In a statement released on X, the office said it takes the allegations seriously and will evaluate the concerns once it receives the contract tied to the project.

Statement from the Office of Houston City Controller Chris Hollins in response to claims regarding Mayor’s $60,000 podcast. pic.twitter.com/ORW48vURhL

— Controller (@HOUController) April 28, 2026

Officials say they have not yet been provided with the contract. Once it is received, the controller’s office plans to review documents, interview relevant individuals, and share conclusions based on the evidence.

The podcast, titled “901 Bagby: Inside the Mayor’s Office,” launched in March and features the mayor discussing city issues and hosting guests.

According to the city, the podcast is intended to serve as another communication channel, similar to social media and press releases, to keep the public informed and engaged.

City officials also say the procurement process followed existing ordinances and guidelines, and that the podcast does not qualify as campaign communication.

Here are the facts about the City’s podcast.

901 Bagby: Inside The Mayor's Office is another communications channel the City is utilizing to keep the public informed and engaged. It serves the same purpose as social media, press releases, and other public forms of…

— City of Houston (@HoustonTX) April 28, 2026

They note the Texas Ethics Commission defines campaign communications as “express advocacy,” and say the podcast does not promote candidates or measures.

The hearing before the House Armed Services Committee is being held to discuss the administration's 2027 military budget proposal, which would boost defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion. Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, are expected to stress the need for more drones, missile defense systems and warships.

Democrats are likely to pivot to the ballooning costs of the war, huge drawdown of critical U.S. munitions and bombing of a school that killed children. Some lawmakers also may question how prepared the military was to shoot down swarms of Iranian drones, some of which penetrated U.S. defenses and killed or injured American troops.

While a fragile ceasefire is now in place, the U.S. and Israel launched the war Feb. 28 without congressional oversight. House and Senate Democrats have failed to pass multiple war power resolutions that would have required President Donald Trump to halt the conflict until Congress authorizes further action.

Republicans have said they will keep faith in Trump’s wartime leadership, for now, citing Iran’s nuclear program, the potential for talks to resume and the high stakes of withdrawal. Still, GOP lawmakers are eager for the conflict to end, and some are eyeing future votes that could become an important test for the president if the war drags on.

Iran's closing of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor for the world's oil, has sent fuel prices skyrocketing and posed problems for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. The U.S. has responded with a Navy blockade of Iranian shipping and further built up its military forces in the region — with three aircraft carriers in the Middle East for the first time in more than 20 years.

The countries appear locked in a stalemate, with Trump unlikely to accept Tehran's latest offer to reopen the strait if the U.S. ends the war, lifts its sea blockade and postpones nuclear talks.

Hegseth has avoided public questioning from lawmakers about the war, although he and Caine have held televised Pentagon briefings. Hegseth has mostly taken questions from conservative journalists, while citing Bible passages to castigate mainstream outlets.

The defense secretary will face a much different dynamic Wednesday as well as on Thursday, when he and Caine also are set to face the Senate Armed Services Committee. Lawmakers' questions are likely to go beyond the budget and even the war to Hegseth's ousting of top military leaders.

Besides Navy Secretary John Phelan's departure last week, Hegseth recently ousted the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George, as well as several other top generals, admirals and defense leaders.

“Tell us why. You know these are important positions. We are in a war posture with Iran,” said North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican.

Tillis, who was a crucial vote to confirming the defense secretary, added that Hegseth’s management of the Pentagon had caused him to have second thoughts on his support.

“He may be able to clean it up, but on its face, you don’t go through the number of highly reputable, senior-level officials, admirals and generals,” Tillis added.

Rep. Austin Scott, a Georgia Republican, condemned George's termination during a House Armed Services Committee hearing last week, saying that “some of us are not through asking the questions about that.”

“I think the firing of Gen. George was an extreme disservice to the United States Army,” Scott said. “And I think it was reckless conduct.”

Six people were aboard the 145-foot (44-meter) ship, called the Mariana. Divers on April 21 recovered one crew member's body from the overturned ship.

“The decision to suspend the search is an incredibly difficult one that is only made after very careful consideration of all available information,” Cmdr. Preston Hieb of the U.S. Coast Guard Oceania District said in a video posted on X. “From working and communicating with the families, I know how devastated they are by this outcome.”

The search by sea, air and land lasted more than 100 hours and covered an area larger than the state of California, he said. Agencies from Guam, Japan and New Zealand assisted, looking for an orange, 12-person life raft.

The Coast Guard identified the six crew members who were aboard the Mariana as Frederick L. Nosek Jr., Landon Delos Reyes, Jose L. Ramirez, Mohammed A. Rahaman, Chet R. Brochon, and Vincent B. Agulto. Their ages and hometowns were not immediately available.

It also was not immediately known which crew member had been found dead.

“We offer our deepest prayers and ask for God’s comfort and strength to surround their families and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chalan Kanoa in Saipan posted online Wednesday.

The diocese also expressed “profound gratitude” to the Coast Guard and all of the international and military partners in the search. “Thank you for your bravery and your service to our islands,” it said.

Community members held a shoreline vigil for the crew last week, near the 13 Fishermen Memorial Monument honoring the victims of a capsized vessel during a typhoon in 1986.

The suspension of the search came two weeks after the crew notified the Coast Guard that the ship had lost its starboard engines and needed assistance as Super Typhoon Sinlaku battered the Pacific island chain. The Coast Guard lost contact with the vessel the next day.

Heavy wind hindered initial search efforts, but the overturned ship was eventually spotted April 18 about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Pagan, one of the islands that make up the Northern Marianas, which is a U.S. territory.

The Coast Guard said debris included a partially submerged inflatable life raft was spotted about 110 miles (177 kilometers) from the ship.

“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the families of the Mariana crew, as well as the entire Saipan community,” Hieb said.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku battered the Northern Mariana Islands, causing wind damage and flooding.

Politicians condemned the attack, which follows a string of arson attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in the city. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said ”attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain."

The security organization Shomrim said a suspect “was seen running along Golders Green Road armed with a knife and attempting to stab Jewish members of the public” on Wednesday morning.

It said the suspect was detained by Shomrim members before being arrested by police, who used a stun gun on the man.

The Metropolitan Police said the victims, a man in his 30s and one in his 70s, were hospitalized in stable condition. The force said the suspect also tried to stab police officers but none were injured.

Counter-terror detectives are leading the investigation, but it has not been declared an act of terrorism.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that "London’s Jewish community have been the target of a series of shocking antisemitic attacks.

“There must be absolutely no place for antisemitism in society," he said.

The incident follows arson attacks in recent weeks targeting Jewish sites in London, including a charity's ambulances in Golders Green and a synagogue a few miles (kilometers) away.

Counterterror officers are investigating whether the arson attacks were the work of Iranian proxies.

No one was injured in the arson incidents, which all happened within a few miles of each other. Several people, ranging in age from teens to people in their 40s, have been arrested and charged.

Britain’s Jewish community is long-established but tiny as a percentage of the population, numbering about 300,000. The northwest London suburb of Golders Green is one of its epicenters, home to kosher restaurants, multiple Jewish schools and several dozen synagogues, as well as large Asian and Middle Eastern communities.

Britain’s chief rabbi has said that U.K. Jews are facing a campaign of violence and intimidation.

The number of antisemitic incidents reported across the U.K. has soared since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel and the subsequent Gaza war, according to the Community Security Trust. The group recorded 3,700 incidents in 2025, up from 1,662 in 2022.

In October 2025, an attacker drove his car into people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur and stabbed one person to death. Another person died during the attack after being inadvertently shot by police.

Work Location: Detroit, MI

Description

The Client Experience Manager leads a high-performing team of Client Experience Account Managers and a Digital Solutions Planner to drive client satisfaction, retention, and revenue growth. The Manager is responsible for overseeing all aspects of client support, building scalable processes, and fostering a culture of excellence. This role blends leadership, customer engagement, project management, and data-driven strategy to ensure clients receive exceptional service and measurable results.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team that focuses on the client experience through advisement of result-based solutions, execution of campaigns and recommendations for optimization and future growth.
• Develop, implement, and refine workflows that streamline pre- and post-sale processes.
• Establish best practices for client deliverables, including reporting cadence, onboarding, and project management.
• Foster team growth through training on campaign strategy, optimization, and industry trends.
• Track and analyze team KPIs to measure impact and identify areas for improvement.
• Partner with Director of Digital, Digital Sales Strategist and Account Executives to develop and deliver compelling, data-driven presentations using tools like Claritas.
• Support revenue growth by building retention strategies and strengthening client relationships.
• Collaborate with leadership to align client experience strategies with organizational goals.
• Travel for market visits to support client retention and business growth.
• Design and deliver training for Account Executives on Ad Operations processes and data-driven reporting.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of account management experience, preferably within media or digital advertising.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience managing direct reports.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to juggle multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills, both pre- and post-sale.
• Proven ability to think critically, proactively solve problems, and adapt to change.
• Strong digital acumen and understanding of marketing trends.
• Ability to train, coach, and inspire team members and sales partners.
• Detail-oriented team player with excellent interpersonal skills.

Additional Information:

Graham Media Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In addition to complying with the requirements of federal law, GMG will comply with applicable state and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Any offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of a pre-employment drug screening, investigative background check, employment/education verifications and reference checks.

Contact

Kim Jakubowski, Director of Sales Strategy

kjakubowski@grahammedia.com

It will be the first time in nearly two decades — and in the more than four years of Russia's war in Ukraine — that no military equipment will rumble through Moscow's Red Square on May 9, the day Russia celebrates its most important secular holiday. The Kremlin has used it to showcase its military might and global clout.

Victory Day parades on Red Square involved military equipment and various weaponry every year since 2008.

The ministry statement this week cited the “current operational situation” as a reason for excluding a military equipment convoy, as well as cadets, from the parade. The statement didn't elaborate.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday blamed Ukraine and its “terrorist activity, in an apparent reference to Kyiv's strikes deep inside Russia. “All measures are being taken to minimize the danger,” he said.

The parade will feature “servicemen from higher military educational institutions of all kinds and certain service branches of the Russian Armed Forces" and a traditional military aircraft flyover, the ministry said.

World War II remains a rare point of consensus in the nation’s divisive history under Communist rule, and the Kremlin has leveraged that sentiment to encourage national pride and underline Russia’s position as a global power.

The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in what it calls the Great Patriotic War in 1941-45, an enormous sacrifice that left a deep scar in the national psyche.

President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for over 25 years, has turned Victory Day into a key pillar of his tenure and has tried to use it to justify the war in Ukraine.

Last year's parade was the largest since Russia sent troops into Ukraine, and drew the most global leaders to Moscow in a decade, including high-profile guests like Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico.

It featured over 11,500 troops and more than 180 military vehicles, including tanks, armored infantry vehicles and artillery used on the battlefield in Ukraine, as well as huge Yars nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile launchers and drones carried on military trucks. Fighter jets flew over Red Square, too.

Putin had declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire starting May 7, 2025, and the authorities blocked cellphone internet in Moscow for several days in an effort to avert Ukrainian drone attacks.

In 2023, the parade was scaled down, with fewer troops and military equipment on display and no flyover.

Warm and muggy for most of the morning and early afternoon hours, then we’ll keep an eye to the sky for scattered downpours that could bring lightning, heavy downpours and a threat of hail.

However, thanks to the humidity, feels-like hit the upper 90s and triple digits by mid-week.

This front will likely come with showers and thunderstorms. Some of those could become severe with hail and damaging winds.

It will also lower humidity and temperatures down into the 70s, but forecast confidence will grow as we get closer.

Have storm or flood photos from your neighborhood? Share what you’re seeing with the KPRC 2 Weather Team through Click2Pins at click2houston.com/pins/.

The NCAA released a brief statement Tuesday in the wake of an ESPN report that cited unnamed sources saying a decision to add eight teams to the bracket is a mere formality that's expected in May.

“Expanding the basketball tournaments would require approval from multiple NCAA committees, including the men’s and women’s basketball committees, and no final recommendations or decisions have been made at this time,” the statement said.

Earlier this month at the Final Four, NCAA President Charlie Baker said the committees would, in fact, return to discussing the expansion once this year's tournament was over.

The tournaments have been at 68 teams since 2011, when four play-in games were added to the beginning of the first week of play. The new format would add eight more at-large teams and take eight more teams out of the main bracket for play-in games.

The expansion isn't expected to generate a lot more income because it will only add games early in the first week. The current TV deal runs through 2032 and could be tweaked slightly.

Regardless of finances, the expansion would give power conferences more chances to place teams in the bracket — a growing concern as those conferences seek more power and control over college sports in the era of name, image and likeness compensation and the transfer portal.

___

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

The Harris Central Appraisal District has launched an “Exemption Wizard,” a short questionnaire designed to help residents quickly determine which exemptions they’re eligible for and can apply to without visiting an office.

• Rising Houston property taxes? Here’s how homeowners can defer payments

The most common way to save is through the residential homestead exemption, available to homeowners who both own and live in their property as their primary residence. Additional exemptions are available for those 65 and older or those with disabilities, as defined by the Social Security Administration.

• Whitmire disputes controller’s $174M deficit warning, says Houston will balance budget without raising taxes

“These all offer additional savings if you qualify,” said Jack Barnett with the appraisal district. “You can do this all from home, submit the application automatically. It can’t get any easier.”

Last year, the exemption was $100,000, but now it has been raised this year to $140,000, meaning if you apply, you could lower the taxable value of your home by $140,000.

Homeowners can access the Exemption Wizard on the Harris Central Appraisal District’s website.

For those planning to challenge their property values, the deadline to file a protest is May 15, or 30 days after a notice of appraised value is mailed.

“Once you get your value notice for 2026, if you don’t think it’s correct, you can file a protest online, too,” Barnett said.

Meanwhile, the Harris County Tax Office is offering a new option to help residents manage payments ahead of time.

At an April 7 press conference, Tax Assessor-Collector Annette Ramirez announced a pre-payment program that allows homeowners to begin paying toward their 2026 tax bill now in smaller, monthly amounts.

“It works similarly to an escrow system that gives homeowners more control,” said Ramirez.

The tax office also continues to offer payment plans for those with existing tax debt, including 12, 24, and 36-month options with flexible due dates.

“At the end of the day, this is about more than taxes,” Ramirez said. “It’s about helping families stay financially stable and plan ahead.”

Officials encourage homeowners to review their eligibility and take advantage of available savings before the April 30 deadline.

The rial had remained stable in the early weeks of the war that began Feb. 28, in part because there was little trading or imports.

The rial began to slide two days ago. Experts warn that its fall is likely to further fuel inflation in a country where many imported goods, from food and medicine to electronics and raw materials, are affected by the dollar rate.

A U.S. naval blockade during the ceasefire has increased pressure on Iran’s already battered economy, cutting into a key source of government revenue and hard currency by stopping or intercepting oil shipments.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday his government was continuing efforts to help ease tensions between the U.S and Iran following an initial round of direct talks on April 11.

The latest slide of Iran's currency comes months after a currency shock helped fuel nationwide protests in January. At the time, the rial weakened from about 1.4 million to 1.6 million to the dollar in less than a week, deepening public anger over rising prices and fears about the country’s economic future.

Iran’s economy has faced decades of sanctions, chronic inflation and a widening gap between official and open-market exchange rates.

Prices of basic household goods had already been rising before the rial's latest fall, adding to pressure on Iranian families. Over the past two weeks, people buying daily essentials have faced higher prices for milk, yogurt, cooking oil, bread, rice, cheese and detergents.

The increases point to broader inflationary pressure in the economy driven by uncertainty, supply disruptions, higher transport and production costs and the continuing impact of the U.S. blockade. The rial’s latest slide is likely to add further pressure particularly on goods tied to imports, packaging and raw materials.

The economic pressure also has extended to the labor market. The reformist Shargh newspaper reported Monday that 500 workers at Pinak in Rasht and 700 workers at Borujerd Textile Factory had been laid off since the beginning of the new Iranian calendar year in late March after their contracts ended.

The reported layoffs add to concerns that rising costs, weaker demand and uncertainty after the war and blockade are forcing some companies to cut jobs or avoid renewing temporary contracts.

___

Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.

It won’t be the original, but it’ll be a dead ringer.

For a savings bond drive in 1950, the Treasury Department commissioned copies of the famously broken bell, one for each U.S. state and several territories. Except for the serial numbers, they were faithful replicas — right down to the Pass and Stow trademark and a faux crack.

There’s a small but growing group of “bell hunters” who’ve dedicated themselves to visiting as many of the replicas as possible. If they were a gang, Tom Campbell would be the ringleader.

“It was a casual thing that turned into an obsession,” Campbell, a graphic designer, said.

Let freedom ring!

Although Fort Collins, Colorado, is now his home, Campbell was born and raised in Philadelphia and visited the original Liberty Bell as a boy.

Ordered for the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, the bell cracked on its first test ring in the 1750s, was melted down and cast anew. There’s no evidence it was even rung on July 4, 1776; abolitionists rechristened it in the 1830s for the Bible verse encircling its crown, “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof.”

No one knows exactly when or how the bell cracked again, but the last major attempt to restore it to ringing condition was in the 1840s.

Campbell didn’t know about the replicas until he moved to Denver in the late 1990s.

“I was wandering around, meeting a friend at a bar for a drink, and cut across the Capitol lawn and saw a full-size Liberty Bell sitting there,” he recalled. He read about the bond drive on a small bronze plaque, and a quest was born.

As Campbell and his wife, Dawn Putney, traveled the country, they began building bell trips into their itinerary. One day, she surprised him with his own website: tomlovesthelibertybell.com

“It was just a kind of a fun goof,” he said.

But three decades after he stumbled on that first bell, Campbell has become the go-to expert on these pieces of Americana.

From France, avec amour

The replicas were cast by the Paccard Foundry, run by a family who've been making bells in southeastern France since 1796.

They weigh the same as the original — 2,080 pounds (944 kilograms) — but differ from the OG bell in one very important respect: metallurgical makeup.

According to the National Park Service, the original was 70% copper, 25% tin and “small amounts of lead, gold, arsenic, silver, and zinc.” In a bell, those other metals amount to “impurities,” said Anne Paccard, the foundry’s communications director and chief for “art of sound” projects, like sculptures that feature bells.

“I must say that the original Liberty Bell is a very poor quality bell, metallurgically speaking,” she told The Associated Press in a recent email. “The bells we delivered in 1950 are made of a specific alloy of bronze called ‘airain’: 78% copper, 22% tin, nothing else.”

The Treasury bells toured the country on the backs of flatbed Ford trucks equipped with loudspeakers and festooned with red-white-and-blue banners.

“You could buy a savings bond, ring the Liberty Bell, have a party,” Campbell said.

At drive’s end, Treasury gifted the bells to the 48 states and the then-territories of Alaska, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. The District of Columbia and the Treasury Department each got one as well. (Three others went to Tokyo, a church in Paccard’s hometown and the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri, giving that state two bells.)

Trouble is, they came with no guidance and no funds to preserve them.

“A local or state historian described it to me as an 'unaccessioned artifact,’” Campbell said. “Not every state wanted them necessarily, and not every state knew what to do with them.”

Virginia held a contest, and the people voted to send the bell to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. It later went into a storage shed until finally finding a home outside a local fire station.

More than half have spent most of their lives outdoors. Time, neglect and exposure to the elements have taken their toll.

Some of the painted-on cracks have faded or disappeared completely. Others bells are displayed without their clappers and/or yokes, or in steel frames that prevent them being rung.

“At that point, it really transitions to more of a monument than a functional bell,” Campbell said. “And, to me, that’s kind of sad.”

But as the nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of liberty, some of those orphan bells are getting a new life.

Just like new... sorta

Kansas’ bell languished, disassembled, for years in a Capitol parking garage until state Sen. Elaine Bowers got involved. In October, the reassembled bell — resting on a heated concrete pad and supported by a custom-made wooden yoke, but still sans clapper — was given a place of honor outside the new Docking State Office Building.

“It just belongs here,” said a beaming Bowers as she stood beside bell No. 21. “It’s a fascinating piece of artwork, but also history that we all should be proud of.”

The Alabama and Idaho bells were shipped to the Bell Foundry Christoph in Charleston, South Carolina, for restoration and are expected to be home in time for the Fourth. Several other bells have also received recent touchups.

Campbell doesn’t set out to guilt states into fixing up and displaying their bells. But if his website happens to nudge them a bit, “maybe I’ll take a little credit for that.”

He’s also helped inspire a new generation of bell hunters.

By age 4, Zoe Murphy of Morris County, New Jersey, knew all the state capitals and their flags. At 5, she saw her first replica in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Now a 14-year-old high school freshman, she has her own website zlovesamerica.com. She’s visited 39 of the bells over the years, from Alabama to Wyoming and even far-off Alaska.

Zoe says traveling the country has given her a deeper appreciation for America’s “collective mix of people and our culture.”

Meanwhile, Campbell's recent visit to Arizona’s newly restored bell — which was touring the state, complete with a rope for the tugging — brought his toll up to 40. Why does the Liberty Bell resonate with him?

“The fact that a cracked bell is the symbol of the United States is really the perfect symbol of an imperfect union,” he said.

Nothing to see here

Try as they might, it’ll be nearly impossible for these Liberty Bell fans to check all the replicas off their list. Three replicas remain totally unavailable to the public this anniversary year, as far as Campbell can tell. Ironically, one of them is Pennsylvania’s.

For many years, the Treasury bell was the centerpiece of a museum in the former Zion’s Reformed Church of Allentown, where the original was briefly hidden to prevent the British redcoats from melting it down for munitions. But the building changed hands in 2023, and the bell is no longer accessible to the general public while the church is being renovated. (Local officials are placing a lighter, taller replica in front of the church for the anniversary.)

Last June, North Carolina’s bell was hoisted from its spot across from the Legislative Building in Raleigh amid a multiyear renovation of the state history museum. When the AP asked to see it, the request was politely denied.

“Our Liberty Bell is in a secure storage facility,” spokeswoman Mary Huntley said.

The only replica that's truly lost is the one sent to Washington, D.C., which went missing from storage in the early 1980s. Campbell suspects it’s long since been melted down.

“That’s 2,080 pounds of bronze,” he says. “So, that has a scrap value.”

But if anyone has information about the capital bell, feel free to give Campbell a ring.

___

Associated Press writer John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; and video journalists Thomas Peipert in Fort Collins, Colorado; and Ted Shaffrey in Mount Olive, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump criticized Iran’s handling of nuclear negotiations, saying it has failed to move toward a deal.

“Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Pakistan said its weekly oil import bill has surged by about 167% due to soaring global energy prices. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday the weekly oil import bill had risen from $300 million before the Middle East conflict to $800 million.

In a similar message, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the U.S.-Israel war, combined with retaliation from Iran such as choking the Strait of Hormuz, is costing the European Union almost 500 million euros ($600 million) a day, raising prices at the pumps and fears of a jet fuel shortage within weeks.

Here is the latest:

Merz says relationship with Trump is ‘as good as ever’

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his relationship with President Donald Trump remains “as good as ever,” but that he had “had doubts from the very beginning about what was started there with the war in Iran.”

“We are suffering considerably in Germany and in Europe from the consequences of, for example, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” Merz said on Wednesday. This hurts energy supplies and the economy. “And in that regard, I urge that this conflict be resolved.”

Trump had earlier attacked Merz on his Truth Social platform: “The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” Trump wrote.

Trump was responding to Merz’s comments on Monday, when the German Chancellor said the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized Washington’s lack of strategy in the war.

Trump says Iran ‘better get smart soon’

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Iran’s handling of nuclear negotiations, saying it has failed to move toward a deal.

“Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!” he wrote on Truth Social.

Trump’s post featured an AI-generated image of himself holding a weapon amid explosions with the caption “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY.”

Tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program rose before the war broke out, with Trump repeatedly vowing to ensure the country can’t build a nuclear weapon. Iran long has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, though it enriched uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels.

Iran has carried out at least 21 executions since start of war

The U.N.’s human rights chief said Iran has executed at least 21 people since the start of the war with the United States and Israel on Feb. 28.

Volker Türk says at least nine people were executed in connection with huge protests across Iran in January, while another 10 were executed for alleged membership in opposition groups, and two others on espionage charges.

More than 4,000 people have been arrested on national security-related charges in Iran since the end of February, his office says.

Lebanese army soldier killed in Israeli strike

A Lebanese army soldier was killed Wednesday along with his brother in an Israeli strike that targeted the motorcycle on which they were traveling from the soldier’s work post to his home in the village of al-Souaneh, the army said in a statement.

The Lebanese army has stood on the sidelines during the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began on March 2 when the militant group launched a salvo of missiles into Israel, two days after the U.S. and Israel launched their attacks on Iran. But soldiers have frequently gotten caught in the crossfire.

A total of 20 Lebanese army soldiers have been killed by Israeli strikes since March 2, most of them while en route to or from their duty stations, the army said. Altogether, more than 2,500 people have been killed in Lebanon during the war and during a shaky ceasefire implemented earlier this month that has reduced but not halted the fighting.

Iran’s highly enriched uranium likely at Isfahan, IAEA says

The majority of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is likely still at its Isfahan nuclear complex, which was bombarded by airstrikes last year and faced less intense attacks in this year’s U.S.-Israeli war, the head of the U.N. nuclear agency told The Associated Press.

Rafael Grossi said in an interview on Tuesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency has satellite images showing the effects of the latest U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Iran and that “we continue to get information.”

IAEA inspections ended at Isfahan when Israel last June launched a 12-day war that saw the United States bomb three Iranian nuclear sites.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog believes a large percentage of Iran’s highly enriched uranium “was stored there in June 2025 when the 12-day war broke out, and it has been there ever since,” Grossi said.

Pakistan's weekly oil bill rises to $800M from $300M before Iran war

Pakistan’s weekly oil import bill has surged by about 167% due to soaring global prices, adding strain to the cash-strapped nation’s fragile economy, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday.

In televised remarks during a Cabinet meeting, Sharif said the weekly oil import bill had risen from $300 million before the conflict to $800 million.

He said the government is taking steps to conserve energy and reduce oil consumption, and that diplomatic efforts to promote peace are still ongoing.

EU losing $600M a day due to war's impact on energy prices

European Union countries must funnel their energy aid chiefly to vulnerable households and industries or risk wasting billions of euros as the Iran war hits oil and gas prices, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned on Wednesday.

The U.S.-Israel war, combined with retaliation from Iran such as choking the Strait of Hormuz, is costing the EU almost 500 million euros ($600 million) a day, raising prices at the pumps and fears of a jet fuel shortage within weeks.

Von der Leyen said the world’s biggest trading bloc must draw on the lessons of the 2022 fuel crisis — when Russia used its energy might against European countries to undermine their support for Ukraine – to avoid further hurting their economies.

More than 350 billion euros “were spent on untargeted measures and this had a huge impact on member states finances,” she told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France. “So let us not make the same mistake again, and let’s focus our support where it matters most.”

Iran’s rial currency hits record low

Iran’s national rial currency hit a record hit Wednesday of 1.8 million to $1 as a shaky ceasefire with the U.S. and Israel still holds.

The rial had remained stable for weeks during the war, which began Feb. 28, in part because there was little trading or imports coming into the country.

The rial began to slide two days ago, hitting the record low Wednesday.

Experts warn the fall of the rial is likely to further fuel inflation in a country where many imported goods, from food and medicine to electronics and raw materials, are affected by the dollar rate.

The war is now in a ceasefire, but a U.S. blockade has continued to increase pressure on Iran’s already-battered economy, cutting into a key source of government revenue and hard currency by stopping or intercepting oil shipments.

Pakistan continuing efforts to ease US-Iran tensions, PM says

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday his government is continuing efforts to help ease tensions between the United States and Iran.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting in Islamabad, he said a “marathon session” was held in the capital during an initial round of direct talks between the two sides on April 11, leading to progress on a ceasefire that remains in place.

He said Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Pakistan over the weekend during the ceasefire, where another extended round of talks took place between Iran and Pakistan. Araghchi later traveled to Oman, returned briefly, and then departed for Russia, Sharif said.

Sharif said before leaving for Moscow, Araghchi spoke to him by phone and “assured me that after consulting with his leadership, he would respond as soon as possible.” He did not specify what Araghchi would respond to, but Pakistan has said it is seeking to host a second round of talks between the United States and Iran.

Hegseth to face Congress for the first time since Iran war began

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will face questioning from members of Congress for the first time since the Iran war began.

The hearing Wednesday before the House Armed Services Committee will focus on the Trump administration’s $1.5 trillion military budget for 2027.

Democratic lawmakers are likely to grill Hegseth on the Iran war’s costs and huge drawdown of critical munitions. While a ceasefire is now in place, the U.S. and Israel launched the war Feb. 28 without congressional oversight.

Rafael Grossi said in an interview on Tuesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency has satellite images showing the effects of the latest U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Iran and that “we continue to get information.”

IAEA inspections ended at Isfahan when Israel last June launched a 12-day war that saw the United States bomb three Iranian nuclear sites.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog believes a large percentage of Iran's highly enriched uranium “was stored there in June 2025 when the 12-day war broke out, and it has been there ever since,” Grossi said.

“We haven't been able to inspect or to reject that the material is there and that the seals — the IAEA seals — remain there,” he said. “I hope we'll be able to do that, so what I tell you is our best estimate.”

Images from an Airbus satellite show a truck loaded with 18 blue containers going into a tunnel at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center on June 9, 2025, just before the start of the June war. Those containers, believed to contain highly enriched uranium, likely remain there.

Grossi says all Iran's nuclear sites must be inspected

The IAEA also wants to inspect Iran's nuclear facilities at Natanz and Fordo, where there is also some nuclear material, the IAEA director-general added.

Iran is a party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, whose five-year review is underway at U.N. headquarters. Under its provisions, Iran is required to open its nuclear facilities to IAEA inspection, Grossi said.

Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the agency. Grossi has said the IAEA believes roughly 200 kilograms (about 440 pounds) is stored in tunnels at the Isfahan site.

The Iranian stockpile could allow the country to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program, Grossi told the AP last year, should Iran choose to rush for the bomb.

Tehran long has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. President Donald Trump said one of the major reasons the United States went to war was to deny Iran the ability to develop nuclear weapons even as he has insisted that the strikes last June “obliterated” the country's atomic program.

IAEA has talked to Russia and others about taking Iran's highly enriched uranium

Grossi said the IAEA has discussed with Russia and others the possibility of sending Iran's highly enriched uranium out of the country — a complex operation that would require either a political agreement or a major U.S. military operation in hostile territory.

“What's going to be important is that that material leaves Iran” or is blended to reduce its enrichment, he said.

Grossi said the IAEA participated in the last cycle of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in February but hasn’t been part of recent ceasefire negotiations mediated by Pakistan. He said the agency has been in discussions separately with the U.S. and informally with Iran.

The latest proposal from Iran would postpone discussions on its nuclear program but end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial sea route for oil and natural gas shipments, if the U.S. lifts its blockade and ends the war.

Grossi described that as an indication that Iran wants to sequence how it confronts the objectives mandated by the U.S., including curbing its ballistic missile program and dealing with its proxies Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen.

“What is indispensable is that we address it,” the IAEA director-general said of Iran’s nuclear program.

A deal between the US and Iran will take ‘political will’

This will take “political will” from Tehran, he said, stressing that “Iran has to be convinced that it is important to negotiate.”

Iran's leaders say they are willing to negotiate and so does the Republican U.S. president, Grossi said, but “where the frustration kicks in, apparently for both, is that they do not seem to come to agreement, or be at an eye-to-eye level on what needs to be done first, or on how.”

Calling himself a negotiator who likes to see a “flicker of hope,” Grossi noted that “one important thing is that there is apparently an interest on both sides to come to an agreement.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News Channel this week that preventing Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon “remains the core issue” that must be confronted.

Asked if he thinks the Iranians are serious about making a deal, Rubio said that they are skilled negotiators looking to buy time and that any agreement must be "one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point.”

Grossi said in any political agreement, full IAEA inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities must take place.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin will sit before a Senate committee Wednesday, the last of three budgetary hearings this week, to argue for sharply reduced funding for an agency that has already seen its staffing reduced to its lowest level in decades under his leadership. He took an aggressive approach, responding to Democratic lawmakers with his own questions and at times accusing them of being unprepared or failing to care about the agency’s track record.

Zeldin has eliminated major climate change programs, promoted deregulatory efforts he calls the biggest in American history and canceled billions of dollars in Biden-era environmental justice grants to halt what he calls “EPA’s radical diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.”

The Republican administration’s proposed $4.2 billion EPA budget would sharply reduce support for state environmental programs and state-administered loans for water projects. It also would halt what it calls “radical climate research” and slash resources for enforcement and compliance. Officials also asked for more money for faster project permitting and to address drinking water disasters.

Zeldin aggressively responded to questioning from Democrats

Congress gets final say, which commonly departs from White House requests. Last year, lawmakers rejected most of Trump’s proposed cuts, reducing agency spending by just 3.5% despite an administration request to cut spending by more than half. Democrats said the budget plan shows that Zeldin is a friend to industry and ignores the cancers, asthma and other consequences of pollution.

“The budget proposal reads like a climate change deniers’ manifesto,” said Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. At a hearing Monday, she asked how the EPA can justify abandoning its duty to protect Americans “under the false flag of economic growth?”

The EPA has proposed rescinding a landmark finding that climate change is dangerous, loosened Biden-era rules limiting pollution from coal plants and proposed scrapping greenhouse gas emission limits for certain vehicles.

In response to DeLauro, Zeldin asked where the Clean Air Act mentions fighting climate change and whether she had heard of a recent Supreme Court decision that restricted the EPA’s authority to write aggressive regulations.

“You do not have the right to say climate change does not exist, that it’s a hoax,” DeLauro said.

Zeldin said that he understood she was upset and that she should know about major Supreme Court decisions. “You’re just somebody who likes to have the microphone on,” he said.

It devolved from there. DeLauro said that the Trump administration's behavior is “arrogant” and that it was ”making a mockery of what the agencies are all about.”

Zeldin told California Democratic Rep. Josh Harder that data he cited on the agency's rollback of certain coal plant emissions limits was worthless — “Have your dog pee on it. It is not accurate.” Harder's office later provided the EPA report that it said the numbers came from.

Zeldin's vision for the EPA

Zeldin argued that even with less money, the agency has continued to enforce environmental laws and achieved significant wins: an agreement with Mexico to reduce sewage flows into the heavily polluted Tijuana River and sped-up work to address radioactive contamination in the St. Louis region, as examples.

That work complements strict adherence to the law, a departure from what Zeldin says was the regulatory overreach of President Joe Biden's Democratic administration that wanted to strangle vital industries such as coal.

Republicans were largely supportive of Zeldin’s message that, “Not only will we be able to fulfill all of our statutory obligations, we will be able to do more with less.”

The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law provided tens of billions of dollars for drinking and wastewater loans through programs administered by states. That boost, however, ends this year, and the EPA’s proposed budget would cut off most of the agency’s support.

“It was never intended to be a new norm for spending,” said Virginia Republican Rep. Morgan Griffith.

But that would choke off money to remove harmful PFAS from drinking water. The agency’s contention that better technology could do the job for less was unpersuasive, according to Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts.

“How do we get rid of PFAS in municipal water supplies with 90% fewer dollars?” he asked.

Zeldin responded that technologies were promising and then mentioned congressional earmarks, which members have used to fund projects in their districts with money that would otherwise go to states for loans — a practice many experts have criticized.

“I know that members of Congress are going to raid it, and they have been doing it for a long time,” said Zeldin, a former New York congressman.

Auchincloss replied that Zeldin wasn’t in charge of earmarks and that “hope is not a strategy.”

Zeldin was also questioned about industry influence on policymaking, with a particular focus on the Make America Healthy Again movement, which has attacked environmental harms from products like fertilizer. The movement's biggest champion is Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Maine Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree asked Zeldin whether he understood concerns from those advocates about industry influence at the EPA and the Trump administration's support of more pesticides.

He called much of the lengthy question inaccurate and then mentioned plans to look at microplastics as a potential contaminant in drinking water and an upcoming review of the high-profile herbicide glyphosate.

“I get it, you have an agenda," Zeldin said. “I mean, I understand you’d like to have a gavel in your hand.”

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Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this report.

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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of the AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.

Little York Firefighters responded to the fire located in the 9756 block of Veterans Memorial around 11:00 p.m. Tuesday. Multiple agencies had to be called to assist due to a lack of hydrants in the area.

One firefighter had to be treated at the scene for a burn injury, and hazmat crews were called in due to an unknown substance in several 55-gallon drums.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged less than 0.1% higher.

The Federal Reserve was expected to keep its key interest rate unchanged at 3.6% as it wraps up a policy meeting later Wednesday. Most policymakers believe at that level, the rate can still cool inflation by slowing borrowing and spending, but not so much that it will drag down hiring or raise unemployment.

In early European trading, Britain's FTSE 100 slipped 0.6% to 10,269.06. Germany's DAX traded 0.3% lower at 23,958.39, while France's CAC 40 dropped 0.6% to 8,054.38.

Markets in Japan were closed for a holiday.

Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.8% to 6,690.90 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gained 1.7% to 26,111.84. The Shanghai Composite index rose 0.7% to 4,107.51.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.3% to 8,687.00.

Taiwan’s Taiex lost 0.6%, and India's Sensex gained 0.9%.

The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil to be delivered in June rose 3.1% to $114.70 early Wednesday. Brent to be delivered in July was also up 3%, at $107.61. Brent oil was trading around $70 per barrel before the war began in late February.

Benchmark U.S. crude gained 3.4% to $103.32 a barrel.

The UAE’s announcement Tuesday that it was leaving OPEC as of Friday was being closely watched by oil markets. OPEC accounts for roughly 40% of global oil output, and the UAE is one of its largest oil producers. The UAE has resisted OPEC production quotas in recent years, wanting to sell more oil to the rest of the world.

Initially oil prices fell on expectations that supply will rise.

“The UAE’s exit will increase (oil) output,” ING Bank strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a research note on Wednesday. “The UAE has been increasingly frustrated over recent years by its output being constrained by OPEC production quotas, which have kept it well below its potential.”

“However, before this can be tapped, there must be a resolution in the Persian Gulf that allows for uninhibited energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz once again," they added.

As U.S.-Iran negotiations for a permanent end to the Iran war remain stalled and the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly one fifth of the world’s oil passed through before the war, was still largely closed. Short term impacts on oil prices still depend mainly on prospects for reopening the waterway, analysts said.

Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the United States lifts a blockade on its ports. So far, the U.S. appears to be ruling out a deal that excludes the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

On Tuesday, Wall Street retreated from its recent record highs. The benchmark S&P 500 fell 0.5% and the Dow industrials edged 0.1% lower. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite dropped 0.9%.

Artificial intelligence -related stocks led the losses. Chip company Broadcom lost 4.4%, Nvidia fell 1.6% and Micron Technology lost 3.9%. Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta Platforms are reporting quarterly results on Wednesday.

In other dealings early Wednesday, the U.S. dollar rose to 159.77 Japanese yen from 159.62 yen. The euro was trading at $1.1701, down from $1.1712.

A poll conducted by Texas Public Opinion Research from April 17 to 20 and published Tuesday found Talarico leading Sen. John Cornyn by three percentage points, 44% to 41%. The Austin Democrat leads Attorney General Ken Paxton by a margin of five percentage points, 46% to 41%. Both results fell within the margin of error of +/-2.5 percentage points. The survey included 1,865 likely general election voters. TPOR is a nonpartisan public opinion research group directed by Democratic strategist Luke Warford. 

In a separate poll, the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin found Talarico ahead of Cornyn by seven points, 40% to 33%, and of Paxton by 8 points, 42% to 34%. The Texas Politics Project surveyed 1,200 registered voters from April 10 to 20 and produced a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points.

No Democrat has won a statewide race in Texas since 1994, and in recent cycles, polls have routinely offered rosy projections for the minority party that are not borne out in November.

Still, Democrats are hopeful that President Donald Trump’s flagging approval ratings, paired with backlash from Latino voters over the economy and the White House’s immigration policies, will create an environment more akin to 2018, when Democrat Beto O’Rourke came within 3 points of unseating GOP Sen. Ted Cruz.

Cornyn and Paxton are competing in a May 26 runoff to be the Republican nominee for Senate and take on Talarico, who won a competitive primary of his own in early March. A handful of polls throughout the cycle, some nonpartisan and some sponsored by Democrats, have found Democratic candidates with narrow leads or within the margin of error in hypothetical general election matchups.

Closely watched by politicos around the country, Texas’ Senate contest already features the most expensive primary on record, with most of the money coming on the Republican side in support of Cornyn. The Cook Political Report considers the seat to be “likely Republican,” but the messy Senate Republican runoff, Talarico’s fundraising prowess and a wave of Democratic overperformances in special elections have both parties eyeing the race with heightened interest.

Cornyn and his supporters have argued the longtime senator would be a stronger general election candidate than Paxton in a cycle in which the national environment is expected to be tough for Republicans. Both polls published this week found little variance in how the two Republicans perform in hypothetical matchups with Democrats.

In both scenarios, Talarico’s support is heavily powered by voters of color, college-educated Texans and independents. 

Among Black voters, TPOR found, Talarico leads Cornyn by 51 percentage points and Paxton by 56 percentage points. Among Latino voters, Talarico leads Cornyn by a 32-point margin and Paxton by a 27-point margin.

Independents broke heavily for the Democrat in both matchups: Talarico leads 51% to 29% among the group against Cornyn, and 53% to 28% with independents against Paxton.

The TPOR poll also found that more voters had a favorable impression of Talarico than those with unfavorable views — 41% to 34%, with the rest saying they were unsure. Meanwhile, Paxton and Cornyn are underwater by 10 and 15 percentage points, respectively, the two lowest favorability marks among all candidates in the survey.

The Texas Politics Project similarly found independents, voters of color, women, college-educated voters and voters under 65 breaking for Talarico over either Republican. Talarico had a net positive favorability rating of +10 percentage points — with 18% of voters saying they had no opinion of him — while both Paxton and Cornyn were in the negative by 9 and 12 points, respectively.

