Montgomery County police officers responding to a Sunday report about a pedestrian being struck in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Silver Spring found William Yates, the 79-year-old father of lead singer Brendan Yates, injured in a front yard, according to charging documents.

Yates' family said guitarist Brady Ebert, a neighbor who parted ways with the band several years ago, had struck him with a car, police wrote. Yates’ daughter, Erin Gerber, told authorities that she and her husband were getting their kids out of their car when Ebert drove up honking at them and yelling obscenities, then drove into her father.

In video footage obtained from a neighbor, Ebert could be seen driving a gold Buick LeSabre and swerving toward William Yates but missing him, according to the charging documents. Yates then threw a rock at Ebert’s vehicle and Gerber dragged her 3-year-old son onto the lawn to avoid being hit. Ebert then turned sharply into Yates' driveway and struck him as he was trying to run away, investigators wrote. Ebert finally drove across the lawn and left.

Yates told a detective that as he was injured on the ground, Ebert returned and yelled that he “deserved it” before driving off again, according to charging documents.

Yates said Ebert used to be in a band with his son and had been causing problems for his family since being kicked out. He said Ebert had been taunting them for long time, but that his behavior had been escalating.

Ebert, 33, was arrested Tuesday and charged with attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault, court records show.

During a bond hearing Thursday in which he appeared via video, Ebert called William Yates a “maniac” who threw a rock at him asked the judge to watch the surveillance footage, saying it would “contradict” the authorities' narrative of what happened, The Baltimore Banner reported.

But prosecutor Dominic Plantamura said the footage shows it was a “clearly targeted attack” and that Yates is lucky he wasn't injured more seriously.

Ebert's lawyer, John Costello, acknowledged Ebert’s contentious history with his former bandmate, but said, “That does not, in this instance, warrant extra detention.” Costello’s office declined to comment to The Associated Press.

The judge ordered Ebert held without bond.

According to Plantamura, William Yates was injured so badly that a bone stuck out of one leg.

In a statement, Turnstile said it cut ties with Ebert in 2022, “in response to a consistent pattern of harmful behavior." It said a boundary had to be set after he began threatening violence. While Ebert’s “baseless tirades” continued in public since then, the band said it didn’t address them to protect his privacy. Threats escalated in recent months and then there was a physical attack on Brendan Yates’ father this week, the band wrote.

“We are grateful that Mr. Yates survived, has successfully undergone surgery, and we’re hoping for the best possible outcome in his recovery,” the band said. “We have no language left for Brady.”

Turnstile were underground stalwarts until their 2021 album “Glow On” launched them into mainstream consciousness. They cemented their status this year by winning Grammys for Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance.

Zendaya, surprising precisely nobody on the planet, showed up in dazzling blue at Thursday’s New York premiere of “The Drama,” after teasing the bridal theme for weeks by wearing something old, then something new, then something borrowed.

Her strapless Schiaparelli Haute Couture ball gown, accompanied by sapphire earrings, completed the sartorial series just in time for the opening of her movie — a film that has attracted considerable controversy and mixed reviews. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play a couple whose wedding plans go seriously awry following a dark revelation.

The high-fashion appearances have also echoed the bridal theme of Zendaya’s own life, with unconfirmed speculation flying — fed in part by rings she’s been wearing — that she’s already married to partner Tom Holland.

The actor and her stylist, Law Roach, saved the most spectacular outfit for last. Schiaparelli posted on its own Instagram ​​that the gown, which took some 8,000 hours of work, was made of blue and black raw silk “feathers” in satin stitch embroidery, and contained 27 shades of blue.

“Something old” came in Los Angeles on March 17, where Zendaya wore the same white, off-the-shoulder Vivienne Westwood Bridal gown that she’d worn to the 2015 Oscars.

She transitioned to “something new” at the March 24 Paris premiere — a white custom Louis Vuitton gown with a huge black bow and train.

“Something borrowed” came two days later in Rome, a black Armani Privé dress previously worn by Cate Blanchett, with a plunging neckline framed with stones.

Finally on Thursday, Zendaya completed the circle. “SomethingBlue,” posted Roach.

In case nobody had noticed.

The written ruling by Judge Lewis J. Liman in Manhattan came after Lively, who starred in and produced the film, sued her co-star and director in December 2024. A trial is scheduled for May 18.

Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios had countersued Lively and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of defamation and extortion. The judge dismissed Baldoni’s claims last June.

In his ruling, Liman determined that Lively was an independent contractor rather than an employee. On that basis, he said she was not entitled to bring sexual harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That law prohibits employment discrimination on various grounds, including gender.

As to retaliation, the judge said some evidence might enable a jury to conclude that Baldoni's production company planned not only to damage Lively's reputation but to destroy her career amid fear she'd file a discrimination claim. Lively alleges a smear campaign has been “devastating for her reputation and career,” the judge noted.

In an analysis of the sexual harassment claims, the judge said Lively's claims had to be viewed in the context of the movie they were working on.

“Lively claims that during filming, Baldoni leaned in and gestured as if he was intending to kiss her, and that he kissed her forehead, rubbed his face and mouth against her neck, put his thumb to her mouth and flicked her lower lip, caressed her, and leaned into her neck, saying ‘it smells good,’” the judge wrote.

He said there was no question that the conduct would support a hostile work environment claim if it happened on a factory floor or in an executive suite.

However, the judge noted, Baldoni was “acting in the scene” and his "conduct was not so far beyond what might reasonably be expected to take place between two characters during a slow dancing scene such that an inference of hostile treatment on the basis of sex would arise. At least in isolation, the conduct was directed to Lively’s character rather than to Lively herself.”

Liman added: “Creative artists, no less than comedy room writers, must have some amount of space to experiment within the bounds of an agreed script without fear of being held liable for sexual harassment.”

Despite those findings, the judge said some sexual harassment claims may be put to a jury to support two retaliation claims that survived the ruling, including one against It Ends With Us Movie LLC and Wayfarer Studios, and a third claim that was left intact alleging breach of a contract rider agreement against It Ends With Us Movie LLC.

The judge noted that Baldoni once said “pretty hot” after asking Lively to remove her jacket, exposing a lace bra underneath, and that when he was warned that it was inappropriate and distracting to make such comment, he allegedly rolled his eyes and responded: “Sorry, I missed the sexual harassment training.”

Liman also cited a scene in which Baldoni pushed for Lively to perform a birth scene naked and then the scene was filmed over several hours without the set being closed to nonessential personnel.

In a statement, Lively attorney Sigrid McCawley wrote that Lively “looks forward to testifying at trial and continuing to shine a light on this vicious form of online retaliation so that it become easier to detect and fight.”

She added: “This case has always been and will remain focused on the devasting retaliation and the extraordinary steps the defendants took to destroy Blake Lively’s reputation because she stood up for safety on the set and that is the case that is going to trial.”

Bryan Freedman, a lawyer for Baldoni, said the defendants in the case were “very good people who have not engaged in this sexual harassment as alleged.”

