though I hate losing, I was locked in on what we needed to do.”

___

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

Ajay Mitchell scored 10 of his 28 points in the frantic final period as the Thunder overcame the Lakers' tenacious effort and improved to 8-0 in the playoffs with their toughest victory of the postseason.

“We've done our job so far, that's all it really means,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We've gone out there, we've executed, we've played at a high level and we've been able to win eight tough games against really good opponents. That's all it means. Nothing is guaranteed.”

LeBron James had 24 points and 14 rebounds in the final game of the unprecedented 23rd season for the top scorer in NBA history, but he missed a driving bank shot with 20 seconds left that would have put the Lakers ahead.

The 41-year-old James has repeatedly said he hasn’t decided whether to play next season, so there was no ceremony or momentousness around this game. Instead, the Lakers desperately tried to extend their year, only to lose to Oklahoma City for the eighth time this season.

“I don't know what the future holds for me, obviously, as it stands right now, tonight,” James said. “I've got a lot of time. I'll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them, and when the time goes, obviously you guys will know what I decide to do.”

Austin Reaves scored 27 points before missing a tying 3-point attempt with eight seconds left for the Lakers, who advanced one round farther than almost anybody expected after losing NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic and Reaves to significant injuries a month ago.

Los Angeles still lost six of its final seven playoff games and fell well short of the conference finals for the third straight season.

“I didn't want our season to end,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I wanted to keep this thing going. I enjoyed every bit of this year.”

Oklahoma City faced its first fourth-quarter deficits of the entire playoffs in Game 4 as the Lakers repeatedly refused to fold. The Thunder still got it done, and they've earned at least the rest of the week off before they open the conference finals against the winner of San Antonio’s second-round series with Minnesota. The Spurs and Timberwolves are even heading to Game 5 on Tuesday night.

“They won more of the minutes tonight than we did, and that hadn’t been the case (earlier in the series),” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “They outplayed us for stretches. They’re a really good team with prideful players. We did not expect them to give us an unearned win, and we went out and earned it.”

Oklahoma City went 8-0 against the Lakers this season, winning all four regular-season matchups as well — but this one was the toughest. The Lakers took the lead and kept it close down the stretch with big buckets from Reaves and Rui Hachimura, who scored nine of his 25 points in the fourth quarter.

Holmgren’s dunk with 2:03 left put the Thunder up 109-103, but Hachimura coolly converted a four-point play. Marcus Smart then drove the lane and hit a layup while being fouled in the final minute, converting a three-point play for a 110-109 Lakers lead.

But Holmgren got the ball inside and triple-pumped for a dunk with 32.8 seconds left, and James missed on his drive. After Gilgeous-Alexander hit two free throws, Reaves missed again, and the Thunder hung on to secure their sixth berth in the Western Conference finals in the last 16 seasons.

The Thunder won the first two games of the series at home by 18 points apiece, and they routed the Lakers 131-108 in Game 3.

Doncic missed the final 15 games of the Lakers’ season after incurring a grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2 in Oklahoma City, and he watched the season finale on the bench in a black sweatsuit. The Slovenian superstar apparently didn’t get close to returning from the injury, which often requires two months of recovery.

___

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

The eight-time All-Star went 1 for 5 with a single and a strikeout hitting second behind Shohei Ohtani and ahead of Freddie Freeman in a 9-3 loss in the series opener against the San Francisco Giants.

“We just have to make sure we swing at good pitches,” Betts said before the game. “Those guys are good, too. They drive nice cars, too. We just have to control the zone, swing at good pitches.”

The Dodgers have dropped eight of their last 12 games and were looking for Betts to help jumpstart a stagnant offense. They have scored three runs or fewer in nine of those 12 games.

"I know I’m not the hero,” said Betts, the 2018 AL MVP. “It’s important for everyone to know it’s going to take all of us and not just one guy getting through their struggles or whatever it is.”

Betts was batting .179 (5 for 28) with two home runs in eight games before he went on the injured list April 5 with a right oblique strain.

"I just didn’t really realize how long it takes for it to really heal,” he said. “I felt pretty good pretty fast actually. But just some of the movements I couldn’t do kind of lingered for a long time. I was trying to hurry but obviously the doctors were saying it just takes a month for it to heal.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Betts would start at shortstop Monday and Tuesday before taking Wednesday off.

“After seven days, six days, I think he’s going to want to be in there regularly, but we’ll kind of see,” Roberts said.

Betts was on a tear in spring training, hitting .357 with a .786 OPS in five games before briefly leaving the team for the birth of his third child. He cooled off the first two weeks of the regular season before getting hurt.

Roberts is taking a wait-and-see approach toward Betts' offense. The 33-year-old shortstop was 2 for 5 in two minor league rehab games.

“Certainly two games of rehab, taking batting practice, a day of live at-bats, is not ideal,” the manager said, “but I think with Mookie you just don’t know. The hope is that he can kind of hit the ground running.”

With Betts' return, infielder Alex Freeland was sent down to Triple-A Oklahoma City. He was hitting .235 with two homers and eight RBIs in 33 games.

The front office chose to keep second baseman Hyeseong Kim over Freeland.

“What it came down to is Hyeseong has performed better,” Roberts said.

___

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

Mitchell tied an NBA playoff mark with 39 points in the final two quarters as he rallied the Cavaliers to a 112-103 victory Monday night.

“What a shift, right? Really struggled in the first half and then big-time, second-half performance by Don,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said.

The home team has won all four games in the series, which shifts to Detroit for Game 5 Wednesday night.

Mitchell matched the mark of Eric “Sleepy” Floyd on a free throw with 27.6 seconds remaining. He had a chance to break the record, set in 1987 when the Golden State Warriors faced the Los Angeles Lakers, but missed his second foul shot.

“Everybody let me know that I missed a free throw to break the record, though,” said Mitchell, who finished with 43 points. “I will say that, but we’re two and two headed to Detroit. That was what we came home to do and that’s all that matters.”

James Harden had his 40th playoff double-double with 24 points and 11 assists. Evan Mobley had 17 points as Cleveland remained unbeaten at home in six playoff games.

Caris LeVert had a season-high 24 points for Detroit. Cade Cunningham scored 19, the first time he has been held under 20 in 11 playoff games this season, and Tobias Harris added 16.

Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who takes pride in the physical style his team plays, was not pleased with the free throw disparity. Mitchell had more trips to the foul line (15) than Detroit (12).

“There is no way one guy on their team should have more free throws than our team. We’re not a settling for jump shots team," he said. “We didn’t do enough to help ourselves, but ever since we came to Cleveland, the whistle has changed.”

Even though Mitchell struggled in the first half and the Cavaliers shot 15 of 38, with most of their shots being 3-pointers, the Cavaliers felt pretty fortunate to be down 56-52 at halftime.

Atkinson's message at halftime was to play with more pace and attack downhill, which opened things up.

Mitchell scored 15 during Cleveland’s 24-0 run that went from the last 12 seconds of the first half to the first six minutes of the third quarter. Cleveland trailed 56-52 at halftime before taking control.

The Cavs were 10 of 12 from the field and made three 3-pointers. They also converted five turnovers by the Pistons into nine points.

“When (Mitchell) sees a gap, he’s going to go. We’ve got to eliminate his touches and catches on the run,” Cunningham said. “That run, we just never caught our footing again. That was the first time they really got loose in the series.”

The 24-0 run was the longest in an NBA playoff game since since Minnesota also scored 24 straight in Game 6 of its Western Conference semifinal series against Denver in 2024. It was also the longest spurt by Cleveland in a postseason game since play-by-play stats were kept in 1997-98. The previous high was 19 in an Eastern semifinal series contest against Boston.

“We understood if we could just get some stops and get out in transition and get some easier looks, we’ll be in good shape. We were doing a solid job, we just weren’t scoring,” Mitchell said, “I think understanding that we were in a good spot and did a good job of weathering a storm.”

Mitchell and Harden accounted for 49 points apiece with their points scored and points off assists. Mobley was a force on both ends of the court with eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and five blocked shots.

“Don’s going to get all the flowers, but we should give a lot of flowers to Mobley for tonight’s performance,” Atkinson said.

___

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

Toews tried to send the ill-fated clearing attempt from the crease toward the corner, but it made a direct hit on MacKinnon's face instead. The league's leading goal scorer during the regular season collapsed to his knees in pain before an athletic trainer arrived to press a towel under his nose and help him skate off the ice.

Blood was all over, including streaming down the inside of MacKinnon's visor, and he went up the tunnel for further treatment shortly before the second intermission. MacKinnon returned in time for the third period and tacked on an empty-net goal in Colorado's 5-2 win.

“If he was going to be able to get out there, he was going to be out there," coach Jared Bednar said. “I just felt for him because I just went through that. It doesn’t feel very good.”

Bednar went to a hospital with facial fractures and a corneal abrasion in his eye last month, missing a two-game road trip after being hit with a puck on his right cheek that soared into the bench area during a game.

MacKinnon has six goals and six assists in eight playoff games this spring for the Avalanche, who lead the Wild 3-1 going into Game 5 on Wednesday.

___

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Council approved a $421.5 million spending plan, but only after making major cuts citywide.

The final budget eliminates more than 100 positions, reduces annual pay raises, and cuts more than $50 million from capital improvement projects.

The city’s largest expenditures are personnel costs, which make up $172.6 million of all General Fund expenditures. The next highest is Roanoke City Public Schools, with $108 million allocated.

Just a few weeks ago, the city was facing a nearly $19 million shortfall. City leaders were able to balance the budget without raising taxes, but some departments took big hits.

One of the most impacted departments was Roanoke City Public Schools. The school district was left with a $14 million shortfall, largely due to changes to the district’s funding formula. As a result, the district announced cuts including 170 positions, eliminating activity buses, and potentially phasing out the PLATO program for gifted students.

10 News spoke with two members of the Roanoke City Council of Parent Teacher Associations, Rebekah Murphy and Emily Casey.

“Frustration. Frustration for this year, certainly,” said Casey. “Hopeful for continued talks and hopefully we can develop something in the interim year and come out in a better place for the next budget cycle.”

“Upset. We’re upset,” said Murphy of her initial gut reaction. “We’re disappointed. We know that the city has misspent money. We also know that Roanoke City Public Schools have been very responsible stewards of the money given to them.”

“We also have three council seats that are up for re-election in November,” Murphy added. I think that it’s important for people to watch what happened today, look at where our city’s current priorities are—because it’s not education—and remember that in November."

Mayor Cobb said that this has been the toughest budget season he’s had during his eight years on council.

“Budgets are tough,” said Cobb. “I equate this to, you know, our house has a budget, but this is a household of 100,000 people. And we have a lot of people with very important needs and priorities. And it’s really incumbent upon us to identify what are the most essential priorities and how do we fund those.”

Tensions rose between council members before the voted.

“Any vote nay is only of political expedience,” said Councilman Peter Volosin.

When it came time to vote to adopt the budget as a whole, Vice Mayor S. Terry McGuire and Councilman Nick Hagen voted no.

“I know that some people will believe it’s politically motivated, it was moral for me,” Hagen said after the vote, citing his disagreement with a 2024 decision to increase council pay by 15 percent.

Cobb emphasized the budget challenges posed by decreased sales tax revenue, future reduced federal funding for HUD and statewide collective bargaining agreements. He also highlighted how the city’s transition to a new financial software posed

Cobb added that the city is looking ahead and closely monitoring spending and revenue on a monthly basis to avoid getting in the same situation again.

The city did identify $21.56 million in funding available for reallocation and identified several potential ways to spend that money, including Roanoke City Fire-EMS Station #2, an expansion at the Belmont Library, Fishburn Mansion and the Caretaker’s Cottage at Washington Park.

“We’re still considering how best to utilize that [money],” said Cobb. “We haven’t made any decisions on that yet.”

