A Tropical Storm Watch has now been issued for parts of our viewing area until Monday 9:55.

We’ll continue to watch for potentially life-threating flash and urban flooding for parts of the Texas coast moving eastward into central Mississippi through Thursday. Widespread small stream and minor river flooding is expected along the Texas coast into SW Louisiana with isolated areas of significant flooding possible on the Texas and Louisiana Coasts.

As we track flash flood warnings for parts of Montgomery until 1:30 pm. If you live in this area, it’s important to avoid the roadways because of the higher rainfall rates. And that’s why we say Turn Around Don’t Drown - even shallow-looking water is extremely dangerous.

You can however track LIVE radar right here at anytime

FLOOD WATCH:

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch through Thursday morning for much of Southeast Texas, warning that excessive rainfall could lead to flash flooding, flooded roads, and rising water levels in creeks, bayous, rivers, and other low-lying areas.

A dangerous flooding setup is unfolding across Southeast Texas this week as a stalled front, deep tropical moisture, and a disturbance near the Gulf combine to bring multiple rounds of heavy rainfall to the region.

Today’s Forecast:

Shower and storm chances increase Tuesday morning, mainly south of I-10 to start. These showers will bring the potential for heavy rainfall and frequent lightning strikes.

Here is a preview of today’s timeline - locations and timing can change, but this gives you a better understanding of our weather pattern today.

• 11 am: Thunderstorms north of I-10, more widespread rain south of I-10
• 2 pm: Thunderstorms north of I-10, spotty storms on the west side of the map
• 5 pm: A little more widespread through the pm hours.

Tuesday afternoon, the rain will continue to develop north of I-10 as a stalled boundary and tropical moisture combine. Evening hours showers begin to wind down.

Tuesday’s Flood Risk:

The flood threat ramps up Tuesday as deep tropical moisture continues streaming into Southeast Texas. Periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected throughout the day, with the greatest flooding concern focused near and south of Houston. Rainfall rates could be intense at times, leading to localized street flooding and rapidly changing road conditions.

Wednesday’s Flood Risk:

Depending on where the tropical disturbance tracks, Wednesday could be one of the highest-impact days of the week. The combination of a stalled front and a nearby tropical disturbance could lead to repeated rounds of heavy rain, especially across the Houston metro, Galveston Bay region, and areas east of the city. Flash flooding becomes a more significant concern as rain accumulates and soils become increasingly saturated.

Thursday’s Flood Risk:

By Thursday, the disturbance is expected to begin shifting eastward toward Louisiana, but a flood threat will remain across Southeast Texas. The greatest concern may gradually shift toward Chambers County, Liberty County, Beaumont, and Port Arthur, though heavy rain could still impact parts of the Houston area. Any locations that received significant rainfall earlier in the week will be more vulnerable to flooding.

Friday’s Flood Risk:

The overall flood threat should continue decreasing on Friday as the system pulls farther east. Conditions should gradually improve heading into the weekend, but some lingering water issues could persist where the heaviest rain fell earlier in the week.

Potential Tropical Storm Arthur:

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a disturbance over northeastern Mexico that could move into the northwestern Gulf later this week. Development is possible, with a 60% chance of formation within the next 7 days and a 60% chance within the next 48 hours. If a tropical storm forms, it would likely be short-lived as it moves near the Texas or Louisiana coast.

Regardless of whether this system becomes a named storm, the primary concern for Southeast Texas is rainfall-related flooding. A stalled front combined with deep tropical moisture will bring multiple rounds of heavy rain through at least Thursday. Forecast models indicate some areas could receive 5 to 10 inches of rain, with isolated higher totals possible. Flash flooding, flooded roads, rising bayous and creeks, and localized impacts to homes and neighborhoods are all possible, especially where heavier rain bands repeatedly move over the same locations.

Forecast rainfall totals generally range from 3 to 7 inches across Southeast Texas through the end of the week, but some locations could see significantly higher amounts if heavier rain bands repeatedly move over the same area. Rainfall rates may exceed 2 to 4 inches per hour at times, which can quickly overwhelm drainage systems and lead to flash flooding. Because the exact location of the heaviest rain remains uncertain, everyone across Southeast Texas should stay weather aware, monitor forecast updates, and avoid driving through flooded roadways. Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown. Floodwaters can be deeper than they appear, and it only takes a small amount of moving water to sweep away a vehicle.

10-day forecast:

Rain and storm chances continue through the late week. By the weekend, southeast Texas dries out, but the heat and humidity will return swiftly.

Discussion

At 1000 AM CDT (1500 UTC), the disturbance was centered near latitude 27.0 North, longitude 98.0 West. The system is moving toward the northeast near 6 mph (9 km/h), and this general motion with an increase in forward speed is anticipated over the next couple of days. The disturbance should move offshore the Texas coast tonight or early Wednesday, move roughly parallel to the upper Texas coast later on Wednesday and move back inland in extreme eastern Texas or southwestern Louisiana late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 30 mph (45 km/h) with higher gusts. The disturbance is forecast to gradually strengthen and could become a tropical storm early on Wednesday. Weakening is anticipated on Thursday after the system moves back on land. * Formation chance through 48 hours, medium, 60 percent. * Formation chance through 7 days, medium, 60 percent.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 1007 mb (29.74 inches).

Watches and Warnings

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the northwestern Gulf Coast from Sargent, Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for, * Sargent to Morgan City

A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case within 24 to 36 hours.

For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.

Land Hazards

Key messages for Potential Tropical Cyclone One can be found in the Tropical Cyclone Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT1 and WMO header WTNT41 KNHC.

RAINFALL: Potential Tropical Cyclone One is expected to produce rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches with isolated higher totals around 12 inches through Thursday from the Mid to Upper Texas Coast through much of Louisiana, central and southern portions of Mississippi and Alabama, and the far western portion of the Florida Panhandle. This could generate dangerous to life-threatening flash flooding.

For a complete depiction of forecast rainfall associated with Potential Tropical Cyclone One, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall Graphic available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?rainqpf and the Flash Flood Risk graphic at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?ero

For a list of rainfall observations (and wind reports) associated this potential tropical cyclone, see the companion storm summary at WBCSCCNS1 with the WMO header ACUS44 KWBC or at the following link: www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/nfdscc1.html

WIND: Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area beginning early Wednesday.

STORM SURGE: The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide,

Port Bolivar, TX to Morgan City, LA, 2-4 ft

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the east of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For information specific to your area, please see products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.

For a complete depiction of areas at risk of storm surge inundation, please see the National Weather Service Peak Storm Surge Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?peakSurge.

SURF: Swells generated by the Potential Tropical Cyclone are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions along the northwestern Gulf Coast for the next couple of days. Please consult products from your local weather office.

A depiction of rip current risk for the United States can be found at: hurricanes.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?ripCurrents

TORNADO: A tornado or two is possible through tonight from the Upper Texas coast across southern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

The deal, which is between the U.S. and Iran, has not been made public, and officials have sometimes offered contradictory interpretations of what is in it. While Israel is not party to the agreement, it is part of the war: It joined the U.S. in launching strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, and has since fought the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon and seized large swaths of that country.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Israel’s continued occupation of southern Lebanon would violate the deal.

“Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied during this war, the war has not fully come to an end,” Araghchi said.

A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss outlines of the agreement, has said the deal did not call for an Israeli withdrawal. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel would remain in Lebanon “as long as necessary.”

The negotiations to end the war have been plagued by such disagreements before, leading to a prolonged but uneasy ceasefire that has failed to develop into a permanent end to hostilities and has left the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for the world’s energy supplies, effectively shut.

In other developments, Switzerland’s foreign ministry said the signing ceremony for the deal will take place Friday at the Bürgenstock resort near the city of Luzern. Ministry officials said Tuesday that the location was proposed by Pakistani and Qatari mediators, along with the U.S. and Iran.

Lebanon tests the durability of the deal

Pakistan, a key mediator, has said the deal called for an end to military operations, including in Lebanon, as Iran long insisted. But Araghchi’s call for an Israeli withdrawal adds a new wrinkle.

It puts Israel into a dilemma as it tries to degrade Hezbollah’s military capabilities without undermining an agreement championed by its most important ally, the United States. Israel invaded southern Lebanon after Hezbollah fired missiles across the border during the first week of the war. Since then, it has expanded its military footprint to levels unseen in decades and struck targets deep inside Beirut.

Though Hezbollah has been weakened, it retains the ability to strike Israel, leaving open questions about the effectiveness of Israel’s campaign.

As of Tuesday evening, Netanyahu had not seen the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran, said a person familiar with the situation, who requested anonymity to discuss closed-door details. Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to request for comment from The Associated Press.

The extent of Israel’s strikes have at times opened a public fracture between its leaders and U.S. President Donald Trump, who told reporters Tuesday that he was “not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah.”

“It just goes on forever,” he said of Israel’s strategy. Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed nearly 4,000 people, including hundreds of civilians, and displaced more than 1 million. “Israel’s fighting Hezbollah too long, and too many people are being killed,” he said.

Trump said he’s open to sending the emerging agreement to the U.S. Congress for review.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in the French Alps, Trump said, “I like the idea, send it to Congress please." He added, “I mean who wouldn’t approve it.”

Republicans on Capitol Hill say they want Trump to provide more information about the agreement, with some expressing skepticism that the deal can deter Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon.

Israel and the Lebanese government have entered into their own U.S.-mediated direct negotiations, of which Hezbollah was not a part. Those talks have yielded several announced ceasefires that were never implemented on the ground. Lebanese officials initially tried to keep Lebanon separate from the U.S.-Iran negotiations, not wanting to be seen as beholden to Iran, but they have since welcomed the announcement that the deal to end the U.S.-Iran war would include a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Araghchi’s latest comments appear to match the understanding of two regional officials with direct knowledge of the interim deal. The officials, speaking to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations, said it would require Israel to leave nearly all the territory it occupies in Lebanon, minus a few hilltop points along the border seized earlier.

The officials say Iran insisted the accord include Lebanon in the last days of the negotiations.

Despite unanswered questions, US allies push to make deal work at G7 summit

Lebanon is only one of several major questions hanging over the ceasefire ahead of the planned ceremonial signing.

The agreement is meant to provide a meaningful truce in a monthslong war that has killed thousands across the Middle East, including the top leaders of Iran’s theocracy, and raised the prices of fuel, food and other basic goods far beyond the region.

The agreement provides for the “immediate” opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the American naval blockade of Iranian ports, according to a senior U.S. official who spoke to reporters Monday on condition of anonymity to discuss outlines of the agreement.

Pakistani officials who helped broker the agreement also described plans for the simultaneous lifting of Iran’s closure of the strait and the U.S. blockade.

The United States and Iran will then begin 60 days of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and the potential lifting of sanctions, Pakistani officials who helped broker the interim deal said, speaking on condition of anonymity about the unpublished text.

The pact also includes the possibility of releasing Iran’s frozen funds and a $300 billion fund to help rebuild Iran if Tehran meets certain benchmarks, senior U.S. officials told reporters Monday. Trump later said the United States would not “invest” funds in Iran.

Regarding the timeline, regional officials who spoke to AP about the deal said the release of frozen Iranian assets would be tied to Tehran implementing the deal. Gulf Arab states also have pledged to inject billions of dollars in Iran’s economy, they added, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations.

Iran's nuclear program, specifically the fate of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, would be subject to the 60-day clock. Iran has agreed to discuss ways to possibly “dilute or remove” it, the officials said. However, it remains unclear whether Tehran would agree to that, particularly with hard-liners opposing to giving it up.

U.S. officials have not yet explained how they see the agreement addressing Iran’s nuclear program, including who will be in charge of verifying that Iran is in compliance and who will destroy or remove highly enriched uranium believed to be buried under nuclear sites that were badly damaged by U.S. strikes last summer.

Still, world leaders gathering in France for the first full day of the G7 summit insisted the agreement needed to succeed, even as key questions remained unanswered.

Some had clashed with Trump over not consulting them before going to war. But the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement congratulating the United States, the Iranian government and the mediators on what they called a “diplomatic breakthrough," saying it was vital for the deal to be quickly implemented.

French President Emmanuel Macron said France and other Western nations were “ready to take action very quickly” to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz peacefully.

___ Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Michelle L. Price in Washington, Aamer Madhani in Geneva and Darlene Superville in Evian-les-Bains, France, contributed to this report.

Yum said Tuesday that the private equity firm LongRange Capital will buy Pizza Hut, excluding the mainland China business, for about $1.5 billion.

The mainland China Pizza Hut will be purchased by Yum China Holdings Inc. for approximately $1.2 billion, the company said. China is Pizza Hut's second-largest market outside the U.S., accounting for 19% of sales.

Yum Brands, which also owns KFC and Taco Bell, began to explore its options for Pizza Hut in November. Last year, Yum Brands' global sales rose 5% but Pizza Hut's sales fell 2%.

In February, Yum Brands announced plans to close 250 U.S. Pizza Hut locations. Pizza Hut had 19,974 restaurants worldwide at the end of last year.

“Pizza Hut has long been the weak link in Yum’s portfolio,” Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, wrote Tuesday. “Despite efforts to revitalize the brand and shut underperforming locations, it has become increasingly clear that pushing the division back into growth will require a level of investment and patience that Yum is just not prepared to commit to.”

Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, by two brothers who borrowed $600 from their mother to open the store. They chose the name because their sign only had room for eight letters.

Pizza Hut’s familiar red roof debuted in 1969 and by 1971 it was the top pizza chain in the world by sales. PepsiCo acquired Pizza Hut in 1977 but spun off its restaurant division — which became Yum Brands — in 1997.

By the 1980s, Domino's was the fastest-growing U.S. pizza company, buoyed by its promise of 30-minute delivery. As carryout and delivery grew in popularity, Pizza Hut was saddled with large, dine-in restaurants.

The chain has been further pinched in recent years by the growth of DoorDash, Uber Eats and other restaurant delivery companies which marketed access to a slew of cuisines besides pizza.

By selling Pizza Hut, Yum Brands can focus more on its brands with stronger sales, Yum CEO Chris Turner said.

“Under LongRange and Yum China, Pizza Hut will be well positioned for future growth with ownership that brings deep expertise in the restaurant industry," Turner said in a statement.

Yum Brands, based in Louisville, Kentucky, expects the sale in U.S. and China to close in the third quarter. The company's stock rose 2.3% Tuesday.

Trump has been at the center of this year’s midterm campaigns, and his influence will be tested in different ways Tuesday as four states and the District of Columbia hold primaries.

Among Democrats, the primaries will hinge on longstanding divides between progressives and moderates as the party tries to chart the best path forward to November.

Here's the latest:

Trump’s status as GOP kingmaker faces another test in Oklahoma

Trump’s early backing of Republican Rep. Kevin Hern for the U.S. Senate seat previously held by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin kept other potential big challengers at bay in Oklahoma, which hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1990.

A bigger test may come in the crowded race to succeed outgoing Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Trump last month endorsed former state Sen. Mike Mazzei. Other prominent Oklahoma Republicans seeking the nomination include Attorney General Gentner Drummond, former Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall and Chip Keating, the state’s former public safety director.

District of Columbia’s mayor shows up to vote

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser greeted supporters as she arrived to cast her primary vote at Shepard Park Elementary on Tuesday morning.

This fall, current council members Janeese Lewis George and Kenyan McDuffie are the frontrunners vying to replace Bowser, who was elected in 2014.

Runoffs for Georgia elections chief carry 2028 undertones

Georgia’s secretary of state election is open for the first time since Trump’s attempts to subvert the 2020 election, famously pressuring outgoing Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 11,800 votes” to overtake Democrat Joe Biden. Raffensperger refused.

For his potential successor, Republicans are left to choose between an outright election denier, Vernon Jones, and a state lawmaker, Tim Fleming, who avoids explicitly disputing the president’s 2020 election lies.

Democrats will choose between Dana Barrett, a Fulton County commissioner, and Penny Brown Reynolds, a former state judge in Fulton County who also served in the Biden administration as deputy assistant secretary for civil rights for the Department of Agriculture.

In Georgia Senate race, Collins supporter likes his immigration stance

Retired software engineer James Haddad emigrated from Jordan and became a U.S. citizen in 1983. He backs Rep. Mike Collins in Georgia’s GOP Senate runoff because of Collins’ hardline approach on immigration.

“I’m an immigrant, but I’m a legal immigrant,” Haddad said. “Just follow the law.”

Collins hopes to defeat former football coach Derek Dooley and then draw contrasts on immigration with Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.

“The congressman is a good American who puts America first,” said Haddad, a 66-year-old from Woodstock.

Collins sponsored the 2025 Laken Riley Act, named for a Georgia nursing student killed by a man in the U.S. illegally. The law requires immigrants charged with certain crimes to be held without bond.

Ossoff voted against an initial version but backed it after Trump returned to power.

“It’s unfortunate that some immigrants have ruined it for others,” Haddad said.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is playing an insider-outsider game

The outgoing Republican governor passed on a Senate bid and recruited his former football coach Derek Dooley. Kemp’s spent months saying it’ll take an “outsider” to defeat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.

Meanwhile, until Sunday, Kemp sat out the Republican tussle to be his successor. That runoff pits the sitting lieutenant governor against a first-time candidate. Rick Jackson, a billionaire businessman, labels himself an “outsider” in his ads and plastered the word on his campaign tour bus.

Yet Kemp opted for Burt Jones, the Capitol insider. Campaigning with Jones on Monday, Kemp said there’s no contradiction in his message.

His reasoning, essentially: Georgia state government has been run by Republicans for a generation and things are great, whereas in Washington, where Dooley would go, Congress is often deadlocked and has atrocious approval ratings. But Kemp did not note that Republicans have a trifecta with Trump as president and GOP majorities on Capitol Hill.

Why are there 2 elections for Swalwell’s California seat?

There’s the regular race in November that will determine who'll be sworn in come January and serve a full, two-year term in the U.S. House.

But since Swalwell resigned early following sexual assault allegations, there’s also the special election that will decide who will serve out the rest of his current term until January.

Tuesday’s primary will decide the top two candidates for the special general election on August 18. But if one candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, they’ll win outright and there won’t be a general election.

Sen. Ted Cruz says he’s not trying to separate himself from Trump

The Texas senator has gotten more active on the Republican campaign circuit.

In Republican governor’s races in South Carolina and Georgia, Cruz finds himself on the opposing side from the president.

Cruz was in Georgia ahead of Tuesday’s runoff to stump for billionaire Rick Jackson. Trump backs Jackson’s rival, Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.

In the upcoming South Carolina runoff the GOP governor nomination, Cruz backs longtime state Attorney General Alan Wilson over Trump’s pick, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette.

Cruz, who finished second in Republicans 2016 presidential nominating fight, insisted he’s not picking fights with Trump.

“Not remotely,” Cruz said Monday. He noted he and Trump have both endorsed former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu in his U.S. Senate bid.

“The president and I agree on the vast majority of races,” Cruz said. “What I try to do in every race is endorse the strongest conservative who can win.”

Rick Jackson says he’s spending his own fortune to help people

Georgia gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson choked up a bit in the closing hours of his GOP runoff campaign explaining why he’s spent nearly $100 million of his own money on the race.

Jackson called his wealth “God’s money” that he directs “the best I can.” And he compared his campaign spending to his years of philanthropy, especially to help children in foster care, where he spent part of his childhood.

“I want our kids, our foster kids and everybody else, to have hope, you know,” he told a lunch crowd Monday.

“I have lived in poverty,” Jackson continued. “When you, when you have not eaten, you never forget that you don’t forget the people that are struggling.”

It was a stark contrast to Jackson’s tone in some of his television ads, including a promise that migrants who are in Georgia illegally and commit crimes will be “deported or departed.”

Why Tuesday’s elections in Washington, DC, matter

Voters in the nation’s capital are selecting party candidates for mayor and the district’s delegate to Congress.

Mayor Muriel Bowser, who isn’t seeking reelection, has walked a fine line between staying in Trump’s good graces and responding to the concerns of constituents, many of whom said she didn’t push back hard enough on Trump’s actions.

The district’s long-serving congressional delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, is also stepping down.

The election is taking place as Washington undergoes major change under the Trump administration.

Washington has limited autonomy and federal leaders retain significant control over local affairs, including the approval of the budget and laws passed by the D.C. Council.

In Georgia, Trump’s endorsements reflect his fixation on 2020

In 2020, a Georgia state senator named Burt Jones was part of Donald Trump’s alternate Electoral College slate and backed the president’s scheme to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump has referenced Jones’ “loyalty” many times since, including when endorsing his bid for governor. Jones, now the lieutenant governor, faces billionaire businessman Rick Jackson in a Tuesday runoff for the Republican nomination.

“Burt was strongly committed to my Campaign in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and worked tirelessly to help us WIN,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on the eve of the runoff. “He has been with us from the very beginning.”

A day earlier, Trump endorsed Rep. Mike Collins in a Senate runoff over former football coach Derek Dooley. The president chided Dooley for saying (months ago and not as a feature of his campaign) that Trump did indeed lose Georgia in 2020.

Collins, meanwhile, has consistently echoed Trump’s false claims of a “rigged” election.

Alabama GOP primary is latest test of Trump’s endorsements

The president’s endorsed candidates have mostly done well so far in the midterm primaries. But the open U.S. Senate race in Alabama will be another test of his endorsement power.

U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, a three-term congressman, faces former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson in the GOP runoff. Trump endorsed Moore early in the campaign, but he's been forced into a heated race with Hudson, a political newcomer.

Hudson, borrowing a page from Trump’s original playbook, has tried to depict Moore as a political insider and has urged voters to send an outsider to Washington.

Trump held a telephone rally for Moore last week.

The candidates are seeking the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who's running for governor. The winner will face the Democratic nominee in November.

2 open races set off a political scramble in heavily Republican Oklahoma

GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt is term-limited, and former U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin vacated his seat to replace Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary.

Republican Alan Armstrong, an energy executive, is filling the U.S. Senate seat for now, but state law prohibits him from seeking a full term as an interim appointee.

Rep. Kevin Hern, a four-term congressman endorsed by Trump, is running against four other candidates of lesser profile in the Republican Senate primary.

The GOP primary for governor is more crowded, with nine names on the ballot, including several prominent Republicans. That could lead to an Aug. 25 runoff if no candidate receives at least 50% of the vote to win outright.

California special election will fill former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s term after his resignation

The Democrat stepped down in April following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him, and other accusations of sexual misconduct.

Swalwell was a leading candidate for California governor at the time and dropped out of the race the same month. He has denied the allegations and said he will defend himself.

The San Francisco Chronicle first reported that a woman accused Swalwell of sexually assaulting her in 2019 and again in 2024. She told the outlet that she had been too intoxicated to consent.

Runoffs will decide GOP nominees for Senate and governor in Georgia

Tuesday’s elections are needed after no Republican won a majority to clinch the nominations in the May primary.

In the Senate race, Rep. Mike Collins, a second-term congressman who calls himself a “MAGA warrior,” and Derek Dooley, a first-time candidate and former football coach, are facing off. The winner will try to oust Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in a key November contest. Trump endorsed Collins on Sunday.

The primary for governor pits Lt. Gov. Burt Jones against billionaire Rick Jackson. Trump endorsed Jones last August. The winner will face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, in November.

Polls now open in Washington, DC

Voting is underway in one of the city’s most consequential primaries in a generation.

Democrats in the nation’s capital have not had a chance to vote for a new mayor and new delegate to Congress in the same election since 1990, when gas was cheaper than $1.35 a gallon and George H.W. Bush was president.

The first full day of the G7 summit of leading industrialized nations is being held in the French town of Evian-les-Bains.

Shortly before his arrival, Trump announced an agreement to end the 3 1/2-month-old U.S. war against Iran.

“Now that this (Iran) is finished, we’re going to be focusing on that,” Trump said, referring to efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

A working session is aimed at ensuring stability in the Middle East, with discussion expected on the global economic crisis resulting from the war's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The G7 includes France, the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom. Guest nations at this summit include Brazil, Egypt, India, Kenya, South Korea, Qatar, Ukraine and the UAE.

Here is the latest:

Has Netanyahu seen the US-Iran memo?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not seen the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran as of Tuesday evening, said a person familiar with the situation, who requested anonymity to discuss closed-door details. Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to request for comment from The AP.

Though Israel is not party to the agreement, it is directly implicated. Iran’s top diplomat has said that the agreement requires Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, where it is fighting the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon and where its troops occupy a large southern swath of the country. Israeli officials have said they do not plan to withdraw.

— By Julia Frankel

G7 leaders sound concerns about Ebola

They say they want “a strong and coordinated response” to the month-old Ebola outbreak centered on Congo, and that their countries will work more closely together on “appropriate and effective travel, quarantine, and isolation procedures” for people who have been to affected regions.

Their statement, issued on day 2 of the G7 summit notes that globally, millions of people will be traveling in coming weeks for the World Cup and other reasons.

“We must ensure that they can do so safely,” they said. They pledged support to help develop and deliver vaccines.

They also issued statements about aid for developing countries and committing to accelerate the fight against cancer.

Chuck Schumer calls for briefing on tentative agreement with Iran

The Senate Democratic leader is calling on Trump to brief Congress and the American people on the memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war in Iran.

Schumer says Americans have been told dozens of times over the course of the conflict that it was over, only to be disappointed.

“Trump has yet to give Americans a reason to believe that this latest peace deal won’t leave them disappointed again,” Schumer said Tuesday on the Senate floor.

Schumer says the conflict has left America worse off, with gas prices dramatically higher and an Iranian regime he says is more extreme than before.

“Trump needs to reveal the deal and end this war once and for all,” Schumer says.

Iran war makes energy security a top priority in Southeast Asia

An International Energy Agency report released Tuesday says the Iran war could cost Southeast Asia billions of dollars if it doesn’t diversify sources of energy more quickly.

The energy shock from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent the region into a state of energy triage, leading to higher energy bills and rising inflation. In response, the region has seen rising sales of electric vehicles, a renewed interest in nuclear power and a boom in rooftop solar and other renewable energy installations, the report says.

But without more sweeping reforms, the region’s energy import bill could triple from $80 billion in 2024 to $245 billion by 2035, the report warns. And meanwhile, the conflict has reinforced the need for coal in times of crisis, a setback for efforts to phase out fossil fuels.

“Diversification of energy sources and supply routes is now a central priority,” said Fatih Birol, the IEA executive director.

▶ Read more

Officials say Zelenskyy showed Trump photos of bomb-damaged Kyiv cathedral

European officials said Zelenskyy showed Trump some photos of the damage at the Dormition Cathedral, a revered religious landmark in Kyiv that was set ablaze in a Russian bombing.

Three officials with knowledge of the matter spoke anonymously, because they were not allowed to disclose details about leaders’ talks at the G7 meeting.

Without confirming Zelenskyy’s use of photos, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux said in an Associated Press interview that the strike was discussed at the leaders’ meeting and that “everyone” was shocked.

Asked whether Zelenskyy showed photos of the church attack to Trump and other leaders, Confavreux said “the discussions remain in the room.” But he confirmed that they discussed the latest strikes “and how unacceptable they were for everyone, because they were against international law.”

Secret US-Iran memorandum to be signed in Swiss resort

Switzerland’s foreign ministry says a signing ceremony for a deal between the United States and Iran will take place Friday at the Bürgenstock resort near the city of Luzern.

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs says the location was proposed by Pakistani and Qatari mediators, along with the U.S. and Iran. It said it has been in close contact with the four countries about the possible signing of the “memorandum of understanding.”

Details of the agreement announced by Trump have not been made public. The deal is centered around reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the United States’ naval blockade in the region, along with financial incentives for Iran if it meets certain benchmarks.

The resort, which sits atop a mountain and features breathtaking views of Lake Lucerne, hosted an international conference on Ukraine two years ago.

Iran says the US war deal requires Israel to withdraw from Lebanon

Iran’s top diplomat said Tuesday that the tentative deal to end the war with the United States would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanon — a condition Israel has already rejected. The contradictory interpretations could sink the agreement and lead to the resumption of all-out war.

The deal between the U.S. and Iran has not been made public, and while Israel is not party to the agreement, it is part of the war: It joined the U.S. in launching strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, and has since fought the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon and seized large swaths of that country.

“Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied during this war, the war has not fully come to an end,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

A U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the deal’s outlines said it did not call for an Israeli withdrawal. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel would remain in Lebanon “as long as necessary.”

▶ Read more

— By Jon Gambrell, Sam Metz and Samy Magdy

Trump’s Iran deal greeted with skepticism on Capitol Hill

Republicans on Capitol Hill are expressing skepticism and asking the White House for details about Trump’s announced deal to end the war in Iran. Responding to a reporter’s question at the G7 summit on Tuesday, Trump said he’s open to a congressional review of the agreement, which is set for a ceremonial signing Friday in Switzerland.

The deal is centered around reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the United States’ naval blockade in the region, along with financial incentives for Iran if it meets certain benchmarks. But Senate Republicans and Democrats said Monday that many questions remain unresolved and they need thorough briefings before it is finalized.

“I just don’t know enough about it,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters in the Capitol.

“If it’s a secret deal then how can I take it seriously?” asked Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

▶ Read more

UK-EU summit date announced at last

Britain and the European Union have announced the date for a summit seen as a key step in rebuilding their relationship.

European Council President Antonio Costa says the meeting will be held in Brussels on July 22. Costa met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the G7 summit on Tuesday.

There has been a question mark over the date due to uncertainty about Starmer’s future. He is facing calls to resign and a potential leadership challenge this summer.

Trump says he’s hasn’t been briefed on alleged plot to attack UFC event

“I haven’t heard about it, no,” Trump said when asked by a reporter about the alleged plot to target the high profile event. “The attack that I watched were the fighters.”

FBI director Kash Patel announced earlier Tuesday that law enforcement officials had disrupted “planned attacks” meant to target the UFC cage-fighting show staged at the White House this past weekend, and that multiple people were in custody.

▶ Read more

Why Trump said yes to dinner at Versailles

The president said the opulent setting of his scheduled one-on-one dinner with Macron was a factor in his decision to extend his stay after the summit — the two are scheduled to dine at the Palace of Versailles.

“I’m a fan of beautiful places, and I was leaving in the afternoon, and then the French president who happens to be a very nice man, invited me to dinner at Versailles,” Trump said. “And Versailles is not gold leaf — Versailles is the real deal. And I said I’d like to do it.”

Trump said it will have little impact on his schedule, noting that he’s “not a big sleeper anyway” and will get home early in the morning: “I won’t lose any time in the Oval Office.”

Zelenskyy says Ukraine is serious about peace while Russia toys with world leaders

“The entire ‘Seven’ supports Ukraine unanimously today,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters at the doorstep of the G7 summit today.

He said that all G7 partners of Ukraine recognize Ukraine’s readiness to meet with the Russian side to establish a ceasefire, its active engagement on the battlefield, and its effective capabilities in mid- and long-range strikes.

The Russian side, meanwhile, is failing to show any serious activity toward peace, he said, calling Russia’s actions “a game.”

“It’s important that at the G7 meeting everyone realizes that. It’s important.”

Trump says US plans to resume sanctions on Russian oil shipments

Asked if he would reinstitute sanctions that were eased to help lower oil prices, Trump said the restrictions can resume as more oil moves through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Soon we’ll be able to do that because the oil is now flowing,” Trump told reporters. “We’re in a position to do that soon.”

The U.S. in March temporarily eased some sanctions on some Russian oil shipments as crude prices sharply increased. The waiver has been extended as the war stretched on.

Trump tells Carney he likes Canada’s cap on Chinese EV imports

A microphone recorded them talking about how less than three percent of Canada’s market, 49,000 cars, will be allowed to enter from China.

“It’s a cap, we capped, a hard line,” Carney said. “I thought you’d actually like that.”

“That’s good, I like it,” Trump responded.

Breaking with the United States, Canada agreed to cut its 100% tariff on Chinese electric cars earlier this year in return for lower tariffs on Canadian farm products. Carney said then that an initial annual cap of 49,000 vehicles on Chinese EV exports coming into Canada at a tariff rate of 6.1% would grow to about 70,000 over five years.

Trump says he’d send Iran deal to Congress for review

The president voiced his openness to making the move at the start of a meeting with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the G7 summit in the French Alps.

“I like the idea, send it to Congress please,” Trump said. He added, “I mean who wouldn’t approve it.”

Republicans on Capitol Hill say they want Trump to provide more information about the agreement between the United States and Iran, with some expressing skepticism that the deal can deter Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon.

Trump speaks to EU leader about Greenland in another hot mic moment

Sitting down before a meeting about Ukraine, Trump was caught on a hot mic speaking about Greenland with European Council President António Costa.

“You understand?” Trump said before pausing and eyeing Costa. “Greenland.”

The start and end of the conversation is unclear.

European politicians across the continent were infuriated when Trump threatened in January to seize the large Arctic island, a territory of EU-member Denmark. The idea raised fears of splitting up of the NATO military alliance, and spurred Denmark to increase its military presence there.

Several European partners — including France, Germany, the U.K., Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands — sent small, symbolic numbers of troops to the island.

Trump jokes about stealing Macron’s watch

In a lighter moment, a microphone caught Trump joking about stealing Macron ’s watch.

After one of the leaders asked where Macron went during the working lunch, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said, “He’s left his watch here. We’ve got his watch.”

“Give me it if he left, gimmie,” Trump responded, followed by laughter by the group.

Spouses of foreign leaders tour lakeside town near G7 summit

France’s Brigitte Macron led a tour of spouses of world leaders to the lakeside town of Yvoire during the G7 summit in France.

With security in tow, Macron led the group — Canada’s Diana Fox Carney, Britain’s Victoria Starmer, Germany’s Charlotte Merz, Kenya’s Rachel Kimetto, Brazil’s Janja Lula da Silva, and Heiko von der Leyen, husband of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — on a walk through the town on the shores of Lake Geneva.

Children gave the spouses bouquets of flowers and locals gawked at the small group of dignitaries.

Starmer senses a ‘mood change’ on Ukraine

Starmer said G7 leaders share a sense that “things are changing” and Ukraine is regaining the initiative in its war with Russia.

Speaking to British broadcasters, the U.K. prime minister said “there was real unity in the room” when Trump and the other G7 leaders discussed the conflict.

He said they agreed “that Ukraine is doing better now, regaining territory, that the sanctions are having a real impact on Russia, and a real sense that now is the moment for all of us as a G7 to ramp up the pressure.”

Zelenskyy says G7 supports boosting Patriot missile production

Zelenskyy said he had a positive meeting with G7 leaders who supported Ukraine’s need for more Patriot missiles and discussed how to increase production by licensing production.

Speaking during a bilateral meeting with Carney after earlier meeting with the all the G7 leaders, including Trump, Zelenskyy said his allies agreed that Russia is not winning and that they have to push Putin to end the war.

Patriot missiles are able to counter Russian ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine’s power grid and cities.

Papier mache heads of state gather at the summit

Oxfam activists wearing papier mache heads depicting the G7 leaders made an appearance near the summit location for a satirical, but sedate, protest.

Oxfam has used the outsized eye-catching heads — depicting Trump, Meloni, Merz, Carney, Takaichi, Macron and Starmer — for several protests around the summit.

The demonstration outside the security bubble thrown around the summit, in a park overlooking the clear-blue waters of Lake Geneva, was intended to draw attention to a lack of clean water for the people of Gaza.

No G7 invite received for Putin-Zelenskyy talks, Kremlin says

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not receive an invitation from Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend the G7 summit through official channels.

Asked whether such an invitation had been made, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Of course there wasn’t. As you know, there aren’t even any official channels between Moscow and Kyiv.”

Peskov said Putin has repeatedly said Zelenskyy could go to Moscow. “If Zelenskyy is ready to talk responsibly and seriously … he can always come to Moscow, where he will be received,” Peskov said.

Zelenskyy and Trump meet on sidelines of G7 summit

Zelenskyy and Trump have held talks on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France.

Zelenskyy posted photos of the meeting on social media, writing that “it is always important to coordinate positions.”

Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council chief, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also took part, the photos showed. In one image, the two leaders sat close enough that their knees nearly touched.

The encounter between the two presidents “was in the context of the general meeting at the summit,” Zelenskyy’s communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn told reporters, suggesting a separate meeting would take place later.

G7 leaders meeting with leaders of Egypt, Qatar and UAE

The leaders of the G7 are holding a meeting with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and the UAE.

They are attending a working lunch dubbed “Addressing Crises and Ensuring Stability in the Middle East.”

The Middle East countries are not G7 members, but were invited to the summit at a tumultuous moment for the region and beyond because of the Iran war.

Ceasefire should ‘mean a definitive end to Iran’s nuclear program,’ EU says

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with Trump at the G7 summit and then took to social media to congratulate him on striking a ceasefire with Tehran.

“We both agree that it should mean a definitive end to Iran’s nuclear programme. The Strait will reopen. Oil prices are falling. And that’s how diplomacy delivers,” von der Leyen said in a post.

Economies across the European Union have been rattled by rising fuel and fertilizer prices.

Trump says Syria could handle Hezbollah better than Israel

Trump said he proposed asking Syria to help against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah,” Trump said. “Because to be honest with you, I think they’d do a better job.”

Syria has a long complicated relationship with Lebanon, with Syrian troops maintaining a military occupation in the country from 1976 to 2005.

UK is ready to help reopen Strait of Hormuz, Starmer says

The U.K. will “play our full part” in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, though he declined to confirm when British warships could be in the area.

Speaking at the G7 summit, he said leaders of the group of wealthy nations were discussing next steps to reopen the strait.

Britain and France have assembled a group of countries that Starmer said are “prepared to play their part in terms of reassurance to get vessels through the strait.”

Trump dismisses claim of a $300B fund to rebuild Iran as a ‘rumor’

The U.S. is “not investing any money in Iran,” Trump said.

“That rumor got out there yesterday, it was ridiculous,” he told reporters. “We have no obligation to invest any money in Iran.”

The president made the comment a day after senior U.S. officials told reporters that a memorandum of understanding includes a $300 billion fund to help rebuild if Tehran meets certain benchmarks.

Trump denied the claim twice on Tuesday during a bilateral meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

Trump ‘not happy’ with Israel’s handling of Hezbollah and Lebanon

Trump said he is “not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah.”

“They should have been able to deal with them faster,” Trump told reporters in reference to Israeli operations to target Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

“It just goes on forever. And when that happens, it throws a negative light on the big deal. And that’s the deal with Iran,” he said.

Trump says he will ‘do whatever I can’ on Ukraine war

The U.S. president said he wants to focus on Ukraine, adding that the issue of Iran will soon be “back in the rear view mirror.”

Trump, who said he will meet with Zelenskyy for further talks, downplayed the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on the U.S., but lamented the death toll.

“The whole thing is ridiculous,” Trump said. “So, yeah, I’m going to do whatever I can.”

Macron and Zelenskyy met in hotel garden ahead of G7 talks

Macron and Zelenskyy took a little walk through the wooded garden at the Hotel Royal as they held bilateral talks before joining other G7 leaders.

French organizers of the G7 summit in the resort town of Evian-les-Bains placed Ukraine high on the agenda during efforts to end the war more than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Macron said he would urge Trump to maintain U.S. support for Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia to help secure a peace agreement.

“The right negotiation is one with Ukraine and Russia at the table, with Europeans and Americans also present,” Macron said Monday.

Merz offers custom ‘Trump 47’ soccer jersey to US president

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has had a frosty relationship with Trump, gave the U.S. president a soccer jersey with Trump’s name and the number 47 on the back.

Merz approached with the jersey as Trump sat down at a conference table for a working session. Trump smiled and held it up for a photo.

The white jersey appeared to be the same one the German national team is wearing in the ongoing World Cup.