“It is gratifying to see that the courts ruling confirms what the legal team believed from day one,” Freedman said in an email to The Associated Press.

“It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel that begins as a romance but takes a dark turn into domestic violence, was released in August 2024, exceeding box office expectations with a $50 million debut. But the movie’s release was shrouded by speculation over discord between Lively and Baldoni.

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

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

But another unofficial face of the male-led church has emerged in American pop culture: digitally savvy, female influencers, often seen sporting athleisure, a giant soda in hand — and varying degrees of adherence to church teachings.

These influencers have found an enthusiastic audience across the country, curious about their faith and families. Some explain the tenets of what's widely known as the Mormon church, but others bring attention to the rules they often break — drinking alcohol, having premarital sex and in one high-profile instance, a “soft-swinging” scandal that birthed the hugely popular Hulu reality series, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”

ABC sought to capitalize on that interest by casting “Mormon Wives” star Taylor Frankie Paul in “The Bachelorette,” but recently had to scuttle the already filmed season after a video of a domestic violence incident surfaced.

These viral moments and “Mormon Wives” project a version of the faith that appears more progressive and lenient than church leadership and other Latter-day Saint influencers might like. “The internet really challenged the church’s ability to maintain its own narratives about itself,” said Nancy Ross, an associate professor at Utah Tech University who studies Mormon feminism.

Church says misrepresentation can have ‘real-life consequences’

The church has worked to distance itself from “Mormon Wives,” issuing a statement ahead of the first season’s premiere in 2024 without naming the show specifically. It said that some media portrayals of Latter-day Saint women resort to “stereotypes or gross misrepresentations that are in poor taste and have real-life consequences for people of faith.”

Camille N. Johnson, the president of the church’s Relief Society organization for women, said in an emailed statement that it’s important to seek out trusted sources of information about the church and its members in light of recent media attention.

“Millions of Latter-day Saint women around the world strive to live faith-filled lives grounded in a love for God and all of His children,” she said.

It would be impossible for the “Mormon Wives” cast to fully represent millions of women in the church. But they are not the only Latter-day Saint influencers online — nor are they the only ones with large followings.

Many are women in their early twenties who are married with young children. They post about young motherhood and experiences like buying a house before they turn 25. Lauren Yarro, a Latter-day Saint content creator and podcast host, said she can see this being a foreign image to some.

“Our culture is fascinating to an outsider, and I can understand why it would pull people in,” she said. “That Mormon timeline is intriguing to the rest of the world. I think most people innately have a desire for a happy marriage and a happy family life and we tend to create those in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Cultural fascination with the church endures

The beliefs and practices of church members have often been the subject of intense interest and scrutiny because of how they differ from other religions. Some of these include the belief that church leadership can receive revelations from God, or the practice of wearing garments under clothing that have deep religious significance.

Latter-day Saint influencers are not a new phenomenon, but they have found staying power by driving pop culture discourse and documenting their lifestyles. Many of them use content creation as a way to be stay-at-home parents while also generating income for their families. Several prominent creators live in Utah, the home of the church’s administrative and cultural hub, but there is a broad spectrum in terms of how much they bring their faith into their content.

While “Mormon Wives” and its controversial star, Paul, have been the recent high-profile drivers of public interest, the cast talks about the church only sparingly. Rosemary Avance, an assistant professor at Oklahoma State University whose research includes religious identity and digital media, said “there’s so little reference” to the cast's faith once people are hooked on the show from its title. Many cast members have left the church or are no longer active in it.

“It was clearly a marketing strategy on behalf of the people putting these shows together. They think that’ll draw people in, and it does,” she said. “It’s not like you have these women sitting down talking about their secret temple practices that they’re not supposed to speak about, or challenging the authority of the church in some way. They’re just not talking about it.”

Avance sees parallels between now and about 15 years ago, when Republican Mitt Romney was running for president and “The Book of Mormon” debuted on Broadway. At the time, people wanted to know “what’s going on behind the scenes in Mormonism,” she said.

“People think they know a lot about it (Mormonism), and they’ve heard a lot about it because there’s prominent stories and prominent people who are well-known and those narratives are circulated, but it’s almost always second-, third-hand,” she said. “A lot of people don’t know any Mormons and may never meet a Mormon, or if they have, they don’t know it, and so it’s what you’ve heard and the preconceptions you think you have about Mormonism.”

‘Secret Lives’ draws mixed reaction from influencers

Creators like Yarro, who speak about their faith openly online and closely follow the church's teachings, said “Mormon Wives” does not feel representative of their experiences in the church or their lives in Utah. The Latter-day Saint content creators who spoke with The Associated Press emphasized they don't place fault on the individual cast members, but rather the production of the show and the way it Hollywoodizes their faith. Representatives for Hulu did not respond to a request for comment.

“The only thing I don’t like about what they do is sometimes they will play on things, twist things, use what is sacred to us as members of the church, and they’ll put it out and it feels like mockery to us,” said Shayla Egan, another Latter-day Saint content creator.

Some of the more devout members use their online platforms to respond to and course-correct more salacious social media content or “Mormon Wives” storylines they believe don't align with their understanding of church teachings or experiences.

Mimi Bascom, a Latter-day Saint content creator who says the mission behind her social media presence is to “show that members of the church are real people,” often makes videos responding to “Mormon Wives” clips. She finds the show to be a “net positive for our church” since it gives everyday members the opportunity to “share what we actually believe and get that more out there into the world,” she said.

Bascom, for one, had always prepared to serve on a mission but no longer could after getting married. Making content about the church has felt like a way she's “able to still live that out,” she said.

“We want to be missionaries and spread the good word of the Gospel,” she continued, “and so this is just another way we can do it.”

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Under the guard of heavily armed, balaclava-clad police, prosecutors unveiled the 2,500-year-old Cotofenesti helmet, one of Romania’s most revered national treasures from the Dacia civilization, during a news conference in the eastern Dutch city of Assen.

“We are incredibly pleased,” Corien Fahner of the prosecution service told reporters. “It has been a roller-coaster. Especially for Romania, but also for employees of the Drents Museum.”

The helmet was on display at the small museum in January 2025, the last weekend of a six-month-long exhibition, when thieves broke in and grabbed it, along with three golden wristbands.

There were fears the helmet may have been melted down because its fame and dramatic studded appearance made it virtually unsellable.

Two of three missing armbands were also recovered as part of a deal prosecutors reached with three men arrested for the heist shortly after it occurred. Their trial will begin later in April.

Fahner said the search for the remaining armband would continue.

The helmet did not return unscathed.

“The helmet is slightly dented, but there will be no permanent damage,” Drents Museum director Robert van Langh said during the news conference. “The armbands are in perfect condition.”

Thieves used a homemade firework bomb and sledgehammer to break into the museum. Grainy security video distributed by police after the raid appeared to show three people opening a museum door with a large crowbar, followed by an explosion.

