The out-of-control fire has already burned some homes, but there's concern that shifting winds could push the flames into newly developed and densely packed neighborhoods in Nevada's largest city outside of metro Las Vegas.

Schools across Washoe County were closed Monday because of the evacuations and to keep roads clear for emergency crews. Nevada's governor declared a state of emergency in the county and mobilized the National Guard to help with aerial firefighting and protecting evacuated neighborhoods northwest of downtown Reno.

At a roadblock in one neighborhood, residents expressed frustration Monday that they could not get back into their homes.

"There’s no fire here! Why are the National Guard here?” a driver yelled.

Authorities said late Sunday that the Hawk Fire had stayed in its footprint and firefighters were extinguishing hotspots while working to keep the fire from jumping a main highway and reaching homes and businesses. There was zero containment.

The fire began Saturday and grew to more than 23 square miles (60 square kilometers) on Sunday. It's the third large wildfire in the rugged terrain north of Reno in the past two weeks — all caused by human activity, according to fire officials. They haven't said whether the Hawk Fire was intentionally set or accidental.

Reno, home to about 280,000 people, is known for its casinos and as a gateway to nearby Lake Tahoe, North America’s largest alpine lake and a popular vacation destination. It's also about 120 miles (190 kilometers) southwest of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, site of the annual Burning Man festival, which begins Aug. 30.

At least six people — three first responders and three civilians — have been injured by the fire.

Videos posted on social media showed the smoldering ruins of homes and cars, with only a scorched basketball hoop still standing.

Many residents had little time to evacuate after the fire exploded in size.

“Honestly, I thought it was like in a movie,” said Ruby Delatorre, who got back from a concert only to find her home in the evacuation zone. She returned Sunday to walk to her home and get a few more possessions.

“I literally want to cry and go back for all my stuff. I just got what I thought I needed," Delatorre said.

Some who spotted the smoke on Saturday thought it was from another wildfire that has been burning the past two weeks.

Teresa Lenshyn, who is among the evacuees, said being forced to leave was chaotic and stressful. “You don’t know if the winds are going to shift and it's going to get worse,” she said.

Much of Nevada’s western edge is under an increased risk of wildfires this week because of high winds and low relative humidity, the National Interagency Fire Center said. The National Weather Service says the region will see warm, dry and breezy conditions, and that critical fire weather conditions are possible in the week's later half.

Extremely dry conditions across the American West have sparked a rash of wildfires this summer. Fires in eastern Washington state forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area in early August.

Nationwide, there have been more than 50,000 wildfires — the most over the past 10 years covering the same time period, according to the national fire center.

___

Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Martha Bellisle in Seattle; John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, and Jack Brook in New Orleans contributed.

We hit 100° again on Sunday afternoon, marking the fourth time this week and the fifth time this summer that Houston has reached the century mark. More triple-digit temperatures are in the forecast.

Combined with Houston’s humidity, afternoon heat index values will climb to between 108° and 112°. The current Heat Advisory runs through Tuesday evening, and will likely be extended through at least Wednesday as this dangerous heat wave continues.

Late Week finally some relief (sort of):

Late in the week, the strong ridge of high pressure moves west, opening the door for more Gulf moisture and a weak disturbance to increase rain chances starting Thursday. However, temperatures will remain in the upper 90s. Not a huge rain chance but we’ll take anything to provide some heat relief.

Thursday evening we’re in for a celestial treat; There is a partial lunar eclipse expected around 11pm so hope for a thinning cloud cover if we do see some afternoon storms.

Here’s when Houston can catch the the lunar eclipse on August 27

Tracking the tropics:

Monitoring two areas of tropical concern in the Atlantic basin. One zone is north of Bermuda and has a 50% chance of development over the next7 days.

The second area is a tropical wave moving off the coast of Africa. It now has a 60% chance of development.

10 Day Forecast:

This is one of the hottest stretches that we’ve seen so far this 2026 summer. With a few more days of 100-degree heat likely, this will be the longest stretch of 100 consecutive days since 2023.

President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to impose a 50% tariff on Canadian automobiles, car parts and steel starting next year as the trade rift with Ottawa continued to deepen. The announcement comes after trade talks between the otherwise reliable trading partners collapsed last week. Long-planned U.S. tariffs on various Canadian goods went into effect after the talks broke off, and Canada has vowed to retaliate.

The Latest:

Trump hosts education event in Rose Garden

The president’s main public event Monday is a back-to-school event featuring Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

Many schoolchildren are in the audience during the outdoor event.

“What a nice setting this is,” Trump remarked.

US formally removes Syria from state sponsors of terrorism list

The Trump administration on Monday formally removed Syria from the State Department’s “State Sponsor of Terrorism” blacklist, making permanent a series of sanctions removals that had been initially announced more than a month ago.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio had announced the recission of Syria from the list in early July, but there was a 45-day period for congressional review before it was formalized. That review period has now expired and sanctions related to the state sponsor designation have been almost completely removed, the State and Treasury departments said on Monday.

“Treasury is following through on President Trump’s promise to give the Syrian people a chance at greatness,” Bessent said in a statement. “Today’s action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability.”

Bessent says no country is ‘above the reach of US sanctions’

When asked that the U.S. could go soft on China to maintain the fragile trade truce between the world’s two largest economies, Bessent said “no one is above the reach of U.S. sanctions”

“If they facilitate transactions and are part of the ecosystem that turns Iranian oil into money, into repression, they will be targeted,” Bessent said.

Experts have said the U.S. is likely to carefully calibrate its actions on China, just a month before Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to visit the U.S. to keep the already-fraught relations from falling out.

The Trump administration is challenged to act big with Iran “without escalating tensions with Beijing,” said Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Bessent says its giving Iran’s trading partners a chance ‘to remedy bad behavoir’

Asked by a reporter Monday about issuing warnings to Tehran’s financial partners instead of promising an ‘economic D-Day’, the Treasury secretary said he wanted countries to shift away from Iran before it was too late.

“Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?” Bessent said. “We believe that it is important to level set and give people a cure period.”

He added, “But they should know that that will move very quickly and that we are serious. Secondary sanctions are a very powerful tool.”

Bessent doesn’t name names, but insists US is making its expectations clear on Iran trade

The treasury secretary said Trump has been “making phone calls to world leaders with specific request to cease their interactions” with Iran and has already seen results.

The UAE announced last week that it was suspending all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran until further notice.

“I am confident the president, as you all know, is quite persuasive,” Bessent said.

Bessent said that Treasury and State Department officials are following up with calls and visits with officials from countries and entities it wants to see take action and laying out “exactly what we expect and the timelines.”

Iran’s parliament speaker dismisses impact of looming US sanctions

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf on Monday said Iran’s trading partners were not taking Washington’s “statements into account,” even as the country’s economy reels from months of war and mounting pressure.

“Americans know that no one buys their bombast,” Qalibaf said in a post on X, saying that the United States was “not in an economic position to further restrict its relations with other countries.”

His comments came as Washington prepared to expand secondary sanctions targeting countries and companies doing business with Iran, in an effort to isolate Tehran from the global dollar-based financial system.

Bessent warns nations they can no longer operate in ‘gray zone’ of Iran conflict

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says new U.S. secondary sanctions in the pipeline aim to block all potential sources of revenue for Iran, telling nations to cut economic ties to Tehran or face U.S. retaliation.

Bessent added it’s “no longer acceptable to operate in the gray spaces” of Iran conflict as US threaten sanctions against Tehran’s trade partners.

The treasury secretary did not name what countries could face potential secondary sanctions from the United States, but China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are Iran’s largest trade partners.

“Let there be no ambiguity as to the position of the United States,” Bessent said at a Monday afternoon news conference. “An economic engagement of any kind with this murderous regime will expose those responsible to the full reach of American power.”

Vance calls Canada ‘a state’ but says doing so was an accident

Asked about the Trump administration escalating a trade war with Canada when Maine depends so heavily on cross-border trade, the vice president said, “Canada is a state” but then added, “Sorry. Freudian slip.”

As the crowd laughed and hooted, Vance added, “That was actually an accident.”

He likened Canada to China in what he called unfair trade practices, saying that “Canada allows itself to be a backdoor for Chinese goods” that eventually are imported into the U.S.

Vance said negotiations between Canada and the U.S. were ongoing and that he thought there’d have been an agreement easing trade disputes by now — but Canada had made “unreasonable” demands.

Vance gives shoutout to ‘our very independent friend, Susan Collins’

Republican Sen. Susan Collins was not accompanying Vice President JD Vance during his manufacturing stop in Brewer, Maine on Monday.

But he still made sure that her presence was felt.

“Whenever I’m in Maine, I got to give Susan a little bit of crap,” Vance told the crowd as he began his remarks. “Because as you know, Susan is the most independent member of the United States Senate, and as the president of the United States Senate, she sometimes makes my job just a little bit harder.”

Vance said Collins, who is up for reelection in the Democratic-leaning state, has visited the vice president’s residence about a half-dozen times. In those meetings, Vance said, Collins is constantly pressing him about how certain policies affect her state.

Vance ended his brief aside on the senator by asking the crowd to give a shoutout to “our very independent friend, Susan Collins.”

The Washington Post must reinstate a Black writer fired for posting about Charlie Kirk

“After wrongfully firing me last year, an independent arbitrator has ordered the @washingtonpost to reinstate me immediately, with back pay,” Karen Attiah posted on Instagram on Monday, calling it “a victory for journalists everywhere.”

The ruling found insufficient cause to terminate Karen Attiah, the last Black full-time member of the Post’s opinion desk at the time.

Kirk, a top conservative podcaster and Trump ally, made provocative statements about race, gender and politics, including calling George Floyd, whose 2020 murder at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked protests, a “scumbag.”

Kirk’s killing on Sept. 10 elicited a torrent of comments, and some who spoke out against him faced sanctions or dismissal at work. One post Attiah made said “Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is … not the same as violence.”

A Post statement said it respects the arbitration process and declined further comment.

Deportees who refused to exit a US flight in Liberia are sent to Equatorial Guinea

Six people who were deported by the United States to Liberia last week resisted getting off the plane and instead were sent to Equatorial Guinea, a person on the plane and a lawyer in contact with them said Monday.

Under a series of often secret agreements, the Trump administration has deported thousands of people to two dozen countries that aren’t their own as it pushes ahead with its immigration crackdown, advocates say.

The four Cuban men, a Brazilian man and a Cameroonian woman are now being held with other migrants in worsening conditions in a hotel that lacks medical staff, said Meredyth Yoon, litigation director for Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta.

Equatorial Guinea’s all-powerful president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, turned the hotel owned by his family into a prison for deported asylum seekers under an opaque $7.5 million deal with the Trump administration. His government did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

By Mark Banchereau

Reopening US border to Mexican cattle not expected to drop beef prices anytime soon

The U.S. plans to reopen a border crossing in Arizona to cattle from Mexico on Monday as part of a broader Trump administration effort to reduce record-high beef prices. Economists doubt grocery store shoppers will see any savings soon.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said concerns about the New World screwworm’s spread lessened enough to allow the movement of cattle from Mexico.

Beef prices clearly are a concern for Trump, who announced Friday that he would allow up to 331,000 tons of ground beef imports, tariff-free, to be sold at below-market prices over the next 90 days.

But the phased reopening means it will take months for Mexican imports to regain their traditional 3% of the U.S. supply, according to Derrell Peel, a professor of agribusiness at Oklahoma State University.

Palestinian American’s home still besieged by Israeli settlers

The homeowner whose residence has been besieged by Israeli settlers said Monday that he still can’t move freely in the West Bank village of Qusra.

Loui Ridi traveled from Ohio to the Israeli-occupied West Bank a week ago to join relatives defending his home from Israeli settlers.

Israel’s military declared the area a closed zone to restore order in Qusra, made a nearby home into a drone base and required Palestinians to coordinate all their movements from the homes that had been under siege.

Ridi said settlers keep returning to the area above his home, without consequences, while his family spends hours coordinating moves to get food, water and other supplies.

Israel’s police has not announced any arrests of settlers, despite condemnation from Israeli rights groups and foreign officials, including U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who called the siege terrorism.

China says more US economic pressure won’t end the Iran war

“They will only exacerbate tensions and escalate the situation, which is in no one’s interest,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in Beijing as the U.S. threatens sanctions on countries that trade with Iran.

China is calling on all parties to avoid measures “that could further intensify differences and conflicts and disrupt global economic development and financial stability,” he added.

China is considered the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, and was importing more than 80% of Iranian oil before the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Iran-backed rebels hit oil tanker in Red Sea

A crude oil tanker was attacked on Monday in the Red Sea off Saudi Arabia, igniting a fire on its main deck, the British military said.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization said there were no reports of casualties.

The tanker issued a distress alert and the Egyptian Navy was reported to have responded to conduct a rescue operation, according to Ambrey, a UK-based maritime risk and response company.

The military spokesman with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, said they targeted the tanker with a ballistic missile.

US and Iranian officials trade threats over new sanctions

“President Trump decimated Iran’s economy to a point where the rial has never been weaker and inflation has rarely been higher,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote Sunday in an opinion piece in the Financial Times. “The regime’s final refuge now lies in the self-deception of fearful nations that still believe accommodating aggression can secure a durable peace.”

Already last week, the United Arab Emirates announced that it was suspending all trade with Iran. The UAE has long been one of Iran’s largest trading partners and its biggest source of imports.

But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran on Monday that “any escalation of this situation will undoubtedly bring about consequences … Our hands are not tied.”

Trump promotes economic pressure on Iran

Trump is commenting on Iran ahead of a Monday announcement about new and even stronger sanctions, including penalties against any countries that do business with the Islamic Republic.

Trump posted on social media that “IRAN IS COMPLETELY COLLAPSING!!!”

Still, economic pressure has not yet translated into political pressure to end the war. Iran retains a key strategic advantage: Its attacks and threats on ships in the Strait of Hormuz have nearly halted traffic in the vital waterway, damaging the world economy and heaping pressure on Trump ahead of congressional elections.

Trump issues new threats to Canada over trade

Trump threatened Monday to impose a 50% tariff on Canadian automobiles, car parts and steel starting next year as the trade rift with Ottawa deepens.

Trade talks between the otherwise allies and reliable trading partners collapsed last week. Long-planned U.S. tariffs on various Canadian goods went into effect after the talks broke off, and Canada has vowed to retaliate.

“Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years,” Trump posted on social media Monday morning. Criticizing Canada’s “ridiculously high tariffs” on American farmers, Trump wrote: “Not sustainable, and NOT ANYMORE!”

Ontario’s premier says Canada should be ready to cut electricity, critical minerals to US

Doug Ford said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press that the late President Ronald Reagan would be “throwing up on” Trump over his trade policies. He also threatened to cut off electricity and critical minerals to the United States if the Canada-U.S. trade fight worsens.

“I’ll cut them off,” Ford said of critical minerals. “You won’t get a grain of sand out of Ontario.”

Ford said “everything is on the table” after Prime Minister Mark Carney walked away from trade talks late Friday.

Ford enraged Trump last year by using Reagan’s anti-tariff words in a television ad.

US military kills two more boaters in Pacific, says they carried drugs

The U.S. Southern Command announced the strike in a social media post early Monday, raising the death toll from boat bombings in Latin American waters to more than 210 people in more than 60 strikes.

“We are committed to imposing total systemic friction on narco-terrorists — disrupting their operations, dismantling their leadership, and eliminating cartel terror across the region,” said Gen. Francis Donovan.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. is extending its offensive to targets on land across multiple Latin American countries. He said Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to carry out joint military operations against criminal groups on their soil. Guatemala denied this. Ecuador launched similar joint missions in March.

US trade representative blames Canada for breakdown in trade talks

Jamieson Greer says Canada ultimately wanted more than Washington was willing to offer.

Greer said Monday during an interview on CNBC that Canada had maintained restrictions on U.S. wine, spirits, dairy and autos, prompting the U.S. to impose targeted tariffs covering about 5% of Canadian imports.

He said there was significant progress in negotiations, with the U.S. offering to halve steel and aluminum tariffs and substantially reduce auto tariffs.

He also dismissed concerns about a broader trade war.

Father arrested by Border Patrol as son serves on the USS Lincoln

Joshua Aviles has worked 12-hour shifts for more than 250 days on the USS Lincoln while the aircraft carrier is deployed in the Middle East. One reason he enlisted was the “military parole-in-place” policy, which allows spouses, children and parents of active-duty service members and veterans to obtain legal immigration status while in the United States.

His father Luis Manuel Aviles, a handyman in Key West, Florida, who came from Nicaragua 19 years ago, was arrested anyway on Saturday as the Trump administration withdraws immigration protections for military families to pursue its mass deportation agenda. Dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty U.S. troops have been detained, and at least six have been deported, the AP found in the first accounting of such detentions.

“Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws,” the Department of Homeland Security said Sunday.

▶ Read more

Trump’s oil and gas stocks soar as pump prices rise, congressional report says

Trump saw the value of his oil and gas stocks rise by as much as $15 million, surging during the Iran war, according to an analysis from Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee in Congress.

The committee said the president owned between $12.5 million and $45.6 million in oil and gas company stocks in 2025, according to his most recent disclosures. The portfolio is now worth between $17.2 and $61.1 million, which the analysis attributed largely to “the surge in oil and gas stocks driven by Trump’s war in Iran.”

The Democrats found those stocks rose by an average of 39% from Jan. 2 through Aug. 17 and that two of the large stocks Trump holds in this sector — Valero and Marathon — have more than doubled since the start of 2026.

The committee Democrats noted that Americans have now spent an additional $71.5 billion on gas since the start of the war.

US Trade Representative: Fallout over Canada trade talks a ‘tempest in a teapot’

Jamieson Greer is downplaying the impact of the collapse of the trade talks with Canada.

“I think this is a little bit of a tempest in a teapot,” Greer told reporters at the White House on Monday morning. “The tariffs went in place over the weekend, which we’ve warned about for a long time. They only cover about 5% of Canadian trade, only 6% of U.S. overall consumption.”

Greer said he is preparing potential responses for Trump to Canada’s threat to retaliate dollar-for-dollar, but he declined to elaborate on the options.

York was arrested Sunday morning at a mobile home community in East Palestine, Ohio, and was released after posting a $5,000 bond. He was sentenced to one day in jail for both offenses to be served concurrently and was credited with one day served when he pleaded no contest Monday morning. He also was fined $1,150.

Court records show that York initially was charged with engaging in prostitution, but prosecutors amended that to disorderly conduct. Records also show that York had a cellphone returned to him and that $160 that was seized was to be given to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force as part of the plea agreement. York also completed on online course.

The NFL issued a statement saying the league was aware of the arrest and would review it under the personal conduct policy. The team said it would not have any comment on the situation.

“As this is a legal matter, which has been resolved, we will not be providing any further comment at this time,” the team said in a statement.

York took over day-to-day control of the 49ers from his parents in 2008. He became the team's principal owner in 2024. After some initial struggles under York's leadership, the team has been a consistent contender since hiring coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch in 2017.

The Niners have made the Super Bowl three times under York's leadership, losing in the 2012 season under coach Jim Harbaugh and the 2019 and '23 seasons under Shanahan and Lynch.

York also oversaw the building of Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The team moved from San Francisco to the new stadium in 2014. The stadium has hosted two Super Bowls, a World Cup and a College Football Playoff title game.

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

The new warnings to further cut off Iran from the rest of the world economy were issued after President Donald Trump pledged last week to unleash an “economic D-Day” against Tehran as the administration struggles to find an off-ramp after nearly six months of war.

“We are level-setting with every country to tell them our expectations. We know who they are. They know who they are,” Bessent told a news conference. “So when the hammer of U.S. Treasury actions falls upon them, they will have no one to blame but themselves.”

Washington has promised the new sanctions would put even more pressure on an Iranian economy already battered by previous sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade. But the announcement Monday provided little detail and did not name which countries could face secondary sanctions. China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are Iran’s largest trade partners.

Bessent said Trump has been “making phone calls to world leaders with specific requests to cease their interactions” with Iran and has already seen results. The UAE announced last week that it was suspending all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice after a reported missile attack on the Gulf country.

“I am confident the president, as you all know, is quite persuasive,” Bessent said, adding that the UAE decision was “not a coincidence."

Shortly before the announcement, Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said the U.S. is not in an economic position to further restrict Tehran's relations with other countries.

“Iran’s trading partners, both in the media and through messages sent to us, have made it clear that they don’t take these statements into account anywhere,” Qalibaf, who has been Iran's lead negotiator over the past six months, posted on X.

Iranian currency falls to a record low

Hours before Bessent's announcement, Iran’s currency hit a record low.

The rial dropped to 2.02 million to the U.S. dollar as trading opened on currency markets. Iran’s official Central Bank rate stood at around 1.5 million rial to the dollar, but the market rate is what most Iranians pay.

The currency had already been under pressure before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, as Iran faced double-digit inflation and negative growth. The rial has repeatedly hit new lows as nearly six months of war have taken an even greater toll.

Iranians find daily staples increasingly unaffordable. Since the war began, rice is up some 60% and beef prices are more than 150% higher. The International Monetary Fund forecasts that gross domestic product will contract more than 5%.

Still, economic pressure has not yet translated into political pressure. Iran retains a key strategic advantage: Its attacks and threats on ships in the Strait of Hormuz have brought traffic in the vital waterway to a near halt, damaging the world economy and heaping pressure on U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of congressional elections.

The war, as a result, has devolved into a fight over who controls the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil transited before the conflict. Iran is now refusing to fully reopen it unless it can charge ships.

Iran and Oman, which is on the opposite side of the strait, are reportedly in the final stages of agreeing on a plan for joint management of the waterway. Oman’s foreign minister is set to visit Iran on Tuesday.

Pakistani delegation visits Iran

Pakistan, which played a key role in brokering a 60-day ceasefire in June, sent a high-level delegation to Iran on Monday to encourage the U.S. and Iran to return to negotiations, two senior officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media on the record.

The military confirmed only Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit, saying it was aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region.

Trump spoke with Munir ahead of the army chief’s visit to Iran, according to a person familiar with the discussion. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm a private conversation. Reuters, citing Pakistani sources, first reported the call.

Munir met Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni in Tehran, according to the two senior officials. Munir was accompanied by Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other officials. Munir was expected to remain in Iran overnight and meet the Iranian president and other senior officials before returning to Pakistan.

His previous visit to Tehran in May helped pave the way for a memorandum of understanding signed by the U.S. and Iran in June.

In downtown Tehran, 73-year-old Sadegh Mahmoudi did not hold out hope for a resolution. He joined a line of about a dozen people to purchase U.S. dollars with his remaining savings to hedge against further declines.

“There is no hope for a deal and peace,” he said.

___

Amiri reported from New York. Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran; David Rising in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Seung Min Kim in Washington; and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed.

The body was discovered by a driver just before 9 a.m. at Jensen Drive at Interstate 10.

Police responded and confirmed the body at the location.

The cause of death is unknown.

The proposed settlements total $359.9 million, according to the court-authorized settlement website for In re RealPage, Inc., Rental Software Antitrust Litigation (No. II). The case is pending in federal court in Tennessee.

The settling defendants deny wrongdoing, and the court has not ruled that the allegations against them are true. (RealPage Antitrust Litigation)

For renters wondering whether they could receive money, the process starts by checking where they lived.

1. Search the address of your current or former apartment

The official settlement website includes a Property List where renters can search addresses associated with the litigation.

The settlement generally concerns certain multifamily properties that were licensed to use RealPage revenue-management products during the covered period.

The official website says renters can still submit a claim for review even if a property does not appear in the search results or the result is inconclusive. (RealPage Antitrust Litigation)

Search the official Property List

Renters who moved during the covered period should check each address where they lived.

2. Determine whether you paid rent during the covered period

The settlement class covers qualifying rent payments made during a period beginning Oct. 18, 2018 and continuing through Nov. 21, 2025, according to the settlement materials.

The litigation involves several RealPage revenue-management products used by apartment operators to help determine rental prices, including YieldStar, Lease Rent Options and AI Revenue Management. DOJ court records also identify those products as tools used by landlords to determine pricing for multifamily apartment units. (Department of Justice)

A renter who believes they qualify can submit information about the property and the time period in which they paid rent for consideration by the settlement administrator.

3. Gather records showing that you lived there and paid rent

Before filing, renters should look for records connecting them to the apartment.

That could include documents such as a lease, rent-payment history, bank records, payment confirmations, renewal paperwork or other records showing residency and rent payments.

The settlement administrator may request additional information when reviewing a claim.

4. File directly through the official settlement website

The deadline to submit a claim is Jan. 29, 2027. (RealPage Antitrust Litigation)

Claims can be submitted directly through the court-authorized settlement administrator.

The settlement website specifically warns renters that they do not have to hire or pay a third-party company to submit a claim. Filing directly through the settlement administrator is free online. (RealPage Antitrust Litigation)

Visit the official RealPage settlement website

The settlement administrator also warns that third-party companies may charge fees or take a portion of a renter’s eventual payment.

How much money could a renter receive?

There is currently no guaranteed dollar amount for an individual renter.

The proposed settlements collectively total $359,925,000, but that does not mean every renter receives the same payment. Administrative costs and other court-approved expenses must also be addressed before funds are distributed.

The amount ultimately available to an eligible claimant will depend on the terms of the court-approved distribution process.

No renter should assume they are receiving a specific amount simply because they lived at an apartment that appears on the property list.

Why are apartment companies paying to settle?

The private class-action plaintiffs accused RealPage and apartment owners and managers of violating federal and state antitrust laws by conspiring to fix and inflate the price of multifamily rental housing.

The settling defendants deny those allegations.

The court has not determined who was right or wrong. Instead, the parties reached proposed settlements to avoid the cost and uncertainty of continuing the litigation. (RealPage Antitrust Litigation)

The underlying class action is In re RealPage, Inc., Rental Software Antitrust Litigation (No. II), Case No. 3:23-md-03071, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. The settlement website provides access to the complaint and other court filings. (RealPage Antitrust Litigation)

What does the Justice Department accuse RealPage of doing?

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a separate federal antitrust case against RealPage.

DOJ alleges RealPage’s revenue-management software relied on nonpublic, competitively sensitive information provided by competing landlords when generating rental-price recommendations.

According to the Justice Department, sharing that information through a common pricing system could reduce normal competition among apartment operators.

DOJ has alleged that RealPage’s software included features intended to limit rent decreases and otherwise align pricing among competing landlords. In January 2025, the Justice Department amended its lawsuit to add six large landlords: Greystar, LivCor, Camden Property Trust, Cushman & Wakefield/Pinnacle, Willow Bridge and Cortland.

Federal prosecutors alleged those companies participated in a scheme in which landlords used competitors’ sensitive information through common pricing algorithms when determining rents. DOJ also accused some landlords of directly discussing information such as rents, occupancy levels, concessions and pricing strategies with competitors. The DOJ case is separate from the private renter class-action settlement.

Why this matters in Houston

One of the companies named in the Justice Department’s amended complaint has a direct Houston connection.

Camden Property Trust is headquartered in Houston, according to DOJ. Other apartment companies involved in the broader litigation operate properties across Texas and the Houston region.

That does not mean every property operated by a company named in the litigation automatically qualifies for the settlement.

Renters should search the specific apartment address where they lived using the court-authorized property search.

Important dates

Renters considering their options should keep three dates in mind:

• Sept. 1, 2026: Deadline to exclude yourself from or object to the proposed settlements
• Oct. 15, 2026: Scheduled fairness hearing
• Jan. 29, 2027: Deadline to file a claim

Those dates are listed on the official settlement website.

What renters should do now

If you rented an apartment between 2018 and 2025:

1. Search every apartment address where you lived on the official settlement Property List.
2. Gather documents showing when you lived there and that you paid rent.
3. Read the eligibility information on the court-authorized website.
4. Submit a claim for review if you believe you qualify.
5. File directly with the settlement administrator if you want to avoid paying a third-party filing service.

The official court-authorized website is RealPageRentalSettlement.com.

Since Watson ruptured his right Achilles the first time in a Week 7 game in 2024, owner Jimmy Haslam said during last year’s owners meetings that the Browns “took a big swing and miss” when they sent three first-round picks to Houston for the controversial quarterback in 2022.

After Shedeur Sanders had a solid first half in last Saturday's 31-7 loss to Buffalo, a frustrated Watson said the boos from the crowd were “personal” and showed “disrespect” after he took the field in Cleveland for the first time in 22 months.

Despite the hurdles and a close competition with Sanders, Watson will be the Browns starting quarterback for their Sept. 13 opener at the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Coach Todd Monken made the announcement on Monday after informing both Watson and Sanders.

“I took in the full body of work over the course of the offseason to training camp to the games, the joint practice, and ultimately felt like to start the season on the road, Deshaun gave us the best chance to move the ball and score points. I mean, that’s really what it’s about,” Monken said. “I felt that way going into the last game, but wasn’t sure. And after we talked as a staff and we re-looked at everything, we’re going to go that direction.”

Watson, a 10-year veteran, won the competition over Sanders as both split reps with the first unit throughout the offseason, training camp and the preseason.

The decision will not be popular with Browns fans, who have booed Watson repeatedly during his time in Cleveland, and have put a lot of support behind Sanders since he was selected last year after dropping to the fifth round.

Monken reiterated that fan sentiment and Watson’s comments did not play a role in his decision. Watson completed 5 of 12 passes for 36 yards and an interception while on the field with players at the bottom of the roster who likely will be cut in a couple of weeks.

“Ultimately the fans want us to win. That’s our job as coaches, why we’re hired to try and put the best product on the field. And when we don’t, then I understand their frustration. But ultimately they don’t decide who plays. I mean, who would I be if I let someone outside of the building decide who plays?” Monken said.

Watson has started only 19 games for Cleveland since being acquired from Houston in 2022 and signing a fully guaranteed, $230 million contract that will perhaps go down as one of the worst trades and contract in NFL history. He is 9-10 with the Browns with 19 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and an 80.7 passer rating.

In 2022, Watson missed the first 11 games because of a league suspension resulting from his alleged sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. He made six starts in 2023 before a season-ending shoulder injury and started seven in 2024 before the first of two Achilles tendon injuries.

After Monken's announcement, Watson took responsibility for his comments by saying his emotions got the better of him.

“I’m not a big talker anyway. I think people that know me and around the organization, I just felt like it was what was on my heart,” he said. “It was never intended to go at a certain person, fan base or a certain crowd. It was just, this is how I feel. And once I got it off my chest, I felt better and now I can move forward from it.”

Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards and directed two scoring drives working with other starters and the second team during the first half of the preseason opener at Chicago.

“There’s a lot of things, too, that me and (Monken) talking personally that we haven’t showcased. We haven’t showcased my full talent and ability to run in his offense. Being able to run, getting outside the pocket, being able to do some other QB-driven stuff. So I’m excited to see what we can cook up, getting ready for Week 1,” Watson said.

After facing Jacksonville, the Browns are at Tampa Bay on Sept. 20 to face former quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was released after Cleveland traded for Watson. The Browns' first home game is Sept. 27 against Carolina.

Sanders has shown steady improvement throughout the offseason. He started the final seven games of his rookie season, going 3-4 with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Sanders went 9 of 11 for 74 yards with a touchdown and interception during the first half against the Bills. Sanders completed his first eight passes before he was picked off by Damar Hamlin on a pass he threw behind tight end Jermaine Terry.

He was 6 of 11 for 79 yards with an interception in the second half against the Bears.

Sanders' biggest improvement is his ability to stand in the pocket as well as move up when he needs to, along with better footwork and decision making.

Even though Sanders will be on the sideline for the opener, he is likely to start at some point this season.

“I think he has come to understand the long game. What are we really in this for? What am I in it for? To have the Browns be an organization that people aspire to be. The long game. Where do we want to be in the long term? And he understands that as well as a quarterback,” Monken said. “We met this morning for a good long time and all he had was a smile on his face because he understands what really is in front of him. He’s going to work his butt off to get better.”

Watson and Sanders will not play in Thursday's final preseason game against the New England Patriots. Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green will get the snaps as they compete for the third QB spot.

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said concerns about the New World screwworm's spread lessened enough to allow the movement of cattle from Mexico at a crossing in Douglas, Arizona, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) southeast of Phoenix. Over time, it hopes to reopen other crossings in New Mexico and Texas.

“Today, the border in Sonora is open for livestock,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said during a Monday morning news conference in Mexico City, referring to the Mexican state bordering Arizona.

Beef prices clearly are a concern for President Donald Trump, who announced Friday that he would allow up to 331,000 tons (300,000 metric tons) of imported ground beef into the U.S., tariff-free, to be sold at below-market prices over the next 90 days. In February, the White House said closing the border to livestock imports from Mexico more than a year ago was “essential” to containing the screwworm but it has exacerbated a shortage of cattle for slaughter in the U.S.

“The administration obviously has a lot of incentive to try to be able to say that they’re doing something about high beef prices in particular,” said Derrell Peel, a professor of agribusiness at Oklahoma State University. “Beef has been singled out because it is an expensive product and because it’s just high profile.”

The Trump administration closed the border to cattle imports in May 2025 as part of its response to the screwworm, a parasite with flesh-eating larvae that can infest and even kill cattle or other animals. The move came as the U.S. already was struggling to meet beef demand, thanks to a cattle herd that has been shrinking for five years and now is the smallest in decades.

Because the USDA plans a phased reopening of the border, it will take months for Mexican imports to return to their traditional levels, Peel said. Mexico has traditionally provided 1.1 million head, or about 3% of the U.S. cattle supply.

“I don’t expect to see any measurable impact on cattle prices or beef prices soon,” Peel said.

The smallest US herd in decades fueled record prices

The USDA reported that on Jan. 1, the U.S. cattle herd had dropped to 86.2 million head, the lowest figure in 75 years. Beef prices skyrocketed over the past five years, rising significantly faster than food prices as a whole, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The average price of a pound (453 grams) of ground beef rose nearly 57% from July 2021 to July 2026, from $4.39 to $6.89 — hitting a peak of $6.90 in May — with a 10% increase over the previous year. Food prices have risen about 25% overall in those five years, according to the bureau's numbers.

The price for a pound of uncooked steak rose 35% over the past five years, reaching a record $13.06 per pound in July, also 10% higher than a year before.

But Glynn Tonsor, a professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, said the potential effect on beef prices from the smaller supply of cattle was lessened because the U.S. beef industry is more efficient and has been able to get more meat from each animal than in past years.

The USDA says the reopening starts at a safe spot

U.S. government and industry officials view the New World screwworm fly as a major threat to the nation's $113 billion cattle industry. It was an annual warm-weather scourge for U.S. ranchers from at least the 1930s through the 1960s, until the U.S. largely eradicated it. The fly was contained for years near the Panama Canal, but returned to southern Mexico in late 2024 and advanced toward the U.S., with the first case in Texas since 1966 reported June 3.

Since then, more than 40 cases have been confirmed in southern Texas and southeastern New Mexico, with infestations of cattle, sheep, goats and dogs.

In her July announcement of plans for a phased reopening of the border, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said it was possible to start with an Arizona crossing because the northern Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua had stronger animal health programs than other parts of Mexico. She also said each animal would be inspected and declared free of the parasite before crossing the border.

U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman said the USDA is taking a “careful, science-based” approach to reopening the border and imposing strong animal health protocols.

“This is an important step for America’s cattle producers, especially our feeders in the border states,” Boozman, an Arkansas Republican, said in a statement. “Restoring this long-standing trade is critical to strengthening our cattle supply and supporting a healthy, competitive beef industry.”

Drought, low prices led to the smallest US herd in 75 years

Drought in cattle-producing regions of the U.S. is a major reason the national herd is so small, said David Anderson, professor of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University. If grass doesn’t grow, cattle have nothing to graze upon, forcing ranchers to sell them off. Low cattle prices over the past two decades also are a factor.

