Sacco, a longtime Massachusetts charter fishing boat captain, saw the giant fin break the surface, and at first he thought he was dealing with an enormous shark.

“Then I got a better look at it and thought, dang, that thing's pointed,” he said. “But that's too big for a marlin.”

He was wrong. Sacco and his client Walter Chapman landed what they and others believe is the largest Atlantic blue marlin ever caught off the U.S. East Coast on Wednesday. The massive billfish, more than 11 feet (335 cm) in length, weighed 1,260 pounds (571.5 kilograms) when they got it back to land in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

That was just 142 pounds (64.4 kilograms) shy of the world record for an Atlantic blue marlin, caught off Brazil in 1992, according to records kept by the International Game Fish Association.

To catch such a huge fish off New England might be even more remarkable, said Walt Golet, director of the University of Maine Pelagic Fisheries Lab and an associate professor at the university's marine sciences school. The water is too cold for them in the Northeast most of the year, making the window to catch a big one very narrow.

The fish’s head was on its way to the UMaine lab to determine its age, said Golet, who speculated that it could be in the range of 25 to 30 years.

“I don’t suspect there will be a whole lot of blue marlin caught in the Atlantic in general that are going to top 1,200 pounds for the next several years,” he said.

On the day of the catch, Sacco's charter boat, Castafari, was fishing Atlantis Canyon, an underwater canyon on the edge of the continental shelf about 100 miles (160 kilometers) off Cape Cod. The highly migratory blue marlin is a seasonal visitor to the area, Golet said.

The battle with the marlin took about three hours and was fought on rod and reel by Chapman. Sacco said his role for most of the adventure was to “drive the bus around and yell at people.” He added that the fish left a couple of holes in the boat's transom with its bill that he considers “war marks.”

Chapman, a retiree and lifelong fisherman from Plymouth, said the meat of the fish was divided among about a dozen people, and he's currently looking up recipes for what to do with it. He said the marlin is unquestionably the biggest fish he's ever fought on a line, and some of it's probably destined for fish chowder.

“I wasn't going to eat a 1,200 pound fish all by myself,” Chapman said.

When the boat returned to the docks, a crowd was waiting, and weighing the fish became a brief spectacle. Onlooker Katie Curran of Falmouth said it was spectacular.

“People fish their entire lives and never come close to a catch like this,” Curran said. “Hats off to Captain Damon Sacco and the crew on the catch of a lifetime.”

President Donald Trump is expected to present the medals to NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on August 28 at Johnson Space Center.

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The crew completed a 10-day journey around the Moon on April 10 aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft. The mission marked the first time astronauts traveled beyond the Moon in more than five decades and set a new record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth.

• Trump announces plan to lower beef prices

The event will be livestreamed online. Viewers can find streaming information at NASA’s live page.

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Beef prices have climbed to record highs amid a drop in the number of U.S. cattle, consistent consumer demand and limits on cattle from Mexico, where the animals are facing a flesh-eating pest. The U.S. president has also imposed 50% tariffs on Brazil, a major beef exporter.

Trump remains under pressure to cut costs and address affordability issues ahead of November’s midterms. But ranchers, normally some of the president’s biggest supporters, are enjoying some rare profitable years and worry cheap beef imports will reduce cattle prices — and with it, the incentive to increase herd sizes.

“We all want lower grocery prices, but as I’ve said for months, we cannot do it at the expense of American producers,” Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said in a statement. “Flooding the market with foreign beef hurts our livestock industry and undermines the long-term solution: growing the U.S. cattle herd to meet demand.”

When asked by reporters Friday evening about criticism of the deal, Trump said, “I love the ranchers; they’ve done a fantastic job. But they admit that we need a little help, and, in order to get the prices down, so that’s what we’re doing.”

Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., said in a social media post just hours after Trump announced the deal that the president’s “heart is in the right place,” but importing beef will “harm our ranching families who feed the nation.”

And Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., said that while he appreciates the administration’s focus on grocery prices, “short term policy shifts do not equal long term solutions.”

The deal, Trump said, allows up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to be imported into the U.S. for the next 90 days without activating an “out of quota” tariff, which is a tax that goes into effect once a certain quantity of that product enters the country.

The president said on social media that he had committed to ensuring the imported beef would be sold at 25% below current market rates, making it cheaper for American consumers. Trump didn’t specify which countries would import the beef while speaking to reporters Friday, but said “there are a few” and that they’ll send the “highest quality beef.” A White House official said the deal is with foreign beef exporters who have agreed to the discount on beef.

“You don’t put America first by putting U.S. cattle producers last,” U.S. Cattlemen’s Association President Justin Tupper said in a statement. “This move will weaken our markets and gamble with food safety in the process.”

The president’s announcement and other market interventions sacrifice “long-term stability for short term messaging,” Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said in a statement.

Glynn Tonsor, a professor at Kansas State University who focuses on the cattle and beef industry, said he would like to see more details about the latest deal but that his immediate assessment was that it wouldn’t have a big effect on prices.

That’s because 300,000 metric tons amounts to roughly 3% of what Americans eat yearly, he said. “The relative magnitude we are talking about is pretty small.”

David Anderson, professor of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University, said he was skeptical other countries could redirect so much beef to the U.S. in such a short time period.

“Is that even achievable?” he questioned in a phone interview.

The White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a plan that has yet to be finalized, said the beef in question is lean beef trimmings that are used for ground beef production. Trump plans to sign an executive order formalizing the directive within two weeks, the official said. The administration made a push last year to buy more beef from Argentina to try to bring down prices.

The president said Friday that his plan would help grow the U.S. cattle supply, which is the smallest it’s been in decades. Some ranchers and experts said the opposite effect was more likely.

“Imports have been a major contributor to the decline in the U.S. cattle inventory,” said Bill Bullard, the CEO of the R-CALF USA, which represents independent cattle producers. “Using more imports today will exacerbate that decline and will prevent herd expansion.”

___

Associated Press writers Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta contributed to this report.

The U.S. carmaker is recalling about 2.98 million China-made and imported EVs including Model 3, Model Y, Model X and Model S over door handle safety risks, according to China’s State Administration for Market Regulation.

The recall, the largest this year according to Chinese media, comes a few months after Chinese authorities said in February that starting next year, it would be banning hidden car door handles that are commonly seen on Tesla electric vehicles and many Chinese EV models.

China has stepped up scrutiny recently on hidden, or flush, car door handles following EV accidents in the country and elsewhere, in which cars’ hidden electronic doors failed and trapped people inside.

In a notice on the Chinese regulator’s website, it cited safety risk. In extreme situations, such as a severe collision that causes an electrical system failure, the car handles could hinder car users from quickly opening the doors to escape, or prevent rescuers outside the car from gaining access, the notice said.

Some experts in the industry said the automakers should value safety over design.

Cui Dongshu, head of the China Passenger Car Association, called the recall “an inevitable step” in the development of the electric vehicle industry and said automakers were “being responsible” by moving toward a more reliable, “safety-first” approach.

“This represents, in part, the growing pains of the industry. At the same time, however, this move signifies a policy-driven safety upgrade,” said Cui.

Tesla will perform software updates on the vehicles to mitigate risks, the notice added. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

Xiaomi, the Beijing-based Chinese technology giant, is recalling more than 390,000 vehicles. Hangzhou-based Leapmotor is recalling over 370,000 cars. Other Chinese carmakers, including Geely and XPENG are also recalling some vehicles.

The reasons given in each case were similar, mostly relating to issues with their car door handles.

A report published by the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party, said the large-scale recall “serves as a unified safety upgrade” for existing vehicle models ahead of the 2027 implementation of the ban on hidden car door handles.

“For the rapidly evolving NEV (new energy vehicle) industry, competition should be defined not only by the pace of technological innovation but also by the high standards set for safety,” the newspaper said.

____

Fu Ting reported from Washington.

Michelle Lemon’s daughter, Bryne, is a 9th grader at Hightower High School. Lemon says Bryne is picked up every morning between 6:29 and 6:35 a.m. But on Thursday, Bryne got on the school bus and did not return home at her scheduled drop-off time.

Thirty minutes after Bryne was expected home, Lemon called Fort Bend ISD Transportation to locate her daughter — and says she did not get a straight answer.

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“When that lady said ‘ma’am describe your daughter,’ my heart sunk, that’s like — your worst nightmare, parents’ worst nightmare. ‘Describe my daughter?’ Umm what? I felt disappointed. I really felt like they didn’t care about my child at all,” Lemon said.

An hour after Bryne’s scheduled drop-off time, she was still not home. When Lemon reached the bus driver, she was told Bryne’s name was not on the list.

“Her name is not on the paper? So you got my daughter who is a Jane Doe, riding from… one she is riding on your bus everyday, to school and back, and today she is riding for a couple hours and you have no idea,” Lemon said.

Bryne eventually made it home around 4:30 p.m.

“I grabbed her immediately, gave her a hug.”

Bryne is non-verbal, so it’s hard to know exactly how she felt.

“She didn’t know if that could have been a sign of danger,if she was safe or not.”

Lemon said the high school got back to her as soon as possible.

Mom points finger at transportation department

Lemon says Hightower High School responded to her concerns as quickly as possible and believes the issue lies specifically with FBISD Transportation. She also noted a lack of empathy from the attendee she spoke with over the phone.

By Friday morning, several district officials were on a call with Lemon, including Dahria Driskell, Executive Director for FBISD Special Education.

Lemon says her goal is to make sure this never happens to another family.

“I just need to know moving forward that there is a procedure in place, where the child is protected and looked after, but it would be nice to know that I can trust Fort Bend ISD with my daughter’s safety,” Lemon told Driskell on the phone.

Fort Bend ISD responds

Fort Bend ISD released a statement saying the safety and well-being of every student remain its highest priority, and that the student was never missing or left unsupervised.

“The District is aware of a student who experienced a delay in transportation home yesterday evening. At no time was the student missing or left unsupervised,” the district said in a statement.

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The district says when transportation staff could not verify the student’s assigned bus stop, established safety procedures were followed. Because the student did not have school identification available, the driver contacted the Transportation Service Terminal to verify the student’s information and address.

“The student remained safe and under staff supervision throughout the process,” the district said.

Fort Bend ISD acknowledged the delay was concerning for the family, adding that the early days of a new school year can surface opportunities to improve coordination, communication and customer service.

“Fort Bend ISD is reviewing the situation with campus and transportation staff to help prevent similar delays. Because this matter involves an individual student, the District cannot provide additional details,” the statement read.

Messi slapped the Union's Quinn Sullivan on the back of the neck as the two exchanged words Wednesday night. Messi scored his first goal since the death of his father, Jorge Messi, and added an assist.

Sullivan also was involved in the fracas that led to Fray's fine. After Sullivan lost his footing dribbling into the penalty area, he got tangled with Fray, who then grabbed his neck. Sullivan jumped up and tackled Fray.

Minnesota United FC defender Anthony Markanich was fined for embellishment in the second half of a 2-1 loss to Atlanta United on Wednesday.

___

See AP’s full MLS coverage here

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, former member of Xscape and “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” star is bringing her one-woman show, “I Do, I Did, I’m Done,” to House of Blues Houston on Sunday, Aug. 23.

Burruss has built an impressive career both in front of and behind the microphone. As a songwriter, she co-wrote some of R&B’s biggest hits, including TLC’s “No Scrubs” and Destiny’s Child’s “Bills, Bills, Bills.”

Now, she’s turning the spotlight toward her own life.

“I Do, I Did, I’m Done,” combines personal storytelling, music, never-before-seen footage and audience participation. The show gives fans a closer look at the experiences, relationships and life lessons that have shaped Burruss — while inviting the audience to become part of the experience.

Burruss chatted with “Houston Life” Lauren Kelly about her musical journey and life after reality TV.

Watch Kandi Burruss’ full interview in the video above.

Click here to get your tickets now. You must be 21 and older to attend.

The newspaper’s publisher, who announced his impending retirement days ago, was also dismissed.

Erik Slavin, editor-in-chief of the military newspaper that is partly funded by the Pentagon, told The Associated Press he was dismissed for insubordination after an interview he gave that objected to potential censorship by the U.S. military. He received a notice of separation, as did publisher Max Lederer — who had just announced his upcoming retirement — and Middle East reporter Lara Korte, Slavin said.

The moves come at a time when the Trump administration, in its second term, has been progressively combative toward the media — including sharply curtailing Pentagon access for the press corps that covers the Defense Department. Trump or other parts of the executive branch have also, in policy and in the courts, grappled with The Wall Street Journal,The Associated Press and The New York Times — in addition to using the FCC to target broadcast networks.

Slavin said he was being fired “for stating in a CBS interview that hypothetical censorship of news for service members would constitute a red line.” Korte participated in the same interview.

“I stand by the principle that Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent, as required by law and by the department’s own policies,” Slavin said.

Media leaders are troubled

National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. called the firing of Slavin “another brazen attempt by the Pentagon to dictate coverage of the military” and said it should be immediately reversed.

“Firing a newspaper editor after he publicly defended his newsroom’s editorial independence is deeply troubling, and it should concern every journalist and every member of the U.S. military who depends on independent reporting,” Schoeff said.

Neither Lederer nor Korte immediately responded to emailed requests for comment. Korte said on X: “Today, I was informed that the Department of Defense is firing me for insubordination after I told a CBS reporter that I work for Stars and Stripes — not the Pentagon, not the administration, and not any policy maker.”

Earlier this week, longtime publisher Lederer announced his retirement effective at the end of September. He made his announcement a few weeks after the Pentagon installed a new deputy publisher, an active duty service member, under him at the newspaper without his prior knowledge. Three Democratic senators on Thursday wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, asking why the new deputy — Navy Capt. William Urban — had been installed.

The retirement of Lederer, who had been at Stars and Stripes for three decades and publisher since 2007, comes as Hegseth’s Pentagon has moved to exert editorial control and eliminate what it asserts are “woke distractions.”

“Stars and Stripes will be custom tailored to our warfighters,” Sean Parnell, Hegseth's spokesman, wrote in January on X. “It will focus on warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability and ALL THINGS MILITARY. No more repurposed DC gossip columns; no more Associated Press reprints.”

In April, the Pentagon fired Jacqueline Smith, ombudsman for the newspaper, whose job had been to safeguard editorial independence.

Lederer, the second full-time civilian in the position, wrote in a staff memo this week that it had “become clear that my philosophy of leadership, and my understanding of the value and mission of Stars and Stripes, differ in fundamental ways from the direction the leadership of the Department of Defense has for the organization.”

Newly installed Pentagon leader outlines his plan

In a letter posted on Stars and Stripes, Urban wrote of his plans and said: “I understand that I am now part of a team, committed to editorially independent journalism that best serves our most important customer, which is our service members, their families, and our greater military community.”

“I am a media junkie who has served as a communication professional engaged in being a spokesman for some of the hardest Public Affairs assignments in the Navy and Department of War for more than 20 years,” he wrote.

It was unclear whether Urban, currently titled “military deputy to the publisher,” would now become head publisher. “I can’t comment on what my role will be in the future,” he told the AP.

In a telephone interview, Urban said Stars and Stripes has “a strong team of professional journalists that are focused on the mission of providing our military service members and their families the best possible product. That mission is going to continue. All of us in leadership will continue to advocate for … the best possible journalism going forward.”

He said he had no formal journalism experience but cited his years in public affairs and communications. He said he would be focused on expanding digital journalism at the paper, because the service members to which it caters are often young and are “digital natives.”

“I think we need to get better on the digital side,” he said, “to make sure that we are reaching as many service members as we possibly can and having the impact that we should be having.”

He says he was stopping at a stop sign at E. 7 1/2 Street and Oxford Street in The Heights neighborhood, adding he was about a block away from picking up someone who requested a ride.

That’s when he saw a man running with no shirt on with two Houston police officers trailing behind. And it was all caught on his car’s dash cam. The second officer is seen with a flashlight approaching Baines’ car.

“Hey, give me a ride over there please,” the officer says. “Go, go that way....go go go go go.”

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Baines says after picking up both officers, the only conversation he had with them was this:

“Alright, which way am I going,” Baines asked.

“Go that way,” the officers respond, pointing in a certain direction.

Houston police have confirmed the authenticity of the video and incident. They tell KPRC 2 they received a call reporting the man running in the video had threatened to shoot a mom and her two kids. HPD said the man was upset because he thought someone had stolen from him.

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HPD says when officers tried to detain the man as he was leaving an apartment, he refused to cooperate and took off running.

Despite Baines’ help, HPD says they weren’t able to find the man.

KPRC 2 has reached out to the Houston Police department asking about what their policy is for officers using a person’s car, to chase a suspect on foot.

Fabio David Arboleda said his white 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 was his dream truck.

“We spent a month and a half just looking for a very specific truck…a white GMC Sierra with the sensors and nice interior. We finally found one,” Arboleda said.

But early Tuesday morning, Aug. 11, surveillance video captured thieves taking the truck directly from the family’s driveway on Water Edge Lane in Katy.

The theft happened around 3:50 a.m.

Video shows the truck disappearing from the driveway in less than a minute.

“I feel almost violated,” Arboleda said. “They came in the middle of the night and took the truck like it was nothing.”

About 40 minutes earlier, another GMC truck was stolen just down the street.

Surveillance video from the two thefts appears to show the same group of people involved. The Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office is still investigating the cases.

These are the most stolen vehicles in the Houston area, per Pct. 4

One truck recovered, another still missing

KPRC 2 reporter Re’Chelle Turner spoke with the owner of the other GMC stolen earlier that morning.

That owner said the truck was eventually recovered, but its security system had been stripped and the vehicle was essentially considered a total loss.

The Arboleda family’s Sierra has not been recovered.

The family previously said the truck was later detected by a Flock license plate reader in Katy, but investigators have not located it.

Arboleda said the truck had multiple security features, including OnStar and an AirTag.

“We had, you know, everything you can think of, and they just, I mean, they just took it,” he said.

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Fort Bend constable reports increase in auto thefts

Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Constable Chad Norvell said his office has seen a sharp increase in auto theft reports compared with this time last year.