Most polling of the Republican runoff has found it to be a neck-and-neck contest or Paxton leading by single digits. A TPOR poll of the runoff, conducted April 6 to 7, found Paxton up by 8 percentage points. 

Beyond the Senate race, both polls found Republicans leading in other statewide contests, including the high-profile race for governor. 

In the TPOR survey, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott led the Democratic nominee, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin, 48% to 43%. Abbott led Hinojosa by 6 points — 44% to 38% — in the Texas Politics Project survey, with 13% of respondents saying they had no opinion.

The TPOR poll found that while Hinojosa is leading with both Latinos and independents, Abbott has stronger support than Cornyn and Paxton among those groups.

Paxton’s decision to run for Senate opened up the attorney general seat for the first time in over a decade, drawing crowded Democratic and Republican primaries that are both being decided by runoffs. On the Democratic side, Dallas state Sen. Nathan Johnson is facing former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski. In the Republican runoff, voters will pick between Galveston state Sen. Mayes Middleton and Austin U.S. Rep. Chip Roy.

The TPOR poll asked voters whom they would pick between the Democrat and the Republican, rather than measuring each hypothetical general election matchup. It found Republicans leading the attorney general race, 45% to 39%.

And the Texas Politics Project poll found Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick ahead of state Rep. Vikki Goodwin of Austin in the lieutenant governor race by just four points, 35% to 31% — though nearly a third of voters said they did not have an opinion on the race. Goodwin will face union leader Marcos Vélez in the Democratic runoff election next month.

Inflation and higher prices were voters’ top priority, the Texas Politics Project found, with 18% of respondents putting it at the top of their list of pressing issues facing the country. Political corruption, the economy, war in the Middle East, “moral decline,” and immigration took the next top spots.

TPOR-April-2026-TXSEN-pollDownload

Bongos, rare antelopes known for their striking stripes, have been declared critically endangered due to poaching and diseases. There are fewer than 100 mountain bongos left in the wild, according to the Kenyan government. Many were sent to Europe in the 1980s after a major rinderpest disease outbreak killed thousands.

The returnees arrived from Dvur Kralove Zoo in wooden crates at Kenya’s main airport and were received by the Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Tourism Minister Rebecca Miano, who hailed it as a “homecoming of the majestic bongos.”

It's the third such return in recent years, with the previous one in February 2025. After a period of quarantine and acclimatization, the bongos will be sent to the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, which houses 102 bongos, before being released into the wild.

The conservancy runs a national recovery plan for the mountain bongo in collaboration with the government and plans to use the four bongos to interbreed and strengthen the gene pool.

Kenyan-raised nature explorers and filmmakers Jahawi and Elke Bertolli told The Associated Press that the bongos will bring genetic variation that is critical for their conservation, adding that the species plays a key role in protecting the forests that are vital to Kenya’s water supply.

Czech Republic Ambassador Nicol Adamcova said the relocation reflects a long-standing partnership between the Czech Republic and Kenya in conservation and a shared commitment to protecting endangered species.

Mudavadi said such milestones show what can be achieved when policy, science, and collaboration come together in pursuit of a shared conservation goal.

The facility is in the Perm region of Russia, located in the Ural mountains more than 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) from Ukraine. Ukraine’s Security Service, known as the SBU, said it had struck a Russian oil pumping station near the city of Perm as part of efforts to target Russia’s energy infrastructure.

Russian media also reported the attack, though Perm Gov. Dmitry Makhonin said only that a drone hit an unspecified industrial facility, sparking a fire.

Russian officials have not been forthcoming about Ukrainian claims that Kyiv is carrying out more long-range attacks and that its domestically developed drones are increasingly accurate.

Advanced drone technology has become a defining feature of the battle as Russia’s bigger army presses its more than four-year invasion of its neighbor. Ukraine’s response has included a drive to develop new drones for attack and defense.

Ukraine claims it hit a key Russian oil hub

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday posted a video on the Telegram messaging app showing a large plume of black smoke rising into the sky in countryside near a built-up area. Without specifying it was the reported Perm attack or what was hit, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was expanding the range of its long-distance strikes, describing them as a new phase in efforts to limit Russia’s ability to wage war by denying it crucial oil revenue.

It was not possible to independently verify the video.

The SBU claimed that most oil storage tanks at the facility, which it said is owned by Russia’s pipeline operator Transneft and is a key hub in the country’s oil transportation system, were ablaze. The claims could not be independently verified.

Zelenskyy thanked the SBU for the precision of its strikes.

“The straight-line distance is more than 1,500 kilometers. We will continue to increase these ranges,” he said.

The attack came a day after Ukraine struck the Tuapse oil refinery and terminal on the Black Sea for the third time in less than two weeks, prompting the evacuation of local people and threatening what Russian President Vladimir Putin said could be “serious environmental consequences.” Local authorities said the fire at the Tuapse had been “contained” by Wednesday.

Ukrainian drones exploit Russian vulnerabilities

Ukraine has escalated its long-distance strike campaign against Russian oil facilities in an effort to stop Moscow gaining a financial windfall from a U.S. waiver on sanctions amid global supply restrictions caused by the Iran war, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank.

Kyiv is exploiting the vulnerabilities of Russia’s large land mass, it said.

“Ukrainian forces will likely continue to exploit the large attack surface of Russia’s deep rear and overstretched Russian air defenses to launch more frequent and larger strikes against Russian oil infrastructure and military assets, supported by increased Ukrainian domestic drone production,” the institute said late Tuesday.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that its air defenses overnight intercepted 98 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Ukraine's weapon surplus could go to partner countries

After years of relying heavily on foreign military support, Ukraine is now poised to export its sought-after drone know-how.

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is producing a surplus of up to 50% in some types of weapons.

Military cooperation with partners supporting Ukraine “is already underway” with countries in the Middle East, the Gulf, Europe and the Caucasus, he said on Telegram late Tuesday.

The deals involve the production and supply of drones and missiles as well as software and technology, according to Zelenskyy.

Kyiv has also handed a proposal to the United States for cooperation on drones, defense systems and other types of weapons for use in the air, on land and at sea, he said.

Russian nighttime attacks wound civilians

Russia, meanwhile, hasn’t eased up on its own long-range attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas, damaging homes and infrastructure, regional authorities said.

Eight people were injured in an overnight attack on the northeastern Kharkiv region, the regional prosecutor’s office said.

In the northeastern Sumy region, officials said a 60-year-old woman died of carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of an attack.

In the southern Odesa region, Russian forces struck Izmail, damaging infrastructure facilities in the city, according to the local administration. A district hospital building was damaged.

Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 154 of the 171 drones launched by Russia overnight.

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

In a memo late Tuesday to lawmakers, the Office of Management and Budget said money that President Donald Trump tapped to pay Transportation Security Administration and other workers through executive actions will be exhausted by May. It called on the House to quickly approve the budget resolution senators approved in an all-night session last week that would pave the way for full funding for the department.

“DHS will soon run out of critical operating funds, placing essential personnel and operations at risk,” the memo said.

The pressure from the Trump administration could help House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose narrow Republican majority has been stalled out, tangled in internal party disputes on a range of pending issues, including the Homeland Security funding. They have left the chamber at a virtual standstill.

The House is expected to vote as soon as Wednesday on the Senate budget resolution that is designed to unlock a multistep process to eventually fund the department, and the administration warned GOP lawmakers off making changes that could prolong passage.

“Restoring funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has never been more urgent, as demonstrated by recent events,” the memo said, a nod to the situation over the weekend when a man armed with guns and knives tried to storm the annual White House correspondents' dinner that Trump, the vice president and top Cabinet officials were attending.

Homeland Security shutdown is longest ever

Homeland Security has been operating without regular funds for more than two months after Democrats refused to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol without changes to those operations after the deaths of Americans protesting Trump’s deportation agenda.

While immigration enforcement workers have largely been paid through the flush of new cash — some $170 billion — that Congress approved as part of Trump's tax cuts bill last year, others, including TSA, have had to rely on Trump’s intervention through executive action to ensure their paychecks.

But with salaries topping $1.6 billion every two weeks, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said recently, those funds are drying up.

Complicated budget strategy ahead

House and Senate Republicans have embarked on a go-it-alone strategy, attempting to approve funds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol without Democrats. They want to provide $70 billion for those immigration operations for the remainder of Trump's term to ensure no further interruptions.

It's a cumbersome process, the same that was used last year to approve Trump's tax cuts bill, that will play out over several weeks.

The Senate launched the process last week, and is now waiting on the House to act. Once that budget resolution is approved, both the House and Senate are expected to draft the actual funding bill, a process that can take weeks.

In the meantime, Johnson is expected to quickly turn this week to legislation that would fund the other parts of Homeland Security, including TSA, the Coast Guard and other agencies.

That bipartisan bill has support from Democrats and already passed the Senate a month ago, when Republicans reluctantly agreed to carve out the immigration-related funds that Democrats had opposed. But it has been stalled out in the House, as Republicans in that chamber disagreed with the Senate's approach.

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Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-homeland-security.

When Texas dedicated $22 million to host the 2017 Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, state officials expected a return on their investment.

But a state analysis after the Patriots’ thrilling comeback win said it was “impossible” to tell if Texas taxpayers broke even on their investments. 

If anything, Texas came up $14 million short, according to a breakdown of tax revenues in the same analysis.

Texas taxpayers likely will be on the hook again when Houston and Dallas welcome the FIFA World Cup this June and July. The cities are among 11 in the U.S. that have agreed to shoulder hundreds of millions of dollars in costs for the soccer tournament, subsidizing a World Cup expected to generate $11 billion in profits for FIFA. 

Host cities and their local organizing committees will pay for security at the matches, cover the cost of retrofitting their stadiums to better accommodate soccer and operate fan festivals in addition to the main matches. Originally, they were supposed to pay to transport FIFA officials to all matches, as well, though that requirement has been waived, according to Houston organizers.

The cities get little tangible benefit in return. They do not see a slice of game-day revenues from ticket sales, concessions and merchandise, or parking. Even selling tickets or suites in exchange for corporate sponsorships — usually a key revenue generator for local organizers — was restricted by FIFA this year. 

Cities had to agree to FIFA’s demands before the U.S., Mexico and Canada even submitted their bid in 2017 to host the World Cup, and many of those host city contracts remain secret. Now, as the event nears, some cities are questioning whether those agreements will leave them paying for more than they get in return. 

“Everybody signed an agreement that was very, very one-sided,” said Alan Rothenberg, who is on the Los Angeles host committee for the 2026 World Cup and was the president of U.S. Soccer the last time the country hosted the tournament in 1994.

Then, some host cities would get a slice of game-day revenues, such as a share of the money made from selling food and drinks at the matches. U.S. Soccer also covered the bill for security at the games and other organizing expenses, Rothenberg said. That helped cities take in more money than they spent, making hosting a more attractive endeavor.

This time around, the agreement was so lopsided that at least one city, Chicago, withdrew during the bidding. And in some cities that moved forward, concerns have grown as the matches near. Officials in Foxborough, Massachusetts, threatened in February to withhold permits for the matches unless FIFA or the owner of the Patriots committed to paying $7.8 million in security costs ahead of time. Foxborough ultimately approved the permits after local World Cup organizers agreed to pay the bill in advance.

“At this point, I think a lot of people are looking at Chicago and thinking they were the smart ones,” Rothenberg said. “They looked at the terms of the agreement and said, ‘No, thanks.’ I don’t think anybody in the 11 host cities thought it would be as tough as it seems to be.”

FIFA did not respond to questions about those criticisms. Instead, it provided a written response stating that it is working closely with its host sponsors and expects cities to benefit.

“The FIFA World Cup 2026 is projected to generate significant economic activity across Canada, Mexico and the United States, spanning tourism, hospitality, employment and long-term global visibility,” said Jhamie Chin, a FIFA spokesperson.

The host cities use external nonprofits to organize and run the tournament’s logistics and raise money for the costs of hosting. Chris Canetti, who runs Houston’s host committee, said the city’s organizers have been able to overcome any challenges the contract has presented. 

“This event is going to have a substantial economic impact on our region, from hundreds of thousands of visitors coming through,” Canetti said. “We’re making an investment in that. I think this is good for our community at the end of the day.”   

The Houston Chronicle sought to better understand the agreements cities made with FIFA and their implications for taxpayers by reviewing records from all U.S. host cities. Most refused to hand over the contracts, including Houston, which argued that releasing the documents would undercut its ability to negotiate for future events; Dallas did not oppose the release but sent the request to the Texas attorney general to allow third parties to object if they wanted. 

The two cities asked the Texas attorney general for permission to keep them out of the public’s view. The attorney general’s office ruled that Houston and Dallas must release their contracts, though they were allowed to redact key financial figures, including how much FIFA is paying to rent stadiums for the event.

The Chronicle reviewed the two Texas contracts, along with those of four other host sites — Kansas City, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia and Seattle — that made their agreements available. Together, the contracts show that almost all of the costs for organizing the tournament fall on the cities, whose ability to collect revenue is limited.

Those agreements, according to Rothenberg and other experts, lock host cities out of prospective revenues more than ever, leaving FIFA with a larger share of the revenue.

Texas taxpayers on the hook

In Houston, at least, most of the organizing costs are not expected to be borne by local governments. 

“The host committee holds the contract with FIFA. We are 100% responsible for finding the funding to cover all of those expenses, and none of that comes from the city or the county,” Canetti said about the agreements.

The contracts do not make clear who is on the hook if the host committee cannot cover the costs. Canetti said he is confident Houston’s committee will have more money than it needs for the expenses, and any surplus funds would be donated to charitable efforts. The host committee that Canetti runs uses a mix of revenue generated from corporate sponsorships, the money FIFA pays to rent NRG Stadium and subsidies from state and federal governments.

That includes $65 million from the federal government to help Houston pay for security, part of a broader $625 million investment by American taxpayers in the World Cup.

The committee also expects to draw tens of millions of dollars from Texas’ Major Events Reimbursement Program, an offshoot of the state’s Event Trust Funds established in 1999 when Texas was vying to host the Olympics. Canetti did not reveal the precise amount Houston believes it will receive, and the Chronicle is still waiting for the governor’s office to respond to records requests for its communications with the committee.

The reimbursement fund was key to ensuring Houston did not lose money when it hosted the Super Bowl. It is expected to be a difference-maker again in covering World Cup costs, helping ensure Houston and Dallas are in a better position than other host cities that don’t receive state money. (The Houston matches will be at NRG Stadium. Others will be at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, outside Dallas. Arlington has signed its own agreement with the organizing committee that seeks reimbursement for costs it will incur.) But it means Texas taxpayers bear a significant share of the costs.

Kelly Dowe, the city’s finance director when it hosted the Super Bowl in 2017, assumed the city would be left with the costs. He was surprised when the host committee for that event effectively paid the full bill, in large part with $22 million in state funds. But these big events, while a boon to specific industries like hotels, bars and restaurants, are hardly a driver in a city’s budget.

“It doesn’t make money for the city, per se,” Dowe said. “You’re glad to break even.”

Texas has made available about $263 million since 2015 to help cities cover the costs of dozens of events, subsidizing everything from a Super Bowl to Junior Olympics and cutting horse competitions. But program administrators have consistently struggled to verify that the events are creating a positive return on investment for taxpayers.

Under the program, cities seeking to host competitive sporting events apply for state funding, using estimates of how much they think revenue from sales, liquor and other state taxes will increase as a result of an event. That amount forms the basis of how much money the city is eligible for, and then it can submit expenses for reimbursement after the event. That included $21.9 million to Houston’s Super Bowl in 2017, $23 million to Austin’s Formula 1 United States Grand Prix event in 2019 and $31 million to the same event in 2021.

As the program grew, it began drawing criticism from across the political spectrum. Then-state Sen. Wendy Davis, a Democrat, pushed a bill in 2013 to audit the program, saying, “We’re handing these things out like candy.” The bill did not pass, but state auditors reviewed the program in 2015.

The audit suggested that officials in the Texas comptroller’s office, which originally administered the program, were not vetting the number of out-of-town visitors stringently enough to ensure an economic benefit. It also found they were not verifying that invoices sent by cities were directly related to the events they were hosting. 

The comptroller’s office added rules in late 2014 clarifying what kinds of spending would be allowable for reimbursement, and, in 2015, the Legislature moved the trust funds to the governor’s office of economic development and tourism.

But the move has not made it any easier for the state officials who administer the program to distill complicated economic data, and they continue to write in their reports that they cannot tell whether the events bring a positive impact. In 2020, five years after the program was transferred to the governor’s office, the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation, which has been a strong supporter of Gov. Greg Abbott, released a report criticizing the program, saying its vision “points to a misunderstanding of how economies work.”

Andrew Mahaleris, an Abbott spokesperson, said the governor’s office commissioned an economic impact analysis for the 2024 fiscal year that showed 840,000 nonlocal visitors spending more than $615 million in Texas, with a positive economic impact of more than $1.2 billion. 

It’s unclear how the numbers in that study were calculated, and Mahaleris did not respond to requests to provide the study to the Chronicle.

“Event Trust Funds are critical tools that help Texas communities attract events to the state,” Mahaleris said. 

When state officials review the taxes they collect after the events, they come to a different conclusion. State officials are limited in the types of economic indicators they assess. For example, they look at the amount of sales taxes collected in cities and counties, but that data does not identify how much comes from out-of-state visitors for the specific events the state is subsidizing. 

“Houston is a giant economy, a region as big as some states,” said Dowe, the former Houston finance director. “As big a deal as the Super Bowl or the World Cup would be, it doesn’t move the overall economy as much as other factors — manufacturing, oil and gas, the refining that goes on at the ship channel. Any movement on those would far outweigh the noise in the signal from the World Cup.”

After every one of the last 40 events the state program has helped fund since 2015, state officials said that “neither a positive nor negative impact is determinable.”

FIFA projection is “insanity”

Supporters of using taxpayer dollars to attract major sporting events maintain that host cities get economic benefits from the exposure that comes with the spotlight of widely watched matches.

Those figures are not insignificant, according to FIFA, which points to a study it released in April with the World Trade Organization that estimates the tournament will bring $47 billion in economic impact across the United States. FIFA deferred questions about the study to the WTO, which directed questions to OpenEconomics, an Italian firm that it said prepared the report. OpenEconomics did not respond to a request for comment.

Experts say such calculations are almost always exaggerated and that the true numbers are difficult to pinpoint. The billions promised in the report by FIFA and the WTO are “insanity,” said Victor Matheson, a professor at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, who has studied the economics of big sporting events like the Super Bowl and the World Cup for decades.

“This would mean every game is generating $400 million, or roughly $5,000 to $7,000 per fan,” he said. “But the most telling thing is that FIFA is right on the front cover as an author/sponsor of a report that says that FIFA is awesome. This report is better thought of as a press release rather than a serious piece of economic research.”

Recent reports have shown hotel prices dropping as the tournament nears, which could indicate fewer people plan to travel for the games. That would be a major factor for host cities, since out-of-town visitors are key to driving a positive economic impact.

Houston does not receive a net benefit from its own residents attending the World Cup. Those people are spending money they likely would have spent in the city anyway, a principle economists call substitution. An event like the World Cup can also crowd out other events, like conferences, that would have drawn out-of-towners to the city. And, of course, much of the money spent at the games flows to entities like FIFA that are not based in Houston.

All of those factors make it difficult to assess the true economic impact on a city or state, Matheson said. That math requires a large set of assumptions, and promoters will usually tweak those assumptions in their favor to drive up the total. 

It can be even harder to fully track the public spending needed to cover the hosting duties. 

The contracts reviewed by the Chronicle include a clause under which cities promise to “agree to do all things necessary to preserve their confidentiality,” unless required by local law to release them. And the nonprofit organizing committees generally are not subject to public disclosure laws.

Chin, the FIFA spokesperson, said the contracts contain information that is “commercially sensitive,” and it is standard to withhold them for “global events of this scale.”

As a result, many of the details about taxpayers’ investments remain out of public view. They include figures about how much FIFA will pay each city to use its stadium, which local companies have agreed to donate millions toward preparations and what benefits they receive in return, the tax breaks that FIFA will enjoy from each city, and how each host committee plans to pay for the extensive preparations that go into hosting the tournament.

The contracts the Chronicle obtained provide broad categories of responsibility that fall under a host city’s purview — security, transportation and retrofitting stadiums, among them. But the documents rarely attach dollar figures to those efforts. 

Academic experts say the system’s secrecy is by design.

“It’s atrocious how secretive they are with these sorts of taxpayer-funded events,” said David Cuillier, director of The Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida. “These cities are going to invest a lot of money in hosting FIFA, and the people who are paying for that should know. They should know how much money and how it’s being spent. That’s why we have open records laws.”

Disclosure: Texas Public Policy Foundation has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

From neighborhood ponds to bayous and marshes, experts say Southeast Texas is prime habitat for the American alligator, and sightings are becoming more common as development expands into natural wetlands.

At Brazos Bend State Park, where alligators are a regular sight, Texas Parks & Wildlife staff say the increase in encounters isn’t necessarily because there are more gators, but because more people are living alongside them.

The Houston region is largely marshland, making it ideal for alligators to thrive. Add in man-made retention ponds, neighborhood lakes, and golf course water hazards, and you’ve created a perfect habitat right in residential areas.

Experts say adult alligators in this region typically reach 10 to 11 feet long, though larger ones, even up to 14 feet, have been spotted in places like Brazos Bend.

Are alligators dangerous?

Despite their size, alligators are not naturally aggressive toward humans.

“They’ll hiss and let you know if you’re too close,” said park ranger Brandi Reeder. “You want to give any wild animal… a healthy, respectful distance.”

Alligators are opportunistic feeders, meaning they typically eat fish, turtles, frogs, and injured birds, not people. You may see them basking along the water’s edge, which is normal behavior used to regulate body temperature.

However, activity tends to increase during breeding season, which runs from late March through early summer. During this time, females may guard nests, and hatchlings appear later in the season.

The biggest mistake people make

Feeding alligators.

Experts stress this is both illegal and dangerous.

When people feed alligators, whether intentionally or by tossing food into the water, the animals begin to associate humans with food. That loss of fear can quickly turn a wild animal into a public safety risk.

In many cases, that leads to the alligator being labeled a “nuisance” and removed or euthanized.

How alligators are managed

Alligators are a protected species in Texas and are carefully managed through regulated hunting, egg collection programs, and nuisance control.

Relocating alligators isn’t always a solution. In some cases, especially when animals become aggressive or too comfortable around people, licensed nuisance hunters may be called in.

What to do if you see an alligator

Wildlife officials say the rules are simple, and critical:

• Never feed alligators
• Keep your distance and observe from afar
• Keep pets on a leash and away from the water
• Do not let pets swim in waters where gators may be present
• Never attempt to handle or move an alligator

If an alligator is blocking access to your home or appears aggressive, call Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Law Enforcement Communications at 512-389-4848.

Officials also stress that shooting an alligator is only justified in immediate self-defense, not after the fact.

The focus is on speed cushions, which are raised sections of roadway designed to slow drivers down without impacting emergency vehicles.

They’ve already been installed in neighborhoods across Houston as part of the city’s Neighborhood Traffic Management Program.

If you’ve driven through residential streets recently, chances are you’ve gone over one.

City officials say the devices are meant to reduce speeding and cut through traffic, both of which are growing concerns in neighborhoods across the city.

According to Houston Public Works, the projects were implemented after traffic studies and community input. Each neighborhood plan was reviewed with residents and adjusted before installation.

Now, those speed cushions are still considered temporary, unless the council signs off.

The proposal spans multiple districts citywide, including areas like Acres Homes and Meyerland, along with dozens of other communities.

In total, the work represents more than $3.5 million in construction costs, funded primarily through council district service funds, with some contributions coming from community organizations and neighborhood groups.

For residents like Paula Avila, the changes are already noticeable.

“I think they’re necessary,” Avila said. “This is a neighborhood that is very close to the city, and we see a lot of racing, we see people run red lights.

Edward Eastland’s words came as dozens of the girls’ family members sat just feet behind him during the second day of a special legislative hearing in which state lawmakers posed tough questions about Camp Mystic’s lack of emergency planning before the devastating July 4 flood. A report of findings is expected later this year.

“We tried our hardest that night. It wasn’t enough to save your daughters,” said Eastland, a camp director and a member of the family that owns the 100-year-old camp along the Guadalupe River. “I’m so sorry.”

Eastland said he and his father Richard Eastland were on the campsite that night, and that they made a desperate attempt to save the girls when they realized that heavy rain had created a raging flood that ripped through the camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Richard Eastland died in the flood and Edward survived only after being swept into a tree.

“These girls were our youngest campers and their amazing counselors who we watched grow up,” Eastland said. “The world was a better place with them in it and the anger at us for not being able to keep them safe is completely reasonable.”

The apology came at the outset of the hearing before he and several members of the Eastland family were questioned for about four hours by state lawmakers who at times said the family remained unprepared to reopen the camp and repeatedly questioned the lack of emergency training for staff last year. Legislators also questioned several of the decisions made during the flood that delayed an evacuation and ultimately cost lives.

Lawmakers press camp owners on emergency training

Britt Eastland, another director, said the camp will dramatically improve training for counselors and stage drills for campers to prepare for floods, fire, tornadoes and intruders. Legislative investigators on Monday noted the camp’s previous lack of flood training as a critical problem that contributed to the deaths.

“All of these things should have been being done in the first place,” said Sen. Charles Perry.

The panel pressed the Eastlands on why they didn’t make a last-ditch effort to get on the camp PA system and order everyone to head to higher ground.

Edward Eastland said it didn’t even occur to him to leave the girls they were trying to rescue to go back to the camp office and make such an announcement.

“Every minute was spent trying to get to the next cabin,” he said. “If we had a little more time, we could have gotten everybody out.”

Camp owners make plans to reopen

Camp Mystic’s owners want to reopen in late May and have said they will only use the parts of the camp that didn’t flood. They expect nearly 900 attendees this summer. Those plans have angered victims’ families, and some prominent state officials have called for regulators to deny or delay renewal of the camp’s license, which is under review.

Another of the sons, named Richard Eastland after his father, said while the family doesn’t plan to open the camp if their license isn’t renewed, they would likely appeal if that was the state’s decision.

“We will not open Cypress Lake if we do not have a license,” he said.

But that seemed to spark disagreement among the victims’ family members. Britt Eastland quickly interjected that it would be a “family decision.”

The special legislative committee does not control the review of Camp Mystic’s license. Because the camp has applied to renew its previous license, it could reopen while its application is pending. If denied, it still could operate while its case is under appeal.

The Eastland family also said it’s still an open question whether they would eventually try to reopen the river camp. If they do, no campers would be placed in buildings that flooded.

“We’re praying about that every day. We don’t know what to do,” Britt Eastland said.

Camp’s readiness to host girls questioned

Several lawmakers questioned how the camp could be ready to reopen this summer.

State regulators last week notified Camp Mystic of 22 deficiencies in its emergency plan. Mary Liz Eastland, the camp’s medical director, acknowledged Tuesday she has not officially reported last summer’s deaths to state health officers.

“Are you ready to take on 500-plus children,” for camp this summer, asked Sen. Lois Kolkhorst. She noted state agencies have shut down licensed residential living centers for a single death, let alone dozens.

“The license is a privilege to have,” Kolkhorst said.

“We are ready,” Britt Eastland said, adding that he believes Camp Mystic’s broader community will ultimately “be glad we had camp this summer.”

That drew an audible gasp from some in the room, and several of the victims’ family members walked out.

Julie Sprunt Marshall, whose 9-year-old daughter was swept out of her cabin and rescued more than a mile down river, said the survivors continue to suffer trauma. She asked the lawmakers to not let the camp open under the Eastland family “who failed our daughters.”

“The camp will be conducting an incredibly dangerous experiment on children,” Marshall said, “testing what will happen with the first drop of rain, the first clap of thunder, at the first time a noise startles them awake.”

Applications were accepted between Feb. 4 and March 31, 2026, and officials say all submissions have now been reviewed and sorted into priority tiers.

• First round of Texas Education Freedom Accounts awarded to priority students

So far, more than 42,000 students in the highest priority group, Tier 1 applicants and their siblings, have already been awarded funding and notified. That includes 27,050 Tier 1 students and 15,592 siblings.

Program leaders say all eligible Tier 1 applicants and their siblings will receive funding, totaling approximately $415 million.

However, tens of thousands of families are still waiting to learn their status.

• 72,927 Tier 2 students are awaiting the lottery, awards, or placement on a waitlist
• 66,119 Tier 3 students are awaiting lottery and waitlisting
• 66,950 Tier 4 students are also awaiting lottery and waitlisting

Tier 4 applicants are further divided into:

• 13,246 students who attended public school during the 2024–25 school year
• 53,704 students who attended private school during the same period

Additionally, 25,400 applications were deemed ineligible.

TEFA officials announced that the next phase of the process is now underway, with a lottery for Tier 2 students set to begin this week. Award notifications will follow.

In a message to families, the TEFA team acknowledged the overwhelming demand and limited funding.

“While we are not able to fund every applicant, we are committed to keeping you informed throughout the process and ensuring transparency in how awards are distributed,” the statement read.

Families are encouraged to review the program’s lottery process and frequently asked questions online as the next round of selections begins.

Things feel a bit different now, with the Wild going home for Game 6 on Thursday night with a chance to eliminate the Dallas Stars and advance to the second round for the first time since 2015.

“I think it’s important just to stay calm. You know, don’t overthink it,” said Zuccarello, the 16-year NHL veteran in his seventh season with the Wild. “Don’t read whatever you guys (media) say about we haven’t gotten out of the first round in a couple of years. Just calm and collected.”

Zuccarello scored the first goal less than four minutes into Game 5 on Tuesday night in Dallas, which was the 38-year-old top-line forward’s return from a three-game absence with an upper-body injury. The Wild, in their 12th playoff appearance over 14 seasons, went on to a 4-2 win for a 3-2 series lead.

The only other time Minnesota has ever had a 3-2 series lead was that first round in 2015, when they beat St. Louis in six games. The Wild have since lost nine consecutive playoff series, including to Dallas in 2016 and 2023.

“We’ve got to just look to control our emotions in Game 6 and in front of our home crowd, a place where we had a good feeling leaving last time,” said forward Marcus Foligno said, who is in his ninth season. “I think it's a little bit different. I think we have a lot of leadership and guys that are experienced. ... It’s a close group but a really hard working group and a confident one right now.”

Wild captain Jared Spurgeon and fellow defenseman Jonas Brodin are the only two current players who have taken part in a postseason series victory in Minnesota. Spurgeon was then a 25-year-old in his fifth of his 16 NHL seasons — all with the same team. Brodin's status is uncertain for the potential clincher at home after leaving Game 5 with a lower-body injury.

If Minnesota can't wrap up the powerhouse first-round series at home, where it won Game 4 in overtime, a deciding Game 7 would be Saturday in Dallas.

The series winner will advance to play well-rested top-seeded Central Division foe Colorado, which finished off a sweep of its first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings last Sunday.

Kirill Kaprizov had two assists on Tuesday night, two days after his 29th birthday, before an empty-net goal with two minutes left. His second goal in this series was the 17th playoff goal of his career, breaking a tie with Zach Parise for the most in franchise history. His ninth career multipoint playoff game also surpassed Parise.

Matt Boldy, the 25-year-old budding standout, had the tiebreaking power-play goal in the final minute of the second period after having one taken away because of a goalie interference challenge at the end of the first.

Jesper Wallstedt, their 23-year-old rookie who has started every game in net over Filip Gustavsson in this series, had 20 saves in Game 5. He has allowed only three goals against the Stars in five-on-five situations, with neither coming that way.

“We’re very confident of where we’re at. ... Now we get to bring the series home,” Wallstedt said. “I’ve never played in a game of that type of magnitude. I’m very excited. I’m looking forward to it so much.”

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Sixteen cities across the United States, Mexico and Canada will be hosting the 2026 World Cup in June and July. On average, July is the hottest month of the year for the contiguous U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and it’s only gotten warmer since record-keeping began in 1895. Wet bulb globe temperatures, which factor humidity, wind speed, sun angle and more, could exceed 90 F (32 C) in the afternoons in the Texas cities of Dallas and Houston and Monterrey, Mexico, research shows.

“Almost all of the host locations, 14 out of 16 of them, experience levels of extreme heat, which could be potentially dangerous to players, match officials and possibly spectators,” said Donal Mullan, a senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast who lead a paper last year examining the heat risks of this year's host cities. Some stadiums have the advantage of being fully covered, reducing the risks.

Exposure to heat, amplified during exertion, can lead to nausea, dehydration, headaches, stroke and, in extreme cases, death. Worries from some that millions of people could be exposed during the tournament were amplified in March, when record-breaking temperatures hit large swaths of the U.S. And with global temperatures rising because of pollution from burning oil, gas and coal, scientists have warned that staging soccer tournaments in the summer is getting more dangerous.

The 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar was moved from summer to winter because of the threat of extreme heat. Last year's Club World Cup experienced a heat wave that sent temperatures soaring into the 90s F (32s C) and above in many areas. Following the event, the soccer players' global union warned that extreme heat would likely be an even bigger problem at the next two men’s World Cups. The 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

This year, host cities, stadiums and FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, are working to protect players and spectators by conducting heat risk assessments, enhancing shade, cooling zones and water access, stationing medical teams during events and more.

Some plans are still being finalized, but here’s a look at what to expect inside stadiums and at outdoor events:

Protecting athletes and FIFA personnel

Players will get 3-minute hydration breaks midway through each half, regardless of weather conditions, FIFA said. Other welfare plans include allowing teams the usual of up to five substitutions, a minimum of three rest days between matches, and staff and substitutes will have access to climate-controlled benches at outdoor matches. Climate conditions are factored into the match schedule.

“Outdoor matches during the hottest parts of the day have been strategically limited, kick-off times adjusted in certain markets, and matches expected in warmer windows prioritized for covered stadiums where possible,” FIFA said.

The federation has also created a Heat Illness Mitigation and Management Task Force made of medical and operational experts. Ahead of the games, they are finalizing heat-risk alert systems, coordinating stadium medical action plans and other standardized guidance.

Heat messaging, activating extreme heat plans and medical personnel

Officials will be monitoring weather conditions and be prepared to activate extreme heat plans if they determine that temperatures are too hot. If activated, plans will include sending out public safety messaging on how to protect yourself from heat and how to recognize signs of heat exhaustion and stroke.

If Canada's federal agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada, issues an official heat warning, for instance, the city of Vancouver will add more temporary drinking fountains, handwashing and misting stations outside to complement its multilanguage heat awareness campaign.

Along main tournament and festival routes, volunteers will also be providing heat safety information to attendees and workers.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said it will be disseminating heat safety and proper hydration information leading up to and during the games. It will also be launching a heat dashboard for the public with near-real-time data on heat-related emergency room visits in the county.

New York City will be prepared to send out notifications in 14 different languages to its 1.5 million public warning subscribers, as well as international visitors on the Everbridge app and WhatsApp channels.

Educational campaigns are helpful for promoting hydration, use of shade and more, but research shows passively disseminating information doesn't always have the intended effect, said William Adams, assistant professor in kinesiology at Michigan State University who researches exertional heat stress among athletes. It requires a more active approach, but that isn't really feasible with large events like this one, he said.

Medical personnel will also be stationed and available in FIFA Fan Festivals and around several stadiums during matches to manage heat-related illnesses, including at the Toronto Stadium in Canada and the Dallas Stadium in Texas.

At Dallas' outdoor events, all medical professionals will have access to ice and ice immersion bags, and the city’s festival site — where people can watch live matches — will also have two medical stations in climate-controlled locations.

Increased access to shade, water and cooling stations

Cities and stadiums will be increasing access to shade, cooling areas and water for spectators and workers.

In addition to being ready to implement its heat and smoke response plans if necessary, the Seattle Office of Emergency Management in Washington State is exploring using air-conditioned buses, tents and water misters at fan fests and matches.

In Vancouver, there will be shaded seating areas at all the various tournament events and locations around the city.

Volunteers and workers at outside events in Dallas will have mandated rest and hydration breaks. And officials will be working with volunteer organizations to hand out water.

These combined efforts hope to reduce heat‑related illnesses and help minimize strain on local hospitals during the tournament.

Stadium coverage and cooler hours

Some stadiums are covered, such as Canada’s BC Place Vancouver stadium that will host seven games. It is “one of only four 2026 World Cup stadiums which are fully covered so players and fans will not be exposed to weather conditions while inside the stadium,” the City of Vancouver said in a statement.

The Dallas venue has air conditioning and is also enclosed, “so we don’t anticipate any weather-related issues inside,” said Tim Ciesco with the Arlington Police Department.

In Santa Clara, Calif., all matches will be played in the evening, when weather conditions are cooler.

Elliot Arthur-Worsop, founding director For Football for Future, a group focused on creating environmental sustainability in soccer, said the tournament's organizers have a responsibility to keep people safe. “That’s a social contract that exists between the fans and football governing bodies,” he said. In a climate report they published ahead of this year's games, they found heat and other climate risks will intensify in most stadiums hosting games in 2050.

“By the next time the World Cup comes back and is awarded in this part of the world,” he said, “it will have to be structured differently and adapted.”

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Associated Press writers Graham Dunbar and Seth Borenstein contributed to this report.

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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

Prodded by his son, Mattingly decided to give baseball another go, and accepted a job over the winter as Philadelphia's bench coach, where he would be reunited with his old friend from their New York Yankees days in manager Rob Thomson.

But manage again when the Yankees great known as Donnie Baseball was about to turn 65?

“I don’t think I have the energy for that anymore,” Mattingly said in January.

Mattingly seemed candid about his future at the time because all logic and recent history showed that he was joining a heavyweight World Series contender in Philadelphia. Why even toss around the idea of ever filling out a lineup card again, especially with a high-priced, postseason-tested roster brimming with talent including Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Zack Wheeler?

Fast forward four months and the Phillies' season has come to this: Mattingly's last best shot at winning his first World Series ring after more than 40 years in baseball starts with managing one of the worst teams in the National League.

Mattingly is indeed the manager for the rest of the season, taking the interim job Tuesday hours after the Phillies fired Thomson — and openly flirted with the idea of replacing him with former Red Sox manager Alex Cora — with the stout belief that a championship team beats in the heart of this underachieving roster.

The job either comes with a perk or the potential for awkwardness with Mattingly also the father of his new boss, Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly.

“I know how competitive he is,” Mattingly said. “Him and I are a little different. He looks at things, he's a little outside the box at times, which I appreciate. It's helped me grow.”

Also give 11-year-old son Louis Mattingly the bulk of the credit for flipping dad’s decision in the offseason.

Mattingly — who wore a white pinstriped suit in the 1980s Hit Man poster that was a staple in many a 1980s New York kid's bedroom — is off to a fine start in Philly.

Thomson, who led the Phillies to four straight postseason berths, including the 2022 World Series, would still have his job had Philadelphia regularly played as well at it did in a 7-0 win over San Franciso in Mattingly's debut.

“I’m going to watch our game,” Thomson said in a video call with reporters shortly before the game. “I really am.”

Thomson surely enjoyed the result — even if it perhaps came with a bit of frustration the Phillies failed to play more consistent complete games throughout April.

Turner became the first Phillie all season with a four-hit game. Jesús Luzardo, just two starts after the lefty allowed nine runs and 12 hits against the Cubs, tossed two-hit ball, struck out eight and walked none over seven shutout innings. He teamed with two relievers for the Phillies' first shutout of the season.

The Phillies lost 10 straight games and 11 of 12 in Thomson's final stretch of an otherwise successful tenure. Mattingly kept the coaching staff intact — notably beleaguered hitting coach Kevin Long, who took most of the heat for the Phillies' woes — and third base coach Dusty Wathan was promoted to bench coach.

“I don't know if I'm a whole lot different from Rob, honestly,” Mattingly said. “I trust players, I believe in players, I like players. But I want us to play better baseball.”

Mattingly, who managed the Dodgers from 2011-15 and the Marlins from 2016-22, also didn't seem to mind he was Philadelphia's second managerial choice.

Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, made it clear Tuesday that Cora was his first choice to succeed Thomson. Dombrowski ran the front office in Boston when Cora managed the Red Sox to a World Series championship in 2018. A Philly reunion made sense on paper, though Cora ultimately passed.

“I came to the conclusion that if he took it, I would make a change. I thought he would take it," Dombrowski said. "Until Monday morning it was apparent from his perspective he wanted to take time with his family. He wanted to be a father first and foremost and so that’s what he had decided.”

The Phillies' woes stretch way beyond the manager.

From former All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm to second baseman Bryson Stott, the Phillies underperformed for a team with $284.7 million payroll. The Phillies are aging and the rotation was a disaster — which led to the decision to release Taijuan Walker — all part of a recipe for a team that used Tuesday's win to move to 10-19.

The Phillies, of course, have been here before, notably in 2022 when Dombrowski fired Joe Girardi after a 22-29 start and they went 65-46 the rest of the season under Thomson. The schedule works in Mattingly's favor to duplicate that run with nine of the next 13 games at home with only the Athletics (out of three other teams) holding a winning record.

Mattingly thought he was out. He's now all the way back in — and the Phillies' World Series hopes are firmly pinned on a manager who's never won one.

“This is not about how I'm going to do,” Mattingly said. “It's really about club.”

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

Broadnax was 20 when he was sentenced to death in 2009 for the robbery and deadly shooting of Christian music producers Stephen Swan, 26, and Matthew Butler, 28, in Garland. Demarius Cummings, his cousin and codefendant, was sentenced to life for his part in the double capital murder.

Now 37, Broadnax has unsuccessfully appealed his sentence multiple times in state and federal courts. His remaining petition asks the Supreme Court to halt his execution, arguing that Broadnax did not pull the trigger. That application instead points to a March confession by Cummings asserting that he shot both producers and persuaded Broadnax, who had no criminal history, to take the blame.

Broadnax admitted to shooting Swan and Butler in media statements after his arrest. His lawyers told the Supreme Court those confessions were given under the influence of drugs and while Broadnax was experiencing “severe psychological distress and suicidal tendencies.”