Merz and Trump exchanged barbs earlier this year after Merz said the U.S. was being “humiliated” by Iran and criticized the U.S. for going into the war without any strategy. Trump later said Merz “should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine” and “fixing his broken Country, especially Immigration and Energy.”

UK slaps new sanctions on Russia

Britain has announced a new set of sanctions targeting the “shadow fleet” Russia uses to ship oil and gas and the finance networks used by Moscow to evade Western sanctions.

The sanctioned ships include several vessels recently purchased by Russia to ship liquefied natural gas from its sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project.

Britain says it has now sanctioned more than 600 shadow fleet vessels.

U.K. troops seized a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the English Channel for the first time last weekend.

The sanctions were announced as Prime Minister Keir Starmer attends the G7 summit in France. He is due to meet Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday.

• Track today’s weather updates here

CenterPoint’s outage tracker reported over 4,000 customers impacted by outages around 10:50 a.m. Tuesday.

• Track real-time outages here

The KPRC 2 Weather Team is continuing to track these storms.

If you’re traveling outside today, be aware of lightning, brief heavy downpours, and flash flood risk alerts. Drivers are urged to use caution, especially if traffic signals go out, and treat dark intersections as a four-way stop.

CenterPoint is also reminding people to never touch or go near downed electrical wires. If you see any, stay 35 feet away and call 713-207-2222 to report it.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% following a rally that’s brought it back within 1% of its record set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 392 points, or 0.8%, as of 11:45 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.7% lower.

With optimism continuing that a tentative U.S.-Iran deal on their war will reopen the Strait of Hormuz at the end of the week and get the global flow of oil going again, the price for a barrel of Brent crude fell 4.3% to $79.62.

Significant hurdles remain in the negotiations, including what to do with Iran’s nuclear program. But the hope on Wall Street is that this agreement will mean a long-term fix to a conflict that has worsened inflation around the world. The price of Brent has come down sharply from its $100-plus level of a few weeks ago, though it could still take months for the energy industry to get back to full speed.

On Wall Street, stocks benefiting from the boom in artificial-intelligence technology were weighing on the market following their vicious swings over the last couple weeks. They have been leading the market up and down amid worries that their stock prices shot too high, too quickly in the mania around AI. That’s taken a toll because chip companies and other AI winners have grown so big that they’ve become some of Wall Street’s most influential stocks.

Drops of 1.8% for Nvidia and 5.8% for Micron Technology were the two heaviest weights pulling the S&P 500 lower.

Robinhood Markets fell 3.5% after the investing platform said in a regulatory filing that it’s laying off about 10% of its full-time employees, while Dave & Buster’s Entertainment sank 3.9% after reporting a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

On the winning side of Wall Street was SpaceX, which rose 8.1% toward a third straight gain since its debut on the U.S. stock market. It said it’s moving forward with a purchase of Cursor, a popular AI coding assistant, valuing it at $60 billion.

Yum Brands climbed 2.4% after it said it’s selling the Pizza Hut chain for $2.7 billion. Most of the restaurants will go to LongRange Capital, a private equity firm. Those in mainland China will go to Yum China Holdings.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose in Europe following a mixed performance in Asia.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 briefly topped 70,000 for the first time before ending with a modest gain of 0.1% after the Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate to 1%. That’s its highest level in three decades, and it followed a similar move by the European Central Bank last week.

The Federal Reserve is beginning its own meeting on what to do with interest rates Tuesday, with an announcement on the decision coming Wednesday.

It will be the first meeting under the Fed’s new chair, Kevin Warsh, who was nominated by President Donald Trump. Trump has been pushing for lower interest rates, which would give the economy a boost but also threaten to worsen inflation. The widespread expectation, though, is that the Fed will leave its main interest rate alone again.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.44% from 4.47% late Monday and from 4.56% earlier this month.

High yields in bond markets worldwide caused by expensive oil prices have threatened to slow economies and undercut prices for all kinds of investments, including stocks and cryptocurrencies. High yields have already sent mortgage rates higher, and a report on Tuesday said construction crews broke ground on far fewer new U.S. homes in May than economists expected.

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

As chair of the National Governors Association, Stitt has made “Reigniting the American Dream” his signature initiative.

The former president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Ifill has called the struggle to fully realize the 14th Amendment “the defining constitutional battle of the 20th and 21st centuries.” 

Architect of George W. Bush’s political rise and a longtime Republican strategist, Rove brings a singular perspective to understanding the transformation of the Republican Party.

A Harvard professor and MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, Perry has become one of the most renowned interpreters of Black American life, history and culture.

Espinoza-Grcic was among the dozens of immigration judges fired during Donald Trump’s second term.

And Loeb, a Harvard astrophysicist, has spent years bringing scientific rigor to the search for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence, at a moment when the question of what’s in our skies is dominating the news and popular culture.

Other national and Texas leaders joining us in September are state Rep. Mitch Little, R-Lewisville; Elisa Villanueva Beard, president and CEO of Houston Endowment; former San Antonio mayor and candidate for Bexar County judge Ron Nirenberg and Joanna Lydgate, president and CEO of States United Democracy Center. 

At TribFest, now three months away, we join our robust lineup of speakers to wrestle with the big questions together.

Get your tickets now, and help shape the conversations about our state and our country’s future. 

The Texas Tribune is 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.

Judge Gregory Carro had scheduled the hearing for Tuesday but adjourned it about a half-hour after it was supposed to start when Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann told him that prosecutors had failed to send required paperwork to the jail.

“It's on us,” Seidemann said. “We got the writ signed but we failed to serve it.”

“That's unfortunate,” Carro replied.

Seidemann noted that the judge in Mangione's federal case, Margaret Garnett, had sent an order to the jail authorizing him to wear a suit to court, but the prosecutor acknowledged that alone wasn't enough to get him brought to court.

Mangione, 28, is being held at a federal jail in Brooklyn while awaiting trial in state and federal trials in the Dec. 4, 2024, killing. He has pleaded not guilty in both cases and could spend his life in prison if convicted in either case.

Carro had been expected to rule Tuesday on an unspecified matter after holding a secret hearing two weeks ago. Carro said he sealed the virtual proceeding at the request of the defense but provided no other details at the time.

Any ruling from Carro would now come on Wednesday.

Mangione is set to go to trial in the state case on Sept. 8. His federal trial, which involves stalking charges, is set to begin on Oct. 13.

Thompson, 50, was killed as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police say “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of Manhattan.

At a hearing last month, Carro ruled that a gun and notebook that prosecutors say link Mangione to the killing can be used as evidence against him.

The gun, a 3D-printed pistol, matches the one used to kill Thompson, prosecutors said. The notebook describes wanting to “wack” a health insurance executive and rebelling against “the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel.”

The Hollywood & Entertainment Signature Auction presented by Heritage Auctions announced Tuesday and held July 13-17 also includes hats from “The Wizard of Oz” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” hoverboards from “Back to the Future II,” rugs from “The Big Lebowski” and a pair of Rocky's boxing boots.

A major Beatles artifact will also be up for sale: John Lennon's handwritten lyrics for “If I fell,” written on the back of a Valentine card while he was in New York for the Fab Four's first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964. The bidding for it will open at $500,000.

The lightsaber, used onscreen by Mark Hamill in the climactic Cloud City fight in the 1980 “Star Wars” sequel, where Darth Vader declares “I am your father,” includes a severed hand effects rig. It’s never been up for auction before and bidding opens at $1 million.

Bidding starts at $100,000 for a Wicked Witch of the West hat worn by actor Margaret Hamilton in 1939's “The Wizard of Oz” and at $50,000 for the brown top hat worn by Gene Wilder as the title character in 1971's “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”

The auction will also include a pair of boxing boots worn by Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky III.” Stallone wears the showy boots featuring tassels and a Nike swoosh in the opening montage of the 1982 film. Bids will begin at $100,000.

Also up for sale are the two rugs that are essential to the plot of “The Big Lebowski,” including the rug belonging to Jeff Bridges' the Dude that is soiled at the beginning of the 1998 film that “really tied the room together,” and the other that he takes from his wealthy namesake. Bidding on them opens at $15,000 apiece.

“This auction represents the full spectrum of entertainment history, from Hollywood’s Golden Age to modern blockbuster cinema and the most influential moments in popular music,” Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, said in a statement.

Many other items including a Paul Newman hockey jersey from “Slap Shot,” a necklace worn by the title character in “The Bride of Frankenstein” and the inflatable “Otto the Autopilot” from “Airplane” will be up for auction.

“I do not believe that argument today can be successfully made, nor do I believe that there’s any chance in the future the facts that I’ve cited to support that belief will change,” the 79-year-old governor said during a news conference. “Therefore, I believe Ohio should abolish the death penalty.”

DeWine has repeatedly postponed scheduled executions in the state over his seven years as governor.

During a news conference, he said data indicates the death penalty is not working as intended to deter crime, even as it brings years of pain to victims' loved ones and takes a toll on the mental health of state employees who serve on execution teams.

To bolster his case, DeWine brandished charts and graphs detailing the diminishing number of death sentences meted out by courts and showing the exceedingly long wait times that elapse as legal appeals play out for those on death row. He said condemned murderers are increasingly unlikely to ever be executed, sometimes dying by natural causes or by suicide before their execution date arrives.

“In summary, each decade that the death penalty has been in effect, the chances of a murderer getting executed get more and more and more remote,” DeWine said.

DeWine, who faces a term limit in December, said he felt compelled to share his observations now, having had 50 years of experience with the issue from the time he was a young county prosecutor, through being a congressman and U.S. senator, and then serving as Ohio's attorney general. But he said his outright opposition to the procedure has only crystallized over the past year.

State lawmakers may not support DeWine's stance

Headed into the announcement, any chance of a legislative repeal of the death penalty appeared unlikely.

Republican House Speaker Matt Huffman said in February he would “vigorously oppose” such an effort, and then-Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost agreed with him on social media. It remains unclear how Interim Attorney General Andy Wilson, appointed last month to serve the remainder of Yost's term, will respond, and whether the position held by Huffman, who is Catholic, might be affected by immediate praise for DeWine's announcement by the Catholic Conference of Ohio.

“In a state and country in which alternatives to execution exist, we should support punishments that are in greater conformity with the dignity of the human person, made in the image and likeness of God,” executive director Brian Hickey said in a statement.

In repeatedly extending Ohio’s unofficial death penalty moratorium by postponing scheduled executions, DeWine has cited pharmaceutical suppliers’ unwillingness to provide the drugs used in lethal injections. In January 2025, President Donald Trump ordered then-U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to help states try to resolve that issue, and Yost — a capital punishment supporter — had told Bondi that “without the assistance of the federal government, Ohio’s situation is unlikely to change.”

DeWine has already said he expects no further executions during his term, but he said the compelling nature of the death penalty data remains the same whether you include the past seven years or not.

Other states also have been rethinking the procedure in recent years. New Hampshire state lawmakers overrode a governor’s veto in 2019 to abolish the death penalty in that state. Colorado followed suit in 2020 and Virginia in 2021. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has urged legislators to follow suit, announcing he wouldn’t sign any new execution warrants. Gov. Kate Brown commuted sentences of the 17 people on Oregon’s death row in 2022 and ordered the execution chamber dismantled.

The last Ohio execution was almost eight years ago

Pushing back the dates for condemned killers to be put to death has left Ohio with 30 executions scheduled over the next four years, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

Ohio hasn’t put an inmate to death since July 18, 2018, when Robert Van Hook was executed for stabbing a man he met at a Cincinnati bar in 1985. DeWine assumed the governor’s office in 2019.

The state reinstated capital punishment in 1981 under a law co-written by DeWine after it was declared unconstitutional in 1972. But Ohio didn’t resume death penalties until 1999. Since then, 56 people have died by lethal injection in the state.

DeWine’s support for the death penalty has slowly shifted during his political career, which began in 1976. Shortly after beginning his first term as governor, DeWine ordered the Ohio prison system to look at alternative lethal injection drugs. A year later, in 2020, he said lawmakers would have to choose a different method of capital punishment before any more inmates could be put to death.

Since then, neither a bipartisan push to ban the practice nor a competing effort to bring nitrogen gas executions to Ohio has gone anywhere. A nitrogen gas execution in Alabama was halted just last week, after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to set aside a lower-court ruling that found the method is unconstitutionally cruel.

When DeWine called for alternatives, he said he questioned the value of the death penalty. The governor said he was skeptical about whether “it in fact did deter crime, which to me is the moral justification.”

The FBI obtained encrypted text messages between roughly 20 participants who shared detailed maps of the area and discussed the need for a “safe house” and escape routes after the attack, the documents show. It was unclear from the court records how close the would-be attackers came to being able to carry out their plan, which was thwarted last week.

FBI agents learned about the possible threat on June 10, four days before the mixed martial arts extravaganza on the White House’s South Lawn, “and thanks to the rapid action of the FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” Director Kash Patel said in a post on X on Tuesday.

Five people were arrested from states including Ohio, Missouri and California, said a law enforcement official familiar with the matter. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss information that was not yet public.

Among those arrested was Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old Ohio man whose mother contacted local law enforcement last week with concerns about his firearms purchases and online communications, according to an FBI affidavit filed in the case.

An assistant federal public defender assigned to represent Proper, who's charged with crimes including attempted murder of an officer or employee of the United States, did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Proper admitted in an interview with law enforcement that he participated in the planning of an attack, according to the affidavit, which says some members of the group began communicating with each other last March through a TikTok group called “Vanguard of the Old.”

“The members of the group stated that they wanted to protect the United States, which they believed was headed in the wrong direction,” the affidavit says. “Members of the group believed that the United States needed to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt. Some expressed a desire that people who were involved with Jeffrey Epstein should not govern the country.”

President Donald Trump, who celebrated his 80th birthday at the UFC event on Sunday, was friends with Epstein many years ago but has said he ended their relationship before the disgraced financier’s crimes became known. Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday in Évian-les-Bains, France, where he was attending the Group of Seven summit, Trump, a Republican, said he had not been briefed on the thwarted plot.

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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Évian-les-Bains, France, contributed to this report.

That vision might hinge on a factory groundbreaking an hour north of Dallas.

Nvidia is formally unveiling on Tuesday plans for a major upgrade to its AI infrastructure as part of its $2 billion partnership with the factory’s owner, Coherent. The factory will produce the material for a laser to transmit data among computer chips, allowing those chips to work as a single system with more power, speed and efficiency, according to executives who discussed the technology before the public announcement.

“AI factories are the infrastructure of the new industrial revolution," Huang said in a statement.

The factory represents a fundamental test of whether, as Huang believes, AI will be a source of job creation instead of a technology that supplants workers as it becomes possible to write software, analyze a spreadsheet, run an assembly line or even drive an automobile without much human effort.

Huang has led Nvidia as it became the world’s most valuable company, worth roughly $5 trillion, to a point where it's looking beyond chips to developing entire AI systems. The companies expected to rely on those systems to further develop AI models could soon join the elite circle of those with a valuation of more than $1 trillion. Just how that wealth spreads and the consequences of the technology have rapidly evolved into fundamental debates about how America itself is structured.

AI is powering academic breakthroughs and it creates the promise of rapid economic growth. But even if stocks are buoyed by those possibilities, there are voters who see reasons for concern over its use of electricity, the potential for job losses and the newfound national security risks.

A shifting approach on AI

President Donald Trump's administration, which once saw a light regulatory touch as essential for fostering AI’s development, has recently begun to reverse course. It placed export controls on the AI company Anthropic’s latest models, leading the company on Friday to shutter all public access to those models over security concerns.

Trump, a Republican, signed an order to have new AI models voluntarily vetted by the government. He has also mused about the government owning a stake in the companies that develop AI, so that the public could benefit from the expected windfall even if that would blur the lines between the public and private sectors.

Still, Trump depends on the AI boom to fuel economic growth, drive future gains in manufacturing and construction, and push the stock market to new heights. He has insisted on Huang accompanying him on foreign trips, most recently having Air Force One pick up the leather-jacketed CEO in Alaska while en route for the state visit to China.

Trump has called Huang “smart,” a “friend” and “amazing” — and he’s publicly recounted that he once mused about breaking up Nvidia because of its dominance, only to admit that Huang was someone that he needed as an ally.

“We are proud to have you in our country,” Trump told the Taiwanese immigrant last year.

AI buildout creating jobs

Coherent’s factory in Sherman, Texas — which includes Nvidia as a major customer — relied on bipartisan government support. The Biden administration approved $33 million in backing from the CHIPS and Science Act to help fund its buildout, while the Trump administration provided an additional $17 million grant to help ensure a key part of the AI infrastructure would be made in America.

Including construction workers, Coherent estimates that the factory will create 1,000 jobs, with about 550 of them in advanced manufacturing, engineering and technical roles.

The factory expansion will increase production of Indium Phosphide, which is used to make a laser that has the optical intensity of the surface of the Sun. Each second, the light pulses a few hundred billion times through a fiberglass straw the width of a human hair. That allows Nvidia’s computer chips to share information and work together as one system in what Huang has dubbed “AI factories.”

Power consumption would be cut up to 50%, enabling computations to occur faster and at a drastically lower price. The prospect of reducing the cost of tokens — the industry’s term for AI usage — would make it easier for AI to expand its reach and abilities.

“This investment expands America’s capacity to manufacture critical AI-enabling technologies, creates high-value jobs, and reinforces U.S. leadership in advanced manufacturing, photonics, and innovation,” said Coherent CEO Jim Anderson in a statement.

In a paper published this month, the economists Jessica Wachter and Jonathan Wachter noted that the five largest U.S. technology firms invested $380 billion last year as part of the AI buildout and that sum could roughly double this year. Based on that investment, they estimate the possibility of rapid economic growth as AI accounts for more of U.S. gross domestic product. While AI is roughly 3% of the economy now, that figure could grow to a range of 8% to 39%.

One Nvidia executive, who insisted on speaking on background to describe its industrial strategy, stressed that the company was moving from developing computer chips to providing entire AI systems. That has meant clustering more production in the U.S. with chipmaking increasingly centered in Arizona and the assembly process increasingly located in Texas, so that there is a reliable domestic supply chain.

The executive said that Nvidia was selling brains and a nervous system to its customers, so that the intelligence generated can then be applied to their businesses in ways that create new products and identify new savings and business lines. That could allow manufacturers that depend on foreign suppliers to restore production in the U.S., taking an AI that so far has largely been accessed on laptops onto factory floors where it can, in their words, “move atoms.”

The possibility has not been lost on Trump, who sees the industry as essential to American greatness.

“It’s an amazing industry,” Trump said to reporters last week. “It’s bigger than any industry anyone’s ever seen. We are leading China by a lot. And whoever leads that is going to really lead the world to a large extent, that’s how big it is.”

His X account has amassed more than 600,000 followers as fans track his cross-country adventure.

Little is known about the man behind the FreddyLA7 account. He does not share photos of himself online, instead covering his face with emojis in posts and videos. His profile indicates he is a fan of Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.

The vlogger arrived in Houston on Saturday, June 13, after leaving Louisiana, where he shared a photo of a “Welcome Freddy” sign. While in Louisiana, he and his family toured Tiger Stadium. Freddy described it as “the biggest stadium I’ve ever been to.”

Upon arriving in Texas, he posted, “after seven days on the road (yes, a lot of detours), we have made it to the state where Germany will play its first World Cup match.”

One of his first Texas surprises came courtesy of former Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, who provided hotel accommodations and team merchandise for Freddy and his friends. He also received gifts from the Houston Rockets.

The trip got off to a successful start for Germany, which defeated Curaçao 7-1.

Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone following our journey. You're making it possible for us to have the most American experience imaginable on this trip. Not only are we driving across the country, but we're also getting to see behind the scenes and meet so many… pic.twitter.com/TCrqul92nV

— Freddy🇩🇪 (@FreddyLA7) June 16, 2026

The experiences continued, Freddy toured Houston Police Department facilities, met with HPD Chief Noe Diaz, and, according to his post he, “ate typical Texan BBQ together.” He later called the visit his “most American experience so far.”

On Monday night, Freedy attended his first MLB game, watching the Houston Astros take on the Detroit Tigers. During the game, he said he also met Houston Mayor John Whitmire.

Freedy said he plans to remain in Texas for Wednesday’s Portugal vs. Congo match.

“After that match we’ll jump straight into the car to start driving toward Oklahoma for the Ella Langley concert,” he wrote.

Reflecting on the journey, Freedy thanked his growing audience for helping make the experience possible.

https://t.co/c0I6oZpXK0 pic.twitter.com/6wAQVdUPjq

— Freddy🇩🇪 (@FreddyLA7) June 16, 2026

“Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone following our journey. You’re making it possible for us to have the most American experience imaginable on this trip. Not only are we driving across the country, but we’re also getting to see behind the scenes and meet so many amazing people,” Freddy wrote.

📍Send us your weather pics and let’s track the storms together.

LIVE RADAR: Extreme rainfall rates cause street flooding in some areas

LIST: Houston-area intersections, roads most likely to flood during heavy rain

Here’s how to submit. There are four ways to make it easy📸🤳:

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10:00 The National Hurricane Service has now issued an update on Potential Tropical Storm Cyclone One.

Potential Tropical Cyclone One is expected to develop into a tropical storm sometime between now and Wednesday.

We’ll continue to watch for potentially life-threating flash and urban flooding for parts of the Texas coast moving eastward into central Mississippi through Thursday.

A Tropical Storm Watch has now been issued for parts of our viewing area until Monday 9:55

Widespread small stream and minor river flooding is expected along the Texas coast into SW Louisiana with isolated areas of significant flooding possible on the Texas and Louisiana Coasts.

9:30 Update: The National Hurricane Center will issue advisory on Potential Tropical Cyclone One at 10 am.

You can keep an eye on radar anytime right here:

• Visiting Houston for the 2026 FIFA World Cup? Here’s what you need to know about Texas weather

Rainfall rates could exceed 2 to 4 inches per hour at times, overwhelming drainage systems and leading to flash flooding with little warning. While not everyone will experience flooding, any area caught beneath persistent rain bands could see rapidly deteriorating conditions.

Most of Southeast Texas is forecast to receive 4 to 7 inches of rainfall through the end of the week, but localized amounts of 10 -15 inches or more are possible where the heaviest rain repeatedly falls.

The exact location of those higher totals remains uncertain and will likely shift as new forecast data becomes available. Residents should remain weather aware, closely monitor forecast updates, and avoid driving through flooded roadways. Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown. Even a small amount of moving water can sweep away a vehicle.

If flooding develops in your area, we’d love to see what you’re seeing. If you can do so safely, submit photos and videos through Click2Pins to help us track conditions across Southeast Texas. Your reports help our weather team identify areas experiencing flooding and may be featured on-air, online, or on our social media platforms. However, no photo or video is worth risking your safety.

Roupp started the 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Friday night with “Gen 9:12-16” written on his cap. A portion of the Bible verse overlapped the rainbow SF logo players wore for the Pride Night. San Francisco relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker also added Bible verses to their caps.

Another Giants pitcher, left-hander Sam Hentges, wore the team's standard black cap with the orange logo instead of the Pride Night version.

MLB issued a warning about future violations of the league's uniform policy.

“The writing on the cap violates our rules and consistent with normal practice we have warned the players about future violations,” MLB said in its original statement.

The league issued another statement Tuesday to elaborate.

“To be clear, this routine verbal warning not to wear the hat in future games is not disciplinary and had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message," MLB said.

"We respect players’ right to free expression. However, writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited per Major League Baseball’s Uniform Regulations which provides in part that, ‘(a) Player may not write, attach, affix, embroider or otherwise display nicknames or messages on apparel or playing equipment…’. We have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as ‘Dad’, ‘Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom,’ and names of family members.”

MLB teams sometimes host Pride Nights during the regular season to support their LGBTQ+ fans. The league has been a leader among the four major U.S. pro sports in hosting Pride Nights, in part because its regular season overlaps with Pride Month in June. Many adopt rainbow-colored uniforms patches or logos, set up special signage around ballparks and invite guests including community leaders and drag performers.

The portion of the Genesis verse cited by Roupp on his hat included God's promise to never again send a worldwide flood and the rainbow in the sky is the sign of that covenant.

“That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that, and I’m thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want … and express what we want,” Roupp told reporters.

Giants manager Tony Vitello told reporters nothing was discussed with the pitchers before the game. Vitello said it was “just kind of a general knowledge" that players "have the freedom to do what they think is best.”

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

The primary marks the first time in a generation that D.C. residents will vote for a new mayor and delegate in the same election. And in an overwhelmingly Democratic city, that party's winner is expected to come out on top in the general election in November.

The most prominent race is for mayor after Muriel Bowser, who was first elected in 2014, decided not to seek a fourth term. Democratic front-runners Janeese Lewis George and Kenyan McDuffie are hoping to replace her.

The district's long-serving congressional delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, is also stepping down, with top candidates council member Brooke Pinto and at-large council member Robert White Jr. vying for the role. Republican Denise Rosado, an immigration lawyer, is running unopposed.

The primary will include rank choice voting for the first time, which D.C. election officials have warned could delay results for days.

Trump looms large over the vote

Central to all the campaigns has been the city's fraught relationship with the Trump administration and the federal government. The city has limited autonomy and federal leaders retain significant control over local affairs, including approval of the budget and laws passed by the D.C. Council.

That autonomy has been further squeezed under Trump, who launched a federal law enforcement surge last summer and sent in the National Guard for an ongoing, open-ended deployment. Trump's efforts to downsize the federal government also roiled the capital region, costing thousands of people their jobs. He has also been reshaping the city by removing or renovating storied landmarks and putting his name or image on buildings.

Trump last week threatened a new federal takeover of Washington when asked about his response to a potential victory by Lewis George, a democratic socialist.

“Maybe we’d take back Washington, run it on the federal basis,” he said.

Bowser found herself walking a fine line between staying in Trump’s good graces and responding to the concerns of constituents, many of whom said she didn't push back hard enough on Trump's actions.

Republicans in Congress, meanwhile, have used their oversight authority to challenge the local government’s limited autonomy.

“We are the capital of the United States, and it’s an incredibly symbolic place, this city,” said Amanda Huron, a professor at the University of the District of Columbia who teaches courses on D.C. history and politics.

She said it's important to remind the public that what the federal government does to its capital city is a harbinger of “how it’s going to treat the rest of the country as well.”

Federal intervention, affordability among candidates' top priorities

Lewis George, in response to questions sent by The Associated Press, said her top priority is addressing “the affordability crisis here in DC, which the Trump administration has only made worse by unjustly firing federal employees en masse and militarizing our streets.”

McDuffie said his top priority is public safety. He would add 1,000 police officers over four years and take a public health approach to violence reduction that would include focusing on mental health.

Other candidates for mayor include former council member Vincent Orange and Hope Solomon, a former federal contractor who lost her job because of cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency.

Some residents have expressed concern about how Trump will react to pushback. Pat Wheeler, who lives in Washington, said candidates must be realistic. Trump still has enormous power over the Republican Congress and could easily order members to take steps against the city's home rule authority, she said.

Five people are seeking to replace Norton, who is finishing her 18th term representing D.C. in Congress. Norton, 89, faced heavy pressure to stand down from critics, including her former chief of staff, who said she was diminished and not capable of mounting the defense the moment called for against Trump.

Pinto and White both say their top priority for the city is self-governance, along with affordability for middle and working class residents.

Other candidates seeking the Democratic spot on the ticket include Trent Holbrook, a former Norton staffer; Kinney Zalesne, the former Deputy National Finance Chair of the Democratic National Committee; and Gregory Jaczko, former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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This story corrects the spelling of Zalesne's first name. It is Kinney, not Kenney.

The initial quake was centered inland about 43 kilometers (27 miles) east-southeast of Palu, and the U.S. Geological Survey said it was about 10 kilometers (6 miles) deep.

The strong shaking sent people fleeing into open areas in and around Palu, a city of about 400,000 people and the capital of Central Sulawesi province. Several hospitals evacuated patients, some with IV drips, outdoors as a safety measure.

Four regencies close to the epicenter — with a combined population of 1.3 million — have yet to be fully assessed, but a preliminary report said at least 109 people have been displaced by the powerful earthquake. At the same time, 32 people were reported injured and rushed to a nearby hospital, including eight with serious injuries in the hardest hit Sigi regency, according to Abdul Muhari, the National Disaster Management Agency's spokesperson.

He said the earthquake also caused widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure, including 64 houses, four places of worship, four public facilities, two bridges, two government office buildings, a cafe and a hotel. A section of a provincial road linking Palu city and its neighboring regencies of Sigi and Poso was cut.

The agency also said that at least 55 aftershocks continued throughout the day, raising concerns among residents shaken by memories of a devastating 2018 earthquake and tsunami in the region. The aftershocks prompted residents to flee buildings and gather in open areas.

Images from the area showed heavily damaged structures with partially collapsed roofs, shattered walls and debris scattered across the streets.

“We have evacuated all guests from the hotel, including several guests who remained in their rooms,” said Effendi Natali, a general manager of a four-star hotel in Palu.

“They all panicked, which is a natural reaction during an earthquake, but everyone is safe,” Natali said, adding that the hotel sustained only minor damage.

People also moved away from coastal areas as a precaution in case the quake set off a tsunami. Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami but warned aftershocks could continue.

“The earthquake shaking was extremely strong,” Palu resident Muhtar Ahmad said. “We are still traumatized by the previous earthquake, so we chose to remain outside because we are afraid that aftershocks may continue.”

Many Sulawesi residents are haunted by the magnitude 7.5 earthquake that devastated Palu in 2018, setting off a 3-meter (10-foot) high tsunami and a phenomenon called liquefaction in which soil collapses into itself. More than 4,000 people were killed, including many who were buried when whole neighborhoods were swallowed in the falling ground.

In January 2021, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake near the city of Mamuju on Sulawesi island left at least 100 people dead, with thousands sleeping outdoors for days out of fear of aftershocks.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity because of its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

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Associated Press journalists Niniek Karmini and Edna Tarigan in Jakarta contributed.

A small fly has the potential to impart a big impact on Texas’ beef and agricultural industry.

On June 3, the New World screwworm was detected in a three-week-old calf in Zavala County by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since then, the agency reported more screwworm infestations in Texas.

The fly poses a multibillion-dollar crisis for the state’s cattle industry, which generates $41 billion a year. It could also increase already record-high beef prices nationwide.

It’s unclear how many cases could hit Texas. Nearly 28,000 cases have been detected in Mexico since November 2024, according to Mexican officials.

State and federal officials are working together to stop the northern migration, which they have tracked since 2023. In response to the cases, USDA and the Texas Animal Health Commission have ramped up animal surveillance of animals near the confirmed detections by setting up zones around each infestation. Animals are not allowed to leave infested areas without being properly inspected.

Officials are also increasing fly traps, surveillance of wildlife and releasing sterile flies, which are used to break the reproduction cycle of the parasitic screwworm fly.

What is New World Screwworm?

New World Screwworm is a parasitic fly that is attracted to living tissue, burrowing their larvae into open wounds. After they hatch, the maggots then feed off that living flesh, causing damage to the animal. If untreated, the damage can even cause the animal to die.

Screwworm can also burrow through openings in the skin, such as the corner of an eye or through the nose.

From a biological standpoint, all mammals are vulnerable to screwworm, including pets and humans. However, livestock and wildlife tend to be the most susceptible because they spend their entire lives outdoors.

Dogs and cats are vulnerable through small wounds or scratches that break the skin. Health officials recommend pets be medicated for fleas and ticks year-round, said Casey Locklear, veterinarian and parasiticides lead for Elanco Animal Health.

“As a pet owner, if you were to notice that your dog or cat had a wound, especially if it’s foul smelling, it’s enlarging, you may actually see the maggots,” Locklear said. “If you see a wound, get treatment early. Whether that’s for yourself or your pet, early treatment is key.”

Read more about the screwworm here.

The Bulls, who announced the move on Tuesday, scheduled an introductory news conference for Splitter on Wednesday.

“Throughout our process, Tiago stood apart for his basketball intellect, his ability to connect with and develop players, and the way his teams compete every single night," Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham said in a news release. “He has won at every level of the game as both a player and a coach, on multiple continents, and we believe his vision is the right fit for our young roster.”

Splitter, 41, joined Chauncey Billups’ staff in Portland last June. He was elevated from assistant to interim coach when Billups was arrested in October in a federal takedown of a sprawling gambling operation. Billups has pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

Splitter coached Portland to a 42-40 record and a five-game loss to San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs. It was the first playoff appearance and first time the Trail Blazers finished with a winning record since the 2020-21 season.

Splitter played for San Antonio, Atlanta and Philadelphia during his seven seasons as an NBA player. The 6-foot-11 center from Brazil was selected by the Spurs in the first round of the 2007 draft, and he helped the team win an NBA title in 2014.

He worked for Brooklyn for five seasons from 2018-23, first as a pro scout and then as an assistant coach. He was an assistant for Houston for one year before coaching Paris Basketball Club to a French Cup championship during the 2024-25 season.

Splitter is replacing Billy Donovan, who resigned after six seasons. The Bulls had conversations with Donovan about returning, but he decided to step aside rather than work with a new front office.

“The Bulls represent everything I love about this game, carrying a proud tradition, a passionate city and a young, hungry group of players ready to grow," Splitter said in the news release. "I’m grateful for the trust this organization has placed in me.”

Chicago allowed 121.5 points per game this season, ranking 28th overall in the NBA. The Bulls finished with a 31-51 record while missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

Graham was hired on May 4. Stephen Mervis and Acie Law IV joined the team’s revamped front office on May 19.

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

The Texas Education Agency published results from the annual State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, for grades 3–8, which aim to measure whether students learn material in core subjects at levels appropriate for their grade. High school results released last week showed gains in all areas.

This year’s results show children making some progress but that more work remains, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement.

“We are encouraged by continued gains in mathematics,” Morath said, “especially with the growing number of students participating and succeeding in advanced mathematics courses.”

The state tests showed that 49% of third graders scored on grade level in reading — a 1 percentage-point decline from last year. Fourth through sixth grades remained flat at 52%, 57% and 54%, respectively. And 54% of seventh graders met grade-level expectations — a 2- percentage-point increase — while eighth graders improved from 56% to 59%.

Students’ overall performance in reading continues to surpass pre-COVID levels.

Meanwhile, students posted math gains in almost every grade — except for third and seventh graders, who experienced no change and a 2-point decline, respectively. In social studies, 32% of eighth graders met grade level — a 2-point increase.

This year’s results come after state lawmakers passed a slate of laws aimed at improving classroom instruction, including a ban on cellphones in public schools — which Morath credited for the gains in middle school reading.

The STAAR exam also tests fifth and eighth graders in science. Agency officials said they plan to release those results on July 31.

In addition to providing families a snapshot into whether Texas children possess the academic skills appropriate for their grade level, STAAR results also play an outsized role in state academic accountability ratings.

Districts with a school that has five consecutive failing ratings face the commissioner replacing the locally elected school board and superintendent.

Texas is phasing out the STAAR for three shorter tests that students will take at the beginning, middle and end of each school year. Schools will begin administering the new exams in the 2027-28 academic year.

The move to replace STAAR was a response to criticisms from families and teachers who say the tests put too much pressure on children and that preparing for it takes up too much class time. State lawmakers also condemned STAAR, saying it is not an accurate measure of student learning and that it sets children up for failure.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

“Obsession” fell just short. It debuted with $17 million. They were still thrilled. Barker made the horror film with just $750,000. It was enormously successful. But then something unexpected happened. The following weekend, “Obsession” easily cleared $20 million. And then it did again and again and almost a fourth time — an almost unheard-of staying power.

“It was just like: Holy cow. I didn’t think that was an option,” Barker says. “Now we’ve said if it hits $300 million, we’ll all get the tattoo. We had to make a new milestone. And I think we’ll reach it.”

Over the last month, “Obsession” has sent shock waves through Hollywood. Barker’s microbudget thriller has grossed $286 million worldwide, and it’s still going. On its fifth weekend in theaters, it was second only to Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day,” with $19 million. In North America, it has outgrossed “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.” It’s the biggest hit in the 24-year existence of Focus Features, which has had to postpone the video-on-demand release. It ranks among the most profitable movies ever made.

Barker, who built a following making sketches and short films on YouTube, is living out the dream of every aspiring filmmaker. Life, he granted in a recent interview, is different now.

“My day to day is pretty much the same. It’s just that when I go out in public, it’s a lot different,” he says, laughing. “I actually feel a little unsafe sometimes.”

That’s an ironic development for someone whose twist on an old Monkey Paw story has frightened moviegoers. In “Obsession,” Bear Bailey (Michael Johnston) wishes on an antique toy called a One Wish Willow that his crush, Nikki (Inde Navarrette), loved him. The spell — loosely inspired by an old “Simpsons” Halloween episode — works disturbingly well.

The astonishing success of “Obsession” has been hotly debated throughout the industry. Coupled with the A24 hit “Backrooms,” by 20-year-old Kane Parsons, it’s been a coming-out party for YouTube as a breeding ground for the next generation of filmmakers.

It’s also brought waves of Gen Z moviegoers — who already make up a promisingly robust percentage of frequent ticket buyers — into theaters. Summer has historically been dominated by legacy franchises, but “Obsession” may represent a sea change.

“If there’s a lesson from ‘Obsession,’ I think it’s about audiences,” says Peter Kujawski, chairman of Focus Features. “We have a generation that grew up online, approaches culture with enormous curiosity and playfulness, and is far less concerned with where a filmmaker comes from than whether the story connects. They’re engaged, incredibly film-literate and eager to champion new voices and original stories.”

From YouTube to the multiplex

Barker, who grew up in Mobile, Alabama, before moving to Los Angeles at 18, says he feels as though he’s writing for his generation. The response to “Obsession,” he says, taps into a collective need.

“I get it because I think we’re a little tired of being at home. Our generation is the COVID generation,” says Barker. “I was fortunate enough to have all four years of high school experience. My brother, Riley, lost two years of that. We’re sick of the phones.”

Barker wanted to be an actor before he wanted to be a filmmaker. And while his early exposure to “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” at age 11, helped set him on a horror path, he didn’t begin that way.

“I was a huge Harry Potter fan growing up. Huge. I was obsessed,” Barker says, smiling. “I had all the wands. I would dress up.”

Barker attended film school in Los Angeles for a year, where he met Cooper Tomlinson, a co-star and producer on “Obsession.” The two soon forged their own path, though, on YouTube and TikTok. Their comedy sketch series, “That’s a Bad Idea,” found a footing online.

Barker wrote and directed the 2023 short “The Chair,” which attracted the interest of Tea Shop Productions. Producer James Harris approached Barker about a feature of “The Chair,” but he instead wanted to make a film — “Obsession” — that drew on many of the same ideas. Meanwhile, Barker also made an $800 found-footage horror film, “Milk & Serial.” After failing to secure distribution, he simply uploaded to YouTube. It went viral and landed him an agent.

“Obsession” was selected to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, giving it an enviable platform. After a bidding war, Kujawski and Focus acquired it for $15 million.

“What stands out about Curry is that he isn’t working from an inherited playbook,” says Kujawski. “Whether you look at his earlier work or ‘Obsession,’ there’s a consistency of vision and a confidence in his storytelling that immediately sets him apart. He knows exactly what he wants to say while being absolutely committed to making every minute of his work as entertaining as possible, and he’s willing to take real risks in service of that vision.”

More ‘Obsession,’ but other projects first

Barker’s swift but hard-earned rise has made him the poster boy for a new brand of filmmaker, one who has honed his craft as a digital creator and arrives with an established fan base. Jason Blum, the chief executive of Blumhouse Productions, has compared Barker and company to the 1970s wave of American auteurs, “making edgy movies that are connecting in theaters in a crazy way.”