“Almost double, in fact, the number of auto theft reports they’ve taken from the year-to-date period compared to last year,” Norvell said. “We have seen quite a few more, actually.”

Norvell said high-end pickup trucks, including GMC models and Ford F-150s and F-250s, are common targets.

He said thieves can sometimes steal the vehicles within a matter of minutes.

The increase locally comes even as vehicle thefts have fallen nationally.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 659,880 vehicles were reported stolen nationwide in 2025, a 23% decline from 2024. Even with that decrease, NICB says a vehicle was still stolen somewhere in the United States about every 48 seconds. (National Insurance Crime Bureau)

Texas ranks second in the nation for vehicle thefts

Texas recorded 75,269 vehicle thefts in 2025, the second-highest total of any state in the country, behind only California.

The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metropolitan area also ranked among the nation’s biggest vehicle theft hot spots.

The 10 metropolitan areas with the highest number of vehicle thefts in 2025 were:

1. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim – 53,911
2. New York-Newark-Jersey City – 27,138
3. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin – 24,299
4. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands – 23,659
5. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont – 22,197
6. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington – 21,638
7. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington – 19,117
8. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria – 15,204
9. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario – 14,111
10. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue – 12,684

Vehicle thefts falling nationally

There is some encouraging news.

Vehicle thefts dropped significantly across the United States in 2025.

NICB reports 659,880 vehicles were stolen nationwide last year, representing a 23% decline from 2024 and the lowest theft level in several decades.

That followed another 17% decline in 2024.

However, NICB says a vehicle was still stolen somewhere in the United States approximately every 48 seconds in 2025. (National Insurance Crime Bureau)

What are the most stolen vehicles?

The GMC Sierra involved in the Fort Bend County case does not appear on NICB’s list of the 10 most frequently stolen vehicles nationwide in 2025.

However, two other full-size pickup trucks do.

According to NICB, the most stolen vehicles nationwide in 2025 were:

1. Hyundai Elantra – 21,732
2. Honda Accord – 17,797
3. Hyundai Sonata – 17,687
4. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 – 16,764
5. Honda Civic – 12,725
6. Kia Optima – 11,521
7. Ford F-150 – 10,102
8. Toyota Camry – 9,833
9. Honda CR-V – 9,809
10. Nissan Altima – 8,445

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 was the fourth-most stolen vehicle in the country, while the Ford F-150 ranked seventh. (National Insurance Crime Bureau)

Could a steering wheel lock help?

Norvell said drivers should consider adding layers of security rather than relying solely on a vehicle’s factory alarm or electronic systems.

One of his recommendations is an old-fashioned steering wheel lock.

“Even what I do on my own truck, I have an F-250,” Norvell said. “I know they’re commonly stolen, so I use an old-school club on the steering wheel. It’s just a device that is visible, something they can see.”

Turner purchased a steering wheel lock at a local Walmart for less than $30 to demonstrate how it works.

The device stretches across the steering wheel and locks into place, making it difficult to turn the wheel without first removing the lock.

Norvell stressed that no single device can guarantee a vehicle will not be stolen.

Instead, he said the goal is to make the vehicle less attractive to a thief by creating another obstacle that takes additional time to defeat.

“Something else, a visible deterrent to make the thieves recognize that this is going to take them a couple minutes extra,” Norvell said. “I know they can defeat anything if they want to, but just looking for something that’ll slow them down and hopefully they can go somewhere else.”

NICB similarly recommends using additional anti-theft technology such as steering wheel locks, audible alarms, kill switches and aftermarket GPS trackers, including AirTags. (National Insurance Crime Bureau)

The organization also recommends parking in well-lit areas, closing windows, locking doors, never leaving a running vehicle unattended and always taking your keys with you. (National Insurance Crime Bureau)

Family says they will add more security next time

Arboleda said he is still trying to process how quickly his truck disappeared.

When asked whether he believes there was anything else he could have done, he said it is difficult to know until it happens to you.

“I wish I could go back in time and, you know, put maybe a boot on my steering wheel or, you know, do something different,” Arboleda said. “But really, you don’t know when that’s going to happen or if it’ll happen, especially in a neighborhood like this.”

He said he plans to eventually find another truck, but this time he plans to take additional security precautions to make it more difficult to steal.

The Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office continues to investigate both thefts.

As of Friday, Arboleda’s 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 had not been recovered.

Donald’s connection to footwear started at an early age. He grew up in Chicago, where his father owned shoe stores. Even as a young boy, Donald says comfort was always a priority. He remembers watching customers try on shoes and making sure they walked in both the left and right shoe before making a decision. That early experience would help shape his approach to footwear throughout his career.

Lisa’s path into fashion was influenced by her family as well. She was born in Miami and later moved to Houston, where she spent much of her life. Her mother was a fashion designer, inspiring Lisa to pursue her own creative career. She attended the University of Texas before studying at Parsons School of Design and spending time in Paris. She later applied to work for legendary designer Gianni Versace.

Eventually, Donald and Lisa’s professional and personal lives came together. The couple met on a blind date and eventually became partners in both marriage and business. Donald even designed footwear for Lisa’s wedding, a fitting example of how closely their relationship and creative lives are intertwined.

Over the years, Donald has created footwear for a number of high-profile clients, including Shaquille O’Neal, Elton John and Wayne Newton. When designing custom shoes, Donald says the process can be a combination of the client’s ideas and his own creative instincts. His distinctive approach has helped establish his signature in the footwear industry.

Lisa has also developed her own identity as a designer. She says one of the things that makes their partnership work is that Donald never changed her personal style. Instead, she credits him with helping her develop and refine her own point of view.

Their shared journey is also captured in The Selling of One’s Sole, a book that looks back at Donald’s life and career. For the couple, the story is about much more than footwear. Lisa describes it as a love story about a young man who grew up in the shoe business and devoted his life to creating shoes.

The title itself plays on the word “sole,” referring not only to the bottom of a shoe but to something deeper. Donald says the story is ultimately about his heart, his experiences and the inspiration he brought to his designs through his travels and life experiences.

Today, Donald and Lisa continue to look back on a career and relationship built around creativity. With thousands of shoes in Lisa’s collection and decades of shared experiences behind them, their story demonstrates how fashion can become more than a career but a lasting love story.

Beginning August 1, schools must follow new mandatory heat safety rules that could shorten, delay or even cancel outdoor practices during dangerous heat.

This is a major change.

The University Interscholastic League (UIL) is now requiring schools to use the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) to determine whether it’s safe to practice. For the past two years, this was only a recommendation. Now it’s required.

And with the heart of summer upon us in Southeast Texas, the timing is important.

What is the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature?

Most people are familiar with the heat index, but the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) measures something different: how much heat stress a person’s body actually experiences outdoors.

The heat index measures temperature and humidity in the shade. Football players and marching bands aren’t practicing in the shade, they’re often on concrete or fields under direct sunshine wearing heavy equipment or uniforms.

The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature paints a much more complete picture of the heat athletes experience. Unlike the heat index, WBGT factors in:

• Air temperature
• Humidity
• Sunlight
• Wind speed
• Cloud cover
• Sun angle

That makes it a much better tool for determining when the human body can no longer cool itself effectively. Wet bulb addresses the impact of the heat not just what it “feels like.”

The measurement was first developed in the 1950s by the U.S. military after serious heat illness outbreaks during Army and Marine Corps training. Today, it’s become the gold standard for protecting athletes from heat-related illness.

The changes are designed to prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths among student athletes during Texas’ hottest months.

What changes under the new rules?

• Schools must measure WBGT 15 minutes before practice.
• Readings must be repeated every 30 minutes.
• Higher heat levels require more water breaks.
• Practice times become shorter.
• Cold-water immersion tubs or other rapid-cooling equipment are required.
• Extreme conditions mean outdoor practice must be delayed or canceled.

If a “high” reading is measured, practice is limited to just one hour, including a mandatory 20-minute break. That leaves only 40 minutes of actual practice time.

Here’s Monday’s WBGT forecast:

This is a forecast for Monday at 4:00 PM. All state football teams start practice this day. If a team wanted to practice at 4:00 they couldn’t.

That’s one reason many schools have scheduled practices at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m. next week.

The bigger challenge will come once school starts, when many teams traditionally practice immediately after classes end at 4:00 PM, the hottest part of the day. From the coaches I’ve talked with, practice will start inside on a high or extreme day.

A different way of thinking about toughness:

If you played football years ago, these rules may sound excessive. Many people will say, “We practiced in the heat, and we turned out fine.”

But today’s reality is different.

Our climate is hotter than it was decades ago, and we’ve seen far too many tragic cases of young athletes dying from heat stroke after practicing in conditions their bodies simply couldn’t handle.

Texas has experienced record-breaking summer heat in recent years, and heat illness remains one of the biggest risks facing student athletes during preseason practices.

The new rules are designed to keep students safe, not by eliminating tough practices, but by making sure dangerous heat doesn’t turn deadly.

The goal is simple: Every student goes home after practice.

The Cessna's two pilots could not see the gravel airstrip and were flying solely by instruments when the plane crashed about midday Thursday, Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Board’s Alaska region chief, told a virtual news conference.

Regulations required that they abort their first landing attempt because of the lack of visibility, he said, and the plane crashed on its second attempt, about one-third of a mile (0.5 kilometers) from the runway. The runway is surrounded by mountainous terrain on three sides, and the Federal Aviation Administration recommends pilots use GPS and other instruments when they land there.

On board were the pilots, two employees of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and four contractors. The military has not said what work they were performing at the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site, about 450 miles (725 kilometers) west of Anchorage on Alaska's southwest coast.

The radar site was built in the 1950s as part of a network designed to provide early warning of a missile attack by the Soviet Union. Today, it monitors the skies off the coast in the direction of Russia, North Korea and China.

Those on board were “dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment," U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, commander of Alaskan Command, the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and Eleventh Air Force, said in a statement Thursday.

“This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve,” Davis said.

Weather conditions were changing Thursday as heavy fog rolled through the area. An automated observation system not far from the airport reported a low cloud ceiling, fog and visibility of about 10 miles (16 kilometers) in the minutes before the crash, but the next update about 15 minutes after it showed visibility of less than one-quarter mile (0.40 kilometers), according to Carrie Haisley, the meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service's Alaska sector operations center.

Search teams found the fragmented wreckage after the plane lost contact, Johnson said. The plane was a twin-engine Cessna 441, also known as a Cessna Conquest. Its final flight path was captured by radar at the site, he said.

The airstrip is at a private military site managed by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center. It’s part of a network of remote radar sites that tracks aircraft operating in Alaska’s airspace and along its borders, the statement from Alaskan Command said.

The outpost at Cape Newenham closed in 1983 after a new radar was installed, and now the site is visited only occasionally by civilian contractors who perform maintenance on the system.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the two employees who died were part of a “project delivery team en route to a project site in support of the U.S. Air Force.” The statement did not provide additional details about the work.

NTSB investigators were traveling to the scene Friday.

Johnson said the flight was operated by Security Aviation based in Anchorage. The charter company did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

___

Associated Press writer Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report. Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4% for just its second gain in the six days since setting its all-time high last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 517 points, or 1%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.4%.

Ross Stores helped lead the way and rose 4.4% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Jim Conroy said it saw both an increase in new customers and more interest from existing customers, while the off-price retailer at the same time benefited from refunds on tariffs.

Most U.S. companies have reported bigger profits for the spring than analysts expected, which has helped drive stocks to records recently. Stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate profits over the long term.

Hopes for continued profit growth got a boost from a preliminary report by S&P Global suggesting growth for U.S. business activity hit a 52-month high. But the other big lever that helps set stock prices, interest rates, has been much shakier.

After soaring through the summer and then hesitating following this week’s surprise move by the U.S. Treasury Department to repurchase more U.S. government bonds, yields climbed further on Friday.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.73% from 4.69% late Thursday. It’s back above its level from before the Treasury market made its move, which analysts said at the time would likely have only a temporary effect. The 30-year Treasury yield, which the Fed is also targeting with its bond repurchases, also rose and is near its highest level since 2007.

Contributing to Friday’s gains for bond yields was continued uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf again. That caused oil prices to rise, which affects Treasury yields because they increase worries about inflation.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil settled at $92.67, up 0.8%.

Besides inflation, concerns about the fast-rising debt for the U.S. government have also been sending yields upward. Higher yields can slow the economy and undercut prices for all kinds of investments.

One of the biggest beneficiaries of U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s move to try to get longer-term yields lower is bitcoin. Cryptocurrencies often rise when interest rates are lower and more money is flowing through the financial system. Hopes for legislation in Washington to help the crypto industry have also helped it.

Bitcoin has climbed above $77,000 from less than $63,000 a week ago. That helped stocks in the crypto industry lead Wall Street. Robinhood Markets jumped 13.7%, and Coinbase Global gained 8.2%.

The price of gold also climbed and briefly topped $4,690 per ounce from less than $4,440 a week earlier. The Treasury Department’s buyback announcement has helped weaken the U.S. dollar’s value against other currencies, which tends to give gold’s price a boost.

That helped drive stocks of miners higher. Newmont climbed 3.1%, and Freeport-McMoRan jumped 7.6%.

They helped offset a 5.2% drop for OSI Systems, which sells security screening equipment to airports and other specialized electronic systems. It reported weaker revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, and CEO Ajay Mehra said it was hurt by “the Middle East conflicts which shifted the timing of certain planned deliveries.”

Boston Beer sank 2.6% after the seller of Samuel Adams and Dogfish Head said its chief financial officer is leaving the company and announced an interim replacement.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 33.21 points to 7,674.37. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 517.80 to 53,277.01, and the Nasdaq composite added 113.29 to 26,180.45.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose in much of Asia and Europe. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.2%, and South Korea’s Kospi climbed 0.9% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

___

AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Michelle Chapman contributed to this report.

We hit 100° again on Friday afternoon, marking the second time this week and the third 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 110°. The current Heat Advisory runs through Saturday evening, and I expect it will likely be extended through the weekend and possibly into early next week as this dangerous heat wave continues.

Triple-digit heat:

Saturday should another 100° high in Houston. That will make four days of triple digit heat in Houston this year. Last year we had 8 100° days in Houston. The all-time record is 46 from 2011.

Small chance of rain Friday and Saturday:

A frontal boundary in north Texas will send an outflow toward Houston. It looks to me like it will struggle to stay together and bring meaningful rain to southeast Texas. Our best chance of showers will be in our far northern cities Friday and Saturday nights.

No end in sight to this unrelenting heat:

The heat is courtesy of a strong ridge of high pressure. This ridge is bringing sinking air into Houston, and as that air sinks, it gets compressed and heats up.

This pattern shows no signs of letting up through the weekend. While there is a small chance of rain Saturday, it’s not enough of a change in the overall weather pattern to bring temperatures down in any meaningful way.

In other words, the heat is here to stay.

Tracking the tropics:

Two areas of concerns in the Atlantic Basin. One headed closer to Europe, another one sitting in the center of the Atlantic.

10 Day Forecast:

We’re in the hottest stretch of the summer right now.

There is a small chance of rain, but it won’t affect temperatures. The strong ridge of high pressure finally begins to break down in the middle of next week, but as you can see temperatures won’t drop very much.

The heat may ease a bit, but summer isn’t giving up just yet.

An estimated 33% of active duty personnel who said they experienced unwanted sexual contact in fiscal year 2025 reported it, compared with 25% in fiscal year 2023, the report said. The findings are based on confidential surveys taken every two years as well as sexual assault reports made to authorities.

“In other words, about 1 in 3 Service members reported experiencing their sexual assault to a Department authority,” the report said. “This estimate is up from the 1 in 4 Service members estimated to have reported experiencing sexual assault in FY 2023.”

The Pentagon says it estimates about 20,492 service members — 9,860 active duty women and 10,632 active duty men — said in the survey that they experienced unwanted sexual contact.

The report marks another year of improving trends in the effort to tackle sexual assault in the military. The Pentagon reports from the previous two years show drops in sexual assault reports as well as the number of service members who said they had experienced unwanted sexual contact. That followed almost a decade of rising numbers of reported assaults, though many say the numbers still are too high.

The Pentagon has faced persistent criticism and pressure from both Congress and outside advocacy groups to reduce sexual assaults and harassment in the military, which also can affect recruiting and retaining troops.

The Pentagon releases this report every year on the number of sexual assaults reported by or about troops. Because sexual assault is a highly underreported crime, the department does a confidential online survey every two years to get a clearer picture of the problem.

Defense officials have long argued that an increase in reported assaults is a positive trend because so many people are reluctant to report them, both in the military and in society as a whole. Greater reporting, they say, shows there is more confidence in the reporting system and greater comfort with the support for victims.

The number of reported sexual assaults dipped last year from the previous year. The Defense Department said it received a total of 7,998 reports of sexual assault in 2025, a decrease of 197 from 8,195 reports received in 2024.

The latest confidential survey found that unwanted sexual contact among active duty women decreased from an estimated 6.8% in 2023 to 4.3% last year. For men, the prevalence fell from an estimated 1.3% to 1%.

Sexual harassment of active duty women fell from an estimated 24.7% to 17.5% during that time, while it dropped from 5.8% to 4.4% for men, according to the survey.

However, the report noted that junior enlisted men and women and those younger than 24 “remained at greater risk of unwanted sexual contact compared to men and women of higher ranks and those over the age of 25.”

It says “preventing and responding to sexual assault is ... a readiness imperative” and that the Pentagon will “continue to strengthen efforts to deter and diminish harmful behaviors, provide timely and victim-centered care, and hold substantiated offenders appropriately accountable.”

While the latest Pentagon report suggests the military is making progress on changing the culture of sexual assault and its underreporting in the military, the new figures cover only the first several months of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s time leading the Pentagon.

Since his arrival, Hegseth has not shied away from firing top female leaders and instituting policies and reviews that suggest he may be looking to diminish the role that women can play in the military.