Cummings’ confession was initially raised in a petition to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which rejected Broadnax’s claims April 7 without reviewing them, saying his lawyers should have raised them in an earlier appeal. A concurring opinion by Judge Gina Parker said although Cummings had confessed to the killings, Broadnax has not recanted his own confession in the 16 years since his conviction.

The Supreme Court petition also argued prosecutors improperly struck potential jurors based on their race to create the nearly all white jury that convicted him.

The Supreme Court rejected two other Broadnax appeals Monday, one of which argued trial prosecutors relied on “racially inflammatory evidence” by misrepresenting rap lyrics Broadnax had written. Several nationally recognized rappers and artists, including Houston rapper Travis Scott, filed briefs in support of that appeal.

Texas Rep. John Bucy, D-Austin, called for the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to intervene in Broadnax’s case, describing a “biased, racially charged trial” and arguing that an execution would be a misapplication of justice.

“Given the physical evidence, his co-defendant’s confession, and serious due process concerns — compounded by racial overtones — James deserves a new trial or, at minimum, a sentence that fits the crime,” Bucy said. “The people of Texas deserve fair justice for all. To execute James would not be that.”

Two men have been executed by the state in 2026, with three additional executions scheduled after Broadnax. Edward Busby, set to be put to death May 14, is next after being convicted of robbing a woman in 2005 and wrapping her face in duct tape, suffocating her.

Texas has executed 598 inmates since resuming capital punishment in 1982. While new death sentences have declined since the turn of the century, Texas has accounted for more than a third of all executions nationally in the same time frame and more than the next four states combined.

The conviction for obstruction of justice and other charges comes on top of a life sentence he has already received on rebellion charges stemming from his baffling authoritarian push, which triggered the most serious crisis for the country’s democracy in decades.

Judge Yoon Sung-sik of the Seoul High Court said the conservative former president sidestepped a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting before declaring martial law, falsified documents to conceal the lapse, and deployed security officials “like a private army” to resist law enforcement efforts to arrest him in the weeks following his impeachment. Former President Yoon stood quietly as the verdict was delivered and made no comment.

Yoo Jeong-hwa, one of Yoon’s lawyers, called the verdict “very disappointing” and said the legal team would appeal to the Supreme Court. Yoon has also appealed his life sentence.

A lower court in January sentenced Yoon to five years in prison but partially cleared him of abuse-of-power charges tied to the Cabinet meeting ahead of the martial law declaration, finding he was not responsible for the failure to attend of two members who were invited.

The Seoul High Court reversed that acquittal, finding him guilty on all counts and ruling that he violated the rights of those two as well as seven other Cabinet members who weren’t notified by convening only a select few to simulate a formal meeting.

Though brief, Yoon’s Dec. 3, 2024, martial law decree threw the country into a severe political crisis, paralyzing politics and high-level diplomacy and rattling financial markets. The turmoil eased only after his liberal rival, Lee Jae Myung, won an early presidential election in June.

Yoon was suspended from office on Dec. 14, 2024, after being impeached by the liberal-led legislature and was formally removed by the Constitutional Court in April 2025.

Following his suspension from office, he refused to comply with a Seoul court's warrant to detain him for questioning, setting up a standoff in which dozens of investigators arrived at the presidential residence in early January 2025 but were blocked by presidential security forces and vehicle barricades. He was detained later that month, released by another court in March, and was then re-arrested in July.

He remained in custody after that as a series of criminal trials, which are continuing, began.

Wednesday’s ruling came a day after the same court increased to four years the sentence of Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, for charges including accepting luxury gifts from the Unification Church, which sought political favors from Yoon’s government, and involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme.

Prosecutors in a separate trial last week also requested a 30-year prison term for Yoon over allegations that he deliberately tried to escalate tensions with North Korea in 2024 by ordering drone flights over Pyongyang as he sought to create justifiable conditions for martial law at home.

The program, born in the grief of one of the nation’s worst mass shootings, teaches students how to identify warning signs among their peers and urges them to report any red flags to an anonymous tip system or a trusted adult to head off any violence.

Since that first class in a Columbus church, the program, “Say Something,” has been presented to thousands of students nationwide. Nearly 395,000 tips have been sent in, ranging from threats of school shootings and suicides to drug use and bullying. One tip last year led to the arrest of an Indiana student who threatened a shooting at her school.

“It’s been very successful,” said Hockley, whose son Dylan was among the 20 first graders and six educators who died at Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012. “Having had direct experience of both of my children being in a school shooting and my youngest one dying, I feel very compelled to honor that legacy by doing all that I can to prevent future acts of violence and school shootings.”

Trainers with Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit founded in early 2013 by Hockley and other relatives of the Newtown victims, have traveled to all 50 states to show students how to spot signs of potential violence or self-harm — which can include threats on social media, an obsession with weapons or behavioral changes — as well as the importance of speaking up before something bad happens.

Shootings are on students' minds

For students who have grown up in an age where mass killings are often in the news and whose schools regularly run lockdown drills, having a way to take action can be comforting.

“School shootings are definitely very scary, and they do run through your head as a high school student,” said Addison Hunt, a 17-year-old junior at Hanover High School in Hanover, Massachusetts. “But I think being able to have these outlets where you can report things definitely makes me feel a lot safer.”

On a recent afternoon, a “Say Something” instructor took Hunt and her classmates through the program in the auditorium of the school, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) south of Boston.

Keely Rogers, a 28-year-old former high school music educator, explained to the group that research has found that nearly all school attackers showed warning signs beforehand, most commonly on social media.

“You are going to become the eyes and ears of your school through social media, right?” she said. “Your teachers and staff don’t follow the same people as you. They can’t keep an eye out. They can’t keep everyone safe.”

In a slideshow she pointed to an Instagram post, pulled from a real tip to the group’s reporting system, that said, “Don’t come 2 school tomorrow if you wanna live.” Rogers said someone reported the post within three minutes and action was taken.

Ava Khouri, Hanover’s senior class president, said one of the program’s key points, for her, was not to worry about what others will think about you if you speak up.

“I think that definitely students are wary to bring these issues up to adults and administration in the school, because they’re worried they’re either going to be made fun of for tattling or getting someone else in trouble,” she said. “So I think that this program definitely gave light to the fact that you’re not a tattletale if you’re helping someone and you’re helping others.”

Both Hunt and Khouri said they had reported troubling behavior to parents and educators before learning about the program.

A tip leads to an arrest

Trained crisis counselors staff the “Say Something” anonymous reporting system 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, referring serious situations to police and school officials. The most common tips are concerns about bullying, drug use, harassment and self-harm, according to Sandy Hook Promise.

Every once in a while, the system receives an alarming tip that is immediately passed on to law enforcement.

Last year in Indiana, among many examples, someone used the system to report that a student was planning a shooting at Mooresville High School, near Indianapolis, on Feb. 14. That's the anniversary of the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The student, 18-year-old Trinity Shockley, was arrested Feb. 12.

The tipster, a friend of Shockley, said Shockley was obsessed with the Parkland shooter and had access to an AR-15 rifle, according to a police report. Authorities said Shockley’s social media postings included one that said “Parkland part two. Of course. I’ve been planning this for a YEAR.”

Shockley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced in November to 12 years in prison, though her lawyer insisted that Shockley would not have carried out the plan, local news outlets reported.

Sandy Hook Promise believes that its program and reporting system prevented a shooting in Mooresville, as well as in other communities, and has also stopped suicides.

“So it’s bittersweet,” said Hockley, the co-founder, “because I wish this had existed before Sandy Hook.”

The EU's executive branch said Meta Platforms lacked effective measures to prevent children younger than 13 from signing up, and that it was not doing enough to identify and remove children after they had opened accounts.

Meta's own minimum age to open an account on Facebook or Instagram is 13.

The problem is not just that children are getting access. The European Commission said Meta is also inadequately assessing the risk of children younger than 13 being exposed to “age-inappropriate experiences” on the platforms.

Meta disagreed with the decision, saying that it has measures in place to detect and remove accounts for anyone younger than 13.

“Understanding age is an industry-wide challenge, which requires an industry-wide solution, and we will continue to engage constructively with the European Commission on this important issue,” the company said in a statement, adding it will have more to share next week about additional measures it plans to roll out soon.

Brussels is targeting the Meta with the Digital Services Act, a sweeping set of regulations that requires tech companies operating in the 27-nation bloc to do more to clean up online platforms and protect internet users.

Meta now has the chance to respond to the preliminary findings, before the commission issues its final decision. Violations can result in hefty fines worth up to 6% of a company's worldwide annual revenue.

Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice president at the European Commission, said the bloc's investigation launched in 2024 found that Instagram and Facebook “are doing very little” to prevent children from getting access despite their own terms and conditions indicating “their services are not intended for minors under 13."

“The DSA requires platforms to enforce their own rules: terms and conditions should not be mere written statements, but rather the basis for concrete action to protect users – including children,” she said in a statement.

The government released draft legislation Tuesday it intends to introduce to Parliament by July 2 that would create a financial incentive for the social media companies to strike deals with news organizations to pay for journalism.

The platforms’ criticisms included that the proposal was a “digital services tax” that misunderstood the evolving advertising industry and would fail to deliver a sustainable news sector.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a monetary value needed to be attached to journalists’ work.

“It shouldn’t just be able to be taken by a large multinational corporation and used to generate profits for that organisation with no compensation appropriate for the people who produce that creative content,” Albanese told reporters.

“We think that investment in journalism is critical to a healthy democracy,” he added.

It’s Australia's second legislative attempt to make the platforms pay for the Australian news text and images that their users view.

Digital platforms had been pressured to strike deals with Australian news publishers to pay for journalism by legislation passed in 2021 that created the country's News Media Bargaining Code.

The platforms chose to reach commercial deals with news creators rather than be forced into arbitration and have a judge set the price.

But they have since avoided renewing those deals by removing news from their services.

The proposed News Bargaining Incentive would charge major platforms that choose not to strike commercial deals with news publishers a 2.25% tax on their Australian revenue.

The platforms would be given offsets and their overall costs would be lowered if they agree to pay publishers for journalism, the government said.

The government expects the incentive would raise between 200 to 250 million Australian dollars ($144 million-$179 million) a year. That was about as much as the platforms paid news outlets when the News Media Bargaining Code was working at its peak.

The government would distribute that income among news organizations based on how many journalists each organization employed, Communication Minister Anika Wells said.

The tax would apply to Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, Google, which is owned by Alphabet Inc., and TikTok, which is majority-owned by U.S.-backed investors.

Opposing the proposed legislation, Meta said news organizations “voluntarily post content on our platforms because they receive value from doing so.”

“The idea that we take their news content is simply wrong. This proposed legislation, which would apply to platforms regardless of whether news content even appears on our services, is nothing more than a digital services tax,” Meta said in a statement.

“A government-mandated transfer of wealth from one industry to another, with no connection to the value exchanged, will not deliver a sustainable or innovative news sector. Instead, it will create a news industry dependent on a government-administered subsidy scheme,” Meta added.

Google said “we reject the need for this tax.”

“It ignores the fact that Google already has commercial agreements with the news industry, misunderstands how the ad market changed and mandates payments from some companies while arbitrarily excluding platforms like Microsoft, Snapchat and OpenAI -- despite the major shift in how people consume news,” a Google statement said.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

All the targeted platforms are American. U.S. critics have argued that Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code had disproportionately cost American corporations.

Albanese was not concerned by potential pushback from the United States.

“We’re a sovereign nation and my government will make decisions based upon the Australian national interest,” Albanese said.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino pushed for changes after Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni tried to hide verbal insults toward Vinícius Júnior in a Champions League game and Senegal's team walked off the field to protest a referee's decision in a heated and chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final.

Soccer’s rulemaking panel, the International Football Association Board, agreed that players can be penalized with a red card if they cover their mouths when verbally confronting another player.

The rule is not mandatory within The Laws of the Game but gives competition organizers like FIFA the option to use it.

It was unanimously approved by IFAB officials from FIFA and the four British soccer federations at a special meeting Tuesday in Vancouver, British Columbia, ahead of the FIFA Congress on Thursday.

FIFA's proposal followed Vinícius, backed by Real Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappé, accusing Prestianni of making a racially charged insult while raising his jersey to cover his mouth during the game in February.

Last week, UEFA handed Prestianni a six-game ban — three of the games deferred for a probationary period — for the verbal abuse, which it said was homophobic. UEFA could not prove the racial insult which Prestianni denied, though he admitted using a homophobic slur.

If Prestianni is selected for Argentina's World Cup squad, he must sit out the defending champion's first two matches in June, although the ban can be appealed.

“At the discretion of the competition organizer, any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card,” IFAB said.

IFAB also agreed any player who leaves the field in protest of a referee's decision can be sanctioned with a red card. The rule also applies to team officials who urge players to leave the field.

Senegal players left the field during stoppage time of the AFCON final in January to protest host nation Morocco being awarded a penalty when the score was 0-0. Play was delayed for nearly 15 minutes before Morocco's spot-kick was saved. Senegal scored in extra time to win the title.

Senegal was later stripped of the title by an appeals panel of African soccer's governing body, and the case will now be judged at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.

IFAB said the amendments will be communicated to all 48 teams playing in the World Cup starting June 11, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

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

“A little bit of rain is going to help us, but it’s not going to get us out of this situation,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp told a news conference after touring the fire areas Tuesday. “We’re going to be in this for a while.”

A fire that has burned roughly 35 square miles (90 square kilometers) and destroyed more than 80 homes in rural Brantley County was 32% contained, the command team overseeing the fire response said Tuesday. That's up from just 6% containment reported Monday.

Rains on Sunday slowed the fire enough to give crews an opening to widen containment lines along the perimeter and to snuff out some smoldering pockets, said Johnny Sabo, director of the Georgia Forestry Commission.

“As that number increases, our confidence at holding it in that footprint increases,” Sabo told reporters. He added: “We have a long way to go. I just want to stress that.”

A larger wildfire in sparsely populated Clinch and Echols counties has charred more than 50 square miles (130 square kilometers) at the Georgia-Florida line. Sabo said crews have held that fire to roughly the same footprint for four days. It was considered 23% contained Tuesday.

One home and several dozen sheds and other smaller structures were destroyed, said Don Thomas, a Georgia Forestry Commission spokesperson.

An unusually large number of wildfires are burning this spring across the Southeast. Scientists say the threat of fire has been amplified by a combination of extreme drought, gusty winds, climate change and dead trees and other vegetation.

No fire injuries or deaths have been reported in Georgia. A volunteer firefighter in Nassau County, Florida, died last week after suffering an unspecified medical emergency while suppressing a brush fire.

Progress made against the Brantley County blaze prompted local officials to lift evacuation orders Monday for roughly 1,500 people who had fled their homes. About 2,500 remained displaced, said Susan Heisey, a spokesperson for the fire command team.

Local officials have warned people returning home to be prepared to evacuate again if necessary.

Both Georgia fires ignited as the state's worst drought in two decades has rendered vast pine forests and swampy lowlands tinder dry and highly combustible.

Investigators concluded the Brantley County fire began April 20 when a foil balloon touched a power line, creating an electrical arc that set the ground ablaze. The fire in Clinch and Echols counties started April 18 by a falling spark as a man was welding a gate, according to state officials.

Forecasts showed a high chance of more rain over the fires this weekend. There's also a possibility of thunderstorms, which can produce lightning that causes new fires.

Officials haven't said how long the Georgia fires might burn, only that it will take significant rainfall to extinguish them.

Sabo noted that a vast fire sparked by lightning in the nearby Okefenokee Swamp in 2011 burned for just shy of a year.

The 31-year-old two-way superstar gave up two runs, one earned, and five hits while walking three against the Miami Marlins. He threw 104 pitches — his most for the Dodgers — with 67 for strikes before leaving trailing 2-0. The Dodgers lost 2-1.

“Stuff-wise, it wasn’t that great,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I wasn’t happy with how the runs scored, too. So overall, it wasn’t that great of an outing.”

It was the second time in three weeks Ohtani only pitched and wasn't in the batting order as the designated hitter.

“It’s almost like a half-day for him,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “I think that in itself is a win for his mind and body.”

Dalton Rushing replaced Ohtani as both the DH and leadoff hitter. Rushing was 0 for 4 with a run scored and a strikeout.

Roberts said the lineup's performance when Ohtani isn't the DH won't figure into decisions on when to use him solely as a pitcher.

“Even without him in the lineup, we should have won the game,” Roberts said.

The Dodgers are trying to carefully manage Ohtani's workload in his first full season with them as a two-way player on a team that is attempting to win a third straight World Series championship.

“Obviously having him do both duties, theory, practice, it’s great,” Roberts said beforehand. “But how sustainable is it without kind of taking a little bit off his plate? That’s the question and it’s not exact science.”

It's too early for Ohtani to tell whether sometimes being a one-way player will preserve him for a potential run deep into the postseason.

“We're only going to find out in the totality if it’s a plus or a minus,” he said. “I think for players who want to do two-way and want to DH, they should get the option to do DH. But at the same time, it’s hard to tell now. We’ll see how it goes at the end of the season.”

Ohtani said he will respect any decisions that are made about when he pitches and hits or just hits.

“I also understand the importance of getting to the end of the season with everybody healthy,” he said. “So talking with the training staff, talking with the team, I think it’s really important that the team makes the decision on what’s good for the team.”

Struggling with his command at times, Ohtani gave up his second earned run in 30 innings over five starts this season, bumping his ERA from 0.38 to 0.60.

“I don’t think he felt completely in sync,” Roberts said. “There was a lot of misfires and bad misses. It was probably with him a delivery situation. But for him to find a way to still navigate six innings and then give up two runs, we should win the game.”

Ohtani was pitching on five days’ rest for the first time this year instead of his usual six or more.

“From the bullpen (onward), I didn’t exactly feel like my stuff was in line with where I wanted to be,” Ohtani said. “I feel great physically. I think it’s something to do with my mechanics.”

Ohtani joined Fernando Valenzuela in 1981 and himself last season as the only Dodgers pitchers to allow just one run over their first five starts of a season. In 2025, Ohtani did so while tossing only 9 1/3 innings.

Ohtani will return to hitting Wednesday afternoon in the series finale.

The four-time MVP is batting .278 with six home runs, 13 RBIs and 32 strikeouts in 108 at-bats. He has an .898 OPS.

“I do feel like over the course of my career it’s just a reality that I’m not exactly hitting at the best of my ability at this time of year,” Ohtani said. “At the same time as a player, I do want to be better and get to that position where I’m feeling really good. It’s a balancing act of the two.”

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

De'Aaron Fox had 21 points, Julian Champagnie added 19 and Dylan Harper scored 17 for the Spurs, who led by as many as 28 in winning their third straight game in the best-of-seven series to advance to the second round.

“We didn’t want to go back to Portland,” Champagnie said. “That was kind of the emphasis for the guys on the team. We just didn’t want to fly back to Portland. It's a four-hour flight. So being up 3-1 and playing at home, it’s a good chance to close it out and not go back. So, that was all of the motivation we needed tonight.”

San Antonio advances to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2017, when it beat the Houston Rockets before losing Kawhi Leonard to an ankle injury and then getting swept by Golden State in the conference finals.

The Spurs will face the winner of the series between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves lead that series 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday.

Leonard’s injury and subsequent trade led to a rapid descent in the Spurs’ fortunes. That futility allowed San Antonio to draft Wembanyama, and the 7-foot-4 center from France was stellar in closing out the Blazers.

“It’s extremely difficult,” Portland coach Tiago Splitter said of Wembanyama's defense. “You've got to do a lot of tricks and try to set back screens and seals and spin actions. It's not easy, because he can contest the 3 and the rim at the same time, basically. He's going to create a lot of problems for a lot of teams for a long time.”

Portland cut its deficit to 91-82 with eight minutes remaining following an 11-0 run. But the Spurs stuffed the rally, including Wembanyama sending Deni Avdija’s floater off the top of the backboard and into the crowd in the final minutes.

Avdija finished with 22 points, but was 1 for 6 from 3-point distance as the Trail Blazers shot 23% from long range.

Portland’s Scoot Henderson scored five points. He was limited to 10 points after a skirmish with Harper in the final minute of the third quarter in San Antonio’s 120-108 win in Game 3 on Saturday.

It was one of several skirmishes during a physical and chippy series between the second-seeded Spurs and No. 7 seed Trail Blazers.

Coach Mitch Johnson said the Spurs could not afford another early double-digit deficit as they had in the third and fourth games. San Antonio responded by charging to a 17-4 start, fueled by a pair of 3-pointers and eight points from Champagnie.

“It’s never perfect, of course, but that’s exactly what we said we wanted to do before the game,” Wembanyama said.

Champagnie finished 5 for 7 from long distance and San Antonio shot 40% from 3-point territory.

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

Sure enough, there was David Pastrnak already heading toward Buffalo’s zone.

Set up by Lindholm, Pastrnak scored on a breakaway 9:14 into overtime, and the Bruins avoided elimination with a 2-1 win in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.

“He’s pretty special when it comes to those opportunities, too, so it was fun to see it go in,” Lindholm said.

Pastrnak said the chemistry he has with Lindholm is a result of them being neighbors.

“We always call it the neighbor connection,” Pastrnak said. “Seems like anytime he has the puck and I have an opening, I have the confidence that he’s gonna find me.”

The series shifts back to Boston for Game 6 on Friday night, with Buffalo still seeking to clinch its first playoff series victory since eliminating the New York Rangers in six games of a 2007 second-round series. The Sabres are in the playoffs for only the third time since, and after snapping an NHL record 14-season playoff drought this year.

Elias Lindholm also scored for Boston which overcame a 1-0 deficit. Jeremy Swayman stopped 25 shots, including foiling Jason Zucker set up in front 3:30 into the extra period.

Rasmus Dahlin scored for Buffalo and Alex Lyon stopped 27 shots.

“He’s always lurking,” Lyon said of Pastrnak, whom the goalie robbed on several chances. “Obviously, he’s one of the best players in the league,” Lyon added of a player who reached the 100-point mark for a fourth straight season. “It’s just one play at the end from a really good player. That’s usually how these things go. And now it’s just incumbent on us to move forward.”

The Sabres were caught up ice, and the Bruins jumped into making a line change, with Pastrnak coming off the bench as the turnover occurred.

Accepting Lindholm’s pass in stride as he crossed Buffalo’s blue line, Pastrnak drove in on net a step ahead of Buffalo’s Mattias Samuelsson. He faked cutting across the front and nearly lost his balance before slipping the puck inside the right post.

“He always gets it done. And what a nice finish from him,” coach Marco Sturm said of the 12th-year player. “I’m just very happy because this guy puts a lot of pressure on himself and he wants to be the difference. And today he was.”

The goal was the 41st of Pastrnak’s playoff career, and second in overtime. He scored Boston’s last overtime goal, also coming in an elimination game, to seal the Bruins’ 2-1 win over Toronto in Game 7 of their 2024 first-round series.

Lindholm tied it 9:24 into the second period after his bad-angle shot bounced into the slot. Lindholm got to the loose puck first and, with his back to the net, spun around and fired in a low shot through a crowd.

Dahlin opened the scoring at 3:35 with his first playoff goal, and Buffalo’s first power-play goal in nearly a month. Driving up the left wing, Zucker’s initial pass attempt was blocked before recovering the puck and feeding Dahlin for a one-timer in the right circle.

The Sabres had gone 0-of-17 with the man advantage this series, and entered the playoffs failing to convert 22 straight chances, dating to a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders on March 31.

The Bruins played without second-line forward Viktor Arvidsson, who was hurt in the first period of Game 4 on Sunday.

Buffalo lost rookie forward Noah Ostlund to a lower-body injury in the first period.

Coach Lindy Ruff didn’t reveal what the injury was, but said, “it doesn’t look good.” Ostlund had just returned to the lineup from an upper-body injury in Game 3, in which he had a goal and assist.

The Bruins have won back-to-back outings in Buffalo after squandering a 2-0 lead in the final 7:58 of a 4-3 loss in Game 1. The Sabres won both outings in Buffalo, and were coming off a 6-1 win on Sunday.

“We’re in a good spot. We should be ready for the next one,” Dahlin said. “It’s a tight game and stuff happens, so we’re ready for going to Boston.”

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The government is appealing lower court orders that blocked the Department of Homeland Security from quickly ending temporary protected status for people from Haiti and Syria. If the justices agree with the Trump administration, authorities could potentially strip protections from up to 1.3 million people from 17 countries, exposing them to possible deportation.

The court has sided with the administration before and allowed the end of the program for people from Venezuela as lawsuits continue to play out, though the justices did not detail their reasoning.

The Justice Department argues that the Homeland Security secretary has the power to end the program known as TPS, and the way the law is written bars judges from questioning those decisions. “’No judicial review’ means no judicial review,” federal attorneys wrote in court documents.

But lawyers for about 350,000 migrants from Haiti and 6,000 from Syria say judges can consider whether authorities followed all the steps laid out in the law. They contend that in both cases, the government short-circuited the process.

Since the start of President Donald Trump's second administration, Homeland Security has ended the protections for 13 countries. Some people who have lived and worked in the U.S. legally for more than a decade have lost jobs and housing in a matter of weeks, attorneys said. Going back to Haiti and Syria is out of the question for many people because those countries remain wracked with violence and instability, said Sejal Zota, co-founder and legal director of Just Futures Law.

“This really is life or death,” she said. Four Haitian women who were deported from the U.S. in February were found beheaded and dumped in a river several months later, lawyers said in court documents.

The Trump administration appealed to the high court after judges in New York and Washington, D.C., agreed to delay the end of protections. One found that “hostility to nonwhite immigrants” likely played a role in the decision to end protections for Haitians. During his presidential campaign, Trump amplified false rumors that Haitian immigrants were abducting and eating dogs and cats. Federal authorities have denied racial animus played any role in the TPS decisions.

Protections for Syrians were first granted protected status in 2012, during a civil war that lasted for more than a decade before the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government in late 2024.

Haitians joined the program in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake and have been extended multiple times amid ongoing gang violence that has displaced more than a million people, according to court documents.

Maryse Balthazar was on vacation in the U.S. when the earthquake hit her home country of Haiti. She’s now been in the U.S. for 16 years with temporary legal status. She has two children and works as a nursing assistant to the elderly. The field relies on Haitian immigrants like her, and would be hobbled by a Supreme Court decision that allowed their status to end, an industry group said in court papers.

For Balthazar, losing those protections would be devastating. She lost her home in Haiti to the earthquake, and another house she could have lived in was destroyed in a fire, possibly due to gang involvement. “I’d be homeless,” she said. “I’m scared … it’s a fear we are all living with.”

Other immigration cases the high court is considering this year include Trump's push to restrict birthright citizenship and the administration's power to revive a restrictive asylum policy.

The royal couple’s swing through the city comes midway through a four-day trip marking 250 years of American independence. It will be the first trip to New York by a reigning British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II visited in 2010.

They are expected to take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial, where they will meet with first responders and the families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other dignitaries are also expected to attend the ceremony, which comes ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

The queen is then scheduled to visit the New York Public Library, where she’ll deliver a new “Roo” doll to add to the library’s famed collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals, as the beloved children’s character turns 100 this year.

The five dolls currently on display -- Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and Kanga -- were the inspiration for the characters in A.A. Milne’s children’s books. They were owned by the English author’s son, the real-life Christopher Robin, in the 1920s. The dolls were donated to the library in 1987 and are a centerpiece of the library’s collection of children’s literature. Roo, in the books, was a small brown kangaroo and son of Kanga.

The king, meanwhile, was expected to visit an after-school, urban farming effort that works with young people affected by food insecurity, as well as meet later with business and financial leaders in Manhattan.

The royal couple are then expected to attend a reception for the King's Trust, a charity Charles founded in 1976.

The four-day trip is Charles’ first state visit to the U.S. since he became king. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made four state visits to the U.S.

Monday, the king and queen joined President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump for tea at the White House.

On Tuesday, Charles and Trump had a closed-door meeting in the Oval Office. The king then delivered a rare speech before Congress -- the first by a British monarch since his late mother in 1991 -- followed by a formal state dinner at the White House.

The monarchs are also expected to make stops in Virginia before wrapping up their U.S. visit back at the White House on Thursday with a formal farewell from Trump. Charles then travels solo to Bermuda on his first visit as king to a British overseas territory.

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

“It would be to avoid media,” said Cohen, an independent voter who has opposed Trump since he announced his 2016 presidential campaign.

Although Cohen has given up, others have not. A new Media Insight Project survey finds that about 6 in 10 U.S adults say they actively try to avoid news stories about Trump “often” or “sometimes.”

Most aren't finding hope in the news — particularly the people who are more apt to dislike Trump. Republicans are more likely to say the news they consume gives them a hopeful view of the world, while few Democrats say this is how they feel.

The findings from the new survey reflect divisions in an American electorate at a time when increased polarization and social media are changing the way people consume news.

David Sterrett, a principal research scientist at the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which was a partner on the project, said Democrats may be exercising wishful thinking when they say they try to avoid news about Trump.

“They would like to avoid Trump news, but they’re probably not because most national politics news is somewhat connected to the president,” he said.

Most Democrats follow political news, but it doesn't make them hopeful

Democrats tend to have more faith in media, particularly national news outlets, compared to Republicans, and they're also more likely to regularly follow national political news, the survey found.

But Republicans are more likely to say the news they consume gives them a hopeful view of the world, while Democrats are more likely to say the news is too stressful to read or watch.

About two-thirds of Democrats and independents say that they “often” or “sometimes” actively try to avoid news stories about Trump. Among them is Fernando Ocegueda, a Democrat in Los Angeles who said he recently cut back on consuming political news for precisely that reason.

“I don’t agree with his decisions,” the 50-year-old phlebotomist said of the president. “I don’t think he’s fit, so I don’t even want to bother in paying attention to what he has to say.”

Cohen, the retiree, said he thinks the president has created a sense of instability that puts many Americans in fight-or-flight mode. He thinks that’s part of what keeps people coming back for more.

“People don’t want to know, but they sort of want to know, because of the imminent sense of threat that is attached to him,” he said. “You know it’s a train wreck, and you just can’t take your eyes off of it.”

Even Republicans say they at times try to avoid Trump news

It's not just Democrats. About half of Republicans in the survey said they “often” or “sometimes” actively try to avoid news stories about Trump. Nicole Pratt, who identifies as a moderate Republican, is one of them.

The 62-year-old in Torrance, California said she supports some things the Trump administration is doing and wants to know the news, but she doesn’t need to read any more stories about what she views as the president's narcissism.

“His fights with other people, his arguments — I don’t bother with that anymore,” she said. “It’s like, I have other things to do.”

Sterrett said some Republicans might say they avoid news about Trump not because they're tired of Trump updates but because they distrust traditional news sources.

“A lot of his followers do get news directly from him via social media, and his posts and announcements,” he said.

Both parties get news on social — even as they say it's a misinformation haven

About 4 in 10 Republicans and Democrats say they get news from social media at least “daily,” but they also recognize the pitfalls of what’s shared there.

Most Democrats and Republicans point to social media users as having “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the spread of misinformation about events and important issues.

They're more divided on where to place the blame otherwise.

About three-quarters of Democrats say politicians have a high amount of responsibility for misinformation spreading, compared to 65% of Republicans. Another 64% of Democrats say that about social media companies such as Facebook or Meta, X, and YouTube, compared to 53% of Republicans.

Most Democrats, 58%, also see at least “quite a bit” of responsibility for misinformation coming from artificial intelligence companies that create and develop AI chatbots. A smaller share of Republicans, 47%, see AI companies as responsible.

Most Republicans, meanwhile, point to national news media as having “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the spread of misinformation about events and important issues. About half of Democrats say the same.

Partisans are hooked on news. Independents, not as much

While Americans aligned with one of the two major parties often differ on their specific views of trust in media, it's independents who are less engaged.

About 8 in 10 Democrats and Republicans regularly follow various news and information topics, compared to roughly 7 in 10 independents.

Other than Trump-related news, partisans are similarly likely to report avoiding news about celebrities, news in general, or news on their various devices — such as on social media or on their phone. Most on both sides of the aisle try to avoid the news when talking with friends or family at least sometimes.

Sterrett said even as the political parties differ in their news preferences, the survey shows some areas of overlap. For example, Americans in both parties are similarly likely to say they follow sports news, weather news or crime news.

“Especially when it comes to local issues and the stuff that affects people’s daily lives, it does seem like Republicans and Democrats are following similar sources and following similar topics,” Sterrett said.

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Swenson reported from New York, and Kinnard reported from Columbia, South Carolina. ___

The Media Insight Project survey is an initiative of the American Press Institute, Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, Local News Network at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll of 2,101 Americans included 1,092 U.S. adults ages 18 and older and 1,009 teenagers ages 13 to 17 but partisanship was only asked of U.S. adults. The poll of adults was conducted Feb. 5-8 and the poll of teens was conducted Feb. 2-16 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points and the margin of sampling error for teenagers overall is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.

Powell will preside over what will probably be his last meeting as chair and hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon, when he may say whether he will take the unusual step of remaining on the central bank's board of governors, even after his term as chair ends May 15.

Separately, the Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to vote on the nomination of Kevin Warsh to succeed Powell. The nomination is expected to be approved on a party-line vote, and will then be taken up by the full Senate next month. President Donald Trump nominated Warsh, a former top Fed official, in January. Last year, Warsh echoed Trump's calls for the Fed to lower its key interest rate, leading many Democrats in Congress to question how independently he will operate as Fed chair.

The Fed is widely expected to keep its key rate unchanged Wednesday for a third straight meeting at 3.6%. Most policymakers believe at that level, the rate can still cool inflation by slowing borrowing and spending, but not so much that it will drag down hiring or raise unemployment.

Still, a key issue for the news conference Wednesday is what Powell says, if anything, about his future. Powell serves a separate term as a governor that lasts until January 2028. Chairs typically leave the board when their leadership terms end, but Powell has signaled he could remain. He would be the first chair to do so since 1948.

If Powell, who has made protecting Fed independence a key part of his legacy, chooses to stay, he would deprive Trump of the opportunity to pick his replacement and fill another seat on the Fed’s seven-member board. Three of the seven current governors are Trump appointees.

At the same time, it could worsen tensions with the Trump administration and would create what some analysts refer to as a “two Popes” scenario, with a chair and former chair both on the Fed’s board. In that case, divisions among policymakers could increase, if some decided to follow Powell's lead rather than Warsh's.

Warsh argued for rate cuts last year, but is unlikely to be able to reduce borrowing costs anytime soon, given that most policymakers have signaled they would prefer to wait and evaluate the Iran war’s impact on the economy.

The leadership turmoil comes while the economy remains unusually murky, putting the Fed in a difficult spot. Inflation has jumped to 3.3%, a two-year high, as the war has sharply raised gas prices. That makes it harder for the central bank to reduce rates. The Fed typically leaves rates unchanged, or even raises them, if inflation is worsening.

At the same time, hiring has ground almost to a halt, leaving those without jobs frustrated by the difficulty of finding new ones. Typically, the Fed cuts rates when the job market is weak, to spur more spending and job gains.

But layoffs also remain low, as employers appear to be following a “ low-hire, low-fire ” strategy. Many Fed officials have suggested that as long as the unemployment rate is low, the central bank doesn't need to cut rates to spur more spending and hiring. Unemployment declined to 4.3% in March, from 4.4%.

A key change economists will look for Wednesday is whether the Fed alters the statement it issues after each meeting to signal that it is possible that their next move could be either a rate cut or a hike. Right now, the statement indicates that any change to its rate would be a cut. According to minutes of its last meeting in March, many of the 19 participants on the Fed’s rate-setting committee support considering a hike, though it's likely short of a majority.

When that question appears on a Missouri ballot later this year, it will mark the first time since the modern income tax began over a century ago that a U.S. state legislature has asked voters whether to eliminate the tax. If they say “yes,” they will also be authorizing a sales tax expansion.

Missouri's unique proposal caps a five-year tax-cutting binge in states that flourished while governments were flush with cash during the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and only recently abated as some Democratic-led states embraced higher tax rates on millionaires. During that time, almost every state made either permanent or temporary reductions to some type of tax, whether on income, sales, property or gas. And more than half the states that levy income taxes reduced their top tax rate.

Those tax cuts seldom were offset by increasing other types of taxes. But Missouri's new measure implicitly acknowledges that it's hard to eliminate an income tax without raising other revenues to keep government running.

When did the income tax begin?

Congress gained the power to tax income with the ratification of the 16th Amendment in 1913. Many states adopted their own income taxes over the ensuing years, including Missouri in 1917.

But some states — Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming — never adopted an individual income tax, instead relying on sales taxes, oil taxes or other sources. New Hampshire and Tennessee, which taxed income from interest and dividends but not wages, each ended those taxes within the past five years.

Alaska is the only state so far to impose a general individual income tax and then repeal it. Lawmakers eliminated the tax in 1980 while rich with oil revenues.

Massachusetts voters rejected an income tax elimination in 2008 and 2002. But those ballot measures were initiated by citizens, not lawmakers responsible for building the state budget.

Which states are trying to phase out their income tax?

A 2022 Kentucky law reduced the state’s income tax rate and set a series of revenue-based benchmarks that could gradually lower the tax to zero. It also expanded the sales tax to some services, such as personal fitness training and website design. But the revenue triggers aren’t automatic, meaning the General Assembly must approve each additional income tax rate reduction.

A Mississippi law enacted last year gradually reduces the income tax rate from 4% to 3% by 2030 and sets revenue growth benchmarks that could trigger additional cuts. It could take over a decade to eliminate the tax, if all the benchmarks are hit.

Oklahoma also enacted a law last year that would trigger gradual income tax rate reductions based on revenue growth, until the tax is phased out. But the state won't know until next year whether it's met the revenue mark to trigger the first tax-rate reduction.

South Carolina joined the trend a month ago, when Republican Gov. Henry McMaster signed law a that could eventually phase out the individual income tax as revenues grow.

What does the Missouri proposal say?

Missouri's proposed constitutional amendment directs the General Assembly to eliminate the individual income tax through gradual reductions based on revenue growth. To spur that along, it gives lawmakers the authority to raise revenues by imposing the sales tax on “any goods and services” — sidestepping a constitutional ban on expanding the sales tax base that voters approved in 2016.

The legislature would have five years to decide which additional sales to tax without needing another vote of the people.

But some voters may not realize they are authorizing more sales taxes. The ballot wording asks whether to phase out the income tax and “modify” the sales tax — avoiding the words “increase” or “expand.”

The amendment, which was approved last week by the legislature, will appear on the November ballot, unless Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe sets an election sooner.

A businessman explains his move

Kehoe has made the individual income tax repeal a priority, arguing it will spur the economy while attracting businesses and new residents.

At a House committee hearing earlier this year, Will Spartin said he attended business college in St. Louis but located the headquarters of his beverage businesses in Florida because that state has no individual income tax. He would love to return to Missouri, but only if it makes financial sense, Spartin said.

“If Missouri moves in this direction, even gradually, it would be a meaningful signal to people like us that Missouri wants to compete for modern industries,” Spartin told lawmakers.

A retiree raises sales tax concerns

Retired elementary school teacher Sharon Wells, of suburban St. Louis, said she paid a few hundred dollars in state income tax this past year. She's worried her overall tax bill could rise if the income tax is replaced with a broader sales tax.

Wells pays someone to mow her lawn. She goes to a hair salon twice a month. She has periodic medical and dental visits and car that needs maintenance. None of those services currently are taxed. But they all could be under the Missouri proposal.

“I think it’s a huge mistake,” she said. “We’re already paying far more than we have in the past for groceries, medicine, all kind of services. Everything has gone up.”

What does the data say?

A family earning between $49,000 and $78,000 annually would pay an average of $535 more in taxes if Missouri's income tax is repealed and replaced with higher sales taxes, according to an estimate by the nonprofit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Those earning less would pay even more, the group said.

“Pretty clearly, this is going to be a tax increase for most people,” said Carl Davis, the institute's research director.

Other data suggest that income tax policies — though not the primary motivation — can play a role in attracting people to states. Texas, Florida and Tennessee all ranked in the top five for net interstate migration of federal income tax filers in 2023, while the higher-tax states of California, New York and New Jersey ranked near the bottom, according to an analysis of IRS data by the nonprofit Tax Foundation.

If Missouri's referendum is approved by voters, “it could embolden other states to accelerate their own planned income tax reductions,” said Katherine Loughead, the foundation's director of state tax projects.

With their second straight lopsided victory, the Knicks positioned themselves to win the series Thursday night in Atlanta. They would have another chance at home in Game 7 if they need it — and it's getting harder to picture why they should.

The Hawks took a 2-1 lead in the series with one-point victories in Games 2 and 3, but a pretty sizable gap between the teams has appeared since. The Knicks led by 24 on their way to a 114-98 win in Game 4 in Atlanta and by 32 on Tuesday, when the lead was never below double digits in the second half.

“I know they’re going to try to bring a lot of force down there,” Knicks reserve Jordan Clarkson said. “So we've got to be prepared and we know what’s coming, so we’ll be ready.”

Brunson already had eight 40-point games in his first three postseasons with the Knicks. He hadn't even cracked 30 in this series until pouring in 17 points in the fourth quarter to prevent any chance of Atlanta making it a game.

Brunson said the Knicks have picked up their play in the last two games and said they were confident, but also cautious.

“Anything can happen in this series, so we’ve just got to be locked in for Game 6,” he said.

OG Anunoby added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. The Knicks need one more victory to reach the second round for the fourth straight season, which would continue their longest streak since advancing nine straight times from 1991-92 through 1999-2000.

Jalen Johnson had 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Hawks. Dyson Daniels scored 17, but CJ McCollum, the catalyst of both Atlanta victories, had just six.

The Knicks outrebounded the Hawks 48-27 and had a 13-4 advantage in fast-break points against an Atlanta team that needs to win the transition game.

“I just think that their mindset was to come out and try to bully us and be physical, and they did that," Daniels said.

The Knicks made eight of their first 12 shots, then broke free with a 9-0 run late in the first quarter and were ahead 35-22 at the end of the period. Brunson had the last two baskets of an 8-0 surge in the second that pushed it to 59-37, and the Knicks led 64-48 at the break after making 58.5% their shots.