City leaders are also still waiting to find out how much leftover American Rescue Plan Act funding is available to spend.

To see the full budget, click here.

No problem. The All-Star guard followed it up with one of the best 24-minute stretches by a player in NBA playoff history Monday night.

After scoring only four points in the first half, Mitchell responded with 39 in the second half, tying the NBA playoff record for most points in a half as the Cavaliers rallied for a 112-103 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

“It’s pretty impressive. I'm not sure I’ve seen in the playoffs a turnaround like that where a guy is struggling and just absolutely turns the switch and complete opposite of the first half,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said.

Mitchell equaled Eric “Sleepy” Floyd's record on a free throw with 27.6 seconds remaining. He had a chance to break the record, set in 1987 when Floyd's Golden State Warriors faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals, but missed his second foul shot.

“Everybody let me know that I missed a free throw to break the record, though," Mitchell said. "I will say that, but we’re two and two headed to Detroit. That was what we came home to do and that’s all that matters.”

Mitchell didn't score until he made a free throw with 4:19 remaining in the second quarter. He also missed his first six shots from the field before hitting a 3-pointer from the left corner with 2:48 left in the first half.

Despite Mitchell's early struggles, the Cavaliers only trailed 56-52 at halftime. James Harden and Evan Mobley both kept Cleveland in the game in the first half as they combined for 26 points.

“I airball the first layup and was missing shots short," Mitchell said. "Sometimes it’s natural, right? I wasn’t really trying to get in there and force it and then just doubling down on the defensive end, trying to take whoever I’m guarding, take them out of the equation. I’m not tripping, we were down four at half.

"I always tell y’all it’s not just about the scoring, it’s about your overall impact on the game. And for me, it was just like, ‘OK, now I have an opportunity to try to get downhill’ and then started going in.”

Mitchell was 12 of 18 from the field in the second half, including three 3-pointers, and was 12 of 13 at the line. Cleveland's previous mark for most points in a half was 31 by Mitchell in Game 7 of its first-round series against Orlando in 2024.

Mitchell tied a franchise record for points in a quarter with 21 in the third as the Cavaliers seized control, outscoring the Pistons 38-21 in the quarter. He scored 15 during Cleveland’s 24-0 run that went from the last 12 seconds of the first half to the first six minutes of the third quarter.

The 24-0 run was the longest in an NBA playoff game since since Minnesota also scored 24 straight in Game 6 of its Western Conference semifinal series against Denver in 2024. It was also the longest spurt by Cleveland in a postseason game since play-by-play stats were kept in 1997-98. The previous high was 19 in an Eastern semifinal series contest against Boston.

“Donovan Mitchell was killing us, and that’s pretty much it," Pistons center Paul Reed said.

It was Mitchell's eighth playoff game with at least 40 points, his fourth with the Cavaliers. He has at least 30 points in three straight games as the series shifts to Detroit for Game 5 on Wednesday with it even at two games apiece.

Cleveland is still looking for its first road playoff win this season, and will need at least one if it hopes to make the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018.

“We’ve had two good games to build off of, but it’s going to be a hostile environment," Mitchell said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. And I think I know we’re ready for the challenge.”

___

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

“It’s just about staying ready,” Kelly said, “and all these guys in here are ready.”

Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves in his first start this postseason after relieving Scott Wedgewood during a 5-1 loss in Game 3 on Saturday, and the Avalanche moved within one win of taking the first spot in the Western Conference finals. Game 5 will be in Denver on Wednesday.

“You’re never going to be perfect after 30 days off, so I just try to do my best to stay sharp,” said Blackwood, who learned the day before he would be starting.

Nazem Kadri scored on a power play in the second period, and Nathan MacKinnon — who had a brief absence to fix a bloody nose from a puck to the face — and Brock Nelson added empty-net goals in the final minute.

Nico Sturm tied the game at 2 for Minnesota with his first goal of the postseason about two minutes after Colton scored, but the Wild were outshot 20-4 over roughly the first half of the game by an energized Colorado offense.

Rookie Danila Yurov scored his first career postseason goal on a deflection midway through the first period for the Wild during a four-minute power play prompted by a double minor penalty on defenseman Josh Manson, but they failed to consistently get pucks deep into the offensive zone and allowed their crowd-noise advantage to all but disappear during their slog of a second period before coming to life down the stretch.

“The style of game that we needed to play to win the game, we didn’t,” coach John Hynes said. "We made the conscious choice not to play that way tonight, so we’ll readdress that and then we’ll get ready for Game 5.”

After leading the NHL in goals during the regular season while posting the league's best record, the Avalanche scored 14 times over the first two games before Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt stonewalled them in Game 3.

But Colton, whose wrist shot was set up by a slick across-the-slot pass by linemate Nicolas Roy, became the 15th player to score for the Avalanche in just eight postseason games this spring. Then Kelly made it 16.

“They were doing a lot of what we want to do — quick with the puck, get it down deep, work our players down low," Wallstedt said. “They got a lot of pucks to the net. They were creating rebounds. They were creating scoring chances. We want to do the exact same thing. It just took a little longer for us to get there.”

___

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Decades later, she’s still going to camp there. A separate band program was created for adults in 2013, where she felt encouraged to take up another instrument: trumpet.

“I was thrilled because I love this place,” said Guess, 71, of Baltimore, a retired lawyer for the U.S. Department of Defense who plans to return to the New England Adult Music Camp in August. “It is serene, beautiful, a perfect setting. And it’s not all that different from what it was 50-some years ago.”

Whether they are looking to make friends, improve their skills or just take some time out for themselves after sending their own kids to camp and college, adults can find a variety of summer music programs across the United States, ranging from electronic, folk, rock 'n' roll and jazz to chamber and opera.

For many campers, it offers a way to relive the nostalgic musical experiences of their youth and make new social connections.

“Emotionally, making music is good for the soul,” said Carole Lieberman, a California-based forensic psychiatrist who has played multiple instruments herself. “It makes you feel creative, allows you to provide the music you like for yourself and can boost your spirits."

“Cognitively, research demonstrates that learning to play a musical instrument and playing it helps your brain make better neurological connections,” she added. “It can help to ward off dementia.”

For Guess, playing music is about being “in that zone” with other musicians.

“When you’re playing music together, you rise above all the pettiness of life,” she said. “And it’s just the most spiritual thing I can think of.”

A camp for every playing level

The camps cover a range of playing abilities. Some listings specifying beginner, intermediate and advanced levels can be found in camp guides put out by organizations such Musical America Worldwide and The Instrumentalist.

The Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, where Guess attended band camp in middle school, branched out to offer a variety of summer musical programs for adults, including a weeklong Symphonic Band Camp for experienced players in August.

In Walla Walla, Washington, the Midsummer Musical Retreat has grown to include multiple performance groups, large and small, for varying levels since it began in 1983.

Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, hosts the Band Camp for Adult Musicians, where players at an intermediate level and beyond are coached by retired military members and college professors.

The camp's founder was inspired by his kids' experience at band camp, director Leigh Hurtz said.

Now in its 37th season, many players are retired and have attended the camp together for years. Some have come with their children and grandchildren.

“They were lawyers or doctors, or working full-time, mothers,” Hurtz said. “There are also people who sold their tuba for a couch in college so they could have a couch, and 20 years later, it’s like, ‘I need a tuba again!’”

In addition to putting on concerts, the camps have their own traditions. At the one in Pennsylvania, everyone gets together on the first night for a family dinner. Walla Walla has a camper-created sketch comedy night. New England has campfire gatherings and a lobster dinner. Campers often have access to other activities such as kayaking, yoga or cocktail hours, or in open-mics solo or with a small ensemble of fellow campers.

Camps also can offer special sessions covering certain genres or instruments such as jazz, drum circles, klezmer, German band and ukulele, and host talks about topics like performance anxiety and music theory.

Camps offer support and encouragement

Linda Haller, 70, of Laconia, New Hampshire, had retired as an obstetrician-gynecologist a few years ago when she learned about a community band for adults promoting “music for life” nearby. She felt motivated to try the clarinet again after last playing it in high school. So she joined.

“It hasn’t all come back, but I’m getting to the point where I think I’m playing almost as good as I did back then,” she said. Haller, who also plays piano, said the rhythms and counting came right back to her.

She attended the camp in Sidney, Maine, for two years, where she progressed from a beginner’s band to intermediate. She said she enjoyed the camaraderie.

“Returning to an instrument learned in childhood is powerful because it combines memory, discipline and renewed growth,” said Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist based in New York.

“It strengthens attention, fine motor coordination, and memory pathways while reducing stress and improving mood,” Alpert said. “But equally important is the emotional experience of reengaging with something that once required patience and repetition.”

The community band Haller plays with is affiliated with the New Horizons International Music Association, a nonprofit that provides entry points for adults to create music, including those who have no musical experience. The organization counts over 200 bands, orchestras and choruses worldwide for 10,000 adult musicians since 1991.

Its philosophy, also adopted by other programs for adult musicians, is "Your best is good enough.”

New Horizons also sponsors its own camps, including an “American Music Abroad” trip to the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary in June, and one near Cincinnati, Ohio, in July.

The programs are popular, said Russ Grazier of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who has taught at New Horizons camps and is the artistic director of the New England Adult Music Camp.

He notes that the ensemble participation rate for adults over age 60 has doubled from about 150 to 300 people at a local music and arts center he leads. He said he thinks the social connection is key.

“And that's something missing from a lot of people's lives these days," Grazier said. "So any time we have an opportunity to have a space outside of the home where we're connecting with new people and sharing a common interest, it has remarkable benefits for our health and our aging.”

Monique Verdieux, 56, fled to the highway after watching armed men burning houses in her neighborhood. Her family scattered in different directions and she said she's not sure where they are.

“I am now sleeping in the street,” Verdieux said, noting it was unsafe to return.

Gangs have overtaken more than 90% of Port-au-Prince since the assassination of President Jovenal Moïse in July 2021 at his home. Police say they have expanded their activities — including looting, kidnapping, sexual assaults and rape — into the countryside. Haiti has not had a president since the assassination.

In a statement released Monday, the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders announced the evacuation of its hospital in Cité Soleil following intense clashes in the Port-au-Prince neighborhood on Sunday. The organization, known by its French acronym MSF, reported treating over 40 gunshot victims within 12 hours while providing temporary shelter to 800 people fleeing the violence. One of those injured was a security guard who was hit by a stray bullet in the hospital's grounds.

“We managed to evacuate him and his condition is now stable,” said Davina Hayles, MSF’s head of mission in Haiti. “But it is unthinkable that our teams and civilians should become victims of these clashes.”

For the past two weeks, Haitian rum maker Barbancourt and two of the nation's largest bottlers have also warned about deteriorating security conditions near Port-au-Prince's Toussaint Louverture International Airport, where operations are now severely restricted.

In a statement released on Sunday, the companies said that the government's response to the crisis has been “largely insufficient,” and noted that the poor state of the roads leading to the airport makes it difficult for Haitian security forces to patrol the area. The companies are among Haiti’s main fiscal contributors.

“You cannot secure an airport if you allow the roads around it to degrade,” the statement read.

In April, the first foreign troops linked to a U.N. force arrived in Haiti to help quell ongoing violence.

The U.N. Security Council in late September approved a plan to authorize a 5,550-member force, which has not fully arrived in the island nation. An unknown number of troops from Chad have so far been deployed.

A report published earlier this year by the International Organization for Migration found that gang violence has displaced more than 1.4 million people in Haiti, with approximately 200,000 of them now living in crowded and underfunded sites in the nation's capital.

___

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

Morton died Saturday in Mill Valley, California, the Broncos confirmed through his family.

Morton is one of only four QBs to start the NFL’s biggest game with two organizations. The other three — Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Kurt Warner — all ended up with at least one win. Morton's only Super Bowl ring came as a backup.