“Where we are today is sort of the culmination of some 18, 19, 20 years of very low cattle prices,” he said. “That forces us to reduce our herds. Drought forces us to reduce them even further.”

The shortage of cattle also has left beef processing plants operating below capacity.

Tyson Foods, one of the nation's largest meat processors, announced in November that it was reorganizing its beef operations and closing a plant in Lexington, Nebraska, about 220 miles (354 kilometers) southwest of Omaha. Earlier this month, it announced plans to close a plant in Utah outside Salt Lake City and another in Illinois about 150 miles (241 kilometers) southeast of Chicago.

In June, another major U.S. processor, JBS USA, announced plans to close beef plants in Memphis and outside Philadelphia, though it later said it would keep some operations at the Pennsylvania plant to preserve 400 jobs there.

Rebuilding the U.S. herd — and ultimately lowering prices — likely will take years, largely because a cow typically has only one calf a year, Peel said. In addition, breeding a heifer keeps her out of the food supply, tightening it further as the herd is rebuilt.

Peel said prices will remain high for some time and for elected officials, “There’s nothing you can do.”

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This story has been corrected to show that John Boozman is chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, not the House Agriculture Committee.

Wright's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told The Associated Press on Monday that the tight end had been waived by the Cleveland Browns and if he clears waivers, he will join Lane Kiffin's roster at No. 11 LSU.

If he joins the Tigers, Wright is believed to be the first player to return to college after playing in the NFL. He may not be the last.

At a news conference Monday, Kiffin declined to discuss any specific players, but did say of the players in the lawsuit: “They’re available to recruit. So, ourselves, like many places around the country, are recruiting them.”

Not doing so, Kiffin said, could lead to a situation where "we may end up playing against them.”

Wright signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted rookie after the draft. After Philly released him Aug. 11, the Browns signed him. Wright didn’t play in Cleveland’s two preseason games. Wright played two seasons for Kiffin at Ole Miss. Last year, he caught 39 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns for the Rebels.

Wright was among a group of players who sued in a Louisiana court, saying a new NCAA rule granting five years of eligibility to most athletes should apply to him and others who were not “grandfathered” into the rule, which did not include those who graduated high school in 2022.

The judge in Louisiana allowed for the fifth year and also ordered the football transfer portal, normally open only in January, to reopen for a week for the players in the lawsuit.

“In my opinion, knowing the information, it’s really wrong to be critical of these kids,” said Kiffin, whose move from Ole Miss to LSU last season also created tension between the SEC schools. "They were granted a fifth year by a judge, saying they were wronged by the NCAA. … It’s simply that a judge decided they should have a fifth year, like everyone moving forward will have.”

Kiffin suggested that the current recruiting by colleges of NFL rookies is a “totally unique circumstance that came about because of the five for five (ruling), and players feeling like they should have known about it before, and because of all the cases around the country. I don’t think we’ll have this (situation) again.”

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Maaddi contributed from Tampa, Fla.

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% and pulled a bit further from its all-time high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 59 points, or 0.1%, as of 1:42 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.6% lower.

Tech stocks led the way downward following big swings through the summer on worries that the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology sent prices too high and that the huge demand for AI chips won’t be sustainable if they don’t produce enough profits.

Chip giant Nvidia has been a tremendous winner of the AI boom and become Wall Street’s largest and most influential stock because of it. It will deliver its latest quarterly earnings report on Wednesday, which could dictate the next big move for AI-related stocks.

Nvidia sank 2.3% and was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500, where the majority of stocks rose. Drops of 6% for Micron Technology and 2% for Broadcom also helped drag the index lower.

The other big factor moving stocks recently has been the bond market, where longer-term Treasury yields climbed through the summer on worries about high inflation, huge government debts and other factors. High yields make it more expensive for everyone to borrow, not just the government, and have already been pushing up mortgage rates and hurting the housing industry.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced a surprise move last week to increase the size of planned buybacks of Treasurys, which could help contain the rise in yields for 10- and 30-year Treasurys. But analysts warned the move may have only a limited effect because of how small the size of the buybacks are and how they do not fix the fundamental problems of too-high debt for the U.S. government and expensive oil prices because of the war with Iran.

On Monday, the yield of the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.70% from 4.74% late Friday and is back below where it was late Tuesday, before the U.S. Treasury Department made its surprise announcement.

Helping to bring yields down on Monday was a drop in oil prices. Brent crude fell 2.3% to $90.55 per barrel.

Last month it zigzagged between $72 and $102 as hopes rose and fell that the United States and Iran could reach a deal that would allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf again. That was even though the United States announced new sanctions on Iran, which helped drag the value of Iran's currency to a record low.

Despite Monday's easing of yields, analysts warn the U.S. government’s attempts to influence the bond market could ultimately mean higher pressure on inflation. Inflation already is higher than nearly everyone would like and has been for years.

That raises the pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise the federal funds rate, which affects very short-term overnight loans. When the Fed raises that rate, it could help keep a lid on inflation by trying to slow the overall economy and undercutting prices for stocks and other investments.

The Fed’s new chairman, Kevin Warsh, is set to deliver a speech on Friday at an economic symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The mountain setting has been the backdrop for major Fed policy announcements in the past, but investors are unsure of what they may get from Warsh this time around.

Warsh has insisted that he wants to give financial markets fewer clues about what the Fed will do with interest rates, hoping that markets react more to incoming data about the economy and inflation than to what the Fed is signaling.

But with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announcing his move last week, Warsh now holds the ball, according to economists at Bank of America. Expectations are high among investors for Warsh to talk about inflation and how the Fed could potentially react, and a failure to deliver could lead to bond yields jumping, they said.

In stock markets abroad, indexes dipped around much of the world. South Korea’s Kospi fell 3.1%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.9% for two of the biggest moves.

Seoul has been home to some of the world’s sharpest swings this summer because it is dominated by two tech titans benefiting from the AI boom, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

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AP Business Writers Michelle Chapman and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

The tour on Monday revealed plans for PGA Tour Charities ahead of the season-ending Tour Championship, which has a $40 million purse that awards $10 million to the winner.

Along with building its charity strategy around national campaigns with a more local impact, the PGA Tour is prepared to make up any difference, if needed, to maintain charity levels from tournaments that move down to the Challenger Series in the 2028 schedule.

“This next chapter is about generating even more focus, coordination, resources and visibility,” said Laura Neal, executive vice president of PGA Tour Strategic Philanthropy. “Launching an evolved PGA Tour Charities — with a legacy-defining, transformative gift from the Finchems — is an exciting next step in golf's enduring commitment to giving back.”

The PGA Tour long has been the charitable leader in sports with a mechanism that has enabled its tournaments to generate more than $4.4 billion, all starting with a $10,000 donation at the 1938 Palm Beach Invitational. Each tournament operates independently and that doesn't change.

PGA Tour Charities will launch and fund national priority campaigns around such themes as health, youth, access and service. The idea is to connect with tournaments on a broader scale when their missions align, which the tour hopes can attract new resources and raise visibility.

Lucas Glover, the Player Advisory Council chairman who joins the PGA Tour board next year, is leading a committee of players to help shape the initiatives.

“How I grew up on the tour ... what we hung our hat on as an organization was giving back,” Glover said. "With COVID and then LIV coming in, it became more about money in our pocket instead of money in the pocket of people who need it more than we do. It never went away. It just got put on the back burner, and it's time we put it back on the forefront of our minds.

“When we talk about the PGA Tour, it shouldn't be how much we're making, how much we're playing for,” he said. "It should be about what we're doing in the communities where we play.”

PGA Tour Enterprises was launched as a for-profit commercial venture in January 2024 with an investment of up to $3 billion from Strategic Sports Group, which led to players receiving equity for the first time. The nonprofit PGA Tour still operates tournament and regulations. PGA Tour Enterprises is geared toward global business, commercial sponsorship and media rights.

The charitable engine doesn't stop for groups like the Thunderbirds (WM Phoenix Open), Copperheads (Valspar Championship) or the Salesmanship Club of Dallas (The CJ Cup Byron Nelson). Tournaments typically donate all net proceeds — operation costs offset by national and local sponsorship — to local charities.

It has been key for attracting thousands of volunteers — the backbone of golf tournaments — who feel like they are contributing to their communities because of the charitable function.

What the tour wants to emphasize with PGA Tour Charities is a dedicated platform for direct community investment that gives players, corporate partners, tournaments and fans a clear way to get involved. The Finchems' donation was seen as a catalyst.

“The PGA Tour family, its players, fans and communities have meant so much to us for so long, and we feel a connection to the golf world that endures to this day,” Holly Finchem said. “This donation to PGA Tour Charities, as it is reimagined for future generations of impact, is more than a capstone on Tim’s unwavering commitment to charity. It is a celebration of our belief in this great game and the PGA Tour. We can’t wait to see all the good this gift will inspire.”

His wife separately in a letter published in the digital magazine Global Golf Post disclosed that Tim Finchem has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Finchem, the tour's third commissioner, oversaw massive growth during his tenure from 1994 until retiring in 2016, much of that seizing on the arrival of Tiger Woods. Along with a sharp increase in TV contracts and prize money, he helped to create The First Tee in 1997.

Finchem was commissioner when charitable donations of PGA Tour events topped $1 billion in 2005 and $2 billion in 2014.

Meanwhile, the PGA Tour disclosed Monday the remaining $2.5 million charity donation from Brooks Koepka — he was required to donate $5 million as part of his return from LIV Golf — is being equally allocated to charities designated by nearly 100 players.

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See AP’s full golf coverage here

The ruling Thursday said the newspaper did not have sufficient cause to terminate Karen Attiah, who at the time was the last Black full-time member of the Post’s opinion desk. The arbitrator, Sarah Miller Espinosa, also ordered the Post to award Attiah full back pay and lost benefits.

Kirk, who rose from a teenage conservative campus activist to become a top podcaster and ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed Sept. 10 during a public appearance at Utah Valley University. He was 31.

Kirk launched Turning Point USA in 2012 and made provocative statements about race, gender and politics. He was critical of the Black Lives Matter movement on college campuses and called George Floyd, the Black man whose 2020 murder at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked protests, a “scumbag.”

His death elicited a torrent of comments about him, both pro and con, and some who spoke out against him in the days after the killing faced sanctions or dismissal at work.

Attiah posted after Kirk's killing

After Kirk's killing, Attiah, the founding global opinion editor for the Post and the newspaper's only Black female opinion writer, made several posts to her Bluesky account.

One post read: “Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is … not the same as violence.”

“If anything, the rush to coddle violent white men is self-protective — that we know they are not used to feeling vulnerable and mortal — and will react violently out of fear. And we will all suffer,” read another post.

Attiah was emailed a termination letter on Sept. 11, accusing her of “gross misconduct.”

“Your public comments on social media regarding the death of Charlie Kirk violate the Post’s social media policies, harm the integrity of our organization, and potentially endanger the physical safety of our staff,” the letter read.

But Espinosa found that the newspaper, in a June 4 hearing, failed to establish that Attiah “engaged in gross misconduct” and that the Post “did not have good and sufficient cause to terminate” her employment, which violated the collective bargaining agreement with the newspaper's union.

“After wrongfully firing me last year, an independent arbitrator has ordered the @washingtonpost to reinstate me immediately, with back pay,” Attiah posted on Instagram on Monday. “It’s been a year-long fight, but this is a victory for journalists everywhere. More to come soon.”

Ruling welcomed as a landmark moment

The Democracy Defenders Fund, which, along with Washington-Baltimore News Guild, represented Attiah, said the ruling marks a landmark moment for press freedom, “confirming that corporate media institutions cannot use retaliatory discipline to silence journalists who address uncomfortable truths.”

The Post said in a statement that it respects the arbitration process, but declined to comment further.

At the time, Attiah’s firing was among dozens of others across various professions stemming from comments about Kirk’s assassination, igniting a debate over First Amendment rights as Trump vowed retribution for remarks he considers disparaging.

The National Association of Black Journalists, the nation’s largest professional advocacy organization for journalists of color, added at the time that Attiah’s firing had “raised an alarm about the erosion of Black voices across the media.”

During the organization's annual convention this month in Atlanta, the NABJ gave The Post a “Thumbs Down Award” because the newspaper has laid off Black journalists and eliminated race and culture beats.

“When the NABJ raises concerns about the treatment of Black journalists, we do so because the decisions news organizations make have real consequences for our members, our profession and the communities we serve,” NABJ President Errin Haines said Monday in a statement supporting Attiah.

And wow…I have a LOT of you to get back to!

If you sent me a message while I was gone (or just before I left) and I haven’t gotten back to you yet, thank you for being patient with me! I’m working my way through what feels like a million emails, DMs and story ideas today, so please know I’m not ignoring you. I’m just catching up and honestly...it will probably take a few days.

I also submitted some open records requests and sent many emails to folks before I left, so I’m hoping there are some gold nuggets waiting for me in my inbox. Fingers crossed.

🚙 One week -- three BIG stories, all involving cars?!

1. Several of you sent me photos of a crash that happened at 600 West 11th Street a little over a week ago. Police say it all started as a burglary call where a man was breaking into cars at an apartment complex. Once caught, Police chased the man in his car. He ran through several intersections before driving over a bike lane, losing control and crashing into a tree. His vehicle caught fire and he died at the scene.
2. I also am very aware of the crossing guard who was hit during dismissal Thursday at Harvard Elementary School. It happened at the intersection of East 9th Street and Harvard Street. The crossing guard was alert and responsive after the incident and was transported by EMS for further evaluation. I reached out to HISD for more information, including an update on the crossing guard’s current condition and additional details about the driver, but they did not provide those details today. If you know the crossing guard or anyone involved and they need support, please let me know.
3. Lastly, I genuinely cannot make this one up. An Uber driver in the Heights was suddenly recruited into a police pursuit over the weekend. The driver, Anthony Baines, was stopped near East 7 1/2 and Oxford when he saw a man running with two HPD officers chasing him. The officers got into Baines’ Uber and told him to “Go, go, go!” He then picked up the second officer, drove them around the area as they looked for the suspect, and eventually dropped them back near their patrol car. Woah.

So yeah, those are the major stories I came back to.

🚗 Traffic calming

Meanwhile, this is another question I keep hearing from people around the Heights: How does a street actually get traffic calming measures?

So I asked the City how requests are evaluated and prioritized, whether there’s a backlog, and what determines whether a street gets things like speed cushions, stop signs or other traffic-calming measures.

We already know these projects can be VERY expensive, but I’ve gotten enough questions about them that I wanted to understand how the process actually works, and why some streets get improvements while others don’t.

I’m also looking into Arlington Street near Heights High School, where residents have raised concerns about long-term street and drainage issues, along with increased traffic and parking impacts.

One resident, sent me City street-assessment data showing portions of Arlington received a D and F rating for street condition back in 2011.

More than 15 years later, residents say they’re still dealing with many of the same issues.

I asked the City whether there is updated assessment data, whether those assessments are used when deciding which streets get improvements, and whether Arlington is currently being considered for any work. Another question here: When a neighborhood street becomes a school route, how does the city account for the extra wear and tear?

More to come.

🚗 And we actually have an update on North Norhill’s speed cushions!

I am told Council Member Mario Castillo recently met with Houston Public Works Director earlier this month, and the speed cushions I covered a while back— was one of the major topics discussed.

Here’s the big takeaway: Houston Public Works says about $22 million has been programmed to address the current NTMP backlog, and the North Norhill project is part of that backlog.

The department says its goal is to complete all currently funded speed-cushion projects in the construction queue — both in District H and across Houston — by the end of next year.

That means projects that have already been submitted, approved and funded, including North Norhill, are supposedly first in line as the department works through the backlog.

Now we need to see when it actually gets built.

I’ll keep an eye on this one.

But first…

What else did I miss while I was gone?! What are you seeing, hearing or wondering about?

Send it my way. I’m back and already pouring my diet coke. Ready to dig back in.

Nicole

One of President Vladimir Putin’s key goals in starting a war with Russia’s neighbor in February 2022 was to return Kyiv to Moscow’s orbit. Ukrainian lawmakers voted on Aug. 24, 1991, to proclaim the country’s independence, and a nationwide referendum later that year overwhelmingly approved it.

With no significant changes on the front line for months and no apparent progress after more than a year of U.S.-led peace efforts, both countries are locked in a spiral of escalating aerial attacks that are killing civilians and smashing infrastructure.

Europe rallies around Ukraine

U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, on his first overseas trip since taking office last month, joined almost a dozen other European leaders, as well as other dignitaries in Kyiv on Monday.

“For Ukraine, independence is not an abstract idea. We defended it against all odds,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media. “In times like these, nations learn how important it is to have allies by your side.”

Burnham co-chaired a meeting of what's been dubbed the Coalition of the Willing — a group of over two dozen countries helping Ukraine resist Russia's onslaught.

Burnham said he is pushing British industry to help a Ukrainian project that is working on a low-cost alternative to the U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems that are desperately needed but are in short supply. He urged other countries to encourage Washington to adopt stiffer sanctions on Russia and press Moscow to accept U.S. attempts to secure an unconditional ceasefire.

Zelenskyy said in a speech at Kyiv’s St. Sophia Square that the presence of European leaders reflected continental fears about Russia’s wider ambitions.

“We all understand that in this Russian war against us — against Ukraine — far more is being decided than the future of Ukraine and Eastern Europe,” he said.

“No nation in a war like this could rely solely on its own weapons," Zelenskyy said. "No nation could withstand attacks of such intensity without the world’s help.”

Ukraine eyes local production of Anglo-French missile

The leaders brought pledges of further military and financial support. Burnham announced his government has agreed to allow defense company MBDA to release classified information relating to British components used in the SCALP long-range missile. That paves the way for France and Ukraine to advance plans for the weapon's production in Ukraine.

SCALP is the French version of the U.K.’s Storm Shadow missile, with both systems incorporating shared technology.

“Ukraine has been Europe’s protector, not a drain on our security, but the front line of keeping Europe safe,” Burnham said, adding that Kyiv and its partners “must keep up the pressure on Moscow.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin views the plan “extremely negatively.” He accused the U.K. of “taking part in this war” on Kyiv’s side.

Ukraine has leaned heavily on NATO countries for help fighting Russia’s bigger army, although relations with the United States have been cooler under President Donald Trump.

Russia, meanwhile, is getting help from North Korea and China.

Ukraine displays its drones in a parade

Ukraine’s swift development of innovative drone technology has enabled it to blunt Moscow’s battlefield progress as well as hit targets deep inside Russia, as far as 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from their border. The speeches in St. Sophia Square were accompanied by a parade of domestically produced weapons.

Both Russia and Ukraine are trying through long-range strikes to inflict economic pain, disrupt military supplies and erode public morale.

Ukraine's long-range drones have repeatedly hit facilities in Russia's vital oil industry, causing fuel shortages, and have also engaged in a campaign against Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries.

But foreign suppliers also have to take into account their own needs, weapon production levels and the depth of stockpiles.

As the air war has intensified, Ukraine’s stocks of Patriot interceptors to counter Russia’s ballistic missiles have dwindled. Kyiv urgently needs more interceptors before winter, when Russia routinely bombards its power grid, but the demands of the Iran war and slow output of the sophisticated interceptors have left Ukraine short and vulnerable.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he believed that striking Russian targets like Wildberries was a “sensible military strategy” that would hasten peace negotiations.

Ukrainian strikes kill 3 teenagers

Three teenagers were killed and six children were wounded in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, Russia’s children’s rights ombudswoman Maria Lvova-Belova said, as Ukraine attacked several warehouses of Ozon, another online retailer, for the third straight day, according to officials and the company.

Ozon said a large fire raged at its logistics facility in the suburbs of Krasnodar following the overnight attack.

A drone also hit the grounds of an Ozon logistics center in the southern Russian region of Adygeya, said regional Gov. Murat Kumpilov, although the company said its warehouse wasn’t damaged.

In all, four Ozon premises appeared to have been targeted.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck the Russian state-owned Kamenetsky Combine defense company in the Rostov region overnight, starting a fire. The plant produces rocket and missile fuel, it said.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses overnight intercepted and destroyed 351 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions, the Crimean Peninsula and the Azov and Black seas. Moscow illegally annexed Crimea in 2014.

The ministry also said its forces overnight struck Ukrainian ports and vessels delivering military cargo.

Russia has also turned its sights on Ukrainian shopping malls, supermarkets and gas stations in recent months. Russian drones struck a shopping center in central Ukraine in a daytime attack Friday, killing 16 people and wounding 130, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukraine’s southern Odesa region came under a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack Monday, with food storage facilities and energy infrastructure among the targets, regional authorities reported.

Eighteen people, including two children, were injured in a Russian drone strike on Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Emergency Service.

It was not possible to independently verify each side's reports.

___

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

Alexander Bigelow, 29, has been charged in an ongoing investigation by Constable Precinct One’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit.

Bigelow faces three second-degree felonies of possession of computer-generated pornography of children under ten years of age. Each of those charges carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and fine of up to $10,000.

He is also charged with a state-jail felony of invasive visual recording of a bathroom or changing room, for using a camera disguised as a charger to covertly record a bedroom other than his own, according to court records. That charge carries a penalty of up to two years in jail.

Detectives searching Bigelow’s residence in Humble said they found a computer and a hard drive each containing thousands of AI-generated images of child pornography, according to a court record.

Constable Rosen asks that anyone with tips about the defendant to contact Constable Precinct One’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit at 713-222-4929.

The death toll in the nearly yearlong U.S. campaign of bombing boats allegedly trafficking drugs now exceeds 210 after more than 60 strikes off Latin America’s Caribbean coast and in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Forces “executed a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operating along established narcotrafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific,” U.S. Southern Command said on social media.

As with most of the military’s statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, the Pentagon did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. The strike on Sunday was the first since powerful back-to-back June 24 earthquakes that killed thousands of people.

“We are committed to imposing total systemic friction on narco-terrorists — disrupting their operations, dismantling their leadership, and eliminating cartel terror across the region,” said Gen. Francis Donovan, who leads U.S. Southern Command.

The latest strike comes as the Trump administration pursues deals with allied nations to extend its offensive to land across multiple Latin American countries. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Panama this month that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to carry out joint military operations against criminal groups on their soil. Guatemala denied reaching such a deal.

Ecuador launched similar missions with the U.S. in March.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S. over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

The strikes, which began in early September, have drawn intense scrutiny from some Democratic lawmakers and military legal scholars.

The Pentagon’s watchdog said in May that it plans to look into whether the U.S. military followed an established targeting framework when carrying out the strikes. However, the evaluation is focused specifically on what’s known as the six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle and not on the legality of the strikes, the inspector general’s office said.

The crash happened around 12:40 a.m. near T.C. Jester Boulevard and Tomlinson Trail Drive.

A marked sheriff’s office vehicle was traveling south on T.C. Jester when a Toyota pickup heading north turned west across its path. The intersection has no traffic signal or stop sign for drivers on T.C. Jester.

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The vehicles collided, sending the sheriff’s office unit into a brick subdivision entrance. The impact caused the pickup to spin and stop facing south. The driver, described as a man in his 50s or 60s, had a child younger than 12 in the front passenger seat, authorities said.

Viewer video sent to KPRC 2 captured moments after the crash, as people appeared to rush to help.

“His [driver] flew out of the car. So they’ve been doing CPR,” a neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous, said in the video.

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The child, who has since been identified as Jadiel Molina, was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the pickup.

The deputy performed CPR at the scene, and resuscitation efforts continued until Jadiel arrived at a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The neighbor told KPRC 2 she was shaken by what she saw and was thinking about her own grandchild.

“It’s a feeling that gives you chills, makes you nervous. I haven’t slept. I’m just thinking about the baby,” she said.

“I don’t believe this was a serious enough accident to cause a death, but because the child was not seatbelted and was ejected, that is the main cause at this point for that child’s death,” said HCSO Major A. McConnell at the scene.

Authorities said the pickup driver showed signs of intoxication. Investigators are seeking a warrant for a blood sample, and the driver could face an intoxication manslaughter charge involving a child if testing confirms he was impaired.

“If you know this family, reach out to them. They’re gonna need your support,” McConnell said. “If you don’t know this family, please pray. They’re gonna need your support.”

The neighbor also said she’s keeping the deputy in her prayers.

“She [deputy] was pretty messed up too. Because she kept asking him, she was begging like, ‘Baby, please just breathe for me. Baby please just breathe for me,’” she said.

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The deputy was assigned to the sheriff’s office Crisis Intervention Response Team. A clinician was riding in the passenger seat at the time. Both suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital. They were not responding to a call when the crash occurred.

The sheriff’s office Internal Affairs Division and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office Vehicular Crimes Division are investigating. Investigators said they had no indication that speed played a role and planned to download data from both vehicles and review any available video.

A federal grand jury indicted Tryston Tremaine Vaughn, Catherine Clauzelle Kilpatrick, Drakkor Jamar Alexander, Malcolm Tiree Joubert and Alyssa Nadine Bryant.

The indictment, filed Aug. 19 in the Southern District of Texas, accuses the group of participating in a scheme involving checks stolen from the mail and later resold.

• Five people, including three postal carriers charged in alleged multi-million dollar stolen check scheme

Federal prosecutors say the defendants and their co-conspirators acquired and sold approximately $23,973,338.15 in stolen checks.

According to the indictment, Vaughn recruited USPS mail carriers to steal mail, specifically checks, from their routes.

Prosecutors identify Kilpatrick, Alexander and Joubert as the three postal carriers allegedly recruited by Vaughn. Bryant is accused of working with Vaughn to purchase stolen checks from postal employees.

The indictment says Vaughn and his co-conspirators then posted stolen checks for sale on a Telegram channel called “slipsandchips.”

After a check was purchased, prosecutors say the stolen checks were shipped to buyers through FedEx.

The dollar amounts outlined in the indictment range from thousands of dollars to more than $1 million.

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Prosecutors allege Kilpatrick stole a $9,858.01 check drawn from a Chase Bank account while working as a USPS mail carrier in Houston in October 2023. The indictment says she then sold stolen checks to Vaughn.

Alexander is accused of stealing a $16,636.54 check drawn from an Amegy Bank account while working as a postal carrier in Houston in March 2024.

Then there is the largest individual check identified in the indictment.

Prosecutors say Joubert stole a check worth $1,517,875.27 from the mail while working as a USPS carrier in Houston in May 2024. The check was drawn from a BMO Bank account. Prosecutors say Joubert then sold stolen checks to Vaughn.

The indictment describes that $1.5 million check as mail matter that had been “entrusted” to Joubert as a postal employee and was intended to be delivered through the mail.

The indictment also identifies a $79,894.60 Citibank check that prosecutors say Vaughn mailed to a purchaser from the Telegram channel in April 2024.

In September 2024, prosecutors allege Vaughn and Bryant mailed another stolen check, this one worth $25,007.25 and drawn from a Stellar Bank account, to a purchaser from the Telegram channel.

Prosecutors say the alleged conspiracy began around October 2022 and continued through the filing of the indictment this month. The federal case alleges the group sought to defraud Chase Bank, Amegy Bank, Citibank, BMO Bank and Stellar Bank.

KPRC 2 also reviewed Harris County court records involving Vaughn and Bryant.

Records reviewed by KPRC 2 show Vaughn previously faced several separate criminal cases in Harris County, including allegations involving assault of a family or household member by impeding breathing, unauthorized use of a vehicle, violation of a protective order and weapons-related charges.

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Four of the five previous Vaughn cases visible in the records reviewed by KPRC 2 were listed as dismissed. Another case involving an alleged violation of a protective order was listed as disposed. The record reviewed by KPRC 2 did not provide enough information to characterize that disposition further.

Those cases are separate from the new federal allegations.

Records reviewed by KPRC 2 also show Bryant was charged with making a terroristic threat in Harris County in 2022. That case was dismissed.

A dismissal means the charge did not result in a conviction and the previous allegations should not be confused with the charges Vaughn and Bryant now face in federal court.

All five defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and multiple bank fraud counts.

Kilpatrick, Alexander and Joubert each face an additional federal charge of theft of mail matter by a postal employee.

The federal government also filed notice that, if the defendants are convicted, prosecutors intend to seek forfeiture of property connected to the alleged offenses. Prosecutors also intend to seek a monetary judgment. The charges contained in an indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

On Friday, officers pursuing a suspect made an unusual request: They asked an Uber driver for a ride. Dashcam video shows officers getting into the vehicle and directing the driver near the intersection of E. 7 1/2 Street and Oxford Street.

Nearby, a short-term rental building with 20 units that neighbors told KPRC has been a persistent source of problems.

‘It’s been three years’

Caroline Fant has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years. She said the trouble began when the building transitioned from a standard apartment complex to a short-term rental.

“Then all of a sudden, I have prostitutes in front of my house, we have domestic violence disturbances, there’s trash, we have (law enforcement) raids,” Fant said.

The most recent incident involved a late-night altercation caught on a porch video camera. The video captures someone screaming outside the property.

“20-30 people were in a scrum around here, and a woman let out a blood-curdling yell. We literally thought someone was getting hurt,” Fant said.

Rules posted, problems persist

Aerial footage of the property shows cameras, gated entrances and occasional on-site security. Two renters, visiting from Baltimore, staying at the property for the weekend shared a list of rules they were given. This list included no parties or events without host approval, no smoking, and no unregistered guests.

Still, Fant said the rules aren’t enough without a consistent 24/7 in- person surveillance.

“There’s nobody on site 24-7 to see who checks in. It’s just impossible to manage that type of situation in a residential neighborhood,” Fant said.

City steps in with ordinance

In January 2026, the city implemented an ordinance that allows for citations related to noise, litter, health code violations and other illegal activities at short-term rental properties. Fant said she has been documenting incidents herself since 2023 and now reports them directly through the city’s portal. Other neighbors told KPRC they do the same.

KPRC 2 reached out to the city for comment and is waiting to hear back.

“I appreciate the efforts that the city has made with the ordinance it passed, we appreciate the efforts the owner has made ... but obviously it is not working. It’s been three years of living through this, and something has to change,” Fant said.

Adilet, which is led by the former head of Tokayev’s presidential administration, won 71% of Sunday's vote, Kazakhstan’s central electoral commission said, according to preliminary results.

The second-place Auyl Party won 6.26% of the vote, with three other parties – the Nationwide Social Democratic Party, Respublica and Aq Jol – reaching the 5% threshold needed to win a place in parliament.

Election monitors for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the vote was marred by a lack of distinct political opposition, with “all contesting parties supporting the incumbent president’s policies.”

Some 74% of the country’s 12.6 million eligible voters took part in the election, the central electoral commission said. Officials tried to boost turnout by having some voters travel to the polls by parachutes and hot air balloons.

The election was the first to choose lawmakers for the new single-chamber parliament, known as the Kurultai. It is the culmination of a constitutional overhaul initiated by Tokayev in March, when 87% of voters supported a referendum to merge the two chambers of parliament.

The vote also gave the president authority to appoint key officials, subject to lawmakers' approval.

Last month, Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court ruled that the amendments effectively reset the clock on Tokayev’s previous terms in office, clearing the way for him to seek another seven-year term when his mandate expires in 2029.

The decision echoes those seen in several former Soviet republics, including Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, where leaders have used new or amended constitutions to revise statutory term limits.

The 73-year-old Tokayev, a former Soviet official and Kazakh diplomat who previously worked at the United Nations, has been in office since 2019.

He has sought to maintain a balance between Moscow and the West since sanctions were imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Tokayev has justified the constitutional changes by citing the need for rapid decision-making in a fast-changing world.

The election comes at a difficult economic moment for Kazakhstan, where inflation hit 10.2% in February and tax increases have fueled public discontent.

Analysts say the economic strain has made authorities wary of a repeat of the unrest of January 2022, when fuel price protests spiraled into violence that left dozens of protesters and police officers dead — a scenario Tokayev is seeking to guard against by concentrating power in his own hands.

The vote also took place against a backdrop of intensifying crackdowns on press freedom. Media organizations have urged Tokayev to drop criminal charges against several journalists under house arrest and to revise legislation to ensure freedom of speech. Authorities have opened roughly 10 criminal cases against independent journalists and popular bloggers.

“I fully support the Administration for pausing construction in Big Bend National Park. Texans know this stretch of our border better than anyone in Washington. Destroying one of our state’s greatest natural treasures with unnecessary roads and barriers is not smart border security. We must always put Texans first. That means effective enforcement that protects our communities and supports our law enforcement while respecting the unique character of places like Big Bend and leaving our natural resources undisturbed for future generations. I am focused on solutions that secure the border without sacrificing what makes Texas special. The decision to halt this work and evaluate the situation on the ground is exactly the kind of common-sense leadership Texans deserve.”

WASHINGTON — Bipartisan furor has erupted over the arrival of federally contracted construction crews in Big Bend National Park last week as the Trump administration’s pursuit of a border barrier in the park is making its way onto the midterm campaign trail.

On Tuesday, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas became the highest-ranking Republican official to speak out, asking Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to consult with local officials before proceeding with construction. The move drew praise from Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, who issued a statement applauding Cornyn’s call for local input and blasting the Big Bend wall as a “monument to corruption” that “no Texan asked for.”

As Republicans from Cornyn to U.S. House candidate Brandon Herrera to local county judges and sheriffs push back on the wall plans, Attorney General Ken Paxton — the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas and a close ally of President Donald Trump — has remained tight-lipped.

Asked whether Paxton supports construction of barriers and patrol roads in Big Bend, a spokesperson for the attorney general’s campaign did not say where he stands on the matter, responding with a statement that said Paxton wants to balance competing priorities. The statement also did not address whether Paxton agrees with Cornyn’s call for the feds to halt construction until they meet with local leaders.

“As Attorney General Paxton has stated previously, he is focused on listening to voters to explore all effective and smart solutions to the serious challenges facing communities along the Texas border,” Paxton spokesperson Madison Cercy said in a statement to The Texas Tribune. “He is committed to strong border security that protects Texans while considering the unique characteristics of different stretches of the border, including areas like Big Bend.”

Cornyn is set to leave office at the end of his term, having lost his primary to Paxton in a runoff earlier this year. In his letter to Mullin, which Cornyn sent Friday and publicly released Tuesday, the senior senator noted that border county leaders in April had asked the Department of Homeland Security to consult with them before implementing the agency’s border security plans, including new wall construction. DHS did not appear to have responded, Cornyn said.

“The requests from local officials and community leaders for coordination and communication appear very reasonable to me,” Cornyn wrote, adding that his constituents “believe that the 1,000-foot riverbank cliffs and remote Big Bend terrain offers its own source of deterrence for any illegal migrants crossing into the United States.”

Talarico, who has vigorously opposed construction plans in Big Bend National Park or Big Bend Ranch State Park, praised Cornyn for penning the letter.

“He and I agree: we need to secure our border by listening to local sheriffs and Border Patrol,” Talarico said in a statement Tuesday. Echoing Cornyn’s letter, the Austin lawmaker added, “We don’t need to wreck one of our nation’s greatest treasures by building an expensive wall on an already existing natural barrier.”

In Trump’s second term, DHS has moved forward with plans to build 30-foot wall segments and other infrastructure in the environmentally sensitive and much beloved Big Bend region. The harsh environment in West Texas includes what opponents of the plan describe as “God’s walls” — massive limestone canyon cliffs that make migrant crossings rare.

The Big Bend Sector is the quietest of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s nine sectors along the country’s boundary with Mexico. It accounted for about 1.3% of apprehensions in fiscal year 2025 despite covering nearly one-quarter of the southwest border.

As the wall project has proceeded, Democrats have seized on the issue. At the federal level, U.S. House Democrats from Texas urged DHS to change tack in letters and attempted to thwart construction via legislation. Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, proposed an amendment to the homeland security appropriations bill in June — which funds the department and the border agencies it oversees — to prevent barrier construction in the national or state park. The measure was killed on a party-line vote.