Vance has highlighted his Rust Belt roots while trying to boost GOP candidates ahead of the November midterm elections. He has focused on promoting the Trump administration’s economic policies and efforts to try to expand U.S. manufacturing.

As he took the stage at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works facility, known as Armco Steel when his grandfather James Vance worked there for nearly 40 years, he remarked on sharing the space where the man whose name he shared once stood.

“Papaw was a welder in this place for 40 years, and today his grandson stands here as the vice president of these United States. It’s an amazing thing,” Vance said.

The Middletown event comes as Vance is expected to ramp up his travel schedule with more public events and fundraisers, according to a person familiar with the plans who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Vance says Trump is trying to reverse decades of ‘American decline’

As they've campaigned this year, Vance, more than President Donald Trump, has acknowledged Americans' cost-of-living concerns, seeking to assure voters that the administration is working to reverse high prices, though he didn't offer specifics.

The vice president said, “We’ve got a lot of work to do” and “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy or it’s all going to happen overnight,” but he said Trump was trying to reverse “40 years of American decline.” He pointed to Trump's immigration and trade policies, including his tariffs, as trying to protect jobs like those at the steel plant.

Trump's tariff policies, though, have contributed to the higher costs Americans are facing, as taxes on imports have raised the price of imported products as well as those made domestically, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

With an eye toward Ohio's competitive elections, Vance focused on portraying Democrats today as unrecognizable to the party his grandfather supported for its union associations, calling it the “party of graduate students.”

Vance said his grandfather also thought “way too many politicians were just plain old corrupt.”

“He hated the people who forgot about this town when they should have been fighting for this town,” Vance said.

Vance blamed politicians of both major political parties, saying that for 40 years they espoused policies of free trade and open immigration that led to factory jobs being shipped overseas and an eventual scourge of opioids left behind, which he blamed on “a lot of cartels” and “the fentanyl trade,” which he said came along with “some innocent people” across the border.

Vance has deep ties to the town and the steel plant

In his bestselling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance described the steel plant as an economic savior that brought his grandparents from Kentucky's hills into the American middle class. He described how his grandfather would boast upon seeing an old Ford or Chevy that its steel was made by his company.

His grandson's election as vice president of the United States spurred pride in the Midwestern city, though Vance has faced some pushback on his portrayal of it in the book. He said kids “derisively called it ‘Middletucky’” when he was a child because it had so many transplants like his family. He said they brought problems with them from Kentucky, such as drug addiction, “Mountain Dew mouth” and problematic fathers.

In the 2024 election, Trump and Vance won about 62% of the vote in the city's precincts. His mother, Beverly Aikins, and his sister still live in Middletown.

Before he arrived at the steel plant, he first stopped by a pastry shop to buy doughnuts and remind workers there of the “no tax on tips” provision in the tax and spending law Trump signed last year, according to a video posted online by an aide.

After the event, Vance visited a Cincinnati chili restaurant where he served beers and Cincinnati chili-topped dogs with cheese to people gathered inside.

“Nice pour, JD!” someone shouted. “I’ll take a beer back here,” called another.

Ohio has lost its political bellwether status and turned red during the Trump era, but Democrats see a chance to win both the governor’s office and a U.S. Senate seat from Republican hands this year as anti-Trump sentiment buoys their party.

Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed to replace Vance in the Senate, is trying to hold on to his seat against a challenge from former Sen. Sherrod Brown, a longtime Ohio politician with a pro-working class message who lost his reelection bid to Republican Bernie Moreno two years ago.

Brown has capitalized on public opposition to artificial intelligence data centers in the campaign and aired ads calling Husted the “face of data centers in Ohio.” The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the GOP’s Senate campaign arm, warned in a memo this week that backlash to the centers has left Husted vulnerable.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a Vance ally, is the party’s nominee for governor in a race against Democrat Amy Acton. Democrats have not won the Ohio governor’s office in two decades.

Husted and Ramaswamy both spoke before Vance on Friday, as did U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

Vance, whose family still keeps a home in Cincinnati where they sometimes spend weekends, was making his first public visit since his fourth child was born in July.

As part of his plans for ramping up his travel schedule, his office announced a trip Monday to Brewer, Maine, where former Republican Gov. Paul LePage is running against Democrat Matt Dunlap, the state auditor, in a competitive House district.

___

Price reported from Washington.

The Infowars founder can only be forced to pay about $6 million, the Texas Third Court of Appeals ruled in a unanimous opinion, citing state laws that limit lawsuit damages.

The ruling does not affect a separate $1.25 billion judgment against Jones in Connecticut, where he was also found liable for defaming and causing emotional distress to relatives of the 20 first-graders and six educators killed in the Newtown shooting.

The punishing financial verdicts against Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, in recent years have forced him into bankruptcy, led to some of his personal property being put up for auction and led to him leaving his Infowars platform. For decades, he used the platform to push conspiracy theories about the United Nations, the federal government, gun control and more.

Sandy Hook families have yet to collect any money from Jones, who has waged lengthy appeals in state and bankruptcy courts as his company faces liquidation. He remains on air after moving onto new websites and streaming platforms.

Friday's ruling did not throw out the trial court's finding of defamation against Jones. Still, he called it "a gigantic victory for the First Amendment,” and said he will continue to appeal the case to the state Supreme Court to get the remaining damages thrown out.

“I got lawyers who are good constitutional lawyers and they are not backing down,” Jones said.

Jones has already tried to appeal the Connecticut judgment to the U.S. Supreme Court but was denied last year.

The decision by the Texas Third Court of Appeals left intact more than $4.1 million in compensatory damages awarded by a jury to Sandy Hook parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis for defamation and emotional distress. But it slashed more than $45 million in additional punitive damages down to $1.5 million to comply with the state's $750,000 cap for each plaintiff.

The court found Heslin and Lewis did not show evidence that the harassment following Jones’ hoax claims rose to a level that would allow them to exceed the cap. It also said the trial judge improperly allowed the parents to seek higher damages after trial.

Mark Bankston, an attorney for Heslin and Lewis in the Texas lawsuit, shrugged off the appeals court ruling as “irrelevant” given that Jones still faces massive financial judgments in Connecticut.

“The families care not at all about this irrelevant ruling which affects only two of the 19 claims they all share. Jones still faces over a billion dollars of liability, so this changes absolutely nothing. All it does is highlight the absurdity of Texas law,” Bankston said.

Newtown families harassed as Jones claimed the massacre was a hoax

Heslin and Lewis’s 6-year-old son Jesse Lewis was among those killed in the Sandy Hook attack. Their lawsuit against Jones and the 2022 verdict marked the first time he was held financially liable for peddling lies about the massacre, claiming it was faked by the government to tighten gun laws.

Jones portrayed the lawsuit as an attack on his First Amendment rights, but conceded during the trial that the shootings were “100% real” and that he was wrong to have lied about them.

At the Texas and Connecticut trials, victims’ relatives testified that Jones’ followers -- believing his claims that the shooting didn’t happen -- subjected them to death and rape threats, in-person harassment and abusive comments on social media. Jones argued there was no proof that linked him to those actions.

Heslin and Lewis told jurors that an apology wouldn’t suffice and initially called on them to make Jones pay more than $150 million for the years of suffering he has put them and other Sandy Hook families through.

Almost immediately after the punitive damages in Texas were announced, Jones' trial attorney predicted the award would be reduced to $1.5 million on appeal.

Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families in the Connecticut lawsuit, said Friday’s ruling has no bearing on the ongoing lower court proceedings in Texas involving the liquidation of Infowars’ parent company.

The Onion steps in to mock Jones and help frustrated families

Jones and his company have filed for bankruptcy, and those legal proceedings continue. The satirical website The Onion also moved to take over Jones' Infowars platforms and turn his bullhorn of conspiracy theories into parody sites.

Jones took Infowars off the air in April and moved to a new location, switching his shows to new websites and posting them on his personal X account. The Onion, meanwhile, has set up its own Infowars webpage on its website, running videos of shows parodying Jones.

A proposed licensing deal that would give The Onion temporary authority to use Infowars’ trademarks, copyrights and intellectual property has been put on hold because the liquidation proceedings have been stayed during Jones’ appeals.

In November 2024, the Chicago-based satirical outlet was named the winner of a bankruptcy court auction of the assets of Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, aimed at helping pay some of the defamation judgments. A federal judge overturned the auction results, citing problems with the process and The Onion’s bid.

___ This story has been corrected to show that Jones is still liable for $4.1 million in compensatory damages in addition to $1.5 million in punitive damages.

___ Dave Collins contributed from Hartford, Connecticut.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is touting a financial campaign against Tehran, promising an “economic D-Day” against Iran. Trump announced this week that the U.S. would impose an “unprecedented” level of economic warfare and isolation on Iran.

The Latest:

US to pay more than $800M of owed dues to the United Nations ahead of annual UN General Assembly

The Trump administration has notified Congress of its plans to pay more than $800 million of the several billions it owes to the United Nations, making it the largest payment the U.S. has made to the world body since it demanded sweeping reforms in exchange for continued support as its largest donor.

That’s according to notifications sent to lawmakers this month and obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

In them, the State Department laid out its plans to transfer $725 million as part of its dues to the regular U.N. budget and $125 million toward U.N. peacekeeping operations in Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Trump and his allies have spent the last year and a half demanding drastic changes across the U.N., alarming many humanitarian workers and leading to severe reductions in programs and services.

Trump says he’s had many applicants seeking to be White House press secretary

The president told reporters that with Karoline Leavitt’s announced departure at the end of the month, “I have never had so many job applications in my life. They all want that job.”

Trump also had a favorable review of CNN’s conservative commentator Scott Jennings, whose name has been among those suggested as a possible replacement.

“Scott Jennings is good,” Trump said.

Trump says he’ll name companies that donated money to build the ballroom

“I’ll name the companies probably over the next couple of weeks, but I want to ask if they mind, but, and really, most of them have said, ‘You could use my name’ gladly,” Trump said. “So that’s all money, no taxpayer money for the ballroom at all.”

His claim of only private funding for the ballroom is incorrect. Public funds are being used for security aspects of the building. He was asked if he could guarantee that no taxpayer money would pay for construction.

“We’re spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the ballroom, and it’s all from people like me and great companies that are putting it up,” Trump said. “It’s going to be close to $400 million dollars, and it’s all paid for by patriots and patriotic companies, big companies.”

On data centers, Trump says Republican candidates can ‘do what they want’ but he supports building them

As the rapid expansion of data centers fueling the artificial intelligence boom has sparked bipartisan outcry around the country, Trump insists the subject is actually “pretty simple.”

He said you had to “pick the right location” but “what it means for a community is jobs and lots of money and lower taxes.”

The president added that his administration is mandating that data centers supply their own power sources, helping reduce strain on local electric grids and keeping utility rates from rising too sharply.

Asked about the issue becoming a liability for some Republicans in key midterm races, Trump said of his fellow party members: “I want them to do what they want.”

“Some people feel differently,” he said. “If a Republican’s against a data center that’s OK with me.”

Trump says growth will solve $40 trillion national debt

The president told reporters that the record milestone the U.S. passed this week “has been a problem for 35 years” but that “the way you take care of debt is growth.”

Trump’s prescription comes as the U.S. is facing growing costs for the Iran war, social programs like Social Security and Medicare and interest payments on the deficit.

Experts say the debt has already started impacting Americans’ finances, raising costs for borrowing and goods and lowering wages.

Trump responds to cattle producers’ concerns over his imported beef deal

The deal, which would allow 300,000 metric tons of beef to be imported for 90 days at a lower cost, incurred backlash from some rural-state Republicans and cattle producers. When asked about criticism, Trump said the proposal would bring beef prices down “a little bit,” which is “what people want.”

“The ranchers are great; they’re my people. I love the ranchers. They’ve done a fantastic job,” he told reporters. “But they admit that we need a little help, and in order to get the prices down, so that’s what we’re doing.”

Critics of the deal, including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, have said it will harm the industry in the long term as it slowly recovers from a low cattle herd.

When asked what countries were involved in the agreement, Trump said he didn’t want to say but that “there are a few countries” and that they will “be sending the highest quality beef.”

Trump says Darline Graham ‘was being honest’ when she said she lacked foreign policy expertise

As he boarded the plane to head to Myrtle Beach to rally for Sen. Darline Graham, Trump gave his first public reaction to his chosen South Carolina GOP Senate runoff candidate’s flub earlier in the week.

Trump told reporters Graham “was being honest” when she said Tuesday during a debate that she wasn’t up to speed on national security issues.

“She’s surrounded by very good people, and she said that she’s totally for the military,” Trump said, adding he looked forward to seeing “a very big crowd” in South Carolina.

Graham says she entered the special primary to replace her late brother Lindsey Graham at Trump’s urging. Friday’s rally comes just four days before her runoff against U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman.

Trump says he has $850M political war chest to spend ‘on candidates that I think are good’

Asked about the unprecedented amount of money raised as part of his MAGA, Inc. Super PAC, the president said, “I’ll be spending a lot of that” as well as his own funds on “Republican candidates that I think are good.”

“You add the $850 million, all of the other money that we’ve raised,” he said, “We’re in very good shape.”

Trump’s mountain of money could be enough to lift Republicans during November’s midterm elections, but the president has remained tight-lipped on if and how he’ll spend it before Election Day.

Gov. Henry McMaster says he’s endorsing Sen. Darline Graham in Senate runoff

The South Carolina Republican had so far stayed out of the special Senate primary to replace Lindsey Graham.

But just ahead of a scheduled appearance at Trump’s rally in Myrtle Beach, McMaster — also a Trump ally — posted on social media that the interim senator had “stood for the values that South Carolinians live by, continued Lindsey Graham’s work, and stood firmly with President Trump to advance his America First agenda.”

“I am proud to give my full endorsement to Darline Graham,” McMaster concluded.

Voters choose Tuesday between Graham and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman. Three days of early voting just wrapped up.

Trump gratified by court decision on ballroom

The president says he is “grateful” for a temporary order by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to continue construction on the $400 million White House ballroom project.

“The Military/Ballroom Complex being built on the hallowed grounds of the White House, which is so vital for National Security, will be THE GREATEST OF ITS KIND!” he posted on Truth Social on Friday.

The temporary order came hours before lower-court rulings would have forced a halt to aboveground construction of the project because Trump didn’t get congressional approval.

More troops are reporting unwanted sexual contact, but numbers still fall, Pentagon says

More U.S. troops are reporting unwanted sexual contact to authorities, but even as more service members are willing to come forward, the prevalence of such incidents still went down overall last year.

That’s according to a Pentagon report released Friday. It says an estimated 33% of active duty personnel who said they experienced unwanted sexual contact in fiscal year 2025 reported it. That compares with 25% in fiscal year 2023.

The findings are based on confidential surveys taken every two years as well as sexual assault reports made to authorities.

The survey says unwanted sexual contact among active duty women fell from an estimated 6.8% to 4.3% during that time.

The number of reported sexual assaults also dipped. The Defense Department said it received a total of 7,998 reports of sexual assault in 2025, a decrease of 197 from 8,195 reports received in 2024.

Trump will travel to Houston to award the Artemis II astronauts after historic spaceflight

The president will be bearing the Congressional Space Medal of Honor for the Artemis II crew, who flew farther than any human has from the Earth and hung a U-turn around the moon, laying the first eyes on the rocky orb’s far side in April.

It was NASA’s first lunar trip since the Apollo era, and a step toward again putting a human back on the moon in just two years. The crew of three Americans and one Canadian flew in NASA’s Orion capsule a maximum distance of 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers) from Earth.

Trump is set to honor them next week at the Johnson Space Center, said White House spokesperson Liz Huston, who added that “America is leading the world in space exploration.”

Stars and Stripes editor says he has been fired for insubordination

The Pentagon on Friday fired the editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, as well as its publisher and a reporter, the editor said. He said he was dismissed for insubordination after an interview he gave that objected to any potential censorship by the U.S. military.

Erik Slavin, editor-in-chief of the military newspaper that is partly funded by the Pentagon but has a long legacy of editorial independence, told The Associated Press that he and the others had received notices of separation.

Slavin said he was being fired “for stating in a CBS interview that hypothetical censorship of news for service members would constitute a red line.” He said he stands by the principle “that Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent.”

Earlier this week, publisher Max Lederer announced his retirement effective at the end of September. He too received a separation notice, according to Slavin, as did the Middle East reporter Lara Korte.

▶ Read more

Key White House ally leaving to help with midterms

Trump says Ed Martin, a key ally who has pushed the president’s claims of election fraud, is leaving his administration to help with this November’s midterms and the 2028 election.

“Ed Martin has been with me from the very beginning, and done an incredible job as an Attorney, Director of the Weaponization Working Group, and the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. Ed is now leaving to go outside to fight Legal Battles,” Trump said in a Truth Social posting. “I know he will do an outstanding job, ensure Free, Fair, and Honest Elections, and strongly advance our Constitutional Rights. Good luck Ed! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Martin has been a leading figure in — and cheerleader for — Trump’s campaign to use the Justice Department to prosecute his political enemies, including former FBI director James Comey.

MAHA activists urge Trump to oppose coal power for AI

Nearly 200 activists in Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement are criticizing Trump’s promotion of coal to fuel the rise of artificial intelligence data centers, according to a letter sent Friday.

The letter, signed by at least two former staffers from Kennedy’s 2024 presidential campaign, marks the first major MAHA movement mobilization over fossil fuels and the latest in a series of rifts between the diverse group of activists and the Trump administration over environmental policy.

The letter to Trump, Kennedy and various other Cabinet officials, first obtained by The Associated Press, laments a 2025 executive order that aimed to boost coal to power data centers over pollution concerns and asks the administration to consider renewable options, including solar and geothermal energy.

“We understand the importance of American leadership in artificial intelligence, national security, innovation, and economic growth,” the letter reads. “But American AI leadership should not come at the cost of a more toxic burden for American children.”