His first Super Bowl start was in a turnover-plagued Super Bowl V to end the 1970 season — a 16-13 loss by the Cowboys to the Colts. Morton threw the Cowboys’ first touchdown pass in a title game.

Seven years later, and after an unsuccessful stint with the New York Giants, Morton led the Broncos to a matchup against his former team. He threw for 39 yards and four interceptions before getting pulled for Norris Weese in a 27-10 loss, which marked the first of four straight Super Bowl defeats for Denver.

Known for his strong arm, Morton turned in a college football Hall of Fame career at California, where he played for coach Marv Levy and assistant Bill Walsh. Morton went fifth in the 1965 NFL draft to the Cowboys. Oakland also took him in the 10th round of the AFL draft.

He joined a Cowboys team coached by Tom Landry that had veteran Don Meredith at QB. Morton played in four games that season. He then split time with up-and-coming Roger Staubach in 1970-71, the year the Cowboys went to their first Super Bowl.

The next season, Morton and Staubach also split time — at some points, even alternating every play. But ultimately, it was Staubach who took over the starting job, then led the Cowboys to the Super Bowl and a 24-3 win over Miami. Staubach was the MVP of that game and it wasn’t hard to imagine the end of Morton’s time in Dallas.

The Cowboys dealt their backup to the Giants in 1974 for a package that included a pick Dallas would use to take defensive lineman Randy White, who became a Super Bowl MVP and Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Morton struggled in New York, but enjoyed a renaissance after getting traded to Denver before the 1977 season — the season that put the Broncos on the map.

The veteran QB became the final piece for a Broncos team under a new coach, Red Miller, who inherited a strong defense that would become known as the Orange Crush.

Morton led the Broncos to a 12-2 record and playoff wins over the Steelers and Raiders. He famously spent the week in the hospital with a hip injury before spearheading the win over rival Oakland.

Four years later — and after the Broncos had toyed unsuccessfully with finding his replacement — Morton teamed with a new coach, his former Cowboys teammate Dan Reeves. In 1981, Morton threw for 3,195 yards and 21 TDs, both career highs (he matched his best mark in TDs).

He retired after starting three games in the strike-shortened 1982 season. Denver would trade for John Elway, who supplanted Morton as the franchise’s most famous and revered No. 7.

Morton threw for 27,908 yards over his career with 183 touchdowns and 187 interceptions. Morton ranked in the top 20 all-time in yards passing and TD passes when he retired following the 1982 season.

He was voted into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 1988, along with two other standouts from that ’77 team — Haven Moses and Jim Turner.

___

AP National Writer Eddie Pells and AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.

___

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

Roanoke junior outfielder Carsyn Michaels highlighted the Maroons’ selections by earning first-team All-ODAC recognition after moving up from the second team a season ago.

Virginia Wesleyan sophomore pitcher Hannah Hearl was named ODAC Pitcher of the Year, while teammate Morgan Tucker earned Player of the Year honors. Marlins coach Brandon Elliott collected Coach of the Year recognition, and Randolph-Macon pitcher Sierra Kegley was selected Rookie of the Year.

Roanoke’s Heather McQueeney joined Michaels on the all-conference list with a second-team selection in the outfield. The Maroons added three third-team honorees in Baylee Compton, Charlotte Gale and Haleigh Vaughan.

The awards continued a strong season for Roanoke, which remained among the ODAC’s top programs throughout the spring and qualified for the conference tournament.

Virginia Wesleyan finished the regular season unbeaten at 43-0 and later captured its third straight ODAC championship.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it approved Boeing’s proposed fix for the workhorse MD-11s “after extensive review.” And then FedEx started flying them to deliver packages again Sunday.

The UPS plane crashed in November 2025 shortly after taking off once the left engine flew off the wing as the plane rolled down the runway. Three pilots on the plane that was headed for Hawaii loaded with packages and fuel were killed along with 12 more people on the ground near Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport.

Boeing developed a plan to replace a key spherical bearing and step up inspections of the parts that hold the engines to the wings. The National Transportation Safety Board has said that in 2011 Boeing had documented four previous failures of the part that helps secure the MD-11’s engines to the wings on three different planes, but at that point the plane manufacturer “determined it would not result in a safety of flight condition.” These planes were built by McDonnell Douglas, which was later bought by Boeing.

The FAA grounded all MD-11s after the crash because of concerns that the planes might not be safe. Earlier this year, UPS retired its entire fleet of the aircraft, which made up about 9% of its total fleet. But FedEx had remained committed to getting them back in the air even though they only account for about 4% of its fleet. The other package hauler that used MD-11s, Western Global Airlines, has not commented publicly since the crash and didn't respond to an email about the FAA's decision.

FedEx said in a statement that it worked closely with Boeing, the FAA and its own experts to inspect and repair its planes, and the government certified that it had complied with Boeing's recommendations. It owns 46 of these planes though even before the crash it had been storing more than two dozen of them.

“Safety is our highest priority at FedEx,” the company said.

But FedEx does plan to eventually retire its MD-11s and replace them with more efficient models. They had announced that long-term plan even before the crash.

Aviation lawyers who are representing some of the families that have sued over the Louisville crash said they hope the FAA made sure these planes will be safe.

“We hope the FAA does a thorough job of investigating the fixes before the MD-11 fleet is allowed to return to flight,” lawyer Bradley Cosgrove said.

But aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said he’s surprised it took this long to get these planes flying again given how quickly the NTSB identified key concerns that likely contributed to the engine falling off. The NTSB is planning two days of investigative hearings on the UPS crash next week to delve deeper into what happened.

“I’m confident that the solution will work, and I would like to see the MD-11s back up in the air. It will be a safe airplane with regards to its engines after these corrective actions are made,” said Guzzetti, who used to investigate crashes for both the NTSB and FAA.

Some experts speculated after the crash that the MD-11s might never fly again if the repair proved to be more expensive that it was worth in these older planes. But Boeing found a way to address the safety concerns with just replacing the bearing and stepping up inspections.

___

Associated Press writer Jack Dura contributed to this report from Bismarck, North Dakota.

In boys lacrosse, Salem boys lacrosse avenged their early season loss to PH by narrowly beating them 10-9 on home turf.

Salem trailed for the majority of the first half but were in striking distance through the entirety of the game, enough to squeak out a late-season win.

The Spartans improve to 12-1 and turn to face Jefferson Forest on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., while PH looks to regroup against Glass on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

On the girls side, it was another overtime winner for the Spartans, but in different fashion. The Spartans were up big heading into the half but squandered their lead, but ultimately regained it and scored the game winner in OT.

Salem turns to take on Rockbridge on Wednesday at 6 p.m. while PH takes on Hidden Valley Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Out the door forecast of course requires the umbrella with those showers lasting through the second half of the day.

Clear skies return to the region around 4 to 5 p.m. as rain wraps up. Cloud cover clears rapidly overnight and into Tuesday when high pressure fills in quickly.

The amount of rain expected from this system isn’t enough to break the rainfall deficit of nearly 5.8″ however, we will take anything that we can get at this point!

High pressure controls the region briefly on Tuesday before another weather-maker moves in on Wednesday. Have a great week!

Trump, who turns 80 next month and was the oldest person elected U.S. president, will see his doctors at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on May 26, the White House said in a brief statement Monday evening.

The president's health has been the subject of tremendous scrutiny, so much so that Trump said he regretted getting imaging on his heart and abdomen last year because it raised public questions about his health.

Trump — who has been frequently critical of former President Joe Biden for age-related health and fitness issues — has recently remarked how good he feels despite his years. Earlier Monday, Trump that he feels the same as he did 50 years ago. “I feel literally the same,” he said at an Oval Office event. “I don’t know why. It’s not because I eat the best foods.”

Last week, he joked about his exercise regimen, saying that he works out “like about one minute a day, max.”

Presidents have wide discretion over what health information they choose to release to the public. Trump's doctor reported after an annual physical exam in April 2025 that the president was “fully fit” to serve as commander in chief.

His physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, said Trump was 20 pounds lighter since a 2020 checkup that showed him bordering on obesity.

Months after the visit reported last April, Trump had a checkup after noticing what the White House described as “mild swelling” in his lower legs. Tests by the White House medical unit found that Trump had chronic venous insufficiency, a condition common in older adults that causes blood to pool in his veins.

At the time, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also addressed bruising on the back of Trump's hands that has sometimes been covered by makeup. Leavitt said it was the result of irritation from frequent handshaking and aspirin use. Trump takes aspirin to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Trump went on to have an October medical exam that the White House called a “semiannual physical,” where he also got his yearly flu shot and a COVID-19 booster vaccine. He later told The Wall Street Journal that he underwent advanced imaging on his heart and abdomen in October as preventive screening.

In his first term, Trump had at least four medical exams in office, aside from a stay at Walter Reed when he got COVID-19 in October 2020.

His upcoming dental evaluation follows two other recent visits to a local dentist near his estate in Florida, where Trump often spends his weekends.

The checkup is scheduled to take place about 10 days after Trump is expected to return from a summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The liaisons work with students and families on issues ranging from tutoring and academic support to legal matters and access to community resources. The positions make up a significant portion of the roughly 60 jobs recently cut by the school system.

While a majority of those 60 jobs are vacancies going unfilled, many of the liaisons are being laid off.

“If we lose our liaisons and these support systems, teachers and staff will feel the stretch, students in crisis will suffer, and the strain ripples out,” Franklin County resident Tabitha Collinson told the school board.

Family liaison Lindsey Grow also urged the board to reconsider the cuts.

“Ensuring our most vulnerable don’t bear the cost should have been, and always be, non-negotiable,” Grow said.

Superintendent Dr. Kevin Siers said the district’s financial problems stem from several factors, including stagnant federal funding, changes to the state’s local composite index and declining student enrollment.

The local composite index, which uses factors such as property values and income levels to determine a locality’s ability to fund schools, has increased for Franklin County. As a result, the state is expected to provide less financial support to the district.

Siers said the district is projected to receive about $5 million less in state funding than in previous years. He added that increases in local funding have not been enough to close the gap.

Franklin County is one of the few school districts in the region to employ family liaisons. Siers said the district plans to assess how to cover the responsibilities currently handled by those employees.

“Schools can be successful without family liaisons in there,” Siers said. “We just have to assess what all of their duties are and come up with a plan to help make sure those duties are covered.”

The district is still awaiting final funding figures from the state.

Raegan Bolling will take her talents to Blacksburg, joining the Virginia Tech cheer program.

Norah Lavinder and Emily Maddox will both stay close by, each of them committing to Roanoke College and continuing their cheer careers.

The Cavaliers held another signing day in late April, which can be found here.

The measure passed 93-0 in the 120-seat Knesset, or parliament, reflecting widespread support for punishing those found responsible for what was the deadliest attack in Israel’s history. The remaining 27 lawmakers were absent or abstained from voting.

Rights groups have criticized the measure, saying it makes the death penalty too easy to impose while also doing away with procedures safeguarding the right to a fair trial. Defendants can appeal their sentences but the appeals have to be heard by a separate, special appeals court rather than regular appeals courts.

Because the bill empowers a panel of judges to hand down the death penalty by a majority vote — and requires the trials to be conducted in a livestreamed Jerusalem courtroom — it has drawn comparisons to the 1962 trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, which was broadcast live on television.

Eichmann was executed by hanging, the last time the death penalty was carried out in Israel, though technically capital punishment remains on the books for acts of genocide, espionage during wartime and certain terror offenses.

Opponents of the bill also say that livestreaming the proceedings before guilt is established risks turning the trials into a spectacle. They have raised questions about the reliability of the evidence that may be presented, saying it could have been extracted by harsh interrogation methods.

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 as hostages. Israel’s ensuing blistering offensive on Gaza has killed over 72,628 Palestinians, including at least 846 killed since a ceasefire took hold last October.