The theft put a strain on relations between the Netherlands and Romania

Romanian Justice Minister Radu Marinescu last year called the incident a “crime against our state” and said recovering the artifacts “is an absolute priority.”

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Associated Press writers Molly Quell and Mike Corder contributed from The Hague, Netherlands.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Dallas declined to name the victims and an FBI affidavit attached to a criminal complaint only refers to them by their initials. One victim, R.D., is described as the owner of 1017 Records, the label belonging to Gucci Mane, whose legal name is Radric Delantic Davis.

“The victims in this case came to Dallas to conduct legitimate business and they were met with firearms and violence,” Ryan Raybould, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, where the complaint was filed, said at a news conference Thursday.

Publicists for Gucci Mane didn’t immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

The alleged confrontation happened Jan. 10 after the three victims flew to Dallas for what they thought was a business meeting at a music studio, according to the affidavit. Prosecutors said Pooh Shiesty, whose legal is name Lontrell Williams Jr., arranged the meeting, allegedly to discuss the terms of his contract with 1017 Records.

“Once these three men were inside the recording studio, Williams Jr. and eight co-conspirators — several of whom traveled from Memphis, Tennessee — executed a coordinated, armed takeover,” said Raybould, who described Pooh Shiesty as the “ringleader."

Raybould said eight of the nine were arrested Wednesday. In Tennessee, the FBI in Memphis said Wednesday that it went to a home in the suburb of Cordova to serve court-approved warrants. Property records show it is owned by Pooh Shiesty.

Raybould described the three victims as music industry professionals. In the affidavit, the other two victims are referred to by the initials M.M. and B.P.

The affidavit said that Pooh Shiesty had asked to speak with the record label owner privately in a recording room. The label owner then entered the room with Pooh Shiesty, Pooh Shiesty's father and rapper Big30, whose legal name is Rodney Wright. Both Lontrell Williams Sr. and Wright are also defendants.

Pooh Shiesty produced contract termination paperwork and told the label owner to sign. They argued and Pooh Shiesty pulled what appeared to be an AK-style pistol and forced him to sign. Pooh Shiesty then took the man's wedding ring, watch, earrings and cash, the affidavit said.

When they left the room, the other defendants produced firearms and demanded property from the other two victims, the affidavit said, and the man referred to as M.M. was choked to near unconsciousness.

The affidavit said Wright blocked the studio door with his body to prevent the victims from leaving.

Messages to Wright and his label were not immediately returned Thursday. Contact information for Lontrell Williams Sr. could not immediately be found. A number listed for him was not in service. The number listed for the house in Cordova was also not in service.

Pooh Shiesty didn’t immediately return an emailed request for comment. At the time of the alleged confrontation in Texas, he was on home confinement for a prior firearms conspiracy conviction out of Florida and was required to wear an electronic monitoring device, prosecutors said.

Investigators used data from the device, plus surveillance videos, cell phone records and images posted on social media, as part of their probe, the affidavit said.

Bradford Cohen, an attorney for Pooh Shiesty in that firearms case, did not immediately reply to an email and phone call for comment.

Gucci Mane is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta rappers T.I. and Jeezy. He emerged in the mid-2000s with his breakout single “Icy” and went on to build a vast catalog. He has also helped launch or develop artists including Young Thug and earned a Grammy nomination for his appearing on Lizzo’s song “Exactly How I Feel.”

Gucci Maine's career has also been marked by legal troubles and personal struggles. In the 2000s and early 2010s, he faced multiple arrests on charges including drug possession, assault and probation violations. In 2014, he was sentenced in a federal firearms case and was released from prison in 2016.

His 2017 memoir, “The Autobiography of Gucci Mane,” reflects on his evolution as a music artist and personal struggles such as being diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In recent years, he has publicly emphasized sobriety and stability.

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This story has been corrected to show that details came from an affidavit attached to a criminal complaint, not an indictment.

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Associated Press reporters Adrian Sainz in Memphis and Jonathan Landrum Jr. in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

“I’m going along very nicely and then I might just throw something at you,” the three-time Grammy Award-winner warns from his home in Williamsburg, Virginia. “I’m well aware that a whole lot of my old-time fans just hate that.”

“Indigo Park,” a 10-song set that arrives Friday, is a concept album of sorts as Hornsby mulls over his childhood and where he's come from. To borrow a line from one song, it's “one life in reflection.”

The album — which features appearances from Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig, Bonnie Raitt and Bob Weir, his late Grateful Dead bandmate — is a darkly comic collection that handles memories with soulfulness — and some quirks.

Hornsby, who came out of the gates swinging with the socially conscious hit “The Way It Is” in 1986, knows which songs may trip up the average listener these days — Nos. 3, 6 and 9, which would be “Entropy Here (Rust in Peace),” “Alabama” and “Might As Well Be Me, Florinda.” They're, in a word, challenging, with dissonant and complex time signatures.

“Look, I love simple music. There’s simple songs on this,” he says. “But I also love complexity. And I’m interested sometimes in making a sound I haven’t heard before.”

Challenging lyrics and sounds

“Indigo Park” captures Hornsby’s restless musical creativity and love of language. Not many pop albums these days causally drop the words “priapic” or “tumescent” or make reference to math’s Fibonacci sequence.

“This is just a window into my goofy world,” he says, explaining that the Hornsby household loves funny words and a bit of wordplay, with maybe dad telling one of his sons he’s looking “a bit concupiscent, pal.”

Hornsby calls himself an “inveterate reader” and many of his songs have been inspired by literary fiction, like 2019’s “White Noise” which was a nod to David Foster Wallace’s novel “The Pale King.” “I guess you could really just call me, simply in one word, a snob.”

On one new song, “Silhouette Shadows,” Hornsby references learning about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy over the school intercom. He was a third grader in a small, conservative Southern town, and suddenly, his classmates started celebrating, hoping Richard Nixon might take over.

“I was really alarmed and confused/Watching the children parroting parent’s views,” Hornsby sings. “Ancient scenes and cryptic dreams.”

The song’s music was inspired by a fugue by classical composer Dmitri Shostakovich that he had written for a Spike Lee project, but the filmmaker never used it. So Hornsby took it back: “That was me trying to make a sound I hadn’t heard before.”

‘Nooks and crannies’

Another song — “Ecstatic,” which features Bonnie Raitt on vocals — sounds like light-hearted playground banter, and it sort of is. It comes from the basketball chants Hornsby heard from parents as his older son, Keith, competed on the basketball court for Louisiana State University.

“You fouled, you did it, raise your hand admit it/That’s right, you fouled, you did it, raise your hand admit it,” go the lyrics. “That’s right, you walked, you traveled and got caught.”

“Indigo Park” marks the fifth-straight album Hornsby has tapped guitarist Gibb Droll and the musician says it gives listeners a peek into the inner life of the singer-songwriter.

“It’s more personal. I think his fans will feel like they’re getting a glimpse of the man and what he thinks about,” says Droll, who plays on five tracks.