▶ Read more

Supreme Court allows work on Trump’s $400M White House ballroom to continue for now

Chief Justice Roberts signed a temporary order on Friday allowing work to continue while the court considers an emergency appeal from the Trump administration.

Lower courts had ordered a halt to the project, finding that it must have congressional approval. That ruling was set to take effect on Friday. Roberts signed the order because he oversees appeals of Washington-based cases.

The case comes before the nation’s highest court as Trump, a Republican, exercises unparalleled assertions of presidential power and increasingly seeks to mold the capital in his own image.

The Trump administration has scored a series of victories on the high court’s emergency docket, though the justices have ruled against some of the president’s signature policies after fuller review.

The administration has argued that the president has total authority to renovate the White House and other federal buildings as he sees fit and that the ballroom project must be completed due to national security concerns.

▶ Read more

Vance attacks Democrats for supporting foreign workers

Vice President JD Vance said he and Trump are fighting for American-born workers, while Democrats prefer foreigners.

The Republican vice president outlined a fiery midterm message during an appearance at the Middletown, Ohio, steel plant where his grandfather used to work. Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate and governor joined steelworkers in the crowd.

“Every step of the way, these Democrats have voted for foreign workers and fraudsters over American citizens and hard-paying taxpayers,” Vance said. “Who do these Democrats put first? Everyone else. You know who the Trump administration puts first? Americans.”

Vance noted that he served in the Senate alongside former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is locked in a tight race against Republican Sen. Jon Husted.

“He was a friendly enough guy, but he was a man who claimed to represent this state, but never once raised his voice against Joe Biden’s border crisis or against the inflation that was brought on by Joe Biden underinvesting and trying to destroy American industry,” Vance said.

Ohio Sen. Ber

nie Moreno pledges he will serve only one more term

“I’m going to serve for one more term, and then I’m going to go home because these shouldn’t be jobs forever,” Moreno said at an event in Middletown, Ohio, on Friday before Vance was scheduled to speak.

Moreno, a Republican and Ohio’s first Latino senator, was elected in 2024, when he defeated incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown.

Moreno is up for reelection in 2030. If he abides by his pledge Friday to serve only one more term, he’d be in office until early 2037.

Moreno’s remark follows an intense period of scrutiny involving his daughter Emily’s former marriage to U.S. Rep. Max Miller. Moreno publicly called Miller unfit to serve.

Spokesperson Reagan McCarthy said Moreno had always said he would serve only two terms.

Brazil’s Lula calls Trump, urges for tariff negotiations

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Trump had an 80-minute phone call on Friday amid pressure from Washington ahead of Brazil’s October elections.

Lula’s presidency said in a statement that the two leaders discussed trade, organized crime and global conflicts. Brazil’s president, who has insisted he has a friendly relationship with Trump, has blamed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for several recent sanctions against his country, including the revocation of the visa held by Brazil’s ambassador to the U.S.

Lula’s rival in the elections is Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, whose family has long been allied with Trump.

Brazil’s presidency says the two leaders agreed to keep negotiations on tariffs open. The U.S. has imposed new tariffs on Brazilian exports that could add up to 37.5% in some products.

Lula has said that move was politically motivated to help Flávio Bolsonaro, a son of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Mark Sanford says he’s backing Rep. Ralph Norman in Senate runoff

The former South Carolina governor and congressman said on social media Friday that Norman “holds the best shot at holding the line on government spending, our debt and its accompanying deficits,” all of which are Sanford’s signature issues.

Sanford was the fourth place finisher in the Aug. 11 primary. He applauded Norman’s “experience in legislative circles, matched by a conservative voting record and conservative stands.”

Norman and Sen. Darline Graham face voters in a GOP primary runoff Tuesday to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Trump awaits word from Supreme Court in case against his ballroom

The administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court last week to allow the White House to continue building Trump’s $400 million ballroom project while it appeals a lower court’s order to halt the work.

A divided federal appeals court panel ruled earlier this month that construction must stop because Congress hasn’t approved the project. That order to halt construction is set to go into effect Friday.

The Supreme Court has options. It can allow construction to continue while the case plays out. It can also leave the lower court ruling in place — meaning ballroom construction would have to stop — during the litigation.

US Capitol Police clear headquarters for suspicious vehicle

The U.S. Capitol Police briefly evacuated the agency’s Washington headquarters Friday morning and blocked off neighborhood roads when officers spotted what they called a “suspicious” vehicle in the same block as the headquarters.

The evacuation ended and roads reopened quickly after authorities checked out the vehicle without incident. The agency said it was a routine suspicious vehicle check that ended up being nothing.

Roads are closed and a swath of the National Mall is fenced and blocked off and the security level is heightened throughout D.C. because of the weekend’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix. The FBI did not immediately respond to a question about the current threat level in the city.

US and South Korean militaries wrap up drill early

The U.S. and South Korean militaries ended their annual drill six days earlier than initially scheduled Friday in a conciliatory gesture toward North Korea.

Trump had earlier abruptly ordered the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise just before it began Monday. Trump cited what he described as a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to support him over the war in Iran.

The end of the drill comes after North Korea said such a step isn’t enough to persuade it to return to talks.

On Thursday, North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea, apparently following through with its previous threat to respond to the drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.

Trump announces plan aimed at lowering beef prices

In a social media post Friday, the president said his administration will allow more beef to be imported into the U.S. without triggering a higher tariff rate that would otherwise go into effect.

The agreement, Trump said, allows up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to be brought into the U.S. for the next 90 days without activating an “out of quota” tariff.

The president said he had a commitment that the beef would be sold at 25% below current market rates, making beef cheaper for American consumers.

Trump did not say who the deal was with or what countries the beef will be imported from. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for more details.

An out-of-quota tariff is a higher tax that goes into effect once a certain quantity of that product enters the U.S.

Trump said the agreement would help rebuild the U.S. beef herd and ultimately help American ranchers. But the American cattle industry has in the past balked at Trump’s plans to import more foreign beef, such as his effort last year to bring in more beef from Argentina.

Trump to stump for Sen. Darline Graham days ahead of South Carolina’s GOP Senate runoff

Trump is scheduled to travel to South Carolina on Friday to make a last-minute appeal for Sen. Darline Graham, his chosen candidate to replace her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, ahead of a Republican runoff next week.

Voters will decide Tuesday whether Graham or Rep. Ralph Norman will be Republicans’ nominee on the November ballot.

The Myrtle Beach rally is the sort of campaign trail occasion that Trump hasn’t done as much of this year, compared with past midterms, making it a signal of the importance Trump is placing on a win for his pick.

It’s also an opportunity for the president to wade into friendly territory ahead of the midterm elections that leave his party’s control of Congress hanging in the balance. South Carolina hasn’t elected a Democrat statewide in decades, its House delegation has only one Democrat and Trump’s own victory in the 2016 presidential primary here helped propel him toward the nomination and ultimately the White House.

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Investigators seek interviews with Trump foes related to Mar-a-Lago search, AP sources say

Justice Department investigators have sought to interview law enforcement officials related to the FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate as part of a Florida-based inquiry aiming to establish a conspiracy against the Republican president, multiple people familiar with the matter said Thursday.

The requests for interviews, made in recent weeks, suggest a conspiracy investigation that had mostly appeared focused on the decade-old question of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election is also examining a more contemporary event — the 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago that resulted in the FBI seizing top secret documents from the president’s Palm Beach estate.

The requests for voluntary interviews were not made through subpoenas, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation with The Associated Press.

It is not clear when or if prosecutors might seek to bring charges, or for what, but investigating conduct that occurred in Florida might give the Justice Department the legal hook it needs to try to anchor a prosecution in the state.

— Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer

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World shares are mixed and US futures edge higher, while oil prices slip

World shares were mixed Friday after a retreat on Wall Street as a U.S. Treasury Department plan to boost its government debt buybacks appeared to have only limited capacity to calm markets.

The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.3%.

The Treasury Department announced Wednesday that it will at least double the size of its planned purchases of longer-term government debt, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled Thursday that the repurchase program could be larger.

The announcement temporarily brought down government bond yields, which have been elevated under concerns about high inflation partly caused by the war in Iran and rising U.S. government debt. Higher yields tend to slow the broader economy because of increased borrowing costs across the financial system and can undercut stock prices.

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Trump warns of ‘economic D-Day’ against Iran, but Tehran is well acquainted with sanctions

Nearing the six-month mark of the Iran war and facing diminishing stockpiles of key weapons, the Trump administration is touting a crushing financial campaign against Tehran, promising an “economic D-Day” against a country that has so far withstood nearly five decades of punishing American sanctions.

With sparse details, Trump announced this week that the U.S. would be imposing an “unprecedented” level of economic warfare and isolation on Iran, aiming to force its leadership to cave to demands to end its nuclear program and fully reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers.

It reflects the dire reality Trump faces with an increasingly unpopular war he can’t seem to end just months before pivotal midterm elections that will decide whether his Republican Party keeps control of Congress. Whether out of desperation or strategy, the president is refocusing America’s might on bringing Iran to its knees through an accelerated sanctions campaign against one of the most economically penalized countries in the world.

▶ Read more

Voters will decide Tuesday whether Graham or Rep. Ralph Norman will be Republicans' nominee on the November ballot.

The Myrtle Beach rally is the sort of campaign trail occasion that Trump hasn’t done as much of this year, compared with past midterms, making it a signal of the importance Trump is placing on a win for his pick.

It's also an opportunity for the president to wade into friendly territory ahead of the midterm elections that leave his party’s control of Congress hanging in the balance. South Carolina hasn’t elected a Democrat statewide in decades, its House delegation has only one Democrat and Trump’s own victory in the 2016 presidential primary here helped propel him toward the nomination and ultimately the White House.

In the scramble of a special Republican primary election that was called after Lindsey Graham's sudden death last month, Darline Graham was picked by Gov. Henry McMaster — also a Trump ally — to serve as interim senator and entered the special primary at Trump's urging. The president had said he told McMaster that appointing her would be a “fabulous tribute to Lindsey,” although the governor pointed out that he asked Graham to serve “in the wee hours” after her brother's death, adding that Trump “thought it was a great idea” when he later told him of his pick.

On Friday, hours before he was to appear with Graham and Trump at the Myrtle Beach rally, McMaster weighed in officially on the race to endorse Graham. When he appointed Graham last month, a person familiar with McMaster’s thinking but unauthorized to speak publicly about it said the governor had never contemplated that she would run for the seat herself.

The president pressed “RUN DARLINE, RUN” on social media, and gave her his “Complete and Total Endorsement” before she'd officially announced her campaign. And at every turn on the campaign trail, she's reminded voters of this anointing, as well as her commitment to advancing his priorities if elected. On the eve of the primary two weeks ago, he held a tele-rally for Graham.

Trump also considered Lindsey Graham a close ally and friend, though they ran against each other in 2016 and had their ups and downs, so part of the visit is personal for Trump. He eulogized his longtime golfing partner and wartime consigliere at Washington National Cathedral last month.

Like Trump, Darline Graham has portrayed herself as a political outsider

A political newcomer, Graham has stressed that she's “not a politician,” as she's hurriedly introduced herself to voters across the state. Regularly touting her support for Trump’s policies, as well as his endorsement, she has pointed to her years heading up a state agency, as well as her weeks on the job in the U.S. Senate, as evidence of her readiness.

Saying she’s “answering President Trump’s call to serve,” she has repeatedly said she wants “to fight for President Trump’s agenda” and cited his core goals of border security and passing the SAVE Act voting bill as among her top priorities.

Graham has said she's focused on kitchen table issues like gas prices and household spending rather than international affairs. Earlier this week, after stumbling on an elemental foreign policy question related to U.S. interests in Taiwan, Graham defended herself as “not a polished politician up here.”

Speaking publicly about the gaffe for the first time Friday, before he boarded the plane to fly to South Carolina, Trump told reporters Graham “was being honest” when she said Tuesday during a debate that she wasn’t up to speed on national security issues.

“She’s surrounded by very good people, and she said that she’s totally for the military,” Trump said, adding he looked forward to seeing “a very big crowd” in South Carolina.

Trump's rally will be in Myrtle Beach, a conservative — and growing — area

By meeting voters in Myrtle Beach, both Trump and Darline Graham are aiming to capitalize on a growing part of the state that's known to be deeply conservative, loyal to Trump and full of new residents.

It's also the home district of Rep. Russell Fry, the House ally whose name Trump had floated as an “outstanding” possible replacement for Graham after the senator's death. Elected to the House in 2022 with Trump's help, Fry ousted a five-term GOP congressman who had voted to impeach Trump a year earlier.

Running in the Senate primary, Fry touted his support for and previous backing from the president, but was hampered by the absence of it in this race. Finishing third, he swiftly endorsed Graham, a calculated move for the 41-year-old, two-term congressman, who, dating to the origins of his 2022 election, has seen the ramifications for some Republicans who have crossed Trump.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

A taste of Antico

Antico Casa is the frozen line from Antico Pizza Napoletana, the three-time MICHELIN Bib Gourmand-winning pizzeria that helped put Atlanta on the pizza map. For the first Texas tasting, founder and pizzaiolo Gio Di Palma will be on-site at the Costco pop-up to meet shoppers, demo the pies and offer samples.

Two pizzas, one small window

Houston shoppers can try both Antico Casa varieties: the original Margherita — topped with San Marzano tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil and garlic — and the new San Gennaro, a restaurant favorite made with Italian sausage, sweet peppers, caramelized onions, fresh mozzarella and tomato sauce. The San Gennaro is being introduced here as a launch tasting and is available only in Houston for now.

National praise, local debut

Antico Casa earned national attention after its initial Costco launch. Southern Living praised its wood-fired-style crust for its char and chew; Eater Atlanta called it “no standard frozen pizza,” and USA TODAY 10Best labeled it “shockingly good.” The Houston roadshow is part of Antico Casa’s expansion beyond the Southeast as the brand grows its Costco presence into more than 40 Texas warehouses.

Get it while it’s hot

The Antico Casa pop-up runs only Aug. 20–23 at the Costco Galleria Houston location. This is a short, special chance for Houston pizza fans to meet Gio Di Palma and grab the frozen pies in person before they roll out more widely across Texas.

For details on where to buy Antico Casa frozen pizzas after the roadshow, visit anticofinefood.com.

Moke was located about 660 miles (1,060 kilometers) southeast of Hilo and was moving west-northwest at 9 mph (15 kph). Maximum sustained winds were around 45 mph (75 kph), according to an advisory from the Miami-based hurricane center.

Like with Hurricane Lala, the Big Island is again expected to bear the brunt of the storm. It battered Hawaii last weekend without making landfall, downing trees and leaving roads covered in mud and rocks.

Rain and heavy winds from Moke are expected to hit the Big Island late Saturday, with the storm continuing to move west across the islands through early Tuesday, said Casey Oswant, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu.

“There will still be impacts, especially to the windward and southeast sides of the Big Island, but it will probably be a little bit more limited than what we saw with Lala,” she said.

The northeast coast of the Big Island saw the heaviest rainfall from Lala, at 43.54 inches (1.1 meters), according to the weather service. The resulting flooding swept dozens of homes from their foundations and damaged roads and bridges. About 11,630 customers on the Big Island remained without power Friday, according to poweroutage.us.

Rainfall predictions for this weekend for the southeast and windward sides of the Big Island were 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of rain, with isolated amounts up to 15 inches (38 centimeters), Oswant said. Across the rest of the island chain, 1 to 2 inches (2 to 5 centimeters) of rain was expected to fall, though parts of east Maui could see up to 4 inches (10 centimeters), she said.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect Friday morning, but people were urged to closely monitor the storm's progress. The rainfall has the potential to cause dangerous rip currents, life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in steep areas and places where the ground remains saturated in Lala's wake, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and other state officials held a news conference Thursday afternoon to update Lala recovery progress and urge people to prepare for the next storm.

Officials urged people low on emergency supplies to restock up to 14 days of food, medicine and other essentials and closely monitor the storm’s progress.

“There’s definitely tension in the air” at the thought of more rain in communities that floodwaters turned into rivers, said Tiffany Edwards Hunt, a teacher living in Keaau, on the east side of the Big Island. “There were some areas that were completely washed out.”

The Hawaiian Electric utility said it expects nearly all affected customers on the Big Island to have power restored, except for certain remote and severely damaged areas.

Thompson intends to sign with the Miami Heat once he clears waivers, according to a person familiar with the five-time All-Star’s plans. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because Thompson has yet to reveal that detail publicly. Assuming he is not claimed by another club, Thompson may be able to sign with the Heat as early as Sunday.

The buyout announcement comes after the Mavericks missed the playoffs in both of Thompson’s seasons, which came after Doncic led Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024.

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 Los Angeles Lakers for the oft-injured 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.

The Doncic trade ended up derailing the franchise, although Dallas overcame steep odds to win the draft lottery a few months later. With the No. 1 overall pick, the Mavericks selected Duke star freshman Cooper Flagg, who ended up winning Rookie of the Year and giving the franchise new hope.

The addition of Flagg helped led to Thompson coming off the bench in most games for the first time since his rookie year with Golden State.

The buyout of Thompson is the latest in a major retooling of the Dallas roster. His departure leaves just five players from opening day two years ago, along a new front office in president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz and a new coach in Dusty May, who replaced Jason Kidd.

Thompson won four NBA titles alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green with the Warriors. The 36-year-old spent his first 13 seasons with Golden State, although he missed two entire seasons with knee and Achilles injuries.

The five-time All-Star averaged 12.9 points and shot 39% from 3-point range in his two years with the Mavericks. His career marks are 19.6 points per game and 41% shooting from beyond the arc.

Thompson passed Damian Lillard for fourth place on the career 3-point list in January. He has 2,899 3-pointers, trailing Curry, James Harden and Ray Allen.

Thompson missed the playoffs just twice in the 11 seasons he played for the Warriors. He matched that number in his only two seasons with Dallas.

“Klay is one of the great players and competitors of his generation, and we are grateful for everything he brought to the Mavericks organization,” Ujiri said. “We have tremendous respect for Klay and all that he has accomplished throughout his career.”