“When you really step back, my journey is not really that different than Christopher Nolan or David Fincher or Steven Spielberg,” Barker says. “You can watch their early short films and see their work before they were given a chance. I think YouTube is just a path, a platform we can use now to show the industry what we’ve got.”

Now, Barker is one of the most in-demand filmmakers in Hollywood. He has already shot his next feature, “Anything But Ghosts,” starring Aaron Paul and Bryce Dallas Howard, for Blumhouse. Two months ago, A24 announced that he will write and direct a reboot of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

All the attention has taken some getting used to. Filmmakers like Ari Aster and Zach Cregger and even Spielberg have reached out to compliment Barker on his film.

“That’s when you start to feel this impostor syndrome of like: What? It’s not that good,” Barker says, laughing. “All I see when I watch ‘Obsession’ is the problems.”

An “Obsession” sequel is, naturally, a certainty. “A sequel isn’t hard for this movie,” grants Barker. He sketches out how new wishes by other characters on One Wish Willows could lead to entirely different stories, all revolving around some new vice: greed, fame, whatever.

But as much as it’s tempting to see “Obsession” as the product of Barker's own wish, it’s more like the opposite. In the film, Bear’s profound mistake is putting off confessing his feelings to Nikki, thinking there’s plenty of time to do it. (The movie immediately cuts to a dead cat.) Barker, on the other hand, had no timidity about realizing his dreams. He wanted to make movies, so he did.

“Anyone that asks what advice you have for young filmmakers, I always say the same thing,” says Barker. “I went to a film school for a year out in L.A. and I watched people paralyze themselves with the pressure of: I’ve told people I’m a director so now I have to direct something that has to be good. If it’s not good, everyone’s going to judge me. The result of that thinking is two years on one short film.”

“You can’t put too much pressure on an idea,” adds Barker. “You just got to make it.”

An overreliance on oil and gas transported through the Strait of Hormuz left the region particularly vulnerable to shocks from the Iran war, a “stark wake-up call” for its energy security, the report says.

It notes that rising sales of electric vehicles, a renewed interest in nuclear power and a boom in rooftop solar and other renewable energy installations show that the war is spurring change.

But more sweeping reforms are needed. Otherwise, Southeast Asia’s energy import bill could rise to $245 billion by 2035, tripling from $80 billion in 2024, the report warns.

“Diversification of energy sources and supply routes is now a central priority,” said Fatih Birol, the IEA executive director.

Iran war exposes Southeast Asia's energy risks

The energy shock sent Southeast Asia into a state of energy triage, leading to higher energy bills and rising inflation.

In a likely setback for efforts to phase out dependence on fossil fuels, the conflict has reinforced the need to rely on coal during times of energy crisis, the IEA said.

The war is also furthering plans for nuclear power in Southeast Asia, but yearslong construction and regulatory processes remain. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines may be the furthest along with nuclear power plans, but their timelines are uncertain.

“This energy shock is prompting not just the short-term responses. But a deeper reassessment of policy priorities and investment strategies by governments,” said Sue-Ern Tan, head of the IEA Regional Cooperation Centre in Singapore.

Do-it-yourself approaches an option

In the Philippines, which declared a national energy emergency, consumers have turned to rooftop solar at record rates, as a quick, do-it-yourself solution to rising utility bills.

“This is the first time I've seen a demand shock of this magnitude,” said Ivan Cano of the Manila-based solar company EcoSolutions.

The Philippines became the second-largest destination for Chinese solar exports in the first quarter of 2026, the IEA found. Imports were around three times higher than the same period last year.

Consumers have also driven a shift in Southeast Asia's transportation industry.

Electric vehicle sales more than doubled in 2025 to around half a million units, according to the IEA, which found that one in five cars sold regionally is electric.

Last month, Laos banned the import of fuel-powered vehicles for the rest of 2026 to cut oil imports and encourage the shift to EVs.

“The IEA report clearly highlights that Southeast Asia is at a crossroads,” said Sam Reynolds of the U.S.-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, or IEEFA.

Despite the tentative deal to end the Iran war, fossil fuel prices will likely remain high which means “we will see a push towards more ambitious clean energy deployment,” Reynolds said.

IEA says reducing fossil fuel demand is key

To overcome its weaknesses, Southeast Asia needs to reduce its overall demand for imported fossil fuels, the IEA said.

It suggests making national grids more efficient and boosting investment in all forms of renewable energy, such as solar, wind, hydro and geothermal power.

The IEA also recommended prioritizing regional energy sharing initiatives like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Power Grid. The wake-up call from this energy crisis will hopefully help neighboring nations overcome the political barriers that have hindered the project, Birol said.

“The Middle East conflict is both a stress test of Southeast Asia’s current energy system and a catalyst to accelerate structural change,” the report said.

___

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The 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.

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If you’re reading this, you’re probably considering one of our open positions or are curious about what we’re building with ENOUGH.

Accountability journalism isn’t new. KPRC 2 has a long history of investigative reporting, consumer advocacy, and asking tough questions on behalf of our audience. We’re proud of that work.

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Those aren’t investigative questions. They’re life questions. And increasingly, we believe local journalism has a responsibility to help answer them. That’s what ENOUGH is about.

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That’s why ENOUGH is designed to be more than a reporting unit.

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The Iran conflict has in recent weeks overshadowed Ukraine, but following his announcement of an agreement to end the 3 1/2-month-old conflict in the Gulf, Trump said he now wants to focus on Ukraine.

Trump said Iran will soon be “back in the rearview mirror.”

Asked if he would reinstitute sanctions on Russia that were eased to help lower oil prices, Trump said the restrictions can go back in place as more oil moves through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Soon we’ll be able to do that because the oil is now flowing,” Trump told reporters. “We’re in a position to do that soon.”

The U.S. in March temporarily eased some sanctions on some Russian oil shipments as crude prices sharply increased. The waiver has been extended as the war in the Gulf stretched on.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined the G7 leaders for talks on the war in his country that wrapped quickly, as leaders gathered for just 75 minutes.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine is serious about peace while Russia toys with world leaders. “The entire ‘Seven’ supports Ukraine unanimously today,” Zelenskyy said.

The Russian side, meanwhile, is failing to show any serious activity toward peace, Zelenskyy said, calling Russia’s actions “a game.”

Zelenskyy added that G7 leaders supported Ukraine’s need for more Patriot missiles and discussed how to increase production by licensing production. Patriot missiles are able to counter Russian ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine’s power grid and cities.

As the U.S. under Trump has cut back aid to Ukraine, France and its European allies are now the biggest providers of military and financial support to Kyiv.

In Evian, the French spa town close to the Swiss border that is hosting the summit, Trump downplayed the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the U.S. but lamented the death toll.

“The whole thing is ridiculous,” Trump said. “So, yeah, I’m going to do whatever I can.”

Meanwhile, the U.K. announced a new set of sanctions targeting the “ shadow fleet ” Russia uses to ship oil and gas, and the finance networks used by Moscow to evade Western sanctions. The ships targeted include several vessels recently purchased by Russia to transport liquefied natural gas from its sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project.

Trump has been frustrated by a lack of movement toward Ukraine-Russia resolution

Hours before the summit began, Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine’s biggest cities in a barrage that killed 11 people and set fire to a religious landmark.

The attacks on Ukraine's biggest cities came after Zelenskyy and Putin spoke separately by phone with Trump on Sunday, the U.S. leader's 80th birthday.

While campaigning in 2024 for a return to the White House, Trump claimed he could end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office. However, negotiations have stuttered and Trump has since acknowledged it has proved much harder than he initially thought.

Ukraine on Monday officially started European Union membership negotiations, launching a process that will require its government to commit to years of political reforms even as it fights the Russian invasion.

Ukraine sees EU membership as a security guarantee for a stable future once the war ends. Its best guarantee would be membership in the NATO military alliance, but the Trump administration insists that cannot happen, and others are wary of Ukraine joining while the war continues.

Iran war has been a flashpoint between Trump and European leaders

The U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal also got plenty of attention at Tuesday’s sessions, with Trump voicing his openness to sending the deal to Congress for review.

The president made the move at the start of a meeting with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the summit.

“I like the idea, send it to Congress please,” Trump said. He added, “I mean who wouldn’t approve it?”

Republicans on Capitol Hill say they want Trump to provide more information about the agreement between the United States and Iran, with some expressing skepticism that the deal can deter Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon.

Trump also held one-on-one talks with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. The Gulf nations are not part of the G7, but French President Emmanuel Macron extended invitations to their leaders to take part in the summit at a fraught moment for the region.

Trump also expressed frustration over Israel’s continued hostilities with the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, telling reporters he’s “not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah.”

“They should have been able to deal with them faster,” Trump added about Israeli operations to target Hezbollah. “It just goes on forever. And when that happens, it throws a negative light on the big deal. And that’s the deal with Iran.”

U.S. allies also seek rapid progress that could ease the economic impact of rising oil prices caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Macron said France and other Western partners are “ready to take action very quickly” to help reopen the strait peacefully. France and the U.K. have championed a mission to restore maritime security in the strait as soon as conditions allow.

The G7 comprises France, the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom. Other guest nations at this summit, including Brazil, India, Kenya and South Korea, were invited to participate in some discussions.

___

Madhani reported from Geneva. Jill Lawless and Samuel Petrequin in London, Collin Binkley in Washington, Illia Novikov in Kyiv contributed to this report.

Cody Campbell, the billionaire booster who is chairman of the Texas Tech regents, wrote in an open letter Monday night that Sorsby will not be part of the team.

“This decision was made with Brendan and his family and is purely an output of practical analysis of the situation,” Campbell wrote. “Brendan and Texas Tech stand on very solid and legitimate legal ground, but he faces a June 22nd deadline to be eligible to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft, and there is no practical way to resolve all the various pending legal disputes and ensure his eligibility prior to this date. This is the only viable and fair path for Brendan and his future, as well as for his teammates, and our university.”

That came exactly one week before the deadline for Sorsby to apply for the supplemental draft.

It was also one week after Sorsby was granted a temporary injunction against the NCAA, an order that sent shockwaves through college sports because one of the NCAA’s foundational rules, and one found in many professional sports as well, is the ability to ban players for gambling — especially those wagering on games involving their own team.

All the legal wrangling had raised the stakes in the fight over whether Sorsby could play and who would decide that.

Sorsby's decision came on the same day the NCAA and Big 12 Conference had filings in separate courts challenging a temporary injunction that had cleared the way for the 22-year-old quarterback to play despite being declared ineligible after he admitted making thousands of bets worth at least $90,000 while in college. Those included at least 40 bets on Indiana while he was a freshman there in 2022, though none on the game in which he played for the Hoosiers that season.

Sorsby didn't play a down for the defending Big 12 champion Red Raiders. He transferred to Texas Tech in January for a reported multimillion-dollar deal after playing the past two seasons at Cincinnati, another Big 12 school. The Texas native was at Indiana in 2022 and 2023.

Campbell, while not revealing any figures, said Texas Tech will not seek the return of any payments already made to Sorsby through his NIL agreements with the university.

Sorsby, not Texas Tech, filed the suit against the NCAA that resulted in the injunction. But school officials repeatedly said that for his mental health and well-being he would be better off on the team.

“I am grateful for the support from my family, my Tech coaching staff, teammates, the community, and so many others who have encouraged me to address and learn more about this important issue,” Sorsby wrote in a social media post Monday night. “As my journey continues, I remain fully committed to and focused on being the best I can be, both on and off the field.”

Court testimony revealed Sorsby has a diagnosed addiction and anxiety-driven compulsion. He recently completed a monthlong stay in a residential treatment program in Arizona that he entered after Texas Tech was notified in April about an NCAA investigation into his gambling activity.

“I pray that he can stay on his path to recovery,” Campbell wrote. “Texas Tech will continue to provide the support and recovery resources Brendan requires on this journey.”

Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec and athletic director Kirby Hocutt echoed that in a joint statement.

“When Brendan’s lawsuit resulted in the granting of a temporary injunction, we found ourselves in a difficult situation. With his health and wellness as our top priority, we supported him in spite of very different perspectives and opinions. Our position was challenged by many but our support for him never changed," they wrote.

The ruling last week by Judge Ken Curry prevented the NCAA from being able to block the QB's eligibility for what would have been his final college season. Tech is among the favorites to win the Big 12 and return to the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive season.

“It’s been a challenging week for both our Conference and the college athletics landscape," Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement Tuesday. "The Big 12 looks forward to moving ahead as 16 (schools) strong. We wish Brendan Sorsby success in his future endeavors.”

The NCAA's appeal

In documents filed Monday with the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas at Amarillo, the NCAA had asked for an emergency motion to stay the June 8 injunction. The NCAA also asked for a resolution of the case before the start of Texas Tech's season. The trial was scheduled for February, well after the season ends.

Attorneys for the NCAA wrote that the trial court’s temporary injunction "undermines the integrity of college sports, rewrites member-adopted rules of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, immunizes Brendan Sorsby from discipline for admitted and serial violations of NCAA anti-gambling rules, incentivizes a run on courthouses across the country to challenge even the most obvious and straightforward student-athlete eligibility decisions and demolishes the status quo.”

Big 12 goes to federal court

The Big 12, meanwhile, filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Dallas seeking a court order backing its ability to use its bylaws for possible sanctions against Texas Tech if Sorsby had played this season. Last week, the Texas attorney general’s office warned the league of potential legal action from Texas Tech for any such sanctions.

The Big 12 filing names Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee in the U.S. Senate race this fall, as well as Texas Tech leadership, including its president, chancellor and athletic director. It accused them of trying to prevent the Big 12 from exercising its own rules the school itself agreed to long ago. Sorsby wasn’t named as a defendant.

“An athlete with an extensive, documented history of wagering on intercollegiate athletic contests — especially his own team’s games — presents a reputational and integrity risk to the conference and its championship competition that the conference has both the right and the responsibility to address,” attorneys for the Big 12 wrote. “The conference is not required to accept that risk on behalf of its 15 other member Institutions, their student-athletes, their fans and its commercial partners. And no government official has the power to compel it to do so.”

That came before a meeting Monday of the Big 12 board of directors, which is made up of presidents and chancellors from the league’s 16 schools.

In a statement by the board after that meeting, the Big 12 said it was committed to protecting the competitive integrity of conference competition and that, "Universities should not field players who have bet on their own team’s games in college athletics.”

Big 12 athletic directors in a conference call with Yormark last week expressed opposition to Sorsby playing for the Red Raiders this season, and some even suggested maybe not playing Texas Tech if he had.

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Neither player was immediately signed to a contract, though, per sources.

Yarns, the Gamblers’ leading rusher, also worked out for the Denver Broncos. Both workouts went well, per a source.

A former University of Delaware standout, Yarns rushed for 345 yards. He had a season-high 111-yard game on April 16 against the United Football League champion Louisville Kings with a 70-yard touchdown run.

Yarns, who rushed for 2,344 yards and 23 touchdowns in college, is 5-foot-11, 198 pounds and has run the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds.

He signed with the New Orleans Saints last year as an undrafted rookie and was released after training camp.

Asante (6-foot, 218 pounds), a former Auburn and North Carolina player, has played for the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons. He has run the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds.

He recorded 34 tackles, four for losses with two forced fumbles this season for the Gamblers.

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com

Maybe it's the kind of contraption that has carried space aliens to the White House to force a meeting with America's leader.

But come closer and you'll see the contours of the eight-sided cage, 30 feet (9 meters) in diameter and shaped, with careful precision, like the MMA league's signature Octagon.

That is, a STOP! sign flipped on its edge, with wire-mesh sides and padded corners fitted with different sponsors' logos: Morgan & Morgan, Bud Light, Dodge Ram and Polymarket, which identifies itself as the world’s largest prediction market.

Overhead looms The Claw, a four-sided mass that arcs more than 90 feet (27 meters) into the air and features lights, speakers, thick snakes of wiring and four large screens so fans not seated right next to the Octagon can follow the cage fighting below.

Think more of the four-sided, metal grabby thing that tries to grasp stuffed animals at a video arcade rather than what house cats have — hence the extraterrestrial vibes.

And surrounding all that are risers filled with gray folding chairs forming a temporary arena expected to seat 4,000-plus people for the seven UFC fights being staged on Sunday to celebrate the 80th birthday of President Donald Trump and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s signing.

‘Quite attractive to a lot of people’

For non-UFC fans, all of this might be disorienting under any circumstances. But the temporary arena is covering nearly the entirety of the White House's South Lawn, where Marine One usually lands to ferry the president to out-of-town trips and gobs of kids scramble in the grass during the Easter Egg Roll every spring.

More than $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have been poured into building the arena, according to a court filing from the National Park Service, which oversees the South Lawn and is contesting a lawsuit meant to block the event.

The White House says the UFC is covering the costs, though the filing states that seven agencies — including the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration — have “allocated significant resources and manpower.”

Fighters, their entourages and assorted support staffers are expected to take over the driveway and part of the West Wing when they're not fighting. But they'll enter the arena via curtained-off walkways with access to the Octagon.

They, as well as ordinary attendees of Sunday's spectacle, will have picturesque views of the White House's Executive Residence and its storied Truman Balcony on one side and the Washington Monument towering in the distance on the other. All of it will be accentuated by swirling spotlights, and perhaps even sweat and blood pouring off the fighters pummeling each other.

A packed pre-event schedule includes a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial with UFC chief Dana White and the fighters on Friday night.

There's also a ceremonial weigh-in for combatants on Saturday at the Ellipse, a park near the White House, where organizers expect 120,000-plus visitors to watch Sunday night's proceedings on large screens after winning free tickets in a lottery.

Stunt athlete Travis Pastrana is also set to do a potentially death-defying backflip on a dirt bike on the White House lawn as part of the preshow extravaganza.

Trump has called the Octagon and its Claw “quite attractive to a lot of people.” He's even suggested that maybe the temporary structure could become permanent, like the Eiffel Tower, which he notes was originally built as part of the 1889 World's Fair but then was never taken back down.

Only the president knows how serious that suggestion really is.

The fights will go on rain or shine — despite a lack of covering

Work on the arena began May 20 and has continued for weeks. During a walk-through for reporters on Thursday, construction noises — particularly sanding and hammering — could be heard. Giant cranes were carrying materials around overhead, though that was for the $400 million ballroom that Trump is building nearby, not the UFC fight.

The remaining grassy lawn around the arena, on the other sides of the White House, has been fitted with supplemental spotlights. But the grass that normally grows between the White House and the start of the risers for the arena is now gone, with nothing but dusty dirt that will need to be resodded when this is all over — unless the president really does decide to leave the arena up permanently.

There's also a large Freedom 250 logo standing between the White House and the arena. Nearby, crews removed the tables and yellow patio umbrellas from Trump’s refurbished Rose Garden and were power-washing that space, as well as the colonnade to the Oval Office, in preparation for the fights.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a cooperation agreement with UFC that will see both institutions provide fight training and health and diet regimens, while promoting teamwork and leadership among youth around the world.

“We are so polarized,” Rubio said. “There are only a handful of things that bring people together in one place at one time, united by their interest in one thing. We need more of those.”

Later Thursday, crews began testing the sound system, unleashing a deep rumbling — and sometimes unsettling bass notes — throughout the West Wing. During a subsequent Oval Office event, the music from the lawn was loud enough that the 1970s hit "Boys are Back in Town” rollicked in the background as Trump spoke.

Sunday's event starts at 8 p.m. ET. As darkness falls, crews will illuminate The Claw in red, white and blue, and the mass of lights will offer projections that make it seem as though the entire structure has been enveloped in a twirling stars and stripes pattern.

The weather forecast calls for hot and muggy conditions with thunderstorms possible. The underside of The Claw's tower features an overhead cover that should keep the fighters reasonably dry should it rain — and Trump is also likely to watch from a protected, covered area.

But everyone else would almost certainly get wet.

White has vowed that even heavy lightning — when The Claw might make a conspicuous target for bolts — wouldn't stop the show.

“I don’t care if it snows," White said.

___

This story was first published on June 11, 2026. It was published again on June 16, 2026, to delete an incorrect reference to Corona Extra being a sponsor of the event. Corona Extra was not a sponsor.

It doesn’t have to be that way, said Aaron Owens Mayhew, a dietitian and long-haul trekker in Orcutt, California.

“It always made me sad that people who train so hard, they exercise, they eat well at home, and then they go backpacking and pick up honey buns,” Owens Mayhew said.

Getting outside generally improves mental and physical health. But too often, campers and hikers resort to the convenience of processed foods high in saturated fat, salt and sugar.

Here’s how to rethink campsite cooking to eat healthy while acting healthy.

Eat outdoors what you eat at home

Many people rightly assume that a little processed food is fine, especially when you're exerting outsize energy that can help counter excess calories. The problem lies in the way the body processes it, said Owens Mayhew, who founded Backcountry Foodie, a website dedicated to bringing nutrition to the trail.

Simple carbohydrates like sugary baked goods and candy bars can cause rapid blood glucose spikes followed by a sharp drop, leaving hikers more fatigued than before. Meanwhile, heavily processed foods tend to be dense in calories but lacking the vitamins, minerals and protein the body needs to perform well.

A healthy diet can provide consistent energy throughout the day and improved recovery.

“I like to think of food as one variable that can be controlled, unlike a sprained ankle or bad weather,” Owens Mayhew said.

She said the best way to eat in the wilderness is to find ways to continue eating the food you normally do at home. Instead of frying bacon and eggs on the fire because that’s what you did at camp as a kid, have that bran cereal you eat every morning, this time with powdered milk (find it in the baking aisle).

Many of the recipes on Owens Mayhew's website are healthier versions of her family’s classic recipes, including tuna casserole, garlic-Parmesan noodles and sweet potato casserole. As a supplement to grilled meat or fish, she suggested packing instant brown rice, quinoa and couscous, which are lightweight, healthy and require only boiled water.

To boost flavor, add fresh ginger, herbs, or garlic or onion powder. Adding nuts, dried mushrooms, grated Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes or dried fruit turns the starch into a meal of its own.

Prep meals at home and assemble at camp

Cooking at camp is much harder than when you’re comfortably home in your kitchen, so winging it is usually a bad idea, said Rashad Frazier, founder of Camp Yoshi, a gourmet adventure outfitter.

Well before a trip, take time to plan meals and prep as many ingredients as will stay fresh in zip-top bags or containers. Chopping onions or grating fresh ginger at home frees time to enjoy the sunset and spend time with family when you're outdoors.

“There’s no extra bonus points for cutting onions and making mango chutney at camp,” he said.

Frazier's cookbook, “Cook Out,” devotes a section to pantry ingredients that can be prepped at home. His universal spice mix, salsa verde, chutneys, curry paste, pickled onions and other flavor boosters pack a punch without adding many calories. They can be mixed and matched, he said, with whatever meat, vegetables or grains you have.

Also, always have an emergency backup meal for when bad weather or other factors ruin your plans, Frazier said. His is a Bolognese sauce that he keeps in the freezer until leaving. But a homemade pureed soup or even peanut butter and jelly can be a lifesaver.

“Have that one dish that’s always like, in the event of emergency, break glass, eat this,” he said.

Two recipes to elevate campsite cooking:

Rashad Frazier’s Universal Camping Spice Mix

From the cookbook “Cook Out "

Ingredients

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon thyme

1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder

1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder

1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne (adjust to spice preference)

Directions

Mix at home and put into a sealed container. Rub onto any meat, fish or vegetable before cooking on a well-oiled grill.

___

Backcountry Foodie’s Parmesan Pesto Ramen

One serving

Ingredients:

1 package ramen noodles

2 tablespoons pine nuts or almonds

1 tablespoon dried basil (or 2 tablespoons fresh, if available)

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 oz water

Directions

At home, discard the ramen’s high-salt seasoning packet. Create a pesto packet by putting the nuts, herbs, garlic and cheese into a small baggie. At camp, boil water to cook the pasta, discard the water when tender, and stir in the pesto packet and oil. Tear fresh basil if you have it and stir it in.

___

The recipe for Universal Camping Spice Mix is excerpted from “Cook Out: Recipes and Tips for the Great Outdoors” by Rashad Frazier, courtesy of 4 Color Books.

The recipe for Parmesan Pesto Ramen comes from the website “Backcountry Foodie."

___

EDITOR’S NOTE: Albert Stumm writes about food, travel and wellness. Find his work at https://www.albertstumm.com

George was convicted on March 20 after a trial centered on allegations that he unlawfully moved campaign funds through personal accounts. The charges are third-degree felonies under Texas law.

• Fort Bend County Judge KP George suspended after felony conviction last month

He now faces a sentence ranging from probation to up to 10 years in prison, along with a possible fine of up to $10,000.

The sentencing hearing comes months after George was suspended from office following his conviction.

Special prosecutor Brian Wice, who is a part of the prosecution team, recently spoke with KPRC 2 reporter Bill Spencer about the case and why the convictions resulted in money laundering charges.

Wice explained that money laundering charges can apply when funds obtained through unlawful activity are moved or transferred in a way that conceals their origin or nature.

• Fort Bend County Judge KP George found guilty in money laundering case tied to campaign finances

Another aspect of the case that has generated questions is why a judge, rather than the jury that convicted George, will determine his sentence.

Under Texas law, a defendant can elect to have either a jury or a judge assess punishment. In George’s case, the sentencing decision will be made by the judge presiding over the case.

The outcome of Tuesday’s hearing could determine whether George serves prison time, receives probation, or faces another form of punishment allowed under state law.

• KP George KO’d in primary race for reelection as Fort Bend County Judge

KPRC 2 reached out to George’s defense attorney for comment ahead of the sentencing hearing but did not receive a response.

George has maintained his innocence throughout the legal proceedings and is expected to have the opportunity to appeal his conviction.

President Donald Trump is at the center of each contest.

In the Senate race, the president made a late endorsement of Rep. Mike Collins, a second-term congressman who calls himself a “MAGA warrior,” over Derek Dooley, a first-time candidate and former football coach who has the backing of outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp.

Trump picked his candidate for governor 10 months ago, endorsing Burt Jones, the Georgia lieutenant governor who was part of Trump’s attempt to overturn his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden. In that race, it was Kemp who made a late-hour endorsement, announcing his support for Jones on Sunday.

The power of Trump's endorsement — and Kemp's — is being tested by billionaire Rick Jackson, whose campaign has spent more than $100 million, mostly out of his own pocket, to win the nomination.

Senate contest previews a titanic fall fight

Georgia is key to the national fight for control of Capitol Hill. Ossoff, first elected in the 2020 cycle, is the only Democratic senator running in a state Trump won in 2024; Democrats desperately need to keep his seat if they hope to notch a net gain of four seats they’d need for a majority.

Republicans’ choice hinges on a familiar debate over electability, with Dooley, 58, insisting his newcomer status is a benefit.

“We have got to get the best candidate to beat Jon Ossoff,” Dooley said Monday in one of his final campaign stops before Tuesday's polls open. “The Republican Party has not won a Senate race in 10 years. ... We have to learn some lessons from that.”

He fleshes out the argument using football metaphors from his lifetime association with the sport.

“You’ve got to have somebody who can stay on offense” against Ossoff, Dooley often tells voters.

Before becoming a college and NFL coach himself, Dooley hailed from a storied family in Georgia sports lore. His father was legendary University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley.

The younger Dooley also has criticized Collins for a House ethics complaint accusing the congressman of abusing taxpayer money by paying the girlfriend of a former top aide for a congressional job she allegedly did not perform. An initial inquiry yielded a referral of the matter to the House ethics committee.

Collins, the son of a congressman, celebrated his endorsement from Trump. But he argues that his record actually makes for the best contrast with Ossoff, especially on immigration, and can attract a broader coalition.

“We’ve got a great organization with the right voting record and the right message,” he said during his closing runoff swing.

Collins, 58, sponsored the 2025 Laken Riley Act, which requires immigrants accused of certain crimes to be held without bond. The law is named for a Georgia nursing student killed in 2021 by a man who had entered the U.S. illegally. Ossoff voted against the measure before flipping to back it after Trump returned to the White House.

Collins also emphasizes his ownership of a trucking company, saying it's exposed him to the struggles workers and business owners endure. “We must protect Americans first, protect our people, put them first, get the federal government off the backs of hardworking men and women out there,” he said.

Whoever wins the nomination will face an immediate campaign finance gap and depend heavily on national GOP resources. By the end of May, neither GOP hopeful had reached $5 million in fundraising and both had less than $2 million on hand. Through late April, the last time Ossoff had to file before his uncontested primary, the senator had raised $60.4 million and had $32.5 million on hand.

Gubernatorial primary is a unique challenge for Trump

The president’s preferred primary candidates have a strong record so far in 2026. But none have faced a self-funded rival with Jackson’s spending power.

Jackson, a 71-year-old businessman, amassed a fortune from his company that provides contract healthcare personnel, and he's used it to blanket television and online platforms with ads. Appealing to hard core Trump supporters, he’s pledged that immigrants in Georgia illegally will be “deported or departed.” He promises a slew of tax cuts. And previewing a potential general election argument, he’s played up his biography as a product of the state foster care system and featured his grandchildren advising him on how to make friendlier ads.

Jones, 47, comes from a wealthy family but is running a more modest campaign. Framing himself as a “proven leader,” Jones proposes eliminating Georgia’s state income tax — without detailing how he’d make up the revenue. And he trumpets his presidential seal of approval and time as a University of Georgia football player in the 1990s. As lieutenant governor, Jones pushed legislation that ultimately did not pass but would have disqualified Jackson’s company from receiving taxpayer-funded contracts.

Trump did not travel to Georgia to campaign with Jones but he's given the lieutenant governor a fresh round of social media accolades and called in to a tele-rally during the early voting period.

“Burt was strongly committed to my Campaign in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and worked tirelessly to help us WIN. He has been with us from the very beginning,” Trump posted on Truth Social last week.

Runoffs for elections chief carry 2028 undertones

Georgia's secretary of state election is open for the first time since Trump’s attempts to subvert the 2020 election, famously pressuring outgoing Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 11,800 votes” to overtake Biden. Raffensberger refused.

For his potential successor, Republicans are left to choose between an outright election denier, Vernon Jones, and a state lawmaker, Tim Fleming, who avoids explicitly disputing the president’s 2020 election lies.

Jones, a perennial candidate who was once a Democrat, embraced Trump’s “stop the steal” movement and says he stands “with those who believe there was election fraud.” Fleming, who once served as deputy secretary of state, says there were “irregularities” in 2020, a word choice that has become code for Republicans who want neither to ratify nor call out Trump’s errant claims.

Democrats will choose between Dana Barrett, a Fulton County commissioner, and Penny Brown Reynolds, a former state judge in Fulton County who also served in the Biden administration as deputy assistant secretary for civil rights for the Department of Agriculture.

“The more God trusts you, the more he will bless you, but he has to trust you with what he’s going to give,” Harvey told The Associated Press after a recent appearance at the Social Innovation Summit in Atlanta. “And a part of what he is going to give to you is going to require that you take a portion of it and return the favor.”

Zeev Klein, CEO of Landmark Ventures and founder and curator of the Social Innovation Summit, said Harvey’s message is an important one at a time when we face so many urgent challenges.

“Steve has an extraordinary ability to meet the moment with honesty, empathy, and clarity,” Klein said. “He doesn’t just speak to an audience, he connects people in a way that moves conversations forward.”

The longtime host of “Family Feud” and star of numerous movies and TV shows, Harvey takes giving back very seriously, especially through The Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation, which he started with his wife. And he has made sure that his children also take philanthropy very seriously.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Can you talk about why philanthropy is so important to you?

I think I got that from my mother. She always raised me to believe that God blesses you to become a blessing. You have to give to people without expecting anything in return. It’s your job. When you give to somebody you don’t have the right to make the determination what they need it for. (People say,) “He ain’t gonna do nothing but buy some beer. He ain’t gonna do nothing but get drunk. He gonna get high.” That ain’t your business, right? If you do it with the intent to help, the reward is given back to you.

In today’s society, though, there is a lot of discussion about whether the people receiving help are worthy of being helped.

People who don’t know what it is like to be without, they come from a different perspective. They don’t know what it is to grovel. So, we have to start developing some type of understanding with one another. OK, you may not have grown up poor, but suppose you learn what a lot of poor people go through? That would eventually have an effect on you if you were human. But when you don’t listen to them, you don’t want to hear their story, then you keep acting as though you’ve been rich the whole time. That’s the problem we have today.

How were you able to avoid that problem with your children?

Most decent parents want their children to live better than them. My father wanted me to have a better life than him. They didn’t want me to struggle like they did. I did that for my kids. None of my kids really had to grow up poor. Each one of my children had a room with a bathroom in it. Each one had their own desk and computer. I gave them a lot. And sometimes I overdid it, especially the girls. Lord, I just don’t know how to tell my daughters, “No.” That’s my problem. But I taught them: You don’t have the right to think you are better than anybody else. You just hit the jackpot, I’m your daddy. That’s your black card. You really don’t deserve nothing you have. I taught them all this: “Justice is when you get what you deserve. Mercy is when you don’t get what you deserve. But grace is when you get what don’t you deserve.” My children were born into grace. They didn’t have to work to have. I did all of that. That’s how I raised them and that’s why they have good heads on their shoulders.

Is that what you teach in your foundation’s annual mentorship camp, which starts in Atlanta on June 17?

It’s funny you asked me that because I’ve had to change the messaging over the years. It’s a different boy that comes to this camp now. And I guess the only way I can tell it to you is just that it’s a softer boy that’s being raised now. We used to go right into the tough stuff. Now we gotta ease them off the bus. I gotta get up on the bus and give them a little speech. Over the years, we’ve had to taper this so much. It’s a softer camp now. But for the five days I got them, we still show them how life really works. You don’t get participation trophies in life. If you miss the promotion in corporate America, they don’t just give you the check anyway.

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Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

Trump has been at the center of this year's midterm campaigns, and his influence will be tested in different ways Tuesday as four states and the District of Columbia hold primaries.

Among Democrats, the primaries will hinge on longstanding divides between progressives and moderates as the party tries to chart the best path forward to November.

Here are a few things to watch as voters go to the polls in Alabama, California, the District of Columbia, Georgia and Oklahoma.

How much is a Trump endorsement worth?

Nothing is certain in politics, but a “complete and total endorsement” from Trump is about the surest path possible to winning a Republican primary.

Rick Jackson is testing that truism in his bid for Georgia governor. The healthcare tycoon, who faces Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in a runoff, has provided most of the $100 million-plus that his campaign has spent to convince Republican primary voters to overlook Trump's advice.

Trump endorsed Jones more than a year ago and reiterated his support last week, praising Jones' “Courage and Wisdom” in a social media post. Rarely has the power of Trump's endorsement been tested against such a lopsided spending disparity.

Jones finished first with 38% and Jackson second with 33% in the May 19 primary. Now the election to lead one of the nation's preeminent battleground states will be decided by the voters who didn't back either of them.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma's Republican primary for governor will test Trump's endorsement in a different way. There, the president weighed in late, throwing his support two weeks ago to former state Sen. Mike Mazzei among a crowded field without a clear front-runner. The race will go to a runoff if no candidate gets a majority.

Trump is used to getting his way, but earlier this month his choice for governor of Iowa, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, lost to Zach Lahn in the state's primary.

MAGA becomes the insider movement and faces an outsider

Trump rose to power as an outsider, the head of a “Make America Great Again” movement keen to bulldoze the old political order.

But now the onetime insurgent sits atop a sprawling establishment. What happens when he endorses an insider candidate?

That question is at the heart of the Republican primary runoff for Alabama's open Senate seat.

Trump is backing U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, a three-term congressman who has promised to be “a warrior for President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda" if elected.

He faces former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson, who is presenting himself as a Washington outsider, trying to harness the anti-establishment fervor that propelled Trump to power to defeat Trump’s preferred candidate.

Alabama is a Republican stronghold, so whoever wins the primary will be heavily favored to prevail in November over either candidate in Tuesday's Democratic runoff, business owner Dakarai Larriett and lawyer Everett Wess.

The seat is being vacated by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican nominee in the race for Alabama governor.

DC mayor’s race features a democratic socialist and a new voting system

One of the leading Democratic contenders in the District of Columbia mayor's race, Janeese Lewis George, describes herself as a democratic socialist, a political denomination that became more prominent with Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaigns.

George’s bid for the party’s nomination is not so far removed from democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani's upset victory for New York City mayor last year. And, as in New York, the race has drawn national attention, including the president's.

Trump indicated days before the mayoral primary election that he might take over the city if George wins, saying “we won’t put up with it.” George called Trump’s threat “an attack on democracy itself.”

The overwhelmingly Democratic city's relationship to the president is a focal point of the campaigns as Trump has exercised broad power over Washington, D.C. That’s included an open-ended deployment of National Guard troops in the streets and his culling of the federal workforce, a chunk of the city’s jobs.

Some residents were frustrated that the mayor, Muriel Bowser, didn’t push back enough on the administration. Part of George’s platform on her website, which heavily focuses on affordability, is to “protect Home Rule” with “leaders that stand up and fight back, not shrink in the face of injustice.”

George and another Democrat, Kenyan McDuffie, who’s focused on public safety, are two of the seven candidates whose race will be the first decided with D.C.’s new ranked choice voting system.

Like a handful of other places, D.C. voters will rank the candidates on a ballot, and if no one crosses 50% of the popular vote, then residents' second choices come into play. That happened in Maine, where election officials started counting ranked choice votes for governor and a key House race three days after election night.

In D.C., election officials have warned the new system could delay results by days.

Election denial looms over race for Georgia secretary of state

Six years ago, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger resisted Trump’s unfounded claims of election fraud and his request to “find 11,780 votes” to overtake Democrat Joe Biden.

Now, in the first open election for the seat since Raffensperger’s defiance, the two Republicans in the runoff echo Trump’s falsehoods to varying degrees.

Candidate Vernon Jones, who was previously elected to the statehouse as a Democrat but switched parties and aligned himself with Trump, has said he believes there were “irregularities” and “violations” and he stands “with those who believe there was election fraud.”

Of four key points on Jones’ campaign platform, three have to do with election management, including stronger voter identification rules and requiring voting in person with limited exceptions.

Jones’ runoff opponent, state Rep. Tim Fleming, has tiptoed around the topic, saying there were “irregularities” in 2020 but adding he’s “not running on conspiracy theories.”

Still, of the seven platform points on his campaign website, four are focused on election management and one says the state should "make it impossible for the Left to cheat in our elections.”

Skepticism of elections flared up recently in California after Trump made a baseless claim that Democrats were cheating to defeat a Republican candidate for governor and another for Los Angeles mayor.

Soon after, the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles, led by Trump appointee Bill Essayli, said it was opening fraud investigations related to the elections.

A special election to fill Eric Swalwell’s seat after sexual assault allegations

Eric Swalwell resigned from the U.S. House in April after a woman alleged he had sexually assaulted her twice, saying she was too intoxicated to consent to sex in both cases.

The Democrat has denied the accusations, but he dropped out of the race for California governor and resigned from Congress.

That’s what prompted a special primary election Tuesday, when both Republican and Democratic candidates will compete to serve out Swalwell’s term until January. If a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote Tuesday, that candidate wins outright, otherwise the top two contenders will go to a runoff election Aug. 18.

The Democratic candidates, favored to win in the blue district covering several East Bay cities, include Aisha Wahab, a state senator, and Melissa Hernandez, a Bay Area Rapid Transit director.

It's a competition between the more progressive Wahab, who's established in California politics, and Hernandez, a local politician who sits closer to the political center. To lower costs, Wahab takes aim at “corporate profiteering” and argues for an expansion to social safety nets. Hernandez focuses on local job growth and supporting small businesses.