That's according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children. The figures by the ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts.

Israeli forces also killed hundreds of militants in battles in the coastal enclave, and took an unknown number of suspects into Israeli custody where they now await trial.

Simcha Rothman, one of the bill’s sponsors who is part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's ruling coalition, said the overwhelming consensus for the bill in the Knesset shows Israeli lawmakers can come together “around a common mission.”

Several Israeli rights groups — including Hamoked, Adalah and the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel — said on Monday that while “justice for the victims of October 7 is a legitimate and urgent imperative,” any accountability for the crimes "must be pursued through a process which includes rather than abandons the principles of justice.”

The bill is separate from a law passed in March that approved the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, a measure harshly condemned by the international community and rights groups as discriminatory and inhumane.

That law applies to future cases and is not retroactive so it could not apply to the October 2023 suspects.

According to the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, the country still holds about 1,300 Palestinians from Gaza without charge in its detention facilities. At least 7,000 Palestinians from Gaza had been held in Israeli custody since October 2023, and 5,000 of them were later released.

The 1,300 number does not include those held on suspicion of attacking Israel on Oct. 7 or involvement in holding the hostages.

Spurs, just above the drop zone, moved two points clear of relegation rival West Ham.

Tottenham went ahead in the 50th minute on Mathys Tels' strike.

However, Tels’ foul on Ethan Ampadu with 15 minutes left led to a Leeds penalty that was converted by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Spurs takes on Chelsea away and Everton at home in their last two games, while West Ham is away at Newcastle before facing Leeds at home on the final day of the season.

One of the two teams will join the already relegated Burnley and Wolves in next season’s Championship.

Spurs went into the game on a high after two consecutive victories, but though they dominated the first half in terms of possession and shots on goal, they didn’t break the deadlock until five minutes into the second half.

Pedro Porro’s corner kick was cleared to an unmarked Tels, who coolly struck into the far corner of the net from 20 meters out. It was the center forward’s first goal since Jan. 7.

Tels turned villain 24 minutes later when his high foot was adjudged to have made contact with Ethan Ampadu’s head.

The referee pointed to the spot and Calvert-Lewin, who was denied a first-half penalty after a video review, confidently dispatched the spot kick.

In an edgy last few moments and a remarkable 15 minutes of added time there were no more goals. Spurs will content themselves that their destiny remains in their hands.

“We played a good game but there was big pressure," Tottenham coach Roberto De Zerbi said. “We didn’t play calmly. We wanted to win immediately without passes. When you are fighting for relegation you can’t play every game calmly.

“Leeds played a good game and we hope they play like that against West Ham in the next game.”

Spurs have taken eight out of a possible 12 points since De Zerbi’s debut defeat at Sunderland on April 12.

“We deserve to stay up," he said. “We will fight until the end. . . . Even if we had won today it wouldn’t have been finished yet.”

Hull secures playoff spot

Hull will play Southampton or Middlesbrough in the Championship playoff final after second half goals from Mo Belloumi and Joe Gelhardt gave it a 2-0 win over Millwall in London.

Belloumi’s 64th-minute strike with his left foot broke the deadlock in the second game of the two-leg affair and Gelhardt made sure with a low shot that squirmed past the Millwall goalkeeper.

The win means Hull have one match to secure a place in the Premier League for the first time since it was relegated in 2017.

Southampton and Middlesbrough drew the first leg 0-0 on Saturday and will play their return tie on Tuesday.

The playoff final is set for Wembley on May 23.

___

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

Workers were seen inspecting the site of the proposed arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery with tools and equipment. Part of the site was fenced off and pink flags typically used as survey markings were planted in the grass.

The work on the site was announced in a court filing Thursday in a federal lawsuit challenging the proposed arch. It consists of "surveys and geotechnical testing which are being used to generate information that will assist Defendant National Park Service (NPS) in completing procedural prerequisites” that are part of the decision-making process.

The 250-foot-tall (76-meter) proposed arch is one of several projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave his lasting imprint on Washington. With the potential to change the city's sightline, it has already sparked opposition, including through the lawsuit filed by a group of veterans and a historian.

The arch design, proposed by Trump, has already gotten early approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump.

The proposed monument rises from the four lions guarding its base to a torch held aloft by a Lady Liberty-like figure on top, which would be flanked by two eagles — all gilded. The phrases “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” would be inscribed in gold lettering atop either side of the monument.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the Public Citizen Litigation Group representing the four plaintiffs.

The group of veterans and a historian have sued in federal court to block construction on the grounds that the arch would disrupt the sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery, among other reasons.

The court filing on behalf of the Trump administration said the National Park Service had not issued a final agency action authorizing construction of an arch and should it do so, it would provide at least 14 days notice before any work could begin.

The document said the plaintiffs had been notified of the survey work beforehand and said the survey work did not constitute "construction, or a demolition in preparation for construction, of an arch."

Nicolas Sansone, a lawyer with the Public Citizen Litigation Group that brought the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs, said the government taking the preparatory steps for the construction of the arch is a confirmation that it intends to move forward. "Unless and until Congress has passed a law authorizing the arch, though, the project is unlawful, and the government has no valid basis for pursuing it,” Sansone added.

Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana, sergeants in the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, filed the lawsuit in Miami federal court earlier this month against Artists Equity, a film production company owned by Affleck and Damon. Court filings don't say how much the officers are suing for, but the civil complaint says they're seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages and attorney fees, as well as a public retraction and correction.

“The Rip” features Affleck and Damon as South Florida police officers who find millions of dollars inside a house. Parts of the movie were inspired by a real 2016 case, where police found over $21 million linked to a suspected marijuana trafficker in a Miami Lakes home.

Affleck and Damon have said while promoting the film that the story is loosely based on accounts from Miami-Dade Police Capt. Chris Casiano, who served as a technical advisor on the film. Damon told The Associated Press during a January interview that he and Affleck spent time with Casiano and other narcotics officers in preparation for the film.

“We really wanted to kind of understand what those dynamics were like,” Damon said. “I mean, these units are very tight because they’re really putting their lives in each other’s hands, and they’re doing something that’s very dangerous.”

An attorney for Artists Equity declined to comment when reached Monday by the AP. But in a March 19 response to the plaintiffs' demand letter, Leita Walker, an attorney for Artists Equity, wrote that the film does not purport to tell the true story of that incident or portray real people, which had been stated by a disclaimer in the film's credits.

Although Smith and Santana aren't named in the film and weren't involved in its production, the lawsuit claims that Santana was serving as the lead detective assigned to the real case, and Smith was the sergeant who supervised the investigative team. The film's inclusion of real details about the case gives the impression that the characters are based on the plaintiffs, the suit said.

This, the lawsuit claims, has given friends, family members and colleagues the impression that the plaintiffs committed the criminal acts that appear in the film, which include (SPOILER ALERT) conspiring to steal seized drug money, murdering a supervising officer, communicating with cartel members, committing arson in a residential neighborhood, endangering the lives of civilians, repeatedly violating core law-enforcement protocols and executing a federal agent rather than making an arrest.

Walker wrote in March that the plaintiffs haven't even identified which particular character is supposed to be based on Smith or Santana, so even if “The Rip” was actually about a real-life narcotics team, there's no way to connect any of the characters to the plaintiffs.

“The Rip,” directed by Joe Carnahan, debuted in January on Netflix. It's currently rated 78% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

_____

Associated Press video journalist Brooke Lefferts in New York contributed.

Mohammed Asasa said his family had coordinated the burial of his 80-year-old father, Hussein, with the Israeli military. He said the burial took place in a cemetery belonging to his village, also called Asasa, where the family said generations have been buried in clearly marked graves.

The incident last Friday illustrates the influence extremist settlers have gained during the past four years of Israel’s current government and the military’s inability or unwillingness to halt settler violence and land seizures.

Asasa said after the funeral, armed men from the nearby settlement of Sa-Nur arrived and ordered the family to exhume the body, claiming the land belonged to the settlement, less than half a kilometer away.

“While we were receiving condolences at home, some young men from the village came running and told us that the settlers were digging at the grave we had just buried at the cemetery.” he said. “When we reached the cemetery we found it filled with settlers and the army surrounded by them.”

He said the villagers decided to exhume the remains themselves after settlers threatened to dig up the grave with a bulldozer. Video showed them carrying the body from the cemetery with military escorts, with men who appeared to be settlers further uphill.

“This had never happened before,” he said. “You have no other choice.”

The Israeli military said forces responded to reports of clashes at the site and confiscated settlers’ digging tools. It said the army did not force the family to move the remains, but protected them as they relocated the body to a nearby cemetery. It did not say whether anyone was arrested.

Israel evacuated Sa-Nur in 2005, but settlers opposed to that withdrawal have spent years trying to reestablish it as an outpost. Israel reauthorized it in 2025 and reestablished it last month with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting attended by multiple government ministers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s government is dominated by settler leaders and their allies.

The Palestinians and most of the international community consider all settlements in the occupied West Bank to be illegal and obstacles to peace, categorizations Israel disputes.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has developed strong ties with settler representatives, in contrast to his predecessors.

Asasa said the sequence of events left him confused about what will happen with funerals in the future. “Are we going to go around the neighboring villages asking for a place to bury them?” he asked.

Palestinian man is shot and killed near a school

Separately, a Palestinian man that Israeli police said was armed with a rifle was shot and killed on Monday by Israeli forces near a school for refugees on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

Israeli police said the man was shot after exiting his car with a military-style rifle. The Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry identified him as Ayman Al-Hashlamoun, a 30-year-old from Kufr Aqab on Jerusalem’s northern outskirts. They said his body remained in Israeli custody.

The shooting, which took place outside a school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Kufr Aqab, near the Qalandia refugee camp, came amid broader violence in the occupied West Bank as Israel authorizes new settlements and revises the administrative measures governing areas under its control.

As of May 3, at least 45 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The CSC in a statement said the arbitrator affirmed the commission's decision to reject third-party NIL agreements between Nebraska's multimedia rights (MMR) partner, Playfly, and the players.

At issue was whether Nebraska's MMR partner would be considered an “associated entity" — deals from which are subject to CSC scrutiny.

With that decided, the CSC said the arbitrator rejected the deals because:

— They lacked what the CSC calls a “valid business purpose” because they did not include goods or services offered to the general public for profit.

— Playfly violated a rule against “warehousing” NIL rights — i.e., paying for the rights to use for some purpose later instead of employing them right away.

Speaking to media at the Atlantic Coast Conference meetings in Florida, the CSC's CEO, Bryan Seeley, said he didn't consider the deal to be a precedent.

“Even if it’s not precedential, the fact is it’s influential, and it’s influential in people’s minds about how they think about enforcement,” he said. "So, for me, it was a good day.”

The CSC said it would release the arbitrator's full decision later.

Some observers are curious to see whether the university or the state will sue over the decision, something the CSC was hoping to avoid when it sent out a “participation agreement” for schools to sign that forbid them from suing the commission.

Many schools have been reluctant to sign the agreement, arguing they’re not allowed under their state laws to sign away their ability to take legal action.

“It’s whether their state attorney general challenges it in court and what the outcome of that is, I think that is the true test of whether this (CSC) is a legitimate governing body,” sports attorney Paia LaPalombara told The Associated Press in an interview last week in discussing the Nebraska case.

In acknowledging the decision, Nebraska AD Troy Dannen said the school would continue to operate under the CSC process “while monitoring changes in the collegiate landscape.”

“We fully support all our student-athletes maximizing the value of their Name, Image and Likeness during their time at the University of Nebraska,” he said.

Officials from the Nebraska attorney general's office did not immediately respond to emails from the AP.

Seeley still thinks there are ways for the Nebraska players to get paid within the rules.

“I don’t believe litigation is necessary for these student-athletes to get money for their NIL,” he said. "I cannot control what happens, though, outside of what we do.”