Leading by 18 after three, they put it away when Brunson had a three-point play and 3-pointer to ignite a 12-0 spurt that made it 110-82.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu both had 16 points for the Hawks.

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

The message is not one of punishment but of unceasing support. The men start to perk up.

“We’re going to talk about keeping you and those you love alive and free,” Jim Hopkins, emeritus pastor of Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, says he told the men who gather at his church. “If you put down the gun, start taking the (city's) services, we’ll help you find another way.”

The California city has driven homicides to historic lows, and experts say part of the credit goes to a program that identifies people who are most likely to get pulled into gang violence and pairs them with life coaches to help turn their lives around.

City officials meet weekly to review recent shootings and identify the participants. The city's Department of Violence Prevention finds and talks to those people, one-on-one or in a group session at the church, and offers a host of services, including a life coach.

There is no single reason why a city’s homicide rate falls, but officials say the Oakland Ceasefire-Lifeline program has been key, making a difference one person at a time.

Oakland records lowest homicide rate since the '60s

Homicides rates have plummeted in major cities across the U.S. in recent years but the shift in Oakland has been particularly dramatic.

Homicide rates have not been this low in the city of roughly 400,000 people since 1967, when the Black Panthers were a powerful force and hippies overran nearby San Francisco for the Summer of Love.

For nearly 25 years, Oakland ranked among the nation's most dangerous cities. City police recorded annual homicide rates ranging from 16.2 up to 36.4 deaths per 100,000 people, while the U.S. rate hovered around five per 100,000.

Oakland adopted the lifeline program, which originated in Boston, after gun violence in 2011 took the lives of three children ages 1, 3 and 5 in separate incidents. The city recorded a 43% reduction in homicides from 2012 to 2017.

Officials subsequently watered the program down until it was essentially dismantled during the pandemic, according to an audit in 2023.

It wasn’t until city officials implemented changes recommended in the audit that the number of homicides declined, from 118 in 2023 to 78 in 2024.

Last year, Oakland hit a record low of 57 homicides.

Meeting people whose lives were changed by violence

Police are not involved except to provide the names of people expected to retaliate for a shooting that wounded or killed a friend or relative, or to be a victim of retaliation.

“People may underestimate how little the clients believe in themselves, and how little they value their own lives,” said Holly Joshi, chief of the violence prevention department.

Once selected, the men meet or learn of people whose lives have been forever changed by gang violence, such as parents who have lost a child, or someone left paralyzed able to communicate only by clicking their tongue.

Last year, Bernard, a 27-year-old former gang member, was among 200 people matched with a life coach. He was contacted as he was leaving prison after serving six years for attempted robbery. Today, he has a full-time job, an apartment and a new outlook.

He’s more aware of community ties, he says.

“When I was younger, I didn’t realize I wasn’t only hurting myself. I was hurting everybody around me, everybody who cared for me,” said Bernard, who asked that his last name not be used because he fears sharing his background could hurt his future opportunities.

Ready to turn his life around

At first, Bernard was standoffish with his life coach, 35-year-old LaSasha Long.

But then the young man who missed his mother’s funeral because he was still behind bars when she died suffered another loss. A close childhood friend had died. He had to talk to someone.

“As soon as I called Sasha, she was there with advice,” he says.

Long understood. She had a chaotic upbringing, bouncing between relatives after a stray bullet killed her mother when she was a toddler. She told him what she felt would have helped her move forward: That he'd lost a lot, but had a lot to live for too. And she reminded him his friend would have wanted him to live.

He listened.

“I can’t take the credit for it because it was all him. He was the pilot,” she says, adding that she helped with rides and reminded him of upcoming appointments. “But he wanted to change. He wanted that.”

Now, they chat on the phone every day. He makes goofy faces at her while posing for photographs for The Associated Press. She says she'll be the best man at his wedding one day. He says she's not a man. She says he hasn't seen how good she looks in a suit.

Long describes life coaching as “heart work,” helping someone see light in a dark tunnel.

Wanting to inspire others

Bernard aspires to be like Long one day, a coach who can offer a lifeline to others who grew up surrounded by violence and with bills to pay. His mother was loving but addicted to drugs. His father was in and out of jail.

He has discovered the joy of helping people.

On a recent day, Bernard was on break from his job cleaning streets in San Francisco when he saw a teen crash his bike. The old him would not have rushed over, much less reassured the embarrassed boy that everyone falls sometimes.

But Bernard helped wash the gravel burn on the boy’s face and told him jokingly: “Tell your girl you got jumped.”

“All some of us need is to see or know that people care,” he said. “Once people realize that, I believe they start to do better, they want to do better. They figure there’s more to life.”

The unruly format underscored the instability in a crowded race that has no clear leader, with mail ballots going to voters in less than a week.

Candidates sparred over questions ranging from how to cut gas prices to potential state charges against federal immigration agents to how best to contend with wildfires. Several sought to show their working-class roots, pitching themselves as the candidates who truly understand affordability woes.

The debate brought together the two leading Republicans, conservative commentator Steve Hilton and county sheriff Chad Bianco; and six Democrats, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, billionaire Tom Steyer, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state schools superintendent Tony Thurmond.

The candidates were asked to address the state's long-running homeless crisis, wildfire insurance shortages, projected budget shortfalls and staggering housing costs. Voters, meanwhile, are saddled with growing everyday costs for groceries, utility bills and gas.

A mostly mannerly debate last week without Villaraigosa and Thurmond on stage proved largely inconclusive, with no candidate managing a breakaway moment. It was the same case again Tuesday, but for different reasons.

With time running out to make an impression with voters, candidates appeared eager for conflict, and many questions resulted in interruptions as they tried to speak over each other. Answers were cut short, sometimes by moderators.

“Wow, that was a bit of a mess,” said a college student in the crowd who was given an opportunity to poise a question to the candidates.

Becerra was targeted repeatedly, suggesting that other candidates see him gaining momentum. They and one of the moderators pressed him whether he could legally declare a state of emergency his first day in office and freeze home insurance rates, as he has pledged to do.

Hilton accused him of misunderstanding state law. But Becerra, who is also a former state attorney general, said his proposal is legal and noted that he led through states of emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The governor’s office is not a place with training wheels,” he said.

President Donald Trump, who has a long-strained relationship with the heavily Democratic state, came up in exchanges, though he was not the major focus of the night. Hilton and Bianco support the president, while Democrats have vowed to stand in the way of federal immigration raids and Trump’s conservative agenda.

Becerra, alluding to the president's endorsement of Hilton, referred to Trump as “Steve Hilton’s daddy.”

Hilton responded: “All these big things that affect us on a daily basis, these are decisions made here in California by our politicians. And we’ve had the same people in charge for 16 years now.”

The debate largely hewed along partisan lines, with Hilton and Bianco saying heavy regulations and taxes supported by Democrats are to blame for the state's challenges. The Democrats, meanwhile, each tried to sell themselves as having practical solutions and the right experience.

Porter stressed that she is the only one who refuses corporate campaign donations, saying, “I am not for sale.” That came after she hit Steyer for his former hedge funds investments in fossil fuels.

Steyer, who left the firm in 2012, said utilities and other business interests are spending money to attack him because he is unafraid to take them on.

The race is to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is barred by law from seeking a third term.

California puts all candidates on a single ballot, and the two with the most votes go on to the November general election regardless of party. Democrats have worried that their crowded field could result in two Republicans advancing, which would be a historic calamity for the party.

Democrats have dominated state government in California for years. The GOP has not won a statewide election in two decades, and registered Democrats outnumber Republicans about 2-to-1.

The race was shaken up this month after the dramatic downfall of U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell over sexual assault allegations. When he left the race — and then Congress — he was among the leading contenders.

The debate was hosted by CBS LA and aired on the network's state TV stations and websites.

___

Austin reported from Sacramento, California.

“I think about the night of the flood every moment of every day,” Eastland said, choking on some of his words. “We tried our hardest that night and it wasn’t enough to save your daughters. We were devastated alongside you. I regret not communicating more with each of you earlier. And I’m so sorry.”

But as the hearing of the House and Senate flood investigating committees continued into the evening, grieving and angry parents spoke about the profound impacts of the Eastland family’s failure to protect their children during the flood, which killed 25 campers and two counselors. 

Mothers of campers who died told of finding a daughter’s pajama bottoms hanging outside a cabin’s bathroom window. Of kissing a deceased daughter’s cheek like the day she was born. Of dropping off their child at camp last year and telling Camp Mystic owner and Executive Director Dick Eastland, “Please watch over my baby.” 

One father told of sleeping now with their daughter’s toy; another of finding the body of another child while searching for his own.

“I am heartbroken that you have not only destroyed our lives but that you destroyed your own,” Malorie Iytal, who lost her daughter Kellyanne, told the Eastlands.

“The Eastlands have proven themselves incapable of protecting children,” CiCi Steward, whose daughter Cile’s body still has not been found, told legislators on the committees.

Edward Eastland, who directed the part of the camp where the children died, said that waking up every morning and getting through the day was hard. His father Dick Eastland also died in the flood while trying to rescue some of the campers.

But Edward Eastland acknowledged that pain seemed like nothing compared to the pain of parents of the girls they lost. 

“The world was a better place with them in it,” Eastland said of the girls who died, “and the anger at us for not being able to keep them safe feels completely reasonable.” 

On Monday, an investigator had presented a timeline to legislators of a harried evacuation effort that morning at the camp, which the investigator said had done no flood evacuation planning or training. Committee member Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, on Tuesday suggested that Camp Mystic should only continue operating if someone else was running it. 

Edward Eastland’s wife and co-director, Mary Liz Eastland, said she believed the family would be willing to “step back and take a pause” if it meant the camp could continue to operate. 

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the state Senate, has pressured the Texas Department of State Health Services to deny the camp’s application for renewal of its operating license. The camp is seeking to welcome campers back this summer to a portion of the property where no girls died.

If the license is denied, DSHS attorneys told the committee members, the camp would be able to continue to operate under an appeal of that decision unless the agency got a temporary injunction to stop the camp’s operations, but the agency couldn’t otherwise intervene to stop operations during an appeal. 

“The Legislature will support whatever it takes to shut them down as soon as possible,” Perry told DSHS officials who testified.

Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, argued that the laws passed after the flood, including one he authored, should give the agency the ability to suspend the camp’s license. 

“If they don’t meet the emergency preparedness plans, then you must suspend [the license],” Darby said.

Richard Eastland, the camp’s head chef, said they would not operate the camp if they did not have a license to operate from the state. But Britt Eastland, who directs the portion of the camp seeking to reopen this summer where no girls died, said they do expect to receive a license and would discuss it as a family if they don’t. 

“It will be a family decision,” Britt Eastland said.

Camp wasn’t prepared for flood, Eastlands testify

In their testimony Tuesday, the Eastlands explained some of their decision-making the night of the flood. Edward Eastland said they didn’t think to get on the camp’s loudspeaker system to urge girls to evacuate because he was instead focused on getting to the next cabin that needed help. 

“There isn’t a day that goes by we didn’t wish we tried those things,” said Britt Eastland, who was not involved in the evacuation but explained that it could have also been dangerous to send girls out into a thunderstorm with lightning. 

All four Eastlands conceded to the lawmakers that they were not prepared for the flood and did not evacuate girls early enough. 

Britt Eastland said no one had previously questioned their plan for girls to remain in their cabins during floods. Mary Liz Eastland said counselors were instructed in training to stay in cabins during floods because they believed those cabins were safe. 

Parents of campers who survived told of profound trauma, too.

A mother whose daughter survived spoke about how her 9-year-old remembered Edward Eastland crying at the sky to stop the rain before she got swept out the window of her cabin and thought she would die. A father recalled how his 8-year-old saw a child face down in the water and feared no one would find her if she died too. 

“Her innocence as a child has been taken from her,” said the father, Bolton Waters. 

A neighbor of the camp, Grant Griffin, told legislators at the hearing that he and his daughter’s boyfriend rescued those two girls from the river when he heard them yell “help me” while his own house flooded. He said a Camp Mystic employee told him he thought it was a good idea for Griffin to keep the girls in his care rather than return them. Eventually, a helicopter evacuated the girls. 

“Thank God for you and your family,” Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, the Senate committee chair, told Griffin. Everyone in the room stood and applauded.

Katherine Hoffman’s daughter survived by swimming out of her cabin and clinging to the column of another cabin, moving to the side that was sheltered from the current carrying mattresses and trunks that crashed by, fearing she would die as the water reached her neck.

After the flood, she told her mom she should have saved another camper.

“You did the right thing,” Hoffman said she told her daughter. “Children are not supposed to save other children. You were all trying to survive in the water, and it was not your responsibility as an 8-year-old to save others.”

“Then whose responsibility was it?” she said her daughter asked. “We called for help and no one came.”

“Her questions are the ones that I have too,” Hoffman said. “How do I answer?” 

“Tend to your flock”

Committee member Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, asked the Eastland family to think through whether they were truly ready to reopen — mentioning Mary Liz Eastland’s testimony that she still had not reported the children’s deaths to the state as required by law and the letter the state sent to the camp about multiple deficiencies in its new emergency plan. 

“We pray that we can reconcile with these wonderful families,” Britt Eastland said in response.

He said he believed the families in the future would be glad they had camp this summer.

“What!” someone in the audience exclaimed.

“We are ready, senator,” Eastland said.  

Steward said she had to walk out of the courtroom so she didn’t scream. 

When her turn came to speak, she scolded Eastland for presuming she would one day be glad about the camp’s choice to keep operating. 

Steward told the Eastlands seated behind her: “Walk away. Tend to your flock. Own your trauma. Your own family that is clearly broken. Cut the bleeding and stop the agony of our families.” 

Rabbi Joshua Fixler, who sued Houston ISD, is one of 15 families involved in a multifaith lawsuit challenging the state law.

Last week, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld Senate Bill 10, which requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom across Texas.

• RELATED: Texas can require public schools to display Ten Commandments in classrooms, court rules

The case—Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District—was brought by families of different religious backgrounds who argue the law violates their constitutional rights.

The plaintiffs are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Houston rabbi raises concerns

Rabbi Fixler said he joined the lawsuit alongside other families after the law passed.

“It was unconstitutional and unacceptable to have the Christian version of the Ten Commandments hanging in our kids’ classrooms,” said Fixler.

He argues the law promotes a specific religious viewpoint in public schools.

“It’s the Christian version of the Ten Commandments and my kids would have to see that every day,” Fixler said. “It’s a real affront to religious freedom and the separation of church and state.”

Fixler also says the displays could send a message to students of other faiths.

“It would show them that they’re less welcome in their schools, that our religious tradition isn’t welcome,” said Fixler.

As a parent, he says some of the language in the Ten Commandments is not appropriate for young children.

“Things like adultery and coveting thy neighbor’s wife. I don’t think that’s age appropriate,” said Dixler.

Supporters call ruling a ‘victory’

Supporters of the law say the court got it right.

Jonathan Covey, the director of public policy for the group Texas Values, called the decision a major win.

“This is a huge victory,” Covey said. “This isn’t about establishing a religion, it’s about recognizing a historical text that has influenced our legal tradition in a passive, non-coercive way.”

Covey says the Constitution does not require religion to be removed from public life.

“The question actually isn’t whether something’s religious,” Covey said. “The question is whether the government is forcing people to participate in a religion. And here, it’s not.”

Supporters also say the displays could help students understand the country’s history and legal system.

“It helps remind students of our history and our tradition and how our legal system developed,” Covey said.

What happens next

Despite the ruling, Rabbi Fixler says the families involved are preparing to take the case to the next level.

“We’re working to take this to the next step, which is the Supreme Court,” said Fixler. “We’re going to keep on fighting because my kids deserve to go to schools where everybody’s faith is respected equally.”

Texas is one of four states requiring Ten Commandments displays in schools.

And that was good enough for the Philadelphia 76ers to avoid elimination in their first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

Less than three weeks after an emergency appendectomy knocked Embiid out for the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs, the Sixers center scored 33 points as Philadelphia beat Boston 113-97 in Game 5 on Tuesday night.

“He was dominant. Especially the second half, he was extremely dominant,” said Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, who had 25 points and 10 rebounds. “He did a really good job of just inserting himself. I was proud of him tonight, man. That's the dominance that you go into a playoff game with: He did that.”

After scoring two points in the first quarter on 1-of-6 shooting, Embiid scored 13 in the second, 10 in the third and eight in the fourth, when the Sixers went on a 12-0 run to turn a three-point lead into a 15-point runaway.

“I feel like he had too many easy baskets," said Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, who scored 22 points. "We’ve got to make him work. ... Tonight he got a bunch of easy baskets, and I feel like that propelled him.”

Paul George had 16 points and nine rebounds for the seventh-seeded Sixers, who lost Games 3 and 4 at home to fall behind 3-1 in the series before returning to Boston to keep their season alive.

Jayson Tatum had 24 points and 16 rebounds and Neemias Queta had eight points and 14 boards for the Celtics, who will try again to eliminate the Sixers back in Philadelphia in Game 6 on Thursday night. Game 7, if necessary, would be back in Boston on Saturday.

“No need to put any extra pressure on ourselves,” Brown said. “There’s enough of that as it is.”

Earlier Tuesday, Celtics president Brad Stevens was named NBA Executive of the Year for the second time in three seasons after disassembling the team that won it all two years ago and getting Boston back to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics did it despite missing Tatum for all but 16 regular-season games as he recovered from a torn Achilles tendon.

The Sixers missed the playoffs last year after seven straight postseason appearances, but earned the No. 7 seed this year with a victory over Orlando in a play-in game. After losing by 32 in Game 1, they coasted to a win at Boston in Game 2 but then lost both at home — with another 32-point blowout in Game 4 on Sunday, despite Embiid finishing with 26 points and 10 rebounds in his first game since April 6.

“Our fans deserve a win at home. We lost a tough one, then we got blown out of the water,” Maxey said. “After that performance that we put on last time in front of our fans, that was a disgrace and it was unacceptable.”

The Celtics led by 11 in the second quarter and held a 13-point edge early in the third. Both times Philadelphia rallied within a basket, using a 15-3 run to make it 66-65 Boston midway through the third.

It was still a one-point Celtics lead heading into the fourth, when George hit a 3-pointer to give Philly its first lead since the first quarter. After a pair of 3-pointers by Sam Hauser kept Boston close, Hauser fouled Quentin Grimes while he was shooting a 3; the three free throws started the Sixers on a game-ending 19-5 run.

“We got a little rocky start there in the third,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “But then we really, really got going. And then once we closed the gap, we we’re pretty solid.”

Boston scored just 10 points in the fourth quarter on 3-of-22 shooting after making almost half its shots in the first 36 minutes.

“When you have empty possession, empty possession, and you’re not getting stops, it’s frustrating," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.

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

Floyd William Parrott, 64, died in custody just weeks after being charged with capital murder in the 1990 “Lovers’ Lane” murders of Cheryl Henry and Andy Atkinson. Investigators say Parrott died by suicide in his cell in Nebraska, days before he was set to be extradited to Texas.

KPRC 2 News reporter Corley Peel spoke with Atkinson’s stepsister, Francesca Del Rosso, about the devastating turn of events.

“It was really mixed emotions,” Del Rosso said.

She says Parrott’s death by suicide robbed the victims of the justice they deserved.

• RELATED: Suspect in 1990 ‘Lover’s Lane’ murders dies in Nebraska jail days after grand jury indictment

“Andy and Cheryl didn’t get to choose the way that their life ended. They didn’t get to choose that and he got to choose how his life ended,” Del Rosso said.

Henry and Atkinson had only been dating a few weeks when Henry disappeared after a night out in 1990. Days later, her car was found abandoned. A search of the area led to a grim discovery. Henry’s body was hidden under boards and Atkinson’s body found nearby, tied to a tree. Both victims had their throats slashed.

The case went cold for more than three decades until a recent DNA match linked Parrott to the murders. He was charged with capital murder last month and had been held in a Nebraska jail awaiting extradition to Texas.

Del Rosso said the family had been looking forward to seeing the case move forward in a Texas courtroom.

“We were looking forward to what was gonna happen on Thursday and finally getting him here to Texas, and then now it’s just kind of deflating to the momentum that’s kind of been building up to this. It’s just unfortunate,” she said.

Despite Parrott’s death, investigators say the work is not over. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office says new survivors have come forward and that efforts continue to connect Parrott to other possible crimes. Officials say they are still actively investigating other cases possibly linked to Parrott.

Del Rosso says she hopes the full story of what Parrott may have done over the past 36 years will eventually come to light.

“We hope the whole story comes together and that we’re able to understand more of what all he’s been doing over all these years,” she said.

Speaking Tuesday to a joint session of the U.S. Congress, Charles repeatedly highlighted the historical and cultural ties that he said have cemented an enduring bond between the United States and the United Kingdom. But even as he spoke in unifying, optimistic terms, he delivered a series of nuanced warnings encouraging leaders in the U.S. to remain collaborative and engaged in global affairs.

He said the alliance between the U.S. and the U.K., tested anew by President Donald Trump's war in Iran, “cannot rest on past achievements.” Charles urged “unyielding resolve” in backing Ukraine against Russia and heralded the NATO alliance that Trump has consistently undermined.

The king praised religious pluralism and interfaith dialogue in terms that are rare in Trump's Washington. As the White House rolls back regulations aimed at denting climate change, the king encouraged those in power to “reflect on our shared responsibility to safeguard nature, our most precious and irreplaceable asset.”

At one point, Charles traced the notion of checks and balances on executive power to the Magna Carta, the foundational legal document sealed by King John in 1215. Trump told The New York Times earlier this year that he was constrained only by “my own morality.”

And acknowledging a scandal that has roiled politics in both the U.S. and U.K., Charles subtly alluded to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender with ties to British officials, including the king's brother, Andrew.

King celebrates independence and focuses on repairing a frayed relationship

Charles is on a four-day visit to the U.S. intended to both celebrate American independence and to repair the country's fraying relationship with the U.K. He hardly arrived in Washington as an oppositional figure to Trump. Joined by Queen Camilla, Charles had a warm greeting with the president and first lady Melania Trump at the White House earlier Tuesday.

In his welcome remarks, Trump also highlighted the shared history between the two countries.

“American patriots today can sing, ’My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty,’ only because our colonial ancestors first sang, ‘God save the king,’” Trump said.

The leaders met privately in the Oval Office for a meeting Trump later described as “really good,” adding that Charles is a “fantastic person.”

Trump hosted the royal couple for a jovial state dinner later Tuesday in the East Room of the White House. About 130 guests were seated at two long tables that were decorated with low floral arrangements. The guests included tech leaders such as outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, along with conservative Supreme Court justices and several Fox News journalists and hosts.

Charles and Camilla will continue their U.S. tour this week with stops in New York City and Virginia.

During his roughly 20-minute speech to Congress, the king, who is expressly apolitical, never directly criticized Trump. Still, the contrast was apparent at times and some British commentators described his speech as more political than they had expected.

Just two months earlier, Trump stood at the same lectern and chided Democrats for not standing during part of his State of the Union address. The king, for his part, elicited multiple standing ovations from Democrats and Republicans who listened with rapt attention.

Charles is just the second British monarch to address a joint session of Congress. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, delivered a similar speech in 1991 highlighting the historic ties between both countries and the importance of their democratic values.

Charles acknowledges a ‘more volatile and more dangerous’ world

While the king paid tribute to those remarks, he acknowledged that today's environment is “more volatile and more dangerous than the world to which my late mother spoke."

Many of the lawmakers in the room were at Saturday's White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which was disrupted by a shooting that authorities have described as an attempted assassination against Trump.

“Let me say with unshakeable resolve,” Charles said. “Such acts of violence will never succeed.”

Meanwhile, Trump's up-and-down relationship with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has taken a particularly sour turn over the past several months as the Republican president has sought to rally international support for the war in Iran. Trump criticized Starmer, who has largely resisted his overtures, by saying, “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”

Trump has also imposed tariffs on the U.K. and warned of additional levies despite a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that has made such unilateral moves more challenging. Trump threatened just last week to slap a “big tariff” on the U.K. if it doesn’t scrap a digital services tax on U.S. technology companies.

Trump has more broadly challenged the traditional trans-Atlantic alliance with efforts to annex Greenland and threats to walk away from NATO. He has repeatedly imposed tariffs on and taunted Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.

Ahead of his speech, the king had faced some calls on Capitol Hill to meet with Epstein's victims while he is in the U.S. He didn’t make a direct mention of the convicted sex offender, but did reference the “collective strength” in the U.S. and the U.K. to “support victims of some of the ills that, so tragically, exist in both our societies today.”

If Charles offered low-key criticism of Trump, the president didn't seem to mind. He said later that the king “made a great speech.”

“I was very jealous,” he said.

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Associated Press writers Stephen Groves and Aamer Madhani in Washington and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.

The row of paintings, like much of Gaza life itself, was displayed outdoors, open to the weather and curious stares. There was a painting of a dove, a bullet hole, a person’s silhouette in a territory where the war between Israel and the militant Hamas group has killed well over 70,000 people.

It was a sunny day in Bureij in central Gaza. Children shouted and played as admirers of the paintings took photos and reflected.

“They painted their feelings, their ambitions, their hopes, their visions, over four months during a continuous workshop in my studio,” said Ghanem Al-Din, who organized the exhibit of dozens of paintings.

One artist was displaced seven times

Obay Al-Qarshali, 21, was one of the artists. He said he fled his home in Gaza City in late 2023 after the war began, sparked by the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. He took only what he could in his hurry, leaving over 30 of his paintings behind.

They are now lost in the bombing and destruction, he said.

His painting on display showed broken glass, cars topped with mattresses and other belongings and the debris of buildings. All are too familiar for him and hundreds of thousands of fellow Palestinians who have been displaced, often more than once.

Al-Qarshali said he had changed locations at least seven times in the war.

“Because of how much we were displaced and suffered in moving and carrying our belongings, the tents, the crowds, and so much more, I wanted to express something that deeply troubled me: that we left our homes and our safe places, forced to flee, scatter, and change our location. This piece expresses so much,” he said.

The timing of next steps in Gaza's ceasefire is unclear. The disarming of Hamas is a major challenge before the territory’s shift in governance, stabilization and reconstruction can begin in earnest.

“Critical demilitarization talks with Hamas are continuing," former British prime minister Tony Blair, a key member of the U.S.-created Board of Peace meant to focus on Gaza, told a U.N. Security Council meeting on Tuesday.

Reconstruction likely will cost over $70 billion and take a decade, a report by the United Nations and the European Union said last week.

It said Gaza’s economy has contracted by 84%. More than 371,000 housing units have been destroyed. Over half of Gaza’s hospitals are “non-functional.” Nearly all schools are destroyed or damaged in the territory of over 2 million people.

In a report on Tuesday, Doctors Without Borders said Israel has destroyed or damaged about 90% of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure. And a Mercy Corps study found only 7% of Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure remains functional.

A child collecting firewood is among the dead

While large-scale fighting has eased since the ceasefire took effect in October, Israeli forces have continued near-daily strikes and fire around military-held zones, killing over 800 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.

On Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike hit a car in Gaza City, killing four men, according to Shifa Hospital.

The strike happened away from the so-called Yellow Line that separates Israeli-controlled areas from the rest of Gaza. Israel’s military said it struck a “terrorist” in the location, with no details.

The bodies were wrapped in white and placed on the ground, outdoors, so a crowd could mourn.

And a 9-year-old boy was killed by Israeli fire while gathering firewood in the southern city of Khan Younis, about 400 meters (1,312 feet) west of the Yellow Line, Nasser Hospital said. Israel’s military did not immediately comment.

Associated Press video showed siblings crying over the boy at the morgue.

“What is the guilt of those children,” a woman said during the funeral. “God is plaguing you, Israel.”

Durant didn’t participate in practice with the Rockets on Tuesday before they left for California, trailing 3-1 in the first-round series. But he was seen running on an antigravity treadmill as the team wrapped up its work before heading to the airport.

Coach Ime Udoka was asked if there was a possibility that Durant would play in Game 5 after missing the last two games with a sprained left ankle and bone bruise.

“We’ll see,” Udoka said. “It is day to day, game to game. But we’ll have to get on the court and do some things, and he didn’t participate in practice today. But he’s doing the conditioning and other aspects to try to get back.”

Durant sat out the opener with a bruised right knee, as well as Games 3, 4 and 5. He returned for Game 2, scoring 23 points in 41 minutes of the 101-94 loss, during which he injured his ankle late in the game.

The Rockets won Game 4 115-96 despite missing their superstar to avoid elimination.

Durant's injury problems this postseason came after the 37-year-old ranked second in the league in the regular season by playing 2,840 minutes.

Durant, who is in his first season in Houston after an offseason trade from Phoenix, is the fifth-leading scorer in NBA history.

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

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s domestically developed long-range attack drones struck a Russian oil refinery and terminal on the Black Sea for the third time in less than two weeks, prompting the evacuation of local people and a Russian warning of possible “environmental consequences.”

Ukraine has developed cutting-edge and battle-tested drone technology that has proved essential in holding back Russia’s bigger army and has drawn military interest from around the world.

Interceptor drones as part of a comprehensive air defense system are now being sought by Middle East and Gulf countries amid the Iran war, according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukraine is scaling up supplies of interceptor drones to thwart Russian aerial attacks, and its military has introduced a new command within the air force to boost the country’s capabilities, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in a post on Telegram late Monday.

Ukraine says its deep-strike range is growing

Ukraine’s offensive capabilities have also improved, with the Defense Ministry saying Tuesday that the country’s forces have more than doubled the range of their deep-strike capabilities since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.

At that time, Ukrainian forces were able to hit military targets about 630 kilometers (400 miles) away, it said. They are now striking targets as far as roughly 1,750 kilometers (1,100 miles) behind enemy lines, the ministry said in a statement.

That improvement has allowed Ukraine to hit Russian oil installations that provide crucial revenue for Moscow’s war effort. It has also targeted manufacturing plants that supply Russia’s armed forces.

A Russian refinery is struck

Ukraine struck a Russian oil refinery at the Black Sea port of Tuapse for the third time this month in a coordinated operation involving multiple branches of the country’s defense and security services, its Unmanned Systems Forces said Tuesday.

The two strikes earlier this month destroyed 24 oil storage tanks and damaged four others, it said. Independent verification of the claims was not possible.

Video from Tuapse released Tuesday by Krasnodar regional Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev showed a massive plume of black smoke rising from the refinery and black, steaming puddles on an adjacent street. An emergency official reported to the governor that boiling oil products had spilled onto the street from one of the oil tanks, damaging several cars.

People who live near the Tuapse refinery were being evacuated, Kondratyev said. He didn’t provide details about how many were evacuated or for how long.

Speaking about the strikes on Tuapse, Russian President Vladimir Putin said they could “cause serious environmental consequences,” Russian news agency Interfax reported.

Putin also said Kondratyev had reported there were no serious threats in Tuapse and people were "dealing with the challenges they face on the ground.”

Both sides carry out drone attacks

The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday its air defenses overnight intercepted 186 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, the annexed Crimea and the Black and the Azov seas.

In the Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine, three people were killed and three more were wounded in a drone attack, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, meanwhile, killed three civilians and wounded five others, Ukrainian authorities said.

Two people were killed in the city of Chuhuiv in the northeastern Kharkiv region, according to the head of the regional military administration, Oleh Syniehubov.

A 40-year-old man died and five other men sustained injuries in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

A rare daytime drone attack on Kyiv on Tuesday wounded two people, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Another Russian attack on Konotop, in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, knocked out the city’s power and water supply.

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

McDavid, who led the NHL in points this season, did not participate in the team's morning skate ahead of a must-win game for Edmonton and was a game-time decision, according to coach Kris Knoblauch.

The 29-year-old McDavid has looked uncomfortable at times since rolling his ankle in the second period of Game 2 when he collided with teammate Mattias Ekholm.

The Oilers are trying to avoid elimination and rally from a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven series. Edmonton reached the Stanley Cup final in each of the last two seasons before losing to the two-time champion Florida Panthers.

Edmonton forward/center Jason Dickinson, also a game-time decision, was also in the lineup released shortly before gametime.

Knoblauch said earlier Tuesday that Connor Ingram would start in net after Tristan Jarry started in Game 4.

McDavid, who led the league with 138 points, scored his first goal in Game 3 and had his first multi-point games in the third and fourth games of the series in Anaheim. McDavid didn’t participate in Saturday’s off-day skate in Anaheim.

McDavid was nominated Tuesday for the Ted Lindsay Award, along with San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov. The award is for the league’s “most outstanding player” as voted by NHL players. McDavid is a four-time winner.

Ingram returns to the Edmonton net on Tuesday after Jarry made 34 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 4. Ingram started the first three games of the series. He earned a 4-3 victory in Game 1 before allowing 11 goals in consecutive losses behind a leaky Edmonton defense.

“Nothing against Jarry,” Knoblauch said early Tuesday. “I thought he had a solid game the other night, but going down this last few weeks or months, Ingram’s been our starter. He’s been our guy. Now that our season’s on the line, we felt that we would go with our guy.”

Dickinson sat out the second and third games of the series due to injury. He scored twice in Edmonton’s win in the opener and assisted on the Oilers’ first goal in the Game 4 loss.

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

No details about possible crimes were disclosed, though armed agents were seen at childcare centers in the Minneapolis area. KSTP-TV said one crew even had a battering ram.

The searches occurred months after right-wing influencer Nick Shirley posted a video that said members of Minnesota’s Somali community were running fake childcare centers to collect federal subsidies. It caught the attention of the administration and conservative activists, though inspectors said the centers were operating as expected.

Minnesota has been dogged by fraud: At least 65 people, many of them Somali Americans, have been convicted of ripping off a federal program that was meant to provide food to children. The investigation began during the Biden administration.

Separately, a federal prosecutor in December said as much as $9 billion in federal funds that supported 14 Minnesota-run programs since 2018 may have been stolen.

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who has been on the defensive about not doing enough to root out fraud, welcomed the raids Tuesday. Minnesota’s child welfare agency said it shared key information with law enforcement to “hold bad actors accountable.”

“We catch criminals when state and federal agencies share information. Joint investigations work, and securing justice depends on it,” Walz said.

The searches were being conducted at day cares, businesses and some residences, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.

Various state and federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, participated in searches. At least two of the sites were in Shirley's video. Officers from Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were removing boxes at some locations.

Federal officials justify searches as smoking out fraud

“The American people deserve to know how their taxpayer money was abused. ... No stone will be left unturned,” said DHS, which also noted the cooperation of local and state authorities.

On social media, FBI Director Kash Patel mocked Walz for taking credit “while we smoke out the fraud plaguing Minnesota under your governorship.”

Jason Steck, an attorney who represents childcare centers, said some of the targeted businesses were operated by Somali immigrants. They were not his clients.

“A few childcare centers, a few autism centers, a few healthcare agencies of some type,” Steck said, adding that it appeared to be a “particular sweep for fraud.”

The executive director of Child Care Aware of Minnesota, a nonprofit that serves childhood educators, said the publicity is unflattering.

“The majority are in business to do good business. You’re going to come across individuals who try to capitalize on systems that are broken and need to be fixed,” Candace Yates said.

Walz ended his bid for a third term as governor in early January amid President Donald Trump’s relentless focus on fraud allegations and the state’s Somali community. Trump has used dehumanizing rhetoric, calling Somali immigrants “garbage” and “low IQ.”

Tensions between Walz and the federal government subsequently rocketed during an extraordinary immigration crackdown that led to the deaths of two people before Operation Metro Surge was eased in February.

In February, Vice President JD Vance said the government would temporarily halt $243 million in Medicaid funding to Minnesota over fraud concerns. Minnesota sued in response, warning it may have to cut healthcare for low-income families, but a judge on April 6 declined to grant a restraining order.

Walz told Congress in March that he wanted to work with the federal government in fraud investigations, but that the immigration surge had made it more difficult.

“The people of Minnesota have been singled out and targeted for political retribution at an unparalleled scale,” he said at the time.

Governor discusses fraud in State of the State

Walz touched on the searches Tuesday night when he delivered his final State of the State speech, noting that he promised to devote his energies to fighting fraud back in January when he dropped out of the governor’s race.

“I’ve said the buck stops with me,” he told a joint meeting of the state House and Senate. “Some of you will take that as an open invitation to play politics with every incident of fraud that takes place here in Minnesota, even though I have to tell you, statistics show it’s happening in red states more than here. But so be it.”

The governor said that if lawmakers take fraud seriously, they should help him out by passing the anti-fraud package he unveiled in February.

But Republican legislative leaders said afterward that Walz failed during his speech to take adequate responsibility for fraud on his watch.

“While the governor made hints at taking accountability, he immediately turned to pointing fingers — to pointing fingers at other states,” House GOP Floor Leader Harry Niska told reporters.

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Durkin Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Corey Williams and Ed White in Detroit contributed.

The UAE's decision had been rumored as a possibility for some time, as it pushed back in recent years against OPEC production quotas it felt had been too low — meaning it wasn't able to sell as much oil to the world as it had wanted.

“Having invested heavily in expanding energy production capacity in recent years, the bigger picture is that the UAE has been itching to pump more oil,” Capital Economics wrote in an analysis. “The ties binding OPEC members together have loosened,” it said, particularly after Qatar withdrew from the cartel in 2019.

Regional politics are also likely at play. The UAE has had increasingly frosty relations with Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest producer, over political and economic matters in the Mideast, even after both came under attack by fellow OPEC member Iran during the war.

No immediate impact likely for world oil markets

The UAE’s withdrawal from OPEC won’t necessarily have any immediate effects in markets. That’s because world oil supplies are sharply constrained by the war in Iran, which has closed off the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil supplies — including much of the UAE's — is transported. On Tuesday, Brent crude, the international benchmark, traded above $111 a barrel, or more than 50% above its prewar price.

OPEC accounts for roughly 40% of the world's oil output, but its market power had been waning in recent years as the United States ramped up production. While Saudi Arabia had been producing more than 10 million barrels of oil a day before the war, the U.S. pumps more than 13 million barrels a day.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been a steady critic of the cartel during his two terms in the White House.

The UAE, which joined OPEC through its emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1967, had been producing around 3.4 million barrels of crude a day just before the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb. 28. Analysts say it has capacity to produce roughly 5 million barrels a day.

In its announcement on Tuesday, made via its state-run WAM news agency, the UAE said it also would leave the wider OPEC+ group, which Russia had led to try to stabilize oil prices.

“This decision reflects the UAE’s long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile, including accelerated investment in domestic energy production,” the UAE said, adding that it would bring "additional production to market in a gradual and measured manner, aligned with demand and market conditions.”

The UAE’s withdrawal removes one of OPEC’s few members with the ability to quickly increase production, said Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy.

“A structurally weaker OPEC, with less spare capacity concentrated within the group, will find it increasingly difficult to calibrate supply and stabilize prices," he said.

Saudi Arabia, UAE increasingly at odds

Saudi Arabia and the UAE increasingly have competed over economic issues and regional politics, particularly in the Red Sea area. The two countries had jointly fought against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels in 2015. However, that coalition broke down into recriminations in late December, when Saudi Arabia bombed what it described as a weapons shipment bound for Yemeni separatists backed by the UAE.

As tensions rose in recent months, Saudi broadcasters long based in Dubai, the economic hub of the UAE, have pulled back to the kingdom.

“This exit of OPEC fits into the UAE need for flexibility with key energy consumers as well -- including a future relationship with China and a more competitive relationship with Saudi Arabia," said Karen Young, a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.

While Saudi Arabia and OPEC had no immediate reaction, Emirati Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei insisted his country's decision did not stem from any dispute with its Gulf neighbor.

“We’ve been working together for years and years. We have the highest respect for the Saudis for leading OPEC,” al-Mazrouei told CNBC.

However, the UAE sent its foreign minister rather than its ruler to a Gulf Arab leaders' meeting held Tuesday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The UAE hosted the United Nations COP28 climate talks in 2023, a conference that ended for the first time with a pledge by nearly 200 countries to move away from planet-warming fossil fuels. But the UAE still plans to increase its production capacity in the coming years, even as it pursues more clean energy at home, a move decried by climate activists.

“The demand for power is going to go up and up and up,” U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told an Abu Dhabi oil conference in November. “Today’s the day to announce that there is no energy transition. There is only energy addition.”

He drew widespread applause from his Emirati hosts.

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Associated Press writer David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, contributed to this report.

Iran offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade on the country and ends the war in a proposal that would postpone discussions on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, two regional officials said Monday. U.S. President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to rule out any deal that excludes Iran’s nuclear program.

Here is the latest:

Bahrain minister says it’s time to find solutions to restore peace after Iran strikes

Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani urged the international community at this critical time “to shift from crisis management to finding solutions” to the Iranian crisis.

This should include constructive dialogue that ensures Iran’s compliance with principles of good neighborliness and international law, respect for the sovereignty of states and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and other vital waterways, he said.

Al-Zaysni, who chaired a ministerial meeting of the U.N. Security Council, told diplomats Iran must also halt its nuclear, missile and drone programs, refrain from arming or financing proxies and armed militias, and stop attacking Bahrain and other Gulf countries and Jordan.

An Israeli military contractor is killed by drone strike in Lebanon

A brief statement by the Israeli army said the civilian employee of an engineering company was working with the military on projects in southern Lebanon.

An Israeli military official confirmed the contractor was a civilian and died in a drone attack. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under military briefing rules.

Despite a ceasefire in Lebanon, Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have been intermittently attacking each other in the south, where Israeli soldiers are occupying a slice of territory along the border. — By Josef Federman

Israeli strike on a Lebanese army patrol killed 5, including 3 paramedics, and wounds 2 soldiers

That’s according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, which said the toll is still preliminary. The Israeli strike was in the southern town of Majdal Zoun, near the coastal city of Tyre.

Israeli forces hit an army patrol that was accompanying Civil Defense medical teams and bulldozers during a rescue operation at the site of a previous Israeli strike, the Lebanese army and Civil Defense said. Some of the responders were trapped under rubble by the second strike, they said.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike, saying it was part of a pattern of Israeli attacks on rescue and emergency workers in violation of international law.