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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this story.

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See AP’s full NBA coverage here

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.

“We get to race at a lot of cool cities, but this one is by far the best that we've ever had, and I can say that very truthfully," Kyle Kirkwood said Friday. "Going by the Capitol building, the views here, all the architecture of all the buildings around here, all the museums, it's stuff that you dream of.

"It's a serious honor and privilege.”

This weekend's Freedom 250 Grand Prix is the second big sporting event staged by President Donald Trump in Washington as part of the nation’s 250th birthday celebration. The first was a UFC fight card on the White House’s South Lawn in June.

IndyCar racing — an open-wheel counterpart to NASCAR — doesn’t have quite the same association with the right-wing “manosphere” or the MAGA movement, but series owner Roger Penske received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump in 2019 and led the effort to put together this race in the District of Columbia.

For the drivers, it’s a welcome moment in the spotlight.

“What’s been the coolest part of this week? Honestly, the media covering us,” Kirkwood said. “It’s cool to see IndyCar in this light. We don’t get these opportunities very often outside of the Indy 500, and to have an event that is sought after as much as the 500 is something that’s special.”

Washington has little history with high-level motorsports. In 2002, the parking lot at RFK Stadium on the city's east side was transformed into a course for an American Le Mans Series event.

The Freedom 250 is downtown in one of D.C.'s prime tourist areas. If you're not in a race car, it's not the greatest weekend to be driving around the area given all the road closures, but if the weather holds up, the setting has the potential to be spectacular.

“As a boy from the Netherlands that just got his green card, it is really cool,” said Rinus VeeKay, who has six top-10 finishes this season. “We didn't get too much U.S. history in school ... but learning so much about it here, seeing all the monuments and museums and just how every building kind of has a special purpose here around the city, is very cool. Getting to see the White House, this is stuff you see in movies.”

The White House is not part of the D.C. course, although after Turn 1, the track does include a lengthy straightaway along Pennsylvania Avenue, heading northwest away from the Capitol. Then there's a sharp left turn between the National Archives and the main Justice Department building, followed by a couple quick 90-degree turns as the track navigates the city's grid system.

After a straightaway takes drivers across the National Mall, they turn left onto Independence Avenue, passing the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum. and the Eisenhower Memorial before heading north on 3rd Street to the finish line, which is just west of the Capitol.

“I think it's more exciting when you actually get on the grounds and see what you're about to do. I mean, when is this ever going to happen again?" said Josef Newgarden, a driver for Team Penske. “I hope it's great visibility. That's probably the biggest thing that it could bring to us — is visibility to people that aren't maybe as familiar with IndyCar racing."

IndyCar practice and qualifying are scheduled for Saturday, along with an IROC race. The IndyCar race is Sunday and set for 250 miles (147 laps) — the second-longest street circuit race in IndyCar history.

The 1.7-mile track includes seven turns in all. The Air & Space Museum and National Gallery of Art are both inside the course's perimeter, with a fan zone between them. The track is shorter and has fewer turns than several others on the IndyCar schedule, but it's not much different from the 1.6-mile, nine-turn circuit used in downtown Detroit.

“It’s short and snappy, but you know what? We don't know. We haven't driven on it yet," driver Marcus Armstrong said. “We'll find out tomorrow. It might even be wet tomorrow. There's a lot of crosswalks, a lot of paint on the track, so that could be super slippery.”

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Jasmine Chida, owner of SweetCup Gelato on Montrose Boulevard, says she first noticed two people she believed were scouting the shopping center on Saturday.

The next morning, she says they attempted to steal copper wiring from the back of the business.

The first attempt was unsuccessful, but it left SweetCup without power for about seven hours. Chida estimates she lost about $2,000 in gelato and other inventory because of the outage.

• 19-year-old accused of stabbing pregnant woman dating her ex-boyfriend, court records show

She says the business was then targeted again around 5 a.m. Friday.

Surveillance video provided by Chida shows people at the back of the property, with a rope attached to PVC piping that houses electrical wiring. Chida says the people then used a vehicle in an attempt to pull the wiring away from the building.

A contractor who evaluated the damage after the second attempt determined that some of the wiring had been successfully stolen. The stolen wire could be worth an estimated $1,350 to $1,500 at roughly $5 per pound.

But Chida says the potential impact on her business is far greater than the value of the copper.

“That’s like $4,000, $5,000 of inventory and a sales weekend we can’t afford to lose,” she said.

CenterPoint disconnected the wires inside the PVC pipes after the first attempt. Chida says that helped prevent another power outage during the second incident, although the property sustained additional damage.

City says copper theft is increasing

The incident comes as the Office of Houston City Council Member Joe Panzarella says HPD has reported an uptick in copper wire theft over the past few years.

The office says the impact on businesses can extend far beyond the stolen material, including loss of power, air conditioning and other essential infrastructure.

Those disruptions can force businesses to close while repairs are made, creating additional financial pressure for companies already operating on tight budgets.

The council member’s office says commercial properties with limited security or several empty storefronts can be particularly vulnerable to wire theft.

Chida says SweetCup is now the only business remaining in the shopping center after other tenants left following the COVID-19 pandemic.

She says she has never experienced copper wire theft at the property during the nearly 15 years she has operated there.

Business owner urges others to stay alert

Chida says she’s sharing her surveillance video in hopes that other business owners will recognize the warning signs and stay vigilant.

She says she’s also considering additional security measures, including fencing around vulnerable areas.

Councilmember Panzarella’s office encourages business owners to report every instance of copper theft to HPD so law enforcement can document the incidents and identify potential patterns.

• Local beef vs. grocery store beef: What to know about safety, cost and recent recalls

The office also recommends that business owners talk with their insurance providers before a theft occurs to understand what coverage is available.

For businesses in District C experiencing repeated copper theft, the council member’s office says they can reach out for the latest recommendations and resources.

Chida says her biggest concern now is what could happen if the thieves return a third time.

“I want other business owners to keep an eye out for this so it doesn’t happen to them,” she said. “We’re all a big community.”

The temporary order came hours before lower-court rulings would have forced a halt to aboveground construction of the project because Trump didn't get congressional approval.

It will remain in place until the Supreme Court issues a more durable decision, though the one-page document does not detail Roberts' reasoning or indicate when another ruling will be handed down. Roberts signed the order because he oversees emergency appeals of cases filed in the capital.

Ballroom case tests the limits of presidential power

The case is coming before the nation’s highest court as Trump, a Republican, exercises unparalleled assertions of presidential power and increasingly seeks to mold the capital in his own image.

The administration has argued that the president has total authority to renovate the White House and other federal buildings as he sees fit and that the ballroom project must be completed due to national security concerns.

When Trump first announced the plans for a new ballroom, he did not emphasize national security. He said the project would be funded by private donations, including from himself.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation argues that Trump has no unilateral authority to undertake the work, which has included demolishing the East Wing. Lawyers for the preservation group accused the White House of trying to “outrun the courts” by accelerating construction.

A spokesperson for the trust said Friday that the order from Roberts is not a final decision and the group is awaiting further action. The full Supreme Court will likely weigh in next on whether construction can continue for the potentially long duration of the lawsuit.

Trump said his administration is grateful for Friday's decision, writing in a social media post that the project is “under budget and ahead of schedule.”

While litigation plays out, the ballroom is going up quickly

The Trump administration says 65% of the work has already been completed on the planned 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom, where the East Wing stood before the president ordered its demolition.

Crews are working 20 hours a day, seven days a week, on the project, where about $200 million in private donations has been spent or committed, according to court documents filed by the Justice Department.

The work has proceeded against the backdrop of the litigation winding through the courts.

In April, a district court judge ordered a stop to the aboveground construction of the planned ballroom. That ruling was briefly suspended, then upheld by an appeals court panel. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington allowed work to continue only belowground on bunkers and military installations. Leon was nominated by President George W. Bush, a Republican.

Leon's decision was upheld by an appeals court panel, as two judges appointed by Democratic presidents found the project was for Congress to decide and “not a matter for Executive self-help.” A third judge, appointed by Trump, found that the preservationist group challenging the project had no legal standing to sue.

Solicitor General D. John Sauer picked up on that argument, calling the decision halting the work “extraordinary and unlawful.” He said the completion of the project was “vitally required by national security.”

The Trump administration has scored a series of victories on the Supreme Court's emergency docket, though the justices have ruled against some of the president’s signature policies after fuller review.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

Prosecutors then began calling rebuttal witnesses in the trial, which is likely entering its final days. Closing arguments are expected next week.

Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the deaths of her children Callan, Dawson and Cora Clancy, who ranged from 8 months to 5 years old. They were found in the basement of the family’s home in coastal Duxbury, Massachusetts. Clancy jumped from a second-story window after strangling the children and remains paralyzed from the waist down.

Prosecutors argue that Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, planned the killings.

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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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Clancy’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, hasn’t disputed that she killed the children but says she should not be held criminally responsible because she had postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth.

He sought to bolster that defense by having the jury hear from more of Clancy’s family members, who detailed her worsening mental health and attempts to fix it through psychiatric treatment and medications before the January 2023 killings. The jury also heard from a psychologist and a hospital chaplain who met with Clancy after the killings.

The defense's final witness also testified at the trial of Texas mom Andrea Yates

For his final witness on Friday, Reddington called Dr. Phillip Resnick, a forensic psychiatrist and expert in filicide, or the killing of a child by a parent.

Resnick testified that Clancy was “clearly psychotic” on the day she killed her children and was not in control of her actions.

“It was almost like she was a puppet and someone else was pulling the strings,” said Resnick, who testified for the defense in the 2006 trial of Andrea Yates, the Texas mother who drowned her five children in 2001.

Resnick said he spent hours interviewing Clancy four months after the killings and believed she tended to minimize rather than exaggerate her symptoms. He said she suffered from severe depression, showed evidence consistent with bipolar disorder and reported hearing a voice commanding her to kill her children.

Resnick described several categories of filicide, including killings involving abuse. Others involve psychosis or what he calls “altruistic” filicide — a killing committed “out of love rather than hostility.” He said he found Clancy’s case involved both of the latter categories, but he didn’t find evidence of abuse.

Resnick said Clancy had a delusional belief that if social services took the children or if she killed herself, her children would suffer without her, and believed that they would be better off dying with her and going to heaven.

“She believed that she was doing what was right for her children,” he said.

Under cross-examination by prosecutor Jennifer Sprague, Resnick acknowledged that Clancy did not disclose thoughts of harming her children to medical providers who asked, but said that was “very common because people fear their children will be taken away.”

“So it’s better to kill them than have them taken away?” Sprague asked.

The judge struck the question.

Prosecutors say Clancy wasn't suffering from psychosis or bipolar disorder

Prosecutors argue that Clancy contrived to get her husband out of the house the day of the killings. They have attempted to show that while she was getting treatment for anxiety, insomnia and depression, she wasn't suffering from psychosis or bipolar disorder.

After the defense rested, prosecutors called forensic psychiatrist Dr. Avram Mack as a rebuttal witness. Mack agreed that Clancy suffered from a major depressive episode but said he found no evidence of mania or hypomania to support a bipolar diagnosis — or of psychosis — leading up to the killings.

Mack said Clancy recounted the killings to him, saying she heard a loud male voice telling her to kill the children so she could kill herself. She recalled strangling the children and saying “go to God” as she did so, he told jurors.

Mack said Clancy was experiencing severe mental illness when she killed her children but that it was a continuation of the depression she had experienced for months in which she was able to control impulses and distinguish right from wrong.

He also said, “There’s no reason that psychosis in and of itself inhibits a person’s ability to know right from wrong.”

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Clancy’s first name was misspelled in the headline of an earlier version of this story. It has been corrected to Lindsay, instead of Lindsey.

Officials said there were no reports of any serious injuries.

The National Weather Service said a trained spotter reported a tornado in Dover, Delaware, during Thursday's storms. Photos and video on social media show the roof of a motel being blown off and damage to other buildings along Route 13 northeast of downtown.

In Atlantic Beach on Long Island, images posted on social media show a large funnel cloud over the water and small buildings torn apart at a beach club. The weather service confirmed a tornado touched down on the shore, saying it started as a waterspout over the Atlantic Ocean.

Weather service crews were going to view the Delaware and Long Island damage on Friday to determine the strengths and paths of the tornadoes.

Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen said a state of emergency was lifted Friday morning to allow residents and businesses to resume normal activities. Police urged residents to be patient and set aside extra time for travel.

“There is still debris throughout the city, and crews will be out working on cleanup, repairs, and restoring services. You may encounter blocked lanes, utility crews, emergency personnel, and other delays,” police said on social media.

On Long Island, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said first responders rescued people trapped in their vehicles during flooding.

In other parts of New York, flooding caused part of the Long Island Expressway in Queens to close in both directions, according to New York City Emergency Management. Photos on social media showed lines of stopped cars as emergency crews traversed the water.

In Jersey City, New Jersey, emergency crews rescued 69 people trapped in cars that were overtaken by flash flooding, said Mayor James Solomon. Emergency crews used small inflatable boats to reach people who were stranded.

A 2-1 decision by a panel of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals halted, for now, a judge's order that would have granted thousands of athletes an extra season of eligibility. But it did nothing to resolve dozens of other lawsuits and court orders piling up across the country that allow players in the same situation to join teams for the upcoming season.

Virtually all these lawsuits involve players who graduated from high school in 2022, whose college eligibility ended last season and who were not included in the NCAA’s controversial new rule — less than two months old — that grants most Division I athletes five years of eligibility over five years but doesn't take effect until next season.

“There's a reason we saw so many state-court lawsuits filed" after the now-paused federal court ruling that came down July 31, said Sam Ehrlich, a former lawyer who now works at Boise State and operates the College Sports Litigation Tracker. “It was a ‘just in case.’ They did it just in case what we just saw happen actually happened.”

Among the many athletes watching this unfold and wondering where it winds up are defensive linemen Kellan Wyatt and Stephan Daley, both members of the national championship team at Indiana last season who decided to return after the lower-court decision. So are former Ole Miss starters Dae’Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris and Wydett Williams, who won a ruling from a Louisiana state court giving them another season of eligibility even though they had signed with NFL teams this summer.

While some players hope to land back at their schools, whatever the impact on the rosters, how that works isn’t at all clear in many cases. The judge in the case involving the Ole Miss players, for example, gave them a week to enter the transfer portal, which for football players is only open in January.

In appealing the state court cases, the NCAA is expected to invoke parts of Friday's ruling, which agreed with NCAA arguments that it was likely to win the case when it's heard in full — probably several months from now — and that the NCAA would suffer more harm than the players if the court didn't pause the order.

The NCAA can also take heart in an Ohio appeals court that paused a similar injunction involving Xavier basketball Filip Borovicanin and others.

But other than those two cases, Ehrlich said, judges across the country "are unanimous that the NCAA is in the wrong” on the five-year eligibility issue when it comes to the Class of 2022.

Plaintiffs' attorney Rob Shelquist issued a statement calling the appeals court ruling procedural and “not a decision on the merits of the athletes’ antitrust claims.”

“We are exploring every available option given the split in the panel’s ruling and remain committed to fighting for these college athletes whose opportunities and eligibility have been unfairly restricted,” he said.

The NCAA’s chief legal officer, Scott Bearby, sent a memo to schools telling them they would not be subject to NCAA punishment for allowing any player to compete between the time the July 31 ruling came down and Friday. But he reiterated that those players are no longer eligible.

Bearby also acknowledged that the NCAA would continue to defend lawsuits around the country — a signal that the NCAA knows Friday’s ruling offers no guarantees of an end to the roster chaos.

“If anything, I do wonder if there’s a part of the NCAA that’s, like, ‘Maybe we’d have been better off not getting the stay because, boy, there’s going to be a lot of lawsuits filed over the next couple of weeks,’” Ehrlich said.

Courts that go beyond filing emergency injunctions and take up the cases in their entirety will have to decide who suffers more harm: Is it players who can't play a fifth year and could lose educational and NIL opportunities? Or incoming freshmen who signed with the idea that they wouldn't be competing against a class of fifth-year seniors?

When the NCAA decided to have the rule kick in next year, it also grappled with that calculation, knowing it couldn't be perfectly fair.

“Fairness is in the eye of the beholder," the NCAA argued in its legal brief in the appeals case. “Countless student-athletes already on campuses, and schools who built their rosters in reliance on the rules the NCAA’s membership wrote and agreed to follow, do not believe it is fair for thousands of formerly ineligible athletes to return to competition at the start of the 2026–27 season."

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Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here.

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.

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.

🚗 Traffic calming

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

The shopping mall strikes, plus two other separate Russian attacks in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions, left a total of 21 people dead across Ukraine on Friday, authorities said.

Kryvyi Rih is the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who described the attack as a double-tap strike, in which an initial wave of drones hit the area, followed by a second wave as rescue workers responded.

“Attacks like these are nothing less than terrorist acts,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media. In a video address several hours later, he said Ukraine would respond to the shopping mall attack.

Oleksandr Hanzha, who heads the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, said Friday evening that the attack on the mall killed at least 15 people and injured 130, including 23 children.

Kryvyi Rih has been hit multiple times during the more than 4-year-old war, with one of the deadliest occurring in April 2025, when 20 people, including nine children, were killed.

Russia exploits Ukraine’s shortage of defensive systems

Earlier on Friday, a Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s Kharkiv region killed two women, aged 73 and 66, and wounded two others, said regional head Oleh Syniehubov.

Another Russian attack on Friday evening killed four people, including three children, in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region, emergency services said.

Ukraine shot down or suppressed 107 out of 135 drones launched by Russia overnight, according to a statement from Ukraine’s air force on Telegram.

Friday’s attacks came just 24 hours after Russia pounded the capital of Kyiv with scores of missiles and drones in a nighttime aerial attack that killed 16 people.

Large-scale Russian strikes have become a regular occurrence this summer. Just over two weeks ago, a Russian attack on Kyiv and its surrounding region killed 17 people, and nine were killed in the city two days before that. The United Nations said last week that Kyiv was one of the hardest hit cities in July, with at least 54 civilians killed and 202 injured.