At an April rally at the U.S. Capitol with park advocates, members of Texas’ congressional delegation emphasized the bipartisan nature of the opposition.

“I hope our Republican colleagues will join us, because this is not a partisan issue,” Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston, said. “You can file this under nobody asked for this, and nobody wants it.”

And on the campaign trail, they’ve called out Republicans’ reluctance to break from Trump by speaking out. Escobar said Paxton could, as attorney general, sue the federal government to stop construction.

Talarico has attempted to tie the project to his broader anti-corruption campaign theme, alleging that it will be built via “sweetheart, no-bid contracts.” He has also packaged his opposition to the wall as part of a broader suite of border security proposals aimed at appealing to Republicans and independents, such as hiring more Border Patrol agents and using surveillance technology to detect illegal crossings.

“Three weeks ago, I stood in Sanderson, Texas alongside Republican, Democratic, and independent sheriffs, mayors, and small business owners,” Talarico said in a statement after bulldozers arrived in the park last week, referring to his campaign stop where he rolled out his border plan. “Every single one of them told me the same thing: this is irresponsible spending that no Texan asked for, enriching wealthy contractors without making Texans one bit safer.”

Republicans, meanwhile, have criticized Talarico’s record on the border. Paxton has referred to the Democrat’s support for border security as the “fake Talarico,” and emphasized his votes in the Texas Legislature against a sweeping border funding bill to create a state border policing unit and a bill requiring local sheriffs to collaborate with ICE.

“He fought against every single bill that would have protected our state at the border — every single one,” Paxton said at a recent rally in Allen.

The Big Bend region is located in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, which has sat vacant since former Rep. Tony Gonzales, a moderate Republican, resigned earlier this year. Both candidates to replace him — Herrera, the Republican nominee, and Democrat Katy Padilla Stout — have publicly opposed the wall proposal for months and rallied against it earlier this year at the Texas Capitol.

“I have made it very clear that I oppose any construction in the Big Bend area that disturbs the natural landscape and threatens the jobs that tourism brings where non-intrusive technology would do the job,” Herrera said in a statement Wednesday. 

Herrera, noting that he has brought his concerns directly to Mullin, said the department “has communicated in the past that it shares this goal,” and that he plans to hold them accountable. And he took his stance a step further, pledging to oppose funding measures that lack language protecting the national park.

“Once elected, I will deliver the strongest possible oversight of this area and will oppose any border-related spending bills that do not guarantee that there will be no disruptive and unnecessary construction in and around Big Bend National Park,” Herrera said.

In her own statement to the Tribune, Padilla Stout criticized Herrera’s endorsement from Trump and echoed Talarico’s messaging that frames the Big Bend wall effort as a hotbed of corruption.

“This is not about protecting our border, this is about greed,” Padilla Stout said. “And the ones who will pay the prices [are] our children. If you want someone that will stand with the Texans who support protecting Big Bend, who is not aligned with the administration funding the destruction of our beloved park — I am that candidate.”

In February, under then-Secretary Kristi Noem, DHS waived dozens of environmental laws in order to expedite the construction of barriers and roads along a stretch of the border in the Big Bend region. In May, with Mullin now in charge, the department again waived policies to accelerate construction in an area that includes the national park.

The Trump administration awarded a $1.7 billion contract in May to construct “border wall in Big Bend Texas”, and the agency’s current publicly available smart wall map states that the contract is for the construction of vehicle barriers, technology and a patrol road, rather than a 30-foot wall. Heavy machinery was spotted in the park last week to begin clearing land. 

That contract is for one of five border barrier projects in the Big Bend region. Others include a $2.6 billion deal for vehicle barriers and patrol roads on a nearly 166-mile stretch of the border east of the park, in Alpine and Sanderson, and a $1.2 billion border wall contract for vertical barrier construction along the border west of the park, from Presidio County to Big Bend Ranch State Park.

Park advocates have slammed the project as both unnecessary for border protection and irreparably damaging.

Earlier in August, a contingent of 140 local businesses and recreation organizations wrote to Cornyn, Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott asking them to speak out, saying the government’s current plan would “end commercial and recreational river use in Big Bend National Park and along Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River, crippling local businesses and the regional tourism economy for no demonstrable security benefit.”

In March, a bipartisan group of sheriffs in the Big Bend region released a statement arguing that a continuous physical wall would be neither practical nor provide the same strategic benefit as wall segments in “high-traffic urban sectors.” One of the signatories, Republican Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland, called DHS’ planned vehicle barriers east of the park “a boondoggle.”

Local residents have raised concerns about the environmental impact of construction and the addition of lighting systems and access roads — a concern Cornyn reflected in his letter. The Big Bend region contains some of the darkest skies in North America and unique biodiversity that environmental advocates say would be harmed by wall segments.

In May, a group of seven former superintendents of the national park wrote a letter to Mullin warning that the installation of vehicle barriers would forever alter the landscape, increase the risk of flash flooding and prove destructive to plants and animals of the desert.

“If a border wall—or other unnecessary and highly destructive border infrastructure—is built inside Big Bend National Park, it would be the most egregious assault on the integrity of the entire National Park System since the construction of a dam in the Hetchy Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park more than a century ago,” the former superintendents wrote.

Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Monday. Full coverage can be found here.

Iran threatens response ahead of US sanctions announcement

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson warned that Tehran would respond harshly to expanded U.S. sanctions, including measures against countries it sees as cooperating with Washington.

“Any escalation of this situation will undoubtedly bring about consequences,” Esmail Baghaei said. “Our hands are not tied.” The new head of Iran’s top security body warned Sunday that Tehran will see any country’s support for the sanctions as an “act of war."

The expanded sanctions come after weeks of impasse. The United States has not dislodged Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passed before the war started nearly six months ago.

Iran's demands for reopening the strait include lifting the U.S. naval blockade, withdrawing U.S. forces from the region and reparations for damages sustained in the war. It has held separate talks with Oman, on the other side of the strait, on jointly managing the waterway regardless of whether a new deal is brokered with the U.S.

Sanctions have historically raised prices of basic goods in Iran, but after decades of withstanding them, Iran’s economy has adapted through finding new trading partners and building domestic industries.

Ahead of the expected U.S. announcement, the country's currency hit a record low on Monday.

China warns new sanctions will 'escalate the situation'

China said Monday that sanctions and additional pressure “will not help resolve the issue,” as the U.S. has threatened to impose secondary sanctions on countries that trade with Iran.

“They will only exacerbate tensions and escalate the situation, which is in no one’s interest,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a daily briefing in Beijing.

He added that China was calling on all parties to avoid measures “that could further intensify differences and conflicts and disrupt global economic development and financial stability.”

China is considered the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, and was importing more than 80% of Iranian oil before the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Israeli and Syrian officials meet following an Israeli airstrike

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met over the weekend with a high-level Israeli delegation in Jordan to try to defuse tensions after Israel last week struck an air base in northern Syria, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

The U.S.-mediated discussions on Sunday focused on restarting negotiations for a future security agreement, SANA said.

Israel struck the Abu Duhur air base in Idlib province, saying it aimed to stop Turkey — which has supported the new Syrian government’s efforts to rebuild its armed forces after 14 years of civil war — from establishing a presence there.

Syrian officials during the talks asserted the right to develop an army and freely forge alliances with any country, SANA said.

They also called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from a buffer zone in southern Syria they have occupied since December 2024, and reiterated Syria’s stance that the Golan Heights — which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed — is Syrian territory.

Israeli officials didn't immediately comment on the meeting.

An oil tanker is struck off Saudi Arabia

A crude oil tanker was struck by an unknown projectile Monday off Saudi Arabia, the British military said. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization said the attack occurred 63 nautical miles west of the Red Sea city of Yanbu, and a fire was ignited on the main deck. There were no reports of casualties.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have attacked Saudi tankers in recent weeks but did not claim this attack, and did not respond to requests for comment. The group’s military spokesperson said the rebels will release a statement about “military operations” later in the day.

Israel says it killed another Hamas militant

Israel’s military said it killed a militant affiliated with Hamas’ special forces unit in an overnight airstrike, the latest targeted killing announced since U.S. officials met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week hoping to push last year’s ceasefire deal forward.

Israel says it targets and kills Palestinian militants it says participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war.

Israel has announced targeted strikes on six of the seven days since U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner’s meeting with Netanyahu.

At least 1,288 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect last October, according to Gaza’s health ministry, part of the Hamas-run government. Its numbers are generally considered reliable by the international community.

Palestinian American says he can’t freely leave West Bank home

The Palestinian American homeowner whose residence was besieged this month by Israeli settlers said he remained unable to move freely in the village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank. Loui Ridi traveled from Ohio to join his relatives defending his home a week ago.

The Israeli military declared the area a closed zone to restore order in Qusra. Ridi said settlers returned throughout the week to the hill above his house.

Since Israeli settlers surrounded the house more than two weeks ago, preventing occupants from leaving, Israeli soldiers have encouraged them to leave but Israel’s police have not announced arrests.

The siege and Israel’s response have sparked condemnation from Israeli rights groups and foreign officials, including U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who called the violence terrorism.

Palestinians consider the West Bank, home to some 3 million Palestinians and 560,000 Israeli settlers, the heart of any future state and have condemned Israel’s expansion there. This year has seen a dramatic spike in violence carried out by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

We first reported the issue on August 5. The district said campus administrators reported increased moisture and additional visible surface mold, prompting officials to bring in a third-party consultant for air and surface testing in July.

The testing found elevated mold levels in both air and surface samples that required immediate action. However, the district said testing did not find black mold.

Friendswood ISD said it then partnered with its remediation contractor, Texas General Contractors, to determine what was causing the problem.

According to the district, two primary factors contributed to the moisture and mold:

• The HVAC system was running during the summer but was not sufficient to properly control moisture levels inside the building.
• Moisture from part of the HVAC system saturated sections of the roof deck and entered portions of the building.

The district said it expanded its remediation work to address both the immediate mold concerns and the underlying causes.

The HVAC units contributing to the problem have since been replaced.

The district said A-S-E Services recently completed additional air-quality testing at Westwood Elementary. According to Friendswood ISD, all 26 areas tested met air-quality standards, clearing the campus for students to return.

Teachers were allowed to return Wednesday, August 19, ahead of the students’ return Monday, August 24.

The district acknowledged the delay and said it takes responsibility for addressing the issues.

“We recognize that our community expects us to provide safe learning environments for every child, and we acknowledge that in this instance, we fell short of that expectation,” the district said.

The district said it is also committed to strengthening its monitoring, maintenance and operational procedures to help prevent similar issues in the future.

Because of the delayed start, Friendswood ISD said it plans to ask the Texas Education Agency for a two-day waiver for missed instructional time.

Each side blamed the other for the collapse of negotiations in Washington late Friday, leading the U.S. to impose 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods and Canada setting Sept. 8 as the start of its retaliatory penalties.

President Donald Trump’s import taxes will hit about 5% of what Canada ships to the United States every year, ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors. Prime Minister Carney said Ottawa would respond with targeted tariff protection for industries exposed to the new U.S. duties, including some steel products. He also mentioned the dairy, appliance, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper and electronics sectors.

No further talks were planned. Whatever the eventual outcome, a loss of trust seems one of the earliest casualties.

Carney accused Washington of using “economic integration as a weapon” and said “its signature was written in pencil.” Resorting to the language of battle, he said his country had been “attacked” by the new American tariffs. “You’re at war when you get attacked,” he said, adding that Canada had the reserves, resilience and plan to respond.

But to Trump’s chief trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer, the U.S. was compelled to act after a year of retaliation by its longtime partner.

“We’ve said enough, and so we’ve taken countermeasures. Our interest is in protecting American workers and protecting American supply chains,” the U.S. trade representative told “Fox & Friends Weekend.”

Canada cites ‘unacceptable demands’ as US says it offered favorable terms

Carney said Canada had been willing to drop remaining retaliatory tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos if the U.S. substantially lowered its own, and to encourage provinces to restore U.S. alcohol sales. But he said Washington’s final demands went too far. “They asked too much and offered too little,” Carney said.

Greer said the Republican administration was offering to cut tariffs on steel, autos and lumber, “things that are sensitive for them. And they’ve always had the best deal, and they still would have an even better deal, but they didn’t want that.”

As a result, he said, “We’re moving forward with measures that respond to Canadian retaliation.”

Carney said the U.S. added last-minute terms that would have reduced tariff relief for Canadian-made vehicles, restricted Canada’s ability to strike trade deals with other countries and weakened protections for language, culture and sovereignty.

He said such demands were “unacceptable.”

The breakdown in negotiations marked a sharp reversal from two days earlier, when officials from the two countries sounded as if they were headed toward a compromise.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who leads Canada’s most populous province, praised Carney for rejecting the deal, saying it would have hurt Ontario’s auto, steel and manufacturing sectors. Ford urged Canada to use “every tool in our toolbox” to fight the U.S. tariffs.

The moves also call into question the future of a North American trade agreement covering the United States, Canada and Mexico that is crucial to industry in all three countries.

Carney said the breakdown was “certainly not good news” for the review of that agreement and that the failed negotiations had given Canada “a new perspective” on what Washington wants from the broader economic relationship.

A typically cooperative alliance goes sour

The political impact will likely be even bigger than the economic fallout. The countries sold each other $880 billion worth of goods and services last year.

The tariffs were initially supposed to kick in at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. Trump extended the deadline for three days to allow talks to continue, but the countries could not reach an agreement in time.

The U.S. and Canada have wrangled for decades over trade, poking each other over sore spots such as Canadian softwood lumber imports and U.S. access to Canada’s protected dairy market.

Somehow, they still managed to remain friends, allies and trading partners. Canadian soldiers fought alongside Americans in Afghanistan after 9/11. The 5,525-mile U.S.-Canada border is undefended, and nearly 330,000 people and $2 billion worth of goods cross it every day; 800,000 Canadians live in the United States.

Trump’s approach to dealing with Canada marks an extraordinary departure from the traditionally cooperative relationship between the two countries. Trump has imposed tariffs on Canadian goods in a push to bring manufacturing back to the United States and made inflammatory comments about turning Canada into America’s 51st state.

Carney said Canada had recognized that “America has changed” and that the two countries would “not return to our old relationship.”

Canadians and Americans are frustrated

The Canadian public is fed up. A petition to expel U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, a Trump ally, has collected nearly 248,000 signatures since July 21. It accuses the former Republican congressman from Michigan of having “normalized’’ Trump’s talk of annexing Canada, among other things.

The two countries had good reasons to find a compromise.

Nearly 72% of Canada’s goods exports last year went to the United States. The Trump administration might be wary of imposing new tariffs — paid by U.S. importers who try to pass along the cost to consumers via higher prices — before the November midterm elections. American voters are already frustrated with the high cost of living.

“Both sides will be under immense pressure in the coming days to still find an off-ramp,” said Ryan Majerus, a partner at King & Spalding and a former U.S. trade official.

Joshua Bolten, CEO of the Business Roundtable, which represents leaders of major U.S. companies, warned the tariffs and retaliation risk “raising costs for American businesses and families” and disrupting vital supply chains, and urged both governments to resume negotiations.

Trump has turned to Depression-era trade penalties

Trump has made tariffs the centerpiece of his second-term economic agenda. Last year, he imposed double-digit import taxes on almost every country, justifying them by declaring the long-standing U.S. trade deficit a national emergency. The Supreme Court in February ruled that he had overstepped his authority. The justices struck down the trade penalties and set the stage for the federal government to pay refunds to importers.

So Trump has looked for other legal authority to justify tariffs.

After the Supreme Court struck down much of Trump’s earlier tariff program in February, the administration turned to other legal authorities. For Canada, Trump invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, a rarely used Depression-era provision allowing tariffs of up to 50% against countries deemed to discriminate against U.S. businesses.

The provision is part of the Smoot-Hawley tariff law, widely blamed by economists and historians for worsening the Great Depression by restricting global trade. Section 338 has never previously been used to impose tariffs.

The rift comes as the United States, Mexico and Canada are trying to renew a trade agreement that Trump negotiated in his first term and once praised as a triumph. The United States has begun formal talks with Mexico over revamping the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, known as USMCA. But talks with Canada have not begun and escalating trade conflict casts doubt on whether they will.

__

Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.

Brown’s contract was set to expire at the end of the 2026 season. He had served as the Astros’ GM since Jan. 26, 2023.

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His responsibilities will transition to Assistant General Managers Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey and Connor Huff, as well as Senior Advisor Jeff Bagwell. Astros Owner and Chairman Jim Crane will oversee baseball operations during the transition as the team remains focused on the American League West Division race.

“Over the past four seasons, Dana has helped our organization win two division titles and has led our baseball front office through key scouting, draft and development efforts,” Crane said.

“On behalf of the Astros, I want to thank him for his commitment, energy, and contributions to our organization. We wish he and his family the best.”

Brown reflected on his time with the organization.

“I want to thank Jim Crane for the opportunity to serve in my first role as an MLB General Manager,” Brown said. “The Astros organization and the fans have welcomed me and my family, and I am grateful to have called Houston home for the past four seasons. I wish the organization well and I look forward to the future as I continue my 36-plus years in professional baseball.”

Scientists have long warned that the world will experience more intense extreme weather events like heat waves, storms, floods and droughts. But what once seemed like the realm of fiction is now discussed as a possibility, even an inevitability.

Warning about an “extreme of extremes” or the “Other Big One,” a play off the California reference of a big future earthquake, can be fraught. After all, nobody can say for sure when a weather catastrophe may happen. But in the last few years, the planetary ingredients needed for a massive disturbance have been building. And alarm is growing.

“The risk is that people just think you are exaggerating,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the California Institute for Water Resources. “It's the ‘Boy Who Cried Wolf’ problem. Sometimes wolves are real. If it’s outside the door, wouldn’t you want to know?”

The risks have been known, and building, for over 150 years

In the 1850s, while living in Seneca Falls, New York, amateur scientist Eunice Newton Foote did a series of experiments that put different substances, including carbon dioxide and moist air, inside glass cylinders and left them in the sun. What she found was extraordinary: cylinders with carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that is released when coal, gas or oil is burned, heated up faster and took longer to cool after the sun went down.

Fast-forward: Today, Earth is being heated by massive amounts of greenhouse gases being pumped into the atmosphere, leading to a gradual rise in average global temperature. That increase, 1.44 degrees Celsius (2.59 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer in 2025 compared to the early 1800s, leads to more frequent, and more intense, extreme weather events.

The country that has released the most greenhouse gas, and thus contributed most to climate change, is the United States. But don't expect recognition of that, much less major government-led efforts to combat it, as the country marks its 250th birthday. President Donald Trump has called climate change “the greatest con job ever," referred to climate policies as a “Green New Scam” and said U.N. climate predictions were made by “stupid people.”

At any given time there are numerous extreme weather events happening around the globe. Indeed, some have already been so big that we have arguably entered an age of extremes.

Consider Australia's “Black Summer” of wildfires in 2019 and 2020, when 19 million hectares (over 46 million acres) were scorched. Or Pakistan in 2022, when flooding left a third of the country under water. Or Hurricanes Milton and Helene in 2024, which ravaged parts of the southern United States. That is to say nothing of periodic smaller disasters, such as last year's Texas floods that engulfed young campers; the Los Angeles wildfires that chewed through entire neighborhoods; and Typhoon Kalmaegi, which walloped Vietnam and the Philippines.

Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a climate scientist at Australian National University, says she had a “come to Jesus moment" when she realized that constant extreme weather events wouldn't stop even if the world could immediately reach net zero, the point when as much greenhouse gas is taken out of the atmosphere as released into it. Many countries and major companies have net-zero targets for 2050 or beyond.

Because carbon dioxide can remain in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, and so much has already built up, the damage could take centuries to reverse. And we keep adding more.

“It's the issue of the frog in the boiling water," said Perkins-Kirkpatrick. "If we get used to bracing ourselves, are we going to notice?”

What's clear is that no country is truly prepared for a major climate disaster, and the risks are changing.

Robinson, whose book was published in 2020, says if he were writing today he would include a chapter on wildfires, which have become larger and more destructive. And while the potential heat disaster he writes about in India would arguably be less likely today, thanks to less reliance on the grid and use of solar power, Robinson believes the risks of catastrophe have increased.

The book, he says, “still has a purpose."

People have a natural aversion to contemplating worst case scenarios

It's basic psychology to avoid talking about uncomfortable things. Climate change, depressing and overwhelming, falls into that category.

Instead of taking action by radically reducing greenhouse gas emissions, or updating our infrastructure to live in a world altered by extreme weather events, a common response, from governments to individuals has largely been to ignore it. Part of the challenge is the care scientists must take when discussing extreme events.

It's impossible to say, for example, that a disaster will happen in a certain year or even decade. But modeling improves every year, and the amount of time between extreme events is shrinking.

Sonia Seneviratne is a Swiss climatologist who vice chairs a working group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the top U.N. body of climate scientists. Seneviratne likens the risk to smoking and lung cancer. People who smoke won't necessarily get lung cancer, but the chances are higher and doctors should say that. Similarly, the risk of massive extreme events rises with every tenth of a degree.

“If such an event happened, I could already see the criticism of people saying, ‘Climate scientists didn’t tell us,’" Seneviratne said. "But we did.”

While earthquakes are not connected to climate change, the way many cities in earthquake-prone California have prepared for a potential Big One is as an example of what's possible. Central to that effort has been Lucy Jones, a seismologist and author of “The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them).”

In 2014, Jones, then with the U.S. Geological Survey, worked with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's administration in developing an initiative that produced widespread retrofitting and earthquake preparedness in LA, and then later in other California cities. Two years later, she formed a nonprofit that advises on preparing for earthquakes and other disasters.

Jones says people will make changes if they believe risks are real and solutions are possible. Without that belief, the response will likely be to ignore the issue.

“Climate denial is one way of coping," said Jones. She said people rationalize by thinking, 'I won’t believe it’s true, so I’ll feel safer.’”

In the movies, the final resolution is often extreme — and not helpful

Over the last quarter century, many movies have focused on extreme weather events, which provide action and danger to any plot. The cinematic portrayals usually have one of two endings: everything will be okay or we are doomed.

Consider two popular climate movies that came out 15 years apart. In the 2004 “The Day After Tomorrow,” Jack Hall, played by Dennis Quaid, is a climate scientist who, speaking at a U.N. climate conference in Delhi, urges a major reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, warning that a failure to do so will lead to major extreme weather events.

“The climate is fragile," says Hall.

“The economy is fragile,” responds the U.S. vice president.

Shortly after, the disaster that Hall warns about happens. Melting polar ice halts the North Atlantic Current, which moves warm ocean currents northeast across the Atlantic. There are giant cyclones, massive hailstones, heavy flooding and tornadoes before a big freeze takes over — so cold that anybody outside dies.

Eventually the vice president, who has become president, apologizes to the nation for exploiting nature.

“We were wrong," he says.

In the 2021 satire “Don't Look Up,” two astronomers played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence discover a giant comet heading toward Earth. They try to spur action to avoid annihilation. The U.S. president, played by Meryl Streep, isn't interested.

“At this exact moment, I think we sit tight and assess,” Streep says after learning the comet is heading straight toward Earth.

“How big is this thing? Can it destroy my ex-wife's house?” jokes a television news host.

At the end, almost everybody dies, a scenario that even the worst predictions of climate impacts don't envision.

Science tells us catastrophe is not a question of if, but when

As powerful as extreme weather events have already gotten, much worse is likely to come. It’s basic physics.

More than half all greenhouse gases produced by humans throughout history have been released into the atmosphere over 50 years. Those gases create heat, which scrambles weather patterns and ecosystems.

The when of a major climatic event, or more likely several in different parts of the world, can't be known with certainty. A catastrophic event in any given area could be in 50 years, or 10 years, or sooner.

People who deny climate change is real will point out that scientists get projections wrong, and it's true that not every climate model has been correct. But over the last decades, if anything, climate scientists have been too conservative. Climate impacts are happening much faster than predicted.

One of many examples: in January 2022, the U.K. Climate Risk Assessment said there was a 0.02% chance of 40C (104F) or above heat before 2040. That summer, parts of the U.K. topped 40C.

We have also reached a moment when “tipping points" — when deterioration of a given planetary system has crossed a threshold from which it can't recover — are no longer positioned as theoretical or futuristic.

The most commonly cited is corals. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, between 2023 and 2025, 84% of the world's corals suffered the expelling of microscopic algae in response to heat stress, which often leads to dying. Even if temperatures were to sharply drop, the recovery of most corals is doubtful.

The Amazon rainforest, which stores massive amounts of carbon dioxide and helps regulate the climate, is also at risk of a tipping point. Persistent drought, large wildfires and deforestation to make way for cattle have degraded swaths of forest in recent decades. The debate today is when, not if, the Amazon will release more carbon dioxide than it holds.

This year's El Niño, a natural and periodic warming cycle, is expected to be the strongest ever recorded, which could push temperatures even higher, breaking records and leaving damage along the way.

Overall, the Earth is on a dangerous path.

“We need to be talking about some of the worst things that can happen,” said Tim Lenton, climate science professor at the University of Exeter. “It’s natural to think that some bigger shocks are on the way.”

___

Peter Prengaman is The Associated Press’ global director of climate news and can be followed on LinkedIn.

___

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

Graham won the June 9 Republican primary for renomination to the seat he first won in 2002, but his unexpected death on July 11 from an aortic tear created a vacancy not only for his current U.S. Senate seat but also as the party’s pick to compete for another six-year term.

The finalists for the Republican nomination are Graham’s sister, U.S. Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed to serve out the remainder of her brother’s current term, and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, a five-term congressman who ran for governor earlier in the year and placed third in the primary.

Darline Graham placed first in the Aug. 11 special primary but fell shy of the vote majority needed to avoid Tuesday’s runoff. She received about 33% of the vote, compared to about 25% for Norman. U.S. Rep. Russell Fry placed third with about 20% of the vote.

Graham swept the counties across central South Carolina, including the Columbia area, as well as the state’s Lowcountry region, which includes Charleston. She scored her highest percentages in counties along the Georgia border.

Norman performed best in the state’s Piedmont and Upstate regions, including the Greenville area. Fry did best in the eight counties in the Pee Dee and Waccamaw regions that he represents in Congress.

Fry endorsed Graham after he lost the primary. She also has key backing from Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and President Donald Trump, who was an early proponent of Graham and held a campaign rally with her Friday in Myrtle Beach.

Greenville County is the most populous in the state and typically contributes the most votes in statewide Republican primaries. It also has bucked against the front-runners in recent Republican primaries. Norman also carried Greenville County in the gubernatorial primary, and it was one of the only counties Lindsey Graham lost in his final election.

Democratic-leaning Richland and Charleston counties have the next-largest populations and contribute a sizable number of votes in Republican primaries, but they tend to be more influential in Democratic contests.

Horry, Lexington and Spartanburg counties are also large counties that have big impacts on Republican primaries. Spartanburg was the only other county Lindsey Graham lost in the June primary.

The winner will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a Charleston pediatrician who challenged Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in the 1st Congressional District in 2022.

Lindsey Graham last won reelection in 2020 with 54% of the vote. Trump carried the state in 2024 with 58% of the vote.

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 7 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare a winner in the special Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate.

Who gets to vote?

Voters who participated in the Democratic primary on June 9 may not participate in the special Republican primary runoff on August 25. Only Republican primary voters or registered voters who did not participate in any party’s primary on June 9 may cast ballots in Tuesday’s election.

How many voters are there?

As of Friday, there were about 3.4 million registered voters in South Carolina. Voters in South Carolina do not register by party.

How many people actually vote?

About 465,000 voters cast ballots in the June 9 Republican U.S. Senate primary when Lindsey Graham was renominated. About 336,000 voters participated in the Aug. 11 special Republican U.S. Senate primary.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 19% of the vote in Aug. 11 Republican special primary was cast early in-person or by mail.

As of Friday, about 45,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Nearly all of South Carolina’s 46 counties release all or almost all of their early in-person and mail voting results in the first vote update of the night, usually before releasing any results from in-person Election Day voting.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the Aug. 11 special primary, the AP first reported results at 7:13 p.m. ET, or 13 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 11:25 p.m. ET with more than 99% of total votes counted.

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?

In South Carolina, recounts are automatic if the margin between the winning and losing candidates is 1% of the total vote or less. 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 70 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

___

The story has been updated to correct the South Carolina region from Upcountry to Upstate.

Ministry of Health data showed that as of Saturday, the outbreak had recorded 5,514 cases and 2,642 deaths, including 317 deaths reported in the previous seven days. But Congolese experts have said the outbreak that started weeks before it was confirmed could be three times the known size.

This is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history, with many people dying outside treatment centers. It has recorded seven times more deaths at this stage than the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak that is the deadliest in history with over 11,000 in all.

Most new cases in Ituri province, the current epicenter, still come from outside monitored contacts.

Nearly half of people infected have died — 47.9% — but the government data shows much higher rates in hard-to-reach areas such as North Kivu province, which has a fatality rate of 68.6%.

Frontline workers to receive vaccine used in past outbreaks

A key challenge has been the lack of approved vaccines or treatments for the rare Bundibugyo virus responsible for the outbreak.

On Friday, Congo received more than 16,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine that was effective in past Ebola outbreaks caused by a different, more common type. The World Health Organization says it also will be used in clinical trials for a Bundibugyo virus vaccine.

WHO says it’s not known whether Ervebo can protect against the Bundibugyo virus, although early laboratory and animal data suggest it may offer some protection.

Officials have not said when the vaccine will be rolled out to frontline workers. In Ituri, locals expressed optimism that it will help slow the outbreak.

“I am very pleased that these vaccines have finally arrived,” said Héritier Ramazani, a resident. “We are fed up with recording new cases of Ebola every day.”

The outbreak is unfolding in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable, with rebel threats and intense population movements.

Medical teams in Ituri and other affected provinces also face work stoppages by responders who haven’t been paid, anger from long-traumatized communities, bad roads and misinformation claiming that Ebola isn’t real.

Experts believe the virus was spreading in the mining town of Mongbwalu as early as February, months before authorities declared the outbreak on May 15.

We have reached 100 degrees five times this summer! Can you believe it? If you’re headed out at any time today, make sure you are staying cool.

Now, let’s get into some news of the day.

As always, follow us for the latest on Click2Houston.com and watch us live on KPRC 2+.

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HIGH: 99° LOW: 87°

The KPRC 2 Weather Team says:

“Monday is headed for another 100° high in Houston. If temperatures heat to the triple digits, that will make six days of 100° + heat in Houston this year. Last year we had 8 100° days in Houston. The record is 46 from 2011. ”

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Child dies after crash involving Harris County deputy’s vehicle in northwest Houston

A child died after being ejected during a two-vehicle crash early Sunday morning in northwest Houston, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. The crash happened around 12:40 a.m. near T.C. Jester Boulevard and Tomlinson Trail Drive.

Seeing lovebugs around Houston? You’re not alone

Several viewers across southeast Texas have reached out after spotting lovebugs baking in the Houston heat. Houston typically sees swarms of lovebugs in late April and May. But according to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the insects can also appear in September. Lovebugs need rain and moisture to create the perfect environment for lovebug larvae to develop in soil and decaying vegetation. When conditions are right, large numbers emerge at once.

Lane closures on Will Clayton Parkway near Bush Airport this week

Drivers heading to George Bush Intercontinental Airport should plan ahead this week as lane closures are expected along Will Clayton Parkway. Houston Airports will repair concrete in the westbound lanes of the 6100 block of Will Clayton Parkway, between Kenswick Drive and Lee Road. Prep work begins today, with major demolition and concrete work scheduled from Aug. 25 through Aug. 28.

Here’s when Houston can catch the ‘almost blood moon’ lunar eclipse on August 27

Houston skywatchers, get ready for a celestial show. A deep partial lunar eclipse will be visible Thursday night, Aug. 27, with nearly the entire Moon slipping into Earth’s darkest shadow.

What’s trending in Houston?

Starting this week, you can catch up on what’s trending in Houston and across the internet during the KPRC 8 a.m. stream.

We’ll bring you the latest happenings around Space City, along with the biggest stories and conversations making waves online. Make sure you tune in!

Here are Monday’s trending stories:

• Dr. Dre says AI is not a threat to music: ‘People who have trouble creating’ see it that wayChick-fil-A bringing chicken and waffles to Houston-area restaurants for limited timeTexas man mails $50 tip to Los Angeles deli after worrying he forgot to tip server

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SPCA of Texas Warns Pet Owners About Extreme Heat

Houston rental A/C ordinance: Your questions, comments coming in

Taking a cruise from Galveston? Here’s how local ships scored on their latest CDC sanitation inspections

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• Houston officers jump in Uber for help chasing running suspect: ‘Go..go..go..go..go’
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Roberto José Andrade Franco, an ESPN feature writer from El Paso, Texas, visited Langer’s Deli in Los Angeles in May while on a work trip with two friends.

After paying the bill and leaving the restaurant, Andrade said he started wondering whether he had remembered to leave a tip.

He estimated he was 75% sure he had tipped his server, but that 25% possibility that he hadn’t kept bothering him.

So, weeks later, Andrade mailed the restaurant $50 in cash, along with a heartfelt letter explaining why.

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In the letter, Andrade said his first job was as a busboy and waiter, while his sister also worked as a server. That experience made him understand how important tips can be to restaurant workers.

“That’s why I’m sending these $50 just in case I forgot to include the tip,” Andrade wrote, according to TODAY.

Andrade also provided details about his visit so the restaurant could identify the server who waited on him. He asked that the money be given to her along with his apologies.

The restaurant eventually tracked down the server and gave her the $50.

Langer’s Deli shared Andrade’s letter on social media, calling the gesture something that “made our whole week.” The restaurant said the server was stunned when she received the unexpected tip.

Neither Andrade nor the restaurant could determine whether he had actually left a tip during his original visit.

Andrade told TODAY that his experience working in restaurants influenced his decision.

• Woman stood up at Fogo de Chão gets unexpected show of support from restaurant staff

He said he remembered how much it bothered him when customers didn’t tip or left too little, and he didn’t want to become that kind of customer without realizing it.

The gesture quickly won praise online, with commenters applauding Andrade for going out of his way to make things right even though no one would have known if he hadn’t.

Andrade’s meal at Langer’s Deli was the restaurant’s famous No. 19 sandwich, made with hand-cut pastrami, coleslaw, Russian dressing, Swiss cheese and double-baked rye.

The legendary rapper and producer said he does not view AI as a threat to music. Instead, he sees the technology as another tool artists can use to create.

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In an interview with The New York Times alongside longtime business partner Jimmy Iovine, Dre pushed back on people who are skeptical of AI-generated music.

“I think the only people that see it as a threat are the people who have trouble creating,” Dre said, according to the Times.

Dre compared the current concerns surrounding AI to earlier debates over technology such as drum machines and synthesizers.

He said he recently spoke with people who opposed AI and told them they sounded like someone who would have resisted the drum machine or synthesizer when those technologies were introduced.

“It’s a new tool for creativity,” Dre said. “Some people are afraid of learning new things.”

• Woman stood up at Fogo de Chão gets unexpected show of support from restaurant staff

Iovine, who co-founded Beats with Dre and has worked with him for decades, also defended AI’s potential in music.

“I don’t see the downside at all,” Iovine said, adding that while AI could produce bad music, there is already plenty of bad music without it. He argued that talented musicians using AI could ultimately make better records.

Iovine also suggested that some music producers are already experimenting with AI privately.

“There’s a lot of closet AI producers out there,” Iovine said, according to reports on the interview.

Dre’s comments come as musicians and fans continue to debate the role of AI in music, including concerns over creativity, copyright and artists’ voices and likenesses being replicated without permission.