In a separate case pending in the federal court that approved NIL payments via the House settlement, attorneys are arguing that MMR partners should not be considered “associated entities.” A hearing in that case is scheduled for May 27.

___

AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Amelia Island, Florida, contributed to this report.

But Paris is expected to use the two-day Africa Forward Summit, which it is co-hosting, to push a new Africa policy that focuses more on English-speaking countries and offers what it calls a “partnership of equals." Its new defense agreement with Kenya marks the direction it hopes to go.

France has long maintained a policy of economic, political and military sway over its former colonies dubbed Françafrique, which included keeping thousands of troops in the region. But after years of criticism from leaders and opposition parties in those countries over what they described as a demeaning and heavy-handed approach, France has been forced to withdraw most of those troops.

The summit — France's first in an English-speaking African country — will be attended by more than 30 heads of state and government, including from Francophone countries. On his arrival Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron said France may disagree with West African governments but “never disagrees with the people.”

Kenya’s newly ratified defense agreement with France has been criticized by civil society groups for granting too much immunity from local law to French troops, a sensitive issue in a country where a similar agreement with the United Kingdom has left a trail of hard-to-prosecute crimes against locals.

At a time when many African nations, particularly in the Sahel region, are reducing or expelling foreign military presences in what they say is a quest to reclaim their sovereignty, Kenya is hosting a growing international military presence.

The Kenya-France Defense Cooperation Agreement was signed on Oct. 29, 2025, by Kenya’s Defense Minister Soipan Tuya and French Ambassador to Kenya Arnaud Suquet and ratified by parliament on April 8. The same month, it also ratified defense agreements with countries including the Czech Republic, China and Italy.

While defending the defense agreements, parliament defense committee chair Nelson Koech said Kenya's treaties with advanced militaries provide training and intelligence-sharing opportunities that will make its defense stronger.

Koech said the agreements were not a “surrender of sovereignty,” adding that newer agreements guarantee that foreign troops will be tried in Kenya in the event of serious crimes such as murder.

A month ahead of the summit, a contingent of around 800 French troops arrived in Kenya aboard a navy ship.

The agreement grants visiting French forces primary jurisdiction over their personnel for on-duty offenses, echoing broad legal protections in past UK pacts that shielded British soldiers from Kenyan courts amid scandals like the 2012 murder of a young woman named Agnes Wanjiru and the deadly 2021 Lolldaiga ranch fire.

A British soldier is due to be extradited after Kenyan courts found him answerable for the 2012 death of Wanjiru, who was last seen alive in his company near the British troops’ training grounds in Nanyuki, central Kenya.

Hours after announcing Game 5 between the Frost and Victoire would not be played on time, the league announced it was rescheduled for Tuesday night in Laval, Quebec.

Two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press the illness is limited to Montreal. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the PWHL is not revealing that information.

The PWHL said medical assessment has determined that the symptoms are not consistent with hantavirus.

The rodent-borne disease has drawn attention in recent days after several Canadians were identified as contacts linked to a deadly outbreak aboard an Antarctic cruise ship, though no Canadian cases have been confirmed.

“The decision was made following consultation with medical personnel and in accordance with the league’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of players, fans, staff and all those involved in the competition,” the PWHL said in its initial news release.

The winner will face the Ottawa Charge in the Walter Cup Final after they defeated the Boston Fleet in the other semifinal matchup. Minnesota won the title in each of the league’s first two years of existence and is going for a three-peat.

The regular-season champion Victoire and third-seeded Frost have alternated wins, splitting each of their two games at home, including Montreal's 1-0 triple-overtime win in Game 2. The Frost forced Game 5 with a 3-1 win at Minnesota on Friday night.

The teams flew together by charter to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4 but traveled back to Montreal separately on Saturday.

The PWHL said earlier in the day that Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-five final at Ottawa were set for May 18 and May 20.

___

AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

Passengers began flying home aboard military and government planes Sunday after the MV Hondius anchored in the Canary Islands. Personnel in full-body protective gear and breathing masks escorted the travelers from ship to shore in Tenerife, an effort that concluded Monday.

“If they stayed longer on the ship, the situation could have been difficult,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization. He said citizens of the countries passengers are returning to should know “there is nothing to fear, the risk is low, this is not another COVID.”

Three cruise ship passengers have died, and six people with confirmed or suspected cases of hantavirus are being quarantined, according to the WHO. The lab results of the American who tested positive were inconclusive, WHO spokesperson Sarah Tyler said Monday.

Health authorities say it's the first hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. While there is no cure or vaccine for hantavirus, the WHO says early detection and treatment improves survival rates.

The ship's captain, Jan Dobrogowski, issued a video message Monday praising passengers and crew for their courage and perseverance, and he called for respect for their privacy.

“I could not imagine sailing through these circumstances with a better group of people, guests and crew alike,” he said.

New cases in France, United States

The French woman who tested positive for the hantavirus was in intensive care in stable condition at a Paris hospital, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Monday. He said four French passengers who returned Sunday tested negative but remained in isolation at the same hospital.

One of 18 evacuated passengers flown to the U.S. also tested positive for the hantavirus but was not showing symptoms, while another had mild symptoms, U.S. health officials said.

After landing early Monday, 16 American passengers — one of them a British-U.S. dual citizen — were taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which has a federally funded quarantine facility and a biocontainment unit for treating people with highly infectious diseases. They were being assessed to determine if they had close contact with any symptomatic people and their risk levels for spreading the virus.

An American who tested positive for hantavirus on the cruise ship was taken to the Omaha campus' biocontainment unit and will be tested again. The passenger “is doing well and not having symptoms at this time,” said Dr. Angela Hewlett, the unit's medical director.

The others taken to Nebraska will be monitored in quarantine for several days. They arrived “in good shape, good spirits,” said Dr. Michael Wadman, the quarantine unit's medical director.

Two additional American passengers, a couple, arrived Monday at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. One of them had mild symptoms and will be tested for hantavirus.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean, just because someone has symptoms, that they’re going to end up having this illness,” said Dr. Brendan Jackson of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some public health experts have accused the U.S. government of being slow to respond to the hantavirus outbreak. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rejected the notion that cuts at his agency had left the U.S. less prepared.

“We have this under control," Kennedy said Monday, “and we’re not worried about it.”

WHO recommends close monitoring of former passengers

Oceanwide Expeditions, which owns and operates the cruise ship, said 25 crew and two medical professionals remained on board Monday as the Hondius departed the Canary Islands. It was expected to arrive in Rotterdam on Sunday.

The Hondius left the southern Argentine port of Ushuaia on April 1 and a Dutch passenger died on board April 11. It wasn’t until early May that the WHO said it was reacting to a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the ship, which by that time was off the West African island nation of Cape Verde.

South African health authorities said on Monday that the condition of a British man admitted to a hospital in Johannesburg and being treated for hantavirus was gradually improving. He was evacuated from the ship on April 27 after becoming ill.

The Dutch couple who presented the first two cases had traveled through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay before boarding the ship, the WHO said. They visited sites where the species of rat known to carry Andes virus was present.

Health officials say risk to public is low

Hantavirus usually spreads from rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people. But the Andes virus detected in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread between people in rare cases. Symptoms — which can include fever, chills and muscle aches — usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure.

Tedros of the WHO advised that returning passengers should stay in quarantine, either in their homes or in other facilities, for 42 days. He added that WHO cannot enforce its guidance, and that different countries may handle monitoring of passengers without symptoms in different ways.

Numerous countries have said their people will be quarantined or hospitalized for observation.

___

This story has been corrected to show that it is the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

___

Corder reported from the Hague, Netherlands. AP journalists Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; Mike Stobbe in New York; Collin Binkley in Washington and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed.

According to officials, the investigation began following the receipt of a complaint in the fall of 2024. The complaint stemmed from issues identified during the organization’s routine annual financial audit and included allegations of misuse of departmental vehicles and questionable spending of organization funds.

As part of the investigation, investigators reviewed financial records and identified multiple expenditures that appeared to fall outside the normal scope of the organization’s daily operations, including purchases determined to be possibly personal in nature.

As a result of the investigation, the organization’s Rescue Chief, 55-year-old Barry Arnold of Millboro, was arrested and charged with the following:

• § 18.2-112 – Embezzlement by officers, etc., of public or other funds (two counts)
• • § 18.2-22 – Conspiracy to commit a felony (two counts)

“While this investigation focuses on the actions of a few specific individuals, it is important to recognize the countless volunteer first responders who give their time, energy, and personal sacrifice to serve their communities with integrity and dedication,” said Sheriff Tony McFaddin.

The Goshen First Aid Crew provides emergency medical services to residents of the Town of Goshen and the surrounding areas of Rockbridge County and receives funding from Rockbridge County.

ROCOSO says that the investigation remains active and ongoing, additional charges and arrests may be forthcoming.

In a lawsuit filed Monday, The Cultural Landscape Foundation said the administration's moves to repaint the bottom of the Reflecting Pool blue without undergoing relevant reviews ran afoul to federal preservation laws governing historic sites. The group argued that the changes at the Reflecting Pool are part of President Donald Trump's broader effort to push through dramatic renovations in Washington without proper reviews and undermine the tone of the area.

"The design intent, to create a reflective surface that is subordinate, is fundamental to the solemn and hallowed visual and spatial connection between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial,” said Charles A. Birnbaum, the group's president and CEO, said in a statement. “A blue-tinted basin is more appropriate to a resort or theme park.”

Trump has taken a personal interest in the project, calling the area “filthy” before workers repainted the Reflecting Pool a color he has called “American flag blue.” His motorcade was driven over a drained and repainted Reflecting Pool last week to give him a chance for a firsthand review of the project.

Speaking at a Rose Garden event Monday evening, Trump said the pool would be reopened “sometime next week, week after.” He did not mention the lawsuit in his remarks but said the end result would be beautiful and rebuffed criticism that it was just a new paint job. “This is not paint," he said. "This is highly sophisticated stuff.”

The suit was filed against the Interior Department and the National Park Service, which oversee much of the renovations underway in Washington. Katie Martin, an Interior Department spokeswoman, said in a statement that Trump “has done more to make our nation’s capital a shining beacon than any other president in the history of this country.”

“The Department is proud of the work being carried out by our Park Service to ensure this magical spot can be enjoyed for not only our 250th, but for many generations to come,” she said.

Over the past year, Trump has bulldozed the East Wing to make way for a ballroom. His name was added to the facades of the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Kennedy Center, which he plans to close for a two-year renovation. His face adorns a banner at the Department of Justice’s headquarters, among others. He is pushing for a triumphal arch near Arlington Cemetery and has closed parks, including Lafayette Square across from the White House, for a rehab.

Many of those projects are also subject to litigation.

The president cannot suspend the federal tax on his own. Congress would have to approve the move.

Lawmakers from both parties have pushed for a gas-tax suspension, saying it would provide much-needed relief for families and businesses that rely on their cars and trucks to get to work and school and run everyday errands.

As of Monday, the average national gas price was $4.52 a gallon, according to the AAA motor club, 50% higher than the average price of just under $3 a gallon before Trump began the war against Iran.

What the gas tax supports

The federal tax is currently set at 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel fuel, an amount that does not include state taxes, which often are higher. The tax provides more than $23 billion per year in revenue for federal highway and public transit programs.

Asked by reporters at the White House how long the tax should be suspended, Trump said, “Until it’s appropriate.” While the tax is only a small percentage of the price of gas, “it’s still money,” Trump said.

As gas prices have spiked, the Trump administration has released millions of barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve and temporarily lifted sanctions on some Russian and Iranian oil shipments already at sea. The U.S. is negotiating with countries reliant on Middle East crude to join a coalition to police the Strait of Hormuz, where about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil normally flows.