Both candidates also ran in the regular primary election for Swalwell’s seat and will face off in the general election in November. Whoever wins that race will take over next year.

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This story has been corrected to show Trump wanted to find 11,780, not 11,800, votes.

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Cooper reported from Phoenix, Bedayn from Austin, Texas.

“Paddington The Musical” will play the Al Hirschfeld Theatre starting in March after wowing critics in London and winning seven Olivier Awards earlier this year, including best new musical.

“The excitement around the show and the sort of joy that it seems to be bringing people has put wind in our sails and marmalade in our suitcases,” says director Luke Sheppard.

The move is not entirely unexpected. During the Tony Awards’ opening number, a Paddington stuffie was brought out by Neil Patrick Harris, to which host Pink responded, “Maybe next season.”

“Spoilers!” Harris said.

Based on Michael Bond’s children stories, “Paddington The Musical” was written by playwright Jessica Swale and songwriter and author Tom Fletcher of the band McFly.

Paddington has been having a revival thanks to three successful movies and an onscreen appearance with Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, just weeks before her death. The bear recently graced the cover of Rolling Stone in the U.K.

“The films I think have looked after him brilliantly and allowed him to find an identity that lives in this moment and speaks to new audiences,” says Sheppard. “We’re very proud to be the sort of the next custodian of him.”

The musical's plot is about this orphaned bear who goes to London and is taken in by a kind family. He learns how to handle his neighbors and new city but they also learn about his big heart. “Kindness is never complicated” is one of the show's lyrics.

“If we’re doing something it’s trying to spread kindness and that is such a simple thing that sometimes can feel quite difficult,” says Fletcher, adds there's a message of welcoming immigrants and strangers also baked into the musical.

“What’s really special about Paddington is that coming from Peru to London looking for a home, looking for family, that’s a very real story for a lot of people,” he says.

Fletcher has leaned on his musical influences — everything from the Beatles and Queen to the Sherman Brothers and Alan Menken — for a score that reflects modern London's varied and diverse sounds.

Paddington — like his precious marmalade — is a national treasure in England but both are less well known in the United States, so the creative team will “get back under the hood” and see what tweaks they may need for a New York run.

“We’re going to take this opportunity not to fundamentally change anything but to consider this a chance to fine-tune and hone and upgrade,” Swale says.

Its Olivier wins included a joint best actor in a musical award for James Hameed and Arti Shah, who together play the title role. Hameed provides the voice and remote puppetry, while Shah — the first woman to win a best actor Olivier — inhabits the bear costume onstage.

The New York Post called it “a mesmerizing fur de force” while The Guardian said “This is the new ‘Mary Poppins:’ a well-known story imaginatively staged, immaculately performed and utterly winning.”

It's creators were pleased to find out that 40% of the audience for “Paddington The Musical” in London was first-time theatergoers and hopes to replicate that on Broadway, perhaps turning on a generation to live theater.

“Most stories are about a little girl or an old man or a very specific type of human and so an audience will naturally gravitate to someone who looks like them,” says Sheppard. “And yet we’ve got a bear who somehow becomes an Everyman and so his story really has something for everybody.”

Jackson, who earned a Tony Award nomination playing opposite Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Alexander Hamilton, will return to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Sept. 8 through Jan. 3.

“I wanted to touch the thing that I feel turned me into an artist in a way that nothing I’d ever done had done,” he tells The Associated Press. “I wanted it to touch this thing again.”

Jackson is the second original cast member to return, following Leslie Odom Jr., who reprised his Aaron Burr last year, pushing the show to the top of the box-office charts again and bringing in over $4 million in one week for the first time since 2018.

Jackson says he was inspired to return while reconnecting with his fellow actors during the 10th anniversary events last year.

“There’s a feeling of being alive in a different kind of way in this show. The timing was right and, quite honestly, I needed that infusion and that challenge again,” he says.

Before landing “Hamilton,” Jackson played Simba in “The Lion King,” Benny in “In the Heights” and Delray in “Memphis.” He also was in “After Midnight,” “Bronx Bombers” as Derek Jeter and “Holler If Ya Hear Me,” the musical that used Tupac Shakur songs. He was a composer and songwriter for the children's television programs “The Electric Company” and “Sesame Street.”

After “Hamilton,” Jackson had a role in the CBS drama “Bull” and HBO Max's “And Just Like That,” returned to Broadway in “Hell's Kitchen” and “Freestyle Love Supreme,” and sang in the hit animated movie “Moana.”

“I haven’t stopped working since I left ‘Hamilton.’ I’ve been very fortunate,” Jackson says. “But there’s nothing that I have done that has challenged me in the way that show does.”

Jackson left the show in November 2016 after having been with “Hamilton” since it began performances in early 2015 off-Broadway. The Broadway show won 11 Tony Awards, including best new musical, best book and best score. The cast album was a blockbuster and the show has toured to packed houses.

Jackson calls the Richard Rodgers Theatre his “favorite building in New York” and the site of the “greatest, most profound artistic moments of my life. I want to see if I can go in there and have new ones.”

Many in the cast alongside Jackson were relatively unknown to the wider world when they hit the stage: Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos and Phillipa Soo. Even Miranda wasn’t yet a brand name.

Jackson — the subject of the song “Washington on Your Side” — will return to sing such songs as “Right Hand Man,” “History Has Its Eyes on You” and “Yorktown.”

He says he'll have to recapture the muscle memory of the show but there are benefits, like that his children can see him play the role as young adults. Plus, he knows his way around the theater.

“I just don’t have to look for where the bathrooms are. I know where all the bathrooms are. I know how to get into the stage door. I know where to park, how long it takes me to go from Point A to Point B.”

The International Skating Union published the lineups Tuesday for the new season's Grand Prix events, listing Skate America in Everett, Washington, on Nov. 13-15 as the first event on the circuit for Liu, U.S. champion Amber Glenn and Malinin.

Skaters can take part in two of the six Grand Prix events to qualify for the finals in Chongqing, China, in December.

Liu and Glenn are set to skate against Ami Nakai, the Olympic bronze medalist from Japan, and world bronze medalist Nina Pinzarrone of Belgium in a stacked field at Skate America. Malinin is up against experienced American skater Jason Brown and Italy's Daniel Grassl.

It's not immediately clear if Liu, Glenn and Malinin plan to skate any lower-level Challenger Series events before that. Liu hasn't skated competitively since winning her Olympic gold medal in February. She skipped the world championships after that as Kaori Sakamoto retired with a fourth title.

Malinin retained his world title in March after missing the medals at the Olympics with a disastrous free skate.

After Skate America, Liu is listed as competing again one week later in her second Grand Prix of the season at the Finlandia Trophy. Malinin's second event is the NHK Trophy in Japan against world bronze medalist Shun Sato.

Olympic gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan is in the Grand Prix season opener in France from Oct. 23-25 and then skates the Cup of China in November.

There's no Grand Prix assignment for U.S. ice dance team Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who have said they're taking a break from competition. Olympic gold medalists Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron start at their home Grand Prix de France.

Pairs world champions Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany start their Grand Prix season at Skate America. Olympic pairs gold medalists Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan retired in April.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Serena and Venus Williams won a combined 21 titles on the storied grass of the All England Club in their singles and doubles careers and now they're going for one more.

A doubles wild card invitation for the sisters was announced on Tuesday by organizers of Wimbledon, which starts in less than two weeks.

The move comes after 44-year-old Serena recently returned to competition after nearly four years away from professional tennis.

Venus, who has still been competing sporadically, turns 46 on Wednesday.

The sisters have won 14 Grand Slam titles together in doubles, including six at Wimbledon — the first of them in 2000 and the last in 2016. Their first two doubles titles at Wimbledon, in 2000 and 2002, came as wild cards.

In all, their records at the All England Club look like this: Seven singles titles for Serena and five singles titles for Venus at Wimbledon; those six Wimbledon doubles titles together; a mixed doubles title for Serena with Max Mirnyi at Wimbledon in 1998; plus a singles gold medal for Serena at the 2012 London Olympics and a doubles gold for the sisters at the same Games. Count 'em up and it makes for 21 trophies and medals — because their powerful serves always did more damage on grass than any other surface.

With their six titles, the Williams sisters share the record for most trophies as a pair in women’s doubles at Wimbledon with Suzanne Lenglen and Elizabeth Ryan, who won their titles consecutively from 1919-25.

The Williams sisters last played doubles together at the 2022 U.S. Open, where they lost their opening match. That was the first time they played doubles together in 4 ½ years.

In her first competition since 2022, Serena won her doubles match with partner Victoria Mboko at Queen’s Club in London last week and then the pair had to withdraw after Mboko injured her knee in a singles match.

Serena was slated to play doubles with Karolina Muchova at the Berlin Open later Tuesday.

Singles wild card spot left open

Serena has not ruled out a return in singles, too, and one of the eight wild card spots for women’s singles was left as “to be announced.”

Recent French Open finalist Maja Chwalinska received a singles wild card, as did six British women: Harriet Dart, Alicia Dudeney, Hannah Klugman, Mika Stojsavljevic, Katie Swan, and Mimi Xu.

Wawrinka, Dimitrov and Kyrgios

Men’s singles wild cards went to Stan Wawrinka and Grigor Dimitrov and four British players: Jacob Fearnley, Arthur Fery, Jack Pinnington Jones and Toby Samuel.

Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion whose best result at Wimbledon was reaching the quarterfinals twice, plans to retire at the end of the year.

Dimitrov led eventual champion Jannik Sinner two sets to none in the round of 16 last year before having to retire early in the third due to an injured pectoral muscle. Dimitrov is now ranked No. 169.

Two more men’s singles wild cards were also left open.

In men’s doubles, a wild card went to the pairing of Alexander Bublik and Nick Kyrgios. Kyrgios was a singles finalist in 2022.

Matteo Berrettini, a Wimbledon finalist in 2021, was left off the list despite a quarterfinal appearance at the French Open. He’s ranked No. 49 but was ranked outside the top 100 when Wimbledon’s entry list was established. Still, Berrettini could get direct entry into the main draw depending on withdrawals.

Wimbledon starts June 29.

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

If you want real-life aristocracy, head to Sweden’s squad.

Gustaf Lagerbielke, a 26-year-old defender who played the entire match in Sweden’s 5-1 defeat of Tunisia on Sunday, is a baron from a noble family in Sweden. His father and grandfather are counts.

Soccer players typically come from modest backgrounds — take Messi and Ronaldo, for example.

Not Lagerbielke.

“I mean, it’s rare,” he said in an interview ahead of the World Cup.

Lagerbielke grew up in Djursholm, a wealthy suburb in the Swedish capital, Stockholm. When he played soccer as a kid, he says he had the family’s coat of arms on his shin pads.

“When I was kid, I wanted to become a professional footballer,” Lagerbielke said after Sunday's match in Monterrey. “They have taught me goals. They are very happy for me and very proud.”

Lagerbielke’s heritage has been a talking point throughout a career that has taken him from Sweden (AIK, Sollentuna, Västerås, Elfsborg and Degerfors) to Scotland (Celtic) and now Portugal.

Sections of the British media reported he was 254th in line to the Swedish throne, though Lagerbielke said “I don’t know if it’s true.”

“But I think for it to happen,” he added, “a lot of people need to go away. And I don’t want that to happen.”

For now, Lagerbielke just wants to help Sweden become the king of soccer at the World Cup.

“To have one of the biggest wins in Swedish history at the World Cup, it’s amazing," he said.

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Ethan Wilcox is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

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Douglas reported from Sundsvall, Sweden.

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

SpaceX said in April that it had the rights to buy Cursor, or pay $10 billion to “work together” with the company.

In a regulatory filing Tuesday, SpaceX said that Cursor will become a wholly owned subsidiary when the deal closes in the third quarter.

Cursor, made by San Francisco startup Anysphere, is a popular AI coding assistant. What SpaceX has described as Cursor's wide “distribution to expert software engineers” is likely part of what made it attractive to Musk's company, giving it access to a new customer base.

When it first announced the potential acquisition, Cursor said the partnership with SpaceX subsidiary xAI would enable it to build future AI products using xAI's massive AI data center complex Colossus, based in Memphis, Tennessee.

Cursor, which started in 2022, helped sparked a trend called “vibe coding” as AI coding assistants have become increasingly capable of doing the work of computer programming.

Cursor competes with other coding tools like Anthropic's Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex but also has relied heavily on partnerships with those larger AI research companies for the foundations of its technology.

It was Cursor’s Composer, combined with Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet, that a prominent AI researcher was playing with for weekend projects when he coined the phrase “vibe coding" in early 2025.

SpaceX became a public company on Friday in what is largely considered a successful debut. Shares of the company have jumped since Friday, and are up 9% before the opening bell Tuesday.

A string of arson attacks targeting a car and two London homes linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had attracted little attention, possibly because the then 21-year-old attacker, a Ukrainian recruited online, was not very good at documenting them.

One video that was supposed to show Starmer’s former car on fire lasted only seconds. The second, filmed in the dark, largely captured the repeated sound of striking matches.

El Money wanted publicity and was prepared to pay.

The attacker, Roman Lavrynovych, was found guilty Monday alongside his accomplice. But the person — or network — behind the online persona of El Money has escaped public blame or punishment.

The plot fits the description of Russian state-backed sabotage, said Cmdr. Dominic Murphy, who has spent two decades investigating such activities — including previous high-profile attacks — and who oversaw the initial investigation into the fires before retiring in March.

But establishing Moscow's involvement is difficult. There is a difference between proving something in court — which could raise public awareness — and assessing such attacks in the context of a wider threat and often classified and incomplete intelligence.

European officials say Moscow is exploiting that space as it carries out a sabotage campaign against European countries that support Ukraine. The Associated Press has tracked at least 192 attacks across Europe since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine that include arson and cyberattacks as well as attempted assassinations.

When asked by AP in June if Russia is waging a covert war against the West, President Vladimir Putin brushed the allegations off.

“What are the specific facts?” he said. “What has been proven?”

The U.K. Home Office called the fires an “abhorrent attack” in a statement and said those responsible have been brought to justice. It did not respond to requests for comment about whether the British government blamed Russia.

Three arson attacks targeted property linked to Starmer

Lavrynovych was tasked with setting and filming the fires over several days in May 2025, according to evidence presented during his six-week trial.

El Money recruited him online and sent detailed instructions, including the locations of the targets and how to mix flammable liquids from a hardware store.

The attacks did not cause injuries or major damage, but the prime minister’s sister-in-law, Judith Alexander, said she was left “struggling to breathe” after smoke filled her house in the third attack. She and her family were staying at the residence, which had been Starmer's home before he became prime minister.

“It’s all dead quiet so far — not a single article or announcement about the incident on this street,” El Money wrote to Lavrynovych on the messaging app Telegram after the fire.

It had, however, attracted the attention of British counterterrorism police.

Jurors heard little about the ‘devil in the background’

At the trial, jurors heard extensive evidence about how Lavrynovych conspired to set the fires — and almost nothing about the person or group of people who ordered them.

He was initially paid to post anti-Islam posters and graffiti in Muslim neighborhoods of London, an apparent attempt to stoke unrest. He told the court he was offered larger sums for the fires — and threatened if he did not comply. His lawyer, James Scobie, said he was a “vulnerable, ignorant” puppet in the hands of a serious operator.

“It must be a bit of a frustration that no part of this case has really looked into the devil in the background,” said Scobie. Without mentioning Russia by name, he said the attacks targeted Starmer over his support for Ukraine, calling them an assault on “the very institutions and fabric of this country.”

Prosecutors, however, did not bring charges under Britain's National Security Act, passed in 2023 to counter state threats, so no evidence was presented of a wider conspiracy linked to Moscow.

El Money is the “central figure in the case but a man or group about whom we know very little,” Justice Neil Garnham said. For that reason, he directed the jury “not to speculate about him.”

There's a gap between evidence and intelligence

Police have “no evidence to suggest that this was a state-backed threat and target on the prime minister,” said Helen Flanagan, the current head of counterterrorism police. She was referring to evidence gathered by police, as opposed to classified intelligence assessments.

European intelligence services say Russia is recruiting people online and paying them relatively small sums of money to carry out sabotage. Last year, a British court found three men guilty in the torching of a London warehouse. Prosecutors said the ringleader was recruited online for a plot masterminded by Russia’s intelligence services.

Murphy said there is a difference between assessing state-level involvement in an attack and using evidence like cellphone data and messages to prove something in court beyond a reasonable doubt.

Sometimes evidence, particularly from intelligence services, cannot be shown to jurors because it would reveal “highly sensitive capabilities and tactics,” Murphy said.

Investigators spend “a huge amount of time and effort” trying to identify the individuals overseas behind attacks, he said. They comb digital devices, online footprints and links among suspected co-conspirators, often working with partner countries.

He said evidence gathered by police showed that El Money spoke Russian and is “likely to be in Russia.” El Money's methods were “very similar” to those known to be used by Russian intelligence services acting in the U.K. Such plots, he said, often have “very senior sign-off.”

But that’s not enough for a jury — or, it seems, to publicly assign blame.

AP asked various departments if the government plans to attribute the attack to Russia or if there was additional evidence suggesting a link to the Russian state that was not shown in court.

The prime minister’s office referred questions to the Home Office, which provided the statement about the case but did not answer questions about Russian involvement. In a statement, U.K. counterterrorism police said a thorough investigation has been carried out and that it does not comment on matters of intelligence.

Officials say the threat from Moscow is growing

British intelligence agencies have accused Russia of probing the U.K. and its European allies with activities just below the threshold of conventional war. Court cases are key to raising public awareness of the threat and can lead to tougher action, such as sanctions, said Murphy.

“We need to keep calling Russia out and we need to ensure our society is as resilient as it possibly can be,” he said, calling for a wider public conversation about the threat from Moscow, including to critical infrastructure.

Murphy was a lead investigator into the attempted killing of Sergei Skripal, a Russian former military intelligence officer, in 2018. The U.K. attributed that attack to Moscow, and it led to a mass expulsion of Russian diplomats — and spies — from Western countries.

Since then, Russia has shifted toward the recruitment of local proxies.

Shortly before police arrested Lavrynovych, El Money wrote to him, promising to pay.

“Don't worry, I won't set you up,” El Money wrote. But Lavrynovych never got the money.

There is “only one winner” in the case, Scobie told the court as he argued for his client, “the anonymous devil who manipulated, used and won.”

We’ve had an unexpected start to our week when a line of storms pounded the Houston are Monday, bringing widespread rain and street flooding.

Now, we are expected to see more rain today. The National Weather Service has since issued a Flood Watch through Thursday morning.

And according to our meteorologists, a tropical disturbance could make Wednesday one of the highest-impact days of the week.

To read more, click here.

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YOUR MORNING FORECAST ☀️

TODAY:82° TONIGHT: 79°

KPRC 2 Meteorologist says:

“Shower and storm chances increase Tuesday morning, mainly south of I-10 to start. These showers will bring the potential for heavy rainfall and frequent lightning strikes. Tuesday afternoon, the rain will continue to develop north of I-10 as a stalled boundary and tropical moisture combine. Evening hours showers begin to wind down.”

Get your forecast details here.

TOP STORIES

LIVE RADAR: More storms arriving today with street flooding possible

See when rain will hit your area with our live radar.

First tropical storm of 2026 may form in the Gulf this week and bring heavy rainfall to Houston

For the first time this Atlantic hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring a system with a realistic chance of becoming a named tropical storm.

A disturbance currently located over northeastern Mexico is expected to move toward the northwestern Gulf over the next couple of days. Right now, the National Hurricane Center gives it a 50% chance of development over the next seven days.

Gov. Greg Abbott issues disaster declaration for Harris County, 100 others amid storm and flood threat

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Monday that he hasissueda disaster declaration for 101 Texas counties as severe storms continue to threaten the state. Harris County is among the counties on the list.

“Texas is prepared to respond to the severe weather threats that continue to move across our state,” said Governor Abbott. “Because of the impact caused by ongoing storms and flood risks, I have issued a disaster declaration for 101 Texas counties to ensure that local officials and communities have access to the full range of state resources and support. Texans should heed the guidance of state and local officials and take all necessary precautions to stay safe during this severe weather.”

ARE YOU A KPRC 2 INSIDER? HERE’S SOME EXCLUSIVES

Check Your Area: Houston Roads Most Likely to Flood During Heavy Rain

CLICK2PINS: SHOW US WHAT YA GOT 📷

See a news story in your neighborhood? Capture a great weather moment? Just want to share a photo of your pet? Send your photos and videos to Click2Pins, and you may see them on air and online!

We’ve had an unexpected start to our week when a line of storms pounded the Houston are Monday, bringing widespread rain and street flooding.

Now, we are expected to see more rain today. The National Weather Service has since issued a Flood Watch through Thursday morning.

And according to our meteorologists, a tropical disturbance could make Wednesday one of the highest-impact days of the week.

To read more, click here.

➡️ Love our morning newsletter? Share it with your family and friends!

YOUR MORNING FORECAST ☀️

TODAY:82° TONIGHT: 79°

KPRC 2 Meteorologist says:

“Shower and storm chances increase Tuesday morning, mainly south of I-10 to start. These showers will bring the potential for heavy rainfall and frequent lightning strikes. Tuesday afternoon, the rain will continue to develop north of I-10 as a stalled boundary and tropical moisture combine. Evening hours showers begin to wind down.”

Get your forecast details here.

TOP STORIES

LIVE RADAR: More storms arriving today with street flooding possible

See when rain will hit your area with our live radar.

First tropical storm of 2026 may form in the Gulf this week and bring heavy rainfall to Houston

For the first time this Atlantic hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring a system with a realistic chance of becoming a named tropical storm.

A disturbance currently located over northeastern Mexico is expected to move toward the northwestern Gulf over the next couple of days. Right now, the National Hurricane Center gives it a 50% chance of development over the next seven days.

Gov. Greg Abbott issues disaster declaration for Harris County, 100 others amid storm and flood threat

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Monday that he hasissueda disaster declaration for 101 Texas counties as severe storms continue to threaten the state. Harris County is among the counties on the list.

“Texas is prepared to respond to the severe weather threats that continue to move across our state,” said Governor Abbott. “Because of the impact caused by ongoing storms and flood risks, I have issued a disaster declaration for 101 Texas counties to ensure that local officials and communities have access to the full range of state resources and support. Texans should heed the guidance of state and local officials and take all necessary precautions to stay safe during this severe weather.”

ARE YOU A KPRC 2 INSIDER? HERE’S SOME EXCLUSIVES

Check Your Area: Houston Roads Most Likely to Flood During Heavy Rain

CLICK2PINS: SHOW US WHAT YA GOT 📷

See a news story in your neighborhood? Capture a great weather moment? Just want to share a photo of your pet? Send your photos and videos to Click2Pins, and you may see them on air and online!

On Monday, we saw stalled vehicles, flooding, and excessive rainfall throughout the afternoon.

Track it all on our live radar:

• Check the latest weather alerts
• Check real-time traffic conditions
• Check the forecast
• Share your weather pictures and video
• Download the free Storm Tracker 2 app

After a Republican primary that focused on fighting Sharia law and diversity policies, the general election for a seat on Texas’ oil and gas regulatory agency is shaping up as a partisan brawl with more talk of issues unrelated to its core functions.

Bo French, a scion of the Texas GOP’s hard-right flank, is now turning his attention to a November matchup with state Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston, after French ousted incumbent Jim Wright in last month’s runoff. Rosenthal, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, is aiming to upset French and win a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission by touting his two decades of experience as an oil field engineer, betting he can win crossover support from voters turned off by French’s emphasis on the culture wars.

French, a longtime conservative activist who recently chaired the Tarrant County GOP, and whose family runs an oil business in Midland, has said in interviews with conservative media that he’s campaigning on social issues because they resonate with his supporters.

“I ran a campaign because I had to win a Republican primary,” he told right-wing podcaster Jack Posobiec on the heels of the runoff. “Talking about the Islamification of Texas, talking about DEI, talking about LGBTQ issues … I think my victory is a testament to the grassroots folks in Texas who are tired of electing people who aren’t fighting for them on any of these issues.”

The elected railroad commissioner will have limited say over such issues, though French argues otherwise, alleging the agency doles out too many contracts “based on DEI criteria rather than merit.” That is only a drop in the Railroad Commission’s $593 million budget the winner stands to inherit — the agency’s largest budget in its history — along with regulating Texas’ booming oil and gas production and a sea of wastewater that operators are scrambling to dispose of.

Next up: Facing Rosenthal

After securing the GOP nod, French wasted no time firing off his first waves of attacks against Rosenthal. On social media, he posted a selfie Rosenthal took on the House floor in 2021 wearing a face mask imprinted with the message, “Protect Trans Kids.”

“This is my opponent. Do you think he is going to make the oil and gas industry stronger or protect the Texas miracle?” French wrote. A few days later, he took aim at Rosenthal for a post promoting Pride Month, saying the Democratic lawmaker “never misses a chance to indoctrinate kids and celebrate degeneracy.”

Rosenthal said he’d ignore the politics. His longshot bid — Texas Democrats last won statewide in 1994 — hinges on showing his grasp of the agency, he said, and courting disaffected Republicans who want to hear about his plans for the state’s oil and gas industry.

“My philosophy from the very beginning has just been to run based on the issues, my background, and my technical expertise,” Rosenthal told The Texas Tribune. “To build coalitions around these specific issues that are for the Railroad Commission, and that the general public, whether they understand the Railroad Commission’s role in these things or not, they’re worried about our energy grid, they’re worried about our electric bills, they’re worried about pollution.”

Nancy Sims, a political scientist at the University of Houston, said partisan rhetoric is sure to clash with Rosenthal’s effort to keep the Railroad Commission in the spotlight, if not overshadow it altogether. The contentious social issues driving French’s campaign will only be amplified, Sims said, by races higher up the ballot that reliably wade into those same topics, making it even harder for Rosenthal to sell voters on the nuts and bolts of government.

“In this office, it would be great if Texans were paying attention to the issues the Railroad Commission deals with, like abandoned wells, contaminated water and the many issues that affect oil and gas production,” Sims said. “But that is probably not the No. 1 issue for Texans when they go vote this fall.”

Republicans shift from Wright to French

Meanwhile, Texas Republican leaders who supported Wright — and previously criticized French in harsh terms — are coalescing around their party’s new nominee as they look toward the fall elections.

French represents the most rightward flank of a party that has already moved dramatically to the right in recent years, sometimes leading to members of his own party to criticize him publicly. Earlier this year, French called for the U.S. to deport 100 million people, a number so large it would have to include American citizens.

French’s newfound supporters include Gov. Greg Abbott, who, while campaigning for Wright, said his runoff opponent “doesn’t know anything about oil and gas” and would “wreck the miracle” of Texas’ oil and gas production — comments Rosenthal has recirculated on social media. From his own campaign account, Abbott later congratulated French on his runoff win, saying Republicans would stay united to win in November.

French also reported having “a very nice call” and winning the support of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who previously called on French to step down as Tarrant County GOP chair after French posted a social media poll asking whether Jews or Muslims were a bigger threat to America.

Rosenthal, meanwhile, said he is sticking to the same plan he always envisioned for the general election.

“Whether we were going to go up against an incumbent we saw as corrupt and self-dealing, or against the chaos candidate, the ideologue … it didn’t matter too much. We were still going to run an issues-based campaign, and I still plan to do that,” Rosenthal said. “I personally wish for a world where government just goes back to being boring and doing their dang job.”

Complicating Rosenthal’s task is that most of the public is unfamiliar with the Railroad Commission, which has had nothing to do with railroads for over 20 years.

Still, he is charging ahead with plans to campaign on under-the-radar issues the Railroad Commission deals with, such as enforcing weatherization requirements — standards companies have to meet to ensure their gas facilities are equipped for extreme weather — and selling voters on the pitch that this will keep energy costs at bay for consumers. He’d also push to impose a new fee for saltwater disposals, the practice of injecting industry wastewater below the surface. That would fund plugging wells, of which there are at least 10,000 across the state. He’d also raise bonds and cash deposits for operators, which would also help fund plugging such wells.

French’s priorities

Beyond the culture wars, French, who did not respond to a request for comment, has pledged to cut regulations on oil and gas operators set by the Railroad Commission, whose three seats have been controlled by Republicans since 1995. He has also accused the agency of pushing environmentally friendly rules that are onerous to oil companies. And he contends that the agency gives out more than $1 million a year in contracts based on diversity, equity and inclusion criteria — a practice he wants to scrap.

More recently, French wrote an opinion piece for the conservative website Texas Scorecard arguing that a plan to expand electricity transmission infrastructure to West Texas could overburden the state’s ratepayers. Some of the state’s most influential oil and gas trade groups have pushed for years to advance the plan, urging the Legislature and regulators to green-light the massive project.

Jerry Bullard, director of the Reeves County Emergency Services District in oil-rich West Texas, said he hopes the Railroad Commission’s functions get their share of attention on the campaign trail. Reeves County has experienced earthquakes, fires and oil wells bursting with chemical slush, which pose environmental and safety risks for his community.

“If they want the West Texas vote, they’ll talk about water and plugging wells,” Bullard said. “That’s what people want to hear.”

Harden was arrested at 3:41 a.m. and booked just before 5 a.m., then posted $100 bond and was released from police custody, according to charging documents, which said he had a handgun in plain view that was not in a holster.

His arraignment is scheduled for June 22, according to the clerk’s office website. Harden is listed as a Houston resident in court documents.

“The Cleveland Cavaliers are aware of the arrest of James Harden this morning and are in the process of gathering additional information,” the team said in a statement. “We are in contact with James and his representation and will continue to monitor developments as they become available. At this time, we will have no further comment.”

A message sent to Harden’s representatives from The Associated Press seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Harden, 36, just finished his 17th NBA season and has the right to exercise a $42.3 million option to return to the Cavaliers next season. He indicated when Cleveland’s playoff run ended with a loss to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals that he would like to remain with the club, which would suggest he’s willing to forgo the option in favor of a longer contract with the Cavaliers.

Harden is an 11-time All-Star and an eight-time All-NBA selection who earned MVP honors in the 2017-18 season while playing for the Houston Rockets.

___

AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.

___

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

Aerial footage showed virtually nothing left of the aircraft that went down around 11:20 a.m. during a routine test mission at Edwards Air Force Base, which is north of Los Angeles. Black smoke rose from a large swath of charred desert near the runway on the base, with emergency vehicles nearby.

Those on the B-52 included government contractors and uniformed military. Aircraft manufacturer Boeing confirmed Monday evening that two of its employees were on board.

After reviewing footage of the crash, it was determined that no one could have survived, Col. James Hayes, the deputy commander for the 412 test wing at Edwards, said at a news conference.

“We lost eight great Americans,” Hayes said, adding that officials were working to notify their families.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, and it could take up to six months to complete an investigation, Hayes said, but shared that the B-52 was supporting the “radar modernization program.”

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range bomber that entered service in 1955. Designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons, it has been used in conflicts involving the U.S. military from Vietnam to Iran.

In 2025, Boeing sent a B-52 to Edwards with a new, modernized radar system. A test team planned to conduct ground and flight test activities on the aircraft throughout 2026 to feed a production decision, the air force said in a 2025 news release. The modern Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system replaced the aircraft’s antiquated radar for efficacy. It was unclear if that was the same aircraft involved in Monday’s crash.

Edwards Air Force Base is home to a large portion of the U.S. Air Force’s aircraft test and development efforts and is about 100 miles (161 km) north of Los Angeles. The 412th Test Wing, which runs the base, also conducts developmental testing of all Air Force aircraft, weapons systems, software and components before purchase by the service as well as throughout their lifespan.

The vast desert base is where Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager reached a speed of Mach 1.05 and broke the sound barrier in 1947.

The airfield was closed most of Monday and all inbound aircraft were being diverted, but it reopened to people coming onto the base by late afternoon. Non-commercial visitor passes for the base were suspended as emergency crews doused the flames.

It’s too soon to say what might have happened.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said he is deeply saddened by the lives lost.

“We mourn this loss and honor the service of our Airmen, civilians, and contractors who work every day to advance our mission,” he said in a post on X.

The way the B-52 crashed so quickly after takeoff without getting very high or going far makes aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti suspect some kind of flight control malfunction.

It’s possible the controls were rigged wrong after maintenance, he said, or a catastrophic engine problem or a failure of a piece of equipment that was being tested.

“I think it was definitely a controllability issue. Now, whether that was tied to an engine failure, a flight control failure, or some new testing device failure, I’m not sure,” said Guzzetti, who used to investigate crashes for both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Although the Air Force has been flying B-52 bombers for more than 70 years, testing out new equipment on a plane can create new challenges.

“A flight test is always riskier than normal operations, so that’s why you have specially trained test pilots, and you should have other safety protocols,” Guzzetti said.

In recent years, fatal Air Force training accidents in the U.S. have included an instructor pilot who was killed in 2024 when the ejection seat activated while the aircraft was still on the ground in Texas and an Air Force ROTC cadet's death in a 2022 accident involving a Humvee during a training exercise in Idaho. Two Air Force pilots were killed when a trainer jet crashed near an Alabama airport in 2021.

___

Toropin reported from Washington, D.C. AP Transportation Writer Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and AP reporters Hallie Golden in Seattle and Jennifer Kelleher in Honolulu contributed to this report.

Not so fast, experts say.

Even after oil starts flowing again from the Middle East, it could take a while for consumers to see a difference at local fuel pumps, supermarkets and other places they shop, according to economists and industry analysts.

Fighting over the Strait of Hormuz disrupted not only supplies of crude and refined fuel but also the supply chains for fertilizer, food and even footwear. Businesses expect higher costs to linger, which means their customers might need to prepare for that too.

“It is not clear, despite three months of war, that anything has been achieved that makes the American consumer better off,” Brett House, an economist who teaches at Columbia Business School, said. “In fact, by almost any measure, not just the American consumer, but the world, is worse off as a result of this attack.”

If the deal between the U.S. and Iran holds, here’s how experts see the war's effects receding — or not — in the weeks ahead:

US motorists can expect some gas price relief

Following news of the tentative agreement, oil prices fell Monday to about $80 for a barrel of U.S. benchmark crude. That compares to $67 per barrel before the war and the price of over $120 a barrel reached earlier in the conflict.

Refineries typically pay for crude oil a month or more in advance, so even after oil prices drop, they won’t immediately be processing cheaper products.

“The tendency of gasoline prices to fall slowly is partly because the raw material takes weeks to work through the system until it’s delivered to consumers,” said Michael Lynch, a distinguished fellow at the nonpartisan Energy Policy Research Foundation.

In places without enough refining capacity to meet their needs, such as the West Coast of the U.S., gas prices will take longer to drop, said Mark Barteau, a professor of chemical engineering and chemistry at Texas A&M University.

In some Asian and African countries that rely more on oil from the Middle East, the supply shock led to school and government office closures and instructions to work from home, according to the International Energy Agency.

“The bottom line is that getting back to ‘normal’ will be a lengthy process involving many parties and countries,” Barteau said. “Getting an agreement between the U.S. and Iran to open the strait is just the beginning.”

Flights won't get cheaper right away

Industry experts have spent months warning that even if the war ended, travelers should not expect airfares to go down immediately.

Airlines typically buy fuel in advance, adjust their schedules gradually and price tickets based heavily on demand, meaning lower oil and jet fuel prices can take weeks or months to get factored into the cost of commercial flights.

“I think it’s unlikely that we’re going to see a retreat or reduction in the cost of flying at any point this summer,” Columbia's House said.

Fuel surcharges that some airlines outside the U.S. added are one of the first areas where passengers might get a reprieve, said Gordon Ho, a professor at the University of Southern California’s business school.

“Consumers are going to say, ‘Wait a minute, why are you still charging me a fuel surcharge?’” Ho said.

Pressure on grocery prices will likely continue

Reopening the strait is unlikely to deliver instant relief at the grocery store, according to David Ortega, a professor of food economics and policy at Michigan State University.

Fuel accounts for roughly 15% to 30% of the total cost of food, according to the Independent Grocers Alliance, a grouping of 7,500 global supermarkets.

But it can take months for an energy shock like the one caused by the Iran war to wind through the food supply chain and raise grocery prices. And once prices go up, it takes them a long time to come back down, especially when the future is unpredictable, Ortega said.

“We’re likely still looking at inflationary pressure on food in the coming months,” Ortega said. “There’s still a good deal of uncertainty about how the reopening will unfold, and it will take time for fuel, diesel and retail fertilizer prices to come back down.”

Rabobank, which is based in the Netherlands, said it expected war-related food price inflation to peak sometime next year in Europe. In the U.S., grocery prices are expected to rise 3.2% this year, which compares to a historical average of 2.6%, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Farmers remain strapped for fertilizer

Reopening the Strait of Hormuz would also be a welcome change for farmers and the production of food globally. Roughly 30% of the world’s fertilizer passed through the waterway before the war began. Prices soared as the supply was effectively cut off, and shipments probably will take a long time to return to pre-war levels.

The consequences of the shortage facing farmers now may only intensify down the road, regardless.

Many farmers around the world are going through planting seasons without the fertilizer they need or paying sky-high prices for both fertilizer and fuel needed to produce and transport their products. The World Food Program of the United Nations expects this to have a “devastating impact” on crop yields — and consequently, food prices and the availability of food — for months to come.

Retailers don't anticipate a cost reprieve

U.S. retailers that sell shoes were encouraged to see falling gasoline prices, hoping they would mean Americans have more money to spend on back-to-school shopping, said Andy Polk, senior vice president of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America trade group.

However, shoe companies anticipate their own costs staying higher for the foreseeable future, Polk said. The group's members keep a two- to three-month inventory of finished products, but their next orders may include suppliers charging more for materials, he said.

Most of the footwear sold in the U.S. is imported, and Polk said he expects shipping costs to remain higher for the rest of 2026 and 2027.

U.S. tariffs imposed last year have made it more difficult for shoe sellers to absorb higher costs or pass them on customers, he said. In May, footwear prices were 5.2% higher than the same month a year earlier, according to government figures.

Shipping industry expects a slow recovery

Judah Levine, head of research at the freight booking platform Freightos, said the Straight of Hormuz closure has affected about 2% to 3 % of the total volume of container ships that are used for global shipping, but higher oil prices and disruption have impacted the shipping industry more broadly.

Josh Steinitz, chief strategy officer of the business logistics platform ShipStation Global, said consumers might notice higher shipping costs and more out-of-stock items online until the end of the year.

“I think fuel surcharges, which then flow into shipping costs, which then get passed along to consumers, are still going to be with us for quite sometime from many of the major carriers,” Steinitz said.

___

Associated Press writers Cathy Bussewitz, Anne D’Innocenzio, and Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York, Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit and Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

The events of June 16, 1976 — now commemorated annually as Youth Day — are considered a turning point in South Africa's liberation struggle against white minority rule.

They ignited more demonstrations in various parts of the country, fueled more resistance against the apartheid system of segregation, and brought international attention to the racial oppression faced by Black people in South Africa.

Fifty years after the uprising, however, there are still concerns about the plight of young people in the country.

Survivors of the protests, experts and young South Africans have lamented the challenges facing the country's youth including inequality, high unemployment, poverty and social problems such as drug and alcohol abuse.

Soweto, one of the oldest townships in South Africa, bears symbols of the historic day which are frequently visited by local and international tourists.

These include a memorial named after Hector Pieterson, the boy whose lifeless body was seen being carried away by another student in an iconic photograph that came to symbolize the 1976 uprising.

Murals and billboards depicting protesting students can be found throughout the township, which is also home to the June 16 Memorial.

But for those who survived the protests, the symbols are a painful reminder of the day that changed their lives forever.

Seth Mazibuko, a survivor, remembers vividly how students fought back against the police, who were using tear gas to try and disperse the defiant demonstrators.