The issue has become especially controversial as more artists openly embrace AI while others argue the technology could undermine the creative process.

For Dre, however, the technology represents another evolution in how music is made, much like other innovations that initially faced resistance.

Dre and Iovine’s comments have already sparked backlash online, with some fans questioning the legendary producer’s position on AI and asking whether he has investments or business interests connected to the technology.

Many residents don’t want data centers in their communities, fearing their massive energy, water and land use, a majority of which is planned for rural Texas. Many residents are also balking at transmission lines lawmakers approved to build hundreds of miles across West Texas because they threaten to eat up their land.

The pushback has gotten so overwhelming that the state’s top leaders — the very ones that welcomed these initial proposals with open arms — have called on regulators to delay these projects.

But in this abrupt bid to assuage constituents’ concerns, state lawmakers could be shortsighted.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s grid operator, has said West Texas is at risk for rolling blackouts if these lines don’t get built, and residents will face higher energy prices as congestion worsens. The oil and gas industry says its ability to expand will be hamstrung without the lines’ construction. And, pushing pause on data centers has created uncertainty in other industries that want to connect to the grid but are unable to know if or when they will get it.

“Whatever the complexities of the policies engaged here — and the degree to which the deployment of these high-capacity power lines and the construction of data centers are distinct issues — in this moment, it’s the politics that matter at least as much as the policy,” said Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin.

In recent weeks, dozens of legislators and state officials have called on the transmission line buildout to be scrapped entirely so the Legislature can return to the drawing board. And Gov. Greg Abbott announced an audit of data centers seeking to be connected to the power grid that has forced ERCOT to pause a first-of-its-kind effort to rework its queue for facilities seeking energization. This delay has made grid planning harder and left industries unclear if or when they will be able to receive power from the grid, risking economic development from data centers and traditional industries alike.

The political stakes are too high for lawmakers ahead of the November election to defy the wishes of local residents, most of whom are concentrated in rural areas where these controversial transmission lines and data centers are being built, Henson added.

“We should expect that political leaders are going to be responsive in election season,” Henson said. “That’s how democracy works. We expect that responsiveness, and I think we’re seeing it.”

Transmission line needs

Most of the public learned the fragility of the Texas grid in February 2021, when Winter Storm Uri forced ERCOT to implement rolling blackouts to prevent a total grid collapse, leading to $80 billion to $130 billion in economic damage and 246 deaths.

The disaster prompted legislators to pass a slew of bills aimed at making the grid more reliable by encouraging new power generation to be built and requiring companies harden existing generators against bad weather. As electricity generation increased, regulators also asked the Legislature in 2023 to sign off on a plan to greatly expand the state’s transmission capacity so that additional electricity could be better distributed to customers around the state.

The Public Utility Commission later approved a plan to build 765 kilovolt transmission lines across the state to meet those transmission needs, a type of transmission line larger than any previously built in Texas.

Oil and gas operators in West Texas had long worried about transmission capacity in West Texas, which has far less generation capacity than the more populous eastern half of the state. Oil and gas production has skyrocketed in Texas, a milestone that industry leaders said can’t be sustained if the state doesn’t build more power infrastructure.

“The world’s most important energy basin is currently running on a patchwork of portable generators that just are not equipped for long-term needs or production growth,” said Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association.

Now facing potential delays, those concerns are growing by the day. The PUC’s independent market monitor, Potomac Economics, found the West Zone average demand grew 12.3% in 2025 versus 6.1% statewide. Congestion inside the zone rose 27% that year, and the region posted ERCOT’s highest average annual energy prices for a second straight year.

Legislators opposed to the lines and grassroots advocates have pushed back on the oil and gas industry’s concern, saying those companies can use its access to natural gas to build power plants that could power the region. However, the construction of a new natural gas power plant faces lengthy delays due to supply chain constraints caused by rising energy demand globally.

The grid constraints are already slowing the growth of the industry, and reliability concerns are mounting.

ERCOT Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer testified in July that rolling blackouts are possible in the Permian Basin by next summer.

A letter authored by the oil and gas association, the Texas Chemistry Council, the Texas Association of Manufacturers and electric company associations reiterated those concerns to Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows. Patrick is among a group of legislators that have called on the Public Utility Commission to reject the proposed lines outright.

“Reliability failures, congestion and operational limitations ultimately impose costs on Texas consumers that can exceed the cost of prudent, timely infrastructure investment,” read the letter, sent Wednesday. “Avoidable delay is not a neutral choice for ratepayers; it is a choice between paying for planned infrastructure now or paying more later through outages and congestion.”

Those concerns are not limited to West Texas.

In the Houston area, electricity demand is also growing rapidly due to industry and the region’s growing population. Electricity rates are already elevated due to transmission congestion, according to ERCOT.

Most of the debate over the lines has been limited to three routes planned for West Texas, the first phase of the buildout that is further along in the process. A second phase is planned that will construct a loop of 765 kV lines in the eastern half of the state, intended to relieve transmission congestion in the state’s largest cities.

“A lot of the loads going into the Houston area are manufacturing loads. They’re oil-and-gas terminal expansions. These are not industries that you can just move somewhere else,” said Bryn Baker, senior director of organized markets policy at the Corporate Energy Buyers Association and leader of CEBA’s Texas chapter, the Texas Energy Buyers Alliance. CEBA represents companies that consume a lot of electricity, including both data centers and traditional industries like manufacturers and refineries.

At the root of the frustration over the transmission lines is House Bill 5066, passed in 2023. The state legislation cut the time the PUC has to consider an application from 365 days to 180, significantly shrinking the time that landowners affected by a planned transmission line have to weigh in on the project. Residents opposed to the line commonly cite this as an example of their property rights being trampled.

Their solution is simple: reject the project entirely so the Legislature, regulators and ERCOT can draw up a new plan that considers energy demands and their land rights.

Transmission and distribution utility representatives, who favored the shortened timeline approved in 2023, now acknowledge that was a mistake while arguing the planned 765 kV lines should move forward.

“The 180-day process for landowners for these large, bulk-rate, long-length lines is not sufficient, and I think that’s an accurate and fair assessment,” said Mark Bell, president and CEO of the Association of Electric Companies of Texas, a trade association that represents several transmission utilities that will build the lines.

Following a House Committee on State Affairs hearing on Wednesday, a bipartisan group of 30 representatives called on the PUC to deny the transmission line applications, which would effectively kill the project in its current form.

There are currently five applications pending before the PUC, and final decisions by the PUC are expected in the next couple months.

Legislators in favor of scrapping the project altogether say the Legislature should first meet to again rework the approval timeline before any transmission line can move forward, which would delay the project by months or years.

The final decision on whether or not the lines will be built lies with the PUC, which is made up of five members, all appointed by Abbott, who hasn’t weighed in publicly on the issue.

“I don’t believe we have an option of doing nothing,” Thomas Gleeson, chair of the PUC, told lawmakers at a June Senate committee meeting. “We have to get electricity to customers in the Permian.”

Even if they continue with approvals, the commissioners may not rubber stamp each of the projects. The PUC votes on segments of the project after the State Office of Administrative Hearings considers public and industry testimony and provides a recommendation to commissioners. SOAH recommended the PUC reject a portion of the West Texas buildout in a ruling issued Thursday, an action it had not taken in previous months with several other legs of the buildout.

“Landowner concerns are very important to be addressed,” Staples said. “We want to make certain that their needs are being heard and that landowners are accommodated to the fullest extent, but we also know that no one wants rolling blackouts in their community, and that is what West Texas is facing today.”

Uncertainties from data centers

In the years since the 2023 plan to build the transmission lines was approved, the data center boom has significantly increased Texas’ future energy demand, further reinforcing the need for new transmission lines to carry power to support the growing grid demand. The state is currently the fastest growing market in the country for the electricity-intensive facilities and is poised to have more of the facilities than any other state.

Proponents of the line argue the debate around the 765 lines should be separated from the debate around data center regulation, but ERCOT documents about the transmission line buildout frequently cite the need to keep up with the growing power demand driven by data centers, along with other industrial users.

As the growing number of data centers intensified the state’s need for new high-voltage transmission lines, the energy-intensive facilities were also disrupting ERCOT’s process for studying how proposed connections will affect the delicate equilibrium of the grid. Previously, projects were studied by the grid operator one at a time before receiving approval to connect to the grid.

ERCOT uses this process to forecast future demand on the grid, allowing the grid operator to plan where transmission and generation will most be needed in the coming years. But as the queue has become overwhelmed with speculative data center projects, those future demand forecasts have largely lost their usefulness, showing extraordinary growth in demand that ERCOT officials say is almost certainly an overestimate.

There are now nearly 2,000 requests to be energized in the ERCOT queue, 90% of which are data centers, according to the grid operator. That represents 466,497 megawatts of electricity demand, more than five times the ERCOT grid’s peak demand record set on July 22.

“What we thought was a fast transition pales in comparison to what we’re seeing, and are likely to continue to see, with some of this large-load growth,” said Jacob Bradt, an assistant professor of business, government and society at UT-Austin who studies energy policy.

That rapid and uncertain growth, along with the political backlash to it, prompted Abbott earlier this month to order a pause on approval of data center connections to the grid until an audit of projects in the queue could be conducted.

In response to the order, ERCOT announced it would pause its effort to implement new rules that would allow it to study and approve large load projects in batches, known as the Batch Zero Interconnection Study.

That pause and the uncertainty on if it will delay the study’s expected completion in April is further confusing industry stakeholders and grid planners.

Without the study, large-load users like data centers, along with traditional industry, do not know when they will be approved to receive power, creating delays in construction timelines. ERCOT officials testified to the House Committee on State Affairs on Wednesday that several projects have already dropped out of Batch Zero because of the delay.

Baker said the uncertainty goes beyond the data center industry because traditional manufacturers are stuck in the same queue with the hundreds of data centers that have disrupted ERCOT’s study process.

“It’s not going to be perfect, but (Batch Zero) is thoughtfully setting out how you narrow the funnel,” Baker said. “The key thing for all of these businesses is how to do that in a predictable and stable and credible way. Various wrenches being thrown in the process make that really hard to call it a predictable stable process.”

ERCOT officials say they expect to complete the audit process sometime in December and are working to ensure it limits delay to the overall Batch Zero study.

Disclosure: Texas Energy Buyers Alliance and The University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters 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 Texas Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

HOUSTON — At a 9 a.m. Harris County Commissioners Court meeting Aug. 17, dozens of Houston residents filed into the courtroom.

The commissioners were meeting to review the region’s budget, but residents instead came to rally against the county’s use of artificial intelligence cameras, many citing privacy issues.

“You promised to protect us, but we see the abuse has come and there’s still no protections. We need to eliminate Flock,” said Christopher Rivera, a member of the Texas Civil Rights Project, to applause from the crowd.

Harris County joins numerous counties across the state grappling with community backlash against Flock cameras. Government officials said they understand the community’s concerns, but backing out of contracts with AI camera companies is much more complicated than many think since the agreements affect several agencies and jurisdictions.

Atlanta-based Flock Safety is the camera system many counties use and is the company facing the most backlash. Flock uses artificial intelligence to scan every vehicle that passes by a camera, uploading plate numbers, car models, color, and even bumper stickers to the country’s largest vehicle surveillance database. Law enforcement agencies that contract with the company — here and across the U.S. — can search the accumulated database with a few keystrokes and without a warrant.

The backlash against Flock can’t be attributed to any one concern or trend, but rather to a series of recent incidents that have contributed to growing public unease over the extent of law enforcement monitoring.

In 2025, a Johnson County sheriff’s deputy, without a warrant, used the nationwide network of over 83,000 Flock cameras to track a woman suspected of attempting to get an abortion. The woman was located, but the district attorney’s office declined to press charges after a medical examiner found the biological matter in question was a blood clot and not a fetus. The incident sparked national outrage and privacy concerns, and since then the abuse of these systems by law enforcement has been leaking out steadily.

Earlier this month, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office admitted three of its deputies had been blocked from using Flock cameras while it investigates possible misuse. In Baytown, southeast of Houston, the city’s police chief filed a criminal investigation into an officer who was accused of misusing the city’s Flock cameras. A sheriff’s deputy was suspended in Fort Bend County after looking up one person’s plate 41 times and another 148. A Pasadena sergeant resigned after allegedly using Flock to track and stalk a fellow officer, but will not face prosecution. The Deer Park Police Department posted on social media an officer had been suspended after he admitted to misuse.

“The license plate readers have thwarted kidnapping attempts, led to the quick apprehension of armed robbery crews, and helped recover countless stolen vehicles,” Gonzalez said in a news release. “But as with any powerful new public safety tool, this technology is subject to abuse.”

Nationally, Flock Safety estimates some 5,000 law enforcement agencies and 6,000 communities use its surveillance products. Advocacy groups that track camera positions across Texas estimate there are more than 13,000 cameras in Texas. The Harris County sheriff’s office manages 20 Flock Safety license plate reader networks with a combined 480 cameras, estimated to be the most in the state.

Many police departments consider Flock an invaluable crime-fighting tool. Opponents — including privacy, civil liberty and immigrant rights advocates — argue the system’s capacity for abuse is well established.

However, government officials have little power to remove Flock from their region, as most of it isn’t purchased by them or law enforcement. Retailers and homeowners associations buy their own cameras and then choose whether to share footage with law enforcement. According to HCSO, most camera networks are owned by municipal utility districts, neighborhood associations and similar organizations, with the sheriff’s office as the system administrator.

The mixture of contracts means county officials will have to somehow find every person who owns a system and get them to agree to break their contract with Flock, a daunting task.

“I share residents’ concerns about Flock and my office is working with county partners and stakeholders on a path forward,” said Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis. “Public safety and privacy are not mutually exclusive. Residents deserve both, and county policy should protect both.”

Taking action

Despite the challenge, some government officials are taking action to ease concerns around AI cameras.

U.S. Rep. Keith Self, a McKinney Republican, last month proposed legislation to require federal agencies to obtain warrants before accessing Flock camera data. Guadalupe County and more recently Hood County have formally ended their contracts with Flock. Cities like Bandera, Lago Vista and Magnolia have also dropped Flock this summer. Austin and San Marcos have moved on from the cameras, and Conroe residents are pushing for a November ballot measure to remove them, with the League City mayor floating a similar idea.

“These cameras were constantly scanning and recording regular folks just going about their day. That kind of permanent, warrantless tracking doesn’t belong in a free society,” said Hood County Constable John Shirley in a post on social media.

While government officials try to ease public concerns, some Texans are taking matters into their own hands.

The Dallas Police Department began formally tracking incidents of vandalism to Flock cameras earlier this year and has logged roughly 25 incidents in five months, mostly camera poles being cut down. In Houston, there have been incidents of camera lenses being spray-painted or camera poles being cut down. Burnett County removed all its cameras after two vandalism incidents.

Other Texans have taken to organized protest, showing up at county meetings such as the one in Harris County, putting up yard signs against Flock and reaching out to state lawmakers about the issue.

Kenneh Feagins, a member of DeFlock DFW and chair of the Collin County Libertarian Party, said communities across the political spectrum have banded together in the North Texas metroplex because of their shared concerns about the devices.

“We can go our separate ways and be enemies again after this, but this really is something that I’m seeing that’s reunifying a bunch of people that normally would not work together,” Feagins said. “In our current political landscape, that’s rare.”

Feagins said elected officials should be more communicative about the policies they have in place for the cameras and explain their approach to how they are used, especially after Flock Safety has begun adjusting its own policies nationally.

“Why are we not having those open discussions as to why we’re having to change these policies?” Feagins said. “You don’t just change something because you feel like changing it. Not something like this.”

Flock won’t fly the coop

While counties deal with the blowback, some government officials and law enforcement agencies are doubling down on Flock, believing the system’s usefulness in solving crimes outweighs the privacy concerns.

Earlier this year, Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia, a former sheriff, defended the use of the Flock system during a business court meeting after the county decided to renew its contract until 2027.

“I have great confidence that this tool is used for the maximum benefit of our community, especially those victims of crimes,” he said at the meeting.

Texas Municipal Police Association liaison John Wilkerson reached out to the Midland Reporter Telegram earlier this year defending the use of Flock, citing public safety benefits and saying recording in public is a protected right. He also criticized the vandalism of these cameras.

“These are put out into public places where everybody has the right to record them anyways; if you’re standing on the sidewalk, you can pull out your phone and record every car that drives by there,” he said. “I really hope the individuals out there, destroying the camera systems, never become a victim of a crime themselves.”

Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux has also defended the use of 650 Flock Safety license plate reader cameras installed around the city, saying the technology is helping solve crimes.

Flock responded to the mounting pressure in the past couple of weeks by shortening default data retention from 30 to 7 days, requiring a case code before any search, and adding an “Evidence Mode” for active investigations. However, Dallas police plan to keep Flock Safety license-plate camera data for a full year, saying they need more time for investigations and showing their growing commitment to the surveillance system.

The Texas Department of Public Safety approved a $26 million contract with Flock last year to surveil state roads and support Operation Lone Star, the state’s multibillion-dollar effort to curb unauthorized immigration and fortify the border.

If government officials want to end their contract with Flock, ACLU Georgia reported earlier this year that the company changed contracts making it harder to get out of these deals.

The new terms also give Flock a perpetual right to use customer data even after a government has terminated its relationship with no expiration date.

Even if county officials vote to end a Flock contract, it wouldn’t necessarily get rid of all the cameras since municipal districts, homeowners associations, cities, retail stores and more have their own agreements with the company, and getting them all on the same page can be difficult.

Many of the Flock contracts are multi-year deals. For example, Harris County’s contract runs through June 2027 with a roughly $869,000 price tag, while East Aldine’s package was budgeted at nearly $1 million over five years.

The mix of restrictive contract terms, sunk multiyear costs, law enforcement support and fragmented ownership limits what any single government official, county or vote can accomplish, despite the backlash. Even so, some Texans aren’t willing to give up their fight for privacy.

“We’re just not going to show up to a couple of city council meetings, get these things removed, and that’s the end of it,” Feagins said. “We have counties that are deploying it. We have the state funding those counties to deploy it [and] you’ve got the national level that’s getting integrated into all of this.”

The Guadalupe River flood destroyed most of their possessions. It killed at least 119 people in Kerr County, where the couple live, about 100 miles west of Austin.

But Connor, now 82, and her husband, now 99, moved back into the refurbished house by Christmas, with donated furniture arranged by volunteer decorators.

They didn’t fear another flood. Connor told me earlier this year: “We don’t think a thing like that will happen again in our lifetime.”

Last month, almost exactly one year after the last deluge, their house flooded again.

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I cover climate for The Texas Tribune. I spent months working with ProPublica’s Lexi Churchill and Pratheek Rebala to understand how Texas lawmakers missed dozens of opportunities over nearly 60 years to protect residents in flood-prone places.

Our reporting, published in May, uncovered pivotal moments when Texas legislators could have taken steps that experts said might have saved lives, such as preventing homes from being built in the most dangerous spots along rivers and moving youth camp buildings out of flood-prone areas. Instead, our reporting found, Texas is behind more than half of other U.S. states when it comes to passing more stringent elevation rules for buildings at risk of flooding.

Yet research shows more flood deaths have occurred here than in any other state. Texas also has more buildings in flood-prone places than any other state except Florida, according to our nationwide structure analysis. The majority of the people who died in the 2025 Central Texas flood were in one of those places identified as flood-prone by the federal government, our analysis showed.

I grew up in Texas and have covered floods in this state for more than a decade. Still, the swift violence of that 2025 disaster struck me. The river washed entire homes away. People fought for their lives by grabbing trees or scrambling onto rooftops, and many people didn’t make it. I’ve never before witnessed such intense grief.

Even after the loss, some homeowners like Connor knew they wanted to rebuild. People have deep, generational ties to this part of the state, where the normally peaceful river winds through limestone under majestic cypress trees. People didn’t want to leave jobs and relationships here, or lose money by selling their land at a loss.

I understand that desire to stay, but as a climate reporter I’ve also seen what can happen when development is allowed in flood-prone areas. What our reporting showed is that the government has cleared the way for residents to stay in many risky places, even after last year’s devastating floods.

Lawmakers did not change how they regulated where RV parks could be built, though more than 40 people died in two Kerr County RV campgrounds during last year’s flood. (Those parks had not reopened when this year’s flood rushed through again.) They also didn’t change building rules for homes. That means that, unless a local city or county government adopts more stringent standards, properties affected by a flood can be fixed without being brought up to code if the cost to repair them doesn’t amount to half or more of the structure’s value. Homes can be entirely rebuilt in many flood-prone places so long as they are elevated to the height a 100-year flood is expected to reach.

Lawmakers did push through legislation that requires youth camp cabins to be moved away from riverside, flood-prone spots, similar to a bill legislators failed to pass in 1989. The law only passed this time after gut-wrenching testimony and advocacy from parents of the 27 campers and counselors who died at Camp Mystic during last summer’s flooding.

For our May story, we asked the state’s top leaders about whether legislators should enact stricter statewide building rules. None responded. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott‘s office said he has addressed flooding issues by funding mitigation projects to lessen the storms’ impact.

This July, unusually intense rainfall pounded the Kerr County area again. It flooded some of the same spots. One person died. The disaster struck as people in the area were still working to heal emotionally, physically and economically. I once again arrived to find the familiar sights and smells of peoples’ possessions piled up by the curb, their flooring and walls ripped out.

Laura Cane, 65, had just reopened her vacation rental house in Center Point three weeks before this year’s flood hit. She had been putting the finishing touches on her two long-term rental homes. The water this year caused even more damage than last. But she plans to fix it up again because she sees that as the best financial choice.

When I arrived in Connor’s neighborhood this July, 10 days after the flood, volunteers had just helped pull up damaged flooring in the home. She was desperately trying to save her new piano, which replaced the one she’d lost in last year’s flood. She didn’t think the water had reached the piano legs, which sat on wheels. She worried about sleeping in the house because of mold.

Connor and her husband say they still plan to repair the house. Federal, state and county rules will likely allow them to do that.

We don’t have any indications yet that the state rules will change. Legislators in interim hearings this year haven’t delved into these bigger development issues, instead focusing on things like the personal responsibility of the Camp Mystic owners.

Even though she’s exhausted from dealing with another flood, moving elsewhere felt like a step too far for Connor. She didn’t want to look for a new place, pack up and leave.

For a short time, she and her husband went to a nearby RV park — different from the two where they stayed last year while making home repairs, because both had flooded this time around.

She wants to stay even though a neighbor warned her that the house could face bad flooding again, and Connor believes her.

“We’ll just probably be very cautious if it starts raining in the middle of the night,” she said. “We’ll be hauling ass. I’m not going to live through another flood. I’m just going to get in my truck and head north.”

Said her husband, David Stearns: “Whatever happens, we’ll put up with it.”

Houston Airports will repair concrete in the westbound lanes of the 6100 block of Will Clayton Parkway, between Kenswick Drive and Lee Road. Prep work begins today, with major demolition and concrete work scheduled from Aug. 25 through Aug. 28.

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Travelers should expect overnight closures of two of the three westbound lanes during construction. All three lanes are expected to reopen by Friday afternoon.

Drivers are encouraged to allow extra travel time, follow posted signs and consider JFK Boulevard as an alternate route.

Guard spokesperson Houssem Eddine Jebabli told state news agency TAP that authorities recovered two bodies and transferred them to a hospital on the nearby island of Djerba. He told national radio Mosaique FM that about 15 people were believed to be aboard the boat when it took off between the cities of Zarzis and Ben Guerdane.

The boat had set off early Thursday, and a commercial ship found the sole survivor Saturday in a life jacket, Mosaique reported, citing testimony from the survivor.

A helicopter and coast guard boats were then dispatched to the area in search of more survivors, according to an Associated Press photojournalist at the scene. The migrants were believed to be headed toward Italy.

Zarzis has long been a departure point for Tunisians and others from around Africa or beyond attempting to cross the Mediterranean toward Europe.

The city witnessed a similar tragedy in 2022, when a boat carrying 18 people went missing. The incident sparked weeks of protests as families accused authorities of failing to properly search for their relatives and burying some recovered bodies without identifying them or informing their families.

Migrant departures from Tunisia have fallen sharply since the European Union and Tunisia signed a sweeping agreement in 2023. It included EU funding and technical support for Tunisian border control and coast guard training to help Tunisia curb irregular migration and deter human traffickers in the Mediterranean basin. The EU allocated 105 million euros ($121 million) in migration-related support to Tunisia in 2023 alone.

The decline in migration has not ended dangerous crossings from Tunisia’s southern coast, where families in the south, particularly in Zarzis, have for years searched for relatives who disappeared at sea.

Rights groups have raised concerns about the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers in Tunisia since the EU agreement, including reports of collective expulsions, racial violence, arbitrary detention and abuses against Black migrants.

In July, Amnesty International said EU support for border control in Tunisia continued to fuel serious rights violations. It said refugees and asylum seekers were being “deliberately trapped in a system that offers neither protection nor a safe way out.”

At least six people — three first responders and three civilians — were injured. Officials said the fire was “human-caused” but did not provide details on how they reached that conclusion, or whether it was intentionally set or accidental.

The Hawk Fire began Saturday and grew to more than 23 square miles (60 sq. km.) as it spread Sunday across the Peavine Peak area of the Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest, where rugged foothills are ringed by homes and businesses near the California state line. There was zero containment.

Some 42,000 residents have been ordered evacuated as the “GO NOW” zone expanded, reaching the edge of the University of Nevada. An additional 45,000 people were in the adjacent evacuation warning zone. Authorities urged people to be prepared to stay away for several days, because shifting and strengthening winds were expected to make the fire even more unpredictable.

“Please get out if you can right now,” Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said.

A Sunday evening update said crews observed “extreme fire behavior” as gusts pushed flames through dry brush.

“Over the next 12 hours, the fire is expected to continue to make moderate to high intensity runs in pockets of dense fuels,” the statement said.

A family raced to grab possessions but lost their home

It wasn't known how many homes were destroyed. Cari Kieffer said a video posted on social media showed her house entirely burned down, with only a scorched basketball hoop still standing.

“I woke up this morning and just started crying — all my kids, they lost everything,” Kieffer said Sunday. “We lost all our stuff. Everything we own is gone.”

Kieffer had been watching her son’s football game Saturday when she learned that their home on the outskirts of Reno was in the evacuation zone. An app the family used to track the fire’s progress had been lagging significantly behind its actual location, she said, so they thought firefighters had kept the blaze from their neighborhood.

Instead, Kieffer, her husband and their four children ages 3 to 16 raced to save their dogs and whatever possessions they could retrieve. Ash rained down, and the wind blew like an oven blast from a wall of flames advancing down the hillside toward their neighborhood, she said.

“I kept looking outside and the flames just kept getting closer and closer every time I looked,” Kieffer said. “I was like, we gotta go like now.”

Eyes watering and throat burning, Kieffer grabbed a handful of clothes, a Bible, her wedding photos and her mother’s ashes. In the frenzy, as firefighters yelled at her family to leave immediately, she said she forgot her family’s birth certificates and was unable to salvage her childhood photos.

The family drove to a friend’s home but had to evacuate again. They learned later Saturday evening that their own home was gone.

Governor declares state of emergency and mobilizes National Guard

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County and mobilized the Nevada National Guard to support aerial firefighting with two helicopter crews as well as 60 troops to help police safeguard evacuated neighborhoods. Also responding were 800 fire personnel.

Nearly 10,000 customers were without power in Washoe County on Sunday, down from 60,000 on Saturday. Portions of U.S. Route 395, a major north-south highway, were closed due to the fire. Reno, with more than 280,000 residents, is the largest city in Nevada outside of metro Las Vegas.

Washoe County emergency officials opened the Reno-Sparks Convention Center to evacuees, but said they couldn’t bring their pets — small animals and large animals were to be left at two other locations. Casinos in Reno offered discounts on hotel rooms to evacuees.

The fire turned destructive fast

The fire was so small Saturday morning that it wasn’t even a concern, said Tyler Duvall, who went camping over the weekend. By the next day, his house was in the evacuation zone.

“The wind really blew it up,” Duvall said.

On Saturday alone, 15 new fires popped up across Nevada. Months of dry weather and a record lack of snow this past winter across the American West have created prime fire conditions. Earlier this month, wildfires in eastern Washington state forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area, while three wildfires north of Reno forced more than 13,000 residents from their homes.

A mountaintop home goes up in flames

Jaida Hargrove’s grandfather, Rick Arrate, lived alone on Peavine Mountain, which overlooks Reno and Sparks. Firefighters used a bulldozer, cut down trees and applied fire retardant in their attempt to contain the flames, Hargrove said.

“They all thought it would be OK,” she said. “And then, in about 30 minutes, the winds just changed and it came way too fast.”

Arrate and the firefighters were quickly forced off the mountain. “All he was able to take with him was his two golden retrievers,” Hargrove said.

Arrate spent Saturday night with Hargrove’s parents, his next steps unknown.

Separate GoFundMe crowdfunding campaigns were set up to assist Arrate and the Kieffer family.

A Nevada transplant gets a rude welcome to Reno

Retired police officer and firefighter Ted Melden has seen his share of Mother Nature’s fury since moving to Reno with his wife earlier this month from Chapin, South Carolina. So far, he has experienced a hailstorm with flash flooding, two different power outages and, now, the second wildfire incident in the region in two weeks.

“Just another natural disaster,” Melden said.

In the two years he lived in South Carolina, Melden said Hurricane Helene knocked over trees in his yard, while a tornado did some damage in his neighborhood.

For now, Melden hasn’t been ordered to leave his home, but he has his bags packed just in case.

“You just have to roll with the flow and be ready,” he said.

David Barb returned from a weekend hunting trip to find the fire had leveled his taxidermy shop, but his house nearby appeared to have been spared thanks to workers with a landscaping company who cut a fire break, he said. His wife was home when the fire started on the other side of the mountain and later evacuated to a friend’s house.

“I’m kind of devastated, but thank God everyone’s safe,” he said Sunday.

Residents just outside the evacuation zone are keeping watch

The University of Nevada, where many of the 20,000 undergraduates moved into their housing this weekend, was just outside the evacuation zone Sunday.

Two hospitals evacuated patients and the sheriff said his office was keeping a close watch on whether to evacuate the county jail.

The fire moved exceptionally fast Saturday night, jumping over fire trucks and making it difficult for responders to get to hot spots while residents were trying to get out, the sheriff said.

“It was extremely confusing,” Balaam said, describing how changing winds sent the flames in different directions.

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Raby reported from Charleston, West Virginia, Brook from New Orleans and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in 1981. The United Nations and most of the international community consider the territory occupied Syrian land and do not recognize Israel’s annexation of it.

In 2019, Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the territory, reversing decades of U.S. policy.

Ambassador Tom Barrack on Friday said that Israel “still” occupies the territory in an interview with Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur Mario Nawfal.

Barrack now says that was a description of the territory’s historical status, “not an endorsement of the United Nations’ position” on the Golan.

"United States policy on the Golan was set by President Trump in 2019 and is unchanged,” he said in a statement to The Associated Press on Sunday.

He said he intended to explain why he does not anticipate annexation in Lebanon, where Israeli forces are occupying parts of the south after the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, and to argue that negotiated agreements, rather than territorial maps, are more durable and that he had cited the Golan as an example that “territory taken by force remains contested for generations.”

In the Friday interview, Barrack had also criticized Israel’s strikes on an airbase in northern Syria earlier last week. Israeli officials said the strikes intended to prevent Turkey from establishing a presence at the base.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz defended the strikes, saying on X on Sunday that critics who initially called it “unnecessary and politically motivated” changed their position after the government said they were based on “clear intelligence” and at the recommendation of the Israeli army. He added that Israel would not allow Turkey “to establish itself in Syria and threaten Israeli security.”

The strikes last Tuesday have highlighted growing tensions between Israel and Turkey over Ankara’s increased influence in Syria following the fall of Bashar Assad. Turkey and Syria have denied that Turkish forces were due to be deployed at the Abu Duhur base.

Barrack’s comments on the Golan also sparked a backlash in Washington.

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott wrote on X that the ambassador appears to have “forgotten” Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the territory.

Barrack went further on the defensive on Sunday, responding to criticism of his assessment of ongoing negotiations between Israel and Lebanon over Israeli withdrawal and the disarmament of the militant group.

He had said “there are two people missing from that (negotiating) table – Hezbollah and Iran.” That remark prompted speculation Barrack meant Tehran and Hezbollah should join the U.S.-backed negotiations.

On Sunday, Barrack stressed that the U.S. does not negotiate with Hezbollah, but said he was pointing out that “the weapons in question are supplied and financed by Iran," which complicates negotiations over their fate.

“I was describing the difficulty of the problem, not proposing a new table,” Barrack told the AP. “Hezbollah is a designated foreign terrorist organization. We do not negotiate with it, and nothing I said suggests otherwise.”

He also defended his remarks questioning who would replace Tehran’s financial support for Shiite communities in southern Lebanon, saying that raising those questions was “not conferring standing on anyone.”

Houston applied heavy pressure throughout the match and forced 10 saves from Bay goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz. Forward Kat Rader led the team with four chances created today followed by forward Miljana Ivanović, who entered the match in the second half and created three chances for the team.

Bay FC broke through in the 89th minute after Jane Campbell denied Keira Barry, but the rebound fell back into play off the crossbar. Cristina Girelli collected the loose ball and found the far corner for her first goal of the season.

Houston created its first opportunity of the match in the ninth minute after forward Kate Faasse played the ball to midfielder Danny Colaprico atop the box. Colaprico fired a left-footed effort from the center of the box, but her shot was off target.

Campbell was called into action in the 12th minute of the match, diving to her right to deny Karlie Lema. The Dash caption ended the afternoon with six saves.

Houston created back-to-back chances moments later after midfielder Linda Ullmark fired a shot toward the far post that forced a save from Silkowitz. Midfielder Kiki Van Zanten got behind the rebound for her first shot of the match, but her effort was forced out of play for a corner kick.

Van Zanten had another opportunity in the 37th minute after heading an effort toward the bottom-left corner from inside the box, but Silkowitz denied the attempt. Two minutes later, Faasse fired a right-footed effort toward the bottom-center of the goal, but Bay forced the save.

Houston’s final opportunity of the first half came off Faasse’s right foot, she forced a save despite heavy pressure from the Bay FC backline. The Dash forced six saves from Silkowitz in the first half.

The Dash nearly opened the scoring in the 51st minute when Colaprico fired a left-footed effort from inside the box, but Bay’s defense blocked the attempt. Houston threatened again moments later following a corner kick when defender Leah Klenke headed the ball toward goal, but the Bay goalkeeper tipped the effort over the crossbar and out of play.

Houston nearly broke the deadlock in the 76th minute when forward Clarissa Larisey fired a right-footed effort from inside the box through traffic, but Silkowitz dove to keep the match level.

But with a wife and a widowed mother to help support, he needed a quick solution. So the laid-off web developer turned to one of a growing number of three-year degree programs.

“I can’t afford to be out of the workforce for four years. That just seems like forever, and the three-year made it seem less daunting,” said Sims, a student at Ensign College, a private Salt Lake City school that recently changed all its bachelor’s degrees to require fewer classes than a traditional four-year degree.

The condensed programs have exploded in popularity. As of this spring, 26 U.S. states have a college that offers at least one reduced-credit, three-year bachelor's, according to the nonprofit research group RAND.

Advocates say these programs are a solution to the college affordability crisis and a godsend for non-traditional students like Sims.

Critics, however, worry that they’ll narrow too much what students learn, confuse employers, limit graduate school options and create headaches in fields that require state licenses.

The American Association of University Professors, for one, says the programs devalue the meaning of a college credential.