The Western-backed Lebanese army has largely stood on the sidelines during the recent rounds of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, although dozens of its soldiers have been killed.

Israeli president invites Netanyahu and prosecutors for talks on settling corruption charges

President Isaac Herzog’s office asked for a response by Sunday to his invitation, which came days after he announced he would not decide on Netanyahu’s request for a pardon and instead urge the sides to reach a settlement.

Netanyahu asked Herzog last November to cancel his trial, saying that dropping the charges would help unify the country. Trump has made multiple appeals to Herzog to end the trial.

Herzog’s invitation says he believes that efforts to reach a settlement “must be exhausted first” before he can consider the pardon request. There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office or the attorney general’s office.

Netanyahu is charged with breach of trust, fraud and accepting bribes in three separate cases accusing him of exchanging favors with wealthy associates. He denies all charges.

The trial has dragged on for six years in a case that has bitterly divided the Israeli public. Netanyahu and his supporters claim he is the victim of a politically motivated witch hunt by the media, police and prosecutors.

Gulf Arab countries jointly condemn Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz

The leaders of several wealthy Gulf nations rejected Iran’s “illegal actions” to close the strait and threaten navigation, warning against any disruption to shipping or charging fees for safe passage.

The statement followed a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and attended by leaders from Qatar and Bahrain, Kuwait’s crown prince, and the United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister.

They called for restoring “security and freedom of navigation” to prewar levels and urged deeper military integration, including joint infrastructure projects and a ballistic missile early warning system.

US budget airlines seek billions in aid amid soaring fuel costs

Their trade group is asking the Trump administration for $2.5 billion to offset rising jet fuel costs and keep ticket prices affordable. The Association of Value Airlines said smaller carriers are being hit hardest by the jump in fuel prices, despite carrying more than 90 million passengers last year.

“Temporary government support” would help “preserve vital industry competition,” the association said.

The trade group represents Frontier, Allegiant, Avelo and Sun Country. Another member, Spirit, is separately in talks with the U.S. government on a potential financing deal aimed at keeping the struggling carrier flying as it navigates fuel price shocks during its second bankruptcy since 2024.

Protesters urge boycott of Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s participation

Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Serbian state RTS broadcaster on Tuesday, waving Palestinian flags and accusing Israel of atrocities in Gaza while demanding that the Balkan country pull out of the Eurovision Song Contest because of Israel’s participation.

The year’s main competition with 35 competing countries is scheduled to be held May 12-16 in Vienna. Serbia, which has close ties with Israel, will be represented by Lavina, a six-member metal band.

The contest strives to put pop music before politics but has repeatedly been embroiled in world events. Russia was expelled in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The decision to allow Israel to compete prompted the walkout of Slovenia, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain.

RTV Slovenia said it will air a Palestinian program at the time of the Eurovision contest.

Israeli ambassador says Lebanese government must disarm Hezbollah

Lebanon’s government has demanded that Hezbollah disarm, but Israel says this has not happened. A ceasefire in the latest Israeli-Hezbollah conflict was recently extended for three weeks.

Danon said that if the U.N. Security Council wants to help Lebanon, it should ask the government how many Hezbollah weapons it has seized, “which tunnels have been destroyed and what is being done to stop arms smuggling from Iran.”

“International support for Lebanon must depend on results on the ground and not more empty statements,” Danon said.

Israel’s UN envoy says Hezbollah is 'Lebanon’s greatest obstacle to sovereignty’

Ambassador Danny Danon said it’s impossible to talk about peace in Lebanon without mentioning Hezbollah, the militant group with areas of influence in the south bordering Israel and elsewhere in the country.

“Hezbollah is not just set on Israel’s destruction. It is Lebanon’s greatest obstacle to sovereignty. It has weakened the Lebanese government,” he told a ministerial meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

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This item has been updated to correct the quote. The previous quote was in remarks distributed by Israel’s U.N. Mission but was changed when the ambassador delivered his speech to the U.N. Security Council.

Palestinian minister tells UN that Israel must stop killing civilians

Varsen Aghabekian accused Israel of seeking the collapse of the Palestinian Authority and Israeli settlers of terrorizing Palestinians in the West Bank on a daily basis.

“This has to stop immediately,” she said. “The situation of the Palestinian civilian population must be a top priority.”

Aghabekian said there is no justification for Israel preventing shelter materials from entering Gaza and restricting aid and access for humanitarian workers.

Palestinian minister says 'Palestine must remain a priority’ for action toward an independent state

Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian said the ceasefire in Gaza must be upheld and Israel’s pursuit of “forcible displacement and annexation,” not only in Gaza but in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, must be stopped.

As phase two of the Gaza peace plan gets underway, she said, “We reiterate our vision of one state, one government, one law and one gun and the need for full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.”

Aghabekian told a ministerial meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that Gaza’s transition must be in line with its reunification with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority, “leading to Palestinian self-determination and independent statehood.”

Gaza hospital director’s detention is extended

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel says a court in Israel has indefinitely extended the detention of Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, who became the face of health workers’ struggle in Gaza to keep treating patients under Israeli bombardment.

The Israeli military has said Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, was being investigated on suspicion of cooperating with or working for Hamas. Staff and international aid groups that worked with him have denied the claims.

The rights group in a statement Tuesday says he is held in harsh conditions in Negev Prison. It says the Beersheba District Court approved the extension of his detention without charges having been filed, after his defense had sought his immediate release.

BP earns online backlash as its profit more than doubles during Iran war

The British energy giant reported quarterly earnings Tuesday of $3.84 billion, or $1.47 per share, far exceeding last year’s $687 million, or 26 cents per share. The huge profits beat analysts’ heightened expectations and generated immediate online vitriol.

“Families are being pushed to the brink by spiraling energy bills, while fossil fuel companies turn a war into a windfall,” wrote Clémence Dubois, global campaigns director at 350.org.

“These astronomical profits are a startling reminder that when conflict drives up the price of oil and gas, energy companies profit and households pay,” wrote Simon Francis, coordinator with End Fuel Poverty Coalition.

BP shares rose more than 1%, close to a 52-week high, as did shares of other major oil producers. It was BP’s first earnings report since the Iran war began, previewing what to expect when Exxon Mobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips report earnings later this week.

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Israeli strike wounds 2 soldiers, traps 3 rescuers in southern Lebanon

Two Lebanese soldiers were wounded and three Civil Defense personnel were trapped under rubble after an Israeli strike targeted an army patrol accompanied by rescue teams and two bulldozers in the southern town of Majdal Zoun, near Tyre, according to the Lebanese Army and Civil Defense.

The Israeli army has not immediately commented on the attack, which came as clashes and intermittent air strikes continue despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire.

At least seven Lebanese army soldiers have been killed since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel reignited on March 2.

Oil prices climb again amid more uncertainty over the Iran war

Another climb in oil prices because of the Iran war is helping to halt Wall Street’s record-setting rally. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil to be delivered in June climbed 2.7% to $111.18. Brent to be delivered in July, which is where traders are focusing more in the oil market, rose 2.6% to $104.33 Tuesday.

After sitting around $70 in late February, Brent prices are moving closer to their peak of $119, reached when worries about the war were at their heights.

The Trump administration seemed unlikely Tuesday to accept Iran’s offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade. Iran also wants to postpone discussions on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, which Rubio appeared to rule out.

Average U.S. gasoline prices reached $4.18 a gallon on Tuesday, the most since 2022, according to the auto club AAA.

▶ Read more

US envoy says Hamas is the ‘obstacle’ to Palestinians in Gaza living in peace and prosperity

Ambassador Mike Waltz urged countries with influence on Hamas to press the militant group to demilitarize and accept that it will not have a direct or indirect role in Gaza “through weapons and terrorism and violent intimidation.”

“The moment Hamas agrees to demilitarize, a new chapter in Gaza’s history will be written,” he told a ministerial meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the Middle East.

“Every day we either move closer to a future where Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank live in freedom and prosperity, at peace with Israel — or we drift back toward chaos, rockets, hostages and rubble,” Walz said.

He said there is a plan for reconstruction and development of Gaza and financing, and there is a pathway to peace and eased security restrictions, but Hamas is holding Gaza back.

US military boards another ship as it enforces blockade on Iranian ports

The U.S. military said Tuesday in a social media post that it boarded and released another commercial ship that was suspected of heading for Iran.

The post by U.S. Central Command on X included a video showed marines fast-roping from a helicopter onto the vessel, which it said was the Comoros-flagged M/V Blue Star III. It happened in the Arabian Sea, east of the Strait of Hormuz.

“U.S. forces released the vessel after conducting a search and confirming the ship’s voyage would not include an Iranian port call,” the command said.

The command said it has now redirected 39 vessels since start of the blockade on ships going to and from Iranian ports.

Israel destroys alleged Hezbollah tunnel network in southern Lebanon

The military detonated a large explosion late Tuesday in Qantara, and Israel’s Geological Survey said the blast was so powerful it registered as a “seismic event.”

The army said the network included two large tunnels — one about 800 meters (yards) long and the other 1.2 kilometers (0.7 miles) — that were equipped with sleeping rooms, toilets, kitchen facilities and launchers aimed at Israel. It released photos and video footage of what it said were the tunnels.

An Israeli military official said the network included large rooms where over 100 Hezbollah fighters could gather at once. He also said it ran underneath and alongside a mosque, school and soccer field.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity under military briefing rules.

In a statement, Defense Minister Israel Katz said the army has been instructed to destroy any Hezbollah infrastructure it finds, “just like in Gaza.”

— By Josef Federman

Amnesty International urges Israel to stop destroying civilian property in southern Lebanon

The human rights organization made the statement Tuesday after a video circulated on social media showing Israeli military excavators destroying solar panels for the Lebanese border village of Debel and its water station.

On Saturday, the Israeli military said it was investigating the incident after the footage emerged. Debel is the same village where a soldier was filmed earlier this month smashing a statue of Jesus, prompting international condemnation.

“Amnesty International has previously documented extensive destruction by the Israeli military along Lebanon’s border before and after the November 2024 ceasefire,” the group said, adding it had called for reparations and war crimes investigations. “So far, neither has appeared.”

Away from the spotlight, the situation in Gaza and the West Bank is ‘steadily worsening,’ UN official says

U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari said Gaza is facing “ongoing and deadly Israeli strikes and dire humanitarian conditions,” with 1.8 million people — nearly its entire population — living in camps and dependent on aid.

He told a U.N. Security Council ministerial meeting Tuesday that in the West Bank, “violence, including rampant settler attacks, displacement and accelerating settlement activity, is threatening entire communities and further eroding prospects for a political process” toward a two-state solution.

In Gaza, he said, “the ceasefire is increasingly fragile as Israeli strikes and armed activity by Hamas and other groups continue.”

Khiari, whose portfolio includes the Middle East, warned that while diplomatic efforts are underway to consolidate the ceasefire and implement Phase II of the peace plan, “talks on the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups have thus far not resulted in an agreement, raising concerns over the potential return to widespread hostilities.”

The UAE’s exit from OPEC won’t expand global oil supplies right away

The UAE’s move appears to be part of an effort to assert themselves as leaders and independent actors in the region, and sell oil and gas when and how they see fit, said Karen Young, senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.

“This exit of OPEC fits into the UAE need for flexibility with key energy consumers as well — including a future relationship with China and a more competitive relationship with Saudi Arabia,” she said.

The exit won’t immediately change export capacity, since the UAE’s lone pipeline around the Strait of Hormuz to the port at Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman is already running at full capacity, she noted.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry raises death toll of Israel-Hezbollah war to 2,534

The ministry added on Tuesday that 7,863 have been wounded since the war broke out on March 2.

The war has displaced more than 1 million people and caused destruction worth billions of dollars.

Peak oil means sell barrels now or leave money on the table

Leon said the approaching peak in global oil demand has shifted the incentive for producers from collective restraint to earning money from their reserves now.

He said the UAE, with its 4.8 million barrels per day of production capacity and potential to increase output, is “particularly well positioned to pursue such a strategy outside the group.”

An OPEC without the UAE could increase global energy supply volatility, analyst says

The UAE’s withdrawal removes one of OPEC’s few members with ability to quickly increase production — the mechanism through which the cartel manages oil prices, said Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy.

“A structurally weaker OPEC, with less spare capacity concentrated within the group, will find it increasingly difficult to calibrate supply and stabilize prices,” Leon said. “The net effect points to a more fragmented supply landscape and a potentially more volatile oil market over time as OPEC’s capacity to smooth imbalances diminishes.”

Trump claims Iran has ‘just’ informed the US it’s in a ‘State of Collapse’

“They want us to ‘Open the Hormuz Strait,’ as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation,” Trump posted on social media.

He added that he believes they will be able to sort out reported divisions within the Islamic Republic government about negotiations with the U.S.

The White House did not immediately respond to questions about who on the Iranian side delivered the message, who in the Republican administration received it and whether the communications were conducted directly with the U.S. or through an intermediary.

Israel to investigate ship carrying what Ukraine says is ‘stolen grain’

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Tuesday that Israel’s tax authority has opened an investigation into a ship expected to dock in the Haifa port that Ukraine said carries stolen grain.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that Ukraine is preparing sanctions against companies that profit from grain harvested from areas of Ukraine under Russian control. Saar dismissed Zelenskyy’s comments as “Twitter diplomacy” and said Ukraine had not provided information about the cargo’s contents or a request for legal assistance.

“The vessel has not entered the port and has yet to submit its documents. It is not possible to verify the truth of the Ukrainian claims regarding the forgery of the bill of lading,” Saar said.

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Israel has ‘no territorial ambitions’ in Lebanon, Israel’s foreign minister says

Gideon Saar said the Israeli military-occupied “buffer zone” that stretches 10 kilometers (6 miles) into Lebanon is necessary to protect residents in Israel’s north.

“Hezbollah has transformed the entire front line of southern Lebanon into a network of terrorist infrastructure, and this threat has not been properly addressed by the Lebanese government,” he said during a press conference with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić in Jerusalem.

Saar refused to comment on the fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah, which both sides have violated multiple times since Trump announced it last week, and whether Israel might expand its military operations beyond southern Lebanon. He did note Israel’s first direct negotiations with Lebanon in decades.

Iran’s economy has been battered. Its leaders still think Trump will blink first

U.S. and Israeli airstrikes crippled thousands of factories in Iran, and the economic damage is reverberating — millions more Iranians could lose their jobs. Most damaging, Israeli strikes knocked out most steel and petrochemical production, causing a surge in prices for metals and plastic. Things could get worse as the U.S. blockades Iranian ports.

Economic woes sparked the mass protests that were crushed before the war and could again push Iranians into the streets. But Iran’s leaders are betting that economic self-reliance built under decades of sanctions can help them endure the pain longer than Trump.

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“I think about the night of the flood every moment of everyday, we tried our hardest that night and it wasn’t enough to save your daughters. We are devastated alongside you. I regret not communicating more with each of you earlier, and I am sorry,” said Edward Eastland

Edward Eastland was with his father, Dick Eastland, and night watchman, Glenn Juenke, as the trio worked to evacuate dozens of girls during the flood. His brother, Richard, defended their father’s decision not to evacuate the girls sooner, telling lawmakers weather warnings and radar weren’t accurately portraying what was happening on the ground.

• RELATED: Camp Mystic director apologizes to families of campers, counselors who died in flood

Dick Eastland died while trying to evacuate campers.

“When I say my dad was in the dark looking for that information, he couldn’t find it, because the radar wasn’t showing it, the National Weather Service wasn’t showing it and the gauges that were upstream of us on the south fork (of the Guadalupe River) were no longer in service,” said Richard Eastland.

On the first day of hearings, lawmakers heard testimony Mystic had no written evacuation plan and did not conduct safety drills with staff, which is required by law.

Lawmakers also questioned the Eastlands as to why the camp’s PA system was not used to notify campers to seek higher ground as the water levels began to rise.

Edward Eastland said the water was rising so quickly he was focused on evacuating the campers and didn’t think to go back to the front office to activate the system.

• RELATED: Camp Mystic relied on teen counselors with no emergency training before flood, investigator says

An investigator hired by the committee, Houston attorney Casey Garrett, described the evacuation efforts during the flood as “mayhem.” Garrett said between 140-150 people were interviewed as part of the investigation.

Members of the Eastland family said they found Garrett’s findings fair and mostly accurate. The main point of dispute was no description of how suddenly the water rose to historic levels.

Edward Eastland’s wife, camp co-director and medical director, Mary Liz Eastland, was questioned as to why she still has not reported the 27 deaths to the Texas Department of State Health Services(DSHS) as is required by law.

“Have you reported the 27 deaths to the Department of State Health Services as required by code?” asked State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst/(R) Dist. 18.

“No ma’am, I have not,” said Mary Liz Eastland.

• RELATED: State regulators say Camp Mystic emergency plan has deficiencies

Kolkhorst expressed a measure of surprise at that answer and and again asked Mary Liz Eastland to “report the 27 deaths, adhere to the law, please adhere to the law.”

Lawmakers also questioned why a list of activities submitted with Camp Mystic’s license application included campers using the Guadalupe River.

Richard Eastland said that was a mistake due to an old activity list being submitted with the licensing packet. Richard Eastland said her recently took over the license application process for Cmp Mystic and assured lawmakers they have no plans to use the Guadalupe River this summer.

“I really regret it, because I did not mean to cause that trauma and I did not intend for anyone to believe we were going to use the Guadalupe for this summer,” said Richard Eastland.

Kolkhorst and State Sen. Charles Perry/(R) Dist. 28 were blunt in expressing their skepticism about the Eastlands reopening Mystic’s Cypress Lake location by May 30th.

DSHS recently sent Camp Mystic a letter outlining 22 deficiencies in the emergency plan submitted this year. Edward Eastland said they’ve addressed those issues and will be resubmitting their emergency plan to the state by tomorrow.

“We’re talking May 30th, this is April 28th, you have 22 deficiencies, you haven’t reported the 27 deaths required by law,” said Kolkhorst. “In light of everything I just pointed out, do you really think you’re ready to take on 500 children, plus?”

Kolkhorst pointed out other licensed facilities that care for children have lost licenses over a single death. Perry was more direct, telling the Eastlands he does not believe they should continue operating Camp Mystic. Perry further clarified he believes the camp can continue operating, just not with the Eastlands at the helm.

“There’s a point where the consequences of not doing your job is so significant and so consequential that you don’t have the privilege of running a business that you were prior to,” said Perry. “If you all are left as an operator in any form or fashion, what deterrent does that send to another operator that I can have kids die on my watch and still be an operator?”

“I think we’re willing to take a step back, if camp can go on. That’s OK with us, we are willing to step back and take a pause,” said Perry.

Following the Eastlands’ testimony, lawmakers heard from the head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, Chief Nim Kidd. He told lawmakers camps must have a written plan, an incident command structure and regular safety drills.

Families of children who survived also testified. Julie Sprunt told lawmakers her nine year old daughter was swept a mile downstream during the flood.

“All of our daughters were awake in those cabins with enough time to be evacuated. Our daughters were told to stay in place, they waited, they obeyed the Eastland family’s instructions,” said Sprunt, who also attended Camp Mystic as a child. “Had these 8-year old girls and their counselors been allowed to run for their lives, there were many safe places to go, we all grew up at that camp, we knew those safe place.”

Another mother, Charlee Johnson, also shared her 11-year old daughter’s experience during the flood. Johnson said her daughter was in Jumble House and was told to walk to Rec Hall at 3am, she survived.

Johnson said after her daughter told the family what happened, she realized the evacuation was “chaos.”

“In fact, they were not evacuated, instead they were left to navigate the darkness themselves. 10 years old, 3 am, darkness, rushing water. No child should have to navigate themselves to safety under these conditions,” said Johnson.

Her daughter’s experience prompted Johnson to help create Safety Navigator, which assists youth camps in implementing the new, stricter state laws.

The hearing is ongoing and lawmakers are expected to hear from officials with DSHS about the licensing and inspection process.

In a boost for the prime minister, the House of Commons rejected a move by opposition politicians to trigger a parliamentary standards investigation into Starmer. But a former senior official said he could not confirm that “due process” was followed when Mandelson, a friend of Jeffrey Epstein, was given the key diplomatic job despite failing security checks.

Reverberations from the ill-fated appointment have left Starmer fighting for his job, and at odds with his civil service. The prime minister is angry he wasn’t told that Mandelson had failed security vetting, while senior officials say they felt pressure from Starmer’s office to confirm the appointment quickly at the start of President Donald Trump ’s second term.

“I was presented with a decision and told to get on with it,” said Philip Barton, who was top civil servant in the Foreign Office when the choice of Mandelson was announced in December 2024. “The prime minister had been made aware of the risks and had accepted the risks.”

Starmer’s former top aide says sorry

Starmer’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, acknowledged Tuesday he’d made a “serious mistake” by recommending Mandelson, but denied pressuring officials to ignore security concerns.

McSweeney told lawmakers on the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee that “the prime minister relied on my advice, and I got it wrong.” He apologized to Epstein’s victims, saying “I am sorry for any part this controversy has played in causing further hurt or distress.”

But he insisted that he didn’t “ask officials to ignore procedures, request that steps should be skipped, or communicate explicitly or implicitly that checks should be cleared at all costs.”

Starmer fired Mandelson in September after new details emerged about the ambassador’s friendship with Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2019.

Police opened an investigation into Mandelson in February over allegations that he passed sensitive government information to Epstein when he was a member of the U.K. government in 2009. He denies wrongdoing and hasn’t been charged.

McSweeney, who called Mandelson an adviser and confidant, resigned in February, saying he took responsibility for the ambassadorial appointment.

McSweeney said that he felt Mandelson’s experience as a former European Union trade commissioner would serve the U.K. well in striking a trade deal with the Trump administration.

“I don’t think the prime minister would have chosen Mandelson if Kamala Harris had been elected president,” he said.

Government denies pressuring officials

But McSweeney denied allegations that Starmer’s staff pressured officials to rush through the confirmation.

He said that at the time of the appointment, he had the impression that Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein was “a passing acquaintance.” When emails were published showing the friendship was close, “it was a knife through my soul,” McSweeney said.

Starmer fired top Foreign Office official Olly Robbins earlier this month after the revelation that Mandelson was approved for the job against the recommendation of the government’s security vetting agency. Starmer has called it “staggering” that Robbins failed to tell him about the security concerns.

Robbins says he was bound by confidentiality rules. He has said the concerns didn’t relate to Epstein, though he hasn’t disclosed what they were about.

It’s rare but not unknown for U.K. ambassadors to be political appointees rather than career diplomats. Barton, who was Robbins’ predecessor at the Foreign Office until January 2025, told the Foreign Affairs Committee that he was concerned Mandelson’s known links to “toxic, hot potato” Epstein “could become a problem.”

“There was pressure to get everything done as quickly as possible,” said Barton — though he denied there was pressure for a specific outcome.

Starmer has denied that anyone in his office put pressure on the civil service.

Opponents tried to force an inquiry

Critics say Starmer’s decision to appoint Mandelson is evidence of bad judgment by a prime minister who has made repeated missteps since he led the center-left Labour Party to a landslide election victory in July 2024.

Starmer already defused one potential crisis in February, when some Labour lawmakers urged him to quit over the Mandelson appointment. He could face a new challenge if, as expected, Labour takes a hammering in May 7 local and regional elections, which give voters a chance to pass a midterm verdict on the government.

He managed to win a vote Tuesday in the House of Commons, where lawmakers rejected by 335 votes to 223 a demand by the opposition Conservative Party for Parliament’s Privileges Committee to investigate Starmer’s claim that “due process” was followed in Mandelson’s appointment.

The committee has the power to suspend lawmakers, including the prime minister, for breaches of the rules, and a finding of deliberately misleading Parliament is usually a resigning offense.

“It’s clear that full due process was not followed,” Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said, adding that “appointing a known national security risk to be ambassador to the United States is a profound failure of government.”

Badenoch urged Labour lawmakers not to be complicit in a “cover-up.”

Starmer urged Labour legislators to “stick together” and vote against the motion, calling it a “stunt” timed to damage the party before the May elections.

Many heeded the call, but several criticized Starmer during debate in the House of Commons. Labour lawmaker Emma Lewell said that “like the public, I feel let down, disappointed and I am angry.

“Peter Mandelson should never have been appointed,” she said. “This was a fundamental failure of judgment.”

___

Associated Press writer Sylvia Hui contributed to this story.

The unanimous ruling from a panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City sets the stage for a possible U.S. Supreme Court appeal. That's because panels on the 8th and 5th circuit courts have already upheld the policy put in place by President Donald Trump's administration last July.

“Today, although we part ways with two other circuits that have addressed this question, we join the overwhelming majority of federal judges across the Nation to consider it and conclude that the government’s novel interpretation of the immigration statute defies their plain text,” Judge Joseph F. Bianco wrote for the panel, which included Judges Alison J. Nathan and Jose A. Cabranes.

Mandatory detention for all is a new and contentious approach

Under the policy, the Department of Homeland Security has been denying bond hearings to immigrants arrested across the country, including those who have been in the U.S. for years without any criminal history. That's a departure from the practice under previous administrations, when most noncitizens with no criminal record who were arrested away from the border were given the opportunity to request a bond hearing while their cases moved through immigration court.

In those cases, bond was often granted to people who were deemed not to be flight risks, and mandatory detention was limited to those who had just entered the country.

Federal courts are flooded with detainees seeking relief

The new approach has strained the federal courts, with judges across the country facing more than 30,000 lawsuits from immigrants locked up under the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign. Left with no way to request bond in immigration court, many immigrants have turned to the federal courts instead, requesting bond through a process known a habeas corpus petition.

Attorneys for the Trump administration say the mandatory detention policy is legal under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act passed in 1996. That law streamlined the process to deport people who were newly arriving in the U.S. without permission, but immigrants who were already in the country were still allowed to seek bond from an immigration judge under a different law.

That changed in July, when Todd Lyons, acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said all immigrants targeted for deportation would be treated the same way as new arrivals.

The three-judge panel found that the government’s interpretation of the 1996 law defies the plain text of the law, its purpose and its history, and noted that Congress had set up a tiered system for immigration cases based in part on how long an immigrant had been in the country.

The lower courts have widely rejected mandatory detention

So far, more than 370 federal judges — or about 90% — to consider those habeas cases have also rejected the government's new approach, Bianco wrote. Bianco was nominated by Trump, Nathan by former President Joe Biden and Cabranes by former President Bill Clinton.

The 2nd Circuit case involves a man from Brazil who entered the U.S. around 2005, applied for asylum in 2016 and was granted work authorization while his application was under review.

Ricardo Aparecido Barbosa da Cunha has never been arrested or charged with a crime, owns his own home in Massachusetts where he lives with his wife and two U.S. citizen children, and runs a small construction business. He was arrested on an administrative warrant in September 2025 and placed in removal proceedings, and filed a habeas petition after an immigration judge found he was subject to mandatory detention.

The mandatory detention of noncitizens like Barbosa da Cunha for a substantial period of time would “raise serious constitutional questions, especially because the government has failed to explain how it would bear a ‘reasonable relation’ to any legitimate, non-punitive purpose,” Bianco wrote.

DHS suggests an appeal could be coming

“Today’s ruling rightly affirms that the Trump administration’s policy of detaining immigrants without any process is unlawful and cannot stand,” said Amy Belsher, director of Immigrants’ Rights Litigation at the New York Civil Liberties Union. “The government cannot mandatorily detain millions of noncitizens, many of whom have lived here for decades, without an opportunity to seek release. It defies the Constitution, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and basic human decency.”

In a statement emailed to The Associated Press, the Department of Homeland Security pointed to a Board of Immigration Appeals ruling upholding the mandatory detention policy, and said Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin “are now enforcing this law as it was actually written to keep America safe.”

“Regarding decisions from federal courts about mandatory detention, judicial activists have been repeatedly overruled by the Supreme Court on these questions. ICE has the law and the facts on its side and will be vindicated by higher courts,” DHS said.

___ Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.

On Tuesday, METRO officials, community leaders, and law enforcement partners gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility near the Magnolia Park Transit Center.

Situated at the eastern end of the Green Line, the substation will operate 24/7, serving as a dedicated base for METRO Police officers in the area. The officers will focus on maintaining a visible patrol presence, improving response times, and expanding coverage along the transit corridor.

“This facility itself may be small, but the impact is huge,” METRO Police Chief Ban Tien said, emphasizing the significance of the substation despite its size.

• Suspect in 1990 ‘Lover’s Lane’ murders dies in Nebraska jail days after grand jury indictment

METRO leaders underscore that their goal extends beyond enforcement. Their goal is to build stronger community connections through a consistent and visible presence.

“Safety continues to guide our decisions, and this investment reflects that ongoing commitment,” said Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock, Chair of METRO’s Board of Directors.

“We will be more visible, more integrated into the community, and work every day alongside our community partners to support the safety of our riders and the neighborhoods we serve.”

The substation opening comes at a time when transit safety remains a top priority for both officials and riders. While METRO reports tens of millions of trips are made across the system each year, leaders acknowledge that the perception of safety significantly influences how comfortable people feel using public transportation.

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KPRC 2’s Re’Chelle Turner spoke with LINK Houston, an organization focused on improving transit access and safety.

“Public transit is critically important,” said Peter Eccles, LINK Houston’s director of policy and planning. He cited research that shows many Harris County residents rely on transit for daily and occasional trips. Eccles also noted that increased ridership can also enhance safety, as busier platforms and more frequent service contribute to a secure environment for passengers.

City leaders view this substation as part of a broader strategy to expand METRO Police presence across Houston. Mayor John Whitmire indicated that additional substations are expected in other areas in the future.

For now, the East End location represents a localized investment with the potential for wider impact as METRO continues to strengthen safety efforts systemwide. As the community adapts to this new facility, METRO’s ongoing commitment to safety and community integration remains at the forefront of its mission.

There are two main types of kunafa:

• Na’ama – a soft, smooth version made with fine semolina dough that melts in your mouth
• Kishneh (Kishna) – made with shredded phyllo dough for a crisp, crunchy texture

If you’re getting hungry, don’t worry. Brothers from the popular Middle Eastern shop Golden Roastery share their signature kunafa recipe that you can recreate at home with your family.

• Inside Golden Roastery: A popular Middle Eastern shop serving traditional desserts and coffee

Before you scroll below for the recipe or watch the video above featuring a signature kunafa flip, Golden Roastery is offering Houston Life viewers a special walk-in-only deal.

From now until May 10, customers can receive 20% off kunafa orders when they mention “HL20” at checkout, in-store only.

Locations

• 3111 Fondren Rd, Houston, TX 77063
• 5199 FM 1960 W, Houston, TX 77069

Kunafa Recipe

(Small Tray – 12-inch pan)

• 1 lb sweet cheese
• 500g ghee (butter)
• 2 lbs kataifi dough
• 1/4 cup crushed pistachios
• 1 cup sugar syrup

Directions

1. Spread ghee evenly inside the pan
2. Lay out and press the kataifi dough
3. Spread sweet cheese evenly over the dough
4. Bake until golden brown
5. Flip onto serving tray
6. Sprinkle crushed pistachios
7. Pour sugar syrup on top
8. Serve and enjoy

Even though the discount is limited to kunafa, you can still explore more desserts by visiting goldenroastery.store.

The two-day segment of ministers and senior officials marks the political centerpiece of the First Conference on Transitioning away from Fossil Fuels, where more than 50 countries have been discussing how to move away from oil, gas and coal — the main drivers of global warming — toward cleaner energy.

“The conclusion is unavoidable, we must transition away from fossil fuels — not just because it’s good for climate, but because it strengthens our energy independence and security,” said Stientje van Veldhoven, minister for climate policy and green growth for the Netherlands, which is co-hosting the conference with Colombia.

The meeting reflects growing frustration among some governments and advocates that decades of U.N. climate negotiations have failed to directly address fossil fuel production, prompting the Santa Marta summit to push the issue outside formal talks. Recent negotiations have acknowledged the need for a transition, but countries remain divided over how to implement it and how to finance the shift.

Before the president took the stage, members of the Indigenous Arhuaco community from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta — who have long defended their ancestral lands from outside development — opened the ceremony with a traditional harmonization ritual, a spiritual ceremony in which they spoke in their native language and played ancestral instruments.

Colombian president warns Amazon at tipping point

Speaking in the afternoon, President Petro warned that “the Amazon rainforest is burning,” adding that “without it we reach a point of no return.”

The leftist leader questioned the global economic model underpinning fossil fuel use, asking whether “capitalism can really adapt to a way of life that is not fossil-based.” He said U.N. climate talks have fallen short, arguing that “the unity of states has failed” and calling for broader action beyond governments.

Petro also linked current conflicts to energy dependence, saying “the wars we are seeing are driven by desperate geopolitical strategies around fossil resources.”

Colombia's Environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres said in opening comments before Petro's address that the conflict in the Middle East has revealed that “we are not only dealing with a climate and environmental crisis, but also an economic and national security crisis.”

Petro has positioned Colombia as a leading voice calling for a global shift away from fossil fuels, while pushing for a gradual transition at home that balances climate goals with economic realities.

A key moment for international cooperation

Outside the conference venue in the morning, members of a mining union protested against Petro and the event, chanting through megaphones and holding signs that read: “I arrive at the conference by plane to criticize the oil industry,” “More oil, less Petro,” and “Defend your oil barrels.”

With elections in a month's time, outgoing Petro kept his pledge since taking office to halt new oil and gas exploration and steer the country toward a post-fossil fuel economy, even as the Andean nation remains heavily dependent on oil and coal exports.

Minister Vélez Torres framed the gathering as a key moment for international cooperation.

“Let this conference be the moment when ambition becomes solidarity and when cooperation becomes the path toward a future beyond fossil fuels,” she said on Tuesday morning. “Let’s make this a turning point in history.”

Yuvelis Morales Blanco, a 25-year-old activist from Puerto Wilches, Colombia, spoke at the opening plenary and called for urgent action and a transition rooted in communities.

“We are called to make real the world we have imagined,” she said, urging governments to take “direct and concrete actions” to move away from fossil fuels and protect nature. “We demand energy justice, climate justice and justice for youth and children.”

Discussions in Santa Marta so far have highlighted the central challenge of funding the transition, particularly for developing countries facing high borrowing costs and limited access to capital.

Van Veldhoven of the Netherlands said access to affordable financing would be critical to ensuring the transition can happen globally, particularly for developing countries facing high debt and limited fiscal space.

Participants have also debated the role of policy tools such as carbon markets and government subsidies, as well as how to ensure the transition does not repeat patterns of land use and resource exploitation that have harmed communities in the past.

Organizers say the conference will not produce binding agreements, but that it is intended to build political momentum and bring together countries willing to accelerate the transition outside the formal U.N. process. It is also seen as a steppingstone toward upcoming global climate negotiations, where financing and timelines for reducing fossil fuel use are expected to remain key points of debate.

On Monday, Tuvalu, a tiny, low-lying Polynesian island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, announced it will host the next conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels. Small island nations are highly susceptible to climate change, with Tuvalu expected to be submerged by 2100 due to rising sea levels, according to scientists and the U.N.

___

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 Golden Roastery opened on Fondren Road in June 2024, quickly drawing customers from across the city and beyond. With such a high following, the family opened a second location on FM 1960 near Willowbrook Mall.

But what really makes this place stand out? It’s all family. Brothers, cousins, aunts, and uncles all work together behind the counter and in the kitchen, making many items by hand.

Inside, you’ll find Turkish delights imported from Turkey, Arabic booza ice cream known for its stretchy texture, Turkish coffee brewed the traditional way over hot sand and more.

And yes—there’s a reason everyone on social media is talking about it.

Watch the video above to see how it all comes together (and why people keep coming back).

See the full assortment of treats at goldenroastery.store.

The group allegedly operated in Harris County and surrounding areas over about a week in late March before moving operations to the Austin area, where all got arrested in a multi-agency operation before higher charges got filed.

Investigators said they targeted gift cards on shelves at local Walgreens, CVS, and Dollar Tree stores.

All three suspects are foreign nationals, according to the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC), including two who investigators believe are a brother and sister, and another one who allegedly sought asylum at the California border in December 2024.

ALSO READ: Alleged robbery suspect shot by victim during meetup for social media content in Champions Point

Inside the investigation

Law enforcement first got alerted about the group because of suspicious activity noticed at the gift card kiosk at a Walgreens in Spring, according to investigators. One of the suspects spent about 15 minutes hanging out around the cards, before employees noticed 15 altered gift cards.

The group then got tracked by law enforcement to stores around the Houston area, each day hitting an estimated 20 locations, and each time stealing gift cards off the shelves.

“This gift card tampering is kind of an epidemic at this point,” said Lt. Scott Hamilton with the Texas FCIC.

Law enforcement learned the suspects rented a car in Austin before driving to Houston, where they are believed to have rented rooms at a home in southwest Houston. It served as a homebase for the operation, according to Hamilton.

Investigators served a search warrant at that home, recovering reusable bags full of bundles of more than 8,000 of gift cards from different retailers, stuffed inside a closet.

As Hamilton’s team built the case locally, the crew moved to the Austin area, where they began operating out of a hotel room, targeting dozens of stores around Austin.

Austin-area arrests

While working from sun up to sun down as if it was a full-time job, as Hamilton put it, two of the suspects got arrested in Buda, Texas.

Photos shared with KPRC 2 News show one of the suspects, Houjie Lin, with a pocket full of gift cards.

Yi-Hsun Wu also got arrested at that time at a Walgreens, and investigators found dozens of tampered gift cards along with a glove box full of rubber bands during a search of their vehicle.

“They got up in the morning and they went and they stole cards all day long and went to the house and started back up the next day,” Hamilton said.

Investigators also served a search warrant at the Austin hotel room, where they recovered thousands more gift cards, and found Hsai Lin “actively processing and dismantling gift cards.”

All three have now been charged in Hays County with first-degree engaging in organized crime, higher charges compared to their initial arrests. The Lins are wanted, Hamilton said, while Wu has been taken into immigration custody and is expected to be deported.

The bigger impact

The nearly 12,000 gift cards had a total value of nearly $5.7 million, and investigators believed the trio was working to capture numerical information from each gift card that would have been put into their own database.

The cards would then be returned to the store shelves where they came from, Hamilton said, and when purchased by an unsuspecting customer, the suspects would receive notice about a balance being available.

They’d then be able to access and drain those funds, Hamilton said, sometimes before a customer even got home from purchasing the gift card.

“Once that card becomes activated, they get notification, and if they’re on their computer at the time, they could have spent the $500 that you paid for before you got to the house,” Hamilton said. “Realistically, that’s 12,00 people that would have bought a gift card and came up empty so luckily we were able to stop that.”

Protecting yourself

To avoid getting a tampered with gift card, Hamilton said customers should pay close attention to any packaging that appears to be altered.

He suggested getting a gift card that’s not at the front of a shelf, or isn’t at eye level, and reporting any potential tampering to a store clerk.

“Sometimes it’s obvious, sometimes it’s not,” he said.

The visit comes at a challenging moment for U.S.-UK relations. U.S. President Donald Trump’s up-and-down relationship with Prime Minister Keir Starmer has taken a particularly sour turn over the past several months as the president has sought to rally international support for the war in Iran.

The king, accompanied by Queen Camilla, began his day with a meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump. The King then addressed the U.S. Congress, the body’s first address from a British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II ’s in 1991. The day will end with an expectedly buzzy dinner at the White House.

Here's the latest:

King Charles met with tech leaders earlier in the day at Blair House

The monarch met with Apple CEO Tim Cook, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Advanced Micro Devices CEO Lisa Su and NVIDIA President and CEO Jensen Huang on Tuesday afternoon. The tech leaders are expected to be guests at the dinner.

Benioff, Su, Cook and Huang were all at a White House formal dinner last November honoring the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman.

Trump confesses he was ‘jealous’ about the king’s speech

As the royals arrived for the state dinner, the president revealed he enjoyed Charles’ speech to Congress.

“He made a great speech. I was very jealous,” Trump said about Charles during a photo op outside the White House.

Both first lady and queen embrace shades of pink

First lady Melania Trump donned head-to-toe Christian Dior, in a pale delphinium pink silk strapless gown from the designer’s haute couture collection, with off-white suede gloves and pale delphinium silk pumps.

Britain’s Queen Camilla wore a deep pink Fiona Clare evening gown with the family jewels — an amethyst and diamond necklace gifted by a former Duchess of Kent to Queen Victoria.

Dessert includes beehive-shaped confectionary

State dinner guests will be served a four course meal, which includes a velouté sauce with crisp toasted shallots, spring herbed ravioli made with herbs from the White House kitchen garden, and a classic dover sole meunière, which is a seared fish.

For dessert, guests will be served a beehive-shaped chocolate confectionary with crème fraîche ice cream and honey from the White House beehive. The dessert is a nod to the king and queen, who are avid supporters of beekeeping.

King Charles III urges ‘unyielding resolve’ in defense of Ukraine, heralds NATO

The monarch reminded the audience that the only time that the NATO military alliance’s collective defense has been invoked was after the the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

“Today, Mr. Speaker, that same, unyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine and her most courageous people. It is needed in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace,” King Charles III told the lawmakers and other dignitaries in the chamber.

The reminder seemed a subtle defense of the transatlantic military alliance that Trump has soured on and repeatedly threatened to pull the U.S. out of.

“We do not embark on these remarkable endeavors together out of sentiment,” he said. “We do so because they build greater shared resilience for the future, so making our citizens safer for generations to come.”

King Charles III says US-UK alliance ‘cannot rest on past achievements’

The call on the allies to continue work on their alliance comes as differences over the Iran war tests the relationship, perhaps the lowest point in the so-called “special relationship” since the 1956 Suez Crisis, when the U.S. opposed Britain’s attempt to seize the Suez Canal.

Charles then went on to quote British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who Trump has sharply criticized for Britain’s refusal to provide greater support to the U.S. and Israel in its war against Iran.

“As my Prime Minister said last month: ’ours is an indispensable partnership. We must not disregard everything that has sustained us for the last 80 years. Instead, we must build on it,” Charles added.

King Charles III decries ‘acts of violence’ after White House Correspondents’ Dinner incident

Charles nodded to what law enforcement authorities say was an attempt to assassinate Trump over the weekend when he attended a dinner with members of the White House press corps.