“They struggled with the tear gas because when they threw it our way, the wind would blow the gas back to them, so it was also affecting them,” said Mazibuko. “They then started sending the police dogs to us, we used stones to chase the dogs back to them.”

Mazibuko was detained for 18 months after his arrest and later imprisoned on Robben Island, where he served seven years alongside other political prisoners.

Fifty years after the uprising, South Africa has undergone significant changes but inequality, unemployment and poverty are among the most pressing challenges facing its “born free” generation — those born after the end of apartheid in 1994.

“I would say the issues of poverty and crime are the most pressing ones,” said Sima Poto, a 19-year-old visiting the June 16 Memorial. “It is poverty that is leading many of them into crime.”

Zola Mguli, a 29-year-old who works with the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance, an organization campaigning against alcohol and substance abuse, said he is grateful to belong to a generation that has grown up in freedom, even as significant challenges remain. "Things are not going as well as our forefathers hoped, there is still racism, alcoholism and other things we are battling with,” he said. “But if we, the youth, rise up, we can do better.”

Historian Noor Nieftagodien said the 1976 student protest movement was a traumatic and transformative moment that reshaped the anti-apartheid struggle, placing young people at the forefront of liberation politics.

“This was a generation that was young, gifted, and Black,” he said. “They wanted education.”

“The idea of Black power resonated with this new generation of young people,” Nieftagodien said. “Black consciousness was kind of electrifying; it inspired university students and then increasingly also students in high schools.”

He said that since June 16 was declared a public holiday after the end of apartheid, the significance of the event has diminished, overshadowed by celebratory events that, in his view, water down its political meaning.

“It has lost its meaning,” he said. “What has happened is that we’ve had the day marked with concerts, etc. I’m all for concerts. But, in fact, in so doing, the kind of celebrations that have been organized have been disinvested from politics, from a critical understanding of what happened.”

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

Crow-Armstrong completed the first cycle by a major leaguer this season with a seventh-inning single Monday night, then was promptly picked off first base by Colorado Rockies reliever Brennan Bernardino in a one-run game.

“My excitement was a little short-lived,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell quipped after his team scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 win.

Crow-Armstrong, who was a single short of the cycle Saturday in San Francisco, hit a leadoff home run in the first inning, tripled off the wall on almost the same trajectory in the third and doubled down the right-field line in the fifth.

When he came up again to lead off the seventh, the 24-year-old said he was more prepared for the moment than he might have been earlier in his career, or even earlier this season.

“Earlier, it probably made me a little nervous," Crow-Armstrong said. "I felt like I ‘had to’ instead of ‘I get to' hit in this really cool moment with this crowd of 40,000 pulling for me. I think I'm learning to use that to my advantage instead of me shaking in my boots when I'm up there and wanting to get the job done so badly. It's also a regular thing at Wrigley. That happens a lot."

With both Crow-Armstrong and the crowd fully aware of what was at stake, Crow-Armstrong lined a 1-1 fastball from Bernardino to right to finish the 13th cycle in Cubs history and only the second since 1993.

Just two Cubs center fielders have hit for the cycle since 1901: Crow-Armstrong on Monday and Wilson on June 23, 1930.

Crow-Armstrong was asked what that sort of history means to him.

“I know it’s a rare feat," he said. “It’s hard to answer questions like those when the game just ended and I’m processing a lot. Maybe I’ll have a better answer tomorrow.”

Crow-Armstrong also added a key sacrifice fly in the eighth to cut the Rockies' lead to 4-3.

“I absolutely put up great at-bats tonight and I’m proud of the production that I’ve helped have over the past few weeks,” he said. “But you saw it tonight: The game’s not over until it’s over. I did everything I could to help the team. But I also had a real lapse in focus and that really could have hurt us tonight. That’s what I’m talking about. Not going to dwell on that. Something so simple as someone gets in your ear and says that can’t ever happen again, and it can’t ever happen again.”

Crow-Armstrong has a 19-game on-base streak dating to May 26, hitting safely in 18 of those games. He's batting .402 with seven doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 12 RBIs during that span.

“Watching him every day, he's a player who overcomes your imagination,” Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga said through an interpreter.

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Jimmy Crooks had a two-run double and Alec Burleson added an RBI double for the Cardinals, who won for the eighth time in 11 games.

May (5-6) struck out nine and walked one. He threw 69 of his 101 pitches for strikes during his first complete game in 71 major league starts.

The 28-year-old right-hander didn’t allow a baserunner until he walked Fernando Tatis Jr. to begin the seventh. Manny Machado singled one out later, putting runners at the corners, but Gold Glove shortstop Masyn Winn turned a nifty double play on Gavin Sheets’ grounder up the middle to keep it 3-0.

May struck out the side in the sixth and eighth. He became the first Cardinals starter to get an out in the eighth inning this year and the first to go the distance since Sonny Gray threw a one-hitter against the Guardians on June 27 last season.

It was the ninth complete game and sixth individual shutout in the majors this season.

Center fielder Jackson Merrill robbed Burleson of a home run against Lucas Giolito leading off the fourth. Giolito retired eight in a row before Lars Nootbaar and Winn had two-out singles. Crooks followed with a double to left-center for a 2-0 lead.

Iván Herrera walked with two outs in the fifth and advanced on a wild pitch before scoring on Burleson's double.

Giolito (2-2) allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings of relief after opener Wandy Peralta pitched a scoreless first. Kyle Hart gave up one hit over two innings.

Hart was recalled from Triple-A El Paso when the Padres placed closer Mason Miller on the bereavement list. Miller, who leads the majors with 19 saves, will miss the series.

Padres manager Craig Stammen served a one-game suspension after Major League Baseball ruled that reliever Ron Marinaccio intentionally hit Baltimore's Gunnar Henderson with a pitch on Saturday. Marinaccio received a three-game suspension, but he appealed and remains eligible to pitch.

Up next

Padres RHP Michael King (4-5, 3.46 ERA) starts Tuesday opposite Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (7-4, 3.88).

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Chicago trailed 4-3 in the ninth inning before Pedro Ramírez hit an RBI single off Seth Halvorsen with the bases loaded and nobody out. Matt Shaw then walked on five pitches to force home the winning run.

Cole Carrigg's three-run homer off Caleb Thielbar in the eighth, his third home run in seven big league games, gave the Rockies a 4-2 lead. Crow-Armstrong's sacrifice fly in the bottom half pulled Chicago within one.

Crow-Armstrong extended his on-base streak to 19 games with his second leadoff home run in three games, a 434-foot shot center field off Michael Lorenzen.

Crow-Armstrong led off the third with a triple to center. He doubled in the fifth and singled leading off the seventh for the 13th cycle in Cubs history and second since 1993.

A triple short of a cycle on Saturday, Crow-Armstrong joined Hack Wilson (1930) as the only Cubs center fielders to hit for the cycle since 1901.

Crow-Armstrong finished 4 for 4 with two RBIs but only scored once as the Cubs went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position until the ninth. He was picked off first base by Brennan Bernardino after his single.

Daniel Palencia (2-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Cubs (38-35).

Juan Mejia (1-6) took the loss for the Rockies (27-46).

Chicago starter Shota Imanaga allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings. He was lifted with two on before reliever Phil Maton walked Carrigg to force home Colrado's first run.

With the score tied 1-all in the sixth, Shaw tripled into the right-field corner to score Moises Ballesteros from first.

Ramírez entered as a pinch hitter in the eighth.

Up next

Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (2-2, 5.20 ERA) starts Tuesday against Cubs RHP Edward Cabrera (4-3, 4.86).

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The sheriff's office in Grand County, Utah, confirmed one of the dead was Andy Lewis, an extreme athlete known for feats in BASE jumping, a dangerous sport that involves parachuting to the ground after jumping from a tall fixed object such as a building, a bridge or a desert cliff overlooking a deep canyon.

The victims had been conducting a tandem jump in which two people are harnessed together, according to a social media post by Aerial Arts Moab, an acrobatics company that described Lewis as “co-owner and best friend.”

Lewis also owned BASE Jump Moab, a business that offered tandem jumps to inexperienced customers who would be harnessed to a guide wearing the parachute. Promotional videos on the company’s website show pairs of people stepping off the edges of towering cliffs and briefly plummeting before their parachutes open.

In BASE jumping circles, Lewis had a huge following and a reputation for pushing the envelope — leaping into tighter spaces or deploying his parachute later than his peers would dare, said John McEvoy, a BASE jumping instructor in Twin Falls, Idaho, who has jumped with Lewis.

“He had an incredible level of athleticism and skill that was developed over years of practice,” McEvoy said. “But then he would take an incredible amount of risk.”

Grand County Sheriff Jamison Wiggins confirmed the other person who was killed was Danny Joe Kregle, a 68-year-old father and grandfather who was described by a family member as an accomplished businessman.

“Danny had a wonderful sense of humor and was always looking for ways to make people laugh,” relative Sydney Laverty told The Times-Independent. “One of his greatest joys was performing magic tricks alongside his granddaughter.”

Lewis' other sport made him an overnight celebrity, thanks to Madonna

Lewis was also a prominent figure in the niche sports of slacklining and tricklining, which combine elements of high-wire walking with aerial acrobatics — sometimes at perilous heights.

He went from obscure athlete to overnight celebrity when he appeared onstage in Madonna’s 2012 Super Bowl halftime show. Dressed in a Roman toga, Lewis bounced and executed tricks on his inch-wide line like it was a trampoline while Madonna sang behind him.

“My phone actually rang itself to death three days in a row,” Lewis said soon afterward in an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s late night show.

Emergency responders were dispatched Sunday to a report of people injured in a BASE jumping attempt at Mineral Bottom, a remote desert area near the Utah-Colorado line, according to the sheriff's office.

BASE jumping is far more dangerous than skydiving

Though there's no official tally of BASE jumping deaths, a list compiled by the website BASEaddict.com shows 540 total fatalities worldwide since 1981 — including 30 people killed last year. Prominent deaths include BASE jumper Dean Potter and his climbing partner, Graham Hunt, who were killed in 2015 while attempting a wingsuit flight in California's Yosemite National Park.

A study focused on BASE jumping in Norway, published in a medical journal in 2007, estimated that BASE jumping carried risks of injury or death five to eight times greater than skydiving.

Lewis openly acknowledged the sport’s inherent danger.

“It’s weird to think about how many people are dead, because it’s like a normal thing,” Lewis told documentary filmmaker Ella Warnick in an interview published last year.

Tandem BASE jumping carries additional risk because it straps together two people, one of whom generally lacks experience, under a single parachute, McEvoy said. But because they involve novices, they also tend to be the most low-risk, basic types of jumps.

“Within BASE, it’s a very controversial topic,” McEvoy said. “There’s a lot of people who say it's the stupidest thing in the world and others arguing: `No, we’re giving people the experience of their lives.'”

No one immediately returned phone, text and Facebook messages left Monday for BASE Jump Moab.

Lewis won four straight world championships in competitive slacklining from 2008 through 2011. Lewis set a Guinness World Record for slackline surfing, swaying his feet side to side in a rocking motion that mimics surfing, while keeping his balance above China's Diaoshuilou waterfall in 2011.

In 2014, he walked a slackline suspended between two hot air balloons more than 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) above the Nevada desert.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei didn't say who ordered the Iranians to leave earlier than planned. The team had expected to spend the night in California to maximize the normal recovery process after its opening game, only to be told after the match that everyone must immediately get on a plane for the 140-mile trip back to Tijuana.

“They didn’t even give us time to recover,” Ghalenoei said through an interpreter. “After the game today, they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately.’ It’s very important for us to have time for recovery, (but) we are asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that.”

The Iranians’ World Cup cycle has been in upheaval since the U.S. and Israel began a war against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran ultimately decided to compete even after FIFA rejected its request to move its three group-stage matches out of the U.S.

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi said the team endured five hours of travel and security checks during what's normally a very short trip from Tijuana to the Los Angeles area on Sunday.

“We don’t know why they are returning us, to be honest,” Ghalenoei said. “I think it’s very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us. The decision-making for us is being made elsewhere. We were supposed to come two nights before the game, and we were supposed to stay tonight to recover and return tomorrow at lunchtime. We have no idea why.

"I think our team is perhaps the most oppressed in the World Cup.”

Taremi and Ghalenoei both decried the team's lack of many important staff members — including the president of Iran's football federation, coaching support personnel and media officials — who were denied visas by the U.S., amplifying the team's difficult preparations.

“We have to leave Los Angeles right now, and it’s not good for us,” Taremi said about an hour after the match. “I think FIFA have to help us more than this. ... Everything is like a disaster, actually, for us.”

Ghalenoei said several players developed cramps during the game, which was played in mild conditions. He attributed the injury problems to the lack of proper preparation time caused by Iran's bureaucratic and diplomatic obstacles.

“Before the game, I said we haven’t had time to adjust because of the travel,” Ghalenoei said. “Many of our players, they had cramps, and that’s why we had to substitute them. So it wasn’t for technical reasons that we made substitutions. It was because of the injury and because of the cramp. They will be examined (Tuesday) by our technical staff, but the fact they delayed our arrivals and they are forcing us to go back early without time for recovery, they are making the situation more difficult."

The Iranians’ remaining two games in group stage play are against Belgium in Inglewood on Sunday, followed by a trip to Seattle to face Egypt next week.

Iran opened its World Cup with a disappointing draw to a team ranked 65 places lower in FIFA's rankings. Yet the Iranians also overcame two deficits in an exciting match, getting the tying goal from Mohammad Mohebi in the 64th minute before a strongly pro-Iranian crowd at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, which has the world’s largest population of Iranians outside Iran.

The game was played in a crackling atmosphere created in part by a conflicted, diasporic fan base which remains furious with the current Iranian government, but is still largely supportive of Team Melli.

While several hundred Iranian Americans protested the government outside, many fans from the diaspora jeered and turned their backs on the field during the national anthem. Dozens of Lion and Sun emblems — the centerpiece of Iran’s official flag before 1979 — were displayed in the crowd despite FIFA’s attempts to keep them away, while dozens more fans wore the Lion and Sun emblems on T-shirts.

Yet the vast majority of the crowd vocally supported the Iranian players once the match kicked off.

“It was an incredible atmosphere in the game, all 90 minutes,” Taremi said. “It was like at home for us.”

Elijah Just scored early in each half for New Zealand, but Iran responded twice with a pair of beautiful goals, including Mohebi’s header off a perfect pass from Ramin Rezaeian, who had scored off the side of his boot in the first half.

Mohebi appeared to mime the shooting of a gun after his goal, setting off criticism online. He also made the now-ubiquitous “ice in my veins” gesture originated 10 miles away from SoFi Stadium by Los Angeles Lakers rookie D’Angelo Russell a decade ago, before he held up a heart to the cheering fans.

“The Iranians who live in Los Angeles, they make a great atmosphere,” Mohebi said. “That celebration, it comes in the mind, and I did like this" — motioning to his arm — "for all the fans. Just a celebration.”

Players from both teams embraced and shook hands after the final whistle, with at least one jersey swap occurring. While Ghalenoei sat by himself in the dugout, his players gathered together and walked around the field applauding their remaining thousands of flag-shaking, roaring fans.

Both of Iran’s next two matches are tougher on paper, endangering their chances of getting out of the World Cup group stage for the first time. Iran, Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand have one point apiece after the opening round.

“We’re facing more hurdles, but we’re not going to let that stop us from doing our best,” Ghalenoei said. “I think today was one of the best games in the World Cup so far, and I think the fans really enjoyed it inside the stadium and outside the stadium.”

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Associated Press writer Amy Taxin and AP Sports Writer Beth Harris contributed to this report.

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

Iran's participation in the World Cup has been beset by challenges since the war's outbreak, dividing the community in the United States. Fans cheered and booed loudly while Iran's national anthem was played at the game against New Zealand, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Some spectators held large lion-and-sun flags in the front rows just hours after a court upheld FIFA's ban on the flags.

Outside the stadium, demonstrators contended the team is synonymous with Tehran's government, while fans, their cheeks striped with red-and-green face paint, filed past, saying they were separating soccer from politics. At one point, protesters snatched an official Iran flag from a fan and stomped on it and ripped it.

Southern California is home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran, many who arrived after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Rameileh Jaffrey, 46, of Los Angeles, left Iran a dozen years ago and said she feels the team’s players are aligned with the current government in Iran.

“They are not my team. They are a government team,” she said.

When soccer and geopolitics collide

Event security broke up shouting matches between protesters and fans before and after the match, and were joined by sheriff’s deputies shortly before kickoff. A woman protesting jeered Kia Keanh and his family as they walked by wearing T-shirts supporting the team.

“I’m just here to watch the sport, it’s not about the regime,” he said. “I’m just here for a World Cup game, to enjoy it with my family.”

Some of the demonstrators also went inside the stadium to see the team play, like 42-year-old Ella Bah, who brought extra clothing to conceal the lion-and-sun flag she wore tied around her like a dress.

“We’re not here to cheer them on,” she said. “We’re here to be the voice for the people inside Iran.”

Iran's participation in the tournament has been fraught with conflict because of the country's war with U.S. and Israeli forces. Late Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. had reached a deal with Iran to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz. The war launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28 has rattled the region and virtually shut down oil and natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf.

After the war's outbreak, the team moved its training base to Mexico from Tucson, Arizona, and some of the country's soccer officials were not granted visas to enter the United States. Many in the diaspora have mixed feelings over how to show their support of the Iranian people, but not the government.

After the game, Iran captain Mehdi Taremi said the support from Iranian fans in the stadium made it feel like a home game.

“It was an incredible atmosphere in the game, all 90 minutes,” he said. “It was like at home for us.”

He said he preferred to talk about soccer, not politics, and wants to see the Iranian people united in Iran and outside of Iran.

Iran's coach, Amir Ghalenoei, said the team was ordered to leave the U.S. and return to its training base in Mexico only a few hours after the game ended. The team had expected to spend the night in California to recover, and Ghalenoei didn’t say who ordered the Iranians to leave earlier than planned.

A wide range of views

Kourosh Safavi, 42, traveled to see Iran play from Dallas with his 11-year-old son Jibreel. While he was born in the U.S, Safavi said he wanted to cheer on the country of his ancestors, where soccer means so much.

“They’re playing for the people, and I just hope and pray that they have success, that they can bring the people in Iran happiness,” he said.

Still in their street clothes, many of the Iranian players walked onto the field nearly two hours before kickoff. Thousands of fans already in the building greeted them with loud cheers and whistles.

Some fans said the large Iranian American crowd in Los Angeles made it feel like Iran had the support of a home team. New Zealand fans were also in attendance, and other spectators wore soccer jerseys from countries spanning from Mexico to Croatia.

Some Iranian American soccer fans said they don't support the squad because they believe it is tied up in politics. In the past, Iranian athletes have faced serious consequences for speaking out. In 2022, a prominent former member of the national team was arrested for allegedly protesting against the country’s leadership, and star striker Sardar Azmoun wasn’t selected for this year's World Cup squad, reportedly because of a social media post that angered authorities.

The flag question

The controversy also has been playing out in a push by Iranian Americans to be allowed to carry the lion-and-sun flag at World Cup games. The Iranian American Institute for Voices for Liberty filed a lawsuit last week to try to circumvent FIFA's ban on the pre-revolutionary flag at matches.

Despite a judge upholding the ban, fans held up large lion-and-sun flags in the front rows of the stadium during Monday's game. Others carried the official flag of Iran.

Parsa Ezati, 21, and his mother brought the official Iranian flag to the protest outside the stadium so people could stomp on it. Many passersby took the opportunity to walk over it, some giving it an extra scuff or taking a minute to spit on it.

“It represents the ayatollahs that killed so many Iranians and have massacred people in my generation,” Ezati said. “FIFA only accepts this flag on the floor.”

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AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham contributed to this report.

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

FIFA’s discrimination monitor had called for Shaun Evans to be removed from the tournament.

Evans worked Germany’s opening 7-1 win over Curaçao on Sunday as an assistant to the video assistant referee, based at the World Cup broadcast center in Dallas. When the official broadcast cut before the game to show the video review officials, Evans made an “OK” symbol with his right hand in front of his right leg.

“I did not intentionally make a hand gesture or symbol to communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind,” Evans said in a statement released Monday by FIFA. “The only explanation I can offer is that the movement was an involuntary, subconscious twitch and I was unaware I had done it at the time. Images taken later during the match showed that I repeated this movement many times while holding a pen between my fingers.”

In 2019, the gesture — with thumb and forefinger touching in a circle and other fingers outstretched — was designated a hate symbol by the New York-based Anti-Defamation League.

“Advice from our experts is that the gesture used clearly resembles an upside down ‘OK’ hand symbol used as a ‘white power’ symbol in global far-right circles,” said the Fare network, a long-time partner of FIFA and European soccer body UEFA that monitors racist and discriminatory chants, flags and symbols at international games.

“Clearly this official should have no further role to play in this World Cup,” Fare said in its statement, describing the gesture as “neo-Nazi.”

Evans is working at his second World Cup, and it was his first game of this year’s tournament.

“FIFA’s independent disciplinary committee can confirm that, after looking into the matter involving support video assistant referee Shaun Evans, it has found no evidence of breaches of the FIFA disciplinary code,” the FIFA panel said in a statement. “The disciplinary committee has also taken note of Mr. Evans’ statement.”

The gesture was appropriated a decade ago as a signal for white supremacy that started as a hoax on the far-right online message board 4chan.

“Why is a VAR supervisor using this symbol at a global football event at the very moment he knows the cameras are on him?” Fare said. “We note that in the two subsequent games it appears TV directors have stopped introducing the VAR panel to the TV audience.”

The sign sparked global attention in March 2019 in New Zealand after it was made during the first court appearance by the white supremacist shooter who killed 51 Muslim worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch.

Later in 2019 when the sign was designated as a hate symbol, Oren Segal, director of the ADL’s Center on Extremism, said context is key to interpreting whether an “OK” symbol is hateful or harmless.

At the time, he said: “There is enough of a volume of use for hateful purposes that we felt it was important to add.”

Evans is among 30 video review analysts selected by FIFA to work at this year’s World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“The coverage following this incident simply does not reflect who I am,” Evans said. “Of course, I understand how the gesture has been interpreted and I regret this, however I want to be very clear and categorically say that I did not knowingly or deliberately make the hand symbol suggested. Officiating at the World Cup is the biggest honor of my career and I look forward to supporting my colleagues for the rest of the tournament.”

Australia's Professional Football Referees Association said it welcomed the outcome of FIFA's review.

Evans, a referee in Australia's top-flight competition since 2012, “has consistently represented the values expected of football officials: professionalism, respect and integrity,” the PRFA said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.

“The PFRA celebrates diversity across football and unequivocally rejects racism, discrimination and extremist ideology in all forms,” the statement said. “We acknowledge Shaun’s public statement, in which he addressed the matter directly, and we recognize the importance of fairness, context and due process when concerns are raised.”

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AP Sports Writer John Pye in Brisbane, Australia, contributed to this report.

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

On Wednesday, Warsh may provide the first hints of an answer when he oversees his first Fed policy meeting as chair and holds a news conference afterward. Bond markets, which can swing sharply on a chair's pronouncements, will be watching particularly closely for any signs of which way he leans.

“We expect the press conference to be pivotal,” Jonathan Pingle, an economist at investment bank UBS, wrote in a note. “This will be Kevin Warsh’s first public appearance as Chair. ...We do not really know what his policy views are.”

Economists say Warsh will likely aim for a neutral approach, largely because he is taking over the Fed at a challenging time. Rising inflation has made it all but impossible for the Fed to cut interest rates anytime soon, which could stimulate growth and further raise prices. Hiring has improved noticeably since the beginning of the year, removing another key rationale for rate cuts. And the other 11 policymakers on the Fed's rate-setting committee — including Warsh's predecessor, former chair Jerome Powell — are split on whether an increase in the Fed's key rate will be needed or if it can stay unchanged.

High inflation puts Fed in tough spot

Oil prices have fallen sharply on news that the U.S. and Iran have reached an initial deal to end their war, which could eventually cool inflation. Yet it's unclear whether a permanent agreement can be reached.

“The right thing to do now is wait and see,” said William English, an economist at the Yale School of Management and a former top Fed economist.

Inflation has jumped to a three-year high of 4.2%, the government said last week, mostly because of higher gas prices. Even Trump has backed off a bit from his relentless demands for lower rates, and instead has argued that rate hikes — which the Fed undertakes to cool the economy and slow inflation -- aren't necessary.

In an interview earlier this month on NBC's “Meet the Press,” Trump said, “Kevin is fantastic and I want him to do whatever he wants," but added, “there's no reason to raise rates."

On Wednesday the Fed is widely expected to keep its key rate at about 3.6%, where it has remained since last December. When the Fed reduces its rate, over time it can lower other borrowing costs for things like mortgages, auto loans, and business loans.

Changes likely to dash hopes for those seeking lower rates

Still, some changes are expected, which will disappoint those hoping for lower borrowing costs: The Fed is likely to drop language that suggests its next move will be a rate cut, and instead adopt wording that is more neutral. Several Fed policymakers in recent weeks have said that the Fed's most likely next move is a hike, rather than a cut.

The central bank is also scheduled to release its quarterly economic projections on Wednesday, which include forecasts for how the Fed's key rate will change over the next three years. In March, those projections suggested the Fed would cut its rate once this year. Yet on Wednesday they will likely show no change in 2026, with maybe one or two cuts next year, economists say.

Warsh has criticized the projections for providing too much “forward guidance” to financial markets and leading Fed officials to stand by their forecasts for too long, even as the economy changes. Fed watchers will look closely to see if Warsh participates in the quarterly projections. If he doesn't submit his own forecasts, it could be a sign he will seek to get rid of them entirely in the coming months.

Warsh to bring a new approach to Fed leadership

Outside of policy, Warsh is expected to bring a different style to the Fed than Powell, people who've worked with him say. He wants Fed policymakers to give fewer speeches, have more debates behind closed doors, and will likely avoid commenting on the daily ups and downs of the economy. Powell was relatively plainspoken and straightforward, while Warsh has suggested he sees the famously oracular Alan Greenspan, the Fed's chair from 1987 to 2005, as a model.

“He's just going to say less, because he doesn't find that stuff very helpful," said Robert Tetlow, a former senior policy advisor at the Fed.

Randall Kroszner, an economist at the University of Chicago who served on the Fed's governing board from 2006 to 2009, when Warsh was also a governor, said the new chair would likely focus on bigger-picture questions, such as how AI will impact the economy. He will avoid thornier issues, such as whether tariffs raise inflation, which Powell was willing to address.

By avoiding such hot-button issues, the Fed could attract less negative attention from the White House, Kroszner said.

“He’s going to stay away from those,” Kroszner added. “If the Fed is to maintain its independence, it needs to maintain its focus.”

While seeking Trump's nomination, Warsh called for “regime change” at the Fed and criticized the central bank for not preventing the 2021-22 inflation surge, when prices jumped 9.1% in a year, the biggest spike in four decades.

Yet Kroszner said that Warsh will likely to seek to build consensus around changing things like the Fed's communications policies, rather than imposing them. So far, former Fed officials say he hasn't sought to fire top staff.

“He's not there to break things,” Kroszner said.

During his Senate confirmation hearing in April, Warsh said he would focus on quelling inflation.

“Inflation is a choice, and the Fed must take responsibility for it,” he said then.

If he acts on that sentiment by keeping rates unchanged — or even raising them — Trump could end up disappointed in another Fed chair. He often threatened to fire Powell, whom he also appointed, for not cutting rates deeply enough.

“There's at least a risk here that six months down the road, Trump is fulminating about how he didn’t get what he wanted from Warsh, and he'd like to fire Warsh,” English said.

But the campaign hasn’t dented China’s industrial prowess.

The world’s second biggest economy is exporting more products than ever. It’s just redirecting them away from the U.S. tariff wall and toward more open markets in Europe and elsewhere in Asia.

The shift in Chinese trade risks creating a European sequel to the China Shock that wiped out hundreds of thousands of factory jobs in the American heartland in the 2000s and contributed to the political upheaval that put Donald Trump in the White House twice.

Despite U.S. sanctions, China last year notched a record global trade surplus — an astonishing $1.2 trillion.

Earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Chinese exports are “literally killing a large part of the European industry’’ and admitted that Europe was “slow to see that.’’

The Europeans are clear-eyed now. China’s trade practices will be near the top of the agenda this week as leaders of the G7 rich democracies gather in Évian-les-Bains, France. In briefings last week, French officials indicated that they hope to come out of the summit with a plan to tackle the China threat.

One possibility is that the European Union and others will build a higher tariff wall of their own against Chinese imports. Currently, the EU imposes relatively low tariffs on China under World Trade Organization rules — though it hits specific Chinese products with higher ones (up to 35% on electric vehicles, for example).

“China’s export surge, unless its leaders rein it in, will provoke a protectionist wave against Chinese imports worldwide,’’ said Maurice Obstfeld, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund. “All the more so if the current disruptions around the Iran war persist and cause a sharper global slowdown.’’

Economist Taylor Wang at HSBC warned this month that a China-EU trade dispute could threaten Chinese exports; Europe accounted for a big share of China’s exports of electric vehicles, solar panels and lithium-ion batteries.

The Europeans also hope to persuade Trump to stop targeting U.S. allies like the European Union and Canada with punitive tariffs and to start working with them instead to counter China.

China Shock 2.0 is different — and more disruptive

The first China Shock started around 2001 when the Chinese joined the World Trade Organization and gained low-tariff access to the lucrative markets of the United States and Europe. In the United States, many factories couldn’t compete with low-cost Chinese textiles, furniture, electronics and other manufactured goods.

Economists David Autor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, David Dorn of the University of Zurich and Gordon Hanson, now at Harvard, found that competition from China had led to the loss of 2.4 million American jobs.

China Shock 2.0, as it’s come to be known, is playing out differently.

The first time around China was still emerging as a major player in global commerce. Now it dominates world trade and manufacturing.

China accounted for just 4% of global goods exports in 2000. Now its share is 16% — the highest in the world — making Beijing’s trade policies far more consequential.

China has also upped its game, exporting sophisticated products like EVs and batteries, advanced machinery, software, scientific instruments and putting it in direct competition with the richest countries in the world. For example, Chinese exports now compete with nearly 58% of the exports from the 21 European countries that share the euro currency, up from 46% in 2000, according to a paper last month by researchers at the Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

“The second China shock is characterized by its companies running the board on manufacturing exports -- from low-tech, low-wage to high-tech high value-added industries,” said economist Eswar Prasad of Cornell University. “This is directly hitting advanced economies where it now hurts the most″ — high tech industries such as EVs and high-end robotics that many countries “had been counting on for a manufacturing revival.’’

Germany has taken a hit from Chinese exports

Germany has been hit hard. German companies once grew fat on exports to China but the situation has reversed: China now sells more goods to Germany than it buys. And German companies are struggling to compete with the Chinese rivals in industrial machinery, construction equipment, cars and chemicals – all mainstays of Germany’s export-oriented economy.

Partly because of the competition from China, Germany’s economy has stagnated, shrinking in 2023 and 2024 and growing just 0.2% last year.

The United States is less vulnerable than it was in the 2000s. Trump’s tariffs have kept out a lot of Chinese products. Exports of Chinese goods to the United States dropped 37% from January through April this year, versus the same period of 2025, the U.S. Commerce Department reports.

The United States is also in a stronger economic position because it produces its own energy — unlike the EU and Japan — and is enjoying a boom in productivity and investment in artificial intelligence.

Despite Trump’s tariffs and diminished sales to the United States, China is benefiting from soaring demand for its low-cost EVs and from AI investment, which generates sales of Chinese electrical components and machinery for data centers.

Exports from China to the 27-nation EU climbed 16.4% in January to May from a year earlier. For France, that meant that its trade deficit with China, according to Beijing’s customs statistics, rose to $5.3 billion from $3.3 billion a year earlier.

Chinese policies contribute to the problem

Economists say China’s policies encourage factories to overproduce and consumers to underspend. For example, state-run Chinese banks pay low interest rates to savers but offer cheap loans to government-owned manufacturers. A flimsy social safety net pressures Chinese families to save, not spend, to build a financial buffer against old age and medical problems.

Obstfeld said the policies are partly meant to keep factories busy and workers employed. “The result is an excess domestic supply of manufactured products, which must be exported abroad,’’ he said. So low-priced Chinese products flood world markets and threaten to put European and other factories out of business.

Beijing also has encouraged companies to compete ruthlessly against each other at home. “The rest of the world is ill prepared to compete with these apex predators,’’ Autor and Hanson wrote in a New York Times column last year.

China has repeatedly promised to rein in overproduction and encourage consumer spending – as the United States and other countries have urged for decades. That would make its economy less reliant on exports and its consumers better off. It would also give U.S. and European an expanding market to sell into. “The leadership has long said this is a goal,’’ Obstfeld said, “but they have been slow to act as if they mean it.’’

“Beijing has been relying on the rest of the world to address its overcapacity problem,” said former U.S. trade negotiator Wendy Cutler, now senior vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute. “However, this unsustainable situation may soon change if the EU and others take steps to halt Chinese imports, following the U.S. lead.’’

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AP Business Writer Chan Ho-him in Hong Kong, AP Chief Correspondent John Leicester and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed.

Kurtenbach reported from Bangkok and McHugh from Frankfurt, Germany

• RELATED: First tropical storm of 2026 may form in the Gulf this week and bring heavy rainfall to Houston

Whitmire says Houston Public Works is lowering Lake Houston’s water level, staging barricades at flood-prone locations, and preparing dump trucks to assist with potential high-water challenges.

Both the Houston Police Department and Houston Fire Department have positioned high-water rescue vehicles and boats throughout the city. The city has also activated its Emergency Operations Center.

• RELATED: Flood watch extended through Thursday for all of SE Texas

“We are taking every step to prepare for this weather and keep our community safe,” Whitmire said. “I urge residents and visitors alike to stay informed, use caution on the roads, and never drive through flooded streets. By working together and following official guidance, we can help keep everyone safe.”

KPRC 2 News reporter Corley Peel spoke with Harris County emergency management officials and was live downtown near Interstate 45 North and Travis Street, where floodwaters had receded by evening after heavy rains filled roadways earlier in the day.

Cars drove through high water throughout the area. Some vehicles became stuck under bridges and had to be towed. The flooding forced closures at the University of Houston Downtown, including its on-campus food bank, leaving some students without access to resources they depend on.

Fouad Allaham, a UHD student, rushed to campus hoping to get his weekly food rations only to find the area flooded and the campus closed.

• First tropical storm of 2026 may form in the Gulf this week and bring heavy rainfall to Houston

“I came today to get my rations for the week and I had no idea there was a flood. I just came in a hurry. I depend on UHD’s market for food. I just saw a bunch of water,” Allaham said.

Harris County Emergency Management Director Mark Sloan made clear that the danger is far from over.

“This is not over. We still anticipate some heavy rains with street issues, especially overnight into the morning hours,” Sloan said.

With a flood watch in place, Sloan urged residents to take the threat seriously and follow safety guidance.

“Pay attention and heed the warnings that are out there. Turn around, don’t drown. Stay out of any of these water conditions and don’t drive around barrels or barricades if our first responders and transportation partners put those up,” he said.

• PHOTOS: Houston flooding stalls vehicles, causes manholes to overflow as more rain likely

Emergency responders across the region are on standby and ready to act.

“Communication and coordination with our first responders, talking with our fire departments with their high water rescue vehicles and boats, making sure they’re in position to react and respond throughout the county. Talking with our law enforcement partners with their water rescue assets, talking with the state of Texas on pre-positioning potential assets along the Gulf Coast, because it’s not just Harris County, it’s a region being affected,” Sloan said.

The Houston Fire Department staged several boats and emergency vehicles throughout the city in preparation for continued rainfall and potential rescues.

• RELATED: Gov. Greg Abbott issues disaster declaration for Harris County, 100 others amid storm and flood threat

Sloan’s closing message to Houston residents was simple: “Be patient, drive with caution and heed the warnings.”

Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for Harris County, making state disaster relief resources available to the area.

The accident happened near Kelley Street, or just north of I-610.

Houston Transtar says multiple lanes are closed going both northbound and southbound.

Houston Transtar also says there is a hazmat spill at the location. It is unclear what the truck was carrying that spilled in the accident.

Prepare for delays and seek an alternate route.

The planned hours of operation on Tuesday are from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. instead of the normal 12:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“The shortened hours of operation remain subject to change if the weather conditions are unfavorable to a safe environment for attendees,” the FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee says.

• RELATED: FIFA Fan Fest to close Monday as Houston faces forecasted thunderstorms

FIFA officials say they will continue to monitor weather conditions.

The FIFA Fan Festival was closed on Monday due to the anticipated severe weather. Monday’s closure also comes after weather repeatedly disrupted activities at the festival on Sunday, when organizers temporarily cleared the grounds twice because of lightning in the area.

New York has reached the WNBA Finals in each of those seasons, winning once and losing once. The Liberty players didn't want to think that far ahead after clinching their spot Sunday in the mid-season tournament title game. Still it's hard to ignore the success considering New York has won seven straight games and finally had their entire roster healthy for the victory over Washington.

The Commissioner's Cup first started being played in 2021 and one or both teams have gone to play for the WNBA championship three times — in 2022-24. New York beat Las Vegas in 2023 before losing to Minnesota the next season in the Commissioner's Cup finale. The Liberty avenged that loss by beating the Lynx for their first WNBA championship later that season.

“It’s a pretty high number of teams that go to the Commissioner’s Cup championship that play in the (WNBA) finals,” Liberty center Jonquel Jones said.

New York is still waiting to see who and where it will play. Las Vegas was routed by Dallas on Monday night and is tied with Minnesota atop the Western Conference. The Aces have the tiebreaker with the Lynx after beating them the other day. Las Vegas plays Phoenix on Wednesday and Minnesota vists Los Angeles.

The first tiebreaker for determining who would host the championship game is regular-season winning percentage through Wednesday night. The second one is point-differential in Commissioner Cup games.

Behind the scenes

ESPN will show a four-part series on the Toronto Tempo and how the first WNBA team outside of the United States was built from the ground up.

“With the incredible growth of the WNBA and women’s basketball, this is the perfect time to showcase the launch of Canada’s first WNBA franchise,” said Lindsay Rovegno, Vice President & Executive Producer, ESPN Originals. “Setting the Tempo presents a rare opportunity for fans to see what it truly takes to build a successful organization, shining a spotlight on the female executives whose decisions and vision are laying the foundation for the future.”

Power poll rankings

Las Vegas takes over the top spot after edging Minnesota 100-97 on Saturday night. The Aces were followed by the Lynx, New York, Atlanta and Dallas. Golden State, Indiana and Los Angeles were next. Expansion teams Portland and Toronto were ninth and 10th. Washington, Chicago and Phoenix followed the Tempo. Seattle and Connecticut rounded out the poll.

Player of the week

A'ja Wilson of Las Vegas was the AP player of the week. She averaged 30 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks to help the Aces win all three of their games last week. Other players receiving votes included Kelsey Plum of Los Angeles, Breanna Stewart of New York and Caitlin Clark of Indiana.

30-year anniversary

The Los Angeles Sparks and New York Liberty will play each other on Sunday for the official 30th anniversary rematch of the WNBA's first-ever game in 1997. Penny Toler scored the first points in league history, making a baseline jumper 59 seconds into the game.

Game of the week

Atlanta vs Indiana, Thursday and Saturday. The Dream and Fever play a home-and-home matchup this week with third-year stars Angel Reese and Clark facing off for the second and third time in a two week stretch. Indiana won the first matchup on June 4.