“This is not innovation. This is just cutting corners,” said Todd Wolfson, AAUP's president.

A new option to graduate more quickly, but with reduced credit

For decades, colleges have offered accelerated programs that let students finish faster, often by forgoing long summer breaks, maximizing transfer credits and condensing semester-long courses into shorter, five- to 10-week terms.

But those programs maintained the same course load, measured as credits. The new programs let students finish faster by completing as few as 90 credit hours. That shaves a year off the typical 120-hour bachelor’s degree.

Three-year bachelor’s degrees are common in other countries including the United Kingdom, India, France and Italy. But they can create complications for graduates seeking admission to U.S. graduate schools, which sometimes require extra coursework.

Some of the earliest colleges in colonial America, modeled after English institutions like Oxford and Cambridge, initially had three-year degrees, said John Thelin, the author of “A History of American Higher Education.” By the 19th century, the four-year format had taken hold, partly because there wasn’t an established system of public high schools to prepare students, Thelin said.

“The colleges would have to kind of start from scratch,” he said.

A change in accreditation opened the door to shorter degrees

The idea of bringing three-year degrees to the U.S. got attention in 2009 when Robert Zemsky, the founding director of the Institute for Research on Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, argued in a Newsweek cover story that three-year degrees could shake up a broken system.

But there was a roadblock, he recalled recently. “Accreditors said, ‘College is 120 credits, not 90 credits,’” he said.

Years passed. And in 2022, amid mounting concerns about college affordability, Zemsky helped revive the idea. The College-in-3 Exchange was born, and dozens of higher education institutions joined the network to look for ways to help students get degrees faster.

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities was the first accreditor to say yes in 2023, when it approved reduced-credit programs at Ensign and Brigham Young University-Idaho. Other accreditors quickly followed.

As of May, 119 reduced-credit programs had been publicly announced, according to the RAND analysis, which was conducted to help education officials in Ohio as they weigh the feasibility of reduced-credit degrees.

It comes at a time when tuition and fees averaged $11,950 for in-state students at public schools and $45,000 at private nonprofits last school year, although many students get discounts that reduce the price, according to a report from the College Board, the nonprofit that oversees the SAT.

Some degrees are easier to compress

Private nonprofit schools offer three-quarters of the reduced-credit programs, frequently online. Typically, they compress the majors by reducing electives. Business degrees in fields such as marketing and management are the most common, followed by computer and information sciences.

Other majors, such as engineering, with its extensive math requirements, have been harder to shrink. And RAND found just six reduced-credit degrees in teacher education, which involves real-world experience requirements and state licensure.

Jill Cohen, 42, lives on a ranch in rural Yoder, Colorado, and is completing her teaching degree through one such program at Indiana Wesleyan.

She quit her old job selling life insurance and turned to teaching after a farming accident nearly claimed her life. Already, she is in the classroom, teaching middle school English, as she works on the degree through a special “Grow Your Own” program designed to address staff shortages.

Because her home is busy — she has twin 12-year-olds, along with a menagerie that includes horses, goats and chickens — she appreciates the streamlined degree.

“Why do I need to take, you know, underwater basket weaving when I could just take the evolutionary structure of the English language — what I’m going to be teaching,” she said.

However, programs with state licensing requirements are one of the biggest worries for Jenna Kramer, a policy researcher at RAND.

Indiana Wesleyan, which has a growing slate of reduced-credit offerings, said its education programs are specifically designed to meet Indiana licensing requirements. Students from elsewhere will need to check if the programs meet their state requirements, said Pam Downing, the school's director of communications, in an email.

The RAND report also found the programs are so new that there are no standard practices for admitting three-year degree recipients into graduate school.

Students acknowledge it's a gamble

Gabriella Staten, a 20-year-old student in the reduced-credit digital marketing program at Mount Mary University, a Catholic women’s institution in Milwaukee, estimates it will save her at least $20,000. While she sometimes wonders whether employers will take her degree as seriously as a four-year degree, she decided she could prove herself.

“Even if they were to look a little bit down on the three-year pathway, I can show them otherwise with the work,” she said.

Wesley Hardy, who is three semesters into a bachelor of applied science in accounting at Ensign, also sees the pros and cons. He likes that the three-year format will get him into the workforce faster.

But he noted that the requirements to become a certified public accountant — something he has considered — vary by state. Many require 120 semester hours to sit for the exam and 150 to become licensed. Graduate school often is needed.

Bruce Kusch, president of Ensign, said he has talked to multiple college presidents and doesn’t anticipate that graduate school will be a problem. But Hardy, 22, has questions about how it would work.

“Would I have to take extra classes?” he asked. “It’s definitely something I’ve thought of.”

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

There were no major issues for Sophie Cunningham and DiJonai Carrington in Indiana's 113-90 victory over Chicago on Sunday night. Cunningham scored three points for the Fever in 11 minutes, and Carrington had seven points for the Sky in 18 minutes.

It was the first matchup between the teams since Cunningham was taken down by Carrington on a fast break earlier this month. Carrington was listed as questionable with a left foot injury, but she was cleared after going through warmups.

Cunningham downplayed any lingering animosity between the teams going into the game. Indiana had dropped two in a row.

“My mindset has never changed. I think it is what it is,” Cunningham said. “I’m locked in on tonight. ... I think we’re just out here trying to get the win.”

Cunningham and Carrington both checked in for the first time with 3:04 left in the first quarter. There were no disputes of note between the two players all night long.

Sky coach Tyler Marsh said he didn't have any conversations with his players before the game about the charged atmosphere for their previous matchup.

“That kind of was what it was last game and anything that came out of it kind of lasted for that time,” Marsh said. “But for us, again, it was on to the next one in front of us.”

Cunningham was going up for a layup in the first quarter of Indiana's 90-86 win on Aug. 8 when Carrington came from behind and hit her in the head and neck, knocking her to the court as the shot went in. Cunningham got up, charged Carrington and pushed her as she was held back by a teammate.

The play was reviewed and upgraded to a Flagrant 2 after the referee said there was windup, impact and follow-through on the foul, resulting in Carrington's ejection.

Shortly after she was thrown out, Carrington posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on social media and tagged the Fever. Carrington is Black and Cunningham is white.

Days later, Carrington posted that she never claimed the assessment of the Flagrant 2 was the result of white privilege, but she didn't elaborate any further.

“I (couldn't) care less about what she does, what she tweets, any of that,” Cunningham said before Sunday's game. "I’m here to play basketball.

“There's going to be people who are going to talk about it ... but to me, it’s just another basketball game.”

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Freedom was sitting along the baseline. He had on a black shirt that read “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”

The Fever called for a timeout after Cloud scored inside with 1:22 left in the third. Cloud then did a chest bump with teammate Aicha Coulibaly before turning around and walking in Kanter's direction.

Cloud, 34, started yelling and pointing at Kanter, 34, as she approached him. A standing Kanter held his arms out and took one step on the court as security and a handful of Sky players moved in between the two.

“There was just a fan incident and the security handled it, and we're just going to focus on the game,” Chicago forward Azura Stevens said after the Sky's 113-90 loss.

Chicago coach Tyler Marsh said Cloud was concerned about being a distraction for the team.

“I told her she wasn’t,” Marsh said. “I told her that we all embrace her as someone that protects our team and protects people that need to be protected and so Tash is always going to stand on that, and we stand for Tash.”

Freedom stopped near the basket to plead his case to security as he was escorted from the court area. He spun around while holding his shirt out and encouraged the crowd to respond as he walked toward the front lobby.

He had a conversation with a group of police officers before departing Wintrust Arena.

“I didn’t see it, we were talking about the next play in our huddle," Indiana star Caitlin Clark said, "so I think that’s probably a question for Chicago.”

Cloud met with team and league security after the game. She did not speak with the media.

The WNBA has been the subject of recent debates on whether transgender women — people assigned male at birth who transition to align with their gender identity — should be allowed to participate in the league. There has never been such a player in the WNBA.

Although the league’s collective bargaining agreement says the WNBA is restricted to women, it contains no more specific language about gender identity or sex assigned at birth.

Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said in an ESPN profile published last month that she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s sports. Freedom and Royce White, another former NBA player, have declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft, saying they identify as women.

Kanter joined a small rally in support of Cunningham outside the arena before the game.

Asked if he had a message for Kanter, Marsh praised the league and its players.

“If you come to a game you should probably come to enjoy the basketball," he said, “and that seems pretty simple to me. I think these players deserve that and have earned that. Being a former basketball player, you should probably understand and feel that too.”

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Clark made a career-high eight of Indiana's franchise-record 18 3-pointers. She also had 10 assists.

The Fever closed out a 3-2 trip with their third game in four nights. They had dropped two in a row.

Natasha Cloud had 16 points and seven assists for Chicago, which had won three in a row. Azura Stevens added 14 points and eight rebounds.

The Sky were eliminated from the playoff race with the loss and Washington's win on Sunday night.

Indiana played without center Aliyah Boston, who was sidelined by a right leg injury. Boston had 22 points and six assists in Saturday's 109-102 loss at New York.

The Fever used a 13-2 run to open a 71-60 lead in the third quarter. Clark started the spurt with a 3 and Mitchell scored eight straight points before Clark capped the run with a jumper with 4:31 left.

Lexie Hull converted a reverse layup to make it 97-82 with 4:37 left. Hull scored 14 points for the Fever, and Makayla Timpson finished with 12.

It was the first game between the teams since Indiana guard Sophie Cunningham was taken down by DiJonai Carrington on a hard foul in the first quarter of the Fever's 90-86 win on Aug. 8. Cunningham scored three points while playing more than 11 minutes, and Carrington had seven points in 18 minutes for the Sky.

Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom attended the game, but he was ejected in the third quarter after he was confronted by Cloud. Freedom and Royce White, another former NBA player, have declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft, saying they identify as women.

Up next

The Fever host the Connecticut Sun on Friday night.

The Sky visit Connecticut on Tuesday night.

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

The National Hurricane Center located Moke's center about 320 miles (515 kilometers) south-southwest of Hilo around midday. Top sustained winds were around 40 mph (65 kph), though the real impact was expected from rainfall in places where last weekend’s hurricane flooded communities, triggered mudslides and damaged roads and power lines. Two deaths linked to the hurricane have been reported in Hawaii.

Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda advised residents in a social media post Sunday they “should stay off the roads and shelter in place” as a precaution. He said anyone in need could take refuge at shelters that the county had opened at several locations.

Forecasters expected Moke to produce as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of total rain across the Big Island, and up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) in some isolated places, enough to cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides for the windward and southeast slopes, especially in steep terrain and over areas affected by Lala. The center of the storm was expected to pass south of the Big Island, then south of the smaller main islands of Hawaii.

In eastern Maui, up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain was expected, and the other islands may get an inch or two (between 2.5 and 5 centimeters), according to the hurricane center.

As with Hurricane Lala, the Big Island was expected to bear the brunt of Moke's rain and winds as the storm moves westward, south of the island chain. After moving away from the islands, Lala was downgraded and remained a strong tropical storm on Sunday far out in the Central Pacific.

The northeast coast of the Big Island saw the heaviest total rainfall from Lala, at 43.54 inches (1.1 meters), according to the weather service.

Ahead of Moke's approach, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green urged people to prepare by restocking food, medicine and other essentials. More than 6,500 customers in the county remained without power Sunday stemming from Lala, according to poweroutage.us.

In the eastern Pacific, meanwhile, Tropical Storm Iselle formed earlier Sunday and was gaining strength, far away from Mexico's southwest coast.

Iselle had top sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) on Sunday afternoon and was about 535 miles (860 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect for Iselle as it moved to the northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Iselle could become a hurricane in another day or two and would kick up strong ocean swells on Baja's western coastline starting Monday.

The 49ers got good news on the injury front 10 days before the team was set to depart for Australia for a Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 11 with Kittle and All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey both back at practice.

“It definitely just gives us energy," offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said. “It just changes things. You got two Hall of Fame caliber players out there who are back out there and getting their work in. They practice at a high standard, and they lift everybody up. So, it definitely changes your energy a little bit.”

The Niners are scheduled to leave for Australia on Sept. 2 and Kittle said last week that he needed to get practice time in pads before then to determine whether he would make the trip and try to play Week 1.

Kittle ruptured his Achilles on Jan. 11 in a playoff win at Philadelphia and has made an impressive recovery to get back on the field in less than eight months.

Kittle is a two-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler who is a key part of San Francisco’s offense as a passing threat and a blocker in the run game. He had 57 catches for 628 yards receiving and seven touchdowns last season.

McCaffrey had missed the past two weeks of practice with what the team had described as “tightness.” After being limited to four games because of injuries in 2024, McCaffrey was an ironman last season. He played 1,010 offensive snaps in the regular season and playoffs — just the ninth running back in the past 20 seasons to top the 1,000 mark — and became the second player in the past decade with at least 450 combined carries and catches.

The 30-year-old McCaffrey hasn’t responded well in the past following his heaviest-use seasons. The previous two times he topped 400 touches — in 2019 with Carolina and 2023 with the 49ers — he was severely hampered by injuries the following season, missing 13 games each in 2020 and 2024.

McCaffrey said the recent time off should be of no concern for the season as it was part of the protocol plan to get him ready.

“Obviously, when you don’t practice, the way the media works now is a firestorm,” he said. “But this was kind of part of the plan from the jump was to ramp up pretty big, get nine, 10 practices in, kind of come back down, and then ramp back up so we’re fresh for the duration. Our staff’s done a great job of coming up with specific plans. I feel great. I feel fresh, and it’s good to be back out there.”

Star defensive end Nick Bosa remains out of practice with soreness and tendinitis in his surgically repaired right knee. Bosa tore his right ACL in Week 3 last season. He started camp on the active roster but has only participated in individual drills before being shut down nearly three weeks ago. The Niners have expressed optimism that he will be ready for Week 1.

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Zelenskyy also alluded to problematic decisions over defense spending and said that inaccurate information provided by the Defense Ministry contributed to an awkward encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump over the use of Starlink in Russia.

Zelenskyy disclosed figures showing Ukraine’s growing shortage of Patriot air-defense missiles needed to counter Russian ballistic attacks, with deliveries from Western allies declining in the past three years even as Russian missile strikes intensified.

He highlighted battlefield gains, however, saying Ukrainian forces have almost completely recaptured the Dnipropetrovsk region, with only about 10 square kilometers (around 4 square miles) remaining under Russian control.

The Ukrainian president made the remarks during a two-hour off-the-record meeting with reporters on Saturday, with a transcript released publicly on Sunday.

Zelenskyy's first public comments on Fedorov dismissal

His comments ranged widely, covering the latest battlefield developments, efforts to counter Russian ballistic attacks, the state of peace negotiations, Ukraine’s budgetary challenges and the political turmoil surrounding Fedorov’s dismissal.

“I really had and still have a very positive attitude toward Mykhailo. We have been through a lot together. But I believe that he himself goes, or is pushed, into the wrong things,” he said.

Fedorov, a popular minister credited with modernizing Ukraine’s armed forces and accelerating the military’s embrace of technology and drone warfare, was dismissed last month after reportedly falling out with the country’s top military commander. His removal triggered mass protests that lasted for weeks, but ultimately failed to force a reversal of the decision. Fedorov later called for an election.

Zelenskyy said that he had offered Fedorov four different options to continue working in the government. Fedorov, he said, rejected all of them.

The Ukrainian leader told journalists that he believes holding an election during the war would be a huge risk with the potential to “split Ukraine apart.”

“I believe elections during a war like this would generally pose enormous risks. Holding elections right now would be a tsunami for the state that would split Ukraine apart,” he said.

Zelenskyy said he had previously faced pressure to hold an election during the war, but no partners had come up with a plan for how a poll could be held safely, legitimately and democratically.

Inaccurate information led to uncomfortable White House encounter

Zelenskyy appeared to link Fedorov to an awkward episode involving Starlink and Elon Musk. Zelenskyy said that earlier this year, the Defense Ministry had told him that SpaceX had agreed to allow Ukraine to use Starlink over Russian territory to carry out deep strike operations, subject to political approval.

Acting on that, Zelenskyy said, he raised the issue directly with U.S. President Donald Trump. He told Trump that Musk had confirmed the proposed use. Zelenskyy said the two sides subsequently sought Musk’s confirmation and discussed financing for the project.

But at a later meeting, Zelenskyy said that Trump told him that Musk had rejected the proposal and accused him of having misled the U.S. president. Musk considered the move a dangerous escalation, according to Zelenskyy.

“He said that I had supposedly deceived him, because Musk had denied Ukraine the use of Starlink on Russian territory. I went back to our Ministry of Defense and they said that maybe it was so,” he said.

Zelenskyy didn't explicitly accuse Fedorov of lying. He said that the situation was among the reasons behind “some of the steps.”

Zelenskyy also pushed back against protesters’ vilification of former army chief, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, who he dismissed, and current Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Yevhen Khmara, saying they had gone too far.

“Maybe someone doesn’t like Syrskyi for one reason or another. But the slogans ‘Syrskyi is the devil, Khmara is the devil,'” he said. “Listen, this is too much. Do you understand? In principle, you can’t treat the military like this and tolerate it, especially when it was the military that made it possible for any peaceful protests to take place in the Ukrainian capital at all.”

Pressure on defense budget but military successes

Zelenskyy also described severe financial pressure on Ukraine’s defense effort. He said that the Defense Ministry faced a $27 billion budget shortfall after spending decisions earlier in the year brought forward funds originally intended for the second half of this year.

Touching on a corruption inquiry that led Zelenskyy to fire one of his most senior officials this week, he said that anti-corruption investigators don't believe that the president was involved. The investigators had named a deputy head of the presidential office among the suspects in a money-laundering case.

“The heads of anti-corruption agencies have zero questions for me. They understand perfectly well that I am not involved in anything like that. And this is important to me,” he said.

On the battlefield, Zelenskyy was optimistic. In addition to Ukraine almost completely regaining control of the Dnipropetrovsk region, he said that another operation was underway elsewhere and that its results were expected by the end of August.

He also predicted that by the end of the year, Ukraine could reach parity between the territory occupied by Russia since the beginning of the year and the territory retaken by Ukrainian forces. Zelenskyy said that Russia had occupied about 990 square kilometers (380 square miles) since the start of the year, while Ukraine had restored control over roughly 820 square kilometers (315 square miles).

The president said that Russia’s principal objective remained the Konstantynivka-Sloviansk-Kramatorsk axis, and that Moscow was still demanding that Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas region as a condition for a settlement.

Still struggling for access to Patriot missiles

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was receiving substantially fewer Patriot interceptor missiles even as Russian ballistic attacks are increasing.

He said that Ukraine received 675 Patriot missiles in 2023, compared with 364 in 2025 and an expected 264 this year. Zelenskyy said that he wanted to secure 300 additional Patriot missiles for the coming winter, while Ukraine’s air force had requested 360.

The shortfall is particularly serious, because the United States and European partners are struggling to expand production. Zelenskyy said that he hoped Ukraine could obtain even 5% or 10% of U.S. reserves and was able to pay for them.

Zelenskyy said that Russia could eventually produce up to 1,300 ballistic missiles a year, compared with an estimated current capacity of 600.

He said that Ukraine was also preparing alternatives to Starlink, including a European communications project, as Russia and China work on their own competing system.

Other developments

— Debris from a Ukrainian drone hit two industrial facilities including a warehouse belonging to online retailer Ozon, local officials in Russia’s Orenburg region said Sunday.

As well as shifting the war onto Russian soil through long-range drone strikes on oil facilities that have caused fuel shortages across Russia, Ukraine has unsettled the Russian public by striking warehouses of online retailers, including Russia's biggest one, Wildberries, and competitors such as Ozon.

— One person was killed and six wounded in Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia’s Belgorod border region, local authorities said Sunday. A woman also died in a drone attack in the Tula region.

— Two women were killed and five other people were wounded when a Russian drone hit an electric train in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian national police said Sunday.

— Leaders from Nordic and Baltic nations arrived in Kyiv on Sunday, the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day, in a show of solidarity from some of Ukraine’s closest partners before a larger “ coalition of the willing ” meeting.

Leaders from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway attended a flag-raising ceremony, as Ukraine marked Ukraine’s National Flag Day.

“We feel we are not alone. Our allies are with us,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X on Sunday, noting that the leaders would hold bilateral and multilateral talks with Zelenskyy.

Thompson — who is No. 4 on the NBA's all-time 3-pointers made list — cleared waivers Sunday afternoon and wasted little time finalizing a two-year deal worth about $11.5 million. The second season of the deal is at Thompson's option.

The deal makes sense in many ways for both sides. Thompson makes no secret about how much he loves the water and boating; the Heat play their home games at the edge of Biscayne Bay. He's of Bahamian heritage; the island nation is a short flight from Miami and is home to a sizable base of Heat fans. And, perhaps most importantly, the Heat knew they wanted to add shooting to surround the newly acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and incumbent center Bam Adebayo.

“Klay is one of the most iconic players to ever suit up in the NBA,” Heat President Pat Riley said. “A four-time battle tested World Champion who will fit perfectly into his role as an all-around player at both ends of the court. We all talk about his shooting skill, but there is so much more he brings to the game. We are blessed that Klay chose the Heat in our quest to challenge for championships.”

Thompson, a 36-year-old about to enter his 14th season (not counting two missed because of injury) fits that bill perfectly. He's a career 41% shooter from beyond the arc, and last season marked the 11th time that he's made more than 200 3-pointers in a season. For context, the Heat — in their history — have had a player makes 200 3s in a single year only seven times.

There's also the winning pedigree that Thompson brings. He paired with Stephen Curry to be part of Golden State's famed “Splash Brothers” duo that helped lead the Warriors to four NBA championships. He's a five-time All-Star, holds the league record with 14 made 3s in a game, has connected on at least 10 3s in a game nine times and will enter this season just 74 3s behind Ray Allen — a former Heat guard — for third place on the league's all-time list.

It's the latest big move for the Heat this summer. They acquired Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from Milwaukee in a deal that saw them send Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware and Kasparas Jakučionis to the Bucks. They also signed another big-time 3-point threat in Tim Hardaway Jr., who grew up in Miami while his father was playing for the Heat.

Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks agreed on a contract buyout that was executed Friday, the end of his two-year run there that didn't go anywhere close to what either side originally envisioned — especially after the shocking trade of Luka Doncic by the Mavs to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Thompson joined Dallas in a sign-and-trade with Golden State, giving the Mavericks one of the league’s all-time great 3-point shooters to complement Doncic and another high-scoring guard in Kyrie Irving.

But the high hopes for that threesome imploded after the Mavericks sent Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis in a deal before the trade deadline in 2025. Irving tore the ACL in his left knee a month later and hasn’t played since. Davis was traded to the Washington Wizards just before the February trade deadline last season.

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See AP’s full NBA coverage here

Authorities said that heavy rains, which started at around 2 a.m., washed over the refuse at Dar Es Salam — the largest landfill in Conakry — and triggered a landslide that buried nearby shacks. A search and rescue operation was underway to find survivors. Six people were seriously injured and several homes were destroyed.

The site, an open-air waste dump which is the largest in the city, had been designated for closure on Sunday, according to Lt. Col. Baldé Mamadou Bailo, the sanitation officer for the military engineering battalion.

Locals living around the landfill had been given eviction notices, which forced many to leave the area, but many others were still around at the time of the disaster, according to authorities.

"We will ensure that the remaining families are relocated elsewhere,” Dienabou Touré, the minister of territorial administration and decentralization, said at the scene.

Guinea is mineral-rich with huge deposits of bauxite — the largest in the world — and also has iron ore, gold, diamonds and minerals. However, according to the World Bank, 43.7% of the population lives below the national poverty line.

Now the 31-year-old Spaniard and the other full-time tour players will wait to see what happens to LIV in 2027.

Rahm is ready to head home and contemplate the future.

“I’m looking forward to going home and helping my very pregnant wife with the kids,” Rahm said. “The fourth one is due in October, and I’m happy to be dad for a few days before I get back to grinding for the Irish Open, and mainly looking forward to a haircut because I need one badly.”

Rahm closed with a 7-under 63 for his second straight runner-up finish in Indy. He ended up a stroke behind 22-year-old Michael La Sasso, the 2025 NCAA individual champ at Mississippi. La Sasso finished with a 65 to get to 18 under.

Clearly, there have been troubling signs for the LIV circuit in recent months.

In April, it was announced Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund would end its investment in the league after this season. LIV spent more than $5 billion in five years, pulling some of the world’s best and most popular American and international players away from other leagues.

Organizers also canceled two events this season — New Orleans in June and next weekend's originally scheduled season-ending event in Michigan — as well the weekend entertainment.

LIV CEO Scott O’Neil told reporters Wednesday he was bullish about plans for 2027 and beyond, saying players would be equity owners and have their commercial rights restored. O’Neil said the plan was to have five team championships overseas and five individual tournaments in the United States scheduled close to the majors for those who qualify for them.

He did not name the lead investor with whom LIV has reached an agreement. Several outlets have identified him as Ted Goldthorpe of BC Partners, who met with the tour's players on Tuesday. O’Neil said there was a deadline for players to commit to LIV 2.0 without citing a specific date. He also has not mentioned the size of the proposed investment.

Though O'Neil said he has a “good level of confidence” that a “critical mass of the right players" will return. Rahm is under contract through next season. Bryson DeChambeau — the other big name — has an expiring contract this year. He tied for third with Sergio Garcia on Sunday and did not speak with reporters following Sunday's event..

But with the season now over, there are only more questions.

"There’s been a lot that’s surrounded all of us pretty much since we joined, and at the end of the day when you step on the golf course, it’s just golf,” Rahm said after bogeying his last hole to open the door for La Sasso. “So all the problems and theories go away, and you compete. It hasn’t been any harder or any easier in any way. It’s just, kind of I think, the life of a pro athlete.”

Despite the cloudy future and the historic flooding in central Indiana that forced organizers to improvise how to get spectators parked and shuttled to The Club at Chatham Hills, in many ways things went off largely as expected.

Organizers set up electronic scoreboards and video boards as well as temporary suites around the course. There were advertising signs for Riyadh Air and other sponsors, chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” as La Sossa rolled in his 2-foot putt on No. 18 to secure the win and the celebratory champaign spray.

Those who attended last year's first tourney at The Club at Chatham Hills thought things went even better at the expanded four-round event.

“It was more well managed from the way they had the ropes set up, just getting in a little cleaner with the traffic so the operation itself was more smooth than last year,” Westfield resident Jacob Meyer said.

Meyer's friend, Jackson Gangwer, added: “It's just more relaxed. Last year it seemed a little more intense since it was the first year being out here.”

Last year's attendance for the three-round event drew more than 60,000 fans, an American record for a LIV event. Organizers did not announce this year's tournament.

But the tour brought top-flight men's golf back to metropolitan Indianapolis for the first time since it hosted the 2012 and 2016 BMW Championships, and it opened the door a new group of fans, some of whom had never attended a major pro event.

If this is the end of the line for LIV Golf, it came in a fitting location — about 30 miles from the arena where the Indiana Pacers closed out their time in the American Basketball Association in 1976 and that hosted Elvis Presley's final concert in 1977.

And after playing in front of the Indy fans each of the past two years, he had a message for those who came back.

“I just want to say think you. It's been incredibly fun to play in front of a crowd this enthusiastic,” Rahm said. “I'm sure everybody here has friends, family or themselves who have had to deal with some of the flooding issues and you know my heart goes out to all those people that lost their homes and lost loved. But the fact so many people came out and supported us means a lot.”

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AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson also contributed to this report.

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See AP’s full golf coverage here

Hat racks are hard to miss in central Athens this summer. Kiosks and stores keep outdoor stands piled high as more tourists in the Greek capital seek relief from the midday heat.

The Acropolis drew about 4.6 million visitors in 2025, a record year for Greek tourism. Many spend hours in mid-30s Celsius (mid-90s Fahrenheit) temperatures with little shade. Even a carriage horse at the foot of the ancient monument has joined in, sporting a brown bucket hat with holes cut for its ears.

“You need a hat. I’m already red as it is,” said Jack Yosif, an Australian tourist wearing a black baseball cap. “It’s a bit more of a common thing nowadays, and people are a bit more aware.”

Scorching temperatures didn't deter a record 38 million visitors last year, the most recent for which there is data. The combination of extreme heat and high demand for sites — which means not everyone can visit in the morning — is adding urgency to sun protection.

Greek health campaigners have welcomed a growing awareness of the dangers of ultraviolet exposure and risk of heat stroke. Red Cross volunteers at the Acropolis hand out kits with sunscreen, water, information leaflets and red caps.

On nearby Syntagma Square, kiosk owner Konstantinos Mallios says hat sales have risen in recent years. His stylish and souvenir models run up to 20 euros ($24) while the cheapest costs 6 euros. Available elsewhere is semi-disposable headgear: mass-produced hats made using compressed paper pulp.

And there are more ostentatious options. At her basement workshop, hatmaker Lisa Sarigiannidou turns straw braids into boaters using century-old presses and molds in a matter of minutes. Her hats start at around 50 euros, with elaborate designs costing more than 100 euros.

“People’s attitudes toward hats have changed,” said Sarigiannidou, who was trained by her hatmaker father. “In the past, when a young woman tried on a hat and looked at herself in the mirror, she usually laughed. Now they try them on seriously … and they wear them straight out the door.”

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Theodora Tongas and Srdjan Nedeljkovic in Athens contributed to this report.

The Team Penske star just needed a moment to vent on his team radio about a pit crew blunder before charging from 17th to first for his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“Whenever I say those things after something bad happens, it’s my relief valve,” Blaney said about scolding his team with an expletive. “I have to get it out in the open, or I’ll be stewing over it a while. That’s how I have to get over things. I wish I wasn’t that way, but I’d rather it be that way than have it be in the back of my mind the rest of the race, not thinking of the main goal. It takes me five or 10 seconds to move on.”

After shaking it off, Blaney recovered to lead the final 74 laps on the 1.058-mile oval, fending off runner-up Bubba Wallace by 0.586 seconds.

Josh Berry, who is trying to find a ride for the 2027 season, finished a season-best third, the fourth consecutive top 10 for the Wood Brothers Racing driver.

The top five was rounded out by Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson. Ryan Preece finished ninth and kept his Chase hopes alive by gaining 19 points on Shane van Gisbergen, who finished 20th and remains in the 16th and final spot for the 10-race title run.

It’s the 20th career victory and third this season for Blaney, who led a race-high 115 of 301 laps. He had cruised to a big lead when a lug nut fell off the left-front tire of his No. 12 Ford during a pit stop under caution with 111 laps remaining.

The 2023 Cup Series champion picked his way through traffic and was back up to seventh when the yellow flag flew on the 226th lap for a three-car crash. Crew chief Jonathan Hassler made an aggressive strategy call for two right-side tires, and Blaney gained six spots in the pits to retake first place.

Hassler said the error “maybe was a little bit of a blessing in disguise” because Blaney emerged several spots ahead of the contenders who took four tires. Of the top 12 finishers, Blaney was the only driver who took two tires on his last stop.

His crew struggled often on stops earlier this season, losing 128 spots in the pits, but has been better with three top-five finishes in the past six races.

“It’s really competitive on pit road, and if you’re going to have any speed, you’re going to have these sort of miscues,” Hassler said. “With the speed we’ve had, our goal has certainly been to eliminate those, even if we give up a little bit of speed to do that. But it’s still going to happen to each of the best teams. We’re fortunate that we’re fast enough and up front enough that people take notice when that’s going to happen.”

NASCAR started the race on wet-weather tires after a midafternoon rain shower, but the track dried quickly, and drivers switched back to slick tires after 40 laps.

Hamlin top seed

Points leader Denny Hamlin also rebounded from a pit stop miscue that dropped the Joe Gibbs Racing driver outside the top 15 with less than 100 laps remaining. Hamlin rallied for a seventh place that clinched the top seed for the Chase.

“We were just pedestrian today,” Hamlin said. “We just didn’t quite have it, but ultimately a decent crawl back.”

Bell’s scary moment

Bell dropped to 31st on a safety violation penalty after front tire changer Blake Houston got dragged from the team’s pit stall while tightening the right-side tire. Bell said he exited the pits as the jack dropped, and Houston wasn’t able to get back across the front of the No. 20 Toyota.

“I saw him kind of flopping around in my rearview camera,” Bell said. “I didn’t feel my car jump up in the air, so I knew I didn’t run him over. It’s alarming and very eye-opening that these guys jumping across pit wall, they’re risking it. I’m super grateful for all the pit crew members, especially my team. They do a real good job. I’m glad Blake is OK.”

Chastain eliminated

A last-place finish extinguished the dim Chase hopes for Ross Chastain, whose No. 1 Chevrolet suffered a mechanical problem after only 40 laps.

“The speed has gotten better, so we’ll hopefully keep moving forward on that,” Chastain said. “That’s the important part. With the things in our control, we were able to make them better through the summer. I’ve learned that’s really tough to do in the NASCAR Cup Series. We did get better, but we’ve got a ways to go.”

Up next

The NASCAR Cup Series will conclude its regular season at Daytona International Speedway with a 160-lap race on Saturday, Aug. 29 at the 2.5-mile oval, setting the 16-driver field for the Chase.

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

Infantino has come under increasing pressure to step down over his plan, now aborted, to sell stakes in soccer’s biggest tournament, the World Cup, to private equity investors. Three of the sport's continental confederations accused him of “deception” and European soccer body UEFA threatened a boycott of FIFA competitions.

“One option is that he realizes that he doesn’t have the support, and that’s not only a political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches,” Ceferin said in an interview with “The Rest is Politics: Leading” British podcast which is set to be broadcast Monday.

“And the second option is that he goes to the elections in March, but in that case, I think he will have a candidate against him. I don’t know yet who.”

Ceferin's comments were in excerpts from the podcast that were published Sunday in the British media.

November deadline

Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016 and, until the backlash over his proposals, seemed sure to be reelected unopposed next year in Morocco. FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for challengers to nominate.

Despite being widely seen as a potential challenger to Infantino, the 58-year-old Ceferin expressed his commitment to UEFA.

Ceferin told the podcast: “I’m not interested because of two reasons. One reason is that I love UEFA and I love working here, and I think that at a certain point … it’s time to also enjoy life a bit.

“And the second point is, my credibility is much, much higher if I’m not interested in the position.”

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

It’s part of a 5-person scheme to get the checks and resell them for millions of dollars.

According to a federal indictment, Tryston Tremaine Vaughn and Alyssa Nadine Bryant resold approximately $23.97 million in stolen checks.

All of the suspects are facing Bank Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud charges.

The indictment identifies the postal workers as Catherine Clauzell Kilpatrick, Drakkor Jamal Alexander and Malcolm Tiree Joubert. All three are facing additional charges of Theft of Mail Matter by Postal Employee charges.

Prosecutors allege Vaughn and Bryant purchased the stolen checks from the postal employees. Bryant then allegedly sold the checks through a Telegram App channel and shipped the checks to buyers using FedEx.

In one example, prosecutors say Joubert stole a check for $1,517,875.27 from a BMO Bank account in 2024, then sold it to Vaughn.

The defendants are charged in connection with an alleged conspiracy to defraud Chase, Amegy, Citibank, BMO and Stellar banks.

The government says it will seek a monetary judgment and forfeiture of property if the defendants are convicted.

She died Saturday in Los Angeles, her family said in a statement to The Associated Press. No cause was given.

“To her family and friends, Shelley was a source of love, strength, laughter, and comfort,” her family wrote. “She had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcomed, valued, and cared for.”