As for the weirder songs, the guitarist says that's part of the Hornsby experience. “I don’t know of anyone that has continued to push the boundaries the way he does,” Droll says.

“If it’s truly art, it should challenge you at some point. The listener should be challenged to feel ‘Do I like this? I don’t know. Oh my God, I think I love it.’ And then by the eighth time, hopefully, you’re looking forward to those little weird nooks and crannies.” Droll says.

Hornsby, who plays accordion, dulcimer and piano on the collection, picked an Edward Hopper print — “Night Shadows,” a copy of which he owns — as the album cover. It depicts a man alone on a dark street.

“I thought, well, this could be called my aging record. When you’re about gone or ready to be gone you realize you’re alone, man,” he says. “I see this lone guy walking around. I thought that’s me right now. It spoke to me in that way. So, I used it.”

“Indigo Park” comes 40 years after the single and album “The Way It Is,” Hornsby's debut. In the years since, he has been impossible to categorize, having songs scattered across country, adult contemporary, rock, jazz, bluegrass and folk charts. He's played with the Grateful Dead and everyone from Bob Dylan to Chaka Khan.

He laughs that the songs hold up from that early time, but he might fire the frontman. “I’m not a fan of that singer. I guess I’d call myself a slow learner in that way. It’s gotten better through the years, at least to me.”

Steinfeld announced Thursday in her newsletter that their daughter has been born without sharing any further specifics on the date or the baby's name.

“We’re feeling incredibly grateful and blessed and savouring these early moments. Thank you so much for the love and well wishes,” Steinfeld wrote. “Love, Hailee and Josh.”

Steinfeld is coming off a year in which she earned acclaim for her role in the movie “Sinners." She married Allen last May and announced in the same newsletter in December that they were expecting their first child.

Allen, the 2024 NFL MVP, had surgery after Buffalo lost to Denver in overtime in the AFC divisional playoffs. He is no longer wearing a protective boot on his right foot after breaking a bone during a game in Week 16 and is expected to be ready when the Bills start their offseason program.

The Bills posted a photo of Allen giving a thumbs-up, captioned: “Girl dad.”

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

Hundreds in the publishing community and beyond are expected to gather May 14 for the free expression organization's signature fundraising event. Novak is known for his role as Ryan Howard on “The Office” and for such bestsellers as “One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories” and “The Book with No Pictures.”

“His exceptional and wide-ranging artistry on screen, on the page, and in writing rooms makes him ideal to celebrate the written word and free expression at a moment when governments want to censor and deny both at alarming levels,” PEN America co-CEO Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf said in a statement released Thursday.

Honorees will include author-bookseller Ann Patchett and film producer Jason Blum.

Heather Morris' “The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse” will be released Oct. 20, Blackstone Publishing announced Thursday. The novel centers on a Jewish girl, Josephine, whose family faces arrest by the Nazis, and on her piano instructor, Andrée, a member of the French Resistance who attempts to hide her.

“I am humbled to be re-imagining the lives of Andrée and Josephine: a powerful story of the courage, strength and resilience of ordinary people in extraordinary times,” Morris said in a statement.

“The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” her first book, was published in 2018 and sold millions of copies despite criticism from some scholars over the accuracy of its historical details. Through a 2024 television adaptation, Morris met Talve, who worked on the score along with Hans Zimmer. The character of Josephine is based on Talve's grandmother; the composer inherited her piano and used it for “The Tattooist of Auschwitz.”

Morris' other books include “Cilka’s Journey” and “Three Sisters.”

By Sunday, Universal Pictures expects the five-day opening of the “Super Mario” sequel to reach $186 million domestically, and around $350 million worldwide. That would make it easily the biggest hit of the year, surpassing a pair of successes that also launched with young moviegoers in mind: Pixar’s “Hoppers” ($297 million worldwide) and Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary” ($300.8 million).

It’s not the start of a new trend but the culmination of one. In 2024, PG-rated movies outgrossed any other rating for the first time in decades, with $3.18 billion in domestic ticket sales according to Comscore. Five of the top six movies worldwide were PG movies: “Inside Out 2,” “Moana 2,” “Despicable Me 4,” “Wicked” and “Mufasa: The Lion King.”

Last year was no different. PG-rated films amassed $2.96 billion, again besting the longtime leader, PG-13. The top draws globally were “Ne Zha 2,” “Zootopia 2,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “A Minecraft Movie” and the PG-13-rated but not exactly kid-adverse “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”

Good news has been hard to come by in Hollywood. Contraction, most recently with Paramount Skydance’s planned purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, has added to the anxieties of an already jittery industry. While ticket sales are up so far in 2026, they remain more than 20% below pre-pandemic levels. In February, AMC, the nation’s largest exhibitor, said it would continue to shutter underperforming theaters.

But despite a lot of talk about the imperiled future of moviegoing, future moviegoers — kids — are turning out in droves.

“There’s a recognition that this is an increasingly important group of movie fans and we’re doing everything we can to make sure their experience is wonderful,” says Michael O’Leary, president and chief executive of Cinema United, the trade group for theater owners.

Gen Alpha, those aged 12 or younger, may even be the movies’ best hope. A study last year by the National Research Group found that no generational group wanted to watch movies on the big screen, as opposed to at home, more than Gen Alpha.

“We’re emboldened by some of the research that indicates younger folks are the fastest growing demographic of people going to the movies,” O’Leary says. “We’re very much focused on the fact that we have to build the next generation of movie fans.”

Mario, Minions and more

In 2023, “The Super Mario Movie,” part of Universal’s collaboration with Nintendo and “Minions”-maker Illumination, grossed $1.36 billion. Its sequel is likely to get close to that, and add to a mounting string of $1 billion kids movies. The most recent was The Walt Disney Co.’s “Zootopia 2,” which became the highest-grossing Hollywood animated film of all time with a whopping $1.87 billion.

Increasingly, a generation that grew up with smartphones, iPads and Netflix is propelling today’s biggest blockbusters.

“What’s been true for a long time and is maybe even truer today: Families want to be out,” says Jim Orr, distribution chief for Universal, which recently announced the expansion of its exclusive theatrical window from three weekends to five. “They want to do things. They want to make memories.”

“No one talks about: Remember that great time when we sat on the couch?”

And this year may be the most kid-catered year at the movies yet. There are 26 wide-release PG movies slated for 2026, up from 24 in 2025 and 18 in 2024.

That includes a summer lineup that’s family friendly on a nearly week-to-week basis. Potential blockbusters lined up include “Toy Story 5” (June 19), “Minions & Monsters” (July 1) and the live-action “Moana” (July 10). Though currently unrated, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” (May 22) and “Supergirl” (June 26), not to mention “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (July 31), will all also target young moviegoers.

A PG comeback

The PG surge comes several years after most family movies detoured to streaming during the pandemic, a shift that some, at the time, feared would become permanent.