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

Texas Tech Regent Chair Cody Campbell announced Sorsby’s departure Monday evening as multiple state attorneys general backed the Big 12 after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned he would take legal action if Texas Tech was sanctioned for fielding Sorsby.

The Big 12 filed its lawsuit in federal court in Dallas on Sunday, seeking to clear the way for sanctions against Texas Tech if its team plays Sorsby this fall. The 22-year-old admitted to placing thousands of sports bets, including wagers on his own team’s games.

Campbell said Sorsby’s decision was a result of the upcoming deadline to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft, not because of legal concerns.

“Brendan and Texas Tech stand on very solid and legitimate legal ground, but he faces a June 22nd deadline to be eligible to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft,” Campbell said in his statement, “and there is no practical way to resolve all the various pending legal disputes and ensure his eligibility prior to this date.”

Conference officials argued that if Sorsby plays, public confidence in Big 12 competition would be undermined.

The conference sued Paxton, Texas Tech University, the Texas Tech University System, Chancellor Brandon Creighton, Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec and athletic director Kirby Hocutt.

“The Big 12 and its Member Institutions … have no interest in being required to endorse or even appearing to endorse unethical and indeed unlawful conduct that strikes at the heart of athletic integrity,” the conference wrote in its complaint, arguing that Paxton and Texas Tech are infringing on the conference’s First Amendment right to enforce its bylaws.

The Tribune reached out to Paxton’s office, Texas Tech and the Big 12 for comment.

The NCAA banned Sorsby from participating in football after court filings showed the student athlete placed at least $90,000 in sports bets while attending Texas Tech and playing football at two other universities. He placed bets on his own team while playing at Indiana, and when in Texas, where sports betting is illegal, sent money to people in other states to bet on his behalf.

Sorsby sued to regain his eligibility. Last week, a state district judge in Lubbock blocked the NCAA from prohibiting Sorsby from playing most of the upcoming season. The judge’s order stipulates Sorsby must continue treatment for his gambling disorder and sit out the first two games of the season. The NCAA is appealing.

The judge set a Feb. 8 trial on the matter, after the football season concludes.

The ruling sparked criticism from officials at other universities. The Big 12 alleged in its lawsuit that athletic officials in the University of Georgia and the University of Nebraska sent department-wide memos instructing coaches and staff not to schedule Texas Tech in any sport and said the schools may try to cancel already scheduled match ups.

Paxton’s office threatened legal action in the matter. In a letter sent Thursday on behalf of Texas Tech, the attorney general’s office warned the Big 12 that any effort to “disadvantage” the university would be illegal.

“The total exposure — for both the Big 12 and its members, jointly and severally — will be substantially more than $200 million,” said the letter signed by Thomas York, chief of the agency’s antitrust division.

The letter, first reported by The Athletic, came a day after Campbell said there would be a legal fight if teams or conferences boycott the university, calling it “an antitrust violation” on the Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich show.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond sent his own letter Friday to the Big 12 calling Paxton’s antirust claims “facially absurd,” and encouraged the conference to sanction Texas Tech. 

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and Utah Attorney General Derek Brown wrote their own letters to the conference Monday also disputing Paxton’s legal arguments.

In its lawsuit, the Big 12 said Texas Tech officials told the conference last week that it intended to play Sorsby in conference games. Big 12 representatives noted that Paxton’s letter stalled a possible board vote on sanctions if Texas Tech follows through, including monetary penalties or a ban from the Big 12 Championship Game.

The Big 12 cast Paxton and Texas Tech’s position as contradictory, saying both have long warned about the dangers of sports betting by student-athletes. Texas Tech has “gone further than the Big 12 itself” by making student gambling a ground for probation or expulsion, the conference wrote, while Texas prohibits sports betting outright.

The Big 12 argues that Texas Tech previously supported the same conference authority it is now challenging by voting with other members in 2017 to withhold 25% of Baylor University’s conference revenue distributions over the school’s handling of sexual assault allegations involving the football program.

In late April, Texas Tech announced 22-year-old Sorsby was diagnosed with gambling disorder and would be admitted into a rehabilitation center in Arizona.

In a statement posted on the Texas Tech website, Hocutt defended Sorsby’s eligibility and asked for critics to understand the nuance of Sorsby’s addiction.

“A young man in treatment for a clinically diagnosed addiction exercised his legal right to seek a remedy in court, and a judge agreed with him,” Hocutt said. “Our role has been to support his recovery, not to engineer his eligibility.”

In a statement, Paxton said state antitrust laws protect the university from a “coordinated effort to harm a competitor.”

“Texas Tech acted consistent with a lawful court order and no athletic conference has the right to punish a member institution for respecting the judicial process,” he said.

The conference wants a judge to declare that sanctions against Texas Tech would not violate the antitrust law and to block Paxton and Texas Tech from interfering with the conference’s authority to enforce its bylaws.

Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech from the University of Cincinnati in January and has not yet played a game on the team.

Sorsby’s legal team for the lawsuit includes Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock. A spokesperson for the speaker’s office referred questions last week about Sorsby’s case to Burrows’ private law practice.

Disclosure: Texas Tech University 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.

Russia fired the barrage of hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at the capital of Kyiv, and the second-largest city of Kharkiv, after Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke separately by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday.

Arriving in France, Trump said he had a good conversation with Zelenskyy and Putin. “Now that this (Iran) is finished, we’re going to be focusing on that,” he said, referring to diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting that followed Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.

The war in Ukraine is also set to feature in talks Tuesday by Group of Seven leaders at a summit in France. Zelenskyy also is due to attend to pushing his country's plight.

“This is how Russia shows the world its intention to continue the war,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X, referring to the overnight attack on civilian sites that included the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, an 11th-century monastery complex.

“It is very important that there be a response from the G7 countries ... and that this response be decisive and substantive; more pressure on the aggressor and more support for Ukraine’s air defense, especially anti-ballistic capabilities,” he said.

Zelenskyy offered to meet Putin with Trump and European leaders at the G7 gathering in France but the Kremlin didn’t reply, a Ukrainian official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly about it. The Kremlin has said repeatedly that if Zelenskyy wants to meet Putin, he can come to Moscow.

Putin is wanted by the court on a warrant dating to March 2023 for alleged involvement in the abduction of children from Ukraine during the conflict. France would be obliged as an ICC member to arrest him. The United States and Russia both oppose the court.

Children among the wounded in Kyiv

Zelenskyy said the Russian strikes killed 11 civilians and emergency workers and wounded 53 across Ukraine.

Five were killed in Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, where at least 30 others were also wounded, including two children aged 5 and 6, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city's Military Administration.

A series of powerful explosions were heard across Kyiv, with a wave of ballistic missiles followed by Shahed drones as many people sought shelter underground. Clouds of black smoke drifted over the city.

Five strikes hit civilian sites in the city’s Shevchenkivskyi district in under 30 minutes, Tkachenko said, including a 25-story apartment building, while a market and a grocery store caught fire. In the Obolonskyi district, a nine-story residential building took a direct hit.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted defense and industrial facilities in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro, including enterprises and workshops producing components for long-range drones and cruise missiles. It said that a workshop producing medium- and long-range drones located on the premises of the Dovzhenko film studios in Kyiv was among the targets hit.

Russia also claimed to have hit Kyiv’s Radar plant, which it said makes drone components, and the Mayak plant that it said makes Ukraine's Flamingo long-range cruise missiles. Military conscription offices in Kyiv were also struck, it said.

There was no immediate information about the 11th person killed in the attacks.

Religious site damaged in attack

In Kyiv, smoke billowed around the golden domes of the Dormition Cathedral inside the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a revered religious landmark.

Its roof caught fire during the attack, said Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. He condemned the strike as another Russian crime “against humanity, against history, against Christianity,” and appealed for prayers to save the site.

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves, is a sprawling complex of monasteries and churches, including some underground, built between the 11th and 19th centuries. Some of the churches at the UNESCO-listed World Heritage site are connected by a labyrinthine complex of caves spanning more than 600 meters (2,000 feet).

In a statement, UNESCO condemned the attack, which it said reportedly caused significant damage to the exterior and interior of the Dormition Cathedral.

Zelenskyy said the damage was caused by two Russian drones and called the attack Moscow’s “biggest crime yet against Christian culture.” He visited the scene with Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko and other government officials.

The cathedral, churches and other buildings overlook the Dnieper River and have been a pilgrimage site for centuries.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the attack was the “equivalent, for us French, of a bombing of Notre Dame” in Paris.

Ukraine’s National Commission for UNESCO, which coordinates the country's cooperation with the U.N. educational, scientific and cultural body, urged the international community to step up pressure on Moscow to stop its invasion and to throw it out of the organization.

“By destroying Ukraine’s cultural heritage, (Russia) seeks to erase historical memory and inflicts damage upon the heritage of all humankind,” the commission said in a statement.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed, without offering evidence, that the complex was hit by one of Ukraine’s U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles, saying that it might have veered off course due to its age.

Russia fires more than 600 drones at Ukraine

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones overnight, primarily targeting Kyiv, while also striking the cities of Dnipro and Kharkiv.

The military said air defenses intercepted or electronically suppressed 632 aerial targets, including 50 missiles and 582 drones.

Preliminary data showed 20 ballistic missiles and 27 attack drones hit 42 locations across the country, while debris from intercepted drones fell at 12 sites.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 123 Ukrainian drones overnight.

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Associated Press writers Samuel Petrequin in London and Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed.

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

La Celeste salvaged a point, but they were not thrilled with the result.

“We gave it away. We have to be honest,” midfielder Federico Valverde said in Spanish after his side played to a 1-1 draw, making up for a flat first half by controlling the second.

“We gave away the first half,” Valverde added. “We didn’t play the way we had trained. It wasn’t what we were aiming for. We rushed things too much. We wanted to win the game in the very first minute. Sometimes you need a bit more patience and just play our game. We improved a lot in the second half.”

Abdulelah Al-Amri scored on a rebound in the 41st minute for Saudi Arabia, and Araújo got the equalizer in the 80th, firing a rebound past goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais from close range.

La Celeste dominated possession and had 29 attempts on goal to Saudi Arabia's seven but trailed until late in the second half.

It was the fourth international goal for Araújo and second at Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL's Miami Dolphins.

Al-Amri, who had a shot denied by Uruguay's Fernando Muslera earlier in the first half, put his squad ahead with a quick tap-in after Muslera palmed away a header.

Al-Amri fell to his knees after the goal and placed his head down on the pitch as he was showered with cheers from Saudi Arabia fans, who were greatly outnumbered in South Florida but loud enough to make up the difference.

Four years ago, they watched their team deliver one of the most memorable moments of the 2022 World Cup, coming back to stun Lionel Messi and eventual champion Argentina 2-1 in Saudi Arabia's opening match.

Monday's result was much less dramatic, but Saudi Arabia — behind a mostly solid performance by Al-Owais — was able to shut out Uruguay, a two-time World Cup champion, until late.

The Green Falcons were more pleased with the outcome than their opponents.

“Uruguay is a team that is very energetic,” Saudi Arabia coach Georgios Donis said through an interpreter. “The players are well experienced, and there is depth on the bench. ... When you’re faced with such an opponent, getting one point is a positive.”

Donis replaced the fired Hervé Renard only two months ago. He said he's still learning the squad, though he was hopeful after Monday's performance.

“I need to get to know my team better,” Donis said. “I need to create a team that is competitive, and it only makes sense that we need time to do this. Today’s outcome gives us an advantage.”

La Celeste had plenty of chances. Al-Owais denied a point-blank header from Federico Vinas in the first half, then got his fingertips on an attempt by Manuel Ugarte in the 61st. He also denied Valverde's attempt a couple of minutes into stoppage time.

“When a team that is supposed to make a difference cannot do it, in terms of being dangerous or dominating the ball,” Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said through an interpreter, “then the weaker team actually dares to do something.”

The result capped a surprising day for Group H — made up of Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Spain and Cape Verde.

Cape Verde, making its World Cup debut, held heavily favored Spain to a scoreless draw in Atlanta.

“The draw involving Spain may be the biggest surprise in this World Cup,” Donis said. “Cape Verde was very competitive, very strong. It’s not like the (group) favorites changed. It’s Spain and Uruguay.”

It was also a matchup of the past, present and future in World Cup history. Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in 1930 and will host a match commemorating the tournament’s centennial in 2030, and Saudi Arabia will host the World Cup in 2034.

Among those at the match: FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo, former NFL star Chad Ochocinco and longtime Uruguay standout Luis Suárez -- Messi’s teammate with Inter Miami who was not picked to represent his country at this tournament.

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

The agreement announced Sunday to end the war in Iran, set for a ceremonial signing Friday in Geneva, is centered around reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the United States’ naval blockade in the region, along with financial incentives for Iran if it meets certain benchmarks. But Senate Republicans and Democrats who returned to Washington on Monday said there were still many unanswered questions about the deal and they need thorough briefings before it is finalized.

“I just don’t know enough about it,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters in the Capitol. “Even the people who follow this stuff closely up here don’t know that much about it.”

Congressional leaders and intelligence committees generally receive higher-level intelligence briefings before rank-and-file members, and they are notified of major developments before they are announced. But Thune said he had not been personally briefed on the deal.

“I think that my understanding of what it entails — and, again, not having seen anything — it would require, I think the issues are going to be compliance, and how are you going to enforce that,” Thune said.

Thune’s concerns were echoed by several other GOP senators.

“If it’s a secret deal then how can I take it seriously?” asked Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

Vice President JD Vance told ABC News on Monday that the White House would release the text this week, “and what everybody will see is that Iran doesn’t get a dime of money unless they perform their obligations.”

Senators have questions about details

Trump has not yet explained how his agreement will address Iran’s nuclear program, including who will be in charge of verifying that Iran is in compliance and who will destroy or remove highly enriched uranium believed to be buried under nuclear sites that were badly damaged by U.S. strikes last summer.

A memorandum of understanding also includes the possibility of releasing Iran’s frozen funds, sanctions relief and a $300 billion fund to help rebuild Iran if Tehran meets certain benchmarks, senior U.S. officials told reporters Monday. But the document has not been released.

Thune said he wants to know more about the conditions on the financial incentives for Iran. He said the deal would be a “good one” if the incentives are conditioned upon Iran winding down its nuclear program and getting rid of the enriched uranium, “preventing them from having a nuclear capability in the future.”

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said he is hopeful but “until you see the final document, it’s hard to make an assessment.”

“I go into it very skeptical of the government of Iran,” Kennedy said. “They learn to lie before they learn to talk. So any agreement we make with them has to have guardrails. It has to have a way to judge through independent inspection if they’re doing what they say they’re doing.”

Senate could have a vote

Under the Iran nuclear agreement review act passed by Congress during the Obama era, any deal the U.S. reaches concerning Iran’s nuclear material must be submitted within a certain amount of time to Congress for review. But it is up to Congress whether that happens — it is not required.

President Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the JCPOA, was submitted for what’s called a vote of disapproval in the Senate. The outcome did not roll back the agreement, but put the senators on record with their support or opposition.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump and a longtime hawk on Iran, has appeared skeptical over the emerging agreement. He said he is “pulling for a deal” but Congress will need to review and vote on it, and he wants to see the memorandum that the two countries have agreed on.

“The way Iran describes it, it’s awful. The way we describe it, it makes sense to me,” Graham, R-S.C., said. “Let’s look at it and see what it actually is.”

Graham has said he wants Vance, whom he called “the architect of the deal,” to present it to lawmakers.

Vance responded to Graham on Monday, saying in the interview with ABC that he would “caution Lindsey Graham and anybody else not to believe the hard-liner propaganda in Iran, but to believe what’s actually in the agreement.”

Even though Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is the son of the last supreme leader, and Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard still has significant authority in Iran, Vance told CNN in a separate interview that “fundamentally, it is a much different group of people.” He insisted that the conflict had unlocked much more direct communication with high-level Iranian officials and that the relationship was “fundamentally transformed.”

Next steps in Congress unclear

Most Senate Republicans said they want to review the deal, but it was still unclear whether they would have a vote, or if Congress could pass it.

Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri said he doesn’t think an up-or-down vote is necessary.

“You have the camp that wants us to lose and then you have a camp that wants a forever war,” Schmitt said. “President Trump’s not in either one of those camps, and neither am I.”

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he expects the Senate will get the final say. But he praised Trump for making “the single most consequential decision of his presidency” by attacking Iran.

“I think he made America safer,” Cruz said. “The president as commander in chief acted decisively to stop that ayatollah from getting nuclear weapons.”

Sen. James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican who serves on the Intelligence Committee, said he expects there are still many more steps to the process before any package would come to Congress for review.

“Seems like early reports are showing that this is kind of the first step,” he said. “Once we have a final agreement, we need to take it up and pass it. … If you want a long-term agreement it’s got to be law.”

Democrats ask what has changed

Democrats questioned how the deal will improve upon the U.S. position before the war — and how it differs from Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal.

“For all his critique of JCPOA, we had international observers, we actually had an alliance there that included the Europeans, and Russia and China were all signatories,” Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said there are more questions than answers, including what happens to the Iranian nuclear program and sanctions on Iranian oil.

Trump has spent “tens of billions of dollars” and service members and Iranians have died, “and he still cannot explain how one family in Massachusetts is better off,” Warren said.

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said an end to what has been a costly and unpopular war would be a good resolution, but he wants to hear more details.

“An off ramp is good because it was a war that should have never been started,” he said.

___

Associated Press writers Michelle Price in Washington and Bill Barrow in Alpharetta, Georgia, contributed to this report.

Envioscuba.com announced it has stopped taking orders as round after round of U.S. sanctions aim to choke off international support for businesses in Cuba. The latest target Cuba’s state-owned oil and gas company, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and GAESA, a business conglomerate run by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba that owns a wide range of businesses, from car rentals and retail stores to transportation companies.

Increasingly, it's the most vulnerable who are being punished as Cubans endure shortages of food and medicine, nearly constant blackouts and stifling heat. Many have received help from family and friends in the U.S., who send money and packages from Miami containing appliances, food, and clothing, or purchase products online for delivery in Cuba.

Envioscuba.com said it no longer accepting new orders, but all those previously approved and in process will be delivered.

“Due to reasons beyond our control, our platform can no longer provide services,” the website said, without elaborating. It is not clear exactly when new orders stopped being received.

The AP was unable to contact the company. Its website does not list a phone number to call or an email address to send a message.

Platforms like envioscuba.com were operating directly with Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. said Emilio Morales, president at Havana Consulting Group, a Miami-based consulting firm specializing in market strategies for doing business in Cuba.

Most such portals, including envioscuba.com, do not ship products from the United States to Cuba, but rather sell and deliver products stored in GAESA warehouses on the island, Morales said. “The trend is for all of this to disappear, because GAESA is behind it all,” said Morales, who expects other similar portals to shut down as well to avoid being sanctioned for doing business with the Cuban government.

The administration's sanctions threaten to freeze U.S. assets of foreign companies and even prohibit travel by their investors, employees and shareholders — virtually eliminating their activity in the U.S. financial system.

Spanish hotel chain Meliá recently announced it will cease operations at 15 of the 34 hotels it manages on the island, joining a growing list of companies with a long-standing presence in Cuba that are withdrawing or limiting their operations on the island.

It took only 23 seconds to turn those hopeful cheers into raptures of euphoria.

Lukaku's presence sparked an immediate attack that led to Belgium’s lone goal against Egypt on Monday, helping to earn a 1-1 draw in the team's opening World Cup match.

“He’s a target man,” Belgium captain Youri Tielemans said. “He needs to build up his fitness, which is understandable after being out for the season. But, he helps us in this way.”

Lukaku, a Napoli striker who leads his nation in goals scored, withdrew from Belgium’s friendlies in the United States in the spring to get fitter as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. That injury didn't look too bothersome in the 66th minute when he ran down the middle of the field moments after entering the game and lurched to tap a cross from the right into the net. Egypt defender Mohamed Hany got there first, however, and scored an own-goal to even the score.

With 66,775 spectators watching, the Egyptians took the lead early in the Group G match. Emam Ashour scored his first international goal in the 19th minute.

If not for Lukaku's impact in the second half, Belgium easily could have dug itself into quite a hole in a group it is heavily favored to win, much as it did when failing to advance past the group stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Despite out-possessing Egypt, the Red Devils struggled to score all afternoon.

Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne came the closest for Belgium, pushing a shot wide left in the seventh minute before clanking another off the left post in the 53rd. Lukaku could have put Belgium in front late, too, but his header sailed far above the goal.

Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said because only 20% of his team’s shots were on target, netting one goal was a fair representation of their efforts. Still, Garcia would have preferred a faster start.

“We weren’t really in the groove,” Garcia said in French. “Technically, we left a lot to be desired.”

Egypt, meanwhile, were the more aggressive side in the first 45 minutes. Ashour, a midfielder who was playing in his 30th game for his country, took advantage of a defensive breakdown to give his team only its second lead in a World Cup match.

The Egyptians, who are playing in their fourth World Cup, have still never won a game at the tournament.

“The match shows we were closer to earning the win,” Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said in Arabic.

Belgium demonstrated it is still quite reliant on national team stalwarts like De Bruyne, Lukaku and goalkeeper Thibault Courtois, each of whom is playing in their fourth World Cup.

Winger Jérémy Doku, 24, kept his squad competitive in the first half, but the Red Devils were fortunate to only trail by one entering halftime.

“Our biggest challenge was about us. We lost too many balls, we weren’t quick enough in transition, and when we had the ball, we didn’t find the solutions,” Tielemans said. “We were too static, especially in the first half. In the second half, we created some chances, which — we could have won the game, but they had some chances as well.”

In Garcia’s opinion, Egypt and Belgium are the two best teams in Group G, which also features New Zealand and Iran.

“We have to win against Iran,” Garcia said of his team's next match on Sunday. “There’s no two ways around it.”

___

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

• RELATED: First tropical storm of 2026 may form in the Gulf this week and bring heavy rainfall to Houston

“Texas is prepared to respond to the severe weather threats that continue to move across our state,” said Governor Abbott. “Because of the impact caused by ongoing storms and flood risks, I have issued a disaster declaration for 101 Texas counties to ensure that local officials and communities have access to the full range of state resources and support. Texans should heed the guidance of state and local officials and take all necessary precautions to stay safe during this severe weather.”

• Check Your Area: Houston Roads Most Likely to Flood During Heavy Rain

Gov. Abbott also directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate additional state emergency response resources and implement 24-hour operations at the Texas State Emergency Operations Center as storm risks persist. Last week, the Governor directed TDEM to activate state emergency response resources ahead of the flood threat.

Texans are urged to continue monitoring local weather forecast information and have emergency supplies readily available. As storm threats continue, Texans are urged to stay informed, avoid driving through flooded roadways, and heed all warnings from local officials.

Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher, in a letter sent to the challenger Sullivan, said she concluded that his declaration of candidacy “was not filed in order to declare an actual good-faith candidacy for the office of United States Senator, but was instead filed with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality.”

The challenger can appeal the ruling, she said, while noting ballots are due to be printed June 28.

A text message seeking comment from Sullivan, the challenger, was not immediately returned. He previously said he anticipated making a decision on whether to pursue an appeal by early this week.

In a social media post Sunday, he said he “met the qualification and I entered this race because I am unhappy with the 12 year record of the current Senator and I feel we need a change. It’s that simple.”

It’s been a whirlwind chain of events in one of the nation’s most prominent U.S. Senate races, one both parties consider crucial to controlling the chamber.

The kerfuffle was set off by the challenger Sullivan filing days before the June 1 candidate deadline. Sen. Sullivan and Republicans called him a “sham” candidate and alleged he was working with Democrats to boost Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola’s chances in the race. Both the challenger Sullivan and Peltola’s campaign have denied the allegation.

Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom a week ago announced an investigation into the challenger Sullivan’s run, citing “credible allegations” that he declared his candidacy “in coordination with another candidate and campaign” with an intent to confuse and “manipulate” voters. The announcement followed a letter that had been sent to her and Beecher by an attorney with the National Republican Senatorial Committee, outlining those claims.

Later, two complaints seeking to disqualify the challenger were filed by Alaska Republican Party Chair Carmela Warfield.

Sullivan, a 69-year-old retired teacher from the small, southeast Alaska fishing community of Petersburg, has said he’s done nothing wrong and insisted that Dahlstrom lacked a legal basis to exclude him from the ballot. He said in a recent interview he has been weighing a run for years and called sharing a name with Sullivan a “matter of fate.”

“The Lieutenant Governor’s job is to oversee elections fairly and impartially,” he said in a statement last week. “Instead, her actions create the impression that the state government is being used to protect an incumbent senator from facing competition at the ballot box.”

In her letter, the election director did not mention finding any evidence of alleged coordination with Peltola or Democratic Party officials. But she outlined details she said led her to conclude that the challenger is ineligible.

They include that he had registered to vote as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. and in conjunction with his candidacy changed his party affiliation to Republican, an affiliation he had not had previously. She also cited similarities between his campaign website and the senator’s and his work with a consultant whose clients have included some Democrats.

The work on his behalf by the consultant “is, in isolation, innocuous.” But she said that, taken with the other details, it “suggests a determined effort and a deliberate attempt to use the similarity of your name to confuse Alaska voters."

The form candidates fill out asks them how they'd like to be referred to on the ballot — including any nicknames — and the party affiliation they want on the ballot. In the earlier interview, the challenger told The Associated Press he was motivated to register with the GOP in part by his late father, whom he described as a “true, compassionate, conservative Republican.”

Sen. Sullivan's campaign manager, Billy Mackey, lauded the lieutenant governor, who oversees elections in Alaska, as upholding the right to “a free and fair election.”

Sen. Sullivan, who is seeking a third term, and Peltola are the highest-profile candidates in the crowded race and the only ones so far to report raising any money.

Democrats have targeted the seat in their push to regain the majority in the chamber.

On Friday, protesters gathered outside the Division of Elections office in Juneau, opposing efforts to remove the challenger Sullivan from the ballot. Among them was Ben Muse of Juneau. He said he felt the issue could have been addressed using middle initials to distinguish between the candidates but had been “blown way out of proportion.”

“This has nothing to do with whether you support this guy as a candidate,” he said. “It’s supporting his right to be on the ballot.”

Newsom, a longtime political rival of the Republican president, said in a video posted on X that federal agents have knocked on the doors of his friends and former employees, and have asked for records. Newsom didn't provide specifics on the nature of the probe, but his office said the inquiry appears to have recently expanded into “increasingly personal matters involving the Governor's family and professional network.”

“Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets,” Newsom said, referencing his use of social media to mock Trump. “He’s coming after me because I’m considering running for president, because he hates that I’ve consistently called him out over and over again for his lies and deceit.”

The full details of any Justice Department inquires related to Newsom were not immediately clear. But the revelations were likely to escalate accusations from critics that the Trump administration is using the law enforcement agency as a weapon to go after the president's political opponents.

A person familiar with the matter denied the existence of an investigation specifically targeting the governor, but said there are multiple federal probes into people around him, including one related to his wife’s taxes. That probe began last year, and political leadership in Washington was not involved in the decision to open it, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss ongoing investigations.

Another probe is related to Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, who was indicted on federal charges that she was involved in a scheme to steal campaign money from former federal Health Secretary Xavier Becerra. Williamson in May pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit bank fraud. That investigation, which was launched by President Joe Biden's Justice Department, has expanded to include other staff, the person familiar with the matter said.

Newsom hasn't been accused of any wrongdoing related to Williamson’s case.

The Justice Department declined to comment Monday. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to answer questions about Newsom during a brief photo opportunity with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Capitol Hill Monday afternoon. Blanche had a scheduled meeting with Grassley to discuss his nomination to become attorney general.

Trump's Justice Department pursues his critics

They are the latest Justice Department investigations surrounding one of Trump’s political foes.

The Justice Department has also opened investigations into or brought prosecutions against former FBI Director James Comey,New York Attorney General Letitia James, former CIA director John Brennan and former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, among other perceived political enemies of the president.

“One by one, anyone who has challenged Donald Trump has ended up on his hit list, and today I proudly join that list,” Newsom said in the video.

Investigators have subpoenaed records, and agents have reached out to organizations and people connected to the governor and his wife, according to Newsom's office. The governor's office accused the Justice Department of “searching for a crime that does not exist.”

Newsom's office said it heard last week that federal agents had ramped up their efforts and were asking people tied to the governor and his wife about a range of issues, including their businesses, finances and personal matters. His office said it filed a public records request Monday seeking messages to or from Justice Department leaders mentioning Newsom or his wife during Trump's second term.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the governor’s wife, said the investigation showed that Trump is unfit for office.

“There are clearly no boundaries to what Donald Trump will do to get his way or to challenge those who get in his way,” she said in a statement.

The president has repeatedly gone after the Democrat-dominated state during his second term including by curbing a signature plan to reduce planet-warning emissions from cars, withholding aid for wildfire recovery and suing over state policies supporting transgender student-athletes. The state has pushed back by suing the federal government dozens of times.

Newsom also led a push to counteract a Trump-backed effort in Texas to redraw congressional districts to favor Republicans by championing a successful redistricting measure in California designed to win Democrats five additional House seats.

____

Durkin Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press reporter Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.

Sky 2 Chopper flew over the city after the storms passed and captured images of the aftermath.

The chopper caught images of Little White Oak Bayou flowing over the bridge in the 1400 block of Wrightwood Street in the Heights.

Up I-45, the chopper captured video of flooding at W. Mt. Houston Road and the I-45 feeder road.

• RELATED: First tropical storm of 2026 may form in the Gulf this week and bring heavy rainfall to Houston

We saw several stalled out vehicles in the water. There was a man on an ATV that appeared to be trying to help out stranded motorists.

Further southwest, we captured video of overflowing manholes at Tidwell and T.C. Jester Blvd.

• RELATED: Flood watch extended through Thursday for all of SE Texas

A Flood Watch continues through Thursday as more rain is likely.

Federal investigators were at the crash site, about an hour south of Kansas City, on Monday, a day after the plane carrying a pilot and 11 skydivers slammed into a field and burst into flames, killing all on board, authorities said.

Some family members of those who died were at the airport to watch the jump and witnessed the crash, said Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson.

Authorities have not released the victims’ names, but friends and colleagues began paying tribute.

The United States Parachute Association, skydiving's governing body, said its technology director, Jen Sharp, was among those killed.

“Jen was a remarkable force whose passion for the skies was matched only by her dedication to the people in our sport,” said Albert Berchtold, the organization’s executive director.

Sharp taught skydiving instructors, wrote educational materials and made 6,800 jumps since her first one in 1989, according to her website.

She once jumped into Denver's Coors Field ballpark while dressed as the queen of England and was part of the Everest Skydive in the Himalayas, her site said.

Kevin Payne, who had jumped with seven of the skydivers on the plane, said they were all different in nearly every way, except that they were all brought together as a “sky family.”

“There is a joy and peace and freedom to what we do. That’s what most people never understand,” Payne, of Parkville, Missouri, wrote in an email. “It’s not about the adrenaline. It’s about really flying together with your family in that brief, exquisite instant that people who live their lives on the ground will never understand.”

It will be about a month before the National Transportation Safety Board issues a preliminary report, but weather did not appear to be a factor.

Investigators had interviewed some witnesses by Monday afternoon but not the company's owner, NTSB Vice Chairman Michael Graham said. The plane didn’t have a “black box” like those that record flight data on commercial planes, but investigators will examine the wreckage for other clues, he said.

Skydiving plane went down soon after taking off

Witnesses say the plane was roughly 100 feet (30 meters) from the ground when it made an abrupt left turn before crashing.

It appeared to be losing power, and the pilot may have been trying to reach a highway to land when the plane stalled and went down nose first, said Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager of Butler Memorial Airport. On Monday, Graham said investigators are only beginning to interview all those witnesses and gather photos and videos of the crash, so it's too early to say definitively what happened.

The plane was operated by Skydive Kansas City, he said. The crash site in the small town of Butler is roughly 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of Kansas City.

Skydive Kansas City said in a statement that its team and the skydiving community were in shock.

“This is a devastating loss for everyone connected to Skydive Kansas City and for the wider skydiving community,” the company said. “Our deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, and loved ones of all who were lost.”

Plane made multiple flights over the weekend

The Pacific Aerospace 750XL — a single-engine turboprop plane — is a popular model in skydiving because it’s designed for the sport and can quickly take parachutists to jumping altitudes while using short runways.

This particular aircraft, built in 2010, made nine successful flights in the days before the crash, including two on Sunday morning, according to FlightAware, a digital flight tracking company.

Red flags raised about skydiving oversight

The NTSB has voiced concerns in past crash investigations about whether skydiving operators get enough oversight and inspections to ensure their planes are safe and their pilots are well trained.

The Federal Aviation Administration has yet to adopt the NTSB's recommendations, but said Monday it established a committee in April that will recommend ways to increase skydiving safety and will consider the safety board's proposals.

“It’s always frustrating when we see things the FAA hasn’t acted on,” said Graham, of the NTSB. “And then we continue to see accidents in those arenas.”

The FAA said its inspectors are required to examine certain aspects of skydiving businesses every year, including several safety items related to the aircraft and pilots. But the NTSB said previously that those inspections failed to identify a twisted wing on a skydiving plane that later crashed in Hawaii in 2019 and killed 11 people.

Skydiving businesses can operate under the same FAA rules that apply to any small plane owner as long as their flights don’t venture more than 25 miles (40 kilometers) away. Those rules also cover tourist helicopters and other local flights because the FAA considers those operations less complicated than a charter company or airline.

But all aircraft owners are expected to follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule and recommendations.

The United States Parachute Association said in a statement that Skydive Kansas City adheres to the safety standards set by the largest skydiving organization in the world, including all FAA maintenance requirements.

The skydiving industry says it has a strong safety record. The association said that last year nearly 3.5 million jumps were completed and that 16 civilians died, the majority from human error.

___

Associated Press reporters Kristen M. Hall in Kansas City, Missouri; Cathy Bussewitz in New York; Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho; and Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed.

• IH-45 North Northbound At SH 249/ Mount Houston Rd.
• IH-45 North Southbound At IH-10 East/ Milam.
• IH-45 North HOV Northbound At Travis St/ Louisiana St
• IH-45 North Southbound At Tidwell Rd.

Here’s a list and map of locations and intersections to avoid when severe weather moves through the Houston area.

High water barricade locations

City officials said the following intersections or underpasses may be barricaded if flooding becomes a problem:

• Greens Road at 45 N. Fwy.
• Greens Road at E. Hardy Road
• Washington Avenue at Hempstead
• Barker Cypress at W. Parkview
• Barker Cypress at Clay
• Barker Cypress at Saums
• Clay Road at West of Brittmore Road
• Crosstimber at 45 N. Fwy.
• Kelly Road at Hardy Toll Road
• West of Boundary St. at North Main St.
• Jensen Dr. at South of Bennington St.
• Bennington St. at 59 North Fwy.
• Jensen at N. Of 610 Fwy.
• Mesa at N. Of U.S. 90 Hwy.
• Katy Road at Silver Eagle
• Allen Pkwy. at Waugh Dr.
• Memorial at Waugh Dr.
• White Oak at Taylor
• White Oak at Sabine
• Studewood at I-10 Fwy.
• Center St. at Houston Ave.
• Houston Ave. at I-10 Fwy.
• North Main at Burnett
• 2900 Allen Pkwy. at Montrose Dr.
• Memorial at Shepherd
• Memorial at Studewood
• Memorial Dr. at Houston Avenue
• Lamar St. at Bagby
• Walker St. at West of Bagby
• Travis St. at I-10 Fwy.
• Louisiana St. at North of Franklin St.
• 1300 Commerce St. at Austin St.
• Texas St. at Prairie St.
• Franklin St. at St. Emanuel St.
• Jensen Dr. at North of Lyons Ave.
• 7000 Main St. at Holcombe Blvd.
• 7000 Fannin St. at Holcombe Blvd.
• Lawndale St. at Braes Bayou
• 9600 Lawndale at E. Of Goodyear Dr.
• Galveston Rd. at S. Of Howard

KPRC 2 FLOOD TRACKER: Get alerted if flooding is occurring in your immediate area

Underpass locations

City officials said the underpasses at the following locations could become problematic if heavy rain falls:

• 100 Milam St
• 100 Shepherd Dr Fr
• 100 Yale
• 1000 Houston Ave
• 11600 West Park
• 11700 Richmond
• 11700 West Park
• 1200 Studemont
• 1200 Wayside
• 1500 North Main
• 1600 East Crosstimbers
• 1600 Jensen
• 1900 Kelly
• 200 75th
• 200 Forest Hill
• 2100 Franklin
• 2400 Harrisburg
• 2900 Allen Parkway
• 300 Studewood
• 3400 North Shepherd
• 3500 Kelly
• 3800 Polk
• 400 Houston Ave
• 4800 Elgin
• 4800 Memorial
• 4900 Galveston Rd
• 5000 Washington
• 5600 Mesa
• 600 Broadway
• 6500 Jensen
• 7000 Clinton
• 7000 Fannin
• 7000 Main
• 7000 Old Katy Road
• 7200 J W Peavy
• 7200 Senate Ave
• 8000 Memorial
• 8100 Harrisburg
• 8100 Hempstead
• 9600 Lawndale

Flood signal locations

City officials said to look for flood signals in these areas if heavy rain falls:

• 4401 Elgin St (Ih-45s And Railroad)
• 1989 Allen Pkwy (Montrose)
• 3087 Allen Pkwy (Waugh)
• Main & Holcombe Blvd (1000 Blk Holcombe)
• Fannin & Holcombe Blvd (1100 Blk Holcombe)
• 6514 Jensen Dr (Creston)
• 1700 Jensen Dr (Railroad)
• 3500 Kelley (Between Ih-69 Hov And Jensen)
• 5800 Elysian St (North Loop 610 East)
• 7506 E Hardy Rd (Hardy Toll Road And Crosstimbers)
• 5405 Mesa Dr (Liberty And Railroad)
• 10704 W Little York Rd (Between Business Park And Sam Houston Tollway West)
• 774 Houston Ave (Memorial)
• 4450 Memorial Dr (Shepherd)
• Houston Ave & Center St (1100 Block Houston Ave)
• 600 Brooks St (North Main)
• 7220 Clinton Dr (North Wayside)
• Yale & Center St (100 Block Yale)
• 9600 Lawndale (Sims Bayou)
• 615 Broadway St (Between East Erath And East Elm)
• 8040 Harrisburg Blvd (Railroad)
• 306 S 75th St (Between Railroad And Rusk)
• 247 Forest Hill Blvd (Between Rusk And Capitol)
• 6598 Lawndale (Wayside)
• 3799 Polk (Milby And Railroad)
• 2050 Franklin St (Commerce)
• 5455 Old Spanish Trl (Spur 5 And Railroad)
• 4953 Galveston Rd (Allendale And Railroad)
• 10200 Old Katy Rd (Conrad Sauer)
• 7095 J W Peavy Dr (Railroad)

Houston flood trouble spots

Click here to check our exclusive KPRC 2 Flood Tracker for rainfall and flood conditions where you live.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami confirmed that Timothy Hudson is in custody. U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres filed the order to revoke Hudson’s pretrial release last Wednesday, but the order was sealed until Monday afternoon. The order stated that Hudson should surrender to U.S. Marshals at the federal courthouse in Tampa Monday morning.

The judge had ruled in February that the 16-year-old could live with an uncle and be electronically monitored. But after the case was transferred to adult court in April, prosecutors wanted Hudson in custody.

The judge ultimately agreed that the issue of Hudson's pretrial detention should be treated as if he was an adult, though Hudson will be held in an approved juvenile facility.

“The Government has established, by clear and convincing evidence, that no condition or combination of conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of the community going forward,” Torres wrote in his order.