Fabares was born in Santa Monica, California, in 1944, and started acting as a young child. Her first television credit came at age 10 when she appeared on “The Loretta Young Show.” Many movies and television shows followed: She acted with Paul Newman, Frank Sinatra and Eva Marie Saint in a Producers Showcase production of “Our Town”; was in the Rosalind Russell movie “The Girl Rush” and the Rock Hudson drama “Never Say Goodbye.” Other early credits include “Annette,” “Captain Midnight” and the “Black Leather Jackets” episode of “The Twilight Zone.”

Her biggest break came when she was cast as Mary Stone on “The Donna Reed Show,” where she was a regular from 1958 through 1963. During that time she also got a recording contract and had two Top 40 hits including “Johnny Angel.” In the early 1960s, she also co-starred in three movies with Elvis Presley: “Girl Happy,” “Spinout” and “Clambake.”

“I think the years on ‘The Donna Reed Show,’ the years from 14 to 19, were so incredibly important,” Fabares told the Los Angeles Times in 1993. “Donna Reed was simply an extraordinary woman, a woman of great strength, kindness, integrity and compassion. I am not trying to make her sound like a saint, but she had the most profound influence on me. I carry her with me today.”

In the late 1970s, Fabares made an impression as Francine Webster on the CBS sitcom “One Day at a Time.” She also played James Caan’s wife in “Brian’s Song.” One of her biggest roles came when she was cast as Christine Armstrong in “Coach,” although the show took a minute to find its audience.

“I did always feel from the very beginning if they could find the right spot for us, this was a show that would last,” she said in the 1993 Los Angeles Times interview.

Fabares married twice, first to producer Lou Adler in 1964. She had been married to “M-A-S-H” actor Mike Farrell since 1984. She was also a devoted advocate for Alzheimer’s awareness, which affected her mother.

In early 1999, a visit to the emergency room for an esophageal bleed revealed that she had progressive liver failure. After spending 22 months on a waiting list, she had liver transplant surgery in October 2000.

In an interview with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles three years after the transplant, she said she'd been “changed by the experience” and was eternally grateful to Farrell who was with her “every step of the way.”

Her family, in their statement, said “we will remember Shelley for her kindness, loyalty, wit, courage, and beautiful spirit. We will miss her deeply — not only as a celebrated performer, but as the loving and extraordinary person she was in our everyday lives.”

Only when it was over Sunday at Bellerive, silver trophies of the BMW Championship and the Western Golf Association at his side, did Clark repeat what one of his friends told him.

“Darth Vader had more fun,” Clark said with a big smile.

Clark embraced the pressure of a tense back nine at Bellerive and accepted what his place in the game — “I’ve kind of been the underdog in all of my wins,” he said — by delivering a 5-iron that set up the go-ahead birdie and two more birdies that salvaged an even-par 70 and a three-shot victory, his third of the year.

“I know everyone maybe gives me a hard time and roots for other people,” he said. “But I feel like I’ve kind of come into my own. Three wins in one season is my best year yet —coming off my worst year ever. I’m just really pleased where I’m at right now.”

This puts him squarely in the conversation for PGA Tour player of the year considering one was a major and the other was a FedEx Cup playoff event.

But just like at Shinnecock Hills, it wasn't easy.

He lost his five-shot lead to McIlroy in 11 holes and it was tense the last hour until Clark — without a birdie all day — followed McIlroy's great tee shot on the par-3 16th with a 5-iron just as good. Clark made his from just outside 15 feet. McIlroy's putt from 15 feet to stay tied missed.

“I always felt like I needed to just get my nose ahead to really try to put the pressure on Wyndham, and I couldn’t,” McIlroy said after a 69 to finish third.

Patrick Cantlay comes through to advance

Clark wasn't the only one with cause to celebrate.

Patrick Cantlay, who came in at No. 43 in the FedEx Cup, showed plenty of moxie. Four times he bounced back from a bogey with a birdie, closing with three birdies in a row for a 68 to finish runner-up and be among the top 30 in the FedEx Cup who advance to the Tour Championship.

The winner next week at East Lake captures the FedEx Cup.

“I’m coming to a golf course that I played really well at next week,” said Cantlay, who won at East Lake in 2021 to claim the FedEx Cup. “So I’m really pleased with where my game is at and I think I’m trending in the right direction.”

Woodland's big year to continue

Also moving into the top 30 was Gary Woodland, who pulled within one shot of the lead until topping his tee shot into a creek on the ninth hole on his way to a double bogey. He closed with nine straight pars and fought back tears as he returns to the Tour Championship for the first time since 2019 while recovering from brain surgery three years ago.

He said Saturday, when he was in the final group, took a lot out of him with the noise, the energy and the drones that triggered the kind of brain activity he tries to calm. On Sunday, he tried to embrace it and pulled through with a 69 to tie for fourth.

“I tried to enjoy it," he said. “Outside of topping a ball — I haven't done that for a long time — I'm just really proud.”

Robert MacIntyre closed with a 65 and tied for seventh, enough to move him into the top 30 for a return to East Lake. Those falling out of the top 30 were Rickie Fowler, Bud Cauley and Kurt Kitayama. British Open champion Ryan Fox nailed down the final spot.

Clark's big finish at Bellerive

Clark didn't face near the vitriol he did at Shinnecock Hills, when the New York crowd went from pulling for Scottie Scheffler in his bid for the career Grand Slam to openly rooting against Clark. There was one voice that shouted, “Get in the bunker!” when Clark hit to the par-3 13th. Otherwise, it was a clear pro-McIlroy crowd.

That was OK with Clark. He overcame three bogeys and a state of mind where he felt like he couldn't hit the right shot or make any putt. And then he delivered his best swing — and best putt — on a 232-yard par 3 that yielded only five birdies all day.

“I wasn't really nervous. I was kind of like ... out of it,” Clark said. “I was making dumb bogeys. I didn't make anything on the greens. When I made the putt on the par 3, it got me back. As much as I would have loved to run away with it, it was fun to get the juices going.

“I'm really proud of myself that I didn't let it get away.”

Clark also moved into the top six automatic spots who qualified for the Presidents Cup, joining Scheffler, Cameron Young, Russell Henley, Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa. U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker will have six picks after the Tour Championship. Cantlay surely got his attention.

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See AP’s full golf coverage here

The trip is the most recent example of how the president blurs the line between official business and travel in ways that can benefit his family business. His sons have taken over day-to-day control of the Trump Organization, but the September trip once again lays bare how Trump has leveraged his second term to pad his family’s profits in a variety of ways.

Trump is scheduled to be in Ireland on Sept. 12 and 13 and will join an event with U.S. embassy workers and business officials before attending the golf tournament at Trump International Golf Links Ireland in Doonbeg, according to the White House official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump's course in Bedminster, New Jersey, hosted a LIV golf tournament in August. Another Trump course at Doral in South Florida is scheduled to host a PGA event, the Cadillac Championship, in March 2028, and Trump has talked about his course in Turnberry, Scotland, hosting the British Open, which it last did in 2009, before Trump bought the resort. A return of the British Open to that property continues to face major logistical hurdles.

Last summer, Trump went to Scotland for five days to golf at Turnberry and later inaugurated a new Trump golf course in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire. The White House refused to call that midsummer jaunt a vacation, but insisted it was a working trip — and Trump found time between games to talk about trade with then-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Trump frequently travels to golf courses he owns in Florida and New Jersey, as well as a course in Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. But he is not known to take lengthy holidays.

“Don’t take vacations. What’s the point?” he wrote in his 2004 book, “Think Like a Billionaire.”

Trump’s trip to Ireland will have him leaving the country right after he tries to rally support for Republicans in the November elections as the GOP holds its first-ever national convention ahead of the midterm elections. The unusual event, scheduled in Dallas on Sept. 9-10, was Trump’s idea to try to galvanize support by staging something similar to the conventions both parties normally have before presidential elections.

As recently as last summer, Trump derided Barack Obama for flying long distances for golf as president — something Trump himself is now doing.

“They talked about the carbon footprint and then Obama hops onto a 747, Air Force One, and flies to Hawaii to play a round of golf and comes back,” Trump said last year.

Aside from the Scotland getaway, the longest stretch of downtime Trump took last year was when he went to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida in early December and stayed past Christmas — though even that trip featured visits by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The trip was first confirmed by the New York Post.

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Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.

Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, was arrested after leaving his house to take his car to the mechanic, according to his wife, Argelia Aviles. She said her husband, a handyman in Key West, Florida, has a permit to work in the United States. Originally from Nicaragua, he has lived in the U.S. for 19 years.

“He dedicates himself only to work so he can put food on the table at home. He is a good father. He loves his children with all his soul,” said Argelia, 47.

Aviles’ arrest comes as the Trump administration rolls back immigration protections for military families to pursue its mass deportation agenda, detaining at least dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty U.S. troops.

At least six family members have been deported and one self-deported, the AP found in the first accounting of such detentions, which the government does not track. One spouse, the wife of a U.S. soldier who spent more than a month in federal immigration detention, was removed from a deportation flight to Brazil after the AP’s reporting.

One of the military’s most highly advertised immigration benefits is “military parole-in-place,” which allows the spouses, children and parents of active-duty service members and veterans to obtain legal immigration status from within the country. Not everyone qualifies: those who overstayed visas or who already applied for legal status at the border, for example.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Border Patrol agents arrested Luis Aviles on Saturday in Key West and that he will remain in ICE custody while the government seeks to deport him.

“Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws,” the department said Sunday, adding that the Trump administration “does not pick and choose which laws to enforce.”

Aviles' son said in a Facebook post that he has been working 12-hour work shifts for more than 250 days without a break on the USS Lincoln, which is deployed in the Middle East. The deployment has raised widespread concerns about the impact on service members who are away from land for long periods, food shortages, as well as the increasing strain on the ship and its equipment.

The Pentagon referred all questions to the Navy. The Navy didn't immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Sunday afternoon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously called conditions aboard the Lincoln “completely misrepresented.”

Joshua Aviles wrote in his post on Saturday that he was still on the USS Lincoln “fighting for a country that has given me everything” when he got a call about his father's detention on Saturday morning.

“This is heartbreaking for me. I don’t know how I can mentally continue working 12+ hour days knowing that my dad is somewhere, possibly treated like a criminal,” Joshua Aviles wrote.

Katherine Delgado, 28, Joshua Aviles' sister, said that Joshua joined the military in part because he thought it would improve his father's chances of getting citizenship and so that he would “no longer be living in fear of being arrested.”

She said being apart from Joshua, who she calls her “best friend” and her “ride-or-die,” has been devastating.

“I spent weeks without knowing where he was,” Delgado said. Once she heard from him, and was told that he wasn't getting enough food, she said, she has spent hundreds of dollars to send him care packages with food and hygiene products — some of which never arrived.

Joshua is “supposed to come home soon,” Delgado said, referring to news that the ship her brother is on will soon be brought out of service in the Middle East. “And he’s gonna come home without his father.”

The son’s lengthy deployment has been challenging for Luis Aviles, according to his wife. He told her that he was looking forward to the deployment finally coming to an end. When six months passed and his son didn’t come back, Aviles was distraught, she said.

“He was excited,” she said. “He wanted to hug his son, as he hadn’t seen him for nine months.”

For Enzo Maresca, it was the "perfect day" as he earned his first victory as Manchester City manager.

City produced a stirring late rally in Maresca's first Premier League game in charge, scoring twice in the final 10 minutes to grab a 2-1 win at home to Bournemouth on Sunday.

Josko Gvardiol placed a finish into the bottom corner in the first minute of added-on time for the winner, which was initially given offside before being awarded following a video review. Marc Guehi had equalized with a 84th-minute header from a corner to start the comeback.

Maresca, the successor to Pep Guardiola, punched the air when Gvardiol’s goal was awarded and went onto the field after the final whistle to hug his players.

A huge banner, reading “Welcome back Enzo,” had been held aloft by City fans as the Italian — Guardiola’s assistant in City’s treble-winning 2022-23 season — emerged from the tunnel before kickoff

Wearing a sharp black suit, Maresca certainly looked the part on the touchline but the slickness synonymous with City’s play under Guardiola down the years wasn’t quite there until the late comeback sparked by substitute Rayan Cherki, who set up both goals.

“It is the perfect day, to be honest,” Maresca said. "I was very pleased when the game started to see the banner on the other side. And I was pleased because we give them the joy of the three points.

“It was quite emotional and the perfect day.”

Maresca throws curveball with Guehi in midfield

Maresca began his time as Guardiola's replacement with a 3-0 loss to Arsenal in the Community Shield last weekend and has had to deal with the departure of star midfielder Rodri to Barcelona.

City might have found a long-term replacement for Rodri in 18-year-old Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi, who is set to join from Lille for 100 million euros ($117 million) according to French media, but Maresca opted against Bournemouth to deploy Guehi — a center back — as a holding midfielder instead.

It was a contentious decision given there were other midfield options on the bench, and it might prove to be a one-off, but Guehi grew into the role.

City striker Erling Haaland wasn't on the scoresheet in the first league game of the season for the first time since joining the club in 2022. He sported a new hairstyle — a buzz cut that went viral on social media ahead of kickoff — and wasted a couple of great chances to score with it.

Szoboszlai's late equalizer for Liverpool at Newcastle after Keegan tribute

Dominik Szoboszlai converted a penalty in the ninth minute of stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw for Liverpool at Newcastle in a match overseen by two new managers.

Before kickoff, the teams united to pay tribute to Kevin Keegan — a star player for both clubs — following his death last month at age 75. Players from Newcastle and Liverpool wore shirts with “Keegan” and the number 7 on the back in the warmup at St. James' Park, while there was a mosaic in the center circle, a tribute video and a huge tifo in the stands dedicated to the former England star.

Szoboszlai smashed an unstoppable spot kick into the top corner after debutant Victor Munoz was fouled in the area in a dramatic finish. There was a 3 1/2-minute wait for a video review of the decision.

“I really hit it good,” the Hungary captain said. “I love the pressure.”

Joe Willock looked to have scored a 57th-minute winner for Newcastle, one minute after coming on as a substitute and two minutes after Cody Gakpo had equalized for Liverpool. Anthony Elanga put Newcastle ahead in the fifth minute.

Liverpool striker Alexander Isak was jeered by Newcastle fans when he came off the team coach and then every time he touched the ball, a hangover from his switch of clubs at the start of last season.

Matthias Jaissle was taking charge of Newcastle for first time, while Andoni Iraola is Liverpool's new manager as Arne Slot's replacement.

Brighton destroys Villa

Brighton scored four goals in the opening 31 minutes and also missed a slew of great chances in a 4-0 hammering of Aston Villa in the other early game.

To make matters worse for Villa, Joao Gomes was sent off for kicking out at Brighton’s Georginio Rutter in the 40th but the visitors somehow didn’t concede any more goals.

It has been a tough offseason for Villa, with key players Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Ezri Konsa leaving and speculation surrounding the future of Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez at the club.

Brighton was sharper, having been in European qualifying action in midweek.

Fan dies

A Brighton fan died after falling ill as he was leaving the Amex stadium following the win over Villa.

The 72-year-old man became unwell as he was leaving to board a supporters’ club bus.

Brighton said that, despite the best efforts of emergency services and club staff, the medical team could not save him.

Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said “we are all shocked and saddened by the loss of one of our supporters.”

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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The Boston Musicians’ Association said Saturday it had authorized a strike ahead of the expiration of the union’s three-year contract at 11:59 p.m. Sunday. The BSO and the musicians said Sunday the contract had been extended to 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.

BSO CEO Chad Smith said Sunday that the extension had been agreed to pending a ratification vote by the BMA and the Boston Symphony Orchestra Players’ Committee.

The orchestra and management have had strained relations since BSO decided in March to force out music director Andris Nelsons next summer after 13 seasons.

The orchestra’s season is scheduled to open Sept. 17.

We hit 100° again on Sunday afternoon, marking the fourth time this week and the fifth time this summer that Houston has reached the century mark. More triple-digit temperatures are in the forecast. Combined with Houston’s humidity, afternoon heat index values will climb to between 108° and 112°. The current Heat Advisory runs through Monday evening, and I expect it will likely be extended through at least Wednesday as this dangerous heat wave continues.

Monday’s Forecast:

Monday headed for another 100° high in Houston. If temperatures heat to the triple digits, that will make six days of 100° + heat in Houston this year. Last year we had 8 100° days in Houston. The all-time record is 46 from 2011.

Late Week:

Late in the week, the strong ridge of high pressure moves west, opening the door for more Gulf moisture and a weak disturbance to increase rain chances starting Thursday. However, temperatures will remain in the upper 90s.

I’m watching cloud cover Thursday; too many clouds could obstruct the view of the partial lunar eclipse.

Here’s when Houston can catch the the lunar eclipse on August 27

Tracking the tropics:

Monitoring two areas of tropical concern in the Atlantic basin. One zone is near Bermuda and has a 40% chance of development over the next7 days.

The second area is a tropical wave moving off the coast of Africa. It now has a 50% chance of development.

10 Day Forecast:

We’re in the hottest stretch of the summer right now.

There is a small chance of rain late week, but it won’t affect temperatures.

Kyle Kirkwood raced to his second victory of the IndyCar season Sunday, dominating the Freedom 250 in his No. 27 Honda. Kirkwood crossed the finish line in front of the U.S. Capitol 3.09 seconds ahead of Christian Lundgaard, after leading for 128 of a possible 147 laps.

“This likely is the most satisfying win that I’ve had, just the magnitude of it. This one and my first are pretty similar,” said Kirkwood, who now has seven career IndyCar victories. “When you think about the magnitude, what this means, having this race here in D.C., being the Freedom 250, as an American, it might top the first win for me.”

The race was set up as part of the country’s 250th birthday celebration. President Donald Trump gave drivers the green flag at the start and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser served as grand marshal.

Organizers could hardly have asked for better weather, with plenty of sun but not so much heat that fans would stay away. The area was awash in red, white and blue. Even the Canadian flags on that country's embassy — located along the track's Pennsylvania Avenue straightaway — featured two of those three colors.

“This was not a race. It was an event," race chair Bud Denker said.

Will Power and Marcus Ericsson, Kirkwood's teammates with Andretti Global, finished third and fourth. Pole winner Alex Palou, who had a chance to clinch the series title, finished 20th in his second-worst showing of the year.

After several prerace flyovers and Trump’s green flag, the field quickly went under caution because of debris on the track. The first big wreck came when David Malukas went into the wall and Sting Ray Robb could do little to avoid crashing into him coming around a turn. Just like that, two of the race’s eight American drivers were out.

Several cars went onto pit road, and that’s when the day started to fall apart for Palou. He appeared to hit a tire in someone else’s area while exiting, and he was assessed a drive-through penalty.

On a subsequent pit stop, one of Palou’s tires was loose when he started driving. That caused another delay, and he ended up off the lead lap. Palou later spun coming through a turn. His lead in the standings dropped from 133 points over second-place Kirkwood to 91 with three races to go.

“Things happen. I'm at least kind of happy that everything happened at the same day instead of spreading out throughout different races," Palou said. “We had some issues in pit lane — one my fault, one out of my control.”

Kirkwood had a commanding lead before Palou’s spin caused a caution. On a restart with 19 laps remaining, Scott McLaughlin tried to pass Kirkwood and went into a tire barrier.

“Quite honestly, I thought he was going to make it stick initially,” Kirkwood said. “Once he got alongside me, there’s no way he’s stopping.”

After another caution, Kirkwood pulled off a strong restart with 13 laps to go and Lundgaard didn’t mount much of a threat as the 250-mile race wound down. Nicknamed the “King of the Streets” because of his success on tracks like this, Kirkwood looked right at home on the 1.7-mile circuit that was being used this weekend for the first time.

Misplaced blame?

Marcus Armstrong was penalized for avoidable contact when he sent Christian Rasmussen into a spin. Rinus VeeKay went into the wall during that incident but appeared unaware of Armstrong’s culpability when he went on TV for an interview.

“If Rasmussen’s around, you know you’re going to crash. Either he does or you do,” VeeKay said. “It sucks. It’s stupid. It’s a long race, and some people seemingly don’t know that.”

The race's future

Denker had plenty of impressive stats ready for his postrace news conference: over 215,000 people attending over the last two days, and over $969,000 in merchandise sold Saturday.

As for whether the race will continue in the future, Denker said he'll discuss it with series owner Roger Penske.

“Mr. Trump hit me 15 times today about having to have this," Denker said. “'Let’s do it for five years,' is what he’s saying, ‘because that guarantees you’re going to be here through my term, then two more years for whoever is in office next.’”

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Manchester City left it late to win in its first Premier League match under Enzo Maresca and Mohamed Salah scored his first goals for Turkish club Trabzonspor.

Julián Álvarez heard boos from the Atletico Madrid crowd in his return to action in the Spanish league after asking to leave the club, and both Juventus and AC Milan won in the Italian league.

Feyenoord's game in the Dutch league was disrupted by fireworks.

Torres' dream start with PSG in France

Torres, who joined PSG from Barcelona after scoring Spain's World Cup winning goal last month, came off the bench to score in the 71st and 82nd minutes, helping his new club avoid a second consecutive loss after a penalty shootout loss to Lens in the French Super Cup.

Both goals were assisted by Torres' Spain teammate Fabian Ruiz.

Sebastian Szymanski and Esteban Lepaul had put host Rennes ahead with first-half goals.

Earlier, Olivier Giroud, who turns 40 next month, scored from about 20 meters (yards) out as Lille won 2-0 at Angers. Midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi was left out of Lille’s squad amid reports of an imminent big-money move to Man City.

Easy win for Barcelona in La Liga

Raphinha and Fermín López scored two goals each as Barcelona cruised to a 5-0 victory at Elche.

Newcomer Karim Adeyemi also scored for Hansi Flick's team, which is looking to win a third straight La Liga title.

It was the biggest win so far in the competition this season.

Lamine Yamal appeared to be upset when he was replaced in the second half.

Maresca wins with City in Premier League

Enzo Maresca enjoyed what he called a “perfect day” as Man City rallied late to defeat Bournemouth 2-1 in its Premier League opener.

City scored twice in the final 10 minutes to grab the victory at home as Maresca debuted as Pep Guardiola's successor.

Liverpool salvaged a 2-2 draw at Newcastle thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s penalty kick in the ninth minute of stoppage time.

Brighton scored four goals in the opening 31 minutes in a 4-0 trashing of Aston Villa.

Salah gets his first goals in Turkish league

Salah scored twice as Trabzonspor beat Başakşehir 2-1.

The Egypt forward scored in the eighth and 48th minutes.

Salah signed a two-year contract with the Turkish club after a long and successful stint with Liverpool.

Fireworks interrupt Dutch league game

Feyenoord’s 5-2 win at Cambuur had to be interrupted after away fans set off fireworks that reportedly caused minor injuries to some supporters.

The Dutch soccer federation released a statement condemning the incident and saying it is “doing everything we can to track down the perpetrators and punish them severely. They can expect, among other things, a nationwide stadium ban for setting off fireworks.”

Álvarez booed by Atletico fans

Álvarez was booed by Atletico fans upset with his request to leave the club.

Álvarez came off the bench in the 67th minute of Atletico’s 2-2 draw against Villarreal at the Metropolitano stadium.

Álvarez had not played in Atletico’s first game. The club said it does not intend to sell the Argentina forward.

Giuliano Simeone scored an 85th-minute equalizer for Atletico, which played a man down from the 76th because of a red card for Robin Le Normand.

Villarreal finished third last season, just ahead of Atletico, the perennial challenger to Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Juve and Milan get off to winning starts in Italy

AC Milan opened its Serie A campaign with a 2-1 win at Torino with goals three minutes apart from Alphadjo Cisse and Adrien Rabiot in the second half.

Milan will be trying to improve from a fifth-place finish last season.

Gleison Bremer scored in the first half to give Juventus — sixth last season — an opening 1-0 win at Frosinone.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Williams and Alcaraz were drawn Sunday to face one of the teams that advances from the eight-team qualifying tournament that will be played Monday.

Williams will be returning to the U.S. Open for the first time since 2022. The six-time singles champion and Alcaraz, who has won the men's title twice, were awarded a wild card into the 16-team tournament Saturday.

The first round and quarterfinals of the mixed doubles are Tuesday, with the semifinals and final on Wednesday. The winning team shares $1 million.

Facing one of the qualifiers will be a tough assignment, because most of the players in the qualifying tournament are doubles specialists. The qualifying tournament was added this year to give those types of players a chance to compete after they were almost entirely shut out last year when the U.S. Tennis Association, seeking more star power, revamped the mixed doubles and based direct entry on the players' rankings in singles.

Two-time defending women's champion Aryna Sabalenka and 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic earned the No. 1 seed after having the lowest combined singles ranking among the teams. They will face the pair of Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe in their first match.

Americans Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz are seeded No. 2 and will open against Diana Shnaider and Casper Ruud. Ruud was scheduled to play again with Iga Swiatek, after they reached the final in 2025. But Swiatek withdrew and Schnaider needed a partner after Daniil Medvedev pulled out.

The other first-round matches: Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, who are married, vs. Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime; Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli vs. Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev; Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik vs. the other team from the qualifying tournament; Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul vs. Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien; Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev vs. two-time defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori; and Shnaider and Ruud vs. Pegula and Fritz.

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See AP’s full tennis coverage here

The supplement glutathione, given through an IV or an inhaler-like machine called a nebulizer, has not been proven to be safe or effective and could expose firefighters to illness if there is contamination while it's produced, experts say.

At least two pharmacies recalled the supplement in August due to bacterial contamination found during testing at their labs, with one saying it had received reports of people suffering from fever, chills, severe headache and other symptoms.

“Because glutathione is not an FDA-approved drug, consumers should be cautious about product safety and claims that glutathione can treat or prevent diseases,” said a safety advisory issued last week by the International Association of Firefighters, a labor union representing some 360,000 first responders.

Warning followed supplement's use during Spokane wildfires

Glutathione was offered to firefighters during recent blazes that destroyed hundreds of buildings in and around Spokane, Washington. During morning briefings, medical unit leaders on scene from California urged crews to check out a tent where a nonprofit run by licensed naturopathic doctors offered the supplement.

A group of naturopaths called The Integrative Health Action Network had previously provided the supplement to firefighters during the January 2025 wildfires that tore through Los Angeles County. The group’s work with firefighters began following a 2017 blaze that destroyed thousands of homes in California’s wine country.

Though there is no evidence to back its use, some firefighters have said the supplement helped them feel better after breathing toxic smoke and they have urged California pharmacy officials not to restrict access.

The supplement's promotion in Spokane prompted physicians and some members to contact the IAFF with concerns about health claims despite no research proving those claims or showing the supplement's safety, said Sean DeCrane, IAFF assistant to the general president for health and safety. Some doctors have warned of adverse effects.

The IAFF also received reports saying some firefighters felt worse or became sick after getting treated. Medical treatments being marketed to firefighters should be evaluated and tested to make sure there are no unintended consequences, DeCrane said.

In response to the safety advisory, Jen Riegle, a naturopathic doctor and co-founder of The Integrative Health Action Network, said the organization recognizes the need for peer-reviewed research on whether glutathione can reduce chemical burdens in firefighters and is “actively exploring partnerships to that end.”

How inhaling wildfire smoke harms the body

More studies are showing the wide-ranging negative health impacts of inhaling wildfire smoke, which is especially toxic when blazes tear through urban areas and burn up household appliances, batteries and chemicals. Tens of thousands of people die annually in the U.S. from long-term impacts of wildfire smoke.

Firefighters work in extreme conditions that make it impractical to use a respirator with an air tank. That means they are exposed to a “slew of chemicals” that have short- and long-term impacts on their health, DeCrane said.

Pasadena Fire Captain Matt Caffey, also a paramedic for 28 years, helped fight last year’s Eaton fire in Southern California and said the smoke exposure from burning neighborhoods brings on coughing, vomiting and brain fog.

“You can’t remember things. You’re just so behind the eight ball. You can’t catch up. You’re not recovering,” he said.

Caffey is among the firefighters who say glutathione helps, and he urged Integrative Health Action Network providers to come to Spokane. The California Board of Pharmacy in 2025 reversed course on regulations that would have made the supplement more difficult to acquire after pushback from some firefighters.

Experts say health claims are not backed by evidence

Experts warn anecdotal claims of relief are not proof.

Such claims are “interesting and provocative and deserve further study,” said Dr. Cora Sack, a pulmonary specialist with expertise in environmental and occupational lung disease at the University of Washington School of Medicine. But “we lack clinical evidence of its efficacy.”

Glutathione is an antioxidant made primarily in the liver that neutralizes other unstable molecules that attack the body and cause cellular damage. Wildfire smoke creates oxidative stress in the body, and there is an “interesting biological plausibility” to think antioxidants could impact that, Sack said. But she does not endorse glutathione’s use without clear evidence.

Taking glutathione through a nebulizer may constrict the airways of people who have asthma or chronic lung conditions. Glutathione is processed in sterile compounding pharmacies, and there have been cases of people getting poisoned due to contamination at these facilities, Sack said.

Injecting a contaminated product “could cause significant medical events including fevers, hypotension, inflammatory reactions, anaphylactic shock and death,” according to the recent pharmacy recalls.

Luke Montrose, a professor at Colorado State University whose research focuses in part on the impact of wildfire smoke on disease risk, said glutathione has anti-inflammatory properties.

“But because it hasn’t been studied, I’m hesitant,” he said.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday is expected to announce the new measures after the U.S. vowed to impose an “unprecedented” level of economic warfare and isolation on a country that has lived for decades under sanctions. Also Monday, Pakistan’s army chief is expected to visit Iran as mediators try to revive talks.

Meanwhile, attacks calmed on the Strait of Hormuz but posturing did not, as a recently created Iranian authority listed dozens of vessels it said will face restrictions on future transits.

Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Sunday. Full coverage can be found here.

Iran’s security chief sharpens warning to neighbors

The hard-line leader of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, issued his latest warning on X, with the comments quickly shared by Iranian state media.

It came a day after Rezaei's most extensive public comments since being named to the post this month.

“If (Trump) wants to do something, we will retaliate in a seismic manner,” he had told the state broadcaster in an interview that aired late Saturday. He said Iran would target other oil-shipping routes from the Persian Gulf — alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz.

Rezaei, a former Revolutionary Guard commander and military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was part of senior appointments widely seen as hardening Tehran’s political and military stance.

Iranian president wants to move past ‘neither war nor peace’

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier Sunday said the memorandum of understanding signed in mid-June was the best way to move beyond a situation of “neither war nor peace," adding that Tehran can’t attract investment nearly six months after the war began.

“There is not a single provision in this agreement that amounts to capitulation,” Pezeshkian said in a speech published by state-run IRNA. “The supreme leader sets the policies, and we will follow that path.”

The interim deal opened a 60-day period for talks aimed at ending the war and reaching an accord on Iran's nuclear program. That period ended last week with no signs of compromise or extension.

No attacks confirmed on the strait, but new restrictions

There were no confirmed attacks in the Strait of Hormuz over the past 48 hours, a multinational coalition overseen by the U.S. Navy said Sunday, with shipping traffic still at reduced levels. The U.S. military said its blockade of Iranian ports had redirected 70 commercial ships and disabled three as of Sunday.

Iran's recently created Persian Gulf Strait Authority, sanctioned by the U.S., published a list of dozens of ships it said had violated arrangements for transiting the strait and would face future restrictions like fines or seizures. The strait had been considered an international waterway before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28.

Iran and Oman, on the strait's other side, are now discussing management of it, which likely will include ships paying fees.

Pakistan's army chief will visit Tehran

Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir will lead a delegation to Tehran on Monday, Iranian state television reported, citing Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei.

Two regional officials said the visit was part of Islamabad’s efforts to de-escalate tensions between the United States and Iran and urge them to return to the negotiating table. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

— By Munir Ahmed in Islamabad

Iran executes man arrested during January protests

The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported the latest execution connected to nationwide protests early this year, saying Majid Adineh was arrested Jan. 9 in Mohammadshahr, west of Tehran.

The judiciary said forensic examinations indicated the handgun found on him had been fired on Jan. 8 and 9. Mizan said Adineh had joined the unrest following calls by groups opposed to Iran’s government and alleged that he had received training from groups outside the country. He was convicted under Iran’s law imposing harsher penalties for espionage and cooperation with hostile states.

Israeli settler arrested in beating of Palestinian amputee

Police arrested a 16-year-old boy from the Israeli settlement of Avigayil in the beating of a 61-year-old Palestinian, Saeed Muhammad Ibrahim Rabah, outside his home in the occupied West Bank, a year after he lost a leg after being shot by a settler.

Rabah told The Associated Press that the violence at his home in Khirbet al-Rakeez on Saturday was an effort to make families leave, but “we will remain, no matter what happens.”

Separately, the West Bank Health Ministry said a 14-year-old in the Askar refugee camp in Nablus was shot dead by Israeli forces, who did not immediately comment. The uncle of Islam Maher Ajouri, Nehad Ajouri, called the shooting indiscriminate.

And Israel's military said it detained a suspect in a stabbing attack that wounded a 24-year-old Israeli man in the area of al-Auja in the West Bank. Israel's emergency services said the man was in moderate condition.

Airstrike in Gaza kills a 4-year-old child

Four-year-old Mohammed Taha died after an Israeli airstrike hit a central Gaza house on Sunday and wounded at least five others, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the casualties.

Israel's military later said it struck and killed a Hamas commander in central Gaza. The hospital confirmed that the man named, Ismail Abu Ful, was killed.

An Israeli strike in southern Gaza wounded at least seven people, including three children, according to health officials at Nasser Hospital. The military did not immediately comment.

And Defense Minister Israel Katz in a statement said he instructed the military to “act immediately and forcefully” to prevent launches of balloons, kites or drones from Gaza toward nearby Israeli communities.

Before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led militants on Israel — when 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage — burning kites and balloons were sent from Gaza into southern Israel, causing fires and other damage.

Hamas in a statement Sunday accused Israel of “using children’s toys as a pretext” for attacks and further displacement of Gaza residents.

Tensions escalated late Friday when Canada walked away from negotiations after Carney concluded the United States was demanding too much in exchange for tariff relief. The U.S. imposed 50% duties Saturday on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, and Carney announced dollar-for-dollar retaliation beginning Sept. 8.

“We’re going to hit back,” Carney said.

Carney is doing what many other American allies have so far avoided: risking economic pain rather than yielding to tariff pressure.

For Carney, the showdown is the clearest test yet of his argument that middle powers must stand up to economic pressure from great powers such as the United States and China, even when it comes at a cost. Canada’s response could show how countries navigate a world in which long-standing alliances offer less protection and economic ties themselves become sources of leverage.

It could also shape how Carney is viewed at home and abroad, and how other U.S. allies respond to the Republican president.

The trade dispute also has become a test of sovereignty.

Carney said Washington introduced language in the final hours of negotiations that would have restricted Canada’s ability to make trade deals with other countries. He said that demand was “unacceptable” and “a question of sovereignty.”

British Columbia Premier David Eby said accepting such a condition would have reduced Canada “to the economic equivalent of the 51st state” — a status Trump has mused about often.

Canada becomes a test case for the world Carney warned about

Carney’s message resonated in January when he addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as Europe braced for Trump’s threats over Greenland and new tariffs.

Carney said the international order was undergoing “a rupture, not a transition.” He argued that sovereignty would depend increasingly on a country’s ability to “withstand pressure” and warned that middle powers negotiating alone with great powers do so from weakness.

Trump responded a day later by stressing Canada’s dependence on the United States. “ Canada lives because of the United States,” he said. “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

The president has repeatedly talked about making Canada the 51st U.S. state and dismissed the allies' border as artificial. On Sunday, Trump returned to that theme, writing on Truth Social that “Canada wants the benefits of being a State, without being one!!!” and accusing Canada of charging U.S. farmers “massive amounts” of tariffs for years. “No more!!!” he wrote.

Seven months since Davos, Canada has become a test case for the world Carney described.