“The family film has literally come back from near-extinction,” says Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Comscore. “The one genre that really took a major hit with the pandemic was the family film.”

But kids increasingly count among a key category for theaters: the habitual moviegoer. That’s considered going to six or more movies a year. And it’s not just younger kids. Last year, 41% of Gen Z moviegoers went to the movies at least six times, according to NRG, up from 31% two years earlier.

For cinephiles who have long feared movie theaters effectively turning into mini theme parks, the predominance of kid-oriented franchise blockbusters is unlikely to allay those concerns. Mid-budget, adult releases are increasingly rare. Dramas and comedies have struggled to attract audiences. Family-friendly movies occupying a bigger slice of cinemas is partially because adult moviegoing has waned.

But if older moviegoers are harder to coax away from the couch, families have been more eager. For them, the appeal of getting out of the house, despite rising ticket costs or the options on streaming services, is as strong as ever.

“In many instances, they’re going to the theater to get away from all of the other screens that inhabit their lives,” says O’Leary. “When I was a kid, you went to the movies, in part, to escape from something. So it’s a new variation on that old theme.”

Dergarabedian has taken to calling PG the new PG-13. If slightly adult-leaning movies once occupied the center of the multiplex, that territory now belongs to the PG movie.

“The kids that are going to the movies today are going to take their kids tomorrow,” Dergarabedian says. “As long as people keep making kids, the future of the movie theater experience is assured.”

Look no further than the Iran war. Since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, researchers have identified an unprecedented number of false and misleading images that were generated using artificial intelligence and have reached countless people around the world. Among them, fake footage of bombings that never happened, images of soldiers who were supposedly captured and propaganda videos created by Iran that depict President Donald Trump and others as blocky, Lego-like miniatures.

Thursday, the 10th annual International Fact-Checking Day, provides a good opportunity to look at these evolving challenges.

Misinformation created with AI is being shared with unprecedented speed from an endless number of sources. From the outset of the Iran war, accounts from all sides of the conflict promoted such content.

The Institute for Strategic Dialogue, which tracks disinformation and online extremism, has been examining social media posts around the Iran war. Among their findings was a group of X accounts that regularly post AI-generated content and collectively gained more than 1 billion views since the conflict began. This was done by roughly two dozen accounts, many of which had blue check verification.

Here are some tips for distinguishing AI-generated content from reality in an online world where that continues to get harder.

Look for visual cues

When AI-generated images first began spreading widely online, there were often obvious tells that could identify them as fabricated. Perhaps a person had too few — or too many — fingers or their voice was out of sync with their mouth. Text may have been nonsensical. Objects were frequently distorted or missing key components. As the technology continues to evolve, these clues aren’t as common as they once were, but it’s still worth looking for them. Watch for inconsistencies such as a car that is in a video one moment and gone the next or actions that aren’t possible according to the laws of physics. Some images may also be overly polished or have an unnatural sheen.

Seek out a source

AI-generated images get shared over and over again. One way to determine their authenticity (or lack thereof) is to hunt for their origin. Using a reverse image search is a simple way to do this. If you’re looking at a video, take a screenshot first. This can lead to a social media account that specifically generates AI content, an older image that is being misrepresented, or something entirely unexpected.

Listen to the experts

Look for multiple verified sources that can help authenticate the image. For example, that can mean a fact-check from a reputable media outlet, a statement from a public figure, or a social media post from a misinformation expert. These sources may have more advanced techniques for identifying AI-generated content or access to information about the image that is not accessible by the general public.

Make use of technology

There are many AI detection tools that can be a helpful place to start. But be wary, as they are not always correct in their assessments. Images that have been generated or altered with AI using Google’s Gemini app include an invisible digital watermarking tool called SynthID, which the app can detect. Other AI creation tools have added visible watermarks to content they generate. They are often easy to remove though, meaning the absence of such a watermark is not proof that an image is genuine.

Slow down

Sometimes it’s just about going back to basics. Stop, take a breath and don’t immediately share something you don’t know is real. Bad actors are often counting on the fact that people let their emotions and existing viewpoints guide their reactions to content. Looking at the comments may provide clues about whether the image you’re looking at is real or not. Another user might have noticed something you didn’t or been able to find the original source. Ultimately though, it’s not always possible to determine with 100% accuracy whether an image is AI-generated so remain alert to the possibility it might not be real.

See something that looks false or misleading? Email us at FactCheck@ap.org.

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Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck.

The crash happened just before noon Tuesday when a northbound electric vehicle struck the Bedford Toll Plaza and caught fire, New Hampshire State Police said. Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte and her security detail came upon the crash soon after, and a trooper and two others pulled Mirman from the burning car through a window, said State Police Col. Mark Hall. The governor, who left her vehicle and retrieved a fire extinguisher, was not in any danger, he said.

“Eugene was in a very scary car accident,” Mirman's agent Jay Glassner confirmed in a statement Wednesday. “He wants to thank the bystanders, state police, first responders and hospital staff who saved him. He is grateful to be on the mend. At this time, we kindly ask for privacy for Eugene and his family as he focuses on recovering from his injuries.”

Hall called the actions of the rescuers “heroic.”

“Without hesitation, they put themselves in danger to render aid to someone who was in need of it,” Hall said.

State police identified the driver as Yevgeny Mirman, 51, of Massachusetts. Mirman, who was born in Moscow and grew up in Massachusetts, is known for voicing musical middle child Gene Belcher in more than 300 episodes of the animated comedy “Bob’s Burgers” and its movie, in addition to roles on “Flight of the Conchords,” “Delocated” and “Archer.”

Ayotte said she and her husband were praying for the driver’s recovery.

“I want to thank the Trooper on my security detail and the bystanders who stepped up to help at the scene of the crash for their brave lifesaving efforts,” she said in a statement.

The crash remains under investigation. No charges have been filed.

Videos and photos posted by the tabloid website showing lawmakers in airports, Las Vegas and even Disney World have racked up millions of views and led to a growing backlash. With travel disruptions persisting and some federal workers going without pay, pressure is mounting on Congress to cut short its regularly scheduled recess.

Beyond TMZ, President Donald Trump also wants lawmakers to come back, even hinting he might invoke rarely used powers to call Congress into session.

On Wednesday, he directed them to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, and House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune issued a joint statement saying they would work together in the coming days to do that.

The basic framework would be similar to a bipartisan funding deal previously passed by the Senate and rejected by the House last week. But even if the bill once again quickly clears the Senate, its path through the House could be complicated and potentially require members to return to Washington.

On recess — and on camera

As lawmakers headed out of Washington last week, the celebrity-gossip outlet TMZ put out a call.

“TMZ is on the hunt for photos of politicians on vacay as TSA officers suffer!” the outlet said in a social media post.

The focus from TMZ, an outlet known more for capturing unflattering footage of celebrities than for digging into the nuances of federal policy, was the latest example of how politics is being fueled by viral images and populist sentiment.