Moscow’s forces have recently intensified their ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, exploiting Ukraine’s chronic shortage of U.S.-made Patriot air defense interceptors, the sole weapon in its arsenal able to shoot down the missiles.

Ukrainian drones hit Russian oil refinery

A Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and wounded four others when a car was struck Friday in Russia’s Belgorod region near the village of Razumnoye, local officials said, adding that two of the injured were in serious condition.

Earlier, Zelenskyy said a separate Ukrainian drone attack hit an oil refinery in Perm, more than 1,600 kilometers (about 995 miles) from his country’s border. Also struck was the Marinovka military airfield in Russia’s Volgograd region, he said.

The Russian online news outlet Astra reported that the Ukrainian drone had set ablaze a Lukoil-operated oil refinery in Perm. Local officials said damage was recorded at an unidentified “industrial facility.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses overnight intercepted 325 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions, as well as Crimea. The peninsula was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Later Friday, it said its defenses shot down another 211 drones.

Long-range strikes between Russia and Ukraine have escalated as troops continually fail to make significant battlefield progress, analysts say. Troop movements along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line in eastern and southern Ukraine are severely restricted by large numbers of drones and ground robots that threaten infantry and vehicles.

In the past year, Ukraine has devised and deployed domestically produced long-range drones for strikes deep inside Russia, capturing the attention of governments and defense manufacturers around the world.

Officials in Kyiv aim to make the Russian public feel the war’s consequences and pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into negotiating a peace settlement. Putin has so far shown no sign he intends to stop the invasion.

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

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Canada has leverage in the talks even as his province weighs restoring U.S. alcohol sales at Prime Minister Mark Carney’s urging to help secure a deal that would avert threatened 50% U.S. tariffs.

“Everybody knows the American president by now, he’s erratic, he’s irresponsible, and he’s not to be trusted. And this is the person that we were supposed to make a deal with, and we’re going to make additional concessions for it. That’s why I say you can't make a good deal with a bad person, because who’s to say it’s not going to be undone?" Kinew said.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Kinew’s remarks.

Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, said the two countries were close to finalizing an agreement after he returned to Washington to meet again with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

“We’re very close. We continue to make progress,” he said, adding that Canadian officials would remain in Washington to keep working on the deal. Trump has called the emerging agreement “very fair” to both sides, while tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian imports have been postponed until 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Neither side has released the full terms.

Despite his criticism of Trump, Kinew said Manitoba may go along with Carney’s request as part of a “Team Canada” approach. But he urged consumers to keep buying Canadian even if U.S. products return to provincial liquor stores. Other provincial leaders, including the premiers of Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia, have publicly backed the direction of Carney’s negotiation.

"I think we should fight. I think Donald Trump is very weak. I think America is weaker around the world today than it was a year ago. He’s about to get slaughtered in the midterms and the cost of living is the number one issue and he’s completely out of touch with the cost of living of Americans,” Kinew said.

Restoring alcohol sales a sticking point

Kinew said he understood Carney’s request to mean that restoring U.S. alcohol sales was effectively necessary to complete the deal. The provincial bans on U.S. alcohol have been a particular irritant for the Trump administration, which has pressed Canada to remove restrictions that sharply reduced American liquor sales.

Provincial governments do not have a veto over the overall Canada-U.S. agreement, but they control measures such as liquor sales and some procurement rules that have become part of the negotiations.

Eight of Canada’s 10 provinces restrict or ban U.S. alcohol — measures imposed in retaliation for Trump’s previous tariffs on Canadian goods and amid anger over his repeated talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state.

Kinew said Carney strongly pressed premiers to restore U.S. alcohol sales while other details of the agreement were still being finalized. “I wouldn’t say that he was begging us, but what is the step before begging?” Kinew said.

Kinew also said Manitoba could agree to remove formal restrictions on U.S. companies and products, including procurement preferences, while continuing to favor Canadian suppliers in its own purchasing.

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette, meanwhile, said Carney had answered many of her questions about the emerging agreement but stopped short of endorsing it while the province assesses the economic impact. She said Quebec could restore U.S. alcohol to shelves at the SAQ, the Quebec government corporation that controls most wine and spirits sales in the province, but stressed that the decision would be Quebec’s.

Robert Bothwell, a professor emeritus of Canadian history and international relations at the University of Toronto, said Kinew’s criticism reflects a broader Canadian view of Trump. “Kinew speaks for Canada,” Bothwell said.

Khan isn't being held under a government order, but as a “convicted prisoner” serving sentences imposed by courts following judicial proceedings, the Ministry of Information said in a written response to The Associated Press.

The government’s response came hours after Khan’s family and opposition party accused authorities of violating a Supreme Court order by taking him to a government hospital for a medical examination instead of a private hospital designated by the court.

Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, told a news conference that she was at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, a government-run hospital in Islamabad, when her brother was brought there overnight.

Khan’s sister said that during a meeting with her, Khan complained that he had been kept in solitary confinement, which she said amounted to mental torture for him. Suhail Afridi, a senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, also accused the government of violating the order by taking Khan to the public hospital.

Khan’s personal physician, Dr. Faisal Sultan, said that he had been escorted to Shifa International Hospital, where he waited for Khan until early Friday. Sultan said he was eventually told that Khan had been returned to Adiala prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said earlier Friday that Khan had been returned to prison after doctors examined him and found him medically fit.

The ministry also rejected allegations that Khan was being held in solitary confinement or denied meaningful contact with his family. It said that Khan had received more than 900 visits from family members, lawyers, doctors, political representatives and other approved visitors since his imprisonment in 2023. It said that he also has been allowed weekly meetings with his wife, and telephone, landline and WhatsApp contact with relatives in Pakistan and abroad.

According to the ministry, Khan’s most recent recorded telephone conversation with one of his sons was on March 21. It said that Khan’s sisters had met him as recently as Aug. 18 and 19.

The government said Khan has access to reading material and television, and is allowed home-cooked food and exercise equipment and “maintains a healthy diet.” It said, however, that access to Khan couldn't be used to send political messages from prison.

The ministry rejected allegations of medical neglect, saying Khan had undergone about 30 examinations by specialists and medical boards from institutions including PIMS, Shifa International Hospital, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, in addition to regular examinations by the prison doctor.

The ministry said Uzma Khan had herself acknowledged at Friday’s news conference that her brother was “100% fit,” with blood pressure of 120/80 and his eye condition almost completely healed.

It also disputed descriptions of Khan’s detention conditions, saying he was being held in a seven-cell compound with sleeping, sanitation and exercise facilities, and was provided separately prepared meals that included meat, chicken, fruit, milk, nuts, juices and bottled water.

The government insists that authorities took Khan to the public hospital because of security concerns involving supporters of Khan’s PTI party who had gathered outside Shifa International Hospital or were heading there. He said that Khan was found to be in good health.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that Khan be examined at Shifa International Hospital by a medical board that included specialists and one of his personal physicians.

Concerns about Khan’s health intensified in late January, after his family said that he had lost about 85% of the vision in his right eye, which the government disputed. Authorities later said that his condition was improving.

The former cricket star turned politician was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022 and has been imprisoned since 2023 after being convicted in multiple cases.

Waymo has expanded rider access in Houston, meaning anyone who has the Waymo app can now request one of the company’s autonomous vehicles.

That means you no longer need a special invitation or early-access status to give a robotaxi a try. If you have the app, you can request a ride.

And yes, that means you could soon find yourself sitting in the back seat, watching Houston traffic while the car does the driving.

So, how does it work?

Waymo’s vehicles use cameras, sensors and other technology to navigate roads and make driving decisions without a human behind the wheel.

Riders request a trip through the Waymo app, just like they would with a traditional rideshare service. Once a vehicle arrives, passengers can hop in and let the car take it from there.

The company says the expansion gives more Houstonians a chance to experience autonomous transportation for themselves.

The letter, signed by at least two former staffers from Kennedy's 2024 presidential campaign, marks the first major MAHA movement mobilization over fossil fuels and the latest in a series of rifts between the diverse group of activists and the Trump administration over environmental policy.

The letter to Trump, Kennedy and various other Cabinet officials, first obtained by The Associated Press, laments a 2025 executive order that aimed to boost coal to power data centers over pollution concerns and asks the administration to consider renewable options, including solar and geothermal energy.

“We understand the importance of American leadership in artificial intelligence, national security, innovation, and economic growth,” the letter reads. “But American AI leadership should not come at the cost of a more toxic burden for American children.”

In response, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers noted that greenhouse gas emissions dropped to a 30-year low during Trump's first term and said Trump “was given a mandate to roll back the radical climate policies that are burning a hole through taxpayers' wallets.”

The agencies receiving the letter didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Prominent MAHA figures behind the letter include Zen Honeycutt, a former Kennedy campaign staffer and founder of the advocacy group Moms Across America, and Charles Eisenstein, a former speechwriter on Kennedy's campaign. Honeycutt said she asked the Kennedy-aligned political action committee MAHA Action to sign onto the letter but did not receive a reply.

Although it may not reflect the views of all MAHA activists, the new line of criticism against one of the administration’s signature policies less than three months before November’s midterm elections could present another challenge for Republicans as they seek to win over the voting bloc in key races.

As health secretary, Kennedy has carried out several policy changes that cater to the MAHA movement, including attempting to scale back childhood vaccine recommendations, a central priority for some activists. He also has sought to remove artificial dyes from food and encouraged Americans to have healthy diets free of ultraprocessed foods.

But many in the MAHA movement, which Trump credits with helping him win back the White House two years ago, say they have grown frustrated with the administration over its embrace of pesticides such as glyphosate and its deregulatory environmental agenda. Some have said they plan to vote on issues over party this fall, raising the political stakes of their increasingly public tensions with the Republican administration.

As president, Trump has enthusiastically embraced what he calls “big, beautiful coal” despite outcry from environmentalists about planet-warming greenhouse gases and toxic chemicals released by coal-fired power plants.

His administration has moved to reverse tighter Biden-era standards on greenhouse gas emissions, which, in addition to their climate impacts, can harm brain development in children and increase rates of heart attacks in adults.

He also has been a vocal advocate for data centers, which power artificial intelligence and cloud computing, framing them as a necessary component of winning the AI race against China.

“If I were the mayor of a town or the governor of a state, and I had a chance to get a big plant in, an AI plant or a data center,” Trump said this week, “I would absolutely want it because the jobs are enormous and the money paid, the taxes paid, are just enormous.”

Data centers have become a political flashpoint in this year's elections. Voters across the political spectrum have criticized them for jacking up electricity bills, draining water supplies, and creating unhealthy amounts of air and noise pollution.

Friday's letter asks the administration to require transparent review of data center location and power sourcing decisions, and respect existing environmental review requirements in the permitting process.

Honeycutt said that after Trump's executive order last year, she researched the impact of coal ash on communities and was disturbed by what she found. She said she was also concerned about other aspects of data centers, including their land use and their effects on the people living near them.

“The data center push has been an overwhelmingly negative impact on our communities, and there are many in the MAHA movement that are extremely disappointed about that,” she said. “We vote for those who put health and safety first.”

____

Associated Press writer Michael Phillis in Washington contributed to this report.

Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were charged in 2021 with inciting subversion under a China-imposed national security law that has effectively crushed the city’s previously thriving pro-democracy movement. They face a maximum prison term of 10 years. The alliance was also found guilty.

The three judges ruled that the alliance’s call to “end one-party dictatorship” aimed to end the ruling Communist Party’s leadership status under the constitution, and that the “end” in the phrase carried the meaning of “overthrowing” and “undermining.”

In the verdict, they wrote that the defendants persisted in the call after the law's introduction, neglecting that it was in breach of the constitution, which states the party's leadership is a defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. That falls within “other unlawful means” under the security law, the judges said.

The defendants “intentionally encouraged supporters of the alliance to wait for the right time to carry out the goal to ‘end one-party dictatorship’ by unlawful means,” they said.

“They did not genuinely believe their words and deeds had not violated the national security law. They just refused to pull back from the brink,” wrote the judges, who insisted they weren't tried because of political views.

Lee and Chow smiled and waved at the public gallery before they left the courtroom. They are expected to be sentenced at a later date. They will plead for lesser sentences next week, one of the judges said.

Trial a barometer for Hong Kong’s civil rights, observers say

The verdict is among the latest involving Hong Kong’s once-vibrant pro-democracy movement, which has largely been dismantled after the security law's introduction in 2020.

For decades, Hong Kong’s annual candlelight vigil was the only large-scale public commemoration of the Tiananmen crackdown in China, drawing tens of thousands of people annually. The crackdown remains a political taboo on the mainland, where authorities tightly censor discussion and prohibit public commemorations.

Hong Kong’s greater political freedoms, granted under Beijing’s “one country, two systems” governing framework, allowed the vigil to occur until authorities banned it during the coronavirus pandemic.

Observers said that their trial symbolized the erosion of freedom of expression in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Eric Lai, a senior fellow with the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said that every actor in Hong Kong civil society who assumed that renouncing violence and working within the law would be fine has to revise that assumption.

“Moderation of method offers no protection if the objective itself is held to be unconstitutional,” he said.

During the trial, Lee told the court that their call wasn't about ending the party’s leadership, but about moving toward democracy, letting the people decide who leads them, and that the Communist Party shouldn't enforce “dictatorship.”

In a Patreon post on Thursday, Chow recalled being shackled in handcuffs, and in waist and ankle chains, for trips to court from prison, saying she was walked by correctional service officers “like a dog.”

“Justice lives in the hearts of the people,” she said. “One verdict doesn’t matter much.”

When the trial began in January, codefendant Albert Ho pleaded guilty, which typically could result in a reduced sentence. He will also plead for a lesser sentence next week.

Supporters cast doubt on allegations

After the conviction, Lee’s wife, Elizabeth Tang, told reporters that she was disappointed and angry about the result.

“I feel it's unfair. I feel the judges did not consider our lawyers' opinions and materials,” she said, and that they would decide whether to appeal later.

Chow's mother, Medina Chow Lau Wah-chun, said that she hoped the “environment can be a little healthier” and “flowers and plants of all colors can bloom.”

Dozens of people lined up outside the court under drizzle before the hearing.

Tang Ngok-kwan, a former alliance member, said that police wouldn't let him join the line, if he insisted on bringing along “sensitive” materials, including bookmarks printed with “vindicate June 4.” The date is the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. He decided not to go into the court.

Former vigil goer Margaret Chan, who joined the line at 6 a.m., said that the alliance’s name carried the word “patriotic.”

“Everyone is patriotic. How to incite? Incite others to be patriotic?” she said.

Hong Kong authorities defend the verdict

Hong Kong leader John Lee said that the alliance has long deliberately planted seeds of hatred against the party and the central government in society, and their acts endangered national security.

Steve Li, chief superintendent of the police's national security department, said the case would help with future law enforcement.

“It also lets the public know that it is not that one cannot criticize,” he said. “It is simply that there must be no incitement, and no subversion of state power.”

But others disagreed

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres “has always believed that people should be allowed to speak and protest and demonstrate peacefully without fear of arrest or prosecution,” his spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, told U.N. reporters when asked for Guterres' reaction to the convictions.

Riley Barnes, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, said on X that the U.S. condemns the guilty verdict, saying the peaceful vigils sought only to remember the past and honor the lives lost in that assault.

Rosie Winterton, the minister for the Indo-Pacific region at the U.K. Foreign Office, said that the verdict is a further demonstration that even peaceful acts of remembrance in Hong Kong are now treated by the authorities as threats to national security. The European Union said the convictions confirmed the ongoing deterioration of the city's freedom of expression.

Hundreds of people, possibly thousands, were killed in the 1989 crackdown as military tanks rolled into the center of Beijing. The Tiananmen Square crackdown was a pivotal moment in China’s modern history, showing that the market reform that transformed the country into the world’s second-largest economy wouldn't be coupled with political liberalization.

After COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, the former vigil site in Hong Kong was occupied instead by a carnival organized by pro-Beijing groups.

Beijing said the security law was necessary for the city’s stability. Many leading activists have been jailed under the same law, including pro-democracy former media tycoon Jimmy Lai. Under the drastic political changes, the alliance was among dozens of civil society groups dissolved.

The person spoke Friday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details of the agreement — the second sale in the NBA this month — were not being publicized.

The Los Angeles Lakers were flipped by Mark Walter to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner at a $12.5 billion valuation in a deal struck last week.

Lore, a New York e-commerce entrepreneur, and partner Alex Rodriguez, the former Major League Baseball star, bought the NBA and WNBA clubs from Minnesota businessman Glen Taylor. That complicated and contentious process lasted more than four years until the $1.5 billion sale got league approval in June 2025.

Lore will retain a limited share and essentially swap roles with Stad, who is the founder of Dragoneer Investment group, a California-based firm focused on technology companies. Rodriguez will remain as a co-owner and continue as the most publicly visible owner of the pro basketball franchises.

Lore's decision to sell his majority stake stems from his focus on his food delivery startup Wonder, according to a second person with knowledge of the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity to the AP because those details were not being made public. Lore has started the process of taking Wonder public.

Lore, Rodriguez and Stad issued a joint statement Friday expressing their commitment to the current leadership in the organization including chief executive officer Matt Caldwell, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, and Lynx president of basketball operations and head coach Cheryl Reeve.

“We have been working together for years with a shared goal of building the Timberwolves and Lynx into the best organization in basketball on and off the floor. Our priority is and always will be championships,” the owners said. “Our new agreement, pending league approval, is an evolution of the partnership we have built together and strengthening of our commitment to our team and our culture.”

The two teams currently play at Target Center, which opened in 1990 for the second season of the Timberwolves after they were granted an expansion franchise. Lore and Rodriguez have previously pledged a desire to keeping the teams in downtown Minneapolis, eventually in a new arena.

The Lynx were added to the WNBA as an expansion club in 1999 and have won four championships, with a healthy lead on the rest of the league this season behind star Napheesa Collier and rookie Olivia Miles.