“Our government understood, before many, that America would transform all its commercial relationships,” Carney said Saturday. He accused Washington of using “economic integration as a weapon” and said its “signature was written in pencil.”

The price of resistance and will Canada show the way?

Historian Robert Bothwell said Canada is uniquely vulnerable to U.S. pressure.

“No country is more exposed than Canada,” Bothwell said. “Other countries have to fear American misbehavior, but none as much as Canada.”

Bothwell said success ultimately means Canada retaining its independence “in the face of Trump’s desire to subordinate it and absorb it.” He said Carney "sees that very well.”

But Canada’s dependence on the U.S. market makes that difficult.

Nearly three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the United States, whose economy is roughly 10 times larger. Canada can sign new trade agreements, but replacing customers and supply chains built around the enormous U.S. market over decades is considerably harder.

Carney acknowledged retaliation would “raise costs and reduce choice for Canadians.”

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer rejected Canada’s account of the breakdown in talks, saying Ottawa introduced new demands and backed away from commitments even after Washington offered to reduce tariffs on steel, autos, lumber and other goods.

He said the United States was moving ahead with additional measures in response to Canada’s retaliation, raising the prospect of further escalation.

The European Union prepared retaliatory tariffs against the United States last year but repeatedly suspended them while negotiating with Washington.

Nelson Wiseman, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Toronto, said Canada is providing the biggest test yet of whether Carney’s strategy can work and whether resistance by one middle power could change the calculations of others.

“Will there be a domino effect? We’ll see,” Wiseman said.

Carney’s defiance also drew notice in Europe. Former Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, who later served as the European Union’s economy commissioner, shared video of Carney’s Saturday remarks on social media and wrote, “Here is a speech I would like to hear in Europe.”

Carney tries to hold the line as anger grows among Canadians toward Trump

Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, said Americans underestimate how angry Canadians are with the Trump administration.

“Taking a hard line in response to U.S. policy perceived as predatory — even with major economic cost to Canada — is popular among most Canadians,” he said in a social media post.

The confrontation is also reviving calls to shun U.S. goods. Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette urged residents to buy local, calling it “a nationalistic action” and “an action of solidarity.”

That anger again spilled into sports over the weekend. Fans in Vancouver and Montreal booed the U.S. national anthem before Major League Soccer matches Saturday, echoing similar scenes early in the trade war last year.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Canadians should be prepared for a prolonged confrontation and that Trump could emerge weaker after the U.S. midterm elections in November.

“He’s got two more years left in office. We should be prepared to duke it out for two years, and then hopefully, sanity will return,” Kinew said.

Carney has framed the confrontation as a test of whether Canada can preserve its independence under U.S. pressure.

“Last spring, I warned that America is trying to break us so that they can own us,” Carney said Saturday. “And I promised: ‘That will never, ever happen.’ We are keeping that promise.”

Indonesia has been battling fires driven by an intensifying El Nino pattern and a prolonged dry season, generating dense smoke that crossed into Malaysia, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency, or BNPB.

Fires are a regular problem in the country and often strain relations with neighbors.

Plantation owners and traditional farmers often start fires to clear land for farming, said Mohammad Irhamni, director of special crimes at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency.

The arson suspects were being investigated in connection with 89 forest and land fire cases across five provinces on the island of Borneo and four on Sumatra, Irhamni said.

He said most of the suspects were accused of deliberately burning land to clear areas for plantations at lower cost. Investigators were still tracing financial records to determine whether companies financed or ordered the land clearing, signaling the probe could expand beyond those arrested.

“We will not stop at the perpetrators on the ground,” Irhami said in a news conference Sunday in the capital, Jakarta. “We will determine who benefited from these activities and who was ultimately behind them.”

The suspects face charges that carry penalties ranging from hefty fines to prison terms of up to 15 years, he said.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto flew on Saturday to Central Kalimantan province, where more than 7,600 hectares (18,700 acres) have burned, to encourage authorities to get the haze cloud under control.

Prabowo promised government resources required to contain the fires, including helicopters and water pumps, and vowed to hold accountable any companies found to have contributed to the fires.

“I hope we can control this soon,” Prabowo said during the visit. “We have experienced worse forest and land fires in the past, and we were able to overcome them.”

Accompanying the president was Prasetyo Hadi, the head of State Secretariat. He said at least four companies in West Kalimantan province are under investigation for allegedly using fire to clear land. If they are proven to have intentionally set the fires, they could face sanctions, including the revocation of their operating permits, he added.

Smoke from the fires on Sunday blanketed parts of Borneo, the world’s third-largest island shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Indonesia administers about three-quarters of the island, where the country’s Environment Ministry recorded more than 3,700 hot spots on Sunday.

BNPB chief Suharyanto said fire activity had increased in West, Central and South Kalimantan provinces on Borneo, where many blazes worsen due to peatlands, prolonging the dangerous haze in several areas.

Fires that appear "extinguished on the surface may still contain embers underneath, so sufficient rainfall is crucial to rewet the peat and fully suppress the fires,” said Suharyanto, who, like many Indonesians, uses a single name.

The western island of South Sumatra also battled fires, with more than 1,700 hot spots detected on Sunday, causing a choked haze cloud and reducing visibility to only 10 meters (33 feet) in some areas, the ministry said.

Cloud-seeding resumed over Kalimantan on Sunday, with 30 helicopters for water-bombing and aerial patrol missions, and another 22 helicopters covering Sumatra.

Meanwhile, Malaysia has suffered severe smoke from the fires, with its eastern state of Sarawak among the hardest hit. One district recorded “very unhealthy” air quality on Friday, while eight others posted unhealthy readings, prompting the closure of nearly 600 schools and affecting about 200,000 students, the Sarawak government said.

Friday, August 21

• Antico Casa from Antico Pizza brings frozen Neapolitan-style pies to Houston (Aug. 20–23)
• • Antico Fine Food
• Donald and Lisa Pliner share their love story, fashion journey and legacy
• • The Selling of One’s Sole
• Kandi Burruss brings one-woman show “I Do, I Did, I’m Done,” to Houston
• • “I Do, I Did, I’m Done” Tickets
• Houston’s Starduster Lounge puts its spin on the viral martini trend
• • Starduster Lounge
• Next Level Urgent Care

Thursday, August 20

• Houston author Mariah Kingsley brings a fresh perspective to romance stories
• • “Fractured” on Amazon
• Labor Day Getaways: Vail Peaks, Coastal Sun in Corpus Christi and Tennessee’s Real-Deal Travel
• • Visit Corpus Christi
  • Discover Vail
  • Tennessee Vacation Instagram
  • Travel Expert, Jeanenne Tornatore | The Outside Insider
• Easy Back-to-School Lunches Kids Will Actually Eat, Recipes & Packing Tips
• • My Diary of Us Lunchbox Guide

Wednesday, August 19

• Houston humidity, meet your match: Simple tips for frizz-free hair
• • Frequency Salon
• Mambo Seafood
• Meet Fariha Nasir the interior designer crafting spaces that tell stories
• • Fariha Nasir Pennies for a Fortune
• Actors Jeff Daniels and Jared Harris take us inside ‘The Brink of War’
• • The Brink of War

Tuesday, August 18

• What do school accountability ratings really tell us? Local non-profit Good Reason Houston breaks it down
• • Good Reason Houston
• How the UH Mariachi Pumas continue to bring Mariachi to a new generation
• • Follow UH Mariachi Pumas on Instagram
  • Houston Theater Week Presented by Huntington Bank
• How 80s supermodel Kim Alexis is living her best life after 55
• • Kim Alexis
• Clear the Shelters is back: Houston pets are ready for homes
• Next Level Urgent Care

Monday, August 17

• For one Katy grandfather, an 11,000-mile motorcycle ride is about more than the road
• • Do What You Love to End ALZ program
  • Follow Scott “Sugar Bear” Brown on YouTube
• Houston hip-hop legend Willie D is inviting everyone to his big 60th birthday party
• • The Roast of Willie D: Cooked by Legends Tickets
• Personalized Dental Implants: Dr. Michel Azer on restoring smiles in Houston
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, August 14

• Enter to win a getaway for two from The Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau
• With love, from Fredericksburg! How the visitor bureau can help plan your stay
• • Visit Fredericksburg
• History, wine and Texas Charm at Das Peach Haus in Fredericksburg
• • Das Peach Haus
  • Dietz Distillery
  • Fischer & Wieser
• Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
• Step inside history at Fredericksburg’s National Museum of the Pacific War
• • National Museum of the Pacific War
• Make the most of your trip to Texas Hill Country with the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest
• • Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival
  • K Estate Winery & Vineyards
• Dot’s Bakery
• Albert Hotel

Thursday, August 13

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Disco, roller skates and 1980s fun: The Garden Theatre brings the musical world of ‘Xanadu’ to the stage
• • The Garden Theatre’s “Xanadu”
• Melanie Lynskey chats new Netflix film ‘Don’t Say Good Luck’
• • Netflix’s Don’t Say Good Luck
• Houston Dynamo FC celebrates 20 years of its 2006 MLS Cup Championship
• • Houston Dynamo FC
• Next Level Urgent Care

Wednesday, August 12

• Get ready for mystery: ‘The Girl on the Train’ now on stage at Alley Theatre
• • Alley Theatre’s “The Girl on the Train” tickets
• Water heater warning signs Houston homeowners shouldn’t ignore
• • Mission AC & Plumbing
• Humble’s Cris Sosa advances to AGT live shows after hilarious cereal comedy set
• • Comedian Cris Sosa
  • NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”
• Kenny and Ziggy’s owner Ziggy Gruber whips up traditional Jewish kugel for National Deli Month
• • Kenny & Ziggy’s

Tuesday, August 11

• Houston Theater Week is almost here! Here’s how to snag BOGO tickets to 400+ shows
• • Houston Theater Week Presented by Huntington Bank
• Back-to-School Anxiety: What Parents Need to Know
• • Houston Christian University
• How the DiIorio family is celebrating 70 years of family, farming and community
• • DiIorio Farms
• Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly talk love, loyalty and drama of ‘Ransom Canyon’ Season 2
• • Ransom Canyon on Netflix

Monday, August 10

• Clear the Shelters is back: Houston pets are ready for homes
• Eclipse cruises take off: The Travel Mom on why astro‑tourism is booming with Princess Cruises
• • The Travel Mom
  • Princess Cruises
• Bear Grylls takes the cast of ‘The Chosen’ Into the Wild in new Prime Video series
• • Prime Video’s “The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls”
• Next Level Urgent Care
• These women athletes from Afghanistan escaped Taliban rule. Now the players of Houston Shine FC find joy in soccer again
• • Houston Shine FC

Friday, August 7

• Houston’s Pink Phurree dragon boat team heads to France to celebrate breast cancer survivorship
• • Pink Phurree Dragon Boat Team
• Now playing: Queensbury Theatre’s brand new production of Mean Girls The Musical
• • Queensbury Theatre’s ‘Mean Girls The Musical’
• 12-year-old Houston golfer Alaina Villarreal makes her debut on Stephen Curry’s UNDERRATED Golf Tour
• • UNDERRATED Golf Tour
  • Alaina Villareal
• Protein-packed rice for easy weeknight meals with SunRice Protein+
• • SunRice

Thursday, August 6

• Kenny and Ziggy’s owner Ziggy Gruber whips up traditional Jewish kugel for National Deli Month
• • Kenny & Ziggy’s
• Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey brings ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’ to Houston
• • Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents The Greatest Show On Earth
• Houston City College Is Where Art Meets Innovation
• • Houston City College
• Find Calm at the Coast: Travel Mom Emily Kaufman Celebrates ‘Spa Weekend’ at Terranea Resort
• • The Travel Mom
  • Travel Guard’s Spa Weekend Getaway Sweepstakes

Wednesday, August 5

• It’s National Sandwich Month: Husband-wife duo behind Yuma brings Brazilian flavor to a Cuban classic
• • Yuma
• WWE Superstar Trick Williams previews Survivor Series: WarGames coming to Houston
• • WWE Survivor Series: Wargames
• Ready to dance? Houston Rockets Clutch City Dancers to hold open auditions
• • Clutch City Dancers open Auditions
• Next Level Urgent Care

Tuesday, August 4

• Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly talk love, loyalty and drama of ‘Ransom Canyon’ Season 2
• • Ransom Canyon on Netflix
• Houston’s own Cris Sosa competes on NBC’s ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 21
• • Comedian Cris Sosa
  • NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”
• Gexa Energy marks 25 Years by volunteering with Meals on Wheels, The Beacon and Houston Habitat for Humanity ReStore
• • Gexa Energy
• Brassica Shares the vegan secret behind its signature chocolate chip cookie
• • Brassica
• Master P Brings Hip-Hop History to Houston With Cash Money and No Limit Reunion Tour
• • Cash Money & No Limit Tour

Monday, August 3

• Houston students and teachers share their work beyond the classroom in new exhibition “The Sequence Is Yours”
• • Contemporary Arts Museum Houston‘s ‘The Sequence Is Yours’ Exhibition
• Sip, savor and celebrate Labor Day Weekend at the Galveston Island Wine Festival
• • Celebrity Chef Brian Duffy serves up a preview of the Galveston Island Wine Festival
  • Moody Gardens Galveston Island Wine Festival
• Modern dental implants give Houston patients natural, comfortable smiles
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, July 31

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• ‘Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live: Glow-N-Fire’ brings high-octane family fun to Houston
• • Hot Wheels Monster Truck Live Glow-N-Fire at Toyota Center
• There’s a story behind every building: Take a tour of Downtown Houston with Preservation Houston
• • Preservation Houston

Thursday, July 30

• Meet the twin sisters who turned their cheesecake passion into a successful business
• • KK Cheesecakes
• How HCU’s high-tech simulation lab is preparing nursing students for in-demand jobs
• • Houston Christian University Linda R. Dunham School of Nursing
• Gexa Energy marks 25 Years by volunteering with Meals on Wheels and The Beacon
• • Gexa Energy
• Garbage Girlfriend

Wednesday, July 29

• Houston Shakespeare Festival is back at Miller Outdoor Theatre with a reimagined lead in “The Tempest”
• • Houston Shakespeare Festival
• In the CLASSROOM with Kroger: How they’re helping parents and kids start the school year happy, healthy, and prepared
• • KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to win a $250 Kroger gift card!
  • Kroger
• Happy National Lipstick Day! Here’s the lowdown on choosing a matte, glossy, or satin pigment 💄
• • Makeup Artist Darcie Teasley
• Tony Danza is coming to Houston this week, here is where to see him
• • Doc’s Houston Presents Tony Danza - “Standards and Stories”

Monday, July 27

• Back-to-school safety: What kids should know and what parents should watch for in case of a school emergency
• • CPR and Safety Lady Gail Gould
  • Back to School Safety Webinar with CPR and Safety Lady Gail Gould
• Anaheim: The Urban Basecamp You Didn’t Know You Needed In Southern California
• • Gabe Saglie The Travel Guy
• Houston students turn thousands of plastic bags into an award-winning business
• • Plastic Free July
  • Next Use
• Allied Outdoor Solutions

Friday, July 24

• Houston celebrates Art House Theater Day with a “Car Wash” screening and preshow party
• • Houston Art House Theater Day
• The best tacos in Texas arrive in Houston this weekend + Texas Monthly Taco Editor‘s spicy gig getting paid to eat tacos
• • 2026 Texas Monthly Taco Fest South
  • Huncho’s Tacos
• BISSELL Pet Foundation Empty the Shelters
• Rosenberg Animal Control and Shelter

Thursday, July 23

• Meet the Houston Rig Hands: The city’s pro 3-on-3 basketball team 🏀🏀
• • Follow Houston Rig Hands on Instagram
  • BIG3 Playing at Toyota Center Tickets
• Houston City College’s Coleman Campus: Training the next generation of health care workers
• • Houston City College
• Vic Mignogna on Anime Matsuri, Star Trek & life with Dominique Sachse
• • Follow Vic Mignogna on Instagram
  • Anime Matsuri

Wednesday, July 22

• 16th annual Mayor’s Back 2 School & Health Fair brings free supplies, screenings to Houston families
• • Mayor’s Back to School & Health Fair
• Tips for Planning the Perfect Summer Getaway
• • Travel Expert, Jeanenne Tornatore | The Outside Insider
  • Marriott Bonvoy
  • Official Guide to Breckenridge
• Celebrate National Tequila Day at Zanti Cucina Italiana in River Oaks
• • Zanti Cucina Italiana
• Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman heading to Houston for blues experience
• • Performing Arts Houston Presents “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience”

Tuesday, July 21

• How CenterPoint Energy says they’re building a stronger, more resilient electric grid
• • CenterPoint Energy Action Center
• NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior”
• Ox St. Kitchen
• Ivan Chavez Chavos BBQ
• The world’s fragrance community comes together at FRAGCON in Houston
• • Global Fragrance Convention

Monday, July 20

• Houston’s Girl Gone Grilling shares her buffalo chicken stuffed garlic bread
• • Katherine Salom “Girl Gone Grilling”
• Powerhouse performer Christina Wells, now in a wheelchair, is still lighting up Houston stages
• • Christina Wells
• When a smile needs more than veneers: one Houston patient’s transformation
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, July 17

• Hidden Omakase serves up a Summer favorite while continuing its comeback story
• • Hidden Omakase
• East Houston Medical Center works to improve access to health care in the community
• • East Houston Medical Center
• “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
• 13th Annual Ohana Surf Dogs Competition

Thursday, July 16

• 93Q’s Cowboys & Angels Concert Brings Country Stars to Houston
• • 93Q’s Cowboys & Angels
• Here’s Blue Willow Bookshop’s summer reading picks you need to add to your TBR
• • Blue Willow Bookshop
• UniverSoul Circus brings big top thrills to Houston Life
• • UniverSoul Circus

Wednesday, July 15

• Llamas, haunted houses, and mermaids?! Houston realtor Noel Collier talks HGTV’S ‘Extreme Buyers Club’
• • HGTV’s ‘Extreme Buyers Club’
  • Noel Collier Group
• Protect Yourself After a Crash: What to Do If You’re Illegally Solicited
• • The Miller Law Firm, home of The Texas Bulldog
• Skip the oven and beat the summer heat with this no-bake chocolate raspberry tart
• • Florence Jackson
• Raising Cane’s and the Norris family to honor Chuck Norris’ legacy on National Chicken Finger Day
• • Raising Canes

Tuesday, July 14

• Casa de Cultura turns a Houston gallery into a living archive one family story at a time
• • Photographer Violeta Álvarez
  • FreshArts
• The late Chuck Norris continues to empower kids through Kickstart Kids martial arts program
• • Kickstart Kids
  • Raising Canes
• Protein-Packed Plates: Casa do Brasil, Los Tios and a High Protein Bowl with Tanji Patton of Goodtaste TV
• • Goodtaste for the Soul with Tanji Patton

Monday, July 13

• Remembering the iconic artist David Adickes on his 99th birthday and his lasting legacy in Houston
• • David Adickes Art
• Spend the Summer at Moody Gardens: Animal encounters, weekly themes, and how to register
• • Moody Gardens
• There’s a story behind every building: Take a tour of Downtown Houston with Preservation Houston
• • Preservation Houston
• Celebrate 713 Day with Houston Rap Legend Lil’ Keke
• • Follow Lil Keke on Instagram
• Best places and deals around Houston to celebrate 713 Day

Friday, July 10

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Houston Hula Academy brings the spirit of Polynesia to Houston Life
• • Houston Hula Academy
  • Drums of the Pacific
• A car lover’s dream! Where to see life-size Hot Wheels cars in the Houston area
• • Hot Wheels Legends Tour
• Fire Up The Grill: Easy Grilling for a Crowd
• • III Catering
• Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Thursday, July 9

• Meet the Houston 6-year-old golfer makes national tournament history
• • Ascend Golf Academy
• Fort Bend County Fair Celebrates 90 Years with Pat Green, Sawyer Brown and a Star-Studded 2026 Lineup
• • Fort Bend County Fair
• Houston City College: College that fits your schedule
• • Houston City College
• Goode Company Seafood celebrates 40 years
• Goode Company Seafood x Texas Parks and Wildlife

Wednesday, July 8

• Fort Bend County Fair
• Fung’s Kitchen
• East Houston Medical Center hosts free FIFA World Cup 2026™ watch parties and a chance to win a free trip to the final
• • East Houston Medical Center
• Houston’s Ensemble Theatre marks 50th anniversary with premieres, revivals and, honoring the past
• • The Ensemble Theatre
• Stars of Netflix’s ‘Little House on the Prairie’ chat reimagining the iconic story
• • Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie

Tuesday, July 7

• KPRC 2 Insider
• Inside the New Era of Fitness: How 24 Hour Fitness Is Rethinking the Modern Gym
• • 24 Hour Fitness
• Cosmic Ice Cream and Trill Burgers teaming up for National Ice Cream day
• • Cosmic Ice Cream
  • Trill Burgers
• Houston Ballet’s Dance 2 Thrive program brings movement, music and wellness to the Community
• • Houston Ballet
  • Dance 2 Thrive registration form

Monday, July 6

• Why Trae Tha Truth Keeps Turning His Birthday Into Houston’s Biggest Give-Back
• • Traeday 2026
• PopUp Bagels lands in Houston — grip, rip and dip your way to a viral bagel
• • PopUp Bagels
• When a smile needs more than veneers: one Houston patient’s transformation
• • Texas Dental Implant Center
• Your Bucket List Guide
• Flora Houston
• Make this at home! The Two-Ingredient Cocktail Popping Up Around Houston During the FIFA World Cup 26™
• • Bucanita by Buchanan’s

Thursday, July 2

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• These women athletes from Afghanistan escaped Taliban rule. Now the players of Houston Shine FC find joy in soccer again
• • Houston Shine FC
• ‘Read With Jenna’ debuts cozy Book Nook aboard MSC Seascape sailing from Galveston
• • ‘Read with Jenna’
• Keep Kids Safe Around Water: Expert Guidance on Supervision and Drowning Prevention
• • Bivona Law Firm
• New Sprouts in Kingwood Is Here | And Yes, You Can Sample Just About Anything
• • Sprouts Farmers Market

Wednesday, July 1

• Celebrate America’s 250th with Houston Life’s special Fourth of July Show
• • Houston Christian University’s Independence Hall
  • Baytown’s Fourth of July Festivities
  • PBS’s Annual A Capitol Fourth celebration
  • Houston Zoo
  • Blue Bell Creameries
• LIST: Fourth of July fireworks, parades, celebrations across Greater Houston

Tuesday, June 30

• This Thai-inspired hot dog brings new flavor to your Fourth of July cookout
• • MaKiin Concepts Hospitality Group
• Firework Safety | Cy-Fair Fire Department, TX
• United Against Human Trafficking
• Houston native shares how being stranded at sea during COVID inspired a documentary, memoir and mission to help others
• • Angela Harger Productions
• 5 Things Houston Homeowners Should Know Before the Next Power Outage
• • GenPro.com

Monday, June 29

• Meet the cast of ‘Young Washington’ ahead of the film’s July 3rd release
• • ‘Young Washington’
• From Houston to American homes: Good Ranchers celebrates America’s 250th with homegrown meat
• • Good Ranchers
• New Zealand by train: Scenic journeys, culture and food
• • Gabe Saglie The Travel Guy
• Gexa Energy gives back: Make-A-Wish reveal brings joy to local child
• • Gexa Energy
• Hands-on training at Houston City College prepares students for high-demand careers
• • Houston City College

Friday, June 26

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Best Friends Animal Society hosts a free pet adoption event this Saturday
• • RSVP to Best Friends “Bring Love Home” Adoption Event
• Houston’s own Tyce Green stars in Disney’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’
• • Houston Broadway Theatre’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
• Stay connected with reliable internet during hurricane season
• • Ezee Fiber
• Better STAAR scores, bigger goals: Here’s why Good Reason Houston focuses on a path to a living wage
• • Good Reason Houston
• Baytown Is Going Big for the Fourth of July
• • Visit Baytown
• Rodney Atkins

Thursday, June 25

• Best Friends Animal Society hosts a free pet adoption event this Saturday
• • RSVP to Best Friends “Bring Love Home” Adoption Event
  • Best Friends Houston
• A New Sprouts Farmers Market Has Opened in Webster—Here’s What You’ll Find Inside
• • Sprouts Farmers Market
• Why this financial expert says small business success starts with financial organization
• • Aragon Tax Return Services
• Mattress expert links poor sleep to serious health risks
• • Texas Mattress Makers

Wednesday, June 24

• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo announces historic agriculture complex benefitting Texas youth
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Vegan recipes to add to your summer cookout menu
• • Dr. Chinwe Orabuchi
• Could your roof be hiding storm damage: What Houston homeowners should know
• • Adams Roofing
• Companion Energy brings ‘Energy that Cares’ to the Houston Humane Society
• • Companion Energy
• Travel Mom Emily Kaufman says now’s the time to book Australia
• • Travel Mom
  • Visit Sydney
  • Visit South Wales

Tuesday, June 23

• Houston Life goes LIVE from new IKEA Webster ahead of Grand Opening
• • KPRC 2 Insiders, Enter for a chance to win IKEA gift cards!
  • IKEA
  • IKEA Webster: Friends and Family Shopping Event

Monday, June 22

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Family-owned restaurant Foreign Grill shares Uzbek flavors ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ match
• • Follow Foreign Grill on Instagram
• Prime Day Picks to upgrade your home
• • Home Improvement Expert, Kathryn Emery | Be The Best Home
• Meet the Houston skincare brand embracing beef tallow with no frills and all the beneficial ingredients
• • NutréLux Beauty
• Future-Proof Careers: Celebrating the HVAC Technicians Who Keep Houston Cool
• • Fortis College
• Why cruises are the hottest ticket this summer - expert tips & where to go
• • Carnival Cruises
  • Travel Expert, Jeanenne Tornatore | The Outside Insider

Thursday, June 18

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to win a $250 Kroger gift card!
• • Kroger
• The South Dakota Road Trip You Didn’t Know You Needed
• • Your Bucket List Guide
  • Travel South Dakota
• Hands-on training at Houston City College Southeast prepares students for high-demand careers
• • Houston City College
• Stay connected with reliable internet during hurricane season
• • Ezee Fiber

Wednesday, June 17

• WANTED: An audience ready to laugh at the Texas Outlaw Comics tonight at Houston Improv
• • Texas Outlaw Comics
• The cast of Netflix’s ‘I Will Find You’ talks bringing the bestselling thriller to life
• • Netflix’s Harlan Coben’s “I Will Find You”
• Saunawelt opens Houston’s first public European sauna house
• • Saunawelt
• Village Plumbing, Air & Electric shares summer safety tips as company celebrates 80 Years of servicing Houston
• • Village Plumbing

Tuesday, June 16

• ‘Heart & Hustle: Houston’ Star Muneera Page opens up about fame, friendship and season two
• • OWN’s “Heart & Hustle: Houston”
• Looking for a Father’s Day activity? See more than 100 exotic cars at Velocité in Houston
• • Velocité – A Father’s Day Tradition in Motion
• AEW Star Thunder Rosa balances two wrestling worlds while inspiring fans to chase their dreams
• • All Elite Wrestling at Smart Financial Centre
  • Follow Thunder Rosa on Instagram
• Transform your outdoor space with Carvestone - Plus, a chance to win $5,000 in outdoor furniture
• • 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”
• How Houston Habitat for Humanity is helping families build generational wealth
• • 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

SEEN ON HL 2025 ARCHIVE

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But you’re not alone. A few simple habits and styling tips can help keep your hair soft, shiny and frizz-free.

Toni Solinas and Lonnie Cole, owners of Frequency Salon in Clear Lake, shared their go-to tips to tame that frizz and keep your locks looking their best — no matter what the Houston weather brings.

Keep the frizz in check with simple hair habits

According to hair experts Solinas and Cole, these simple changes can make all the difference:

• Use a shower head filter. It can help reduce heavy metals and chlorine in your water, keeping hair softer and shinier.
• Watch out for avobenzone. This ingredient, often found in sunscreen, can cause extensions and highlighted hair to turn orange and can be difficult to remove. When possible, opt for a mineral sunscreen instead.
• Shampoo twice, then condition. The first shampoo loosens dirt and oil, while the second wash gives hair a deeper cleanse. Let conditioner sit for two to five minutes before rinsing.
• Don’t skip leave-in products. Leave-in conditioners, creams, gels and mousses can help add moisture and control frizz.
• Never sleep with wet hair. Hair is more fragile when it’s wet, and this is especially important if you have extensions. Sleeping with wet extensions can also lead to mildew.
• Use dry shampoo as a primer. Applying dry shampoo before styling can help prolong your look and keep curls from falling.

Keep your hair smooth with these styling tips

Once your hair is clean and hydrated, it’s all about how you style it.

• Always use heat protectant. Apply it before using a flat iron or other hot tools, and keep your heat as low as possible. Finer hair textures generally need less heat.
• Finish with hairspray. A light overspray after styling can help keep humidity at bay. Bed Head Masterpiece is one of Frequency Salon’s favorites for its humidity protection.
• Add a little oil — and save it for last. Hair oil helps lock in moisture and can also help break up curls for a softer finish.
• Finish with dry texturizing spray. It adds volume and that effortless, piecey finish.

From reconnecting to running a salon together

Solinas and Cole’s friendship and professional partnership came full circle when they decided to open a salon of their own.

After reconnecting following high school, Cole encouraged Solinas to attend beauty school. The two eventually worked together at a salon and often talked about opening a business of their own. That idea became a reality when Solinas called Cole one day and asked if she was ready to open a salon together.

The name Frequency Salon is rooted in the idea of energy — the connection and energy we transfer through everything we do each day.

The salon specializes in professional hair extensions and prioritizes continuing education, with weekly classes for new stylists and monthly education for the entire salon team.

Since opening its doors in Clear Lake on Aug. 1, 2023, Frequency has focused on creating a space where stylists can continue learning while helping clients feel confident in their hair.

Get to know Solinas and Cole and see how Cole creates soft curls in the video above.

Give your locks some love

If you’re ready to give your hair a little extra love, Frequency Salon is helping you do just that with two special offers.

Mention Houston Life at Frequency Salon and receive:

• A FREE haircut with any color service, OR
• A FREE deep conditioning service with any haircut.

Offer expires December 31, 2026. Be sure to mention Houston Life when booking to receive the promotion.

For more information about Frequency Salon, visit frequencyhtx.com.

Washington was hosting an IndyCar race through its streets Sunday, with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump kicking off the Freedom 250 Grand Prix by leading a slow lap in the presidential limousine through the course. Soon after, the president waved the green flag to start the race and drivers began whipping through downtown, including a stretch along Pennsylvania Avenue not too far from the White House.

“I’m going to make a little circle in a nice, secure car, slightly slower than the ones we’re going to witness, but we’re going to have fun,” Trump said in an interview on Fox shortly before the ride.

The open-wheel race, with cars whizzing past Washington’s monuments at speeds approaching 200 mph, is the latest of Trump’s celebrations this year to mark America’s 250th birthday.

Trump’s other events to mark the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence’s signing have included a UFC fight on the White House lawn, military aircraft flyovers, a massive July Fourth fireworks show on the National Mall and a Great American State Fair that the president headlined after scores of ’90s-era musical acts dropped out. The events have all had a Trumpian flair, featuring appearances from his friends and the aim of showcasing spectacle, Americana and power.

In this latest case, it was be horsepower.

Racing day brings out some of Trump's favorites

Sunday included some of Trump's favorite flourishes. One of his favorite singers, tenor Christopher Macchio, performed, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” A trained bald eagle was dramatically released near the start line, and it swooped and flew overhead before returning to its handler.

There were flyovers of military aircraft, which have boomed over the city during the July Fourth celebrations, among other events. One flyover Sunday involved a formation featuring a B-2 stealth bomber, which Trump frequently boasts about for its role in dropping massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities last year.

Air Force One, escorted by four fighter jets, flew overhead as Trump did his lap. The jet was the Qatar-gifted aircraft that the president has been using as Air Force One, which has attracted scrutiny not only for Trump’s acceptance of the luxury gift but because it is not equipped with some of the same missile detection and countermeasure systems found on older presidential jets.

The IndyCar race took place Trump has struggled to resolve the war he started nearly six months ago with Iran, a conflict that has driven up gasoline prices and exacerbated worries from officials in his Republican Party that voters in this November’s midterm elections see the president as distracted and not focused enough on cost-of-living concerns.

Trump in his second term has increasingly seemed to focus on relishing the presidency’s ceremonial aspects. That's included a healthy dose of visits to sporting events — including an appearance last month at the World Cup final, where he presented the trophy to winner Spain and lingered onstage with the team as its members jumped in a hail of confetti.

Bringing Indy to DC was a longtime quest for racing series owner

From his viewing box, Trump had the honor of waving the green flag to kick off the race.

Before the race, Trump and his wife met and chatted with some of the race drivers. They then took a slow drive through the course in a small motorcade and could be seen waving at the crowd as a Marine Corps band played “Stars and Stripes Forever."

IndyCar series owner Roger Penske, a longtime friend of Trump’s who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from him in 2019, helped lead the effort to bring the race to Washington.

Trump told Fox on Sunday that Penske told him that he had been trying to bring the race to Washington for 20 years.

“When he came to see Trump it got done in about 15 minutes and it’s turned out to be much bigger than we ever even thought possible,” the president said, referring to himself in the third person.

Penske met Trump when he arrived at the course and later joined him in his viewing box, as did the president’s friend and UFC CEO Dana White, who helped put on the fight at the White House in June.

An executive order Trump signed earlier this year calling for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix declared that the “cars and drivers inspire awe and respect in all who watch this quintessentially American sport,” and the event will “showcase the majesty of our great city as drivers navigate a track around our iconic national monuments in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Fox News Channel that he wants to push to bring the event back next year and make it an annual event.

Trump wanted to hear ‘freedom roar’ from the powerful racing machines

“Their beautiful cars are going to make freedom roar. This will be a freedom that’s roaring like never before,” Trump said at the White House earlier this month as he promoted the event.

Bud Denker, president of Penske Corporation and the race’s chair, said that Penske is paying for the “vast majority” of the race, including building the track and road improvements, while the District of Columbia handled some repaving.

Among the changes needed on the city’s streets for the Indycar race was the welding of more than 200 maintenance hole covers to ensure the race cars don’t suck them up off the road.

Sunday’s festivities were also the latest opportunity for Trump to revel in the way he’s putting his mark on the nation’s capital, including large banners showing his face on government buildings, the construction of a massive White House ballroom, a gold-adorned Oval Office and botched repairs at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

“This fight is still on,” Norris said over team radio after winning the Dutch Grand Prix for back-to-back F1 victories and a trophy presented by the King of the Netherlands.

Norris asked his McLaren team to “just keep bringing upgrades (to the car), just keep bringing performance please" as he eyes an 83-point gap to Antonelli.

Max Verstappen nearly reeled in a similarly vast lead last year as Norris held on by just two points. Now the British driver is the hunter.

“There’s still plenty of things we can do better and need to do better if we’re going to fight for a championship," Norris added.

Norris seizes his chance

Norris started on pole but was overtaken by Antonelli's Mercedes at a restart after the race was stopped for a heavy crash by home hero Verstappen, who was unhurt, shortly after the start.

Norris reeled in Antonelli before passing him around the outside of the first corner in a daring move on lap 54 of 72, then took the lead from Ferrari's Hamilton before the lap was over.

The defending champion held on with old tires to take the win. “This fight is still on," he said over team radio.

“The move (to pass Antonelli) was good. I knew I was not going to get many chances. Every lap I spent behind him my chances got lower and lower,” Norris said. “Well played from my part...I probably had one chance.”

Antonelli was second after his Mercedes teammate George Russell was ordered to move out of his way, following a failed gamble on a tire change by Antonelli. Russell clung on to finish third ahead of Hamilton.