“We meet, too, in the aftermath of the incident not far from this great building that sought to harm the leadership of your Nation and to foment wider fear and discord,” he said. “Let me say with unshakeable resolve: such acts of violence will never succeed.”

Trump was on stage at the head table at Saturday’s dinner when Secret Service personnel apprehended a man armed with a gun after he broke through a security checkpoint.

Selfies with the King

King Charles III received an extended standing ovation from members of Congress when he walked into the House chamber, with many lawmakers filming his entrance on their phones or taking selfies.

It’s an unusual display of unity in the chamber — very different from the annual State of the Union, when half of the room is usually clapping and the other sitting down.

King Charles speaks of ‘interlinked’ destinies of US and UK

King Charles III acknowledged “times of great uncertainty” as he expressed gratitude to the American people and marked the 250th anniversary of independence from Britain in a speech to the U.S. Congress that highlighted the bonds between the two countries at a time of political turmoil.

“For all that time,” Charles said, “our destinies have been interlinked.”

Charles is only the second British monarch to address a joint session of Congress. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, delivered a similar speech in 1991 highlighting the historic ties between both countries and the importance of their democratic values.

All the King’s escorts...

King Charles III will be accompanied by an “escort committee” of lawmakers when he enters the chamber to address Congress. That includes leadership from both parties and other members chosen for the occasion.

Also in attendance at the speech are members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, military leaders, select ambassadors and former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

Members of the House and Senate gathering ahead of King Charles III’s address

As is customary for any joint address, the Senate walked across the Capitol and filed into the House chamber together, taking seats in the front of the room.

Military leaders were also in attendance, sitting near the rostrum where the king will speak. Lawmakers mingled across the aisle as they prepared to greet the king, a rare bipartisan moment amid the usual tensions in the Capitol.

King Charles III has arrived in the US Capitol and is meeting with congressional leaders

House Speaker Mike Johnson walked through the Capitol with the king and escorted him to a reception room just outside the House chamber where he will address a joint session of Congress at 3 p.m.

The two then met with other congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Johnson engaged in friendly conversation with the king at the beginning of the meeting, where he appeared to be explaining something to him.

Trump returns to his hospitality sector roots with King Charles III’s visit

With a background in casinos, hotels and golf clubs, Trump seemed to enjoy hosting King Charles III at the White House.

The president often reverts to his hospitality sector roots when VIPs visit, whether they’re championship sports teams, business titans or foreign leaders that merit some pomp.

Trump guided the British monarch along the White House South Lawn to inspect the honor guard formations. His speech was all charm, as he called the king “very elegant.” And in what was supposed to be a private moment, Trump and his wife, Melania, escorted the king and Queen Camilla to an awaiting BMW just outside the Oval Office.

The queen showed her appreciation by politely waving her hand before the sedan departed, with Trump giving his signature thumbs up as it moved along. Construction of the White House ballroom continued during the visit, a sign of Trump’s ambitions as a host going forward.

In UK, coverage of Charles’ visit overshadowed by headlines on Starmer political storm

While King Charles visits the White House, back in the U.K. the news headlines are dominated by the continuing fallout over Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to appoint the scandal-tainted politician Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.

British lawmakers are debating Tuesday whether Starmer should face a parliamentary probe on whether the right procedures were followed in the appointment of Mandelson, a friend of Jeffrey Epstein.

Starmer fired Mandelson in September, but the relentless questions over his judgment has left the prime minister fighting for his job.

Spruced up tennis pavilion takes center court during royal visit

The first lady took on the project of refurbishing the White House tennis courts during Trump’s first term, building a pavilion inspired by the East and West Wings to replace a smaller structure.

Planning for the project -- which was paid for by private donations -- began in early 2018, followed by approval in June 2019 by the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission.

Trump hosts King for brief Oval Office meeting

Trump said the meeting with Charles was “really good” and said the king is a “fantastic person.”

The president has made a habit during his second term of turning Oval Office meetings with foreign officials into freewheeling events full of criticism about how leaders are managing their national affairs.

But Tuesday’s Oval Office meeting was held largely out of public view, reducing the potential of such an exchange with the king.

Epstein survivors speak at Capitol ahead of King’s visit

Several survivors of sexual abuse from Jeffrey Epstein spoke at the Capitol ahead of an address from King Charles III on Tuesday afternoon.

They called for further legislation to protect victims of sex trafficking and a deeper acknowledgement from those in power.

Sky Roberts, the brother of the late Virginia Giuffre who was a prominent abuse survivor, said that survivors are “still fighting to be heard, still pushing for real accountability, while many of the powerful connected to these systems remain just out of reach, unable to acknowledge survivors face to face.”

First lady and Camilla talk to students about history — and AI

The queen and the first lady joined students at the tennis pavilion of the White House. The students looked at a World War II map, a portrait of President John Adams, and a letter from Queen Elizabeth II to President Dwight Eisenhower with AI-enabled glasses and headsets -- an exercise the first lady’s office said explored the history of the bilateral relationship.

Melania Trump has made artificial intelligence part of her portfolio of issues.

Later on, the king was slated to meet a group of chief executives from the technology sector to talk about investments, according to his schedule. Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang was spotted among the guests for the official arrival ceremony.

What to expect from the King’s speech to Congress

The king’s speech to Congress will likely mark his most extensive public remarks during his four-day visit to the U.S.

He’s expected to address the Saturday shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in a sign of solidarity and support.

He will also acknowledge tensions that have surfaced between Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, noting that the two countries have not always agreed but “have always found ways to come together.”

King Charles is expected to acknowledge Epstein survivors

King Charles III is expected to acknowledge the survivors of abuse from Jeffrey Epstein when he speaks to Congress on Tuesday afternoon, but declined to meet with survivors of his abuse, according to Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who has been a leader of the charge on Capitol Hill for a reckoning over Epstein.

Khanna had pushed for the king to meet with the survivors during his visit, but said that he was told by the British ambassador to the U.S, that instead there would be an acknowledgement of the survivors.

Allegations of sexual abuse had roiled the British royal family, and King Charles eventually stripped his brother, the former Prince Andrew, of his royal titles and privileges over his links to Epstein.

“I thought it would have been a incredible moment and statement to show that it doesn’t matter how much wealth you have, how much power you have, no human being is dispensable and the survivors deserve justice.”

UK envoy’s unguarded comments are leaked

As King Charles III celebrates the transatlantic relationship, Britain’s ambassador in Washington has appeared to downplay the uniqueness of the so-called “special relationship” in leaked comments.

Ambassador Christian Turner told a group of British students that “I think there is probably one country that has a special relationship with the United States — and that is probably Israel.”

He said, though, that the U.K. and the U.S. share “a deep history and affinity,” and that “particularly on our defense and security, we are intertwined.”

A recording of the comments was published Tuesday by the Financial Times, which said they were made in February.

Turner also called it “extraordinary” that scandals around Jeffrey Epstein had brought down a member of the royal family and senior officials in Britain – and could yet topple Prime Minister Keir Starmer – “and yet here in the U.S., it really hasn’t touched anybody.”

The Foreign Office said “these were private, informal comments” and “certainly not any reflection of the U.K. government’s position.”

Trump says he wanted to go to the Capitol for the King’s speech

Trump said he wanted to be there for the first address to a joint meeting of Congress by a British king, but he’ll stay behind and watch instead.

“I was thinking of going, but they said, I don’t know, that might be a step too far. I would love to go. It’s not supposed to be protocol, but I would love to be with you,” Trump said during his own speech at the welcome ceremony for Charles and Camilla.

Trump says the magic words: ‘our special relationship’

Part of the king’s mission on this state visit is to try to mend a rift over issues including the Iran wa r and bolster what is known as the “special relationship” between the two countries. In his remarks, Trump explicitly linked Charles to that relationship.

“Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt famously met on a ship in the North Atlantic to outline a vision for the free world after World War Two. That understanding of our nation’s unique bond and role in history is the essence of our special relationship, and we hope it will always remain that way,” Trump said.

“The ship where the two great leaders met was called the Prince of Wales, the very title that His Majesty the king held longer than any other individual in British history,” he said.

Trump tells Charles his mother ‘had a crush’ on him

Trump talked about his late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born in Scotland and loved watching the royal family on television at ceremonies and events.

“I also remember her saying very clearly, ‘Charles, look young Charles, he’s so cute,’” Trump said, looking back at the king sitting behind him on the dias.

“My mother had a crush on Charles -- can you believe it?”

‘What a beautiful British day this is,’ Trump quips

Trump welcomed the king and queen noting the drizzle weather that had guests wiping off seats and huddling under umbrellas.

Trump paid tribute the Brits who first traveled to America, then a “wild and untamed continent,” and walked through a history of the “special relationship” between the two nations.

Trump says it’s a ‘tremendous privilege’ to host King Charles

The president paid homage to the king’s mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, as he welcomed the royal couple to the White House.

Trump said Elizabeth was “an incredible woman who I had the privilege of getting to know,” noting that she planted a tree at the White House years ago.

“Look at it now,” he said.

The remarks were part of a broader effort by Trump to note the long history between the U.S. and the U.K.

“Like our nation itself,” Trump said of the tree, “it was laid with British hands but grew in American soil.”

Ballroom construction keeps going during royal visit

Nothing gets in the way of the president’s ballroom construction. Not even a visit from Britain’s king and queen.

Work on the project was continuing ahead of the royal visit to the White House. Ballroom construction cranes were swinging and the sound of clangs could be heard.

In the wake of Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump has said the ballroom is needed to hold secure events. The construction, however, is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit.

Grey skies in Washington ahead of White House welcome

Washington’s finicky spring weather is on display ahead of King Charles and Queen Camilla arriving at the White House. They’ll be greeted by President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on the South Lawn.

Ahead of their arrival, skies are grey with a light breeze. Drizzle and rain is possible over the next hour.

Members of the audience are shielding themselves with umbrellas to stay dry as the Marine band plays.

Trump delights in allegedly being a 15th cousin of King Charles III

Is the U.S. president actually a distant royal?

The U.K.-based Daily Mail reported this week that Trump and King Charles III have a shared distant ancestor that would make the two 15th cousins.

According to research conducted for the tabloid, Trump and Charles are both related to the 3rd Earl of Lennox, who is a great-grandson of King James II of Scotland.

“Wow, that’s nice. I’ve always wanted to live in Buckingham Palace!!!” Trump posted on his social media site Tuesday morning shortly before he was to formally greet the king and Queen Camilla at the White House. “I’ll talk to the King and Queen about this in a few minutes!!!”

Charles has faced some calls to meet with victims of Jeffrey Epstein

Charles has faced some calls on Capitol Hill to meet with victims of Jeffrey Epstein while he is in the U.S. There’s no indication that he will do so, even as the scandal involving the convicted sex offender has ensnared his brother, the former Prince Andrew, who was arrested in February over misconduct allegations, which he denies.

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., urged the king over the weekend to at least address the issue during his congressional speech.

Trump has maintained warm relations with the King

The president has spoken in glowing terms about Charles, repeatedly referring to the monarch as his “friend” and a “great guy.”

He also continues to mention his “amazing” trip to the U.K. in September with Melania Trump for an unprecedented second state visit. Starmer hand-delivered the invitation from the king in the Oval Office five weeks after Trump returned to office, in a very public attempt to woo the Republican president.

The U.K. royal family laid on pomp and pageantry for the Trumps, with scarlet-clad guardsmen, brass bands and a sumptuous banquet at Windsor Castle.

“President Trump has always had great respect for King Charles, and their relationship was further strengthened by the president’s historic visit to the United Kingdom last year,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The Associated Press.

The visit comes at a challenging moment for US-UK relations

Trump’s up-and-down relationship with Prime Minister Keir Starmer has taken a particularly sour turn over the past several months as the president has sought to rally international support for the war in Iran. Trump lamented that Starmer, who has largely resisted his overtures, was “no Churchill.”

Trump has also imposed tariffs on the U.K. and warned of additional levies despite a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that has made such unilateral moves more challenging. Still, Trump threatened just last week to slap a “big tariff” on the U.K. if it doesn’t scrap a digital services tax on U.S. technology companies.

Trump has more broadly challenged the traditional trans-Atlantic alliance with efforts to annex Greenland and threats to walk away from NATO. He has repeatedly imposed tariffs on and taunted Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.

A rare royal address to Congress

King Charles III will become the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1991. Her speech highlighted the shared history of both countries and the importance of their democratic values, themes Charles will likely reinforce on Tuesday.

Such addresses are an opportunity afforded to only the most prominent world leaders, including Pope Francis, Václav Havel and Winston Churchill. It will likely mark the most extensive public remarks Charles will deliver during a four-day visit to the U.S. that’s intended to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary of independence from Britain.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla head to the White House

The king, accompanied by Queen Camilla, will begin his day with a meeting at the White House with Trump. The Oval Office encounter offers the potential for the freewheeling, sometimes controversial meetings with foreign leaders that have become routine during Trump’s second term.

Given the expressly apolitical nature of the British monarch and Trump’s fondness for the royal family, the likelihood of an awkward meeting may be reduced.

Trump will host Charles on Tuesday evening for a state banquet at the White House.

Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, entered the plea in Manhattan federal court after he was charged with the unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.

He was released on $250,000 bail and his travel was restricted to portions of New York, North Carolina, California and points necessary to travel between.

Prosecutors said evidence in the case will include information resulting from grand jury subpoenas, cryptocurrency exchange records, search warrants and social media accounts.

Defense attorney Zach Intrater told Judge Margaret M. Garnett he doubts there will be many disputes arising from “the actual event,” but suspects the case will rise and fall on motions he will make on behalf of his client.

The judge ordered Van Dyke to return to court on June 8 for a pretrial conference.

The case comes during heavy scrutiny on prediction markets, which allow people to trade or wager on almost anything, as policymakers call for stricter regulation of the platforms amid concerns about insider trading.

The Trump administration has been supportive of the prediction market industry’s expansion. The president’s eldest son is an adviser for both Polymarket and its main competitor, Kalshi, and he is a Polymarket investor. Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, is launching its own prediction market called Truth Predict.

Prosecutors said Van Dyke was involved in the planning and execution of Maduro's capture and had signed nondisclosure agreements centered on the operations, but he eventually placed a series of bets related to Maduro being out of power by Jan. 31.

According to a criminal complaint, the bets totaling $33,000 were placed over a three-day period and resulted in “more than $404,000 of profits.”

Polymarket, one of the largest prediction markets, flagged the suspicious activity and turned it over to the government, according to CEO Shayne Coplan.

Van Dyke, who is stationed at Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, North Carolina, was granted bond after a court hearing in North Carolina last week and will continue his case in New York. He was represented in court by attorney Zach Intrater.

La audiencia, que continúa este martes en el Capitolio estatal, ha sacado a la luz nuevos detalles sobre decisiones clave, preparación insuficiente y oportunidades perdidas para evacuar a tiempo.

Sin plan, sin entrenamiento, sin simulacros

Investigadores dijeron a los legisladores que el personal del campamento no tenía entrenamiento adecuado para emergencias, ni realizaba simulacros, ni contaba con un plan claro de evacuación.

De acuerdo con el testimonio, los consejeros se vieron obligados a tomar decisiones en segundos cuando el agua comenzó a subir, sin una guía clara sobre cómo responder ante una inundación.

También se reveló que muchos de los campistas más pequeños estaban bajo el cuidado de consejeros de primer año, algunos de apenas 17 años, en cabañas que fueron de las más afectadas por el agua.

Advertencias que no generaron acción inmediata

Uno de los puntos clave en la audiencia ha sido el manejo de las alertas meteorológicas.

Legisladores cuestionaron si la poca frecuencia de advertencias similares influyó en la respuesta del personal. Durante la audiencia se mencionó que, desde 2009, solo se han registrado tres eventos similares durante sesiones de campamento.

A pesar de eso, investigadores señalaron que, incluso después de emitirse la alerta de inundación, todavía había tiempo para evacuar a los campistas hacia zonas más altas.

Sin embargo, esa decisión no se tomó con la rapidez necesaria.

Decisiones tardías en momentos críticos

El testimonio presentado incluye una línea de tiempo detallada que muestra retrasos en la evacuación, falta de coordinación y comunicación limitada entre el personal.

Según los investigadores, la falta de un sistema organizado provocó que los esfuerzos de rescate fueran fragmentados, mientras el agua avanzaba rápidamente durante la madrugada.

Consejeros intentaron sacar a los niños en la oscuridad, algunos cargándolos o ayudándolos a salir por ventanas, mientras las condiciones empeoraban.

Una tragedia que pudo evitarse

Investigadores y algunos legisladores fueron claros durante la audiencia: consideran que la pérdida de vidas pudo haberse evitado con mejor preparación y una respuesta más rápida.

Ahora, el enfoque está en determinar qué cambios deben implementarse para evitar que una tragedia similar vuelva a ocurrir en Texas.

Se espera que la audiencia continúe con más testimonios mientras avanza la investigación.

Nick Winkelmann, chief operating officer of the city’s water department, presented a plan to require all customers of the city’s water system to reduce use by 25% during a Level 1 emergency — the point when the water supply is projected to be 180 days from falling short of demand. Experts say that may happen as soon as September unless significant rain falls.

Council members told Winkelmann they needed more information on how curtailment would be enforced — including fines and fees for customers who violate limits — before settling on a rate.

“It’s very difficult to vote on something where you don’t know the end result,” Council Member Gil Hernandez said.

Leaders were asked to set water limits Tuesday, delaying decisions on additional details, such as surcharges and variance applications, until a future meeting.

Council Member Mark Scott said he was “uncomfortable with too many of these decisions today.”

Mayor Paulette Guajardo said delaying the vote by a week would give the water department time to “come back with something a little bit more holistic.”

Last week, leaders from the water department presented 53 pages of suggestions for a curtailment plan, including a Level 1 reduction rate of 25%. Leaders did not raise concerns about that curtailment rate then.

The city is under high pressure to finalize an emergency plan and find new sources of water. The region has been gripped by an unforgiving drought, pushing the city’s main reservoirs to historic lows. More than 95% of the city’s water supply comes from surface water and its two main reservoirs, Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir, have dropped to just 8% of capacity, prompting city leaders to scale up drought contingency plans.

For now, Corpus has been relying on temporary measures to meet demand.

Under the water department’s recommendations, residents would be allotted 5,250 gallons a month, a limit currently exceeded by about 30% of 91,000 residential customers, according to Winkelmann.

The city’s water department also recommended that violations be punished as a Class C misdemeanor, with fines of up to $500, and that a second violation incur the risk of having a customer’s water cut off for at least one monthly billing cycle.

Residents would also have to pay an additional $4 for every 1,000 gallons used after surpassing a 7,000-gallon monthly threshold — which 13% of customers currently exceed. The city’s water department is working on an online portal where residents can monitor their usage in between bills.

Council Member Eric Cantu said he strongly disagrees with forcing residents to reduce their water use by tacking on fees and fines because petrochemical plants are the city’s largest consumers.

“Who’s getting screwed again? The taxpayer, the ratepayers, the people of Corpus Christi,” he said.

The largest proposed restrictions would be felt along the petrochemical corridor on Corpus Christi Bay. The city’s biggest water customers are roughly 20 large refineries and other industrial companies that collectively consume up to 60% of the city’s water supply, according to local officials.

Industry, which the curtailment plan classifies as large-volume customers, would have baselines calculated according to average water use each season. If the emergency is triggered in September, refineries would have to reduce water use by 25% based on the average amount used in October and November.

Winkelmann on Tuesday said large-volume customers use a combined average of 30 to 35 million gallons a day. Meanwhile, residents use about 14 million gallons daily.

“I’m sick and tired of the false news that we’re running out of water,” Cantu said. “No, we’re not running out of water, the refineries are running out of water.”

A controversial factor is that eight industrial companies, including Valero, Citgo and Flint Hills Resources, have bought into the city’s drought surcharge exemption program that City Manager Peter Zanoni has referred to as an “insurance program.” Large-volume users had the option years ago of adding an additional fee to their water bill — 31 cents for every 1,000 gallons — to avoid additional fees during a water crisis.

Under the water department’s recommendation, wholesale customers — such as the cities of Alice, Beeville and Mathis, in addition to the San Patricio Municipal Water District and the South Texas Water Authority — would have their baseline calculated by their average monthly water use from 2022-24, excluding the lowest month.

Corpus Christi has been under Stage 3 restrictions since December 2024, limiting nonessential outdoor watering.

During Tuesday’s meeting, dozens of residents urged the City Council to enforce tougher restrictions on industrial customers.

Susan Gonzalez said it would be difficult for her household of four to stay under the 5,250-gallon limit. Her most recent water bill charged her for around 10,000 gallons, and that’s after taking steps to reduce use by complying with outdoor watering restrictions and, “much to my heartbreak,” letting her 85-year-old magnolia tree die, she said.

To meet the curtailment limit in a typical month, Gonzalez estimated she would have to reduce use by nearly 40%.

“There is absolutely no way I can cut that much water in my house,” Gonzalez said. “I’m asking really, put creative hats on and look at allowances, because this is just not realistic for a lot of people.”

The City Council’s next meeting is slated for May 5 at 11:30 a.m.

Disclosure: Valero has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The concept for the special passport, including a rendering of Trump’s stern-looking visage, had been under consideration for months before finally being approved late Monday. Between 25,000 and 30,000 of the new passports will be available to applicants at the Washington, D.C., passport office beginning shortly before July 4.

It’s the latest instance of Trump having his name and likeness added to buildings, documents and other highly visible tributes. There are efforts to put Trump’s signature on all new U.S. paper currency, also a first for a sitting president, as well as to include his image on a gold commemorative coin to celebrate the country's founding.

The commemorative passport will be the default document for people applying in person at the Washington office, although those who want a standard passport will be able to get one by applying online or outside Washington, officials said.

“As the United States celebrates America’s 250th anniversary in July, the State Department is preparing to release a limited number of specially designed U.S. passports to commemorate this historic occasion,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

“These passports will feature customized artwork and enhanced imagery while maintaining the same security features that make the U.S. passport the most secure documents in the world,” he said.

The limited release passport will feature Trump’s picture over a gold imprimatur of his signature to an interior page, while the cover will feature the words “United States of America” in bold gold print at the top and “Passport” at the bottom — a reversal of the standard cover.

In addition, a small gold laminate American flag, with the number 250 encircled by stars, will be at the bottom of the back cover.

The Bulwark reported earlier on the commemorative passports.

The only presidents featured in current U.S. passports are in a double-page depiction of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

Other depictions include the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and scenes of the Great Plains, mountains and islands. Current passports also contain quotations from Martin Luther King Jr. as well as Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower.

The addition of Trump's picture and signature to the passport book is the newest step his aides have taken to increase the president's visibility, including adding his name to the U.S. Institute of Peace building and the Kennedy Center performing arts venue.

Trump also has made waves with his plans for a new White House ballroom and a massive arch to be built at one of the entrances to Washington from Virginia.

Edward Eastland’s words came as dozens of the girls’ family members sat just feet behind him during the second day of a special legislative hearing in which state lawmakers posed tough questions about Camp Mystic's lack of emergency planning before the devastating July 4 flood. A report of findings is expected later this year.

“We tried our hardest that night. It wasn’t enough to save your daughters,” said Eastland, a camp director and a member of the family that owns the 100-year-old camp along the Guadalupe River. “I’m so sorry.”

Eastland said he and his father Richard Eastland were on the campsite that night, and that they made a desperate attempt to save the girls when they realized that heavy rain had created a raging flood that ripped through the camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Richard Eastland died in the flood and Edward survived only after being swept into a tree.

“These girls were our youngest campers and their amazing counselors who we watched grow up,” Eastland said. “The world was a better place with them in it and the anger at us for not being able to keep them safe is completely reasonable.”

The apology came at the outset of the hearing before he and several members of the Eastland family were questioned for about four hours by state lawmakers who at times said the family remained unprepared to reopen the camp and repeatedly questioned the lack of emergency training for staff last year. Legislators also questioned several of the decisions made during the flood that delayed an evacuation and ultimately cost lives.

Lawmakers press camp owners on emergency training

Britt Eastland, another director, said the camp will dramatically improve training for counselors and stage drills for campers to prepare for floods, fire, tornadoes and intruders. Legislative investigators on Monday noted the camp’s previous lack of flood training as a critical problem that contributed to the deaths.

"All of these things should have been being done in the first place,” said Sen. Charles Perry.

The panel pressed the Eastlands on why they didn't make a last-ditch effort to get on the camp PA system and order everyone to head to higher ground.

Edward Eastland said it didn’t even occur to him to leave the girls they were trying to rescue to go back to the camp office and make such an announcement.

“Every minute was spent trying to get to the next cabin,” he said. “If we had a little more time, we could have gotten everybody out.”

Camp owners make plans to reopen

Camp Mystic’s owners want to reopen in late May and have said they will only use the parts of the camp that didn’t flood. They expect nearly 900 attendees this summer. Those plans have angered victims’ families, and some prominent state officials have called for regulators to deny or delay renewal of the camp’s license, which is under review.

Another of the sons, named Richard Eastland after his father, said while the family doesn't plan to open the camp if their license isn't renewed, they would likely appeal if that was the state's decision.

“We will not open Cypress Lake if we do not have a license,” he said.

But that seemed to spark disagreement among the victims' family members. Britt Eastland quickly interjected that it would be a “family decision.”

The special legislative committee does not control the review of Camp Mystic’s license. Because the camp has applied to renew its previous license, it could reopen while its application is pending. If denied, it still could operate while its case is under appeal.

The Eastland family also said it’s still an open question whether they would eventually try to reopen the river camp. If they do, no campers would be placed in buildings that flooded.

“We’re praying about that every day. We don’t know what to do,” Britt Eastland said.

Camp's readiness to host girls questioned

Several lawmakers questioned how the camp could be ready to reopen this summer.

State regulators last week notified Camp Mystic of 22 deficiencies in its emergency plan. Mary Liz Eastland, the camp’s medical director, acknowledged Tuesday she has not officially reported last summer’s deaths to state health officers.

“Are you ready to take on 500-plus children,” for camp this summer, asked Sen. Lois Kolkhorst. She noted state agencies have shut down licensed residential living centers for a single death, let alone dozens.

“The license is a privilege to have," Kolkhorst said.

“We are ready,” Britt Eastland said, adding that he believes Camp Mystic’s broader community will ultimately “be glad we had camp this summer.”

That drew an audible gasp from some in the room, and several of the victims' family members walked out.

Julie Sprunt Marshall, whose 9-year-old daughter was swept out of her cabin and rescued more than a mile down river, said the survivors continue to suffer trauma. She asked the lawmakers to not let the camp open under the Eastland family “who failed our daughters.”

“The camp will be conducting an incredibly dangerous experiment on children," Marshall said, “testing what will happen with the first drop of rain, the first clap of thunder, at the first time a noise startles them awake.”

According to a law enforcement briefing, the incident occurred around 11:09 a.m. near Bammel North Houston Road and Kleinbrook Drive when a 911 caller reported he had shot a man who allegedly attempted to rob him.

Authorities said the two individuals had recently met and were traveling together in the shooter’s vehicle after meeting to produce social media content.

“A 911 caller reported that he shot a male who allegedly tried to rob him and we received multiple calls for service about the incident,” said Harris County Sheriff’s Office Major Ben Katrib.

“The two individuals who were recently acquainted had met and they were traveling in the shooter’s vehicle. They met concerning producing social media content,” Major Katrib continued.

During the encounter, investigators said the passenger pulled out a firearm and shot the suspect while still in the vehicle.

The alleged robber suffered a gunshot wound to the upper torso and was transported to a hospital for treatment.

“The passenger exited the vehicle, attempted to flee, and he collapsed in the roadway nearby,” Major Katrib said. “The condition of the person who was shot was critical and went into emergency surgery. That’s the last update we have from the hospital.”

The second individual was also taken to a hospital out of an abundance of caution, officials said.

The investigation remains active as detectives work to determine the full circumstances leading up to the shooting.

Detectives are hopeful the cameras on the Tesla will provide a unique perspective of what transpired.

Further details, including potential charges, have not yet been released.

“Once we evaluate all the evidence and finish reviewing video, and we’ll present all the facts to the district attorney’s office. And at that point, they’ll determine whether or not anyone will face charges or will present the case to the grand jury for the decision,” said Major Katrib.

At Kids of Valor Academy in Pasadena, the impact is already visible.

“This is something like I’ve never seen before,” said founder Mona Jackson.

Since December, Jackson says her center has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funding, forcing her to scale back from five locations down to just two.

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“It’s just been a steady decline… we’re down about $160,000 per month in revenue,” Jackson said.

That financial hit, she says, has pushed her business to the brink.

“That loss looks like possibly having to file bankruptcy,” Jackson said. “That looks like having to lay off 20 to 25 teachers. That means I’ve really exhausted all of our options is to pay payroll.”

KPRC 2 News reached out to the Texas Workforce Commission for comment but hasn’t heard back as of publishing.

The impact is immediate with fewer available seats for children, especially in already underserved communities, and mounting pressure on parents who rely on consistent care to remain employed.

• Court hearing today over Texas ban on smokable hemp and THC products

Jackson says she started noticing changes late last year into this year when Governor Greg Abbott announced an anti-fraud investigation into centers statewide and when the funding agency, Texas Workforce Commission, went to a new payment system.

“People really viewing what we do, that we are fraudsters, that were, you know, taking money from the government, we’re supporting people that don’t want to work or do things for themselves,” Jackson said. “That’s not the case."

In areas like Pasadena, the situation is even more critical. According to the advocacy group Children at Risk, parts of the city are considered “childcare deserts,” where the supply of licensed care falls short of demand.

Jackson says her center has felt that strain firsthand. Enrollment has dropped significantly as subsidy support declines, and remaining families face growing uncertainty.

“So even our parents that that do pay privately are struggling because it’s so expensive for childcare and inflation and everything,” she said.

Beyond funding cuts, Jackson describe a system marked by instability and a lack of transparency. She says they receive as little as two weeks’ notice before funding changes take effect.

Advocates at Children at Risk say these local closures reflect a broader statewide trend. In a recent analysis, the group found that 76% of low-income children under age six with working parents in Texas, about 441,000 children, live in areas where subsidized childcare is in critically short supply.

These “subsidy deserts” have grown significantly, even as demand continues to rise.

The data shows a widening gap: while more providers are meeting quality standards under the Texas Rising Star program, the overall number of subsidized seats has not kept pace with the needs of low-income families.

Providers say the crisis is not just about their businesses, it’s about the broader workforce.

Without reliable childcare, parents may be forced to cut hours or leave jobs entirely. At the same time, layoffs among early childhood educators are shrinking a workforce already under strain.

Despite repeated outreach, Jackson says she hasn’t received clear answers from the Texas Workforce Commission about whether subsidy programs are being reduced or phased out.

For now, many are bracing for continued uncertainty and urging families to prepare.

“I think that right now they need to have a backup plan. Let’s just be honest,” Jackson said.

José Contreras Diaz, 30, was arrested and quickly deported from the Rio Grande Valley to Honduras earlier this year while his wife was pregnant. His family had immigrated to the U.S. when he was 8.

He is currently in Honduras and is expected to return to the Rio Grande Valley later this week and reunite with his wife and his infant son. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security didn’t immediately answer questions from The Texas Tribune about Contreras’ case.

According to MS Now,a cable news channel formerly known as MSNBC. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Contreras, who worked as pool technician, during a routine check-in appointment with immigration officials. His DACA was current at the time of his arrest, the report says.

Since returning to office, President Trump’s administration has cracked down on immigrants, including many DACA recipients.

From January 2025 to November 2025, at least 261 DACA recipients have been arrested — 75 of them in Texas. And between 86 and 174 DACA recipients have been deported, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (The agency gave different figures to two different Democratic members of Congress who requested the information).

Created by the Obama administration in 2012, the program allows qualifying young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children to receive renewable work permits and protection from deportation as long as they don’t commit any crimes.

The first Trump administration attempted to scrap the program before the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the move. Immigration officials in the current Trump administration have argued that DACA does not protect immigrants from deportation.

Contreras is not the first DACA recipient to be deported and allowed to return.

Last month in California, U.S. District Judge Dena M. Coggins ordered immigration officials to facilitate the return of 42-year-old Maria de Jesús Estrada Juárez, a mother and DACA recipient who was deported in February. Immigration agents arrested her during an appointment at an immigration office after she applied for her legal permanent residency.

Stacy Tolchin, who represents Contreras and Estrada, had written a letter to ICE, arguing that deporting Contreras was illegal because his DACA status was still valid at the time of his arrest, according to the MS Now report. Tolchin attached Coggins’ ruling in Estrada’s case, which said that deporting Estrada was a “flagrant violation” of DACA protections.

NASA’s Artemis II capsule returned to Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, almost a month after blasting off on humanity’s first lunar trip in more than a half-century.

Following its splashdown in the Pacific on April 10, the Orion capsule was trucked from San Diego to Cape Canaveral. Engineers will examine the capsule’s heat shield in more detail along with everything else in preparation for next year's Artemis III docking demo in orbit around Earth. The capsule's electronic boxes will be removed and recycled, along with research equipment.

The capsule, dubbed Integrity by its U.S.-Canadian crew, carried astronauts deeper into space than humans have ever traveled before. Aside from a finicky toilet, the capsule appeared to perform well during the nearly 10-day voyage, according to NASA.

Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada's Jeremy Hansen are finally getting a break after medical exams and other tests that followed their mission.

“Been waiting for this moment,” Wiseman said via X late last week, posting a video of himself relaxing on the beach. “There is a lot in my head that I must process and very little has to do with leaving the planet. Today is my first step. I have never in my life felt peace like this.”

Until Artemis II, astronauts had not flown to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Artemis III will feature a fresh capsule and crew. They will remain in orbit around Earth for docking exercises with lunar landers still in development by SpaceX and Blue Origin. That will set the stage for a moon landing by two new astronauts as early as 2028.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The park is located at 1927 Gulf Pump Road, on the banks of the San Jacinto River.

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The location has had multiple drownings over the past several years.

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The park posted on Facebook that four men arrived at the park and made their way to the closest body of water then proceeded to challenge one of the group to cross the body of water.

@HCSOTexas deputies are responding to Extreme Off-Road Park at the 1900 block of Gulf Pump Road, in reference to a possible drowning. An adult male went into the water and has not surfaced. Our Dive Team is also responding. #HouNews pic.twitter.com/azvJIohMao

— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) April 28, 2026

“Unfortunately, the male victim was not capable of traversing the body of water clearly marked as a No Swimming area, and succumbed to the struggle in the water. An eyewitness testimony recounts a lack of concern from the other 3 male patrons in the group, along with an unusual eagerness to vacate the scene immediately during the incident, as well as the refusal to contact 911,” the park said in the post.

The park also said foul play has not been ruled out and the sheriff’s office is on scene investigating.

The settlement announced Tuesday allows Oakland’s airport to be called “Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport,” but it bars the city from spotlighting “San Francisco” or “San Francisco Bay” in fonts, highlights, different colors or any other way. It also requires Oakland to use the word “bay” right after “San Francisco” and bans it from using the word “International” in the airport’s name, even though it provides international flights.

The spat began in 2024 after Oakland, a diverse port city often seen as the underdog in the Bay Area compared to its richer neighbor to the west, changed its airport’s name to “San Francisco-Oakland Bay Airport,” prompting San Francisco officials to sue over what they said was a trademark violation.

The two airports are across from each other on the San Francisco Bay and about 30 miles (48.28 kilometers) driving distance.

Oakland officials said the name modification was necessary to help travelers unfamiliar with the region place the city in the Bay Area. They said visitors often fly into San Francisco’s airport even if their destination is closer to the Oakland airport. The airport’s three-letter code OAK did not change.

“We’re proud Oakland fought for, and preserved the right to retain our airport’s full name that puts Oakland first and recognizes OAK’s location on the San Francisco Bay,” Mary Richardson, attorney for the Port of Oakland, which manages the airport, said in a statement.

San Francisco argued having “San Francisco” in Oakland’s airport name would confuse travelers, especially those flying in from abroad and those unfamiliar with the Bay Area. But on Tuesday, San Francisco officials had a friendlier tone.

“We are grateful to have reached a resolution in this matter,” San Francisco International Airport Director Mike Nakornkhet said. “This agreement provides clarity for travelers to make informed decisions about travel through our respective airports.”

Neither side admitted liability, and there was no monetary settlement.

San Francisco International Airport, known as SFO, is owned by the city, though technically located south of it.

A developer wants to build a sprawling coastal village near Jamaica Beach, but neighbors worry the project could fundamentally change their community, and create more traffic on the only road out during a storm.

The proposal is headed to Galveston City Council for discussion and a possible vote on May 28.

Brandon McDermott has lived in Jamaica Beach his entire life. For him, the open land and wildlife in Jamaica Beach isn’t just scenery, but a way of life.

“I think there’s something to be said for being able to see the horizon every single day,” McDermott said. “We have shorebirds, pelicans, great blue herons, and seagulls.”

Now, McDermott, who serves on Jamaica Beach’s City Council, worries a proposed development could put all of that at risk.

“It’s just depressing honestly,” he said.

The project is called Discovery Sands. The developer, Blackard Companies, is marketing it as a 350-acre, European-style coastal village that would include hundreds of housing units, a lagoon, a lazy river and commercial spaces.

According to Blackard Companies, about half the land would be preserved. For the other half, they are requesting a Planned Unit Development, or PUD, a designation that allows part of a project to follow a custom set of rules rather than standard zoning code. A PUD can override typical regulations governing the number of units allowed, how close buildings can sit to the street and how much parking is required, all under a single ordinance.

The proposal received a recommendation for approval from the planning commission and is now moving to Galveston City Council.

But for residents like McDermott, the Discovery Sands development is personal. It would sit just steps from Jamaica Beach, but because the land falls within Galveston’s city limits, it’s Galveston City Council, not Jamaica Beach, that gets the final say.

“It makes us feel powerless,” McDermott said.

McDermott says he’s worried about the wetlands, the wildlife and traffic on the highway, which serves as the only evacuation route for residents during storms.

KPRC 2 reached out to Blackard Companies, who said the wetlands would not be disturbed, and the project would build on uplands. They also said about half of the 350 acres would go undisturbed.

“What draws people to the West End is the bay itself—the marsh, the shoreline, the quiet. The plan is built to protect that,” a spokesperson said in part.

The company also said a traffic study is included as part of the project’s review process.

“The West End will change. The question is what kind. We’re proposing the version of change that protects what people moved out here for,” they continued.

McDermott says he isn’t opposed to development altogether; he just wants it to be more compatible with the existing character of the area.

“This particular development just doesn’t seem to fit out here,” he said. “We don’t have European architecture,” he continued. “It’s a tourist attraction, basically.”

He plans to attend the May 28 City Council meeting and is encouraging other residents to show up and speak during public comment.

“It’s an uphill battle, but we got to try,” McDermott said.

A jury convicted 43-year-old Michael Seery of Katy and 52-year-old Ricardo Obando Jr. of Houston following an eight-day trial in February.

After roughly two days of deliberations, jurors found both men guilty. A federal judge imposed life sentences for both Seery and Obando Jr., the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced Tuesday.

MORE ON THE TRIAL: Katy drug dealer, co-conspirator found guilty in murder-for-hire plot that mistakenly injured innocent man

Prosecutors said the plot unfolded over several months and culminated in a shooting on the morning of Feb. 4, 2025, along Highway 99.

Evidence presented at trial showed Obando carried out the attack, firing multiple shots into an unsuspecting man’s vehicle. The victim suffered gunshot wounds to his neck, torso and hand but survived.

Authorities say Seery hired Obando to kill a man he believed had an affair with his wife years earlier while he was in prison.

Testimony revealed Seery remained fixated on the alleged affair more than a decade later and was still expressing anger about it just weeks before the shooting.

However, investigators determined the wrong person was targeted.

The intended victim had already moved from the residence Seery associated with him, and the man who was shot had no connection to the alleged affair.

Jurors were shown extensive evidence, including cell phone data that prosecutors said documented surveillance of the victim and a prior failed attempt before the shooting.

The court also reviewed video captured from the victim’s in-car camera, which recorded the moment gunfire erupted and the immediate 911 call that followed.

Additional evidence tied Seery to the planning of the attack, including firearms and components recovered from his home and storage unit, as well as a 3D printer prosecutors said was used to manufacture the weapon and a silencer used in the shooting.

Authorities testified Seery paid Obando through his business to carry out the killing.

During the trial, defense attorneys argued there was no clear link between the defendants and the actual victim or intended target.

Obando’s defense challenged the reliability of cell phone data, while Seery denied involvement in the conspiracy. Jurors ultimately rejected those claims.

Both men will remain in federal custody and are expected to be transferred to facilities within the Federal Bureau of Prisons at a later date.

Research from the Girl Scouts of the USA and the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas highlights a troubling trend: nearly 3 in 5 teen girls say they feel persistently sad or hopeless. Despite that, only a small percentage are receiving professional help.

[Click here for the official link to the full 2026 report from the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas]

Mental health professionals say this issue goes beyond emotional well-being—it can also affect a teen’s safety.

“Many teens are struggling quietly, and without support, those challenges can escalate,” said Katie Harlan. “Creating a non-judgmental environment where it’s okay to talk about feelings is key.”

Experts urge parents to start by simply checking in. Asking open-ended questions and making time to listen can help teens feel safe opening up.

There are also warning signs to watch for, including:

• Withdrawal from friends or family
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed

If left unaddressed, mental health challenges can increase vulnerability in both online and real-world situations. That may include risky online behavior, self-harm, or reluctance to report something that feels wrong.

Parents can take proactive steps by:

• Setting healthy boundaries
• Monitoring online activity
• Encouraging social interaction
• Making sure teens know where to go for help

Experts emphasize that ongoing communication is critical—even when conversations feel uncomfortable.

Early support can make a significant difference, and even small, consistent check-ins can help teens feel less alone.

Families are encouraged to reach out to school counselors or local mental health resources for additional support.