Trump needs Congress — and they're beginning to react

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri said on social media Monday that he will introduce legislation to suspend the gas tax. Democrats have previously sponsored similar legislation. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., also said in a post on X that she will introduce a bill “to suspend the federal gas tax in light of Trump’s recent remarks.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday he has not “been a fan” of a gas tax suspension, but added: "You know, I’ve got some colleagues out there who think it’s a good idea. So, we’ll hear them out.''

Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, said he'd prefer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to “normalize gas prices" without legislation. “Obviously, any time you suspend the gas tax, that leaves a big hole in the highway trust fund, which also has implications down the road,” he said.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said that "instead of suspending the tax, we should suspend the war.”

The ongoing spike in gas prices has set off alarms among some Republicans that it could hurt the party's chances in the midterm elections.

Sen. John Cornyn, who is in a tough runoff race later this month to keep his seat, said he wants to know how roads and bridges would be paid for if the tax is lifted. But he said there’s a “difference between a temporary suspension and a permanent suspension.”

“A temporary suspension to get through this sort of bumpy time because of the uncertainty about energy prices, I could live with that,” he said.

Trump has previously said higher fuel prices are worth paying to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. That hardline message appeared to soften Sunday as Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the Trump administration was “open to all ideas,” including a suspension of the gas tax, during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

A bill sponsored by Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Mark Kelly of Arizona would suspend the federal tax through Oct. 1. A similar measure was sponsored in the House by Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire.

"Trump’s war of choice with Iran is driving up gas prices across the country — and Americans shouldn’t have to bear the additional economic burden of Trump’s reckless decision making,” Blumenthal said in introducing the bill.

Kelly told reporters Monday he still prefers his legislation but would take “whatever we can get at this point.”

“People need relief,” he said.

Several states, including Indiana and Georgia, have recently suspended their taxes to alleviate high prices amid the war. Kentucky and Utah have reduced their state tax. Other states are weighing similar suspensions or tax reductions.

There are drawbacks, industry group says

The gasoline tax is the single largest source of revenue for federal highway and public transit programs.

While proposed bills would offset any lost Highway Trust Fund revenue with general funds, the tax suspension could raise the federal deficit and jeopardize the long-term sustainability of investments for highway and public transit programs, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, which represents the transportation construction industry.

The group cites studies showing that many retailers do not pass on the full amount of the gas tax reduction to consumers. Research also suggests that state and federal gas taxes are just one component of a complex pricing scheme that includes the global price of oil and other factors.

___

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Steven Sloan in Washington contributed to this story.

The decision follows a Supreme Court ruling in April that struck down a majority-Black U.S. House district in Louisiana as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, significantly weakening a provision of the federal Voting Rights Act.

Alabama officials had pointed to the Louisiana case as reason for the Supreme Court to end a judicial order to use a court-imposed House map until after the 2030 census. The high court on Monday overturned that order and directed a lower court to reconsider the case in light of the Louisiana decision. That could free the state to instead use a map approved in 2023 by the Republican-led legislature that includes only one district where Black residents comprise a majority.

Anticipating a court reversal, Alabama officials recently enacted a law allowing it to void the results of a May 19 primary for some congressional districts and instead hold a new primary under the revised district boundaries. Alabama had asked for an expedited decision ahead of the primary.

Alabama Republicans praised the decision.

“Today, the Supreme Court vindicated the state’s long-held position. Now, the power to draw Alabama’s maps goes back to the people’s elected representatives. That’s our Legislature,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a video statement. Marshall said his job was “to put the legislature in the best possible legal position to draw a congressional map that favors Republicans seven-to-zero.” He concluded with the statement, “Stay tuned.”

Republican House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter called the decision “a massive victory not just for Alabama, but for conservatives across the country.”

In a dissent to Monday's brief ruling, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the Louisiana case had reversed only one of the grounds upon which the Alabama case had been decided. Although the Voting Rights Act violation is gone, Sotomayor said a lower court could still find that Alabama had intentionally discriminated against Black voters in violation of the 14th Amendment.

The decision was a setback for Black residents and groups that had waged a legal fight for several years to get a second Alabama congressional district where Black voters had an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice.

“We are witnessing a return to Jim Crow. And anybody who is alarmed by these developments — as everybody should be — better be making a plan to vote in November to put an end to this madness while we still can," NAACP National President Derrick Johnson said in a statement.

Deuel Ross, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorney who argued the Alabama case, said, "We will consider all of our options to fight to protect the rights of these voters and keep the court ordered map in place.”

Shalela Dowdy, a plaintiff in the Alabama redistricting case, said she was disappointed in the decision.

“For me, I feel like this is a step backwards towards the Jim Crow era for congressional representation. The state is not going to stop here,” Dowdy said, predicting Alabama will eventually go after the remaining district.

Primaries are just a week away

The decision comes a week ahead of the May 19 primaries, setting up a potentially confusing scenario for voters. Alabama lawmakers last week approved legislation to allow special primaries in four impacted congressional districts if the state is able to switch maps. The special elections would be set by the governor.

Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen called the decision a “historic win for Alabama voters.” Allen said the May 19 primaries will proceed as scheduled and his office will remain in close contact with the governor’s office "as this situation continues developing.”

The change would give Republicans a chance to reclaim the district now represented by Rep. Shomari Figures, a Democrat. Figures was elected in 2024 under the court-ordered map. His election gave the state — where Black residents comprise more than one quarter of the population — two Black representatives in its congressional delegation for the first time in history.

Figures called the Supreme Court action an “incredibly unfortunate decision” that “sets the stage for Alabama to go back to the 1950s and '60s in terms of Black political representation in the state.”

Alabama is one of several states trying to change their congressional district boundaries before the November elections as part of a nationwide redistricting battle being won, so far, by Republicans.

Voting districts typically are redrawn once a decade, immediately after a census, to account for population changes. But President Donald Trump urged Texas Republicans last year to redraw congressional districts to their advantage in a bid to hold onto a narrow House majority in the midterm elections.

Democrats in California countered with their own redistricting. And numerous Republican-led states have followed. The high court’s Louisiana ruling provided fuel for Republicans to intensify their redistricting efforts.

So far, Republicans think they could win as many as 14 additional seats in the November elections from new districts enacted in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida and Tennessee. Democrats think they could win up to six additional seats from new districts in California and Utah. But Democrats suffered a major setback when the Virginia Supreme Cour t overturned a voter-approved redistricting amendment that could have yielded four more seats for the party.

___

Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri, and Chandler from Montgomery, Alabama.

Republican senators returning to Washington on Monday faced questions about the plan, which would spend taxpayer dollars to secure the East Wing project after Trump had said it would only be paid for with private donations. He has said the construction would cost around $400 million, but the White House had not previously proposed a number for security costs.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the total is “what it costs to protect the President of the United States in a very dangerous time and a dangerous world.”

“Keeping the leader of the free world safe is an expensive proposition,” Thune said. ”The Secret Service has a job to defend and protect the president, and we need to make sure they have the tools to do it.”

Democrats say they will try and defeat the plan, which Republicans added to a partisan spending bill that would restore funding for immigration enforcement agencies that the Democrats have blocked since February.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a letter to colleagues Monday that they will push Republicans to strip the security money, noting that Trump said a few months ago not one penny of taxpayer money would be used for the ballroom.

“Well, give me a break. He’s put a billion dollars in the budget for it. This staggering waste of taxpayer dollars has nothing, nothing to do with security and everything to do with Trump’s ego,” Schumer said.

Senators want to know more about the security money

Republicans are using a partisan budget maneuver to push the spending legislation through Congress without any Democratic votes. But it is still unclear if the security money will have enough backing among Republicans to advance, as some have said they are not yet ready to support it.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she wants clarification on how the funding would be used from the Secret Service Director Sean Curran, who is expected to attend a closed-door lunch with GOP senators Tuesday. Collins said the ballroom should be paid for with private donations, “as the president had indicated.”

Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., also said the funding should be private. “That's still my preference,” he said, adding that Congress had also increased the Secret Service budget after the attempted assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, during the 2024 campaign.

“Was it spent wisely? Do they really need more at this time?” Paul asked. "And a lot of people think this might be papering over for the, you know, the ballroom.”

Other Senate Republicans said they would support the request. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said he had “no problem” with it. Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis said the private funding would go for construction of the ballroom, but “the security part, there’s a role for the taxpayers.”

House Republicans have questions, as well

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was also expected to attend the Republican lunch Tuesday as some House Republicans were already questioning whether they could support the Senate plan. The House has not yet released its own bill.

Republican Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia said last week that he would look at the Senate security proposal “very carefully and make sure those things are in the national interest.”

Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., also said he wanted to hear more details. He asked colleagues to recognize the “volatile times” and the need to ensure the president, members of Congress and guests can gather in a safe location.

"If Republican and Democratic members can take a step back and say this is a real security issue, then maybe it will get done. But if Democrats dig in, it’ll be really challenging to pass that, as you can only imagine,” Haridopolos said.

Schumer said Democrats will push the Senate parliamentarian to strike the ballroom security money from the budget bill and offer amendments that force Republicans to vote on it if it remains in the legislation when voting is expected to begin next week.

White House has said the ballroom will be 'heavily fortified'

Lawmakers in both parties were looking for more detail about how the money would be spent. The Senate bill would designate the money for the U.S. Secret Service, including for “security adjustments and upgrades” related to the ballroom project, but there was little additional detail.

The legislation says the money would support enhancements to the ballroom project, “including above-ground and below-ground security features,” but specifies it may not be used for non-security elements.

The White House has said in court documents that the East Wing project would be “heavily fortified,” including bomb shelters, military installations and a medical facility underneath the ballroom. Trump has said it should include bulletproof glass and be able to repel drone attacks.

Trump said Friday that the money would be for “many of the projects" and it wouldn't all be for the ballroom.

“They want to do certain things militarily with respect to the ballroom, having nothing to do with us or having to do with the safety of the president,” Trump said. “So having to do with a lot of things, but we are going to have a safe ballroom.”

Oakey’s Funeral Service announced the death of Ragnar, the funeral home’s grief therapy dog, saying the golden retriever comforted staff members, grieving families and the wider community for years.

In a Facebook post, Oakey’s said Ragnar died after serving as its therapy dog from 2018 to 2025. The funeral home invited the public to a casual gathering to “celebrate Ragnar’s life” from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 17, at Oakey’s South Chapel. The post said ice cream — “Ragnar’s indulgence of choice” — will be served.

Ragnar became well-known locally for attending funeral services and helping people who were struggling to talk about their grief. As 10 News reported previously, Ragnar attended more than 1,000 funerals and often helped withdrawn mourners open up.

10 News first introduced Ragnar in 2019, shortly after he began working at the family business with owner Sam Oakey.

After nearly a decade of service, Oakey wanted Ragnar to take time to enjoy his golden years surrounded by happier times. But one week after he retired in October of 2025, the golden retriever was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma, a form of cancer.

Watch the story here.

Ragnar was treated at the Animal Cancer Care and Research Center in Roanoke, where veterinarians developed a plan that included surgery and chemotherapy. Chief medical officer Dr. Beatrix Manning said at the time that the center performed specialized testing to determine the type of lymphoma and tailor treatment.

Veterinarians later said Ragnar was in remission and estimated treatment had likely given him about another year of good-quality life.

“Well, they’ve certainly given us time with them, but they’ve given us peace of mind,” owner Sam Oakey said at the time. “They’ve just been, you know, they cried with us, they laughed with us and they’ve just been angels to us.”

Oakey and staff have described Ragnar as more than a workplace companion, crediting him with making emotional connections at services when people might not otherwise have engaged.

Oakey’s said Ragnar’s obituary was included with the Facebook announcement.

Freddie Hendricks, a middle school theater teacher at Utopian Academy for the Arts in Ellenwood, Georgia, and who founded the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, is getting the special Tony Award that honors educators.