Videos quickly followed, showing senators moving through airports — often attempting to shield themselves from cameras — with provocative headlines layered on top. The clips racked up millions of views.

The outlet didn’t stop there. Photos of lawmakers on vacation soon followed, including viral images of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., at Disney World, with captions such as: “Lindsey Graham lives it up at Disney World during the partial government shutdown!”

Graham said that he had been in Florida for a meeting with Trump administration officials and had made a stop at Disney World with a friend. He also blamed Democrats for the shutdown.

Another widely shared post showed Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., in Las Vegas.

“Actually I don’t mind what TMZ is doing here,” Garcia posted in response, adding that he was visiting his father. “Like I said a few days ago, Speaker Mike Johnson should have never sent us all home.”

The effort grew out of frustration, said TMZ executive producer Harvey Levin, after the outlet interviewed a TSA worker struggling due to missed paychecks during the shutdown.

“It outraged us so much we wanted to use our platforms to show how Congress — Dems AND Republicans — have betrayed us,” Levin said in a statement.

He added that lawmakers shouldn’t expect the coverage to end anytime soon.

“Several months ago we decided to amp up our presence and our voice,” Levin said. “We now have a producer and a photog circulating in the Capitol, showing the intersection between politics and pop culture.”

Beyond the internet, pressure has also ramped up from the White House. Trump spoke with Thune on Sunday and Monday, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said he has urged leadership to cancel recess “repeatedly.”

“He’ll host a big Easter dinner here at the White House if Congress will come back,” she added.

Unions are also added to that pressure.

“To leave Washington while tens of thousands of workers are going without pay shows a clear lack of respect for the essential employees tasked with keeping our nation safe,” said Hydrick Thomas, president of the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100.

Although vacation snapshots have stirred outrage, recess is also an opportunity for lawmakers to reconnect with constituents back home. Some hold town hall events. Others go on trips abroad, such as joining a delegation to Taiwan.

GOP leaders say they will pursue end to shutdown in ‘coming days’

The joint statement from Thune and Johnson came in the face of the enormous pressure that had built, after the two leaders had appeared to be on separate pages.

“In the coming days, Republicans in the Senate and House will be following through on the President’s directive by fully funding the entire Department of Homeland Security on two parallel tracks,” they said.

The plan relies on funding most of the department through an agreement with Democratic senators, while leaving out money for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol. Republicans would try later to fund those agencies through party-line budgeting legislation.

Thune and Johnson hope the path ahead will win over skeptical Republicans, especially since Trump himself has given his support for the emerging strategy.

Trump on Wednesday appeared to endorse that approach, saying on social media that Republicans were “going forward” to fund ICE and Border Patrol without Democratic votes. He set a June 1 deadline for Congress to act.

But the most conservate GOP lawmakers are still likely to demand full funding for all of Trump’s immigration and deportation operations, likely setting up the House for an early return to Washington.

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Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

Maren Wade says in the trademark infringement lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in California that the branding of Swift's 2025 album comes too close to her own trademark of “Confessions of a Showgirl.” That was the name of a column she wrote on backstage Sin City life in the Las Vegas Weekly starting in 2014, which she turned into a live show that she took on a national tour.

“Both share the same structure, the same dominant phrase, and the same overall commercial impression,” the lawsuit says. “Both are used in overlapping markets and are directed at the same consumers.”

Wade is described as a “singer, songwriter, comedian, and writer” in the lawsuit filed under her legal name, Maren Flagg, and her “Showgirl” brand encompasses performances, writing and digital media.

“The Life of a Showgirl,” the stadium-packing superstar's 12th studio album, released in October, sold 4 million copies in its first week. Its cover features her in Las Vegas cabaret garb, submerged in water with her current favorite color scheme of orange and mint green. On Tuesday, the morning after the lawsuit was filed, Swift dropped the newest video for the album for the album's track “Elizabeth Taylor,” featuring archival footage of the Hollywood luminary who died in 2011.

Wade appeared to embrace Swift’s use of the showgirl image initially, sharing Instagram posts that used Swift's music, hashtags related to the album, and the mint green color scheme. But Wade's social media presence has gone silent in recent months.

Also named as defendants in the lawsuit are the company that manages Swift’s trademarks, her record label and its merchandising arm.

The lawsuit says the album, its promotion and the products surrounding it caused “textbook reverse confusion: a junior user's overwhelming commercial presence drowns out the senior user’s mark, until consumers begin to assume that the original is the imitation. What Plaintiff had built over twelve years, Defendants threatened to swallow in weeks.”

A representative for Swift declined comment on the lawsuit.

Wade and her attorney say that the existence and trademark of “Confessions of a Showgirl” would not have escaped the notice of Swift's team.

The lawsuit says the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office declined to grant a trademark registration to “Life of a Showgirl” over potential confusion with the existing trademark.

“Defendants were therefore placed on actual notice that their chosen designation was likely to be confused with a mark that already belonged to someone,” the lawsuit says. “They continued using it anyway.”

A letter issued by the office in early March says the application was suspended due to potential confusion with another pending trademark filed earlier, for “Showgirl,” by a third party and pertaining to perfume. It also cited a “Likelihood of Confusion Refusal” based on the existing “Confessions” trademark.

The lawsuit seeks an injunction permanently barring Swift and her companies from using the “Life of a Showgirl” name and imagery, and monetary damages to be determined at trial, including profits attributable to the use of the brand.

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This story, initially published March 31, 2026, was updated on April 1 to clarify that the lawsuit hinged on the wording of the trademark application for “The Life of the Showgirl.”

An understudy stepped in Tuesday night for the rapper and the show continued. According to her spokesperson, doctors identified extreme exhaustion, dehydration, vasoconstriction and low metabolic levels as the cause of her symptoms. She was discharged and was resting.

The Grammy Award-winning rapper wrote on Instagram that she would take off Wednesday's matinee and evening performances to rest and recuperate. “I’ll be right back on that stage Thursday, stronger, clearer, and ready to give you 100% the way you deserve,” she wrote.

“Last night was a real wake-up call for me. I’ve been pushing myself past my limits lately, running on empty, and my body finally said enough. It honestly scared me. I thought I was gonna faint on stage, I really tried to push through my performance but I just couldn’t,” she wrote.

Megan Thee Stallion made her Broadway debut last week as nightclub impresario Harold Zidler in the show at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, and was expected to conclude her run on May 17. Others who have played the part of Zidler include Boy George, Wayne Brady, Tituss Burgess and Bob the Drag Queen.

“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” is slated to close July 26 after a seven-year run. The show is about the goings-on in a turn-of-the-century Parisian nightclub, updated with tunes like “Single Ladies” and “Firework” alongside the big hit “Lady Marmalade.”

He's the star, co-creator and an executive producer of CBS and Paramount+'s “Fire Country” and a co-creator and executive producer of the spinoff freshman drama “Sheriff Country,” which both rule Friday nights as the No. 1 and No. 2 top-rated shows.