Mental Health Resources:

• https://mhahouston.org/
• https://namigreaterhouston.org/resources/
• https://www.texaschildrens.org/sites/tc/files/uploads/documents/deathofachild/resources/Couseling%20resources%20for%20low%20income%20families%20(Houston).pdf
• https://cp4.harriscountytx.gov/Connect/Newsroom/mental-health-blog

“I said ‘no’ over and over, and I tried to leave,” Jessica Mann told jurors, sobbing. “He just treated me like he owned me.”

Mann, 40, is a hairstylist and actor. She's testifying six years after she first gave jurors her account of a consensual, if complicated, relationship that veered into rape.

Weinstein — the Oscar-winning movie producer who became a symbol of the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct — looked on steadily, sometimes sipping water, as Mann detailed what she says he did to her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013.

Weinstein, now a 73-year-old prison inmate, denies sexually assaulting anyone and is appealing sex crime convictions stemming from other women's accusations on two U.S. coasts. His attorneys haven't yet had their chance to question Mann at this retrial but have argued that everything that happened between the two was consensual.

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

Testimony laced with tears

Jurors watched intently, several with pens poised to take notes, as Mann went through a second day of testimony that sometimes brought her to tears, as it did at the twoprior trials. After she declined a couple of times to take a break, the court called one when she got flustered during questions about interactions with Weinstein after the alleged rape.

Mann met Weinstein at a Los Angeles-area party around early 2013. She had done some acting work but was hoping for a big break.

Their subsequent get-togethers bounced between professional advice, invites to glitzy industry events and advances that Mann said made her uncomfortable but that she didn't refuse, though she had an emotional “meltdown” during an episode involving Weinstein and another woman.

Still, Mann decided to have a consensual sexual liaison with the then-married producer.

She explained Tuesday that she had been taught to expect such behavior from men and thought she might feel better about it if she was in a relationship with Weinstein.

Sometimes, she said, the then-studio boss was charming and made her feel validated; other times she felt demeaned by his discussions of sexual practices. And “if he was told no or something, it was just like this monster side came out” of a demanding man who flaunted his Hollywood influence.

Soon after their relationship began, Weinstein surprised Mann by showing up ahead of a planned breakfast with her and others in New York, where she'd piggybacked on a pal's work trip, she said. To Mann's dismay, Weinstein took a room at her hotel, according to her and to a former front desk employee who testified earlier.

Mann recalls ‘just shutting down’

Mann said she accompanied Weinstein to the room to sort things out privately. But he barked at her to undress, she recalled. She said she begged, “Please don't. I don't want to,” and tried twice to open the door, but the taller, heavier Weinstein slammed it shut, grabbed her wrists and held them crossed in front of her face.

“That was really scary, so I remember just like kind of like — just shutting down and giving up, because I had been fighting and arguing. So I obeyed,” by undressing and lying on the bed, she testified.

After a trip to the bathroom, where Mann said she later found a used syringe for an erectile-dysfunction drug, Weinstein returned and raped her, she said.

Mann told no one at the time. She went through with the planned breakfast, accepted Weinstein's invitation to extend her trip, attend a movie screening and have tea with him and his daughter.

“I just wanted everyone to act like everything was normal,” she said.

She continued consensual sexual encounters and friendly email exchanges with Weinstein. He helped the financially struggling Mann get hired at a hair salon, though she declined an envelope from him that she believed contained $1,000 in cash: “It felt wrong,” she told jurors.

But after Mann began dating someone she loved, she sought to stop sexual contact with Weinstein, emailing him that she needed to “respect the relationship.”

His reply message was cordial. But in person, Weinstein became enraged on learning her then-boyfriend was an actor, according to Mann.

“You owe me one more time!” Weinstein shouted before raping her again in a hotel in Beverly Hills, California, she told jurors, as she has before.

He never has been charged with any crime related to that allegation.

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

And there's still next week's second leg to come.

PSG built a 5-2 lead early in the second half thanks to two goals each from flying winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembélé at Parc des Princes.

“We deserved to win, we deserved to lose, we deserved to draw,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “It was an exceptional match, I have never experienced a match of such intensity as a coach. I have never seen a rhythm like that, it was incredible, you have to congratulate all the players.”

Down by three goals, Bayern fought back brilliantly.

Defender Dayot Upamecano’s header midway through the second half from Joshua Kimmich’s free kick gave Bayern hope and Luis Díaz’s stinging strike made it a one-goal deficit heading into next Wednesday’s return leg in Munich.

“I think something special can happen at home, there will be 75,000 people, it will be a hell of an atmosphere,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said. “The Allianz Arena is a mythical area where Bayern has enjoyed much success.”

Rather than scale back and defend more, Kompany said he was ready to take even more risks.

“There is no middle ground,” he said. "We will give everything, everything, everything we have. We’re waiting for them, we want this.”

Kompany was suspended and watched from the stands, so assistant Aaron Danks took over on the touchline as Bayern lost for the first time in any competition since Jan. 24.

Harry Kane's penalty gave Bayern the lead in the 17th minute and Kvaratskhelia equalized soon after for PSG. Midfielder João Neves — who is 5-foot-7 — then headed PSG ahead from a corner.

A dramatic first half saw Michael Olise equalize for Bayern after bursting into the area before Swiss referee Sandro Schärer awarded a penalty for PSG when a video review spotted a handball from Canada defender Alphonso Davies.

PSG's penalty was contested by Bayern's players. Davies turned his body to Dembélé’s right-wing cross but the ball bounced off his hip and hit his arm. Although Davies was turning away from play he failed to keep his hands behind his back.

“The rules about handball change every week," Kompany said. “The ball hits the body then the hand and you give a penalty, I don’t agree.”

Dembélé fired the penalty past Manuel Neuer — who guessed the right way — to send PSG ahead 3-2 at the break.

“Two great teams who attack and don’t question themselves,” Dembélé said. "It was an incredible match, but now we go to Munich to qualify. We won’t change our way of playing, and it will be two teams who attack.”

Bayern started well.

Moments after PSG defender Marquinhos was shown a yellow card for stopping Díaz in his tracks, the left winger earned a penalty when he was fouled by Willian Pacho, and from the spot Kane beat goalkeeper Matvey Safonov for his 13th goal of the competition — two behind Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé — and 54th goal of another prolific season.

Safonov made a good save moments later from Olise, then Dembélé missed a one-on-one.

PSG equalized in the 24th when Désiré Doué’s pass found Kvaratskhelia on the left and the Georgia star cut inside before curling the ball into the bottom right corner for his 10th goal of the competition.

Dembélé and Doué missed further first half-chances from counterattacks which exposed Bayern’s tactic of playing with a perilously high defensive line.

The lesson was not heeded in the second half as PSG scored twice from rapid counterattacks.

Kvaratskhelia rifled in a powerful shot in the 56th after running onto a ball across the area that eluded all the defenders and Bayern’s poor defending was exposed again two minutes later. Doué was given far too much room before feeding Dembélé on the left, and he scored with a low shot off in the post for a 5-2 lead.

“You were standing on the field going ‘what’s going on here?’ because we definitely weren’t three goals worse,” Kimmich said. "It was important that we stayed relatively calm.”

But at the end, PSG was struggling and Pacho headed Kimmich’s looping header off the line with seconds remaining in stoppage time.

“It was a very, very intense game,” Bayern defender Jonathan Tah told Prime Video. “We showed what sort of a team we are, that we can cope with adversity and also with difficult refereeing decisions.”

Luis Enrique was exhausted just watching.

“I’m so tired, and I didn’t run a single kilometer,” he said. “So I don’t how the players are feeling.”

He does not expect any respite next week.

“I just asked my staff ‘ how many goals do you think we will need to win this match?’ They said ‘minimum three.' Bayern Munich in their stadium are even stronger but we will try and show the same mentality.”

Spanish side Atletico Madrid hosts London club Arsenal on Wednesday in the other semifinal first leg. The final will be played in Budapest, Hungary on May 30.

___

AP Sports Writer James Ellingworth in Düsseldorf contributed.

___

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

Now, more than two years after DeSantis ended his presidential campaign and endorsed Trump, the governor has called a special legislative session on redistricting and other issues that will put him back in the national spotlight and maybe remind Republicans that he could lead the party one day.

But there are also risks involved for the 47-year-old governor, and they became immediately apparent after lawmakers convened Tuesday.

DeSantis is pushing lawmakers to redraw Florida's congressional map as part of a coast-to-coast redistricting battle ahead of November's midterm elections. His proposal, released the day before the session began, would make it easier for Republicans to win up to four more seats, equivalent to Democrats’ potential gains from last week’s referendum in Virginia.

The governor also wanted the GOP-dominated Legislature to adopt new regulations for artificial intelligence and loosen vaccine requirements. However, those proposals quickly hit a roadblock when House Speaker Daniel Perez, a Republican but not a DeSantis acolyte, told members he would not advance legislation on those issues.

The governor's maps are on a fast track, with a House vote planned Wednesday and the Senate set to move quickly thereafter. In Washington, GOP leaders and strategists have expressed confidence in DeSantis' maps, but some Republicans still are worried that a gerrymandered map could backfire and allow Democrats to pick up seats.

DeSantis already faces tough prospects on the national stage, even with Trump constitutionally barred from running for a third term in 2028. DeSantis has had a relatively low profile during Trump's second presidency and would likely have Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, another Floridian, to contend with in a Republican presidential primary.

“The window for Ron looks reasonably narrow at this point,” said Whit Ayres, who served as DeSantis' pollster in his first campaign for governor in 2018.

DeSantis' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. On X, DeSantis called the House move on AI and vaccines “typical political shenanigans.”

Meanwhile, the governor has embraced the national redistricting fight. When House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., last week dared Florida Republicans to go ahead with their special session, the governor punched back with the kind of aggressiveness he showed in the early days of his failed White House bid.

“I will pay for you to come down to Florida and campaign,” DeSantis said of Jeffries. “I’ll put you up in the Florida governor’s mansion. We’ll take you fishing.”

DeSantis wants four more Republican seats

DeSantis unveiled his proposed congressional map to Fox News on Monday even before it had been widely circulated to lawmakers — a point Democrats emphasized.

“Y'all should be pissed off,” Democratic Sen. Shevrin Jones of Miami-Dade told his Republican colleagues. “The governor has no respect for us.”

The governor's map, if approved, would reshape districts in Democratic areas around Orlando, Tampa Bay, Miami and Fort Lauderdale. DeSantis argued that the 2020 census shortchanged the state’s population, making it necessary to redraw the lines. The changes could cost Reps. Jared Moskowitz and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, among others, their seats. The current maps yielded a 20 to 8 Republican tilt in 2024. DeSantis' version would aim for an advantage of 24 to 4.

DeSantis first announced the special session in January, months after Trump started pushing Republican-run states to redraw their congressional boundaries. What followed has been a tit-for-tat battle, with each party looking for an edge in the midterms.

The Virginia referendum celebrated by Democrats faces a court challenge, and the Virginia Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to immediately lift an order from a lower court that bars the state from certifying the passage of the ballot measure. Another legal battle is playing out in Wisconsin where Democrats also hope to pick up another seat or two.

There's no guarantee that new maps will play out the way parties hope. For example, Texas based its revised lines largely on Trump’s performance in 2024, redistributing the president's voters across more districts to pull them into the Republican column. But Trump's popularity has waned since his reelection, including among Latino voters who figure prominently in the state.

Florida could face a similar conundrum. Creating more majority-Republican districts could leave margins thin enough to allow for Democratic victories, especially if there's an anti-Trump backlash at the polls this year.

Brian Ballard, an influential Florida lobbyist who has been DeSantis’ top fundraiser, said it’s worth remembering that DeSantis was the muscle behind the current map that expanded Republicans’ advantage.

“He’s incredibly smart and capable,” Ballard said. “And he doesn’t get enough credit for that map. He’s done this before.”

Florida legislative leaders are not rubber stamps for DeSantis

As it did Tuesday, the Florida House has grown more willing to buck the governor in recent sessions. Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton made clear for weeks that they were not drawing their own proposals and would react only to what DeSantis put forward.

Albritton sent multiple memos to senators reminding them of Florida’s state constitutional limits on redistricting and the requirement that it not be done as a blatantly partisan act.

Perez sidestepped questions Tuesday about whether the maps violate those requirements, which Florida voters approved by a nearly 2-to-1 margin in 2010. Democrats and political advocates have promised legal challenges and said repeatedly Tuesday that shameless partisanship is at play.

“We are here because the president of the United States gave an order,” Jones, the Democratic senator, said. “Shame on us.”

Beyond redistricting, DeSantis was effectively asking House members to approve AI and vaccine proposals that they refused even to advance out of committee earlier this year.

On AI, DeSantis wanted to require tech companies to ensure children cannot interact with chatbots without parental permission. He also wanted to prevent AI from generating harmful material for minors. That proposal put DeSantis at odds with Trump, who wants the federal government to be the regulator of AI technology. Perez said he sides with the president, calling AI a “national security issue” that is “bigger than just one state.”

On vaccines, DeSantis wanted to add a conscience-based exemption to public school vaccine requirements, similar to the existing religious exemption. That aligns him with the anti-vaccine portion of the Trump base that was instrumental in making Robert F. Kennedy Jr. the U.S. health secretary.

Perez countered that vaccine requirements in the U.S. “have been working for decades” and said he remains uncomfortable with “children being in school without measles and mumps and polio and chickenpox vaccines.”

Political observers are watching — even at the White House

Ballard downplayed any political concerns for DeSantis. What may seem to some as strained relations with certain Republican legislative leaders, he said, is simply measuring DeSantis against the opening years of his tenure.

“I mean, he went from batting a thousand to maybe batting .600,” Ballard said, using a baseball analogy for the governor who played the sport while attending Yale. “That isn’t failure.”

During the last Republican presidential primary, DeSantis initially gave conservative establishment figures and key donors an option other than Trump, who grew frustrated by the challenge and mocked the governor as “Ron DeSanctimonious.”

But Trump seemingly forgave DeSantis when he dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump following his victory in the Iowa caucuses. He even promised to call DeSantis by his actual name.

There's more bad blood within the White House, though. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, a Floridian, managed DeSantis’ razor-thin 2018 victory, only for the pair to have a falling out.

Wiles did not respond to a request for comment. But Ayres said he’s certain she’s paying attention.

“Donald Trump has a long memory, and Susie Wiles has a longer one,” he said. “And that doesn’t bode well for Gov. DeSantis to be Donald Trump’s Republican successor.”

_____

Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed.

Tuesday, April 28

• Help us save lives at the KPRC 2 Community Blood Drive with Gulf Coast Blood
• • Community Blood Drive at KPRC 2
• Golden Roastery
• Cedric The Entertainer brings the laughs in new Netflix animated film ‘Swapped’
• • Netflix’s ‘Swapped’

Monday, April 27

• Summer safety for kids: what parents need to know
• • Bivona Law Firm
• From Blueprint to Backyard Oasis: A Missouri City Transformation Designed for Real Life
• • Allied Outdoor Solutions
• AAPI Fest
• Hosts Mike “The Miz” Mizanin and Rocsi Diaz chat reboot of ‘American Gladiators’
• • American Gladiators

Friday, April 24

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Step inside August Wilson’s “Fences” at Houston’s Alley Theatre - A timeless story of love, legacy, and second chances
• • August Wilson’s “Fences” at Alley Theatre
• Prime Video’s ‘Cocaine Quarterback’ Owen Hanson visits Houston, shares incredible comeback story
• • “Cocaine Quarterback” on Prime Video
• National Bucket List Day: A Trafalgar River Cruise with The Travel Mom
• • The Travel Mom
  • Trafalgar

Thursday, April 23

• Silambam Houston highlights the beauty of Indian classical dance at the Hobby Center
• • Silambam Houston
• A preview of Great Age on the Green, Houston’s new festival celebrating aging boldly
• • Great Age on the Green
• Kids learn money the fun way with Financial Fortunes card game
• • Financial Fortunes Card Game
• Teeing off for the LPGA’s first major of the season - The Chevron Championship
• • The Chevron Championship

Wednesday, April 22

• Houston is driving the Biotech future - starting with students
• • Texas Medical Center BioPath Program
• From ‘Dance Moms’ to the stage and page: Nia Sioux’s next act
• • Follow Nia Sioux on Instagram
• From ‘Dance Moms’ to the stage and page: Nia Sioux’s next act
• • Nia Sioux’s Memoir “Bottom of the Pyramid”
• Wildflowers, western heritage, and a Mother’s Day to remember at The George Ranch
• The George Ranch

Tuesday, April 21

• Orchid care 101: Simple tricks to keep your orchids blooming longer
• • Ace Berry
  • Flora & More
• Affordable luxury: New upholstered bed collection unveiled at Texas Mattress Makers
• • Texas Mattress Makers
• Music, food and rodeo fun for all at the Galveston County Fair & Rodeo
• • Galveston County Fair & Rodeo
• Texas Dental Implant Center

Monday, April 20

• Robins Landing Neighborhood Floor Plans - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Homeownership Process - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Volunteering - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• ReStore - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Third Ward - Houston Habitat for Humanity

Friday, April 17

• ‘Houston Life’ is live today at the Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market Spring
• • Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market® SPRING
  • Dog Collar World
  • Linked by Stevi
  • The Hive
  • Big Creek Farms
  • EK The Boutique
  • House of Cottonwood
  • ParkerJoe

Thursday, April 16

• TUTS presents ‘Monty Python’s Spamalot’ rides into the Hobby Center
• • Monty Python’s Spamalot at TUTS Tickets
• One ticket, endless fun at the Galveston County Fair and Rodeo
• • Galveston County Fair and Rodeo
• Carpet Giant celebrates 50 years of proudly serving generations of Houstonians
• • Carpet Giant Website (mention Houston Life to get $150 off your purchase of $1,000)
• Faith ‘One Arm Wonder’ Malton and Zack ‘Pitbull’ Ruhl rappel 30 stories for non-profit Camp For All
• • Camp For All
  • Faith Malton

Wednesday, April 15

• Brush up on your makeup routine at Blushington River Oaks
• • Houston Life Deals (Get 20% off beauty services at Blushington River Oaks)
  • Blushington River Oaks
• The King himself shares how to save 20% on tickets to the Texas Renaissance Festival
• • Texas Renaissance Festival
• Ethan’s Ohana
• Cube Against Cancer 2026 Houston
• Cube Against Cancer
• Fortis College

Tuesday, April 14

• Former Texans WR Steven Sims Jr. to host FREE youth football camp
• • Must See Foundation
• Why it’s not just the generator - it’s the company behind it
• • Gen Pro
• How the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce helps local companies grow
• • Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Step Onward Foundation uses music to fight homelessness in Texas
• • Step Onward Foundation
  • Sunday Funday Community Celebration

Monday, April 13

• Robins Landing Neighborhood Floor Plans - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Homeownership Process - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Volunteering - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• ReStore - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Third Ward - Houston Habitat for Humanity

Friday, April 10

• Your guide to the Houston Barbecue Festival this weekend: Top pitmasters, unlimited BBQ samples, and more
• • Houston BBQ Festival
• Texas CASA’s partner agencies train volunteers to be a voice and a lifeline for children in the foster care system
• • Become a CASA
• ‘Grow the Game’ Initiative expands soccer access in Houston ahead of the World Cup with Guinness World Records attempt
• • Airbnb GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™
• Houston’s Garden Theatre celebrates 5 years with Stephen Sondheim’s “Company”
• • The Garden Theatre
• Father daughter duo Steve Zahn and Audrey Zahn chat new film ‘She Dances’

Thursday, April 9

• The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary kicks off 22nd annual ‘Chic Boutique’
• • Chic Boutique
• Aramie Payton brings Broadway pedigree to Alley Theatre’s revival of “Fences”
• • Alley Theatre
• Layoff leads Houston creator to viral small business mission
• • Follow David on Instagram
• At just 19, Jalyn Hall is stepping into his moment
• • NBC’s “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins”
• KPRC 2’s “Eat Like a Local”

Wednesday, April 8

• Houston Underwater Film Festival returns this weekend with stunning ocean films 🌊🌊
• • School, college and scuba students: claim a free ticket by emailing huff@hups.org
  • Houston Underwater Film Festival Tickets
• Celebrate Earth Month by sipping sustainably!
• • Wine and Travel Contributor Daniela Garrido
• Shred Day Houston: Safely destroy documents and fight hunger on April 18
• • Comerica Shred Day Houston
• Trade-show-tested home picks: Coffee, Water, Bidets and Moving Gear
• • Kathryn Emery Home Improvement & Lifestyle Expert
• A kid’s guide to top play picks to cut screen time and spark creativity
• • Kid-trepreneur Dylan Emery

Tuesday, April 7

• Grand Marshals Kam Franklin & Brian Ching preview the 39th annual Art Car Parade
• • Houston Art Car Parade
• This Texas artist is turning Titanic artifacts into art
• • Souls of the Titanic
• In Houston, Your Windows May Not Last as Long—Here’s What to Know (and What to Do About It)
• • Pella Windows and Doors
• Houston’s Trillest Chef bringing bold flavors of H-Town the national stage
• • Follow Chef Machete on Instagram
• Texas Dental Implant Center

Monday, April 6

• Houston’s Garden Theatre celebrates 5 years with Stephen Sondheim’s “Company”
• • The Garden Theatre
• Sysco’s World Cup-themed food show is a preview of how Houston plans to feed the world
• • Sysco World Cup-themed food show
• The Houston Art Car Parade

Friday, April 3

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• WWE Wrestler Je’Von Evans
• WWE Monday Night Raw at Toyota Center Tickets
• IBEW Local 66
• KPRC 2’s “Eat Like a Local”

Thursday, April 2

• Disney on Ice
• The Chevron Championship
• Maxine Sharf brings ‘Maxi’s Kitchen’ to Houston Life with her mom
• • Follow Maxine Sharf on Instagram
  • "Maxi’s Kitchen: Easy Go-To Recipes to Make Again and Again"
• Father daughter duo Steve Zahn and Audrey Zahn chat new film ‘She Dances’

Wednesday, April 1

• Spring gets sweeter with two easy recipes: Carrot cupcake and blueberry crumble bun
• • Follow Cookbook Author Florence Jackson on Instagram
• This Houston Restaurant Hasn’t Raised Prices Since Its Food Truck Days
• • Black Restaurant Week
  • Chitalian Pizzeria
• Tarot, the Fool card and finding meaning on Derrick’s birthday (April Fool’s Day)
• • Tarot Card Reader Amber Ambrose
• Theatre Under the Stars presents ‘Back to the Future: The Musical’ through April 5th
• • TUTS “Back to the Future: The Musical”

Tuesday, March 31

• Send Well Wishes to Tessa on her last day
• • Tessa Barrera announces she’s leaving ‘Houston Life’
• Calling all book lovers: Houston indie bookstore crawl returns for its third year of literary adventure
• • 2026 Houston Bookstore Crawl
• Preview the 13th annual Insperity Invitational presented by United Healthcare
• • Insperity Invitational
• Texas roots and coastal growth, how the Oyster Bros in Palacios are redefining the gulf oyster
• • Oyster Bros
• Goodtaste with Tanji Patton

Monday, March 30

• How Autism Moms of Houston became a lifeline for families raising children who are neurodivergent
• • Autism Moms of Houston
  • Autism Awareness Festival
• An offer fit for a new you! Grab the Alloy Personal Training Houston Life Deal
• • Alloy Personal Training Houston
  • Houston Life Deals
• Who’s responsible when a child is hurt at daycare?
• • Bivona Law
• At just 19, Jalyn Hall is stepping into his moment
• • NBC’s “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins”

Friday, March 27

• Family fun, charity, & of course golf shine at Texas Children’s Houston Open ⛳
• • Texas Children’s Houston Open
  • TCHO Cleats for Kids

Wednesday, March 25

• Tessa Barrera announces she’s leaving ‘Houston Life’
• Plan aims to turn Garden Oaks Theater into an arts hub before it’s too late
• • Save the Garden Oaks Theater
• Fore! Preview the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open
• • Texas Children’s Houston Open
• Women, Wealth, and breaking ‘The Success Lie’
• • Chantell Preston
  • “The Success Lie” by Chantell Preston
• McGovern Allergy & Asthma Clinic
• Gexa Energy

Tuesday, March 24

• From puppy playtime to pesky nipping, helpful springtime tips for dog owners
• • Stephanie Bennett’s Believe in Dog Training
• How one Houston program is helping kids discover confidence—and their future
• • Sam Houston Area Council Boy Scouts of America
• Houston Ballet’s Busy Spring: Nutcracker Market, Sons de L’âme & YAGP Finals
• • Houston Ballet
• Breaking barriers and popping corks with CEO and Master Sommelier June Rodil
• • Master Sommelier June Rodil
  • Goodnight Hospitality

Monday, March 23

• Blooming Wonders at ARTECHOUSE
• • Spring arrives at ARTECHOUSE Houston with ‘Blooming Wonders’
• Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Trusted Dental Implant Care in Houston — Board-Certified Periodontist Helps Complex Cases
• Disability Attorney Marc Whitehead
• • Expert tax advice: Are your Social Security and Disability benefits taxable?
• Allied Outdoor Solutions
• • From basic to beautiful: See this stunning backyard transformation in Weston Lakes

Thursday, March 19

• Springtime fun at the Houston Zoo
• • Zoo Bloom
  • All you can Zoo
  • Saving the Galápagos Islands

Wednesday, March 18

• Houston Latino Film Festival celebrates 10 Years with Cheech Marin
• • Houston Latino Film Festival
• Find the good vibes every weekend for Jazzy Sundays in the Parks
• • Jazzy Sundays in the Parks
• Get to know Dash rising star, Avery Patterson
• • Houston Dash
• Kevin Williamson makes fans SCREAM all over again in latest franchise installation
• • Kevin Williamson
• Self Employed? Tax Filing Moves That Help You Qualify for a Mortgage
• • Habayit Home Loans
  • Mortgage Expert Rich Bonn’s Upcoming Webinar

Tuesday, March 17

• Houston’s Mezclada Dance Company blends hip hop, Latin and contemporary dance forms into high-energy performances
• • Performing Arts Houston New/Now featuring Mezclada Dance Company
• METRO rolls out systemwide changes: A first look at the new technology to help streamline your ride
• • Metro Houston
• Houston Life Deals: Fun & savings for the entire family
• • HoustonLifeDeals.com
• Frontier Utilities teams with Kids’ Meals Houston to pack thousands of meals
• • Frontier Utilities

Monday, March 16

• Affordable rodeo-ready outfits you can find at Target this season
• • Target.com
• Houston’s growing need for linemen: Why the trade pays and how to start
• • IBEW Local 66
• ET hosts Nischelle Turner and Kevin Frazier share highlights from the 98th Academy Awards
• • Entertainment Tonight Oscars Coverage
• Houston Ballet principal dancer Karina González brings Frida Kahlo to life in Broken Wings
• • “Broken Wings” at Houston Ballet Tickets
• The Largest Indoor Waterpark in the U.S.? It’s Just a Road Trip from Houston
• • Kalahari Resorts and Conventions

Friday, March 13

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Houston Life Deals: Fun & savings for the entire family
• Outriding the Devil: Angela Ganter’s incredible rodeo comeback
• • Outriding the Devil premieres at River Oaks Theatre
• ‘Aliens’ 40th anniversary cast reunion and more at Pop Culture Con 2026
• • Pop Culture Con
• Alley Theatre brings Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” to Houston with a fresh twist
• • “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Alley Theatre Tickets
• Bounce your way to better fitness: trampoline workouts in West U
• • Motiv Fitness at West University
• Moon 2 Mars Festival returns to Space Center Houston with out-of-this-world fun and concerts this spring break
• • Space Center Houston

Thursday, March 12

• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to see Tim McGraw at RODEOHOUSTON
• The Birthday Joy Program helps kids in foster care, shelters and group homes celebrate their special day
• • the Birthday Joy Program Website
• Inside “The Feminine Universe” Houston’s new all-women immersive art experience
• • The Feminine Universe Art Show Tickets
• Bring the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo home with these sips and bites
• • Entertaining Expert Paul Zahn
• Spring is in full swing at CITYCENTRE Houston
• • CITYCENTRE
• Kalahari Resorts and Conventions

Tuesday, March 10

• Enjoy Spring Break at the Houston Museum of Natural Science
• • Houston Museum of Natural Science
• Honoring the fallen & recognizing community heroes
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
  • BP America
• Houston author Margie Seaman proves it is never too late to chase a dream
• • Margie Seaman
  • “Someday Is Our Horizon” by Margie Seaman on Amazon

Monday, March 9

• NestFest beach cleanup invites volunteers to protect nesting sea turtles on the Galveston Coast
• From bumper boats to STEAM activities, enjoy a FUNonmenal spring break at Discovery Green
• • FUNomenal Spring Break at Discovery Green
• This veteran-owned business is helping Houstonians keep the heat the out and the savings in with new windows
• • The Window Source
• You’ve been diagnosed with cancer, now what? Non-profit CanCare pairs you with survivors who can help
• • CanCare
• Spring Break Staycation: Why The Travel Mom says Houston families love Great Wolf Lodge
• • The Travel Mom
  • Great Wolf Lodge

Friday, March 6

• Houston Life Deals
• Pickle vs. anime: Largest pickle festival in Texas comes to Rosenberg with anime-inspired food
• • In A Pickle Festival
• Expedia’s 2026 Air Hacks: Best days to book, when to fly and top savings
• • Expedia Air Hacks Report
• The Parking Spot making airport parking a breeze
• • The Parking Spot
• A rustic dream venue just outside Houston
• • Country Oaks Venue
• Rare Texas artifacts step out ‘From the Vault’ at The Bryan Museum
• • The Bryan Museum
• Rhythm Energy Question of the Week

Thursday, March 5

• Gold Buckle Foodie Awards at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Houston Life Deals
• Avoiding vacation headaches: New Vrbo survey on group travel reveals common pet peeves
• • Vrbo
• Houston wellness trend: A local body sculpting technique focused on lymphatic health
• • The Tox
• Catching up with Russell Dickerson ahead of debut RODEOHOUSTON performance
• • RODEOHOUSTON

Wednesday, March 4

• Houston Life Deals
• Moon 2 Mars Festival returns to Space Center Houston with out-of-this-world fun and concerts this spring break
• • Space Center Houston
• What to Wear to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: Your Ultimate Style Guide 
• • Boot Barn
• Destin-Fort Walton Beach, more than beaches: reefs, fishing, little adventures
• • Visit Destin-Fort Walton Beach
• Baz Luhrmann’s ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’ gives fans a front-row seat to The King
• • “EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert” Film

Tuesday, March 3

• Diana Ross coming to Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
• Learn about the untold history of Black baseball
• • Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy
• Houston Life Deals
• Modern dental implants give Houston patients natural, comfortable smiles
• • Texas Dental Implant Center
• Houston native Kyrie McAlpin Talks ‘The Burbs’, Keke Palmer & a very Seth MacFarlane Christmas party

Monday, March 2

• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• • Houston Life kicks off opening day at 2026 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Suits & Boot Injury Lawyers

Friday, February 27

• Gabriel Basso takes us behind the scenes of Netflix’s ‘The Night Agent’
• • Netflix’s “The Night Agent”
• Mudbug Mania: Tanji Patton celebrates crawfish season in Houston
• • Goodtaste with Tanji Patton
  • Crawfish Shack
  • Crawfish Hideaway
• Theatre Under The Stars reveals 2026-27 season with Broadway tours & local shows
• • Theatre Under the Stars
• Boot Barn
• What to see and do in Malta — beaches, history and booking tips from The Travel Mom
• • The Travel Mom

Thursday, February 26

• Diana Ross at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for a chance to see Creed perform at RodeoHouston
• Get a peek inside RodeoHouston’s World Championship BBQ Cookoff
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Soulful river cruises that connect Black travelers to heritage and culture
• • AmaWaterways Soulful Experience River Cruise
• Houston Life Deals
• Allied Outdoor Solutions
• HCC Southeast College

Wednesday, February 25

• Behind the scenes of TUTS’ ‘Million Dollar Quartet’
• • Tickets to ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ at Theatre Under the Stars
• Houston influencers share their best thrifting tips for Rodeo
• • Find your nearest Goodwill store
• Plan the ultimate spring break getaway for everyone at Moody Gardens
• • Moody Gardens
• Ride along: METRO Police Chief explains new safety measures for Houston transit
• • Metro Houston

Tuesday, February 24

• Spring Break, but make it San Antonio
• • Visit San Antonio
• Alley Theatre’s ‘English’ explores identity, belonging, and the weight of learning a new language
• • Tickets to ‘English’ at Alley Theatre
• Looking for a Career Change? Here’s How You Could Be Job-Ready in 10 Months
• • Learn more about programs at United Education Institute Houston

Monday, February 23 (WE ARE BACK!!!)

• Indian Film Festival of Houston celebrates France with film, food and culture
• • Indian Film Festival of Houston Website
• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for a chance to see Riley Green perform at RodeoHouston
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Chris Hemsworth will keep you on the edge of your seat in ‘Crime 101’
• • “Crime 101” Movie Times
• Modern dental implants give Houston patients natural, comfortable smiles
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

February 6 - 20

• Houston is off air due to the Winter Olympics, but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop entertaining you. Be sure to follow us on social media to see all the HL fun. We’ll be back Feb. 23.
• • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Thursday, February 5

• Papa Johns Pizza
• The Cody Stephens Foundation saves lives with free heart screenings for young athletes
• • Cody Stephens Foundation
• Get ready for the return of the one and only Monster Jam in Houston
• • Tickets to Monster Jam at NRG Stadium
• Getting your best night’s sleep: How the latest materials and technology can help you sleep better
• • Texas Mattress Makers
• What is an “Orphan Generator”? And why it could put Houston homes at risk during an outage
• • GenPro.com
• Follow Mersha the Mini Panther on Instagram (Use MERSHA20 to get a discount at PrettyLitter)

Wednesday, February 4

• Simon & Garfunkel Story at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• Behind the scenes of ‘Real Women Have Curves’ on stage at Alley Theatre
• • Tickets to ‘Real Women Have Curves’ at Alley Theatre
• Decoding body language: How to spot liars, read subtle signals, and communicate with confidence
• • Jan Hargrave
• In the Kitchen with Kroger: Why they are your one stop shop for the Big Game and Valentine’s Day
• • Kroger

Tuesday, February 3

• MFAH’s new exhibit explores Frida Kahlo’s lasting legacy
• • ‘Frida: The Making of an Icon’ at MFAH
• United Way of Greater Houston’s 211: Help is one call away
• • United Way of Greater Houston’s 211 Helpline
• After the freeze - now what? How to care for perennials and shrubs in Houston
• • Gardening with Skip
  • Houston Home and Garden Show
• Go back in time at Popfancy Dessert Bar’s new retro 80’s sci-fi arcade cafe
• • Popfancy Fan Cafe

Monday, February 2

• Kenny G at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• The relationship advice that helps couples feel closer — even during hard conversations
• • Connection Expert Jenn Pinkerton
  • Connectin Cards Couples Edition on Amazon
• Paris Hilton’s “Infinite Icon”
• Arandas Bakery
• Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, January 30

• Monster Energy Supercross heads into Houston featuring the world’s fastest racers
• • Monster Energy Supercross at NRG Stadium This Weekend
• From Trinidad and Tobago to Top Chef: Tristen Epps’ journey is rooted in culture
• • Chef Tristen Epps
  • A Classically Black Dinner - Vibrant + Modern + African
• Few physicians leave a legacy like this: Houston honors cancer pioneer Dr. Philip Salem
• • Salem Oncology Center
• The Travel Mom: Family-Friendly Wave-Season Deals from Princess
• • The Travel Mom
  • Princess Cruises

Thursday, January 29

• The Simon & Garfunkel Story at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• Former KPRC 2 reporter shares ‘With Love From Harlem’: The story behind America’s First Black power couple
• • ReShonda Tate’s new book ‘With Love from Harlem’
• American Home Buyer
• How personalized aesthetics - Botox, fillers & lasers - can help you age better
• • Anti Age Institute
• The cast of ‘Bridgerton’ takes us behind-the-scenes of the ton for season 4
• • Netflix’s Bridgerton Season 4

Wednesday, January 28

• KPRC 2’s new evening anchor Stephania Jimenez makes her Houston debut with passion and purpose
• • Follow Stephania on her KPRC 2 Instagram Account
• Cars, boats and more: What to know about this year’s Houston AutoBoative Show 2026
• • Houston Autoboative Show (Save $20 with Family Four Pack Option)
• Get a taste of Old Town Katy with Tanji Patton of Goodtaste TV
• • Goodtaste with Tanji Patton
  • Peanut Butter Pie from Southern Dough
  • Southern Dough Baking Co.
  • Humble Grounds Coffeehouse
  • Harvest Kitchen & Bakery
• A Family Business Built on Trust: Luke’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning Serves Houston for Over 30 Years
• • Luke’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning

Tuesday, January 27

• Remembering the iconic artist David Adickes on his 99th birthday and his lasting legacy in Houston
• • David Adickes Art Website
  • Follow ‘Adickes Art’ on Instagram
• Plan a Vacation Day: Experts share 2026 travel trends and how to protect your trip
• • The Travel Mom
  • Follow The Travel Mom Emily Kaufman on Instagram
  • Travel Guard Insurance
• Texans Serving Texans: Gexa Energy gives back
• • Gexa Energy
• Bill Skarsgård steps beyond horror roots in new film, ‘Dead Man’s Wire’

Monday, January 26

• Houston relationship and intimacy expert dishes on the small relationship habits that make love last
• • Houston Relationship Therapy
  • VIVID Relationships app
• Crawfish & Noodles gearing up for a busy crawfish season
• • Crawfish & Noodles
• Traveling smarter in 2026: What travel experts say to book now
• • Travel Expert Jeanenne Tornatore
  • Follow the Outside Insider on Instagram

Friday, January 23

• Discover why Sam Houston Race Park is a top spot for family outings with “Houston Life”
• • Sam Houston Race Park
  • Corgi Races
  • Shannon Jewelers Presents Diamond Dig
  • Wiener Dog Races

Thursday, January 22

• WEIGH IN: What are your must have products during a freeze?
• Cars, boats and more: What to know about this year’s Houston AutoBoative Show 2026
• • Houston Autoboative Show (Save $20 with Family Four Pack Option)
• Honoring Dr. Philip A. Salem for innovations in cancer care and research
• • Salem Oncology Center
• Bert Kreischer talks fatherhood, fame, and his new scripted comedy series, “Free Bert”
• • Netflix’s “Free Bert”
• Last chance to enjoy the Green Mountain Energy Ice at Discovery Green
• • Ice at Discovery Green

Wednesday, January 21

• Seth Rogen, Ike Barinholtz & Chase Sui Wonders chat comedy series ‘The Studio’
• • Apple Tv+’s ‘The Studio’
• Allied Outdoor Solutions
• Living Designs Furniture
• The Women’s Resource empowers women and girls through free financial and career coaching services
• • The Women’s Resource
• Houston woman helps bring Black cowboy history to PBS
• • Alma’s Way on PBS Kids
  • Black Cowboy Coalition

Friday, January 16

• School Makes You Super: KPRC-TV reporter and mom Haley Hernandez debuts first children’s book to ease school anxiety
• • Buy ‘School Makes You Super" here
• Children’s Museum Houston celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• • MLK Day Celebration at Children’s Museum Houston
• Two experts explain why Key Largo, Florida should be on your 2026 travel list
• • The Travel Mom
• The man known as “the human lie detector” works to keep serial killers behind bars
• • Killer Confessions

Thursday, January 15

• Young voices, lasting legacy: Houston students honor Dr. King in 30th Annual Oratory Competition
• • Foley MLK Jr. Oratory Competition
• Breaking through the plateau with Dr. Ian Smith’s ‘The Last 15′
• • Follow Dr. Ian Smith on Instagram
  • Purchase “The Last 15″ on Amazon
• Mindful eating tips and a pesto vinaigrette recipe to kickstart a healthier new year
• • Leaf & Grain
• Stay powered and protected with GenPro.com, Houston’s premier generator specialists
• • Call or log on to book an estimate and receive a functional mini generator worth $50 for FREE

Wednesday, January 14

• Check out the fun, food and giveaways for Houston Rockets fans this week
• • Houston Rockets Game Day Tickets
• A Kroger pharmacist’s guide to everyday wellness in 2026
• • Enter for a chance to win a Kroger gift card
  • Kroger
• Mix-MATCH Festival returns with over 20 performances celebrating Houston’s creative spirit
• • Tickets to 3rd Annual Mix-MATCH Festival
  • Daisies & Pancakes

Tuesday, January 13

• Kick off the new year with magic: Magician Curt Miller returns with his show “The Conjurer”
• • Curt Miller
  • Tickets to The Conjurer: An Intimate Magical Experience with Curt Miller
• Brad Meltzer Book Signing
• • Follow Brad Meltzer on Instagram
• Innovative Lasers of Houston

Monday, January 12

• Turn to tea this year to slow down, reset, and satisfy without regrets
• • Tea Please
• The Travel Mom: Family fun at Knott’s Berry Farm - a California getaway everyone will love
• • The Travel Mom
  • Visit Buena Park
  • Knott’s Berry Farm
• Pet adoption events for the new year at Fort Bend County Animal Services
• • Fort Bend County Animal Services
• New Year, New Smile: AI-driven smile design at Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, January 9

• Shop The Sale Houston with proceeds benefitting childhood cancer research
• • The Sale Houston
• A new chapter begins: Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones chat about their new pairing
• • TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle
• Former radio personality, Sarah Pepper returns to Texas to emcee 2026 Chevron Houston Marathon
• • Follow Sarah Pepper on Instagram

Thursday, January 8

• Belle comes to Houston - Kyra Belle Johnson stars in Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ now at the Hobby Center
• • Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” Tickets at Hobby Center
• Mathew Knowles launches new Destiny’s Child nationwide tribute tour; Houston is first stop
• • Destiny’s Child: Iconic Reimagined Tribute Tickets
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Wednesday, January 7

• The story behind Luke’s Plumbing and Air Conditioning serving Houstonians since 1991
• • Luke’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning
• Where karaoke meets claw machines: Welcome to Klaw‑Oke Kingdom in Pearland
• • Klaw-Oke Kingdom
• Brace yourself, the 1993 Oilers vs. Bills game is featured in new docuseries ‘Don’t Call it a Comeback’
• • VICE TV’s “Don’t Call It A Comeback”
• New Year, Strong Start: EōS Fitness Experts Share Tips to Crush 2026 Goals
• • EōS Fitness

Tuesday, January 6

• Houston bagel pros talk schmear, slices and specials ahead of National Bagel Day
• • Bagel Shop Bakery
• Comedian Chinedu Ogu takes H-Town-rooted comedy on a national tour
• • Chinedu at Punch Line Houston
• Start your new year weight loss journey at Health Solutions and Weightloss
• • Health Solutions and Weightloss
• Enroll Now: Key deadlines and tips for 2026 Marketplace coverage
• • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Monday, January 5

• Rosca de Reyes Season is here - and this Houston bakery is busy
• • Arandas Bakery
• Damp or Dry January? These non-alcoholic wines actually taste like wine
• • Daniela Garrido | Wine and Travel Expert
• New Year, New Smile: AI-driven smile design at Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Texas Dental Implant Center
• Freeze Miser

Friday, January 2

• Tough but fair: NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas visits Houston Life
• • NBC Nightly News
  • Tom Llamas
• Tarot Card Reader Amber Ambrose
• Opening weekend kicks off at Sam Houston Race Park TODAY!
• • Sam Houston Race Park

Thursday, January 1

• New Year’s fitness made simple: Tips and a low-impact workout for beginners
• • Hoodfit
• Chantell Preston
• HiFi at The Finn

SEEN ON HL 2025 ARCHIVE

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The hearing Tuesday was the first of two back-to-back court hearings on lawsuits over changes at the Kennedy Center. It ended with U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper taking no action after firing questions at plaintiff and defense attorneys alike, making it difficult to predict how he might rule.