The Timberwolves have never won a title or reached the NBA Finals, with an eight-year run of making the playoffs behind star forward Kevin Garnett their only period of sustained success until recently.

Since drafting Anthony Edwards with the first overall pick in the 2020 draft, hiring Finch in 2021 and Connelly in 2022, the Timberwolves have grown into one of the league's best teams. They reached the Western Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025 and were ousted in the second round by the San Antonio Spurs last season. They acquired point guard LaMelo Ball in one of the NBA's biggest summer trades.

___

An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled Marc Stad's last name.

___

AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed.

___

See AP’s full NBA coverage here

The Montgomery County Public Health Department said the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed the death. The woman lived in the 77304 ZIP code and was diagnosed with West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease.

• Fort Bend County confirms first human case of West Nile Virus in 2026

Mosquito season typically runs from May through the end of October, according to health officials.

What are the symptoms of West Nile virus?

West Nile virus is primarily spread through the bites of infected mosquitoes. People typically develop symptoms two to 14 days after being bitten.

About 80% of people infected with West Nile virus do not develop symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, there is no way to know in advance who will develop a more serious illness.

Milder symptoms can include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Body aches
• Joint pain
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Rash

Most people with mild illness recover completely, although fatigue and weakness can sometimes last for weeks or months.

Less than 1% of people infected develop serious neurological illness. Symptoms can include high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, tremors, seizures and paralysis. Severe cases can result in death, and some neurological effects may be permanent.

• Mosquitos in Brazoria County test positive for West Nile Virus

There are currently no specific medicines or vaccines available to treat West Nile virus. People with severe illness may need to be hospitalized for supportive care.

How to protect yourself from West Nile virus

Health officials recommend taking steps to prevent mosquito bites, including:

• Using an EPA-registered insect repellent
• Wearing long sleeves and pants when spending time outdoors
• Removing standing water around your home
• Regularly emptying containers that can collect water, where mosquitoes can lay eggs

Montgomery County Mosquito Control and The Woodlands Township conduct mosquito trapping and surveillance throughout the area. Mosquitoes are identified and tested for diseases including West Nile virus.

When positive mosquito samples are found, Montgomery County Mosquito Control surveys the area for breeding sites on public property and conducts treatment activities.

Residents who are concerned about mosquito problems can contact Montgomery County Mosquito Control at 281-364-4203 for help identifying mosquito sources, including potential breeding sites on their property.

Anyone who develops symptoms that could be associated with West Nile virus should seek medical attention.

She died Thursday at her home in Kent, Connecticut, Robert Johnson, manager of the property, told The Associated Press. The cause of her death was not disclosed. Johnson said she will be buried next to her late husband at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

The daughter of a New York City lawyer, she met Henry Kissinger while working for New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller. The couple wed in 1974.

She was described by one profiler as a brainy, Blass-bedecked blonde. She was often seen at high fashion openings and was a strong presence on the New York philanthropy scene.

“Nancy Kissinger can pick up the phone and get right through to the CEO. Nobody keeps her waiting,” philanthropist Judy Peabody said after chairing a successful hospital charity event in 1989.

Michael Bloomberg — the billionaire founder of the Bloomberg financial-news empire, former New York City mayor and a friend of the Kissingers — said in a social media post that Nancy Kissinger “was a powerhouse of ideas and insights that she put to work throughout her life in government and philanthropy — and as Henry’s most valued and trusted advisor.”

He added, “She was the ultimate diplomat — as wise as she was discreet — and I know how completely Henry admired and loved her. Diana and I were fortunate to call her a dear friend, and to see their extraordinary partnership in action over the decades. We will miss her greatly.”

Nancy Kissinger made headlines in 1982 when she tried to throttle a woman who harassed her and her husband with insulting questions at Newark Airport. The couple was going to Boston, where Henry Kissinger was to undergo bypass surgery.

The woman, a leafleter for a group affiliated with politician Lyndon LaRouche, accused Nancy Kissinger of choking both her throat and her free-speech rights. Nancy Kissinger said she only wanted to protect her husband from upset.

A judge acquitted Nancy Kissinger of assault and called her behavior “a spontaneous and somewhat human reaction to an offensive question.”

The Kissingers met in the mid-1960s when he was a consultant for Rockefeller and she was on the staff of Rockefeller's Commission on Critical Choices for America.

Henry Kissinger had joined the Nixon administration and was secretary of state when he and the former Nancy Sharon Maginnes married on March 30, 1974, in a civil ceremony in Arlington, Virginia.

After leaving Washington, they returned to New York and lived in homes in Manhattan and Kent, Connecticut.

The daughter of an Episcopalian Park Avenue lawyer, Nancy Kissinger grew up with two brothers and a horse on an estate in White Plains.

She attended Good Counsel Academy, a Catholic girls school in White Plains, and the exclusive Master's School in Dobbs Ferry, from which she graduated in 1951. She returned to the school to teach history for two years after graduating from Mount Holyoke in 1955.

Graduate studies at the University of California at Berkeley followed before she went to work for Rockefeller.

Work Location: Detroit, MI

Description

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

Responsibilities

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

Requirements

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

Additional Information:

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

Contact

tnguyen@grahammedia.com

Wesam Hamada said her daughter Hind Rajab’s final pleas still haunt her.

“All I remember is her voice pleading, ‘Mama, I’m scared. Mama, I’m hungry. Mama, I’m hurt,’" she said. “Her voice keeps repeating in my ears.”

The widely publicized recording of Hind's January 2024 phone call with her mother and emergency dispatchers made her one of the Israel-Hamas war’s most prominent casualties.

Israel’s military this week admitted to firing at the family’s car as it fled an Israeli invasion and firing toward an ambulance dispatched to help them.

It said it would launch a criminal investigation into its troops’ conduct. All six people in the car and two paramedics were killed. But both Rajab’s family and emergency responders from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society doubt the Israeli investigation can deliver justice.

“Why did the investigation and the acknowledgment of the shooting at Hind’s car and at the paramedics come only after more than two years?” Hamada said in an interview with The Associated Press. “It’s an attempt to distract from what’s happening in Gaza and improve the (Israeli) army’s image to the world. That’s it."

A call to paramedics that was heard around the world

The story of their deaths drew international outcry after the Palestinian Red Crescent Society released recordings of Hind and her 15-year-old cousin Layan Hamada calling for help. It was further amplified by “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” a film that excerpted the recordings and was nominated for an Oscar.

On the recordings, as audible gunfire erupts around them, Hamada asks for help and tells Red Crescent dispatchers that her family had been killed. Seconds later, more gunshots are heard, and Layan’s screaming stops.

Ambulance dispatchers called back and found Hind on the other end of the line. She told them Layan was dead and Israeli tanks were advancing. The Red Crescent sent an ambulance and stayed in contact with Hind until the call dropped.

Hind and five relatives were found dead in the family car 12 days later. The two medics sent to rescue her were also found dead nearby, their ambulance blackened and destroyed.

Israel initially said its troops were not in the area. A U.N. commission of inquiry and an investigation by the research group Forensic Architecture found evidence placing Israeli forces near the car and attributed the attack to them.

Rana Al Faqih, a dispatcher who was in contact with Hind for more than three hours, said the day remains seared in her memory. She tried to calm Hind and eventually patched her mother onto the call.

“I couldn’t physically reach Hind, embrace her or help her feel safe,” she said in an interview at the Red Crescent headquarters in Ramallah, West Bank. “All I had was my voice. My voice was with her, and it might have comforted her.”

Advocates doubt an Israeli investigation can bring accountability

The investigation is one of two criminal probes the military announced Wednesday after reviewing roughly 150 incidents.

Military investigators will now take up the probes and present their findings to military prosecutors. The military advocate general can then decide to keep investigating, indict any soldiers or decline to charge them.

Israeli officials say the country’s justice system can address any violations by its troops. But such investigations rarely lead to indictments. Just 0.17% of incidents reviewed from 2014 and 2022 led to prosecution, according to an analysis by Israeli rights group Yesh Din.

The Belgium-based Hind Rajab Foundation — which campaigns for the arrest of Israeli troops it accuses of war crimes — said in a statement on Wednesday that an Israeli military investigation “should not be mistaken for a genuine step toward justice.”

“Israel’s internal investigations into the criminal conduct of its own soldiers are fundamentally flawed and cannot be regarded as credible mechanisms of accountability,” it said.

A mother says her grief is not unique

The Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel and abducted 251 others. More than 73,400 people have been killed in the Israeli offensive since, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants but says women and children constitute about half the deaths.

Hamada said her pain since the killing of Hind — who had wanted to become a doctor — was not unique.

“The pain is like the pain of every mother who has lost her child in Gaza,” she said. “You wish she were in front of you, growing up and fulfilling your dreams and her dreams, and then you lose her in the most horrific circumstances.”

__ Ibrahim Hazboun in Jerusalem, and Haitham Hamed in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed reporting.

Also, Turkey announced it is asking for an international warrant for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his role in stopping several boats trying to break a naval blockade of Gaza in May, and an Israeli human rights watchdog is warning that settler violence has expanded from rural to urban areas in the West Bank.

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

Palestinian teen killed by Israeli settlers after rock-throwing incident

A 17-year-old Palestinian was killed and another man wounded by Israeli settler gunfire after rocks were thrown Friday in Sa’ir, north of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

The ministry identified the teenager as Karim Sanad Raja Shalaldeh. The teenager’s father told The Associated Press at the hospital that Israeli settlers had killed his son.

The Israeli military said soldiers were dispatched to Sa’ir after Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli civilians who were in the area without prior authorization. Some Israelis were injured and a security official opened fire.

Separately, the Palestinian General Authority for Civil Affairs informed the Health Ministry that 58-year-old Fathi Khazem was fatally shot by Israeli forces early Friday in Jenin.

An Israeli army official speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military rules said Khazem attempted to stab an Israeli soldier during an overnight operation. No Israeli soldiers were injured.

The Israeli official said Khazem was the father of Raed Khazem, who shot and killed three people in Tel Aviv in April 2022.

Violence has escalated in the West Bank where at least 87 Palestinians have been killed in almost 1,500 attacks by Israeli settlers and soldiers this year, according to Palestinian officials. Three Israelis have been killed by Palestinians in 2026.

— By Koral Saeed in Herzliya, Israel.

Turkey seeks international warrant for Netanyahu over May blockade

Turkey is seeking an international warrant for Netanyahu's arrest over Israel’s interception of an international flotilla that attempted to break a naval blockade of Gaza.

The Interpol red notice sought against Netanyahu and one other Israeli national was tied to an Istanbul court case trying 35 defendants in absentia for alleged “genocide,” other crimes against humanity, torture, unlawful detention and hijacking, Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said in a statement posted on X.

The charges stem from the Israeli navy’s interception in May of several vessels in international waters off Cyprus days after the flotilla departed from the Turkish port of Marmaris. Some detained activists reported mistreatment.

Turkey is among the most vocal critics of Israel’s government.

Netanyahu responded on social media, calling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan an antisemitic dictator who has “massacred Kurds, harbors Hamas terrorists, occupies half of Cyprus, and jails record numbers of journalists and politicians who oppose him.”

“Erdogan’s pathetic attempt to intimidate the leaders and soldiers of Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East, will go nowhere,” Netanyahu said Friday.

Rights group says Israeli settler violence heads to established Palestinian cities

An Israeli group that collects information about potential human rights violations against Palestinians says reported incidents of Israeli settler violence have moved from the rural West Bank toward larger, more populated Palestinian cities and towns.

The establishment of new settlements and outposts throughout the West Bank has emboldened extremist settlers, who are now encroaching on larger communities that previously were far from the front lines of settler violence, Yesh Din said in its report released Friday titled “The Next Frontier.”

The uptick in violence corresponds with the Israeli government’s approval of new settlements and the expansion of outposts that it doesn’t authorize but often leaves in place, according to the report.

“As outposts advance deeper into Palestinian territory, violence, harassment and terror follow,” Yesh Din wrote.

Some 3 million Palestinians live under Israeli military rule in the West Bank alongside roughly 560,000 Israeli settlers.

Economic woes return to Lebanon

Lebanon’s economy is projected to contract 6.4% this year because the latest Israel-Hezbollah war reversed the economic recovery of the previous year, the World Bank said Friday.

The destruction from the war that started in March and related sharp drop in tourism reversed a 4.2% growth seen in 2025 in Lebanon's economy, the organization said.

The World Bank also predicts a sharp increase in inflation driven by supply disruptions, higher shipping costs, and rising oil prices, which will further reduce purchasing power.

Lebanon's economy has been in crisis since a 2019 banking collapse.

11 countries call Israeli airstrikes in Syria an extreme escalation

The foreign ministers of 11 countries are calling Israel’s airstrikes on a Syrian air base an extreme escalation.

The ministers of Turkey, Algeria, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and the Palestinian territories warned that attacks on Syria undermine its reconstruction efforts as well as its attempts to restore security, according to a joint statement released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

The Israeli strikes hit the Abu Duhur base early Tuesday, causing damage but no casualties. Netanyahu’s office said Israel targeted the base because Syria was about to breach an agreed “status quo in security matters” by allowing Turkish troops to deploy there.

Santos Guerrero pleaded guilty May 14. U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray ordered Guerrero to serve 14 days in federal prison and pay a $5,000 fine.

According to evidence presented in court, Guerrero shot the bald eagle on Oct. 11, 2024, as it was in a tree in his backyard. He then hid the injured bird under a tarp in his garage and later lied to authorities about what happened.

Authorities began investigating after receiving reports of the shooting. Investigators reviewed video showing the eagle being shot and falling from the tree before responding to Guerrero’s home.

Law enforcement identified the tree shown in the video and searched the property. They found the injured eagle hidden under a tarp in Guerrero’s garage and took it to an animal hospital.

Veterinarians later euthanized the eagle because of the severity of its injuries.

A necropsy found that the bullet caused significant damage to the eagle’s wing. The fall from the tree also caused liver fractures, internal bleeding and a fractured leg.

Although bald eagles are no longer listed as endangered, they remain protected under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

The law prohibits killing, possessing, selling, transporting, exporting or importing bald or golden eagles, whether alive or dead, without authorization. The protections also apply to eagle parts, nests and eggs.

Guerrero was allowed to remain on bond and will voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at a later date.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the case with assistance from Texas Parks and Wildlife. Assistant U.S. Attorney Liesel Roscher prosecuted the case.

Russell took the fight to his series-leading Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli as he qualified on pole position for the sprint race at the Dutch Grand Prix. F1 has returned from its midseason break, two weeks after Russell announced he and his partner Carmen Montero Mundt were engaged.

After setting the fastest time Friday, Russell said over the team radio, “Nice one! Must be a bit lighter after that engagement ring.”

Russell previously revealed that “a lot of thought” went into his proposal, including designing the ring itself. “I suddenly got really nervous when I was on one knee,” he added.

Russell snatched top spot by 0.041 of a second from McLaren's Lando Norris, winner of the last race in Hungary, with Charles Leclerc third for Ferrari, 0.014 further back.

Antonelli was fifth and revealed he'd been struggling with damage from a bumpy ride across a gravel trap in the first part of the session. The damage was “a couple of holes in the floor.” His closest championship challenger Lewis Hamilton could manage only seventh for Ferrari.

Pole is a long-awaited boost for Russell

Pole is especially welcome for Russell, who hasn't won since the Austrian Grand Prix in June and was one of the drivers hardest hit by software quirks in how his Mercedes uses its electrical energy.

“It was a tough end to the first half of the year and I'm really happy to come back,” said Russell, who’s 59 points off his 19-year-old teammate Antonelli after a near-stall ruined his race in Hungary last month. “The lap felt really good. It all came together nicely.”

After his joke about shedding the weight of the engagement ring, Russell said he'd also worked to lose the mental baggage of overthinking.

“Confidence level wasn’t exactly at my highest, but just trying to remember that feeling of what I needed from myself and the car and just go in and almost treat it like the first race of the season again and not overthink things,” he said. “That seems to work well for me. It’s very difficult to actually put those words into action.”

Earlier Friday, Antonelli went fastest in the single practice session on a drying, constantly changing track after rain.

The 2026 cars and their formidable electrical power have yet to be tried in serious rain as part of a race weekend. That briefly seemed like it would happen in practice as teams started on intermediate tires, but the track soon dried out. Sprint qualifying was dry.

Dutch GP is unique. Here's why it's leaving

Max Verstappen has committed to Red Bull on a new contract through 2030 but there's no sign of his Dutch home race staying beyond this year.

The 80s rock anthem “The Final Countdown” rang around the venue Thursday as organizers geared up for the sixth and final Dutch GP since returning to the F1 calendar in 2021.

The race is a privately run operation in a calendar packed with races that boast government backing. Citing “risks and responsibilities,” organizers said in 2024 they'd rather “go out on a high" with two more races and no more.

Something else makes the Dutch GP stand out, too. Almost all fans attending are barred from driving to the track because the seaside resort town puts strict rules on traffic. Instead, they must take the train from Amsterdam or — in a uniquely Dutch take on F1 — join the tens of thousands riding bikes to Zandvoort.

Lawson and Tsunoda need to learn fast

Liam Lawson learned only on Monday he was being promoted to the main Red Bull team after Isack Hadjar injured his wrist. Lawson has tried the unfamiliar car only on the simulator so far, in a hastily arranged session Wednesday.

Lawson's promotion means Yuki Tsunoda is back on the grid with Racing Bulls. He hasn't raced under the new-for-2026 regulations at all. Lawson qualified 11th and Tsunoda 12th.

___

See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Walmart announced Friday that Tap to Pay is coming to Walmart and Sam’s Club stores across the U.S., giving customers another way to pay without inserting or swiping a card.

According to Walmart, the rollout starts Aug. 24 at select locations before expanding nationwide.

So, what’s changing?

Once Tap to Pay is available at your store, you’ll be able to hold an eligible contactless credit or debit card near the payment terminal to check out.