“It still feels a little surreal, for sure,” he says. “I didn’t feel like I was as smart as a lot of other writers, but the thing that I also realized early on is the biggest thing is you just need to connect with people. If you can move people, then you have them.”

“Fire Country” — the most watched freshman show of the 2022-23 season and now in its fourth season — and “Sheriff Country” are both set in the fictional California town of Edgewater, a rural community where everyone knows everyone else's business.

Both marry things like office love triangles with plenty of heart-thumping action — knocking down canopy fires on “Fire Country” or solving a kidnapping tied to synthetic weed for the folks on “Sheriff Country,” led by actor Morena Baccarin.

“That’s what these shows are — they’re grounded human stories centered in this small, rural community where life is complex, things aren’t black and white, and I think that’s relatable to a lot of people,” says Thieriot.

On Friday, his two shows will have their first crossover event as Edgewater's sheriffs and firefighters team up to search for nine missing teens amid escalating chaos, a two-hour block where actors from both shows mingle.

“I love the episodes and it really plays like one, big, two-part incident,” he says. “It feels very fluid but we get to dive a little bit into the fun, too, like there’s moments of levity and moments of heart and some great intrigue.”

Thieriot knows this place

Thieriot grew up in the Sonoma County town of Occidental, a former logging hub nestled among towering redwoods, and watched many of his friends join the ranks of Cal Fire, California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Thieriot's early acting gigs included “Bates Motel” and “SEAL Team” before he turned to writing. And when he did, he wrote what he knew.

“There’s a lot of things that people go through in their own personal life experiences or places they grew up that really could make for great television,” Thieriot says. “It almost takes somebody else looking at your crazy life to realize, ‘Wait a second, that sounds like a show.’”

Thieriot created the character of Bode Donovan, an inmate given the chance to join Cal Fire in exchange for a shortened prison sentence. Over the seasons, he's faced drug dependency, a return to jail, family strains and heartbreak, in addition to harrowing wildfires.

Thieriot says he was deeply influenced by the show “Friday Night Lights,” which centered on a Texas town where the culture of high school football runs deep: “The thing that I loved about that show was you didn’t have to be a fan of football to like it. You saw how football was something in this community that brought everybody together, how life revolved around it.”

He hopes people tune into his show for the fires but stay for the characters. And with “Fire Country” a hit right out of the gate, Thieriot believed the town he created had more stories to tell. “We get to see one part of Edgewater in ‘Fire Country.’ Let’s bring the viewers the other part of Edgewater.”

Perhaps more than ruling Friday TV nights, Thieriot is proudest of creating jobs with his two shows: “One of the most gratifying things is knowing that between both shows there's like 800 people that are getting paid every two weeks.”

Rural life

Running procedurals for two shows set in a working-class, rural community has its challenges. Unlike in a series set in an urban area, law enforcement and firefighters in Edgewater likely know the victims they race to help.

“There is something different about rolling up on a scene and it’s your friend or your neighbor,” says Joan Rater, who co-created both shows with Thieriot and her husband, Tony Phelan. “You know them as a whole person. And so you’re not going to come with certain assumptions you may come with if you didn’t know them.”

That means the writers need to play a long game — laying the groundwork for future drama by introducing and nurturing characters to weave in and out every week.

Phelan laughs that Thieriot is so plugged into his Northern California community that he always knows a buddy in firefighting or farming or law enforcement whom the writers can turn to for a storyline.

“Max is incredibly generous, but he also has a very clear idea of the story and the tone of the show and what feels true to him,” he says. “I think Max is really dialed into the audience of the show.”

Thieriot hopes the fictional community he's created can help the real nation bridge some of its division. Neighbors in Edgewater might disagree but they've got each other's backs and they need to stay civil because they'll see them again real soon.

“I think it’s important to be reminded that we all live in the same country, we all bleed the same,” he says. “Obviously there’s differences between everybody, but that’s the great thing. It’s understanding those differences that makes us unique and special, not enemies.”

As for whether there's another series in him, don't bet against Thieriot. “My wheels are always turning,” he says, laughing. “I’m doing my best to add as much as I can to these two shows, but I’d be lying if I said if I wasn’t thinking about something else.”

Springsteen kicked off his “Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour” at the packed Target Center with a show that lasted just shy of three hours, with no intermission. He previously honored the city’s residents in song for their courage in standing up against the estimated 3,000 federal officers that President Donald Trump’s administration sent in what it called its largest immigration enforcement action anywhere in the country.

“We are here in celebration and defense of our American ideals," Springsteen said. "Democracy, our Constitution and our sacred American promise, the America that I love, the America that I’ve written about for 50 years, that’s been a beacon of hope and liberty around the world, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless, and treasonous administration.”

The Boss then asked the crowd to join “in choosing hope over fear, democracy over authoritarianism, the rule of law over lawlessness, ethics over unbridled corruption, resistance over complacency, unity over and peace over ... ” before exploding into a thunderous version of “War," a song he has sung since war clouds loomed over the Reagan administration.

After Springsteen and the E Street Band launched into “Born in the U.S.A.” and a few other fan favorites, he stood alone at center stage with just a quiet accompaniment for “Streets of Minneapolis," a song he penned in January amid the nationwide outcry over the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers. Thousands of audience members held their lit-up phones aloft in tribute.

After E Streeters including Steve Van Zandt and Max Weinberg joined in, Springsteen led fans in four chants of the song's signature line, “ICE Out Now,” as the house lights came up.

Springsteen played a solo version of “Streets of Minneapolis" Saturday during the national flagship “No Kings” rally at the state Capitol in St. Paul. On Tuesday night, he repeated his statement: “The solidarity of the people of Minneapolis, of Minnesota, was an inspiration to the entire country.”

“We’ll take our stand for this land/And the stranger in our midst/We’ll remember the names of those who died/On the streets of Minneapolis,” he sang.

Springsteen later delivered a soliloquy lamenting the state of the country and the world, using it as a lead-in to “My City of Ruins.”

There's no love lost between Springsteen and Trump, who have long feuded. During his European tour last year, Springsteen slammed the Trump administration as a “rogue government” of people who have “no concern or idea for what it means to be deeply American.”

Trump, in turn, has called Springsteen a “dried-out prune of a rocker.” In a social media post, the president once wrote, “Never liked him, never liked his music or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he’s not a talented guy — just a pushy, obnoxious JERK,” he wrote on social media.

The lights went violet as Springsteen and the E Streeters performed Prince's “Purple Rain.” Tom Morello delivered a searing rendition of the late Minneapolis-born superstar's concluding guitar solo.

The show ended with Springsteen again honoring Pretti and Good. Before beginning “Chimes of Freedom,” he told the audience:

“This is a tour that was not planned. We’re here tonight because we need to steal your hope and your strength. And we wanted to bring some hope and some strength to you. I hope we did.”