Hudson has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the death of Anna Kepner. His federal public defenders have declined to comment on the charges.

Minors are rarely prosecuted in federal court, and this case landed there because Kepner apparently died in international waters, outside any state’s jurisdiction.

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.

Attorneys for the prosecution and the defense made arguments for and against Hudson being jailed until his trial during a May 27 hearing, but Torres said he wanted to speak with the Marshals Service about the logistics of detaining Hudson in central Florida, closer to his family, rather than South Florida, where the trial is taking place. Hudson walked out of the courthouse after that hearing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra Lopez argued at the hearing that the crimes Hudson is accused of are so serious that the court shouldn’t risk another violent attack. An autopsy determined that Kepner had been pinned down and forcibly raped, the prosecutors said. She also noted that it likely took 3-5 minutes for Hudson to allegedly strangle Kepner until she was dead.

The prosecutor also argued that Hudson was a much greater flight risk because he now faces a possible life sentence if convicted of the adult charges. As a juvenile, he would have been released at age 21, regardless of what counts he was found delinquent on.

Evan Kuhl, with the Federal Public Defender’s office, told the judge during the hearing that Hudson has abided by the conditions of his release for months without issue.

Kepner's father, Christopher Kepner, previously 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.”

Strider, who had been placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday, had a consultation with Dr. Keith Meister before they decided on four weeks. Strider will have another MRI at the end of that period and would begin “throwing progression” if tests showed the inflammation had cleared, the team said.

Strider left Friday's 7-5 loss at the New York Mets in the fourth inning due to right shoulder and elbow soreness. Braves manager Walt Weiss said the team also was concerned about a dramatic decline in Strider's velocity.

Strider has a history of arm problems. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and had the UCL in his right elbow repaired with an internal brace in April 2024.

Rookie right-hander JR Ritchie, who pitched in relief behind Strider on Friday, will move into the rotation and has been scheduled to start Wednesday night's game against San Francisco.

Strider allowed six hits, including three homers, and a season-worst seven earned runs in three innings on Friday.

Strider was making his eighth start of the season for the first-place Braves after missing the first 34 games recovering from a strained left oblique. He is 4-2 with a 5.31 ERA this season.

Strider led the major leagues with 20 wins and an Atlanta-record 281 strikeouts in 2023.

The Braves activated catcher Drake Baldwin from the injured list on Monday. Baldwin was placed on the IL on May 19 with an oblique injury. Catcher Austin Wynns was sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett.

___

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

Due to injuries, though, the Texans offensive coordinator and former Patriots tight ends and fullbacks coach and Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach and pass game specialist didn’t get to run his entire strategy to incorporate his ideas.

Veteran starting tight end Dalton Schultz was sidelined for the Texans’ AFC divisional round playoff loss to New England due to a strained calf. Tight end Cade Stover missed a large chunk of the season after breaking his foot against the Rams in the opening game. And Brevin Jordan tore his patellar tendon during a training camp practice. The Texans had to deploy offensive tackle Blake Fisher as their primary blocking tight end.

While Schultz caught a career-high 82 passes, Caley had bigger plans at tight end. Now, he’s planning an increased role for the tight ends. That means more double tight end, triple tight end and perhaps even split back formations for running backs David Montgomery and Woody Marks.

The Texans utilized 12 personnel on 24.26 percent of their offensive snaps last season. They were in 11 personnel -- one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers - 58.11 percent of the time. And they were in 21 personnel -- heavy formations -- 17.63 percent of the time.

“I am a little bit biased there because of my background with tight ends, but you remember it is important,” Caley said. “I think you always want to be multiple. To nobody’s fault, last year we got thinned out pretty early with Brev prior to us ever getting to the season. Cade goes down in the fourth quarter of the Rams game for call it two-thirds of the season, and we’re in the jumbo world a lot.

“We want to be multiple. We want to have balance, 11, 12s, 13s, 20, etcetera, and I think that’s always good to be able to do those things. So, that’s important. We’ve got a really good group of receivers. We’ve got a really good group of backs. We’ve got a really good group at tight end now, too, and we’re healthy. So, it’s been a lot of fun just trying to mix those groupings here and evolve that.”

Since last season, the Texans signed a healthy Schultz to a one-year, $12.6 million extension, signed former New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Foster Moreau and drafted University of Michigan tight end and Germany native Marlin Klein in the second round,

That gives Caley options from a receiving and blocking standpoint.

“Cales is a tight end guy,” Schultz said. “He’s always trying something. There are always little wrinkles like, ‘Hey, let’s do this out of this formation. Let’s try this out of this. Let’s motion it.’ I don’t think he goes to bed without thinking about ball, I don’t think he can turn it off.

“We’re always coming in, mixing stuff up. He’s really good about letting us know, ‘Hey, on this, let’s do this different.’ That’s been fun, where you can get away with trying some of that. You’ve got a little bit more time to spend on stuff like that.”

Moreau has added an experienced presence and an outspoken, trash-talking voice to the offense. He has been mentoring the younger players.

Stover has fully recovered from offseason hernia surgery.

Jordan has regained his speed after rehabbing from the patellar tendon tear.

“We’re not quite there yet,” Schultz said. “We’ll see when the reins come off everybody, but I’m excited. We have a very well-rounded room and a bunch of guys that do a lot of different stuff really well. I think Foster has been a great addition for us, just bringing the energy, the juice.

“He’s a classic Louisiana kid, chirping everything all the time. We need that, especially on offense. We need that sort of thing. I think our room has come together nicely. We’ll continue to work and to get better and show that we can contribute in many different ways in this offense.”

The Texans, with new tight ends coach James Ferentz, a former Texans and Patriots center and the son of Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, want to employ more of a roll-up-their sleeves, hard-nosed approach to blocking this season.

“It’s hard because, as a tight end, you’re asked to do everything,” Schultz said. “You constantly have to be working on everything. I know that’s not the best answer or the easiest thing to do. It’s hard when you’re asked to pass block against Will Anderson. It’s hard when you’re asked to run block against Danielle Hunter. It’s hard when you’re asked to go one-on-one against Derek Stingley. You’re asked to do all these things and all the different facets.

“I think with Ferentz coming in, he has a really good kind of offensive line, physical run blocking background. I’m hoping through some of that work, that’ll kind of allow a little bit more growth in the run game, for me specifically. Just by working through some of those fundamentals and techniques that is just a different view and a focal point than what I think we’re used to technique-wise.”

Klein strained his hamstring during organized team activities and was sidelined for the Texans’ minicamp. He is expected to make a full recovery for training camp.

“Good athlete, he’s a big dude, he moves well,” Schultz said. “I think in this offense, specifically, you are asked to do everything. Knowing where to be and where to line up and how to execute is like a big hurdle. It’s a big learning curve.

“I think as a young guy, being able to soak that up and to get that information and use it well and able to go out and actually line up and execute at full speed, it’s hard to do. So far, I think he’s done a good job of that. Training Camp kind of is the true test of putting the pads on and figuring out like when the bullets are flying. We’ll see. I’m excited for him.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com

Hiott’s firing was announced by Anita Vangelisti, interim dean of UT-Austin’s Moody College of Communication, in an email to KUT staff on Monday. A UT-Austin spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about why Hiott was terminated.

Hiott is a longtime Texas journalist who worked at the Austin American Statesman for 28 years, rising to editor-in-chief, before joining KUT in 2019.

In an interview with The Texas Tribune, Hiott said she was called into a meeting at 3 p.m. with Vangelisti and two other staff members from the university. She described being presented with two letters to choose from. One was a letter of resignation written for her, and the other was a letter of termination stating Vangelisti had “lost confidence” in Hiott after the KUT Festival. Hiott chose the termination letter.

“I had no intention of quitting on the station, or its audience or the Austin community,” Hiott said.

Hiott said no one had communicated any disciplinary concerns to her before Monday as a result of the festival’s handling.

The dispute between leaders at the state’s flagship university and the radio station became public April 28 when major changes to the KUT Festival were announced. The two-day event, which was planned for months, was May 1-2.

The festival still went forward but with a smaller campus footprint.

U.S. Sen. Corey Booker, a New Jersey Democrat and former presidential candidate, delivered the keynote at LBJ Presidential Library Auditorium, while Saturday events were moved to Central Machine Works and East End Ballroom. Other speakers included Republican U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul and Democratic U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, part of a broader lineup that also included musicians, authors and Austin cultural figures.

Vangelisti emailed festival speakers saying that because “KUT provided insufficient planning for safety,” the station would reduce the festival’s footprint and move portions off campus to avoid disrupting end-of-semester academic activities.

Minutes later, Hiott sent her own email to speakers, saying top university officials ordered KUT to cancel the outdoor portions of the festival, citing a safety analysis she said the school had not provided.

“In our months of planning, we have agreed to every health, security and safety request that has been made of us and our production company,” Hiott wrote.

Hiott said she believed her public response to the university’s statements about the festival resulted in her termination.

In an interview with The Tribune earlier this spring, Hiott said she did not know why UT-Austin officials acted when they did and did not have any evidence that speakers, politics or KUT’s journalism played a role. However, she said she believes KUT’s festival was being treated differently than other campus events, pointing to Longhorn City Limits.

That music and tailgating event is held on the LBJ Lawn during home football games. Hiott said that event typically draws much larger crowds than what the festival was expected to attract in a similar footprint and includes live music, food trucks, carnival activities, tents and alcohol.

Hiott said KUT’s reporting and content have been independent during her seven years time at the station and that UT-Austin had previously been a strong partner.

“Obviously, this is some sort of sea change,” she said.

The dispute comes at a politically fraught moment for both public media and higher education.

Congress rescinded federal funding for public media last year, and the Trump administration has used federal funding to push universities, including UT-Austin, to adopt policies aimed at correcting what government officials described as an ideological imbalance on campuses. In Texas, Republican lawmakers gave governor-appointed regents more authority to restrict college protests and outside speakers.

The festival dispute raised questions about how UT-Austin applies security standards to major campus events and its relationship with KUT. The university holds the station’s broadcast license, KUT employees are university staff and the newsroom is housed in the Moody College of Communication. But the station says it operates with editorial independence and relies almost exclusively on donations rather than university funding.

On April 15, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas gave a lecture at Hogg Memorial Auditorium that was open to thousands of invited students, faculty, supporters and donors, according to records obtained through a public information request by The Texas Tribune. Thomas also attended a breakfast with university leaders, lunch with students and senior administrators and a dinner with guests from the legal and university communities.

Public records do not show whether the Thomas event required the same kind of safety planning as the KUT Festival, which had been scheduled for multiple on-campus locations near Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, including outdoor programming along the LBJ Library lawn.

UT System police policy requires each campus police department to assess events that could be high risk, including concerns, political events, conferences and sporting events.

Events score more points for a larger crowd size, media presence, high-profile attendees, anticipated protests, credible threats and whether the event involves a polarizing issue on a risk-assessment form. Events with more than 15 points are considered high risk.

For high-risk events, campus police officials are supposed to help develop an incident action plan covering issues such as medical planning, staffing, traffic control, physical security and contingency plans. The police chief or a designee is supposed to review and approve those plans at least 48 hours before the event.

UT-Austin officials have not released the safety analysis cited when ordering KUT to make changes nor answered questions about whether festival speakers, programming or Hiott’s public response played any role in requiring KUT to reduce the festival and move Saturday programming off campus.

The Tribune requested final or summary safety-planning records for the KUT Festival and other spring campus events, including events of a similar size and those featuring speakers across the political spectrum. Those requests are pending.

The disagreement between KUT and school officials escalated when UT-Austin General Counsel Amanda Cochran-McCall accused Hiott of making “false” statements about the university’s handling of the festival, according to copies of the letters posted publicly by Neena Satija, an investigative reporter for NPR’s The Texas Newsroom.

In her letter to Hiott, Cochran-McCall wrote that KUT was short 10 police officers, lacked sufficient youth protection measures and did not include adequate planning for emergency medical response, crowd control or severe weather. She wrote that event planners rejected university police’s recommendation to use drone overwatch.

Hiott countered in a written response sent later that KUT had previously addressed many of the concerns raised. For example, the station agreed to more officers or private security and already added 15 crowd management staffers and provided licensing information for the emergency medical provider after UT-Austin had questions about it.

Additionally, she noted that university officials’ request overestimated the expected crowd at 7,000 when fewer than 2,000 attendees had RSVP’d.

Hiott wrote that KUT already had a child reunification plan in place and that no one from the university raised concerns about not planning drone flights. She added that UT-Austin had not given the station shelter-in-place locations it requested.

Hiott has served twice as a Pulitzer juror, sits on the board of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas and previously served on the board of the Texas Managing Editors, then known as Texas Associated Press Managing Editors.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: KUT News and The Texas Tribune have been partners on public events. KUT News is also a media partner with Austin Current, a member of The Texas Tribune’s network of editorially independent local newsrooms. LBJ Presidential Library, University of Texas System and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The 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.

• Track today’s weather updates here

CenterPoint’s outage tracker reported nearly over 3,200 customers impacted by outages around 5 p.m. Monday.

• Track real-time outages here

The KPRC 2 Weather Team is continuing to track these storms.

If you’re traveling outside today, be aware of lightning, brief heavy downpours, and flash flood risk alerts. Drivers are urged to use caution, especially if traffic signals go out, and treat dark intersections as a four-way stop.

CenterPoint is also reminding people to never touch or go near downed electrical wires. If you see any, stay 35 feet away and call 713-207-2222 to report it.

“It was an amazing, experience, this was a one-of-one,” UFC CEO Dana White said.

“It will never happen again.”

Oh, not because the show dubbed Freedom 250 and ostensibly held to celebrate Trump's 80th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s signing wasn't by White's accounts a smashing success. He crowed about merchandise sales and streaming service subscriptions and how UFC surpassed its goals in every metric he could list at a news conference that stretched well into the dawn's early light Monday.

And the setting?

Forget it, almost impossible to top on a night when fighters essentially treated their walkouts like they were kids on a class trip. The all-male lineup toured the West Wing, the Oval Office, walked past presidential portraits, through the Roosevelt Room, the Cabinet Room — and the winners even got a meet-and-greet with Trump.

Gaethje skimmed the copy of the Declaration of Independence that hangs in the Oval Office and said a prayer before he made the unusually long walk to the cage. Gaethje battered Spanish-Georgian fighter Ilia Topuria in the main event and won the UFC lightweight title.

“Usually, I kind of blank out when it comes to getting ready to walk to the cage,” Gaethje said. “It was pretty crazy, looking at the Declaration of Independence. The original one. Their language was different. I'm not smart enough to read that.”

Gaethje also banked a whopping $825,000 in bonus money for winning “Performance of the Night” and “Fight of the Night” honors.

Trump stayed until the end of the seven-card show and generally seemed engaged with the fights — at one point he put on a white “USA” baseball cap — and certainly was all smiles each time a fighter who had a hand raised in victory then used it on a handshake with the president.

Trump boasted on Truth Social the night was “PERFECT!”

There were few blips on the big night and the blemishes that did happen were at the expense of UFC's two more problematic fighters.

UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland was escorted out of the Ellipse watch party attended by thousands more fans by a group of police officers. Heavyweight Josh Hokit took it further with an extraordinary and unfounded attack based on a right-wing conspiracy theory about former first lady Michelle Obama.

For all the hand-wringing ahead of the card, the show delivered on the star-spangled smackdown that featured pulsating patriotism from the Marine Band, tributes to first responders, active military and other White House-designated heroes. Gaethje and Ciryl Gane were crowned champions inside a blood-splattered eight-sided cage plopped in the open air right in the people's house backyard on the South Lawn.

Blood and guts were a mandate before an American fighter wrapped himself in the flag.

“Hopefully tonight created some unity,” White said as he put on his hyperbolic promoter's hat. “Even for the people that thought this was going to be some big political statement or something, this wasn't. This was Americans, all Americans celebrating the birthday. For people who tuned in for the first time, because it was at the White House, hopefully they liked the sport. They liked some of the guys' stories.”

So maybe some new fans stick around.

After all, International Fight Week is right around the corner, with UFC 329 set to mark the return after a five-year break of the company's biggest box office draw, Conor McGregor.

That fight will be held in a more traditional arena back on UFC's home turf in Las Vegas, just as they will for years to come.

But despite all the pomp and pageantry, the eyerolls and angst, White stands by his claim that UFC is one-and-done in D.C.

The constant headaches over weather concerns in the rare outdoors show, the logistics of construction of the cage and staging events at federal landmarks and the soaring cost — UFC said it was footing the $60 million tab — made Freedom 250 a one-off for a company once dubbed “human cockfighting."

“I can’t afford it," White said. "I’ll never do the Sphere again and we’ll never do this again.”

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AP MMA: https://apnews.com/hub/mixed-martial-arts

A Democratic hold in the heavily Democratic district would further tighten an already thin Republican majority in the U.S. House.

Swalwell resigned from Congress in April following sexual-assault allegations he has denied. He also withdrew from the California governor's race, in which he was a top contender.

There are two campaigns underway for Swalwell's former seat. One is a regularly scheduled election to serve in the next Congress for a term that starts in January 2027. The other is Tuesday's special primary to serve out the remaining 15 weeks of Swalwell’s term.

Among the Democrats running in the special primary for the abbreviated term in the 14th District are former Dublin mayor and Bay Area Rapid Transit board member Melissa Hernandez, state Sen. Aisha Wahab and attorney and education entrepreneur Rakhi Israni Singh. Republican candidates include real estate investor Wendy Huang and small business owner Dena Maldonado. Unless a candidate wins the seat outright by receiving a majority of the vote, the top two finishers regardless of party will advance to a special general election on Aug. 18. California has a top-two primary system in which all candidates run on the same ballot.

These five candidates also ran in the June 2 primary for the full-term seat in a slightly smaller field of nine. Wahab and Hernandez placed first and second, guaranteeing the seat will remain in Democratic hands next year.

The boundaries of the 14th Congressional District were redrawn as part of a new congressional map approved by voters in a 2025 statewide ballot measure known as Proposition 50. The map goes into effect for the full-term seat in January, while the winner of the special election will serve under the current boundaries for the remainder of the year.

Proposition 50 was placed on the ballot in response to mid-decade redistricting efforts led by President Donald Trump in several Republican-controlled states. While the plan created a congressional map more favorable to Democrats, no dramatic changes were made to the 14th District. Under the current boundaries, Democrats made up 50.4% of registered voters in October, compared with 17.6% for Republicans. Under the new boundaries, Democrats comprised about 49.7% of registered voters as of mid-May, compared with about 17.4% for Republicans.

In 2024, Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris carried the current 14th District with 65.8% of the vote. If the election had been held under the new boundaries, she would have received 65.4% of the vote.

Both versions of the district are contained entirely within Alameda County in the East Bay. The current district includes Hayward, Livermore, Pleasanton and Union City, as well as parts of San Leandro, Fremont and Dublin.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. PT, which is 11 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in the 14th Congressional District special primary.

Who gets to vote?

Any registered voter in the pre-redistricting, pre-Proposition 50 version of California’s 14th Congressional District may participate in the special primary.

How many voters are there?

As of October 2025, there were about 429,000 registered voters in California’s current 14th Congressional District, including about 216,000 Democrats, about 76,000 Republicans and about 114,000 voters with no party preference.

How many people actually vote?

About 214,000 voters in the current iteration of the 14th Congressional District cast ballots in the statewide Proposition 50 ballot measure in November 2025.

About 126,000 14th District voters cast ballots in March 2024, the last time the district held a primary under these boundaries.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 93% of Alameda County voters in the March 2024 primary and about 87% of 2024 general election voters cast their ballots either early in person or by mail.

As of Sunday, about 110,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election, including about 57% from Democrats, about 19% from Republicans and about 20% from unaffiliated voters.

When are early and absentee votes released?

In Alameda County, the first vote update of the night usually includes only results from mail voting, but the county typically still has a sizable number of mail ballots left to tally by the next morning.

Since mail voting tends to favor Democrats and in-person Election Day voting tends to favor Republicans, the release of only mail voting results at the start of the night could result in an early lead for Democratic candidates, while Republican candidates may narrow the gap as more Election Day results are counted. It also means that Democratic candidates could see additional gains later on because of the number of mail ballots tabulated after election night.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the statewide special election for Proposition 50 on Nov. 4, 2025, the AP first reported results from Alameda County at 11:14 p.m. ET, or 14 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 1:33 a.m. ET, with about 57% of total votes counted. The county completed about 99% of the vote county by Nov. 10.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

There are no automatic recounts in California. Any registered voter may request and pay for a recount. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 63 days until the Aug. 18 special general election for Congressional District 14 and 140 days until the Nov. 3 midterm general election.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

Tiny Cape Verde, making its debut at the World Cup, pulled off a stunner, holding heavily favored Spain scoreless in a 0-0 draw on Monday.

“This means everything for our country," Cape Verde coach Pedro Leitão Brito said. “We have always said that we wanted everybody to see our country, our team and we have shown organization and braveness and this is proof of what our country is about — resilience and to try to overcome hardships.”

European champion Spain is one of the favorites to win the tournament and was -1200 to beat Cape Verde. But it could not find a way past a 40-year-old goalkeeper and a stubborn defense that had an answer to everything Spain’s superstars threw at them.

Not even sensational teenager Lamine Yamal, who came in off the bench in the second half, could turn a game that ended with wild and emotional celebrations inside the stadium.

“A dream" was how Cape Verde defender Steven Moreira described it.

Veteran goalkeeper Vozinha broke down in tears after the final whistle following his impressive performance to keep Spain at bay.

He was the player of the match, pulling off a string of saves at the end of the first half to deny Ferran Torres, Pedri and Aymeric Laporte.

The closest Spain came to finding a breakthrough was when Torres struck the bar shortly before halftime.

“We should have won today’s match with everything that happened, with all the favorable situations we created, but we lacked freshness and a clinical edge," said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, who had warned before the match that Cape Verde could be one of the surprise teams of the World Cup.

Spain could have been the victim of an even bigger upset when Diney Borges had a late chance to score, but saw his header saved by Spain keeper Unai Simon.

Add Cape Verde to Cameroon, Senegal and Saudi Arabia on the list of teams that have pulled off shocking results against soccer's giants in the World Cup.

Cameroon beat defending champion Argentina in 1990 and Senegal beat defending champion France in 2002. Four years ago, Saudi Arabia triumphed against Lionel Messi's Argentina, which went on to win the tournament in Qatar.

Cape Verde didn't win, but its performance rebuked some of the criticisms that the expansion of the World Cup from 32 teams to 48 would weaken the tournament.

The group of islands off Africa's West coast have about 4,000 square meters (about 2.5 miles) of landmass and approximately half a million inhabitants, making Cape Verde the third-smallest nation by population to qualify for the World Cup. And even against a loaded Spain roster, Cape Verde proved its worth on soccer's biggest stage.

Despite the majority of the 67,640 crowd inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium appearing to be Spain fans, it was the Cape Verde supporters who cheered loudest. They continued their celebrations after the final whistle, singing and dancing in the concourses.

“All of us, we are happy because we work a lot to be here. We deserve to be here," Vozinha said.

The 2010 champion Spain is aiming to win the World Cup for a second time and is coming into the tournament after winning the Euros in 2024. But a disappointing start echoes its performances in recent World Cups. Spain has failed to advance beyond the round of 16 in each of the last three editions.

“What doubts do you think my team is going to have? Zero doubts," De la Fuente said. “We know how difficult this competition is. The idea we need to follow is what took us here and what made us European champions.”

Spain plays Saudi Arabia on Sunday and Cape Verde faces Uruguay.

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

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

The forecast is a challenging one and those who may be in town for the event may not be familiar with how weather affects our area.

This week, there is a multi-day threat for flooding and even a chance for a short-lived tropical storm later in the week.

Regardless of what happens weather-wise, here are some tips to remember as weather could affect the event.

Leave early and be aware of high water

If you are headed to any event with the potential for large crowds, it is usually a good rule of thumb to leave early to get to the venue early. This is even more important on days where inclement weather could cause traffic problems.

• RELATED: Flood watch extended through Thursday for all of SE Texas

In Houston, there are multiple roadways that can flood when heavy rain moves in. Some of these areas will have flood signals and gauges to help you know when not to travel through them. Others, however, will not.

Here is a map that will show you a list of flood trouble spots in Houston:

For a full list of flood trouble spots in Houston, click here.

Remember, turn around, don’t drown! Never drive into flooded roadways. What may look like just a little bit of water may turn out to be much deeper than you think. This can lead to your car not only stalling, but even be swept away if the water is moving.

FIFA Fan Fest and lightning

Lightning can be extremely dangerous to outdoor event venues and FIFA Houston Host Committee officials created a safety plan specifically to address severe weather and lightning.

According to officials, the festival operates under a weather safety plan that requires guests to leave the venue whenever lightning is detected within an eight-mile radius.

• RELATED: FIFA Fan Fest to close Monday as Houston faces forecasted thunderstorms

The site can only reopen after 30 consecutive minutes without additional lightning strikes within that zone, with the clock restarting after each strike.

The FIFA Fan Fest was closed Monday for the anticipation that the venue would be dealing with this kind of weather.

Potential tropical storm?

Ok, we know the word tropical storm can be scary, maybe more so for someone who is not from here and is simply here for the World Cup.

Thankfully, although we do have a medium chance, 40% to 50%, of a tropical system developing toward the middle of the week, all indications are it will be a weak, short-lived system that forms and then moves inland fairly quickly.

Thus, the story really doesn’t change. The potential will exist for flash flooding all the way into Thursday.

If a tropical storm were to develop, the only real change would be the chance for increased winds near the coast, but that would still be secondary to the heavy rain we are receiving.

Resources that can help you

KPRC 2 has a large amount of articles and resources that can help you track the storms and know what to do if severe weather strikes.

Check out our 2026 Hurricane & Flood Survival Guide here.

We also have radar and forecasts right at your fingertips here or on the KPRC 2 Weather App.

You can also monitor area bayous and roadways for possible flooding with the KPRC 2 Flood Tracker.

The Republican U.S. president sought to make clear that he arrived in Evian-les-Bains with the wind at his back for talks with G7 leaders, including some who have been sharply critical of his managing of the 15-week-old conflict, which has led to a surge in global energy prices — though he did not immediately seem willing to lay out the details of what was in the emerging deal.

Some of those details are still to be negotiated in talks over the next 60 days, though Trump said the memorandum of understanding would likely be released after it’s signed on Friday.

“I think a lot of great things are going to happen in the Middle East right now, and very importantly the oil (price) is plummeting down and the stock market is shooting up like a rocket today,” Trump said at a meeting with the summit’s host, French President Emmanuel Macron, before they joined a working dinner with other leaders.

“The Iran deal that we made is going to bring a lot of success to the world,” he said.

Deal could change G7 dynamic

Trump has had friction with Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over failing to consult them before the decision to go to war. But sealing an agreement before jetting off to the summit might change the dynamic of the three-day gathering.

Macron at the start of Monday's meeting congratulated Trump for finding a way to an agreement.

"It’s a very important matter for peace of the whole world,” Macron said.

Trump has pushed back on the four European leaders — members of the NATO military alliance — for their lack of support for the U.S. in the conflict.

He's expected to discuss with leaders the demining of the Strait of Hormuz. Britain and France have expressed interest in assisting with the demining once the conflict is paused. Fear of potential mines is among the reasons tanker traffic has come to a halt during the war, and quickly clearing them will be crucial to regaining the confidence of commercial vessels.

Macron on Monday said France was ready to move within days to deploy assets, including mine-clearing vessels, to the region to help.

Senior U.S. officials told reporters that the while the agreement provides for the immediate opening of the strait and lifting of the U.S. naval blockade, it will take weeks for traffic to return to previous levels.

Macron invited the leaders of three nations that aren’t part of the G7 — Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — to take part in a session on the Middle East on Tuesday, when Iran is expected to be a central focus.

Trump faces questions about financial incentives for Tehran

Trump had fiercely criticized President Barack Obama for the 2015 nuclear agreement, which Trump argued failed to stop Tehran from advancing toward a weapon and funneled billions of dollars into the Islamic Republic’s coffers.

In 2018, Trump exited the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the European Union were also signatories to the pact.

Trump in an interview on Sunday with The New York Times pushed back on comparisons to the Obama-era nuclear deal. “We negotiated from strength,” Trump said. “He was basically paying them off.”

But Trump hasn't explained how his agreement will address some key issues about Iran's nuclear program, including who will be in charge of verifying that Iran is complying with the agreement and who will destroy or remove 972 pounds (441 kilograms) of highly enriched uranium believed to be buried under nuclear sites that were badly damaged by U.S. strikes last summer.

The memorandum of understanding includes the possibility of releasing Iran's frozen funds, sanctions relief and a $300 billion fund to help rebuild Iran — all of which would be tied to Tehran meeting certain benchmarks aimed at assuaging White House concerns, senior U.S. officials told reporters on Monday.

Some Democrats and hawkish critics say Trump has failed to explain how the financial relief in his agreement will differ from what Obama did in the 2015 nuclear deal.

“For all his critique of JCPOA, we had international observers, we actually had an alliance there that included the Europeans, and Russia and China were all signatories,” Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CBS' “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump and an Iran hawk, expressed skepticism, saying that Congress will need to review and vote on any nuclear deal with Iran, and said he expects Vance — “the architect of the deal” — to present it.

“I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming,” Graham said on social media.

Trade irritants and the war in Ukraine are also a focus

Leaders are expected to discuss a range of economic and trade issues. Trump told the New York Post he’s warned Macron the U.S. will “have no choice” but to slap 100% tariffs on French wines unless ​Paris eliminates its digital tax on American tech companies, renewing a long-running threat from him that dates to his first administration.

Wines and ​spirits exported to the U.S. from the European Union currently face ​a 15% ⁠tariff.

In an interview with broadcaster TF1, Macron said Monday that it’s not “for the United States to decide what European or French law should be.”

Macron also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a working session with G7 leaders on Tuesday to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war.

At the moment, Zelenskyy is not scheduled to hold one-on-one talks with Trump while they're both in France, but Trump on Sunday held separate phone calls with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Trump emphasized the need to end hostilities with Ukraine and stated his readiness to influence European allies and Kyiv toward that goal, including at the G7.

Zelenskyy had offered to meet Putin with Trump and European leaders at the G7 gathering, but the Kremlin didn’t reply, a Ukrainian official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Putin is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, and France would be obliged as an ICC member to arrest him. The United States and Russia both oppose the court.

Trump suggested that, after an Iran deal, he'll now have greater bandwidth to focus on the Russia-Ukraine war.

"Now that this is finished, we’re going to be focusing on that,” he said, referring to diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting that followed Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.

___

Madhani reported from Geneva, AP writers Samuel Petrequin and John Leicester in Paris; Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv, Ukraine; Michelle L. Price and Collin Binkley in Washington; and Tom Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa contributed reporting.

The melee, including last-minute endorsements from President Donald Trump and outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp, was on full display Monday ahead of Tuesday’s runoff. Rep. Mike Collins and former football coach Derek Dooley are competing for the party's nomination for U.S. Senate, while Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and billionaire businessman Rick Jackson are running for governor.

Trump and Kemp are aligned behind Jones but split in the Senate race. Top grassroots organizers are divided too. Even Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a former rival to Trump, stepped into the mix on Jackson’s behalf, putting him at odds with the president and governor.

“There’s a lot of division in the MAGA world and across the Republican Party,” said Debbie Dooley, an original national tea party organizer who is backing Jones for governor but Dooley for Senate. (She's not related to the candidate.) “We better get it together after Tuesday.”

Kemp insisted there is a common denominator.

“Everything I’m doing is to win in November,” he said Monday after campaigning for Jones and Derek Dooley at separate events in metro Atlanta.

Kemp has backed Derek Dooley for months in the Senate race, arguing it will take an outsider to defeat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November. Yet Kemp campaigned for the first time Monday with Jones, a day after he endorsed the lieutenant governor despite Jackson's outsider campaign. In the governor's race, Kemp reasoned that Jones is the right man to defeat Democratic nominee and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Trump, meanwhile, has backed Jones since last August, rewarding him for his loyalty as part of Trump’s alternate Electoral College slate in the 2020 scheme to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential victory. But the president waited until the final weekend to choose Collins over Dooley, with a social media post that noted Dooley has backed Trump’s falsehoods about his loss to Biden.

Kemp’s and Trump’s differing courses highlight their complicated relationship — Kemp certified Biden’s electors in 2020 over Trump’s objections — and the results Tuesday will tests both men’s internal party influence as their final terms play out.

“I’m not worried about any political equations or keeping score,” Kemp said Monday after campaigning alongside Jones and Dooley at separate morning events. “It’s making sure we have the right people at the top of the ticket.”

He also rejected any notion that he was being inconsistent by pushing the Washington outsider in one race and the Georgia statehouse insider in another. The reason, he said, was that Georgia has been controlled by Republicans for more than two decades and, in Kemp’s estimation, is doing well enough that Jones would be “really building off the great legacy” of multiple state administrations. Congress, meanwhile, is a mess of “inaction” with abysmal approval ratings, he said.

Dooley, for his part, embraced Kemp’s influence and downplayed Trump’s.

“It’s very simple,” he said. “A vote for Mike Collins is a vote for Jon Ossoff. A vote for me is a vote for the people of Georgia.”

Jackson likewise downplayed Kemp’s last-minute nod for Jones.

“I respect Gov. Kemp very much, and I think people are ready for an outsider,” he said.

Cruz was more animated, with an implicit comparison of Jackson to Trump.

“He’s rich,” Cruz told Jackson supporters with a smile. And he’s a first-time candidate, the senator continued. “I don’t know anybody like that in politics,” Cruz deadpanned.

Debbie Dooley, the conservative activist, noted that erstwhile tea party leaders in the state aren’t on the same page anymore either. While she’s campaigning with Derek Dooley, the founder of Tea Party Patriots, Jenny Beth Martin, has appeared with Collins.

“It’s just not as simple as blindly following Trump anymore,” Debbie Dooley said. “I don’t want the most conservative candidate. I want the most conservative candidate who can win.”

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch through Thursday morning for much of Southeast Texas, warning that excessive rainfall could lead to flash flooding, flooded roads, and rising water levels in creeks, bayous, rivers, and other low-lying areas.

Track Live Radar: As we head into the afternoon conditions are winding down. We will continue to see showers and embedded storms, but the heaviest from today has moved out.

Tonight’s Forecast:

Most of this evening will be quiet with very isolated showers, but we will see rain chances increase Tuesday in the morning. These showers will bring the potential for heavy rainfall and frequent lightning strikes.

Tuesday’s Flood Risk:

The flood threat ramps up Tuesday as deep tropical moisture continues streaming into Southeast Texas. Periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected throughout the day, with the greatest flooding concern focused near and south of Houston. Rainfall rates could be intense at times, leading to localized street flooding and rapidly changing road conditions.

Wednesday’s Flood Risk:

Wednesday appears to be one of the highest-impact days of the week. The combination of a stalled front and a nearby tropical disturbance could lead to repeated rounds of heavy rain, especially across the Houston metro, Galveston Bay region, and areas east of the city. Flash flooding becomes a more significant concern as rain accumulates and soils become increasingly saturated.

Thursday’s Flood Risk:

By Thursday, the disturbance is expected to begin shifting eastward toward Louisiana, but a flood threat will remain across Southeast Texas. The greatest concern may gradually shift toward Chambers County, Liberty County, Beaumont, and Port Arthur, though heavy rain could still impact parts of the Houston area. Any locations that received significant rainfall earlier in the week will be more vulnerable to flooding.

Friday’s Flood Risk:

The overall flood threat should continue decreasing Friday as the system pulls farther east. However, scattered heavy downpours remain possible, and it may not take much additional rain to cause problems in areas that have already seen flooding. Conditions should gradually improve heading into the weekend, but some lingering water issues could persist where the heaviest rain fell earlier in the week.

Potential Tropical Storm Arthur:

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a disturbance over northeastern Mexico that could move into the northwestern Gulf later this week. Development is possible, with a 50% chance of formation over the next seven days and a 40% chance over the next 48 hours. If a tropical storm forms, it would likely be short-lived as it moves near the Texas or Louisiana coast.

Regardless of whether this system becomes a named storm, the primary concern for Southeast Texas is flooding rainfall. A stalled front combined with deep tropical moisture will bring multiple rounds of heavy rain through at least Thursday. Forecast models indicate some areas could receive 5 to 10 inches of rain, with isolated higher totals possible. Flash flooding, flooded roads, rising bayous and creeks, and localized impacts to homes and neighborhoods are all possible, especially where heavier rain bands repeatedly move over the same locations.

Forecast rainfall totals generally range from 3 to 7 inches across Southeast Texas through the end of the week, but some locations could see significantly higher amounts if heavier rain bands repeatedly move over the same area. Rainfall rates may exceed 2 to 4 inches per hour at times, which can quickly overwhelm drainage systems and lead to flash flooding. Because the exact location of the heaviest rain remains uncertain, everyone across Southeast Texas should stay weather aware, monitor forecast updates, and avoid driving through flooded roadways. Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown. Floodwaters can be deeper than they appear, and it only takes a small amount of moving water to sweep away a vehicle.

10-day forecast:

Rain and storm chances continue through the late week. By the weekend, southeast Texas dries out, but the heat and humidity will return swiftly.

The survival rate for children with cancer has fallen to 65% from 85% before the energy restrictions began in January, according to the report released by Cubadebate. It also said 100,000 children younger than 7 are no longer receiving the daily liter of milk previously provided by the state and that the country’s 16-vaccine immunization program for infants is “at risk.”

Additionally, it said, another 100,000 Cubans are on waiting lists for surgery and the treatment schedules of nearly 3,000 patients requiring kidney dialysis have been disrupted. Regarding medication, 300 of the 395 essential medicines produced on the island are unavailable due to a lack of chemical components required to manufacture medications.

Cuba provides free, universal healthcare, but the system has been pushed to the brink as a result of resource shortages, fuel scarcity and power outages that can last more than 20 hours.

Cuba spent three months without a fuel shipment after the U.S. in January attacked Venezuela, a key supplier, and threatened tariffs on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba.

The island was already suffocating under a sharp increase in longtime U.S. sanctions, which prevent it from importing certain goods. The Trump administration demands that Cuba’s socialist government release political prisoners, implement major economic reforms and change its way of governance to avoid becoming a national security threat. Cuba has repeatedly said it poses no threat to the U.S.

As tensions escalate between the countries, United Nations officials have warned of a looming humanitarian crisis. In March, the organization launched an emergency appeal to raise funds for the island, but on Monday said several of its agencies involved with the plan were facing “significant logistical challenges.”

The U.N. said the regional Pan American Health Organization reported delays in shipments of antibiotics and laboratory reagents because of flight cancellations. UNICEF said seven critical shipments of supplies for newborns, valued at $630,000, were stalled in transit, while the World Food Program said 2,900 metric tons of contracted food aid could not be shipped to Cuba because of limitations imposed by shipping lines.

“What we are experiencing now is a unique situation," said Paolo Spadoni, an associate professor at Augusta University in Georgia. “There is no doubt that there were problems with healthcare and basic services in Cuba, but there is also no doubt that these recent events have vastly amplified what was already happening, and that we are now in a different dimension.”

Spadoni acknowledged that Cuba needs reforms and is suffering from systemic failures, but said "it is impossible to deny” that the United States bears responsibility for the “acute humanitarian crisis” unfolding on the island.

Monday's Cubadebate report also stated that about 1,400 megawatts of generating capacity are offline because of shortages of diesel and fuel oil for smaller power plants. It added that larger thermoelectric plants need spare parts that cannot currently be transported.