Hendricks has been an arts educator for more than 30 years and was an honorable mention for the special Tony in 2023 and 2024. He estimates between 20 and 30 of his students have gone on to Broadway, including Tony-nominated Saycon Sengbloh, and one, Kenan Thompson, who is a household star on “Saturday Night Live.”

“I’ve always had a passion for theater. I’m an actor myself and when I got into teaching years and years and years and years ago, it became my passion," he says.

Ellington, who has earned his third Tony nomination for “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” credits Hendricks as “the first person to show me the importance of storytelling in theater.” Ellington watched as shy kids who started quiet at the beginning of Hendricks' class were by the end the featured singer or performer.

Hendricks graduated from Lincoln Memorial University in 1976, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication arts. He created “Soweto, Soweto, Soweto: A Township is Calling!” and has also taught in Europe and South Africa.

He is artistic director, writer and teacher for the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, which is comprised of students ranging from 11-20. At Utopian, Hendricks trains students in a “rigorous, ensemble-based program of acting, movement and storytelling.”

“A lot of kids these days, they don’t love themselves,” he says. “They don’t know who they are, for one thing. And I just kind of start with that and then go with loving themselves for who they are and letting them know up front, ‘In here, this is a safe space. You’re loved in here. You’re accepted in here. This is your home.’”

Hendricks is known for encouraging his students to come up with topics they care about — poverty, gun violence, teen pregnancy, apartheid or AIDS — and building performances around their ideas from their perspective.

“That just empowered these kids so much,” says Ellington. “Not only empowered them from an internal place of owning who you are, but empowering them as storytellers and showing the importance of storytellers.”

The annual Excellence in Theatre Education Award bestowed by the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University recognizes U.S. educators who have “demonstrated exemplary impact on the lives of students and who embodies the highest standards of the profession.”

The award includes a $10,000 prize for Utopian Academy and a pair of tickets to the June 7 Tony ceremony and gala in New York City. Hendricks' students will also receive a visiting master class taught by Carnegie Mellon drama professors.

A panel of judges comprised of the American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League, Carnegie Mellon and other leaders from the theater industry selects the winner, from candidates submitted by the public.

Hendricks imparts the importance of theater skills — like collaborating, listening, interpreting, storytelling, checking your ego, taking criticism — even if his pupils go on to careers outside the arts.

“I just want to let them know that life is great out there and the key to success is to never stop the pursuit of it. Whatever you want, keep going. It’s not going to happen tomorrow. It’s not going to happen next year. Or if it does, you may lose it, but it will come again if you continue to pursue whatever it is that you desire.”

___

More on the Tony Awards: https://apnews.com/hub/tony-awards

The 2024 rule adopted under former President Joe Biden was meant to refocus the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management, which oversees about 10% of land in the U.S. It allowed public property to be leased for restoration in the same way that oil companies lease land for drilling.

But Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has said the rule could have blocked access to hundreds of thousands of acres (hectares) of land — preventing energy and timber production and hurting ranchers who graze on public lands.

Supporters argued that conservation had long been a secondary consideration at the land bureau, neglecting its mission under the 1976 Federal Lands Policy Management Act. While the bureau previously issued leases for conservation purposes in limited cases, it never had a dedicated program prior to the Biden administration.

Bobby McEnaney with the Natural Resources Defense Council said repealing the rule ”means less protection for the clean drinking water, less protection for endangered wildlife that depend on healthy habitat, and less accountability when corporations leave these landscapes damaged and degraded."

In documents released Monday, administration officials said it exceeded the land bureau’s authority for outside parties to be allowed to obtain conservation leases.

Industry groups and their Republican allies in Congress strongly opposed the rule and had lobbied to repeal it. They said the change under Biden violated the “multiple use” mandate for Interior Department lands by catapulting the “non-use” of federal lands — meaning restoration leases — to a position of prominence.

“This action provides greater clarity and predictability for independent oil and natural gas producers—many of whom rely on consistent permitting and leasing processes to operate efficiently and invest in domestic energy supply,” Dan Naatz with the Independent Petroleum Association of America said in a statement.

The federal government's vast land holdings are concentrated in Western states including Alaska, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Since taking office, Trump has pursued a flurry of actions aimed at boosting fossil fuel production from those taxpayer-owned sites. The Republican administration also has sought to sideline some renewable energy projects, claiming they were unfairly subsidized under Biden.

The repeal is effective 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register, which was scheduled for Tuesday.

It comes after Republicans in Congress in recent months canceled land management plans adopted in the closing days of Biden's administration that restricted development in large areas of Alaska, Montana and North Dakota.

In addition to its surface land holdings, the Bureau of Land Management regulates publicly owned underground mineral reserves — such as coal for power plants and lithium for renewable energy — across more than 1 million square miles (2.5 million square kilometers). The bureau has a history of industry-friendly policies and for more than a century has sold grazing permits and oil and gas leases.

Trump departs Tuesday for a summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in what could potentially be the first of four meetings this year.

“We’re doing a lot of business with China and making a lot of money," Trump said last week. "We’re making a lot of money — it’s different than it used to be.”

The summit is primarily about keeping the economic relationship stable, with only modest policy announcements expected. A trade truce reached last October likely will be extended, while China may announce plans to buy American soybeans, beef and Boeing airplanes. U.S. officials also have teased the creation of a Board of Trade to keep the sides talking on economic issues.

Some in the Trump administration believe "the outcome that matters more than any set of deliverables is stability and space for continued engagement, both to build domestic resilience and to facilitate future deal-making," said Brett Fetterly, a managing principal at the consultancy The Asia Group who focuses on China.

Engagement would only be the first step toward addressing the competition between the U.S. and China, as tit-for-tat tariffs, the AI and electric vehicle buildout, and the Iran war could upend relations.

China and the US are buying less from each other

Despite Trump's claims about making money, China bought nearly $50 billion less in American products last year than it did in 2022, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

Some of that decrease reflects Beijing stopping soybean purchases during last year's trade war. The Trump administration has made clear that it wants to support American farmers and factories by having China import more from the U.S., with the goal of further narrowing a trade imbalance that totaled $202 billion last year.

The United States also now imports more goods from Taiwan than China, a change provoked in part by the AI race that has U.S. firms buying computer chips and servers from the self-governing island.

But going back to Trump's first term, China also began to route its U.S.-bound products through other Asian countries, while American companies shifted supply chains for computers and other electronics to Vietnam and India.

China's share of goods imported to the U.S. has fallen from 22% at the start of Trump’s first term in 2017 to just 7.5% in the first three months of this year, according to government data analyzed by Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and co-author of the book “How to Win a Trade War.”

The US wants a board to guide trade with China

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has said he “highlighted” in an April 30 call with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng the value of a “new government-to-government Board of Trade.”

Greer indicated the board could improve trade in goods without national security concerns. That could mean agricultural products, for instance, but not computer chips or other sensitive technology.

The initiative could make it easier to resolve trade disputes and help American efforts to sell more to China. It might help prevent a repeat of last year when Trump hiked tariff rates on Chinese goods by 145%, before finalizing a truce in an October meeting with Xi in South Korea.

The board also would give the Trump administration an alternative to severe tariff hikes, which have become a logistical and legal problem. The Supreme Court ruled that Trump lacked the authority to unilaterally impose many of last year's tariffs, while his temporary replacement tariffs that followed were deemed illegal by a federal court last week.

The Trump administration says the U.S. and China would need to get sign-off at home to create the board that could manage tens of billions of dollars in trade. Administration officials also would like to create an investment forum to discuss financing of operations in each country.

Traveling to China as part of the U.S. delegation are some 17 CEOs, including Tesla's Elon Musk, Apple's Tim Cook and Boeing's Kelly Ortberg, the White House says.

Washington and Beijing have different goals

In some ways, Trump's and Xi's governments have been talking past each other. Trump assumes America can keep its edge on AI, so he judges the trade imbalance as the big issue to solve. But Xi sees a world disrupted by climate change and the Iran war, shifts that could give a boost to Chinese technologies such as solar panels and EVs.

“Washington and Beijing are competing at different levels and different domains, with different theories of victory,” said Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow specializing in U.S.-China relations at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank. “President Trump leveraged tariffs not as a weapon against China but as leverage to secure a trade deal. Xi Jinping is angling to win a cold war with the United States."

The U.S.-Israel war against Iran also is leading to an inflection point on energy, said Ali Wyne, a senior research and advocacy adviser on U.S.-China relations at the International Crisis Group.

The Trump administration is banking on the world continuing to rely on oil and natural gas, whereas China sees the price spikes following the disruption to energy shipments in the Strait of Hormuz as supporting a green energy transition that favors its industrial strategy.

“The structural frictions between the United States and China, they are growing in number and severity,” Wyne said.

The tensions beneath the sunny talk

Several potential strains could easily upset the cheery talk of friendship — raising questions about whether any meaningful progress can be made at the summit on issues like:

— China's control of the majority of rare earth mining and almost all of the processing for those minerals widely needed for electronics. The Trump administration is trying to develop its own rare earths production with new partnerships and investments in companies, a strategy that would unfold over several years.

— The U.S. push to limit China's access to the most advanced computer chips. These chips, designed by companies such as Nvidia and AMD, have the processing power to further develop AI.

— China's dominance as an automaker. Its worldwide exports of vehicles increased 21% last year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. China can sell EVs at a much cheaper price than automakers in the U.S., Germany, Italy, Japan and South Korea.

— Tariffs. After the Supreme Court struck down Trump's tariffs, the administration launched national security investigations under a provision of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose new tariffs based on excess industrial capacity and efforts to prevent slave labor that could potentially withstand legal scrutiny.

— U.S. sanctions on a Chinese oil refinery and dozens of tankers and shippers for involvement in transporting Iranian oil. Beijing responded to the action earlier this month by demanding that no one abide by the U.S. penalties against Chinese businesses. The countries also are jousting over management of the Panama Canal.

Republicans' rush to gerrymander congressional districts across several Southern states after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling hollowed out the Voting Rights Act is confusing voters and creating logistical headaches for local election officials. The changes are hitting while primary season is in progress.

The chaotic upheaval to an election season that could determine which party controls the U.S. House is the latest fallout from an intensely partisan gerrymandering battle initiated by President Donald Trump last year to protect Republicans' slim majority.

The Supreme Court's decision last month severely weakening the Voting Rights Act required Louisiana to reconsider a map drawn in 2024 with two majority minority congressional districts that elected Black representatives. The GOP-controlled Legislature could eliminate one or both in a state where roughly 30% of the population is Black.

The ruling also encouraged Republicans in Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee to consider eliminating four Democratic districts among them, three represented by Black lawmakers. Florida has a new map meant to cost Democrats four of their eight seats, out of 28.

In Louisiana, 66-year-old New Orleans resident Sallie Davis voted early last week. Her ballot allowed her to vote for Democratic U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, but a sign at her polling booth showed his race crossed off with a ballpoint pen. She was confused and frustrated — especially when a poll worker told her to go with what the sign seemed to convey. She's now worried that her entire ballot will not be counted.

"I was supposed to believe a piece of paper with an X on it marking out the person I wanted to vote for,” she said, her voice breaking as she recounted her experience later. “I think I have been disenfranchised. I think my vote, that I just voted on, it's not going to count or something. I think it's illegal.”

Primaries postponed, deadlines compressed

Louisiana's primary is Saturday, and a week of early voting there began May 2, two days after Republican Gov. Jeff Landry declared an emergency and suspended congressional primaries to give lawmakers a chance to draw a new map.

The Louisiana secretary of state's office said nearly 179,000 primary ballots had been cast as of Friday, including about 53,000 absentee ballots returned by mail. The ballots included U.S. House races, but votes in those contests won't be counted.

In a “60 Minutes” interview that CBS aired Sunday, the governor started to say, “It's not a big deal,” but didn't complete the word “deal.”