Cooper asked the government’s attorney, Brantley Mayers, where in its argument or submissions was the administration’s analysis of the cost of the closure so the center can be renovated, including the loss of sponsorships, bookings and revenue. “I didn’t see any numbers,” he said.

Cooper also wanted to know why the government might oppose renovating the building in stages, an attitude he said had been the “status quo” until it suddenly changed its mind and opted for closure.

Tuesday’s hearing centered on a lawsuit filed last year by Rep. Joyce Beatty. The Ohio Democrat sued President Donald Trump and other members of the administration in her capacity as an ex officio trustee of the Kennedy Center. Beatty’s lawsuit expanded to include the decision in February to close the center for two years for renovations starting in July.

Since returning to office last year, Trump has taken particular interest in the Kennedy Center. He ousted its previous leadership and replaced it with a handpicked board that named him chairman, changes that prompted an outcry from many artists and exacerbated the operation’s financial challenges. Trump, whose name was later added to the building's facade, announced the renovations earlier this year.

Cooper spent more than half of the two-hour hearing grilling Nathaniel Zelinsky, senior counsel at the Washington Litigation Group, with technical questions relating to Beatty's ability to bring forth the lawsuit.

The judge held off on taking any action, including a possible injunction against the center's name change.

During Tuesday's hearing, Norm Eisen, a board member at Democracy Defenders Action who is co-counsel with Zelinsky, pointed to dozens of statutory refences that made clear the name was intended to be the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Following the hearing, Beatty said she was “very fearful that we’ll see what happened with the East Wing and what happened with the Rose Garden” if the center is closed, referring to major changes the president has made at the White House.

Despite statements from its new executive director, Matt Floca, that work would be done appropriately, Beatty said she doesn't trust the president. “We went through the same thing at the White House. I was right outside there when we saw the bulldozers.”

Another hearing is set for Wednesday, this one the result of a lawsuit by a group of eight cultural preservationist groups who also oppose the closure and renovations.

Cooper said during Tuesday's hearing that he had questions he wanted answered at the upcoming hearing — especially by the defense -- on what will happen to the Kennedy Center if it is closed, including whether there would be any public access.

Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, wanted to know if Rob Thomson was fired, would Cora be interested in taking over a team with a $284.7 million payroll and World Series expectations that had slogged through April as one of the worst teams in baseball.

Cora ultimately declined, citing family reasons, and a potential reunion with Dombrowski eight seasons after they won the World Series together in Boston was on hold.

Rebuffed by Cora, the Phillies looked down the bench to Don Mattingly.

Only four months after he was hired as Philadelphia's bench coach, Mattingly was named interim manager to replace Thomson, who was fired Tuesday after the Phillies lost 11 of 12 games and began the day tied for last place in the majors.

“Alex wasn’t going to take the job at that point; should we still make the change? We came to the final conclusion that we were going to make the change, and that it was the best for the club,” Dombrowski said.

Thomson led the Phillies to four straight playoff appearances, including the 2022 World Series, and consecutive NL East titles, but couldn't lead high-priced talent that included Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner back to the top of the standings through the first month of the season.

“I still think, and I hope because I love these guys, that this team is going to turn this thing around,” Thomson said hours after he was fired. “They're going to get hot. There's a bunch of different reasons why, but one is the fact there's a lot of talent in there.”

Dombrowski, who has led baseball operations for Montreal, Miami, Detroit and Boston, winning World Series titles with the Marlins in 1997 and Red Sox in 2018, made it clear Tuesday that Cora was his first choice to succeed Thomson.

“We never got down to the nuts and bolts of things,” Dombrowski said. “He called me Saturday night as a friend. I guess he calls me one of his mentors and we talked because he never had been through that before. We talked Sunday morning.

“I came to conclusion that if he took it, I would make a change. I thought he would take it. Until Monday morning it was apparent from his perspective he wanted to take time with his family. He wanted to be a father first and foremost and so that’s what he had decided.”

Mattingly will now work for his son

Mattingly, the former New York Yankees great, was named interim manager through the end of the season and third base coach Dusty Wathan was promoted to bench coach. Mattingly will now work for one of his sons — Preston Mattingly is the Phillies general manager — in what is believed to be the first father-son GM/manager combination in baseball history.

Mattingly said there was no awkwardness about essentially working for his son because they both had the same vision for the franchise.

“We both want to win games,” Mattingly said. “We’re like every player. We’re here to win.”

Thomson is the second manager fired in baseball this season after the Red Sox fired Cora and five coaches on Saturday.

Dombrowski gave Thomson a vote of confidence last week during their losing streak. Dombrowski stood behind Thomson’s work and said he’d been a good manager since replacing Joe Girardi in 2022.

Thomson went 355-270 and orchestrated a baseball resurgence in Philadelphia. The 62-year-old, a baseball lifer finally promoted to his first managerial stint in 2022, signed a contract extension in the offseason running through the 2027 season and was again expected to lead the Phillies into World Series contention.

Thomson made the rare move for a fired manager to address the media one final time and said he was so grateful for his time with the Phillies, he would like to stay connected to the organization in the future.

“I don't want to go anywhere else,” Thomson said. “Maybe right now isn't the right time. But yeah, I'm all in on that.”

The Phillies instead have been one of the biggest flops in baseball and lost 10 straight games before ace Zack Wheeler led them to a win against Atlanta on Saturday. The Phillies lost to Atlanta on Sunday and fell to 9-19 overall, tied with the division rival New York Mets.

Thomson led Philadelphia to the 2022 World Series after taking over for Girardi, losing to the Houston Astros in six games. Since then, the club has regressed in the postseason. It lost in the NL Championship Series in 2023 in seven games, and the NL Division Series in 2024 and ’25 in four games.

Nicknamed Topper, Thomson has been with the club since the 2018 season, when he was hired as bench coach under former manager Gabe Kapler.

He was with the New York Yankees from 1990-2017, including 10 seasons on the major league coaching staff as bench coach (2008, 2015-17) and third base coach (2009-14). He earned his nickname in the Yankees organization for always being on top of details.

Thomson became only the fourth manager in big league history to reach the postseason in each of the first four full seasons to begin a managing career, joining Dave Roberts, Aaron Boone and Mike Matheny. He became only the third manager in Phillies history to win consecutive division titles, joining Charlie Manuel and Danny Ozark.

“I've played for a lot of guys over my 15-year career, and Topper is definitely one of the guys at the top,” Harper said.

Phillies season goes off the rails

The Phillies have been awful in what was supposed to be a celebratory season with the franchise set to host the All-Star Game and surrounding festivities. Instead, they have collapsed in every aspect of the game, with regulars Alec Bohm and Schwarber both hitting under .200, while starters Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter all have 5.00-plus ERAs.

The Phillies recently released high-priced bust Taijuan Walker in the final year of a four-year, $72 million contract and outfielder Nick Castellanos was released in February as he entered the final year of a five-year, $100 million deal.

The Phillies haven’t won the World Series since 2008 and had last made the playoffs in 2011 until Thomson led them to the surprise run to the 2022 World Series dubbed Red October that rejuvenated the fanbase and made 90-plus win seasons the norm.

The Phillies now will turn to Mattingly, who kept the coaching staff intact, to resuscitate their season and try to at least keep them in the hunt for an NL wild-card spot.

Mattingly is ready to lead Phillies into contention

Mattingly, spending his 23rd straight season as a major league manager or coach, had his mind set on retirement after he left his role as Toronto’s bench coach under manager John Schneider following the World Series.

He reversed course after a talk with his family and latched on with the Phillies, enticed by the chance to work with his son and Thomson, his friend from their Yankees days.

Mattingly managed the Dodgers from 2011-15 and the Marlins from 2016-22. He was the 2020 NL Manager of the Year after he led the Marlins to their first playoff appearance since 2003.

He said when the Phillies hired him in the winter that he no longer had interest in managing again. Mattingly said ahead of Tuesday's game against the Giants those comments were largely out of deference to Thomson's presence and that he indeed had the spark and desire to help bring the Phillies back into the playoff race.

“I’ve always felt good. I’ve been pretty healthy,” Mattingly said. “I feel like I have energy. But I did want to say that from the standpoint that Thom’s here. I didn’t want anyone feeling like I was here to do something like this. So, I really wanted to leave it like that.”

Mattingly played 14 seasons as a first baseman in the major leagues, all for the Yankees, from 1982-95. He was a six-time AL All-Star and the 1985 AL Most Valuable Player. Mattingly captained the Yankees in his final five seasons.

Much like Thomson did in 2022, Mattingly believes he can return the Phillies to greatness as an interim manager.

“We’re talented enough,” he said. “We know that. We believe that."

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

The criminal case is the second in months against Comey and is part of the Trump administration Justice Department's relentless effort to prosecute political opponents of the Republican president. The seashells photo was posted nearly a year ago, but the indictment was secured at a time when acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, a Trump loyalist who previously served as his personal lawyer, aims to prove to the president that he is the right person to hold the job permanently.

The fact that the Justice Department pursued a new case months after a separate and unrelated indictment was dismissed could expose the government to claims of a vindictive prosecution and to arguments that it is going out of its way to target Comey, who as FBI director had overseen the early months of an investigation into whether Trump's 2016 campaign had coordinated with Russia to sway the outcome of that year’s election.

Comey was fired by Trump months into the president’s first term as that investigation was underway, and they have openly feuded ever since.

The prosecution arises from a May post on Instagram in which Comey shared a photo of seashells he saw on a walk in the arrangement of “86 47.” He has said he assumed that the numbers reflected a political message, not a call to violence. Comey deleted the post shortly after it was made, writing: “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence” and “I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”

Nonetheless, Comey was swiftly interviewed by the Secret Service after Trump administration officials asserted that he was advocating the assassination of Trump, the 47th president.

The case was filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina, the state where Comey found the seashells.

“Well, they’re back – this time about a picture of seashells on a North Carolina beach a year ago, and this won’t be the end of it,” Comey said in a video statement Tuesday. “But nothing has changed with me. I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary. So let’s go.”

The two-count indictment charges Comey with “knowingly and willfully” making a threat to “take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon" Trump and with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. It does not provide evidence that Comey knowingly threatened Trump, especially since Comey has said the opposite, but suggested a “reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret” the message as a threat.

At a news conference Tuesday, Blanche refused to elaborate on any evidence of intent the government has but said: “How do you prove intent in any case? You prove intent with witnesses, with documents, with the defendant himself to the extent it's appropriate. And that's how we'll prove intent in this case.”

And in an effort to rebut claims that Comey was being selectively prosecuted, Blanche contended the case against the former FBI director was similar to other threats cases the department routinely brings against the lesser known.

“While this case is unique and this indictment stands out because of the name of the defendant, his alleged conduct is the same kind of conduct that we will never tolerate and that we will always investigate and regularly prosecute,” Blanche said.

Comey's legal team said in a statement that they “will contest these charges in the courtroom and look forward to vindicating Mr. Comey and the First Amendment.” They said he “vigorously denies” the charges.

What 86 means

Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” It notes: “Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”

Trump, in a Fox News Channel interview in May, accused Comey of knowing “exactly what that meant."

“A child knows what that meant,” Trump said. "If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination. And it says it loud and clear.”

Comey's first indictment

The former FBI director was indicted in September on charges he lied to Congress in 2020 about whether he had authorized information about an investigation to be provided to a journalist. He denied any wrongdoing. The case was dismissed after a judge concluded the prosecutor who brought the indictment was illegally appointed.

Comey was the FBI director when Trump took office in 2017, having been appointed by then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and serving before that as a senior Justice Department official in President George W. Bush’s Republican administration.

But the relationship was strained from the start, including after Comey resisted a request by Trump at a private dinner to pledge his personal loyalty to the president -- an overture that so unnerved the FBI director that he documented it in a contemporaneous memorandum.

Trump fired Comey in May 2017 amid an FBI investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump’s campaign. That inquiry, later taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller, found that while Russia interfered in the 2016 election and the Trump team welcomed the help, there was insufficient evidence to prove a criminal collaboration.

Other politically charged prosecutions

Blanche was elevated earlier this month from deputy attorney general to acting attorney general, replacing Pam Bondi, who had frustrated Trump with the department's struggles to build successful criminal cases against his adversaries.

Blanche since then has moved quickly to accelerate politically charged prosecutions, including a case last week against the nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center, which is accused by the Justice Department of misleading donors by using their money to pay informants who served as leaders in the hate groups the organization was founded to fight. The group has denied any wrongdoing.

Comey is among many Trump foes to face scrutiny over the last year.

The Justice Department, for instance, is also pursuing a criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan, another key figure in the Russia investigation -- one of Trump’s chief grievances and a saga he and his supporters have long sought retaliation for. Brennan has denied doing anything wrong.

CNN was the first to report the second indictment against Comey.

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Follow the AP's coverage of former FBI Director James Comey at https://apnews.com/hub/james-comey.

The jury began deliberating after hearing attorneys' closing arguments in the federal trial of Mohammad Sharifullah, whose capture was heralded by President Donald Trump as he addressed a joint session of Congress last year. Jurors deliberated for roughly five hours without reaching a verdict and are scheduled to resume Wednesday.

Approximately 160 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members were killed in the attack on Aug. 26, 2021, when a lone suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device near an airport entry point known as Abbey Gate.

Defense attorney Lauren Rosen argued that prosecutors failed to present any evidence tying Sharifullah to the bombing besides his own words to FBI agents during hours of interrogation. She said her client lied about scouting a route for the suicide bomber to the airport, where U.S. troops were conducting an evacuation operation after the longest war in American history.

Rosen said Sharifullah told FBI agents what he thought they wanted to hear, possibly because he was afraid of being tortured in Pakistani custody before he was brought to the U.S.

“The problem was, he didn't know much about what actually happened that day,” Rosen told jurors. “The government has told you nothing about how this attack actually happened.”

Justice Department prosecutor Ryan White said Sharifullah played a crucial role in planning the Abbey Gate bombing and was involved in several other attacks by an Islamic State regional branch known as ISIS-K, including its March 2024 attack at a Moscow concert hall that killed roughly 140 people.

“The defendant thought nothing of killing,” White said. “For him, it was just another day at the office.”

Sharifullah, who didn't testify at his weeklong trial, is charged with one count of providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.

White said Sharifullah told a journalist that he wanted to “catch and kill the crusaders” from the U.S. for invading his country after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

“This case is not complicated,” White said. “The defendant told you everything you need to know.”

Rosen said U.S. authorities accepted ISIS propaganda at face value when the group took responsibility for the airport bombing. She suggested that militants from a Taliban offshoot were manning Abbey Gate and could have been involved in the attack.

“You can't base your verdict on mere conjecture and speculation,” Rosen said. “That's what the prosecution is asking you to do.”

A review by U.S. Central Command found that the Abbey Gate bomber was Abdul Rahman al-Logari, an Islamic State militant who had been released from an Afghan prison by the Taliban. Sharifullah recognized the alleged bomber as an operative he had known while incarcerated, according to an FBI affidavit.

A former Marine testified to Congress that he and others had spotted two possible suspects behaving suspiciously on the morning of the bombing but didn’t get permission to act. However, the Central Command review concluded that the snipers hadn’t seen the actual bomber and that the attack was not preventable.

A prosecutor assigned to the Abbey Gate case was fired last year after a right-wing commentator publicly criticized him over his work during Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration. Michael Ben’Ary’s ouster was part of a broader purge of Justice Department veterans deemed to be insufficiently loyal to Trump, a Republican.

During his most recent presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly condemned Biden for his role in the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal and blamed him for the Abbey Gate attack.

Judge Jesse M. Furman rejected an argument by the Justice Department that Comey’s complaint about her dismissal last year should be moved out of court and handled instead by an administrative panel.

Furman in Manhattan noted in a written ruling that the sole reason provided for Maurene Comey's firing last year was Article II of the U.S. Constitution, which vests “executive power” in the president.

He said that reason takes her case outside the process that channels many, if not most, categories of disputes between federal employers and employees to avenues of administrative and judicial review outside of district courts.

Maurene Comey’s lawyers said in a statement that they were “thrilled” with Furman’s ruling because their client’s “lawless, unconstitutional termination” belongs in a federal court where questions about the constitutional separation of powers are commonly litigated.

“No president can ignore the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and federal law to fire a career federal employee based solely on her last name,” attorneys Ellen Blain and Nicole Gueron said.

The Justice Department didn’t immediately comment.

Furman’s ruling came the same day that Maurene Comey's father was indicted again, this time in an investigation over a social media photo of seashells arranged on a beach that officials said constituted a threat against Trump. His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The new prosecution against James Comey came months after a separate and unrelated indictment was dismissed. Trump fired him in 2017.

Maurene Comey sued after her summer firing — soon after she led the prosecution of Sean “Diddy” Combs and won a conviction on prostitution-related charges — contending that she was improperly removed solely or substantially because of who her father is or because of her perceived political affiliation or beliefs, Furman said.

Furman wrote that Comey “was, by all accounts, an exemplary Assistant United States Attorney” who in nearly a decade as a prosecutor “was assigned some of the country’s highest profile cases, and she consistently received the highest accolades from supervisors and peers alike.”

During oral arguments in December, Furman refused to let Comey immediately gather evidence to learn who ordered her firing and how it transpired, saying the government had made serious arguments that her firing must first be considered by the federal Merit Systems Protection Board.

Furman set a May 28 hearing for an initial pretrial conference in the civil case.

Starbucks said Tuesday that its global same-store sales for the January-March period rose 6.2%. That was higher than the 4% increase Wall Street was anticipating, according to analysts polled by FactSet. In the U.S., same-store sales jumped 7%.

Unlike fast food companies, which have been piling on discounts to win back lower-income consumers, Starbucks said it continues to see traffic from people of all ages and income levels.

“What we see with folks is, when you give them an experience that they feel is unique, differentiated, special, a little touch of luxury, it goes a long way. And we’re seeing that play out with every income cohort,” Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said during a conference call with investors. “We have to demonstrate to people that it’s worth it.”

Still, Niccol said the company is being cautious with its financial guidance because it's not sure how consumer behavior might change if costs continue to rise.

“As you know, these issues continue to happen, whether it shows up in gas prices or utilities in other ways or other input costs,” he said.

Starbucks said it now expects both global and U.S. same-store sales to rise 5% for the full year, up from previous guidance of 3%. The company also raised its full-year earnings guidance to $2.25 to $2.45 per share, up from $2.15 to $2.40 per share.

Starbucks shares rose more than 5% in after-hours trading.

Over the last year, Starbucks has been adding employees to stores during rush times and using technology to better sequence its in-store and mobile orders. Niccol said 80% of U.S. company-owned stores are now meeting Starbucks' goal of in-store or drive-thru service within 4 minutes and mobile order pickups within 12 minutes.

It has also encouraged friendlier service and is redesigning stores and adding seating to give them a cozier, coffeehouse feel. Niccol said around 300 U.S. stores have been redesigned so far and 1,000 will get that treatment by the end of this year.

Starbucks has also shuttered underperforming stores and cut corporate jobs. Last year, the company closed hundreds of stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe and laid off at least 2,000 nonretail employees.

Niccol said that leaner structure is allowing the company to innovate more quickly. He cited premium bakery items that were introduced during the second quarter, including a strawberry matcha loaf and a yuzu-flavored croissant.

New drinks, like protein-enhanced lattes and energy refreshers, are also drawing in customers. Niccol said he isn't worried about growing competition from brands like McDonald's, which recently announced its own menu of refreshers and handcrafted sodas.

“What my experience has been is when the category starts being talked about, the market leader benefits. And, you know, that’s going to be us in this scenario,” Niccol said.

Starbucks said its revenue rose 9% to $9.5 billion for the second quarter. That was also ahead of analysts' forecast of $9.2 billion.

Adjusted for one-time items, the company earned 50 cents per share. That also came in ahead of analysts' forecast of 43 cents.

At least six small cities and towns in the Coastal Bend region of Texas issued disaster declarations in the last two weeks, begging not to be forgotten amid a spiraling water crisis.

All attention lies on the city of Corpus Christi as it grapples with the growing likelihood of an unprecedented disaster. But Corpus Christi, the eighth-largest city in Texas, doesn’t just provide water to its own industries and residents. It supplies the entire seven-county region, including 20 other municipalities.

“Everyone is like, ‘What the heck is going on and what do we do?” said Elida Castillo, mayor of the small town of Taft, which issued a disaster declaration on April 21. “I’m just trying to figure out what we could do.”

Castillo recently organized a town hall meeting on the water crisis for the 3,000 residents of Taft, but officials from Corpus Christi didn’t show up. She hasn’t heard much from county or state officials either. She is getting a sense that nobody knows what to do, and she isn’t alone.

Amy Hardberger, director of the Center for Water Law and Policy at the Texas Tech School of Law in Lubbock, said most Americans can’t wrap their minds around the grave implications of empty reservoirs. Those who can feel deeply unsettled by what is happening in Corpus Christi.

“It’s not my goal for other people to be panicked,” she said. “But many of us are very scared.”

If Corpus Christi becomes the first modern American city to run out of water, it would take most surrounding communities with it. Up the coast of Corpus Christi Bay, the cities of Ingleside and Aransas Pass, with a combined 19,000 residents, issued disaster declarations on April 22.

“There should be some type of legislation that will assist us now, rather than in the future,” said Ingleside City Manager Brenton Lewis. “All these small cities that have declared disasters are looking at alternate water supplies.”

The towns of Three Rivers, Orange Grove and Alice also issued disaster declarations in the week prior.

“Regional water demand is exceeding available supply,” said an April 14 declaration from the City of Alice, population 17,000. “Continued drought conditions threaten public health, safety and welfare, as well as essential public services.”

Alice, however, expects to fare better than other communities. Last July it cut ribbons on a groundwater desalination plant, a decade in the making, owned and operated by an investor-backed water treatment company called Seven Seas.

“They have a profit margin,” said Alice City Manager Michael Esparza. “We are paying a private company to do something for us. It’s no different than we do with a lot of things. Although, this one is pretty big because it’s our water.”

Furthermore, he said, little Alice lacks the technical expertise to maintain and operate such an advanced facility.

Fifty miles away, the city of Beeville declared a disaster in October and issued $35 million in municipal debt, totalling about $2,600 per resident, to fund its own emergency groundwater desalination project.

Most local small town governments remain either reluctant or unable to consider the high cost required for reverse osmosis treatment, said Kasy Stinson, a project developer for Seven Seas based in Austin, especially if they’re accustomed to water that has been historically undervalued in Texas.

“I don’t know that the reality of the dire straits have really landed with everybody,” said Stinson, who spent a decade in the drinking water division of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

In the town of Taft, Mayor Castillo wonders the same. She’s watched this crisis creep up for years. Everyone has. Last year Castillo traveled repeatedly to Austin to meet with state lawmakers as they crafted ambitious legislation meant to head off water deficits projected across Texas.

But the historic $20 billion put forth by lawmakers for the much-heralded Texas Water Fund looks meager compared to the $174 billion price tag Texas put on its long-term water needs this month.

Add supply or limit demand?

Castillo thought lawmakers focused too much on developing new water sources and not enough on conserving what they already have. For example, she pointed just five miles from Taft, where an enormous Exxon-SABIC plastics plant, booted up in 2022, uses more water than all 300,000 residents of the City of Corpus Christi combined.

Last week Corpus Christi leaders announced plans to require a 25% cut in water use in September for facilities like Exxon-SABIC and the other 14 large industrial users, including companies like Occidental Chemical, Valero, Flint Hills and Lyondell Bassel.

Castillo, whose family goes back generations in Taft, thinks emergency cuts should be required immediately. She said Corpus Christi leaders are prioritizing the profits of global corporations over the lives of residents here.

“They’re not taking this as seriously as they should be,” she said. “There needs to be more pressure put on Greg Abbott.”

Abbott, a champion of business-friendly policy in Texas, waived regulations in March to expedite Corpus Christi’s emergency groundwater projects and has pledged state investment to develop new water supplies. In 2024 the state committed $750 million in low-interest loans to help Corpus Christi develop a seawater desalination project, which the city then canceled in 2025 but hopes to revive in June.

Abbott has not made public calls for companies to reduce water use or acknowledged the potential for mandatory cuts in September.

“The Coastal Bend is an important economic driver not only for Texas but also the nation,” said Abbott’s press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, in a statement to Inside Climate News. “Governor Abbott will utilize all necessary tools to ensure the Corpus Christi area has a safe, reliable water supply.”

Corpus Christi is scrambling to develop a portfolio of emergency groundwater projects, but city leaders still expect to require emergency cuts to water consumption in September. Now schools, hospitals, chemical plants, cities and towns are all drilling their own emergency water wells.

When Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni appeared on the April 24 broadcast of NBC News, a reporter asked why the city doesn’t require its large industrial customers to reduce water use immediately.

“We don’t want to wreck our economy,” Zanoni said. “It is a race against time.”

Neena Satija of the Texas Newsroom and Emily Salazar of KEDT contributed to this report.

Disclosure: Valero has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

His testimony at the Oakland, California, federal courthouse kicked off a legal drama that is expected to brim with intrigue and potentially embarrassing details about the two tech moguls. Musk filed the lawsuit against Altman and his top lieutenant, Greg Brockman, along with Microsoft over its investments in OpenAI, in 2024.

“Fundamentally, I think they’re going to try to make this lawsuit ... very complicated, but it’s actually very simple,” Musk said. “Which is that it's not OK to steal a charity.”

The nine-person jury was selected Monday and the trial is scheduled to take three weeks.

In the civil lawsuit, Musk accuses Altman and Brockman of double-crossing him by straying from the San Francisco company’s founding mission to be a steward of a revolutionary technology. In his opening statement, Musk's attorney, Steven Molo, quoted OpenAI’s mission statement when it was created as a nonprofit for the benefit of humanity, not constrained by the need to generate financial enrichment for anyone.

Altman and Brockman, aided by Microsoft, stole a charity “whose mission was the safe, open development of artificial intelligence,” Molo said. Musk is seeking damages and Altman’s ouster from OpenAI’s board.

OpenAI has brushed off Musk’s allegations as a case of sour grapes aimed at undercutting its rapid growth and bolstering Musk’s own xAI, which he launched in 2023 as a competitor.

Both sides recount the start of a bitter divide

In his opening statement, OpenAI lawyer William Savitt told jurors “we are here because Mr. Musk didn’t get his way with OpenAI.”

Savitt said Musk used his promises of funding to bully OpenAI founding members and tried to take control of OpenAI and merge it with Tesla. In fact, he said Musk wanted to form a for-profit company and own more than 50% of it.

There is no record, Savitt said, of promises made to Musk that OpenAI was going to remain a nonprofit forever. What Musk ultimately cared about, he said, was not OpenAI’s nonprofit status but winning the AI race with Google.

Musk's attorney said the case is not about Musk, but rather Altman, Brockman and Microsoft.

By 2017, about two years after OpenAI's founding, it became clear that OpenAI would need more money, and Molo said the founders eventually settled on the idea of creating a for-profit arm of OpenAI that would support the nonprofit. Terms were capped for investors so they “couldn't make infinite profit.”

“There is nothing wrong with a nonprofit having a for-profit subsidiary, but (it) has to advance the mission,” Molo said.

Microsoft initially invested $2 billion in OpenAI. Then, in 2022, news spread that OpenAI had done a deal with Microsoft and it was a “game-changer," Molo said, which violated “every commitment” OpenAI made not just to Musk but to the world. It was no longer open source, it became a for-profit company for the benefit of the defendants and Microsoft was going to have control, through licensing, of much of its intellectual property, Molo said.

After opening statements, Musk's side began presenting a tale of alleged betrayal, deceit and ambition that caused OpenAI to pivot from its founding mission as an altruistic startup to a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion.

Musk testifies on how he sees AI evolving

Musk was the first to testify, with his lawyer starting off asking about his life story. This included details about his move, at 17, from South Africa to Canada where for a time Musk said he worked as a lumberjack among other odd jobs, then to the U.S. He recounted the slew of companies he founded and runs, including SpaceX, Tesla, The Boring Company, Neuralink and others.

Asked how he has time for everything, Musk said he works 80 to 100 hours a week, doesn't take vacations and owns no vacation homes or yachts.

Molo also asked Musk about his views on AI. Musk said he expects AI to be “smarter than any human” as soon as next year. Musk said a longstanding concern about AI is the question of what happens when computers become much smarter than humans. Comparing it to having a “very smart child,” Musk said when the child grows up “you can't control that child,” but you can instill values such as honesty, integrity and being good.

Musk recounted his version of OpenAI's founding, which he said essentially happened because of a discussion he had with Google co-founder Larry Page, who called him a “specieist" for elevating the survival of humanity over that of AI.

The kinship between Musk and Altman was forged in 2015 when they agreed to build AI in a more responsible and safer way than the profit-driven companies controlled by Google's Page and Sergey Brin and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, according to evidence submitted ahead of the trial.

At that time, Musk said, Google had all the money, all the computers and all the talent for AI. “There was no counterbalance.”

Musk recalled there was discussion early on about alternative sources for funding OpenAI beyond donations, and he wasn't opposed to it having a for-profit arm, but “the tail shouldn't wag the dog.” There would be a profit limit, and once artificial general intelligence, or AGI, was “figured out,” the for-profit would cease to exist.

Musk is expected to continue testifying Wednesday.

Altman, OpenAI's CEO, is also expected to testify, along with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, one of the technology leaders who helped fund the late 2022 release of ChatGPT, the chatbot that unleashed the current AI boom that has propelled the stock market to record heights.

Altman’s court appearance likely made him unavailable to attend an Amazon event across San Francisco Bay on Tuesday at which both companies announced an expanded partnership.

“I wish I could be there with you in person today,” Altman told attendees of Amazon’s event in San Francisco via a prerecorded video message. “My schedule got taken away from me today.”

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AP Technology Writer Matt O'Brien contributed to this story from Providence, Rhode Island.

This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.

Texas is on track to become the data center capital of the country, with more data center projects under construction and announced than any other state. These projects are drawn here by our plentiful land, minimal regulations and abundant tax breaks — to the tune of $3.2 billion in sales tax revenue over the next two years alone.

As the state considers how to regulate and tax this burgeoning industry, there are lessons to be learned from Virginia, which is neck-and-neck with Texas on data center construction. Charles Paullin, a Virginia-based reporter for Inside Climate News, and Paul Cobler, The Texas Tribune’s industry and economy reporter, join TribCast to dig into the details.

Watch the video above or subscribe to the TribCast on iTunes, Spotify, or RSS. New episodes every Tuesday.

Timothy Hudson's trial on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse will start June 1 in Miami, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom said in an order Monday.

The 16-year-old was initially charged as a juvenile before the case was transferred to adult court. He entered a written plea of not guilty last week. Minors are rarely prosecuted in federal court.

His stepsister, Anna Kepner, had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship in November with her family, including Hudson. Before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida, her body was found concealed under a bed in a room she was sharing with Hudson and another teen, a criminal complaint said.

The cause of Kepner's Nov. 6 death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.

Kepner's father, Christopher Kepner, released a statement, saying the family was placing “trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity.”

“The situation is deeply painful and complex for the entire family,” Kepner said.

Anna Kepner was a high school cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of Orlando. At her memorial service in November, family members encouraged people to wear bright colors instead of the traditional black “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul.”

The S&P 500 fell 0.5% from its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 25 points, or 0.1%, while the Nasdaq composite fell 0.9% from its own record.

Stocks in the artificial-intelligence industry led the way lower. Chip company Broadcom was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500 after sinking 4.4%. Drops of 1.6% for Nvidia and 3.9% for Micron Technology also undercut the market.

The weakness came after a report in The Wall Street Journal said some leaders at OpenAI are concerned about whether it can support its massive spending on data centers after missing targets for new users and revenue. If the maker of ChatGPT pulls back on its investments, it could bolster criticism that the entire AI industry is in a bubble of over-the-top spending that may not produce the profits and productivity that would make it all worth it.

The drops came just a day before several of the biggest spenders on AI are scheduled to report their latest results for the start of 2026. They could offer more clues on whether all the investment in AI is producing the kind of returns that shareholders care about.

Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Microsoft are all reporting their latest quarterly results on Wednesday.

Also weighing on the stock market was another rise for oil prices on continued uncertainty about what will happen with the Iran war.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil to be delivered in June climbed 2.8% to settle at $111.26. Brent to be delivered in July, which is where more of the trading is happening in the oil market, rose 2.7% to $104.40.

After sitting around $70 in late February, Brent prices are moving closer to their peak of $119 reached when worries about the war have been at their heights.

The focus is on the Strait of Hormuz, whose effective closure is keeping oil tankers stuck in the Persian Gulf instead of heading to customers worldwide. The Trump administration seemed unlikely Tuesday to accept Iran’s offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade on the country.

The proposal would postpone discussions on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, something that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to rule out in a Fox News interview Monday.

Meanwhile, the average price for a gallon of gasoline in the United States reached $4.18 on Tuesday, the most since 2022, according to the auto club AAA.

Expensive fuel was one of the reasons JetBlue Airways reported a worse loss for the start of 2026 than analysts expected.

But its stock nevertheless rose 1.2% after CEO Joanna Geraghty said the airline saw demand from customers strengthening through the quarter. JetBlue also announced moves to rein in fuel costs, such as cutting some flying.

Another stock helping to limit Wall Street’s losses was Coca-Cola’s. It rallied 3.9% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, thanks in part to strength from China, the United States and India.

All told, the S&P 500 fell 35.11 points to 7,138.80. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 25.86 to 49,141.93, and the Nasdaq composite sank 223.30 to 24,663.80.

In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. consumers are feeling slightly more confident in April, when economists expected to see a decline. The yield on the 10-year Treasury remained at 4.35%, where it was late Monday.

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve is set to announce its latest decision on short-term interest rates. The widespread expectation is that it will hold the federal funds rate steady and hold off on resuming its cuts. Lower interest rates would help the economy, but they also risk worsening inflation when oil is expensive and tariffs are threatening to push prices higher.

Also Wednesday, the Senate Banking Committee will vote on whether to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee, Kevin Warsh, to succeed Fed Chair Jerome Powell. The committee is expected to approve Warsh and send his nomination to the full Senate.

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

Japan’s Nikkei 225 sank 1% for one of the world’s larger losses after the Bank of Japan opted in a split vote to keep its key interest rate unchanged.

“There are various risks to the outlook,” it said in a statement. “For the time being it is necessary to pay particular attention to the impact of the future course of the situation in the Middle East.”

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

Derrick and Courtney looked back on memorable moments from the show, including the time the team pranked Courtney with a clown in studio, and the time their goat yoga segment didn’t go as planned.

They also caught up on what Courtney has been up to since leaving HL more than three years ago, from exploring the city’s dining, shopping, sports and arts scenes to co-parenting her two boys, the oldest of whom is about the graduate high school.

Watch their full, unscripted chat as it aired LIVE on Friday’s broadcast.

• RELATED: Off-duty deputy constable killed in crash on I-10 in Chambers County, authorities say

The crash happened on Friday.

Reserve Deputy Heather Avery was helping manage traffic along the interstate in the Winnie area when her vehicle was struck by an 18-wheeler. Avery died in the crash.

On Monday, a lawsuit was filed by Brent Coon & Associates on behalf of Avery’s husband, Troy Stutes.

The lawsuit alleges the driver of an industrial 18-wheeler owned by SWI industries of Friendswood plowed into her vehicle in a construction zone.

It is alleged in the lawsuit that the driver was completely inattentive when entering the construction zone, traveling at an excess rate of speed and failed to recognize that Avery’s vehicle was even there, in spite of the red and blue lights flashing on the car.

The lawsuit also claims that the highway contractor, Williams Brothers Construction of Houston, had not properly secured the area nor provided a crash truck at the scene to deflect traffic.

“Heather Avery was a true community citizen, and this horrific incident was totally avoidable at several levels and there will be accountability. We have already reached out to the Chambers County District Attorney’s office over the matter as well for potential criminal charges,” said Lead Attorney Brent Coon.

“It is imperative in cases such as this to file suit immediately in order to obtain injunctive protection so that evidence associated to the incident isn’t damaged, lost or destroyed,” Coon continued. “This includes cell phones, vehicle cameras, GPS tracking and OnStar tracking, internal company tracking devices, operating and maintenance logs, and the vehicles involved for further inspection.”

“I want justice for my wife for this senseless death. Heather was always by the book and this would never have happened if the trucking company and highway contractor went by the book as well,” Stutes said.

A procession in Avery’s honor is scheduled to take place Wednesday in Beaumont.

The filing submitted Monday by the Justice Department is chock-full of the kind of Trumpian touches the president uses in written communication, such as erratic capitalization, exclamation points, non sequiturs, rhetorical questions, praise for the president and accusations that his opponents are insane.

The 16-page filing, which was signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and submitted by Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, is a sign of the extraordinary degree to which the president has demolished the wall of independence that the Justice Department has historically had separating itself from the White House.

"The National Trust for Historic Preservation' is a beautiful name, but even their name is FAKE because when they add the words ‘in the United States’ to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, it makes it sound like a Governmental Agency, which it is not," the filing's first sentence reads.

The Trust sued in December after the White House demolished the East Wing to make room for a ballroom that Trump said would fit 999 people. Trump says the project is funded by private donations, but public money is paying for security upgrades and an underground bunker.

The Trust argues in its lawsuit that Trump overstepped his authority by moving forward with the project without getting approval from Congress and key federal agencies.

Trump and Republicans have made a renewed push for the ballroom in the wake of the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, arguing it showed the need to have a secure facility for large events. The Justice Department asked the Trust to withdraw its complaint, but it has declined.

“What Saturday’s awful event does not change is that the Constitution and multiple federal statutes require Congress to authorize construction of a ballroom on White House grounds, and that Congress has not done so,” the Trust's attorney Gregory Craig wrote in a reply to the government.

The Justice Department on Monday said the court should dismiss the lawsuit, saying it “greatly endangers the lives of all Presidents, current and future.”

When asked about the court filing, the White House did not deny that the president had a role in drafting or editing the Justice Department's arguments.

“President Trump is intimately involved in the ongoing disgraceful lawsuit brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and is working diligently with his team of lawyers to bring this charade to an end," White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement.

The Justice Department did not respond to a message seeking comment.

The filing comes as the department in Trump's second term has fired employees involved in cases that were criticized by conservatives or because they were perceived as insufficiently loyal to Trump’s agenda. The department has also pursued aggressive investigations of the president's perceived enemies, including the unveiling Tuesday of a second criminal indictment of former FBI Director James Comey.

Trump shared the filing on social media Tuesday morning, posting screenshots of each of the 16 pages without comment.

In the filing, the Justice Department said that the Trust is “very bad for our Country," a phrase the president uses repeatedly. The filing twice accuses the Trust of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome, commonly referred to as TDS,” a fictitious and satirical malady that the president has used to diagnose his critics.

Trust attorney Craig — a former White House counsel — is described in the filing as “the lawyer for Barack Hussein Obama.” Trump has for years used the former president's full legal name, a usage that recalls his longtime questioning of Obama's loyalties, his faith and birth in the United States.

The Justice Department also argued in the filing that, “because it is DONALD J. TRUMP, a highly successful real estate developer, who has abilities that others don’t, especially those who assume the Office of President, this frivolous and meritless lawsuit was filed. Again, it’s called TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”

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Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.

The new animated film starring Cedric the Entertainer, Michael B. Jordan, Tracy Morgan and Juno Temple officially begins streaming this Friday on Netflix, and it’s bringing big laughs with a story that flips everything you think you know—literally.

At the center of Swapped is a magical, can’t-believe-it-happened moment that turns two completely different creatures into unlikely heroes. When they suddenly switch bodies, they’re forced to navigate each other’s worlds—worlds that are bigger, scarier, and way more complicated than they ever imagined. What starts as total confusion quickly turns into a high-stakes adventure filled with close calls, clever teamwork, and plenty of hilarious missteps along the way.

Cedric the Entertainer leads the charge with his unmistakable voice and comedic timing as “Caloo”, bringing warmth and personality to a character who’s learning—sometimes the hard way—that life looks very different from the other side. And while the film delivers on fun and fast-paced action, it also leans into a bigger message about empathy, understanding, and seeing beyond first impressions.

Watch as Lauren Kelly chats with Cedric all about the charming new film, that stars streaming on Netflix Friday.