Springsteen told a New York City audience last week, during a 30th anniversary celebration for the independent news program “Democracy Now!,” that his tour will head next to Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles, “two other cities where they had to deal with ICE, ICE’s terror.” It ends May 27 in Washington, D.C., where he said he’ll have a few choice words for the White House.

Becky Stunc, 75, came to Minneapolis from Sandpoint, Idaho. “I really want to make my voice known for what Bruce represents,” she said. "And our country.”

Stunc said she found “Streets of Minneapolis" especially moving, with its reference to the spots where Good and Pretti fell as “where mercy should have stood.”

Peter Somers, 46, of Rochester, Minnesota, brought his 11-year-old son, Jack, saying he was glad that Springsteen was "standing up with people for America and democracy.”

“He’s a legend,” Somers said. “And it’s Jack’s first concert ever. What better first concert to ever have than Springsteen?”

Trump made the short trip from the White House just after signing an executive order to create a nationwide list of verified eligible voters and to restrict mail-in voting, a move that drew swift legal threats from state Democratic officials.

The president watched the performance alongside his wife, first lady Melania Trump. As the couple entered, some in the crowd booed, but they were drowned out by even louder cheers from the rest of the crowd.

It was the Trumps' first time together at the Kennedy Center since the premiere of the documentary “Melania” in January. The Republican president also attended the opening-night performance of “Les Misérables” last summer, where he was both booed and cheered.

Some of those arriving for the show before Trump didn't know he was planning to be there, despite the extra layers of security. Others said they got a voicemail or email about a special guest being in attendance, but were still surprised to learn it was Trump.

Bobi Jo Swartz, 38, an EMT and paramedic firefighter from the Harpers Ferry area in West Virginia, said she was “definitely shocked” to pull up and see security that included bomb-sniffing dogs checking vehicles. But she also said she “kind of figured” it was either Trump or Vice President JD Vance seeing the show.

“I love it," Swartz said. "I'm glad that he's a part of it.”

“Chicago,” a scathing satire set in the 1920s about how show business and the media make celebrities out of criminals, will run at the Kennedy Center Opera House through April 5. The center will award the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to comedian Bill Maher on June 28, an event Trump could also attend.

Since returning to office in January 2025, the Republican president has wielded tremendous influence over the venue, ousting its previous leadership and replacing it with a handpicked board of trustees that named him chairman.

The board added Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center and approved the two-year closure, which followed a wave of cancellations by leading performers, musicians and groups upset that Trump had taken over the storied institution. Both the name change and the planned closure have prompted legal proceedings that are ongoing.

Swartz said she wasn't aware that the center would soon be closing, but called the prospect of remodeling “awesome.”

“Good for them,” she said.

Presidents are known for their ability to multitask, but Trump's attendance at Tuesday's opening night show comes after the White House suggested that the war in Iran and other major matters kept him from attending the Conservative Political Action Conference in suburban Dallas over the weekend.

Trump was a fixture at past CPAC gatherings, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said he still “loves” the event and “has a very good relationship with the great people who run it.”

“It was just simply for scheduling purposes this year, with it being in Texas, it was best for the president’s schedule and what he has on his plate right now not to go," she said during her briefing with reporters on Monday.

Trump instead spent the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and went to his golf club on Saturday and Sunday.

The operational impact of U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss' decision was not immediately clear — both because it will likely be appealed and because too much damage to the public-broadcasting system has already been done, both by the president and Congress.

Moss ruled that President Donald Trump’s executive order to cease funding for NPR and PBS is unlawful and unenforceable. The judge said the First Amendment right to free speech “does not tolerate viewpoint discrimination and retaliation of this type.”

“It is difficult to conceive of clearer evidence that a government action is targeted at viewpoints that the President does not like and seeks to squelch,” wrote Moss, who was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama, a Democrat.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said Moss' decision is “a ridiculous ruling by an activist judge attempting to undermine the law.”

“NPR and PBS have no right to receive taxpayer funds, and Congress already voted to defund them. The Trump Administration looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue,” Jackson said in a statement.

PBS, with programming ranging from “Sesame Street” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” to Ken Burns’ documentaries, has been operating for more than half a century. NPR has news programming from “All Things Considered” and cultural shows like the “Tiny Desk” concerts. For decades, the fates of both systems have been part of a philosophical debate over whether government should help fund their operations.

Punishment for 'past speech’ cited in decision

The judge noted that Trump’s executive order simply directs that all federal agencies “cut off any and all funding” to NPR, which is based in Washington, and PBS, based in Arlington, Virginia.

“The Federal Defendants fail to cite a single case in which a court has ever upheld a statute or executive action that bars a particular person or entity from participating in any federally funded activity based on that person or entity’s past speech,” the judge wrote.

Last year, Trump, a Republican, said at a news conference he would “love to” defund NPR and PBS because he believes they’re biased in favor of Democrats.

“The message is clear: NPR and PBS need not apply for any federal benefit because the President disapproves of their ‘left wing’ coverage of the news,” Moss wrote.

NPR accused the Corporation for Public Broadcasting of violating its First Amendment free speech rights when it moved to cut off its access to grant money appropriated by Congress. NPR also claims Trump wants to punish it for the content of its journalism.

“Public media exists to serve the public interest — that of Americans — not that of any political agenda or elected official,” said Katherine Maher, NPR’s president and CEO. She called the decision a decisive affirmation of the rights of a free and independent press.

PBS chief Paula Kerger said she was thrilled with the decision. The executive order, she said, is “textbook” unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination and retaliation. “At PBS, we will continue to do what we’ve always done: serve our mission to educate and inspire all Americans as the nation’s most trusted media institution.”

Last August, CPB announced it would take steps toward closing itself down after being defunded by Congress.

A victory, though incremental, for press freedom

Plaintiffs’ attorney Theodore Boutrous said Tuesday's ruling is “a victory for the First Amendment and for freedom of the press.”

“As the Court expressly recognized, the First Amendment draws a line, which the government may not cross, at efforts to use government power — including the power of the purse — ‘to punish or suppress disfavored expression’ by others,” Boutrous said in a statement. “The Executive Order crossed that line.”

The judge agreed with government attorneys that some of the news outlets’ legal claims are moot, partly because the CPB no longer exists.

“But that does not end the matter because the Executive Order sweeps beyond the CPB,” Moss added. “It also directs that all federal agencies refrain from funding NPR and PBS — regardless of the nature of the program or the merits of their applications or requests for funding.”

NPR and three public radio stations sued administration officials last May. While Trump was named as a defendant, the case did not include Congress — and the legislative body has played a large role in the public-broadcasting saga in the past year.

Trump’s executive order immediately cut millions of dollars in funding from the Education Department to PBS for its children’s programming, forcing the system to lay off one-third of the PBS Kids staff. The Trump order didn’t impact Congress’ vote to eliminate the overall federal appropriations for PBS and NPR, which forced the closure of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the entity that funneled that money to the TV and radio networks.

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AP Media Writer David Bauder and AP writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.