“If anyone has a grievance, take it to the United States Supreme Court,” he said.

In Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee, Republicans said new maps, increasing GOP seats, would better reflect their states' conservative values. Alabama lawmakers passed legislation Friday allowing a do-over of congressional primaries.

Alabama’s primary is May 19, and voting in congressional races will occur then as planned, with the old districts. But the state doesn't expect to count those votes because the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed it to switch to different districts.

Mississippi held its primaries in March, but a federal court has ordered it to redraw its state Supreme Court districts, and Trump is pushing Republicans to redraw the state's four congressional districts.

A special session of its Legislature is set for May 20. Renovations of the House chamber will force members to meet at the Old State Capitol, where, decades ago, Mississippi lawmakers passed Jim Crow laws suppressing Black voting.

“Modern-day voter suppression relies on election administration errors and chaos, and that’s what we’re going to see play out in all of these states,” said Amir Badat, a Jackson, Mississippi, voting rights attorney and activist.

Tennessee continues yearlong fight

Tennessee was the first state to enact a new map since the U.S. Supreme Court decision, but Trump's push for redistricting started in Texas last year. Democrats countered in California and tried but ran afoul of the courts in Virginia.

Tennessee’s new map divided Memphis among three congressional districts. Before its enactment last week, the state’s elections coordinator told county officials in a memo that it would mean reprogramming election systems, retraining poll workers and possibly adjusting precinct boundaries, meaning some voters’ polling places could change.

Tennessee’s congressional primaries will go forward Aug. 6 as planned, with candidates required to qualify by Friday.

In South Carolina, lawmakers could move all the state's June 9 primaries to August, or just the congressional races. While mail balloting is limited because the state requires an excuse, more than 6,800 mail ballots already had been sent to voters — with 260 returned — as of Friday, the state Elections Commission said.

A separate election for congressional primaries would cost $3 million and the time for preparations would be compressed, Conway Belangia, the commission's executive director, told lawmakers Friday.

“It will be difficult, but it will be possible,” he said.

Activists see problems ahead for voters

Michael McClanahan, the NAACP's Louisiana State Conference president, is hearing “total confusion” as voters call him and ask, "Is there an election?”

“People say, ’I ain’t going to vote because the governor’s suspended the election,'" he said. "But he didn’t, he only suspended one aspect of it.”

In Alabama, Senate Democratic leader Bobby Singleton said he has been fielding calls from confused public officials.

“These are the people who are the head of elections,” he said. "They don’t know what to do.“

Voting rights activists see a harbinger for Memphis voters in problems that arose in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2022, when Republican legislators divided the state's capital city into three congressional districts to take a seat from Democrats. A state report said more than 3,000 Nashville-area voters were assigned to incorrect districts and more than 430 cast ballots in the wrong races in the November 2022 election.

“It’s going to be really hard for the election commissions to be able to keep up with this short timeline,” Matia Powell, executive director of the voting rights nonprofit Civic TN, said during a conference call Friday with other voting rights activists in the South.

Some fear confusion will lead to distrust and apathy

Anneshia Hardy, executive director of Alabama Values, which provides support to voting and civil rights groups, said people will lose trust in elections if they believe the rules can change every two years.

“Once people stop believing that the process is stable and fair, disengagement is going to increase, and that's one of the biggest dangers here,” she said. “Democracy doesn’t just depend on voting systems existing but really on people believing that their participation matters.”

At least a few Democratic voters who went to the Louisiana Capitol on Friday to protest the gerrymandering expressed doubt about whether they still have a political voice.

Davis came to the State Capitol in Baton Rouge and had a bullhorn with her for a protest in which she yelled, “Whose vote? Our vote!”

David Victorian, a 79-year-old Vietnam veteran from Baton Rouge, said: “I’m concerned for the survival of the democracy that we’re supposed to be living in.”

___

Hanna reported from Topeka, Kan. Associated Press writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, S.C., and Kim Chandler, in Montgomery, Ala., contributed.

In Lynchburg, some drivers say the higher prices are changing their routines and forcing them to be more strategic about errands.

“I try to limit my driving so if I know I’m going one place in a day, I’ll typically do two stores in a day just to limit my driving,” said Zoe Brightwell, a Lynchburg resident.

Others say they’re still searching for the best deal, but the impact varies depending on how often they drive and what fuel they use.

“I only burn certain kinds of gas and as long as it’s close by, I’ll go to the next gas station to get gas. It doesn’t affect me as much as others I’m sure,” said Barry Edwards, a Lynchburg resident.

While driving around Lynchburg, the cheapest price I found was $4.03 a gallon at Sam’s Club. Drivers told me finding lower prices often comes down to planning ahead—and using apps to track deals in real time.

“I use GasBuddy. I generally use GasBuddy to look and see what’s going on around town,” Edwards said.

Brightwell said wholesale clubs are often her go-to, but timing is everything when you’re trying to avoid paying more elsewhere.

“I typically try to go to Sam’s Club to get gas, or any wholesale place, because it’s cheaper but if I know I’m going to run out of gas within the next three days, I will try to time it so I will come to Sam’s Club,” Brightwell said.

On Friday, Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed legislation that will create a paid family and medical leave program in the state that will provide job protection and paid time off for major events like:

• Caring for a new child (birth, adoption, foster care)
• Recovering from a serious health condition
• Caring for a family member with a serious health condition
• Military family needs
• Domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking

14 other states and Washington D.C. currently offer similar programs; Virginia’s will offer up to 12 weeks of paid time off.

The Virginia Employment Commission will begin collecting contributions on April 1, 2028, and benefits will begin on Dec. 1, 2028.

“Today, we are empowering millions of Virginia parents and workers with the security, dignity, and peace of mind they deserve. Virginia is now the first state in the South to create a paid family and medical leave program. Under this landmark law, hardworking Virginians will have the freedom to take care of loved ones, recover from illness, and spend time with their newborns — all with the confidence that they will keep their paychecks. Because no one should have to choose between spending time with their newborn and paying their bills. No one should have to drain their savings or fall behind on rent because a loved one gets sick. And no one should be forced to return to work while facing a serious illness.”

“Not only is this law a huge win for workers, but it will allow small- and mid-sized businesses to better thrive in our Commonwealth by offering competitive benefits they previously could not afford. Thank you to Senator Boysko, Delegate Sewell, and every other leader in the General Assembly who has worked for years to get paid family and medical leave across the finish line. I am proud to partner with you to deliver this historic achievement for Virginia workers and parents, and I look forward to continuing working together as we make our Commonwealth a better place to start a family, create a career, and build a business.”

Gov. Abigail Spanberger

Spanberger signed the legislation alongside various lawmakers in Richmond on Monday. Proponents of the program believe it could assist over 3 million Virginians.

The Virginia Employment Commission released a FAQ sheet regarding the legislation here.

“Honestly, I think he would just now be coming back if he was like a normal human being, but he’s not,” teammate Mike Conley said after Edwards scored 16 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter to fuel a Game 4 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday that tied their second-round series at two games apiece.

“We’re thankful for what he’s sacrificing for us and putting us on his back," Conley added. "We expect it from him. He expects it. So we just try to keep him healthy, keep him going forward.”

After returning from a hyperextended left knee that caused a deep bone bruise in nine days, Edwards had 18 points in a 25-minute reserve role to help the Timberwolves take the opener from the Spurs on the road on May 4. Edwards was back in the starting lineup for Game 3 at home on Friday and played 41 minutes.

He logged 40 minutes in Game 4 and was on the floor for the entire fourth quarter, a move coach Chris Finch made only three times during the regular season. Edwards also played the final 12 minutes in the opener of the first-round series at Denver on April 18, one week before his latest injury.

“Man, I’ve been doing a lot of stuff to get in shape. I've got the best physical therapist in the world when it comes to my body, David Hines, so big shoutout to him,” Edwards said, referring to the team's vice president of medical operations and performance. “He’s on a whole other level when it comes to that stuff.”

Edwards was limited to a career-low 61 games during the regular season, largely because of persistent pain in his right knee. Before 2025-26, he never missed more than three games in any season.

“We’re lucky to have him. He’s special, no doubt, especially given what he’s been fighting through over the last month and a half,” Finch said.

Edwards shot 13 for 22 from the floor on Sunday, including 3 for 5 from 3-point range. He took advantage of Victor Wembanyama's stunning ejection by getting to the rim, too, including a crucial finger-roll layup he dropped in through traffic with 2:24 left for a four-point lead in the 114-109 victory.

Edwards was hesitant to express much satisfaction afterward, chiding himself and the rest of the starting lineup for a lackluster third quarter while revealing that, yes, even he has his physical limits.

“I was gassed a little bit," Edwards said, "so I came out like super low on energy, just walking up and down the floor.”

His performance had more to it than simply determination and durability, though. On Mother's Day, Edwards acknowledged a deep sense of motivation and purpose in Game 4 in honor of his late mother, Yvette Edwards, who died of cancer in 2015 when he was just 13. His grandmother also died later that year.

“I couldn't lose this game for her," Edwards said before praising the support he has received from family members and close friends in Atlanta over the last decade since losing his mom and grandma. “It’s not a bunch of people that's just willing to do anything you say. These people really want to see me succeed, and they don’t let me take a day off. They stay on me.”

With that, the intensely private Edwards quickly shifted the focus in the postgame interview room at Target Center back to basketball.

“So I appreciate everybody that’s in my circle, but that’s enough about me," he said. "Just ask about my team.”

___

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

Is this the most wide open Preakness ever?

The morning line odds suggest it could be after Iron Honor was installed as a 9-2 favorite following Monday's draw.

With Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo held out of the race and a sizeable field of 14 horses currently in it, there's no clear choice to beat. Any number of entrants could conceivably be favored by the time the race starts Saturday at Laurel Park.

Taj Mahal (5-1), Chip Honcho (5-1), Incredibolt (5-1) and Ocelli (6-1) are the other top picks on the morning line. Napoleon Solo (8-1) was next, and trainer Chad Summers saw little reason his horse couldn't prevail.

“It’s the right opportunity with the right field, and we’ve already beaten the morning line favorite,” Summers said.

That's because Napoleon Solo was fifth in the Wood Memorial and Iron Honor was seventh. Iron Honor did win the Gotham Stakes in February.

Chad Brown, who has won the Preakness twice, trains Iron Honor. He chalked up the horse's seventh-place showing at the Wood Memorial on April 4 to getting bothered in the first turn and never really relaxing throughout that race. The decision was then made to take the blinkers off the horse.

“We’ve given him a change to get over that experience, and he seems to be in a good place right now training just the way we want him,” Brown said last week. “He’s been training very consistent, very relaxed.”

No Preakness favorite — when the race started — has had odds of 9-2 or longer since at least 1940. Often, it's the Derby winner going off at a short price, but now Golden Tempo is the third in the past five years to skip this race.

Perhaps that explains why this could be the largest Preakness field in 15 years. The previous time 14 horses made it to the starting gate was in 2011.

Post time Saturday is 7:01 p.m. at Laurel, which is hosting the middle race of the Triple Crown this year as Pimlico in Baltimore is rebuilt.

Three horses from the Derby are in the field — Ocelli, Incredibolt and Robusta (30-1). Great White (15-1) is also back after being scratched from the Derby when he threw his jockey just before the race began.

Ocelli was third in the Derby as a 70-1 shot. Incredibolt was sixth and Robusta was 14th.

Jose Ortiz, the jockey from Golden Tempo’s Derby win, is on Chip Honcho this time.

Taj Mahal is trained by Brittany Russell, who has won several meet training titles in Maryland. Taj Mahal has three wins in three starts, all at Laurel. He'll be on the inside after drawing the No. 1 post Monday.

“It is what it is. We'll just have to see how it goes,” Russell said. “He's a good gate horse, he has speed. So that'll help us.”

___

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