Additionally, the report said that “logistical and payment hurdles” in wheat purchases have reduced bread supplies to about half of what was available before the energy restrictions and that the lack of fuel has prevented the distribution of 170 containers of essential goods.

“Beyond numbers and coercive measures, the blockade amounts to an extreme and unjustifiable form of collective punishment inflicted on the Cuban people,” the report concluded. ___

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

Tuesday, June 16

• OWN’s “Heart & Hustle: Houston”
• Velocité – A Father’s Day Tradition in Motion
• All Elite Wrestling at Smart Financial Centre
• Follow Thunder Rosa on Instagram
• Allied Outdoor Solutions

Monday, June 15

• Local 17-year-old filmmaker makes her mark with movie focusing on men’s mental health
• • “Used to Be” tickets
• WWE star Braun Strowman chats season 2 of ‘Everything On The Menu’
• • USA Network’s “Everything on the Menu With Braun Strowman”
• KPRC 2 Habitat for Humanity
• • Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Houston’s own Cris Sosa competes on NBC’s ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 21
• • Comedian Cris Sosa
  • NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”

Friday, June 12

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Why the Rothko Chapel may be Houston’s most transformative space
• • Rothko Chapel
• Keep your home cool and save on energy with these tips from Champion & Nash
• • Champion and Nash
• Marco’s Pizza brings New York-style pizza to your neighborhood
• • Marco’s Pizza
• Meet Yassine Cheuko, personal bodyguard to soccer superstar Lionel Messi

Thursday, June 11

• FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston

Wednesday, June 10

• Houston physician and educator Dr. Tim Garson makes history approachable and relatable to modern life in new book
• • Dr. Arthur “Tim” Garson
  • Book: “Five Thousand Years of Controversies: A Family’s Journey Through World History”
• Ishida Dance Company presents ‘Waiting/Rex’ at Asia Society Texas
• • Ishida Dance Company Tickets
• Father’s Day finds and summer-ready home upgrades
• • Kathryn Emery
• Peptides and functional health: How Antiage Institute helps Houstonians age better
• • Antiage Institute

Tuesday, June 9

• How a community effort saved Houston’s printmaking legacy
• How custom coasters are made by hand at Red Bird Press studio
• • Red Bird Press
• A 34-Day soccer watch party in Houston with Diplo, wagyu burgers and VIP lounges?
• • The Ranch Presents Pitch Live
• Find the right mattress with expert help in Texas
• • Texas Mattress Makers

Monday, June 8

• Meet Saxboy Billy, the man behind the viral “Puerto Rico Song”
• • Follow Saxboy Billy on Instagram
• Celebrate Culture through music and movement with Tx2 Dance Company
• • T2 Dance Company
• NBC’s ‘American Ninja Warrior’ Season 18: What Lauren Kelly learned from the Hosts
• • NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior”
• Replace an entire arch, not just a tooth: How ONEARCH changes lives
• • Texas Dental Implant Center
• Visit San Antonio

Friday, June 5

• The music collective behind the Houston remix for FIFA World Cup 2026™
• • Bombón
  • Official FIFA World Cup 26™ Houston Sonic ID
• Why Alley Theatre’s “Misery” is leaving Houston audiences gasping
• • Misery at Alley Theatre
• Young Houstonians will learn how to train like a pro at the Simple Truth Will Anderson Jr. ProCamp
• • Will Anderson Jr. Football ProCamp

Thursday, June 4

• Magician Michael Carbonaro is ready to wow fans in Houston with his new show ‘WONDERBOY’
• • Michael Carbonaro at Houston of Blues
• HCC Southwest ramps up hands-on training in AI, robotics and cybersecurity
• • Houston City College
• The Travel Mom’s tips for planning and booking a breathtaking Alaskan cruise
• • The Travel Mom
  • Holland America Cruises
• Spice Routes: Cardamom Challenge a culinary passport awaits at Houston’s stunning Ismaili Center
• • Ismaili Center

Wednesday, June 3

• Celebrate Freedom Festival returns to Emancipation Park this Saturday
• • Juneteenth Houston
• Why this red velvet cornbread recipe belongs on your Juneteenth table
• • Chef Cassi
• Houston Rockets Skills Camp returns to various locations this summer
• • Houston Rockets Youth Skills Camp
• KPRC 2’s 2026 Hurricane & Flood Survival Guide
• IMDB “Masters of the Universe”

Tuesday, June 2

• CPR and AED basics: Simple skills that can help save a life
• • Register for FREE CPR webinar on June 3
  • Gail Gould
• Meet the local break dancers uplifting women and youth through hip-hop, culture, and the arts
• • BGirl City Worldwide
• Cool Treats in the Heights: Where to find Hawaiian shaved ice and frozen cocktails
• • Happy Go Lucky

Monday, June 1

• Houston Author Jenny Block drops new book about finding authenticity, success and joy in life
• • Follow Jenny Block on Instagram
• The laughs keep coming in season 2 of Netflix’s ‘The Four Seasons’
• • Netflix’s “The Four Seasons”
• Discovery Green celebrating summer with free family fun and soccer-inspired events
• • Discovery Green
• Why natural looking dental implants are the new luxury in facial rejuvenation
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, May 29

• Texas Teen Pageant Queens use their platforms to empower foster kids, fight bullying, and inspire future farmers
• • Kyleigh’s Kidz
• Immersive Gamebox is launching ‘Soccer Arcade,’ the world’s first immersive soccer experience
• • Immersive Gamebox
• Tanji Patton reveals what’s next after 11 seasons of Goodtaste TV
• Sweet, Savory & Spicy: Creative cantaloupe recipes worth trying this Summer
• • Goodtaste with Tanji Patton

Thursday, May 28

• Game day skin care tips for FIFA World Cup 2026™ watch parties and summer heat
• • Board-Certified Dermatologist Dr. Sherry Ingraham
• A Quick Drive From Houston, This Louisiana Resort Delivers Vegas-Style Luxury Without the Flight
• • Coushatta Casino Resort
• Licasa Treatment Center Opens in Conroe to expand compassionate mental health and addiction care
• • Licasa Treatment Center

Wednesday, May 27

•  Powering Houston’s future: Electrical apprentices showcase skills at annual Wire-Off Competition 
• • IEC Texas Gulf Coast
• Los Souldees is the local band bringing the sounds you love from the past with a fresh Houston twist
• • Los Souldees

Tuesday, May 26

• Lone Star College
• A Houston little boy’s toughest battle led to a monster surprise!
• • Gexa Energy
• Captain MC’s Seafood
• The Window Source Houston

Friday, May 22

• Get your bike ready for summer rides with these simple safety tips
• • Sun & Ski Sports
• This easy road trip from Houston comes with luxury suites, gaming, and a powerful legacy
• • Coushatta Powwow
  • Coushatta Casino Resort
• Hear the hits - ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ in Houston
• • “The Carole King Musical” at Theatre Under the Stars
• Support local veterans while having fun at the Patriots Charity Classic
• • Patriots Charity Classic Event

Thursday, May 21

• The World comes to Houston! Here’s what to expect ahead of the FIFA Fan Festival™ kicking off in EaDo
• • FIFA Fan Festival™
• This easy road trip from Houston comes with luxury suites, gaming, and a powerful legacy
• • Coushatta Casino Resort - New Legacy Tower
• SUMMER SWEEPSTAKES: Enter to win 3 weeks of free airport parking from The Parking Spot
• • The Parking Spot
• Train for Houston’s in demand jobs at HCC Northeast - Public Safety, Automotive, & more
• • HCC Northeast
• Schlotzsky’s Deli launches new stacked subs in Houston - Try three bold flavors
• • Schlotzsky’s Deli

Wednesday, May 20

• Schlotzsky’s Deli launches new stacked subs in Houston - Try three bold flavors
• • Schlotzsky’s Deli
• Swap, shop, sustain: Houston’s eco-friendly clothing event returns this Sunday
• • The Houston Clothing Shop
• A Houston little boy’s toughest battle led to a monster surprise!
• • Gexa Energy
• Early detection, AI tools, personalized care redefine preventive health
• • Fountain Life Houston Clinic
• Get your backyard summer ready with pest control, pool upgrades, trampolines and whole home backup power
• • Kathryn Emery
• Need summer plans? This easy Galveston getaway has dinosaurs, beaches & lazy rivers
• • Moody Gardens

Tuesday, May 19

• In the Kitchen with Kroger: Memorial Day hosting doesn’t have to start from scratch
• • KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to win a $250 Kroger gift card!
  • Kroger
• Moody Gardens
• Houston Ballet closes 2025-2026 season with two standout productions
• • Houston Ballet
• From award-winning tv to action-packed films, Bob Odenkirk chats ‘Normal’
• • Follow Bob Odenkirk on Instagram

Monday, May 18

• Celebrate World Ocean Day in Galveston with art, music & ocean fun for free 🌊 🌊
• • Artist Boat
• A collector’s dream: U.S. Coins & Jewelry opens brand new showroom for buying and selling
• • U.S. Coins and Jewelry
• Mental Health Awareness Month: How to spot the signs when stress becomes something more
• • The Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
• Spring couple transforms builder-grade patio into beautiful backyard with Allied Outdoor Solutions
• • Allied Outdoor Solutions
• Why natural looking dental implants are the new luxury in facial rejuvenation
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, May 15

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• At Houston’s Alley Theatre, “Dear Alien” explores the beautiful weirdness of being human
• • “Dear Alien at Alley Theatre
• Gear up inside the newly renovated and relocated Sun & Ski Sports Memorial City
• • Sun & Ski Sports Memorial City
• The Travel Mom on the perks of RV life on the road
• • The Travel Mom
  • Go RVing

Thursday, May 14

• Musaafer Houston Beekeeper cocktail program highlights honey from local neighborhoods
• • Musaafer
• Help us save lives at the KPRC 2 Community Blood Drive with Gulf Coast Blood
• • Schedule an appointment
• Port Aransas
• Children’s Museum Houston

Wednesday, May 13

• Why one Fulshear homeowner calls his generator “The Easy Button”
• • GenPro.com
• Family fun meets coastal charm in Port Aransas, Texas’ premier Gulf Coast getaway
• • Port Aransas
  • Red Dragon Pirate Cruises
• Local chef turns pandemic setback into a thriving Filipino food pop-up business
• • Aleng Nina’s
  • Chef Nina’s Pop-up Event at Third Place

Tuesday, May 12

• Rob Riggle among authors featured in ‘A Celebration of Reading’ 2026
• • Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation
• Texas’ legendary 1877 tall ship ELISSA joins Sail250 voyage to New York Harbor
• • The Official Official Tall Ship of Texas
  • Galveston 250 Kickoff Party Tickets
• The Future of noninvasive wellness is in Sugar Land
• • Oasis Aesthetics & Wellness and Oasis Dry Eye Center
• Chef Jose Hernandez on his roots, restaurants, and fresh pasta
• • Savoir Restaurant
  • Patton

Monday, May 11

• Texas breweries shine at World Beer Cup as American Craft Beer Week kicks off
• • What’s on Tap Radio
• Could Retirement Living Actually Feel Like a Resort? Inside Life at Eagle’s Trace
• • Eagles’ Trace by Erickson Senior Living
• Empty Bowls Houston returns for its 20th anniversary
• • Empty Bowls Houston
  • Houston Food Bank

Friday, May 8

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Children’s Museum Houston and Houston Life present a first look inside the ‘Gallery of Wonder’ on KPRC 2
• Easy at-home kitchen STEM activities to spark curiosity with Children’s Museum Houston
• • Children’s Museum Houston
• Rung Film Festival returns to Houston, highlighting Pakistani storytellers on the big screen
• • Rung Film Festival
• Scammed out of $90,000: Houston woman shares warning for seniors
• • AARP Houston
• KPRC 2’s “Eat Like a Local”

Thursday, May 7

• Celebrate National Hamburger Month with OMG! Burger
• • OMG! Burger
• How Houston City College Is Building the City’s Workforce
• • Houston City College
• The Insperity Invitational presented by United Healthcare happening in The Woodlands this weekend
• • Insperity Invitational
• Bridge the Gaps

Wednesday, May 6

• From local finds to feel-good vibes, ‘Shop Fulshear First’ family-friendly night market
• • “Shop Fulshear First”
• Why you keep repeating the same unhealthy relationship patterns and how to change them
• • Jenn Pinkerton
• Houston Grand Opera

Tuesday, May 5

• Bun B announces “UGK Been Ridin’ Dirty,” Celebrating 30 Years of a Southern Hip-Hop Classic
• • Bun B Presents “Been Ridin’ Dirty” Tickets
• From classroom to center stage: The Tommy Tune Awards showcase Houston’s rising theatre talent
• • Tommy Tune Awards Finalists List
• Houston Life co-hosts learn calligraphy with live event artist Jenny Blaschke
• • Jenny Blaschke

Monday, May 4

• “Houston’s Enchilada Queen” Sylvia Casares serving up big flavor & family tradition
• • Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen
• This Houston program uses comedy to build confidence and change lives
• • Comedy Unlocked
  • The Opportunity Center
• Hot products: Summer grillin’ and chillin’ with Lifestyle and Home Improvement expert Kathryn Emery
• • Kathryn Emery
• New Smile: AI-driven design at Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, May 1

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Teatro Indigo
• Teatro Indigo at Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
• Mahjong for a Cause
• Sam Houston Race Park

Thursday, April 30

• St‑Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• National Pet Month is here! Houston SPCA offers tips for responsible pet ownership
• • Houston SPCA
• From Knee Replacement to the Boston Marathon: A Story of Movement, Medicine, and Meaning
• • Dr. Richard A. Berger Outpatient Hip and Knee Surgery
• Tyler Henry “The Hollywood Medium” heading to Houston for unforgettable live show
• • Tyler Henry Live at Smart Financial Center
  • Connect with Tyler Henry

Wednesday, April 29

• In the Kitchen with Kroger: Celebrate Mother’s Day with Kroger, the world’s largest florist
• • KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to win a $250 Kroger gift card!
• Sail into Alaska with Princess Cruises - tips from The Travel Mom, Emily Kaufman
• • The Travel Mom
  • Princess Cruises
• How wearing denim became an international symbol of supporting assault survivors and victims
• • National Denim Day
  • Fort Bend Women’s Center
• Country superstar Parker McCollum surprises nurses ahead of National Nurses Week

Tuesday, April 28

• Inside Golden Roastery: A popular Middle Eastern shop serving traditional desserts and coffee
• How to make a popular Arab dessert Kunafa
• • Golden Roastery (Walk-in offer only; get 20% off Kunafa items from now to May 10)
• Help us save lives at the KPRC 2 Community Blood Drive with Gulf Coast Blood
• • Community Blood Drive at KPRC 2
• 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
• First annual AAPI Fest coming to Alief
• • AAPI Fest
  • Kaminari Taiko of Houston,
• The story behind Agnes and Sherman where Asian flavors meet American comfort food
• • Agnes and Sherman
  • AAPI Restaurant Weeks
• 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

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As Mexico celebrated its World Cup-opening victory over South Africa on Thursday, Merlin, a 2-year-old duck dressed in the national team’s colors, became an unlikely internet sensation and the tournament’s first unofficial mascot.

Images of Merlin parading through Mexico City, wearing a Mexican national team jersey — and socks — as thousands of fans celebrated, quickly went viral, racking up millions of views across social media. Overnight, and as if by the magic of the famous wizard who inspired his name, Merlin had captivated the internet.

“We want to see Merlin in the stadium,” one user wrote. “This duck is already a national treasure,” said another. “The best thing about the World Cup so far,” declared a third.

In Mexico City, however, Merlin was already something of a local celebrity.

A familiar sight at fairs and events in the historic city center, the duck regularly accompanies his owner, Carla Gómez, who sells water and soft drinks from a little cart each weekend. Along the way, the animal attracts plenty of delighted squeals, affectionate greetings and eager requests from passersby for a photo together.

“We don’t like to leave him alone at home; we like him to be with us. He’s our baby,” Gómez said. “He’s the baby, the sole heir to all my possessions and now an idol.”

Rain or shine, Merlin follows Gómez and her young son Cristian through some of the capital’s best-known landmarks, including Alameda Central, the Palace of Fine Arts and the Zócalo square. The duck shares a particularly close bond with Cristian, for whom he was originally a gift, becoming what Gómez describes as the boy's inseparable companion.

“Merlin had already become famous for selling bottled water,” Gómez said, recalling her surprise at her pet’s sudden rise to fame.

“He is always with us; we never imagined he’d become such a sensation,” she added. “We weren’t expecting it.”

On Monday, Gómez — and Merlin — met with FIFA representatives to shoot photos and a commercial. Now, the family hopes Mexico’s famous feathered supporter can continue bringing luck to the host nation, which is staging the World Cup for the third time after hosting the tournament in 1970 and 1986 — this time a co-host alongside Canada and the United States.

“Mexico, we are with you,” Gómez said. “And Merlin is your No. 1 fan.”

___

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

Trump had been touting the emerging deal for weeks and the continuing conflict threatened to overshadow the UFC mixed martial arts extravaganza, where combatants inside a wire-mesh Octagon tried to punch, kick, chop and pummel each other into submission.

Ahead of the event, however, the president said an agreement to end the conflict “is now complete." He declared that the U.S. will end its blockade of Iran, and that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen. Crucial details still need negotiating over the coming weeks, however.

Top administration officials and Republican leaders attended the fights, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Polish President Karol Nawrocki was also at the White House.

It started with Trump and UFC chief Dana White walking together from the Oval Office to the Blue Room Balcony to survey the Octagon, standing for the national anthem as fighter jets thundered overhead.

Thousands of spectators crowded into the temporary arena under “ The Claw,” a spaceship-like metal arch fitted with lights, sound equipment and large screens. Thousands more watched on big screens from the nearby Ellipse.

“This event is a one of one event, incredible event,” said White, a close friend of the president's, during a Friday night hype session at the Lincoln Memorial, where pairs of fighters shoved and scuffled for the cameras under the stoic gaze of Honest Abe’s marble likeness.

Before Sunday's final fight, lightweight fighters Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, who wrapped himself in an American flag, each stepped out of the Oval Office and walked to the Octagon — meaning Trump even ceded his workspace as part of the show.

The American Gaethje then stunned Spanish-Georgian Topuria to win after four rounds that left copious blood on the cage floor. Trump later headed inside the cage to shake hands and watch a fireworks display that launched well after 1 a.m.

That capped a night where many of the winning fighters thanked Trump and God. Heavyweight Josh Hokit took it further with an extraordinary and unfounded attack based on a right-wing conspiracy theory about a former first lady: “Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?”

Hokit also headed over to Trump and placed a chain around the president's neck.

Rain didn't mar fights

Wearing a suit and tie despite the summer heat, Trump a lot of time was sitting stoned-faced, watching the action through wire-mesh cage. At one point he spoke briefly with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

When American Sean O’Malley fought Canadian Aiemann Zahabi, Trump donned a white USA hat. After O'Malley won, he shook Trump’s hand and saluted the president.

Earlier, as Diego Lopes was defeating American Steve Garcia in the opening fight, the president could be seen speaking to first lady Melania Trump. After Bo Nickal knocked out Kyle Daukaus in the second fight, Nickal went over to Trump and kneeled down, chatting briefly.

“I gotta thank President Trump for making this happen,” Nickal said in a subsequent interview, as Trump grinned. Nickal added that the president is a “special person,” before Trump-favorite “YMCA" played.

The president sought to tie the fights to larger celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But it was so geared toward himself that the G7 summit for leaders of industrialized nations pushed back their get-together so Trump was able to attend his party, then fly to Europe for the meetings.

The weekend wasn't all smiles for Trump, though. Crews pried Trump’s name off the Kennedy Center near the White House after a judge ruled naming it after the president had gone too far. And, before the fight began, UFC Middleweight champion Sean Strickland — an outspoken critic of Israel — was escorted out of the Ellipse by a crowd of law enforcement officers.

Still, predicted thunderstorms that delayed the UFC event briefly, never produced rain. Trump posted online later, that the weather was “perfect” and, “The White House has never looked more beautiful. The setting was unsurpassed!”

A dramatic departure from how the last president marked his 80th

The crowd repeatedly chanted, “USA! USA!” when an American fighter faced a foreign opponent. Until the finale, that didn’t always help the American fighter prevail. After winning his fight, Brazil's Mauricio Ruffy proposed to his girlfriend who — in Trumpian fashion — flashed a thumb's up from the crowd.

It was all a very long way from when Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, turned 80 in November 2022. Biden celebrated with a private family brunch at the White House, laying bare just how much and how quickly things have changed.

Asked about the contrast, White House spokesperson Allison Schuster in a statement called the UFC event “one of the most entertaining nights in American history.”

When he turned 80, Biden was the oldest president in U.S. history, and was months away from launching a reelection bid that he would ultimately abandon after a disastrous debate against Trump and mutiny among Democrats.

Trump has now supplanted Biden as the oldest person to be elected U.S. president. He’s constitutionally barred from running again, yet constantly toys with the notion. That’s despite polls showing rising public skepticism about Trump’s mental and physical health.

A Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted in April found that less than half of U.S. adults think Trump has the mental sharpness or physical health to serve effectively as president.

The White House countered with a statement from Trump's former White House physician, Texas Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson, saying Trump's “stamina, focus, and strength are exceptional and on display every day." Jackson added that polling concerns were “being propagated by the same biased, liberal, Trump-hating press that completely ignored the absolute cognitive and physical disaster that was President Biden.”

‘Bread and circuses’ — Trump-style

The UFC was an apt metaphor for Trump's pugilistic political style. He is as big a fan of cage-match-style politics as he is of cage-fighting itself.

But Trump has also long been a master of political misdirection, purposely presenting people with something other than his presidency to focus on when things aren’t going well.

With the war in Iran having kept gas prices high and renewing concerns about inflation while Trump's job approval ratings fall, a White House birthday party unlike anything America has ever seen can certainly qualify as a diversion.

“This is all distraction,” said Mike Fontaine, a classics professor at Cornell University, who likened it to the gladiatorial games of Imperial Rome, when combatants brutalized each other for public entertainment meant to bolster rulers’ popularity and quell potential unrest.

“This is a classic strategy," Fontaine said. “In ancient Rome, the phrase would be, ‘bread and circuses.’”

Trump says the UFC is paying for the event and while its full costs haven't been divulged, the National Park Service said in a court filing that $60-plus million and tens of thousands of hours of labor went into it, while seven government agencies have “allocated significant resources and manpower.”

UFC also announced that it was adding as an official partner for the event World Liberty Financial to create a special $250,000 athlete bonus pool for Sunday night’s winners. The cryptocurrency company is co-owned by the Trump family, founded with the president’s special diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff and run by his son, Zach.

The arrangement further blurs lines between the Trump family's financial interests and the events and construction projects the president has prioritized and used government resources to pull off.

Still, Fontaine said that when it comes to a personal flair for pageantry, the president’s second-term tendency to lean into “hardcore masculinity and brute fighting” is marrying the UFC's blood sport with Trump's trademark humor and enduring sense of showmanship.

“President Trump has a once-in-a-generation talent for this stuff,” he said.

___

Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein contributed to this report.

The S&P 500 rose 1.7% on hopes that this time, the announcement of an Iran-U.S. agreement will mean a long-term fix to a conflict that has worsened inflation around the world. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 468 points, or 0.9%, to a record, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 3.1%.

Stocks got a lift after the price for a barrel of Brent crude oil fell 4.8% to $83.17, back to where it was in early March. While that’s still above its price of roughly $70 from before the war, it’s lower than the $100 plus it cost just a few weeks ago. The hope is that lower oil prices will take pressure off households and businesses, which have had to pay higher prices for everything from food to fuel to fertilizer because of the war with Iran.

Iran confirmed the deal, but it does not include a final agreement on issues like Iran’s nuclear program. Negotiations on that are expected to continue over the next 60 days, which leaves opportunity for hiccups that could derail the agreement. And even if the Strait of Hormuz does fully reopen on Friday as expected, it will likely take months for the energy industry to get back to full speed.

For now, though, relief swept through financial markets worldwide.

On Wall Street, stocks of companies with big fuel bills were instant winners. United Airlines flew 3.9% higher, and cruise operator Royal Caribbean Group rose 6.6%.

Stocks of companies enmeshed in the artificial-intelligence industry also jumped. These stocks have yo-yoed in recent weeks, going from roaring to records to suddenly turning lower. The concern is whether such stocks shot too high, too fast because of AI mania, and their careening moves have sometimes reversed direction by the hour.

Micron Technology rallied 10.8%, and Advanced Micro Devices rose 7%. Nvidia’s climb of 3.5% was the strongest force pushing the S&P 500 upward because the AI chip company is Wall Street’s most valuable company, giving it more weight on the index than any other.

SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket company that also owns the AI company xAI, rose 19.6% in its second day of trading on Wall Street. Its successful debut on the Nasdaq suggested plenty of demand still exists among investors for AI. The market has given SpaceX a total value of more than $2.1 trillion, making it bigger than Exxon Mobil, Bank of America and Coca-Cola combined.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased on hopes that lower oil prices will remove pressure on central banks to raise interest rates.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.47% from 4.48% late Friday.

Europe’s central bank last week became the first major one in the world to raise interest rates because of the war with Iran. High interest rates can keep a lid on inflation, but they also slow economies and undercut prices for all kinds of investments, including stocks and cryptocurrencies. They hit investments seen as the most expensive in particular, and some critics are calling the AI industry a bubble where investment inflated too far.

The Fed will announce its latest decision on interest rates later this week, which will be the first under its new chair, Kevin Warsh. Traders see it as a near certainty that the Fed will leave its main interest rate steady after its two-day meeting ends Wednesday.

Traders had been raising bets that the Fed may have to raise interest rates this year because of how much inflation has accelerated and how solid the U.S. job market remains. But the tentative deal between the United States and Iran means traders are now betting on only a 57% chance of a hike this year, down from 71% a week ago, according to data from CME Group.

Elsewhere on Wall Street, Roku fell 1.9% after the company announced that Fox Corp. is buying the streaming pioneer in a cash-and-stock deal valued at approximately $22 billion.

Roku’s stock had already soared 20% Friday, when media reports emerged about a deal, which will give Fox access to the Roku channel, first-party data and more than 100 million global streaming households. Fox’s stock fell 16.8%.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 122.83 points to 7,554.29. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 468.77 to 51,671.03, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 795.10 to 26,683.94.

In stock markets abroad, indexes climbed in Asia and Europe. Japan’s Nikkei 225 leaped 5% for one of the world’s biggest gains and finished at a record.

“This is great news,” said Takashi Hiroki, chief strategist at Monex. “Buying by foreign investors is leading the market with expectations of easing tensions around the situation in the Middle East.”

South Korea’s Kospi soared even more, 5.2%, thanks in part to continued rallies for AI winners like Samsung Electronics.

London’s FTSE 100 was an outlier and slipped 0.4%.

___

AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach and Senior Producer Mayuko Ono contributed to this report.

The investigation comes after a Houston Chronicle investigation raised concerns about Brown’s attendance records, supervision and job responsibilities while serving in a taxpayer-funded position within the mayor’s office.

According to Hollins, the review will examine compliance with city policies, oversight and accountability measures, and whether taxpayers received appropriate value from the position.

“The questions raised are serious, and bring about significant concerns that demand a full accounting to Houstonians,” Hollins said. “No one takes any satisfaction in having to examine the actions of a public servant, but public trust depends on responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, adherence to city policies, and accountability for work funded by the public.”

During a news conference announcing the investigation, Hollins cited reporting indicating Brown received a salary of more than $127,000 annually while badging into city facilities only 13 times over nearly 600 workdays.

“Mr. Brown has collected a taxpayer-funded salary of more than $127,000 per year, while badging into city facilities only 13 times over a period spanning nearly 600 workdays,” Hollins said.

Hollins also noted that Brown’s current position did not previously exist and was created specifically for him within the Whitmire administration.

According to Hollins, the investigation will focus on determining what work was performed and whether taxpayers received value for the position.

“The central issue in question is whether the work being paid for with taxpayer money was performed at all,” Hollins said. “What did Houstonians receive for the money that they spent? What advice was provided? What responsibilities were assigned? What deliverables were produced? Who supervised that work? And how was Mr. Brown’s performance evaluated over this two and a half year period?”

Hollins emphasized that the investigation is not a finding of wrongdoing and said investigators intend to interview Brown, Mayor Whitmire and other relevant parties.

“We intend to work together with the mayor in this investigation,” Hollins said. “We expect full compliance. We expect that documents that are necessary will be turned over. We expect when we interview the mayor and Comptroller Brown that they will cooperate.”

Hollins also called on Whitmire to suspend Brown while the investigation is underway.

“I’m calling upon Mayor Whitmire to immediately suspend Chris Brown pending the outcome of this investigation,” Hollins said. “Suspension is not a finding of wrongdoing.”

The controller repeatedly stressed that no conclusions have been reached.

“This is not a finding. This is not conclusion. We have to follow the facts,” Hollins said. “Today is day one, and so there are no conclusions. There are only questions.”

KPRC 2 contacted Chris Brown for comment but has not yet received a response.

In response to the investigation, Mayor Whitmire issued the following statement:

“Chris Brown has spent more than 20 years serving Houstonians, including eight years as Controller, where he ran a serious, competent Controller’s Office and helped define the problem of Houston’s structurally imbalanced budget. This is exactly the experience I want on my team as we navigate complex city finances, reduce costs, and lay the foundation for long-term fiscal stability. Controller Brown was a part of helping pass the FY27 budget with a 15-1 vote and continues to provide valuable public service. I don’t have time for politics.”

Auditioning for AGT judges

Sosa says performing in front of judges with long comedy pedigrees is both thrilling and humbling. Facing Sofía Vergara, Mel B, Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel — the latter a comic himself — pushed him to showcase the sharp wit and character-driven pieces that have earned him millions of online views and dates with high-profile comedians. AGT’s stage offered a rare opportunity to test material under pressure and introduce his brand of grounded, real-life storytelling to millions.

A hometown watch party and what’s next

This week also brought a special full-circle moment: Sosa is hosting a watch party at Atascocita High School — his alma mater — where he first performed in talent shows, theater and step shows.

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Since graduating in 2011, Sosa has performed nationwide, opened for Mike Epps and Steve Harvey, and worked with Issa Rae on the pilot of HBO’s Insecure. Now based in New York, he’s building momentum across the North American comedy circuit while bringing that hometown pride back to Houston.

Watch 'America’s Got Talent' on KPRC 2 — Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

For more on Cris Sosa, visit www.crissosa.com.

The agreement signed electronically Sunday is meant to provide a meaningful truce in a monthslong war that has killed thousands across the Middle East, including the top leaders of Iran's theocracy, and raised the prices of fuel, food and other basic goods far beyond the region. But logistical and military challenges underscored the fragile nature of the deal, which was set for a ceremonial signing Friday in Geneva.

At the core of the pact is a planned reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway whose blockage has choked the supply of the world's oil and natural gas. Yet even a full reopening would not immediately alleviate the global energy crisis its closure created.

Another potential obstacle concerns Israel, which joined the U.S. in launching the war on Feb. 28, but it is not party to the deal. The Israeli military launched airstrikes Sunday in southern Lebanon, where it is fighting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, and the Israeli defense minister said Monday that the country would not withdraw from land seized in Lebanon, where Israel is fighting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said the agreement between the U.S. and Iran was Trump's decision. Netanyahu said Israel has its own interests, primarily protecting against a potential nuclear threat from Iran. He said Iran wanted Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, but he stood firm, saying Israel would remain in the buffer zone “as long as necessary.”

“I tell you, citizens of Israel, the struggle is not over. We will need to continue to be vigilant, to remain strong and determined, to defend ourselves as necessary,” he said.

Other uncertainties center on Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which the U.S. and Israel worry could be used to build an atomic weapon despite Tehran's insistence for years that it has no aspirations to do so. The deal gives Iran just 60 days to decide what to do with its supply. It took years for Iran and world powers to negotiate a 2015 agreement to rein in Tehran’s nuclear program.

President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from that accord in his first term, setting the stage for the tensions that culminated in the current war.

The Strait of Hormuz won't open until the deal is signed

Early in the war, Iranian attacks on ships brought traffic in the Strait of Hormuz — through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas passed before the conflict — to a near standstill. Trump implemented a blockade in response.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said Iran would not start implementing the agreement until after the signing ceremony. The U.S. military said the blockade will remain in place “pending execution” of the deal.

“Do not attempt to cross until explicit direction is given,” it said Monday in an advisory to merchant ships.

Trump, who faced pressure to end the war ahead of congressional midterm elections in November, said that “a lot of great things are going to happen in the Middle East right now.”

“Very importantly, the oil is plummeting down, and the stock market is shooting up like a rocket today,” he said Monday at the G7 summit in France.

While the agreement provides for the “immediate” opening of the strait and lifting of the blockade, the process will take time because there are mines in the strait, and ships are unwilling to risk traversing it, according to a senior U.S. official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss outlines of the agreement.

Details remain scant but expected soon

A second senior U.S. official told reporters that details of the agreement would be released within the next two days.

The memorandum of understanding includes the possibility of releasing Iran’s frozen funds, easing sanctions and creating a $300 billion fund to rebuild Iran — all of which would be tied to Iran meeting benchmarks, the official said.

The officials said technical talks would begin Friday after the signing ceremony and that Vice President JD Vance would lead negotiations for the U.S.

Israel says it won't withdraw from Lebanon

The success of the deal rests at least partially on what happens between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel’s bombing of Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday nearly derailed the negotiations, and a previous attack led Iran to fire on Israel and Israel to fire back.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel plans to stay “indefinitely” in land it holds in Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip. He also threatened that if Iran attacks Israel over its strikes in Lebanon, Israel will strike Iran with “great force.”

Asked where Israel stands on the deal, David Mencer, a spokesman in Netanyahu’s office, told The Associated Press that Israel and the U.S. remain fully aligned on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. But he added that Israel will not tolerate attacks from Hezbollah on its territory.

Israel and the U.S. began the war apparently in lockstep, but the war has created deep fractures in that close relationship, with Trump eager to end a conflict that is deeply unpopular with the American public and Netanyahu intent on destroying Hezbollah. Trump appears to have grown increasingly frustrated with the Israeli leader, even occasionally publicly insulting him, including telling The New York Times on Sunday that he was a “very difficult guy.”

Many Lebanese travel to check on homes

In a sign of the deal's fragility, the Lebanese army called on residents not to rush to return to border villages, saying they should follow military instructions because of the danger of “Israeli violations and aggression.”

Many Lebanese who had fled following Israeli evacuation orders and intense fighting were heading south, however, to check on their homes. Celine Fayad, driving south, said she will test how far she could go. Her village, Aitaroun, is along the border with Israel. It was among the first to be occupied and lies in ruins.

“We were expecting to return,” she said. “Thanks to Iran.”

Ali Haidar was among the first to return to Nabatiyeh, the southern city at the heart of the latest Israeli military operations, where many central buildings have been reduced to dust.

“This used to be our home, our childhood home where we have all of our memories. This is where we grew up. Now it’s gone,” Haidar said. “We will return to rubble and sand. It’s better than being displaced.”

Hezbollah, meanwhile, credited Iran with a “major achievement” in reaching the agreement, which it said could lead to “the full liberation of our land, the return of our prisoners to their homeland and families," and reconstruction of war-devastated areas.

Along with praising the deal, the militant group said it was committed to resisting Israel “until full withdrawal is achieved.”

___

Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Price reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad; Will Weissert and Aamer Madhani in Washington; Julia Frankel in Jerusalem; Abby Sewell and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut; Najib Jobain in Doha, Qatar; Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel; and Sylvie Corbet in Evian-les-Bains, France, contributed to this report.

Lewis, 17, wrote, produced and stars in the film, Used to Be, which explores fatherhood, mental health, addiction, and second chances. The project follows a young girl navigating life in a single-parent home and the emotional complexity that unfolds when a father returns after a long absence.

The idea began when Lewis was 15 years old as a book concept before evolving into a full screenplay. She said the story draws from personal reflection, family experiences and broader conversations about identity and fatherhood.

The film centers on themes of reconciliation and accountability, particularly within the context of a father working to rebuild relationships after struggling with addiction and personal hardship.

Joining Lewis in the project is her mother, licensed professional counselor and executive producer, Dr. Shana Lewis. She said the experience of producing a film alongside her daughter was both unexpected and rewarding as they navigated the creative and logistical demands of independent filmmaking.

The film was directed by Houston filmmaker Erran Booker and received support from the Houston Arts Alliance through grant funding. Production was completed over a short timeline, with principal photography taking place in Houston.

Lewis said the timing of the film’s release during Father’s Day weekend and Men’s Mental Health Month adds additional meaning to the project, as it encourages conversation around emotional health, accountability and healing within families.

Calise said she hopes audiences walk away with a message of hope.

“I really hope they take away that broken doesn’t have to last forever.”

The film Used to Be will premiere Saturday, June 20, at MATCH. An opening reception starts at 7 p.m., with the screening scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Antonio and Maribel Espaillat, the owners of Jet Set nightclub, could face up to 2 years in prison if found guilty.

The April 8, 2025 collapse reverberated across the Dominican Republic, with authorities working frantically for days to reach people under the rubble.

The ruling Monday by Magistrate Reymundo Mejía Zorrilla of the First Court of Instruction of the National District in Santo Domingo drew frustration from victims' relatives who were hoping for homicide charges that carry stiffer penalties of up to 20 years in prison.

The ruling said that the case did not warrant a homicide charge because that would indicate the defendants knew that their negligence would cause the deaths of the victims. But if they could have foreseen the roof collapse, “logic and reason" suggest they would not have endangered their own lives in addition to those of the victims, the ruling said.

About 30 relatives of the victims had gathered at the courthouse ahead of the hearing, holding hands and praying.

Prosecutors have previously accused the Espaillats of trying to intimidate or manipulate employees. Antonio Espaillat is considered a powerful business person, owning upscale entertainment centers and dozens of local radio stations. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has asserted that it has hundreds of pieces of evidence tying the siblings to the collapse.

Hundreds of people including athletes and politicians were at Jet Set when the roof collapsed, attending a concert by singer Rubby Pérez, who was among the victims. Others included former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel, who was pulled from the debris but died in a hospital.

The Espaillats will be tried together. No date has been set for the trial.

The WWE superstar is back for a new season of ‘Everything On The Menu’ on the USA Network, a series that follows his search for some of the country’s most incredible restaurants, from hidden gems and comfort food favorites to unforgettable chef-driven dining experiences.

And this season, Houston gets a starring role. Two local restaurants—Crawfish Café and Late August—are featured as Braun explores the flavors that make our city’s food scene one of the best in the nation. Plus, viewers will spot a familiar face along the way, as World Series champion and former Houston Astro Josh Reddick joins in on the culinary adventure.

Watch as Lauren Kelly chats with Braun all about the new season, his favorite stops, and whether he really managed to try everything on the menu.

As of 2:30 p.m., four separate residential fire incidents had been reported.

The incidents included a mobile home fire on Amie Lane, an attic fire on Belmore Lane, a reported residential fire near Pine Knot Court and an additional residential fire elsewhere in the city.

The Pearland Firefighters Association believes the fires may be weather-related, with lightning strikes suspected as a contributing factor.

The exact causes remain under investigation.

No injuries have been reported.

Despite the unusually high call volume and challenging weather conditions, firefighters quickly contained each fire and limited damage primarily to the areas of origin.

No significant fire spread beyond the initial fire areas was reported.

“Responding to four residential fires in four hours is a significant operational challenge for any department,” said Jason Pecknold, public information officer for the Pearland Professional Firefighters Association. “The quick actions of our firefighters helped prevent further damage and demonstrate the importance of the training and preparation that takes place every day, long before an emergency occurs.”