Antonelli's standings lead grew to 59 points over Russell and Hamilton, who are now level. Norris moved ahead of Charles Leclerc for fourth.

Antonelli and Russell question Mercedes strategy

There was tension at Mercedes as both Antonelli and Russell criticized the team's decisions over the radio.

Antonelli called his team's strategy “too risky” when the team congratulated him on second place, while Russell earlier seemed to object to being asked to give way to his teammate.

“Is he fighting for the win? Or is he planning to catch Norris?” Russell questioned, at a point where Norris was far ahead of both.

Russell relented after the race and said he felt Mercedes had made the right decision to avoid the two battling for position as Hamilton closed in behind.

Antonelli “would have overtaken anyway so it was the right decision,” said Russell, who won the sprint race Saturday. "It’s been a strong weekend overall so I’ll take the positives.”

Verstappen's big crash and Hülkenberg's big save

There was a half-hour delay after Verstappen slammed into the wall on a damp first lap, stopping the race and ensuring a nightmare end to his last home race in the Netherlands for the foreseeable future.

Just a couple of seconds later, there would have been another huge collision if not for lightning reactions by Nico Hülkenberg. As his Audi teammate Gabriel Bortoleto span across the track, the German swerved around him through a cloud of tire smoke.

“It was crazy with Gabi, I almost T-boned him,” Hülkenberg said over team radio.

The Dutch Grand Prix is dropping off the schedule after this season and the many orange-clad Dutch fans who turned up to support Verstappen instead saw Norris and his orange McLaren take the win.

Verstappen said he simply misjudged his speed on the damp track after pre-race rain.

Charles Leclerc was fifth on another disappointing day for Ferrari ahead of its home race in Italy in two weeks’ time. Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri was sixth after running in the top three early on, and Liam Lawson salvaged seventh for Red Bull after being called in to replace the injured Isack Hadjar.

Hulkenberg was eighth for Audi, with Fernando Alonso ninth in the best result of an otherwise-disastrous 2026 for Aston Martin. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly rounded out the top ten.

___

See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

For the year, “The Odyssey” is second only to “Spider-Man,” which added $39 million from 4,006 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Spider-Man,” which has now made over $854.9 million in North America, will soon surpass “Avengers: Endgame” to become the second highest-grossing domestic release of all time. The record holder is currently “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($936.7 million).

Sony also had the second biggest movie of the weekend with “Insidious: Out of the Further.” The sixth movie in the franchise, produced by Blumhouse Atomic Monster, made $25.3 million from 3,303 theaters. Internationally, it made $35 million. Its $18 million production budget makes it the most expensive movie of the series.

Third place went to “The Odyssey,” which earlier this week became the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time, surpassing “Deadpool & Wolverine.” It added $19.5 million in its sixth weekend in North American theaters, where it continues to play in over 3,000 locations, bringing its domestic total to just under $539.1 million. That pushes it past the $534.9 million from “The Dark Knight” — a previous high-water mark for Nolan — not accounting for inflation. Internationally, it added $68 million, driven largely by China and Korea, which brings its worldwide total to $1.4 billion.

The other big newcomers landed further down the charts. “Mutiny,” starring Statham as a man wrongly accused of murdering his billionaire boss, opened in sixth place with $7.5 million from 2,703 locations. The Lionsgate release (an acquisition) was intended to be a theatrical only release, but a few days before it opened it was accidentally available for free on Prime Video for a few hours before the mistake was remedied. The glitch might have impacted its opening weekend earnings, but the film also had some fairly bad reviews working against it.

Even more poorly reviewed was “Spa Weekend,” a girl’s trip comedy from the men behind “The Hangover” and “Bad Moms,” starring Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann, Anna Faris and Michelle Buteau. It made an estimated $3.1 million in 2,009 locations. Women accounted for some 84% of opening weekend ticket buyers, according to PostTrak. The 25th anniversary re-release of “The Fast and the Furious” made slightly more.

“The Magic Faraway Tree,” starring Andrew Garfield, opened outside of the top 10 with $1.4 million from 1,611 screens.

The young Anthony Bourdain movie “Tony” continues to do quite well, however, earning $5 million from 1,652 screens.

The summer season, which runs through Labor Day, has now generated an estimated $4.4 billion in ticket sales in North America, putting it among the top four highest grossing summers ever.

“We’re in the home stretch of what I think will go down in box office history as maybe one of the most key and pivotal summer movie seasons ever,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Rentrak. “I don’t know how you can replicate this summer. Studios will try.”

Michael O’Leary, the president and CEO of the movie theater trade organization Cinema United, noted the wide variety of movies in the marketplace that have helped contribute to a big summer. Part of that, he told The Associated Press, was that the industry pipeline is finally bouncing back from the effects of the Hollywood strikes in 2023.

“The thing that I’m most excited about, frankly, is just the enthusiasm of moviegoers,” O’Leary said. “You feel it when you go to the theater. There’s an energy about being in the theater that hasn’t been there in the recent past.”

The year overall has also surpassed $7 billion, which is up about 20.4% from 2025, but about 7.1% behind 2019.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:

1. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” $39 million.

2. “Insidious: Out of the Further,” $25.3 million.

3. “The Odyssey,” $19.5 million.

4. “Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie,” $9.1 million.

5. “The End of Oak Street,” $9 million.

6. “Mutiny,” $7.5 million.

7. “Tony,” $5 million.

8. “The Fast and the Furious” (25th anniversary re-release), $3.1 million.

9. “Spa Weekend,” $3.1 million.

10. “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,” $1.9 million.

The pro-presidential Adilet party is widely predicted to win an overwhelming majority, with several smaller parties loyal to Tokayev also anticipated to enter parliament. The vote was the country’s first election to a new, single-chamber parliament called the Kurultai.

The 73-year-old Tokayev, a former Soviet official and Kazakh diplomat who previously worked at the United Nations, has been in office since 2019.

Sunday’s vote was the culmination of a constitutional overhaul that Tokayev initiated in March, when 87% of voters supported a referendum to merge the two chambers of parliament into one and grant the president authority to appoint key officials, subject to parliamentary approval, including reestablishing the vice presidency.

Tokayev, who has sought to maintain a delicate balance between Moscow and the West since sanctions were imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine, has justified the changes by citing the need for rapid decision-making in a fast-changing world.

Last month, Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court ruled that the amendments effectively reset the clock on Tokayev’s previous terms in office, opening the door for him to run for another seven-year term.

The election comes at a difficult economic moment for Kazakhstan: inflation hit 10.2% in February, and tax hikes have fueled public discontent.

Analysts say the economic strain has made authorities wary of a repeat of the unrest of January 2022, when fuel price protests spiraled into violence that left dozens of protesters and police officers dead — a scenario Tokayev is seeking to guard against by concentrating power in his own hands.

Ahead of the election, Tokayev said it promised to be a “truly historic event.”

“Without a doubt, these elections will be remembered as perhaps the most interesting in our country’s history,” Tokayev said on Friday. “Amid unprecedented geopolitical tensions and mounting global challenges, we must firmly and consistently implement our strategy to transform Kazakhstan into a truly developed state.”

The vote also took place against a backdrop of intensifying crackdowns on media freedom. Media organizations have urged Tokayev to drop criminal charges against several journalists under house arrest and to revise the country’s legislation to ensure media freedom. Authorities have opened roughly 10 criminal cases against independent journalists and popular bloggers.

The most recent case involves Lukpan Akhmedyarov, an independent journalist who hosts the YouTube project “Prosto Zhurnalistika,” or “Simply Journalism.”

He told The Associated Press that a criminal case was opened against him in August on charges of “disseminating false information,” after he published a list of Kazakhstan's citizens fighting in Ukraine. He faces up to seven years in prison.

“In the run-up to these parliamentary elections, repression has intensified sharply, with attacks on independent media, cyberattacks, and criminal cases launched against independent journalists and popular bloggers,” Akhmedyarov told the AP, speaking from Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city.

“It feels like the authorities want to silence all media outlets they don’t control — everyone they couldn’t reach an agreement with or couldn’t buy off,” he added.

Akhmedyarov said that the streets of Kazakhstan’s major cities are “flooded with advertisements and posters for the pro-presidential Adilet party.”

“It is not very difficult to predict the outcome of these elections,” he said.

Amos says she went through a divorce early in her life and remembers feeling alone during the transition to single parenthood.

That experience inspired her to launch the Amos Advocates Community Foundation; a new nonprofit focused on connecting families with resources and support as they navigate major changes at home.

“We are here. We’re trying to come up with programming to help,” Amos said.

The foundation recently held its first major community initiative. A back-to-school backpack and school supply drive for families in the Pearland area.

Board members say organizing the event took weeks of planning, fundraising and community outreach.

Tabitha Haynes, the foundation’s treasurer, said the group was formed earlier this year and quickly began working toward its first community event.

• Local beef vs. grocery store beef: What to know about safety, cost and recent recalls

“Everyone on the board has their unique talents and unique abilities,” Haynes said. “We were able to kind of bring all that together.”

The foundation also leaned on community members to help provide backpacks and school supplies.

Dr. Lala Elapano, the foundation’s secretary, said the response was immediate.

“The community poured into this organization,” Elapano said.

She went on to share how the group wanted to begin by giving back to the same community that has supported Amos and her law firm.

The foundation’s board brings together professionals from several fields, including law, education, mental health and child services.

That range of experience is intentional, Amos said. She wants the organization to offer help that goes beyond what a family law attorney can provide.

“I can only do so much as an attorney,” Amos said. “I wanted to have an organization that I could put together that could fill in the gaps.”

A FOCUS BEYOND LEGAL SERVICES:

Those gaps could include access to counseling, educational resources and other community services.

Haynes said the foundation is already looking at programs that could support both parents and children.

“We have a lot of different resources which will benefit the community in so many different ways,” she said.

Those plans include counseling resources, legal assistance and programs designed to help children stay active and address issues such as anxiety and depression.

Clarissa Givens, a foundation director and school counselor, said the back-to-school drive is just the beginning.

“I think that this event is the starting of something great,” Givens said.

Givens said working with children has shown her firsthand that some students enter the school year facing challenges outside the classroom.

The foundation wants those children to know they have support.

“We just want them to know that no matter what, there’s always someone out there pulling for them,” Haynes said.

MORE PROGRAMS PLANNED:

The foundation also plans to create programming specifically for single parents.

Amos says one upcoming idea is “Dominoes with Dads,” a gathering where single fathers can connect and talk about co-parenting, custody and adjusting to spending less time with their children after a divorce.

The organization also plans a holiday community drive later this year.

Givens encouraged others in the Pearland area to get involved.

• Fort Bend ISD mom says daughter with special needs rode school bus unaccounted for hours

“The back-to-school drive is not the ending; it’s the beginning of something great,” she said.

For Amos, the larger goal is to make sure parents going through difficult transitions don’t feel like they have to navigate them alone.

“I just want people to understand that I’m here, that my board is here, that we’re trying to build something that we hope can help the community at large,” Amos said.

The Amos Advocates Community Foundation says it will continue adding resources and upcoming programs to its website at AmosAdvocatesFoundation.org.

• Partial eclipse begins — 9:34 p.m. CDT: A dark “bite” will start to appear on the Moon.
• Peak fullness — 11:13 p.m. CDT: About 96.3% of the Moon will be inside Earth’s umbra, and the shadowed portion may glow coppery or reddish.
• Partial eclipse ends — 12:52 a.m. CDT: The Moon will begin shining fully again as it leaves the darkest part of Earth’s shadow.

No special glasses are needed to watch a lunar eclipse. Find a spot with a clear view of the sky, then look up and enjoy the show.

Returning this weekend as he mulls a second run for the White House, Buttigieg set out to reintroduce himself to the state and the Black voters he struggled to win in 2020. The results were encouraging.

There was a standing ovation in a Black church in South Carolina when Buttigieg was credited for helping bring millions of federal dollars to the area for a project as President Joe Biden’s transportation secretary. A second ovation came as Buttigieg gave a speech warning of a country in “big trouble” while laying out his own vision for what should come next.

“There is no such thing as again in real life. The only way out is through," Buttigieg told the crowd of more than 200 people at an NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner. “If we recognize and embrace a future that is different from the past, we will do better."

The warm applause was a markedly different reception than six years ago, when a fourth-place showing in South Carolina helped derail Buttigieg's presidential campaign while exposing his failure to connect with Black voters. The state is likely to have an even greater say in his political future as the first contest in the Democratic presidential primary in 2028.

Starting the election calendar in South Carolina is intended in part to give Black voters a greater voice at the outset of the nominating process. For Buttigieg and other potential contenders, winning the support of this group that makes up a majority of South Carolina’s Democratic electorate is essential.

“You need to demonstrate that you can win Black voters,” said Jaime Harrison, a former Democratic National Committee chair and South Carolina Democratic Party chairman. “If you can’t win Black voters, you can’t be the nominee of our party.”

The 2028 campaign is already coming to South Carolina

Buttigieg insists he has made no final decision about whether to run for president again.

“Right now, I'm totally focused on 2026,” he told reporters Saturday.

But his South Carolina trip — a week after visiting another early-voting state, Nevada — had all the trappings of a potential presidential bid.

He raised money Friday in Charleston with Nancy Lacore, a U.S. House candidate trying to flip a Republican-held seat. On Saturday morning, he spoke at a policy conference before traveling to Claflin University, a historically Black university in Orangeburg.

Davina Perry, a third-year student at Claflin, said she came away from Buttigieg’s visit thinking he would be a “good candidate” if he ran.

“Secretary Pete has definitely put himself on my radar for 2028 now, for sure,” Perry said. But, she added, “I do want to see more representation from people who look like me.”

That evening, Buttigieg attended a dinner at a church in Orangeburg, a nearly three-quarters Black city with a deep history in the Civil Rights Movement. The crowd included local NAACP leaders, ministers and elected officials. Buttigieg worked the room, giving hugs and taking photos.

“He is responsible for the Railroad Corner,” said Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler, referencing a project aimed at revitalizing the city’s downtown that received a $22.7 million federal grant. “Do I need to say any more? We need to stand and welcome the former secretary.”

Buttigieg used the speech that followed to make a broader case about the direction of the country, arguing that Democrats cannot separate Americans’ economic frustrations from a political system he described as increasingly broken.

"I have come to believe that the kitchen table cannot be improved unless we are also reforming the institutional and political floor on which that kitchen table sits.”

Black voters will have the first say for Democrats in 2028

For Buttigieg, the weekend offered signs of how much has changed since he came to South Carolina in 2020 as a 38-year-old Indiana mayor asking voters to take a chance on him. He points to what he delivered during four years in Biden’s Cabinet, including specific projects in the state.

But Buttigieg said he also came to South Carolina “to propose something” about the country’s future. Butler, Orangeburg’s mayor, liked what he heard.

“His speech was what you talk about at the kitchen table. How America is going to survive all of this?” Butler said. “He brought hope to us."

South Carolina Democratic leaders say the close, personal engagement with candidates is exactly what they hoped for. Those involved in the push to make South Carolina first envisioned the living-room conversations and retail politics long associated with Iowa and New Hampshire.

“You got to go listen. You got to go all over the place,” Harrison said. “You have to make meaningful investments. That’s how you win South Carolina.”

Buttigieg is hardly alone in his early trip to the state.

Other potential 2028 contenders, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey have made trips to the state as what is expected to be a large Democratic field begins to take shape. Former Vice President Kamala Harris already has deep ties in the state.

The electorate they will encounter has changed from 2020, when Biden’s victory in the state resurrected his presidential campaign and put him on a path to ousting Republican President Donald Trump.

Four years later, Trump defeated Harris and returned to the White House, which Black leaders say has significantly hurt their community. Earlier this year, a Supreme Court decision weakened a core provision of the Voting Rights Act, threatening Black political representation across the South.

“We must start our process where democracy must still be fought for, in the full view of the nation,” former interim DNC chair Donna Brazile said in a speech this year advocating for South Carolina to go first.

Buttigieg addressed that anxiety directly Saturday night, describing efforts to weaken the Voting Rights Act as the culmination of a “multidecade effort.” He warned of a broader push “to demolish African American political power.”

Harrison said Buttigieg's trip this weekend was a "good start,” but that Buttigieg and all the other potential 2028 candidates have a long road ahead to prove themselves to the state's voters.

“It has to be a good start and then you got to continue,” Harrison said. “It can’t just be, ‘Oh, pop in and then I’m going to pop back out.’”

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This story corrects the spelling of the first name of Claflin University student to Davina Perry, from Divina Perry.

The Manchester City superstar has a new hairstyle for the new Premier League season: A buzz cut that went viral on social media on Sunday ahead of the team's opening match against Bournemouth.

It didn't help him. The Norway striker missed a couple of great chances in City's 2-1 win at Etihad Stadium.

Haaland has become one of the most easily distinguishable sport stars in recent years because of his long hair.

In a video on Haaland's YouTube channel, Zlatan Ibrahimovic asked if the City striker had “lost a bet” when he was shown the new hairstyle.

“You gonna be faster now, or what?” Ibrahimovic said.

Former City manager Pep Guardiola reacted to the haircut by saying: “You're lucky to have hair. I would love to have it!”

Haaland arrived at Etihad Stadium for the Bournemouth game wearing a cap, but that had been removed for the warmup — revealing the buzz cut.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The WNBA has been the subject of recent debates on whether transgender women — people assigned male at birth who transition to align with their gender identity — should be allowed to participate in the league. There has never been such a player in the WNBA. Although the league’s collective bargaining agreement says the WNBA is restricted to women, it contains no more specific language about gender identity or sex assigned at birth.

There have been small rallies and protests outside Indiana Fever games after the issue came to a head when Sophie Cunningham of the Fever said in an ESPN profile published last month that she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s sports. There were a pair of peaceful rallies representing both sides of the transgender issue that took place before the Fever faced the New York Liberty on Saturday night. The Liberty won the game 109-102.

“Knowing that rallies are happening on both sides shows the platform that the W has and the stunts for attention are just continuing to try and ride the wave that we have,” Stewart told a small group of reporters Saturday morning. “I want Liberty fans and even Indy fans that are going to come here tonight to be able to have this arena be a safe space.”

Cunningham felt that all the attention that her comments have garnered has been positive by bringing more fans to the game.

“You have a lot of new fans, not only just watching, but coming to games and seeing the environment and seeing the talent,” she said before the game. “I think anytime you can get more eyes on the W, that’s an awesome thing, because then that inspires other young kids that maybe have never seen the game or heard about the game or been to a game, they get that experience. So I definitely think that it’s been a very positive thing.”

At least three fans were asked by WNBA security personnel to cover shirts that had messages about transgender women participating in women’s sports during last Sunday’s game at Atlanta between the Dream and the Fever. The league later said the fans should have been free to wear those shirts.

Stewart said Liberty fans specifically, but WNBA fans in general, come to games because “they can feel like they can be themselves in whatever capacity that is and we don’t want to lose sight of that."

The Liberty forward said everyone is entitled to their own opinion and if that stops being allowed there are much bigger issues. However, she said, trying to divide teams and players shouldn't be tolerated.

“If we don’t allow (free speech), we need to like really kind of go back and look at more things. I think the bigger thing is people are trying to divide us as teams, but also as teammates or as opponents," she said. "This league is incredibly inclusive and what we continue to fight for and stand up against. So, we don’t want to take that platform away.”

Stewart has been an ally for the transgender community during her career. She faced some online backlash last year when one of her signature shoes had a Harry Potter theme to it. Stewart is a huge fan of the Harry Potter books and subsequent movies by author J.K. Rowlings, who has drawn criticism for her anti-trans stance.

Stewart has donated royalties from that shoe to The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ youth.

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

The Chang’e-7 spacecraft was originally set to lift off in the coming days from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on China’s southern Hainan island.

The mission does not meet the launch conditions, said the China Manned Space Agency in a brief statement, and “cannot take place during the planned window this year.”

The decision was made following a “comprehensive assessment,” the agency added, and was based on the principles of “prudence, reliability and absolute mission success.” It did not further elaborate on the reasons behind the decision.

Preparations have been carried out at the Wenchang launch site for the Chang’e-7 mission over the past weeks, the seventh in the Chang’e moon exploration program. It aimed at making breakthroughs in key technologies, the official Xinhua news agency previously reported.

It was set to explore permanently shadowed craters on the moon and conduct environmental and resource surveys of the lunar south pole, the Xinhua report said, citing the space agency.

Chang’e refers to a Chinese moon goddess. The Chang’e-6 probe returned to Earth in 2024 with rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon in a world first.

Maximiano Torres, 28, was charged with online solicitation of a minor following an undercover operation conducted by the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office. The charge is classified as a second-degree felony.

• Child dies after crash involving Harris County deputy’s vehicle in northwest Houston

According to investigators, members of the constable’s Criminal Investigations Division posed as juveniles on social media while looking for adults willing to travel for a sexual encounter. Investigators said Torres communicated with an undercover officer and later traveled to an undisclosed location in north Harris County on Aug. 18.

Detectives were waiting at the location and arrested Torres, authorities said.

Torres was booked into the Harris County Jail. Court records show he has an $80,000 bond and that an ICE detainer has been issued.

Records show Torres is scheduled for arraignment on Sept. 29 at 8:30 a.m.

The family eventually learned that Chesterton had postpartum psychosis, a severe mental health disorder thrust into the spotlight by the case of Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts woman on trial for strangling her three children. A key question is whether postpartum psychosis drove Clancy to do it.

Researchers estimate that the condition — a mental health emergency that is less common than postpartum depression — afflicts 1 to 2 out of 1,000 women after delivery. Although most who develop postpartum psychosis don’t harm their children, mothers with severe cases may try to harm themselves or their kids.

If not for medication and strong family support, Chesterton said her own situation “could have gone sideways.”

Chesterton bristles at online comments about the Clancy case suggesting postpartum psychosis is not a real disorder. She feels driven to raise awareness by sharing her story publicly; a poem she wrote about the experience will be published in a journal in the fall. She wants to dispel misconceptions about the widely misunderstood condition — and let families know there is hope.

“It’s something that we do not talk about as a society,” said Chesterton, a 52-year-old history professor who lives outside Buffalo, New York. “I’m not embarrassed about what happened. I want people to know about it.”

A mom was fine at first, then ‘in bad shape’

Chesterton and her husband James Fitzsimmons wanted a baby desperately and underwent fertility treatment for years. She finally got pregnant in her mid-40s and had severe asthma during the pregnancy that put her in the hospital. She gave birth to her daughter by C-section in January 2019, about two months early.

“Everything about bringing her into the world was awful,” Chesterton said. “It was the longest seven months of my life.”

Just after the birth, the baby was hurried off to the neonatal intensive care unit, where she spent her first weeks of life. To protect the child's privacy, The Associated Press is withholding her name at the family's request.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

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Chesterton went home and seemed fine at first. But the day Fitzsimmons found her on the bathroom floor, her family said, she had trouble remembering basic details of her life and made strange comments, such as “it's meditation day" even though she doesn't meditate. Fitzsimmons called his wife’s mom, Maria Chesterton, who met the couple at the hospital.

“She didn’t even remember having a baby,” the elder Chesterton said. “She knew us vaguely.”

People with certain conditions are more likely to be affected

Disorganized thinking and delusions are among the symptoms of postpartum psychosis, which also may include hallucinations, paranoia, agitation and mood changes. Postpartum depression, by contrast, is a mood disorder affecting about 1 in 7 women after giving birth — or more, according to some research.

Postpartum psychosis can happen to anyone after giving birth, but the chances are higher for people with certain mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder. Chesterton didn’t have such conditions, said Dr. Emily Williams of Buffalo OB/GYN, one of her doctors.

Chesterton was transferred to BryLin Hospital in Buffalo, which provides crisis mental healthcare, and spent about two weeks there. Her mom, who was staying at the couple’s house to help out, remembers visiting her with food and Valentine’s Day chocolates.

When she was released, she did OK for a few days, her mom remembers, then “just lost it.” She stared blankly ahead, not knowing where she was or what was happening. But she did manage to aggressively express that she didn’t want to go back to the same place she’d just left, so she was institutionalized involuntarily.

“We had no choice,” her mother said. “She was in bad shape.”

She stayed for another two weeks — apart from her baby.

“I was kind of lucky that she was in the NICU,” Chesterton said, “because we had somebody to take care of her when I was so sick.”

Medication and family support help a mom recover

Chesterton believes antipsychotic drugs ultimately brought her back to reality. But just as essential was the support of her family. When the baby came home after nearly two months at the hospital, her team of helpers included her husband, mom, dad and a postpartum doula.

“She helped me learn how to take care of the baby, remember her — you know, to become a parent again,” Chesterton said, adding that she knows how lucky she is that her family had the resources to provide such care.

Williams, the doctor, said family support is crucial in the postpartum period even if everything is going well. “The more hands on deck, the better,” she said.

Over the next several months, it was as if a fog slowly lifted.

“We could see improvement in her. It was a little bit at a time,” her mother said. “She was taking care of the baby. The glassy-eyed look was gone.”

Chesterton stayed on antipsychotics for about a year. By her daughter’s first birthday party, she was back to normal.

Doctor encourages families to be on alert for signs of trouble

Williams said Chesterton’s family did the right thing when they took quick action after symptoms arose. Sometimes, the doctor said, people may deny that something so serious could be wrong with a loved one's mental health and attribute signs of postpartum psychosis to things like needing more sleep.

Chesterton’s mother advised other families to be vigilant for signs of the illness, then come together to shepherd loved ones through it.

“If my daughter would not have had the support system,” she said, “I don’t know how this would have turned out.”

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The City of La Marque says Mayor Bell was released from custody Saturday afternoon after posting a $75,000 bond, with court-ordered conditions that he not contact the complainant, not go near her residence, and not go near the school she attends.

In a statement shared as an update based on publicly available information, the city said city leadership has not communicated with Bell since his release and that Bell has not contacted city staff.

The city also emphasized that, under the La Marque City Charter, Bell remains in office unless he resigns or is removed in a process allowed by the charter and applicable law. The charter is posted on the city’s online code of ordinances.

City officials said they have no additional information to share at this time.

ORIGINAL REPORT

BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas – The mayor of La Marque has been arrested in Brazoria County.

Brazoria County jail records indicate Mayor Keith Bell, 53, was arrested on a warrant for indecent exposure, a Class B misdemeanor. Records show he was arrested at a business park in Angleton. He was booked into jail on Friday.

Bell went before a judge on Saturday morning, where his bond was set at $75,000. According to his bond conditions, a judge told Bell he must stay away from a certain address and individual in Angleton.

Bell has been the mayor of La Marque since 2021.

Under Texas law, Bell’s arrest does not automatically require him to resign or result in his removal from office. Any potential removal would depend on the outcome of the case and other applicable state law or provisions of the city charter.

• RELATED: Mayor of La Marque faces recall election this November

In 2022, Bell faced a recall election which was rejected by voters.

KPRC 2 is working to learn more details about what led to Bell’s arrest.

The City of La Marque issued the following statement:

“The City of La Marque has confirmed that Mayor Keith Bell was arrested today in Brazoria County on a charge of indecent exposure.

To the residents of La Marque, we recognize that this is a shocking and disheartening development during a period that has already brought significant uncertainty and challenges to our community. We understand and share your concerns. The City is committed to keeping residents informed and will provide additional information as it becomes available, with a guaranteed update on Saturday, August 22, 2026.

This matter occurred outside of Mayor Bell’s official duties with the City of La Marque. At this time, the City has no additional information beyond what is available through public records.

The City will continue to follow its Charter and all applicable laws as we evaluate next steps and gather additional verified information."

“This seems to be the most severe storm in Latvia since 2005 in terms of its overall impact,” Andris Viksna, from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center, told the AP.

One person died in Jelgava, central Latvia, when part of a building collapsed on Saturday, and others were injured across the country. Wind speed exceeded 67 mph on Saturday in the capital, Riga. At many stations, half of the average monthly rainfall was recorded on Saturday.

More than a quarter-million people were left without electricity and mobile services were disrupted.

Rail and other public transport services were affected by trees and other objects falling on infrastructure. The Riga airport said on Sunday morning that flights could be delayed or rerouted because of the severe storm overnight.

One person also died in neighboring Lithuania after being hit by a falling tree. Others were injured and over 200,000 residents were without electricity on Sunday morning.

Strong winds also battered Estonia, with the western and northern parts and its islands most affected. Ferry services to islands were disrupted and trains arriving from Latvia and Lithuania delayed.

Northeastern Poland was affected by the storm, too, with over 100,000 people losing power.

The contribution of climate change cannot be properly assessed yet, said Viksna from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center, but “it is plausible that human-caused climate change may have intensified the rainfall associated with the cyclone.”

The situation was expected to improve on Sunday and certainly by Monday.

Already this year, the security situation in the Middle East following the outbreak of the Iran war has meant Bahrain's race was moved to Malaysia and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was canceled.

F1 has indicated at least one extra event in Europe if the season-ending races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi can't take place as planned. One likely candidate could be the Imola circuit in Italy. There are more question marks over how the four contracted Middle East races could be included in the 2027 schedule.

“Circuit Zandvoort could serve as an alternative venue in the future if another Grand Prix were unable to take place due to geopolitical circumstances, for example. The circuit’s FIA Grade 1 license will remain valid for another three years,” the Dutch Grand Prix organization told The Associated Press in a statement Saturday.

“In practice, however, many factors would need to be considered, including the necessary permits, the availability of equipment and the required preparation time. Moreover, there are other venues on the Formula 1 calendar that would make more sense from a logistical perspective. At this stage, therefore, this is not a concrete scenario.”

F1 did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.

What makes the Dutch Grand Prix different

The Dutch Grand Prix is a relative rarity in modern F1 as a privately run project that doesn't rely on government backing.

That makes it crucial to sell out tickets because hosting a race at Zandvoort requires spending around 75 million euros ($87.6 million) to set up infrastructure, including temporary stands seating tens of thousands of fans around the seaside circuit.

The Dutch Grand Prix returned to F1 in 2021 for the first time since 1985 and the success of four-time champion Max Verstappen — who this week signed a new contract through 2030 — has been crucial to its success. Organizers declined a potential contract extension in 2024 citing “risks and responsibilities” and a desire to go out on a high.

Replacement venues come with challenges

Fitting in a race in Europe after the scheduled Las Vegas Grand Prix on Nov. 21 could mean F1 teams and spectators dealing with weather far colder than at most races.

“I think if it were to be Imola, and to be clear, that isn’t confirmed or otherwise, the weather will be interesting and spicy, but it would still be nice to go back to a European race at the end of it,” Williams team principal James Vowles said Friday.

“I know F1 are working incredibly hard for that not to happen and for the calendar to continue as is.”

There's also the question of funding. F1's agreement to return to Malaysia in October for the first time in nine years involved working with the governments of Bahrain and Malaysia to agree a deal that keeps Bahrain Grand Prix branding and denotes Malaysia as “host venue”.

Drivers and teams don't know for sure where and when the season will end, but title contenders George Russell and Lando Norris said Thursday it isn't affecting their preparations.

“I’m not even thinking of what I’m going to do on Monday yet,” Norris joked. “Lack of clarity at the minute doesn’t change anything.”

Russell added: “I prefer more races than less. That’s the only thing I would wish for. But it’s out of our control, it’s out of Formula 1’s control as well, so it is what it is.”

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

But now Buc-ee's has set off a Buckeye backlash across Ohio and beyond after taking on a beaver in the city of Beavercreek.

It's yet another Buc-ee’s Ltd. trademark infringement lawsuit. Supporters of Beaver’s Mini Mart have attacked Buc-ee’s online and boycotted the stores, and the mini mart's home city passed a resolution making the beaver an official part of its history. British comedian John Oliver has even weighed in on the kerfuffle.

On an episode of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” the comedian detailed Buc-ee’s aggressive history of trademark lawsuits targeting various woodland creatures and launched a website hawking merchandise bearing a knockoff “Buc-off” logo and a squirrel mascot named Mr. Nutterbutter. On X, #boycottbucees trended.

Buc-ee’s sued Beaver’s Mini Mart in late July, four months after the chain known for its extensive food offerings and massive restrooms opened its first Ohio store less than a half-hour’s drive away.

Buc-ee’s argues the shop’s beaver logo too closely resembles the convenience store giant’s branded Buc-ee (“Bucky”) beaver. The Texas-based company asked for a jury trial in federal court in Ohio.

Buc-ee's claims a right to protect its valuable logo

Beaver’s Mini Mart occupies a long, low building with a shingle roof at a suburban intersection. In contrast, the new 74,000-square-foot (6,875-square-meter) Buc-ee’s off Interstate 70 near Dayton has more than 100 gas pumps, 24 electric vehicle chargers and 700 parking spaces. A second Ohio store has been approved to open in 2028.

While preparing to enter the state in February, Buc-ee’s sued the northern Ohio holding company for Mickey Mart gas stations, arguing its Mickey the Moose logo could be confused with Buc-ee. (The company’s response: “A moose is not a beaver.”)

The Buc-ee’s beaver logo features the face of a beaver with prominent buck teeth wearing a red ball cap against a yellow backdrop. The Beaver’s Mini Mart mascot is a full beaver, unclothed, waving and smiling against a white background.

Customers have been critical of Buc-ee's decision to target the much smaller store.

“I love Buc-ee's, but I don't plan on going back until they start making better business decisions,” Austin Collins, 32, a project manager from Fairborn, said outside Beaver's, where he was making his first visit to protest the lawsuit.

He called targeting a beaver-named business in Beavercreek “a little spiteful.” License plates from three states were visible in the parking lot.

Buc-ee's has defended the lawsuit as protective of its valuable trademark. In a statement on its website, the company said it first learned of Beaver's Mini Mart when its owner, Vic Boparai, filed a trade name registration on Oct. 23.

The small business, incorporated in 2017, changed its name from Hanes Road Carryout to Beaver’s Mini Mart in January 2025, according to the paperwork. That was about four months after Buc-ee's broke ground near Dayton. Recognizing a conflict, the company said it repeatedly attempted to reach Boparai without success, so it was forced to sue.

Boparai has since issued a statement of his own, though without addressing the company's concerns nor the merits of the lawsuit.

“We want to say thank you to the community and the entire country for supporting us and our business,” he said. “We are overwhelmed by your support for our business and other small businesses everywhere.”

The Associated Press has been unable to reach Boparai at Beaver’s Mini Mart or by calling the store.

Beavercreek adopts the beaver as part of city history

Beavercreek City Council responded to the dust-up by passing a resolution Aug. 10 making the beaver a permanent and official part of its 200-plus-year history. Bucky the Beaver, mascot of the Beavercreek Local Schools, visited the meeting ahead of the unanimous vote.

On social media, images lampooning the fight are rampant. One showed the Ohio State University football mascot, Brutus Buckeye, tackling Buc-ee the beaver.

Support has taken other forms, too. One was a GoFundMe campaign aimed at assuring that costs associated with the lawsuit don't put Beaver's Mini Mart out of business, as has happened to other establishments Buc-ee's sued. It had raised at least $69,000.

The mini mart gave permission to The Original Goodie Shop bakery in Upper Arlington to use its logo on a signature cookie, with $1 from each one sold going to support Beaver's legal fees. Cake, Hope & Love, a Beavercreek bakery, also is offering cookies adorned with buck-toothed beavers that urge shopping local.

Other Dayton-area businesses — including a Lego store and a root beer shop — temporarily altered their logos to include beavers in a show of solidarity. Dozens of businesses in Beavercreek already incorporate the city name or word beaver in their names.

Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who attended and praised the grand opening of the Dayton-area Buc-ee’s store in April, described the lawsuit as “absurd.”

“It is Beavercreek, for heaven’s sake,” the governor told reporters.