Walmart says customers will also be able to use eligible phones and smartwatches for contactless payments.

That means fewer steps at the register if you already use tap-to-pay technology when shopping at other stores.

When will my Walmart get it?

Not everyone will see the change immediately. Walmart says Tap to Pay will start rolling out at select Walmart and Sam’s Club locations on Aug. 24.

The company has not said which stores will get the upgrade first.

The goal, according to Walmart, is to have Tap to Pay available at all Walmart and Sam’s Club locations in the U.S. by the end of 2026.

• Local beef vs. grocery store beef: What to know about safety, cost and recent recalls

What about Walmart gas stations?

Those are coming later. Walmart says Tap to Pay is expected to reach its fuel stations by mid-2027.

Does this mean Apple Pay is coming to Walmart?

This is where things get a little less clear.

Walmart says customers will be able to use eligible contactless cards, phones and smartwatches. The company also says eligible Walmart, Sam’s Club and OnePay cards will work through supported digital wallets.

In Friday’s announcement, Walmart did not specifically name Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Wallet.

So, while Tap to Pay is officially coming, Walmart has not yet spelled out which individual digital wallets shoppers will be able to use when the rollout begins.

• Is packing your child’s school lunch really cheaper? Houston parents weigh in

What about Walmart Pay and Scan & Go?

Those aren’t going anywhere. According to Walmart, customers will still have access to Walmart Pay.

Sam’s Club members will also still be able to use Scan & Go, which lets shoppers scan their items and pay through the Sam’s Club app without going through a traditional checkout line.

For shoppers who have been waiting to tap their card or device at Walmart, the first stores will start getting the option Aug. 24, with the nationwide rollout expected to be finished by the end of the year.

With sparse details, President Donald Trump announced this week that the U.S. would be imposing an “unprecedented” level of economic warfare and isolation on Iran, aiming to force its leadership to cave to demands to end its nuclear program and fully reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers.

It reflects the dire reality Trump faces with an increasingly unpopular war he can't seem to end just months before pivotal midterm elections that will decide whether his Republican Party keeps control of Congress. Whether out of desperation or strategy, the president is refocusing America's might on bringing Iran to its knees through an accelerated sanctions campaign against one of the most economically penalized countries in the world.

In response to the threat, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted Friday on X the history of U.S. sanctions against Iran, saying, “We have seen this movie before. Same bull. Different bullies.”

The immediate reaction from Iran hawks has been praise and a call for patience as it plays out, while other analysts warn that Trump is refusing to learn the lessons of his predecessors.

In an interview Thursday on CNBC, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent offered a small glimpse of what may be ahead, threatening secondary sanctions on nations and companies that conduct business with Iran.

He did not reveal who would be targeted as part of this next phase of the administration’s Operation Economic Fury, which earlier had focused on entities and people who buy oil from or bank with Iran. China and India, however, are major buyers of Iranian oil.

“If you insist on doing business with them, then the U.S. Treasury and U.S. government will put its full might and force against you,” Bessent said. “It’s time for our allies and the rest of the world to make a decision."

Some experts see ‘uncharted waters’ that could force Iran's hand

Despite decades of U.S. sanctions against Iran, the Trump administration is arguing that it’s only a matter of time and that striking the right economic target would get Tehran to its breaking point.

Richard Goldberg, who coordinated efforts to put diplomatic pressure on Iran in Trump's first term, said the consequences of U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites last year, the war this year and the American naval blockade on Iranian ports have created the perfect storm for capitulation — one that didn't previously exist.

“I think we’re watching a strategy, whether it takes a short time or a long time, that is very much about fundamentally changing the future of the world by seeing the end of this regime," said Goldberg, who is now at the hawkish Washington think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, or FDD.

“I caution everyone — including myself, who has worked on sanctions, who’s worked on financial warfare — to have the humility to admit that we are in uncharted waters,” he said.

He said the decision this week by the United Arab Emirates — once one of Tehran's most important trading partners — to suspend trade with Iran over an alleged missile attack will only further isolate the government.

Beyond trade in domestically produced goods, the Emiratis had helped the country absorb some of the shocks caused by sanctions through its re-export hub.

Targeting allies and partners comes at a price

With nearly all of Iran's energy, financial and transportation sectors already covered by U.S. sanctions, Trump’s aim appears to be to apply secondary sanctions on countries, including allies and partners, that have not cut all ties with Iran to starve the country of any remaining income it may still be receiving.

In many ways, it is a redux of Trump’s first-term maximum-pressure campaign, which he has ramped up during his second term to include military action.

But as Trump and his allies discovered during his first administration, it can be difficult to enforce secondary sanctions without harming U.S. interests and provoking reciprocal measures. There were numerous instances of the administration granting sanctions waivers to countries, particularly those that rely on Iranian oil for their energy needs.

“Trump’s strategy now rests on targeting Tehran directly by impeding its touch points and access to the formal financial system and international economy,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the FDD’s Iran program. “This will require making the Iran issue more important in U.S. bilateral relations with countries in Europe and Asia.”

Iran doesn't see an ‘open door’ at the end of the sanctions campaign

Iranian officials and analysts have accused the Republican president of flip-flopping with his latest pivot to economic pressure against Tehran. Trump has long derided past leaders who used sanctions to limit Iran’s ability to pay for its military and nuclear development.

In a post last week on X, Esmail Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, wrote that Washington's pattern of retreating to sanctions when it doesn't want to pursue diplomacy has proven to be futile.

“Iran has demonstrated over decades that it will not be strangled by these exhausted refrains,” he said. “The real risk is that American politicians, clinging to this bad habit, will instead strangle their own remaining chances of a less humiliating exit from a crisis of their own making.”

Ali Vaez, Iran director at the International Crisis Group, said the Trump administration's decision to take its own maximum-pressure policy to new heights with military action seems to ignore years of U.S. foreign-policy lessons that show Iran does not respond well to pressure.

If anything, he says, the latest economic campaign has only “hardened Iran's position.”

“I think (Trump's) blind spot is the fact that the only thing that the Iranian regime views as more dangerous than suffering from U.S. sanctions is surrendering to U.S. terms," Vaez said.

Plus, the past year of start-stop diplomacy has only worsened the already fragile dynamic between the longtime adversaries, Vaez says, adding that Iranian officials' lack of trust in Trump and his mediators has created an untenable foundation.

“They believe that even if they capitulate to U.S. terms under economic duress, Trump would move the goalposts and ask for more,” he said. “And this is really the fundamental problem: Pressure without an open door is an exercise in futility.”

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Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.

In a judgment Friday, Justice Matthew Nicklin said in a written statement that the payment to Associated Newspapers Ltd. will have to be made by Aug. 28. The payment is at the upper end of expectations and marks a vindication for the journalists at the Daily Mail and a defeat for the losing claimants and their lawyers.

The claimants lost a High Court case in London last month during which they had alleged malpractice, such as the illegal hacking of phones, on the part of Associated Newspapers.

The other high-profile figures behind the case were Doreen Lawrence, the anti‑racism activist whose son Stephen was stabbed to death in 1993 as he waited for a bus; Elton John’s film producer husband David Furnish; actors Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley; and politician Simon Hughes. Lawrence’s costs are expected to be covered by the others.

In excoriating comments accompanying his award, Nicklin said “several features” were important in his decision, including the “speculative” nature of the claims and the failure of the claimants to “voluntarily” withdraw serious allegations that could no longer be backed up.

“The conduct was unreasonable to a high degree,” he said.

Claimants face additional 25-million-pound charge

The publisher has said it incurred more than 34 million pounds during the case. Should it pursue the claimants for the remainder of the costs, and get the necessary legal approval to do so, then Harry and the six others will be liable for a further 25 million pounds or so.

The claimants took out insurance for around half of that total, in line with the budget estimates provided at the outset by the lawyers working for Associated Newspapers.

Though the judge said the costs appeared “excessive,” he said he would not impose a cap that would have limited the claimants' liabilities as it would have been “too broad brushed, would risk unfairness, and would be vulnerable to the charge that it was arbitrary.”

The amount that will be paid could well be determined in the future by costs judges, specialists who assess and determine financial outcomes in civil litigation when parties cannot agree.

David Bailey-Vella, chairman of the Association of Costs Lawyers, said the ruling “could not have gone much worse” for the claimants.

He said the claimants will "surely try again before the costs judges to try and show they relied on Associated’s original budget when buying the insurance and so should not have to pay more.”

Hughes, a former member of the centrist Liberal Democrats, said he was “disappointed and surprised” that Associated Newspapers’ recoverable costs were not limited.

None of the other claimants have yet commented on the judge's decision. They have until Oct. 2 to decide whether to appeal.

Harry and the rest had failed to even win one of 97 claims

The publisher had strongly denied the claims made during the 11-week trial in London earlier this year. In his July 7 judgment, Nicklin said there had been a shortage of evidence to support the 97 claims and found there was a possibility that the reporting came from legitimate sources.

In a statement following the decision, Associated Newspapers said the judgment is a “devastating critique of an attempt to destroy a newspaper and the reputations of its journalists, editors and executives."

“The truth is that these outrageous claims should never have been brought," it said. "That they were pursued raises disturbing questions about the conduct of elements of the legal profession.”

Cost verdict comes days after Harry's bombshell UK return news

The judgment comes two days after it was made public that Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, are moving back to the U.K. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are no longer working royals, decamped to California more than six years ago but will relocate back later this month to live in a nonroyal residence outside London.

Harry's defeat against Associated Newspapers brought an end to a trio of lawsuits accusing tabloid publishers of using unlawful tactics, such as phone hacking or hiring private detectives to dig up dirt on his life.

Harry won a judgment in 2023 that condemned the publishers of the Daily Mirror for “widespread and habitual” phone hacking. Last year, Rupert Murdoch’s flagship U.K. tabloid, The Sun, made an unprecedented apology for intruding on his life for years and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle his privacy invasion lawsuit.

Harry has said his litigation — in which he broke with royal family tradition to seek relief in the courts — was a primary source of his falling out with his father, King Charles III, and brother Prince William.

His grudge with the tabloids runs deep and his legal actions are part of his larger quest to reform the news media that he says damaged his relationships and made him “ paranoid beyond belief.”

He blames the press for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi in Paris, and for attacks on his wife, Meghan, that led the couple to abandon royal life and move to the United States in 2020.

The ban for Paredes — who grabbed Spain's Eric Garcia by the throat and pushed Gavi to the ground — ranks with the FIFA sanctions for Uruguay forward Luis Suárez in 2014 as among the most severe in World Cup history.

Argentina defender Nahuel Molina was handed a seven-game ban while Thiago Almada was given a one-game suspension. FIFA imposed fines of $90,000 on Paredes and Molina, and $30,000 for Almada.

The ban for Paredes is effectively a one-year expulsion from the Argentina team as the FIFA calendar for national team schedules includes 10 games through June 2027.

All of those games could be friendlies with no competitive games currently scheduled.

Spain's Gavi also banned for game vs England

Gavi also was banned for one game, which is a Nations League match for Spain against England at Wembley on Sept. 26.

An Argentina coach, Roberto Ayala, also got a three-game ban and $30,000 fine.

The Argentine Football Association was fined $110,000 for a range of incidents during the World Cup including players carrying a political banner about the Falkland Islands after the semifinal win against England, and discriminatory chants by fans.

AFA also was ordered by FIFA to spend $100,000 on anti-racism projects. Argentina received $34 million in World Cup prize money from FIFA.

Argentina expected to appeal

AFA can appeal the longer sanctions and fines to FIFA, and likely after at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“The AFA legal department will, in a timely manner, request from FIFA the grounds for the reviewable rulings in order to file appeals with the governing body’s appeal committee, while retaining the future option of appealing to the CAS as a final recourse,” the federation said in a statement.

Suárez and Simunic cases

In 2014, Suárez was banned from all soccer for four months, including for his new club Barcelona, and eight more competition games for Uruguay for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in a World Cup group stage game in Brazil.

Paredes' 10-game ban equals that in 2013 for Josip Simunic of Croatia after winning a World Cup qualifying playoff. Simunic used a megaphone to lead fans chanting a slogan used by the country's pro-Nazi regime during World War II.

The on-field clashes at last month's final in East Rutherford, New Jersey — which were charged by FIFA as assault cases — came after Argentina lost a testy final to Spain where it was mostly outplayed and barely created a scoring chance.

Spain forward Ferran Torres scored the only goal in the second period of extra time, after Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off.

FIFA disciplinary judges also ordered Argentina to play its next home game in a stadium limited to 50% of capacity. FIFA deferred a second stadium sanction and a $100,000 for probationary periods.

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AP Sports Writers Ken Maguire in London and Carlos Rodriguez in Mexico City contributed to this report

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The attack is the latest in a series of frequent and deadly aerial strikes targeting armed pro-democracy forces and ethnic armed groups in the country. The strikes often cause civilian casualties.

The attack occurred in Swel Le Oh village in Myaung township, about 75 kilometers (45 miles) west of Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city, according to Nway Oo, a spokesperson for the Civil Defense and Security Organization of Myaung Township, or CDSOM.

Nway Oo said that 14 people, including three women, were killed and 20 others were wounded when a fighter jet dropped a bomb in the compound of the village’s monastery.

A villager who spoke on condition of anonymity, because he feared for his safety, also confirmed the death toll to The Associated Press. The villager said that the fighter jet dropped two bombs 15 minutes apart, with the second bomb damaging a house near the monastery where more than 100 people were on a weeklong retreat during Buddhist Lent.

The villager, whose mother-in-law was killed in the airstrike, said that people fled to a nearby community after cremating bodies of the victims.

BBC’s Burmese-Language service and Myanmar’s media outlets, including Myanmar Now, reported the death toll at between 10 and 14. They also posted photos and videos showing what they said was the aftermath of the strike, with images of bodies.

The military didn't immediately comment. In the past, the army has said that it only attacks legitimate targets of war, accusing the resistance forces of being terrorists.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, triggering a civil war. After peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are embroiled in conflict.

The military has increasingly used airstrikes to counter opposition forces, including the armed People’s Defense Forces in Sagaing region, a stronghold of armed resistance. The resistance has no effective defense against air attacks.

The monastery attack comes a week after the U.N.-established Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, or IIMM, said that it observed a notable escalation in aerial attacks by the military in the months preceding the elections held in December and January, and that they have continued unabated afterward.

Myanmar’s foreign ministry rejected the IIMM report on Sunday, saying that limited airstrikes and counterterrorism operations solely aim at military targets and were carried out in response to insurgents and terrorist groups in accordance with the rules of engagement, and that the security forces exercise maximum restraint to avoid civilian harm.

U.S. District Court Judge Nusrat Choudhury, in her Thursday decision, concluded that Michael Jeffries “clearly possesses a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings” and is a “reasonably intelligent person and skilled communicator" following his stay at a federal prison hospital in Butner, North Carolina.

The federal judge on Long Island, New York, said she reviewed testimony and written reports from medical experts and listened to hours of phone calls Jeffries made to his romantic partner, lawyers and others while in custody.

“His presentation and responses in evaluations following his commitment to Butner and his phone calls show that he understands the structure of the criminal legal system, courtroom procedures, the functions of the various participants, the nature and purpose of the proceedings, and key legal concepts,” Choudhury wrote.

Jeffries’ lawyer declined to comment.

“We do not comment on the Judge’s rulings," Brian Bieber wrote in an email. “The case, and all related issues, will be tried inside the courtroom – not in the media.”

Jeffries, 82, is currently free on bond. He's slated to go on trial in late October, alongside two co-defendants, his partner Matthew Smith and staffer James Jacobson. A pretrial hearing is slated for next Thursday.

Jeffries’ lawyers had argued that he required around-the-clock care to deal with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia and a traumatic brain injury. They had medical experts testify in court that Jeffries’ cognitive issues were “progressive and incurable” and that he would not “regain his competency.”

That prompted Choudhury to order Jeffries to be hospitalized to see if his mental condition would improve. After spending about four months at Butner, federal prison officials in December deemed Jeffries mentally fit to stand trial.

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson have pleaded not guilty to federal charges, including sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.

Prosecutors say the three used the promise of modeling jobs to lure men to drug-fueled sex parties in New York City, the Hamptons and other locations. The criminal case echoes sexual misconduct accusations made in a civil case and in the media in recent years.

Jeffries left Abercrombie in 2014 after more than two decades. He's credited with transforming the New York retailer, originally founded to sell wilderness gear, into a mainstay of teen mall culture in the early 2000s with its preppy youth aesthetic and sexy marketing.

The incident south of the coastal city of Cuxhaven came to an end as the animal's owner intervened to secure the animal, Cuxhaven police said in a statement.

Passersby noticed the donkey, whose name is Freddy, and a horse were running loose at a roundabout in the town of Holssel. The motorists tried to secure the donkey, which “became very aggressive” and jumped into the van.

The 33-year-old woman who tried to help required hospital treatment, while the motorists sustained minor injuries, the police statement said.

“The reason for the animal’s aggressive reaction is still unclear,” the statement said.

Those losing coverage in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, include people who don't meet the tightening requirements to participate, and, advocates say, some who qualify for the help but are rejected because they miss deadlines or don't have the needed documentation handy. It's too early to tell exactly how many fall into each group.

It's also unclear how many have lost coverage because some state agencies that run the programs are overwhelmed trying to keep up with changes. That was the case in Arizona, which saw the nation's largest enrollment drop.

Tia Fields, who analyzes social safety net policies at the advocacy group Invest in Louisiana, said the main reason she's seeing people lose coverage is not failure to meet work requirements. “A lot of it is administrative paperwork,” she said.

Proponents of welfare reform hope the roll reductions are driven by people earning too much to keep qualifying — a sign that policy changes are behaving as intended for a program they assert is riddled with fraud.

“If there are people that are leaving the welfare rolls because they're working and they're moving forward,” said Rachel Sheffield, a research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, which pushed for stricter requirements for SNAP, “that would be a step forward.”

Arizona has had the steepest decline so far, with a 12-month drop of more than 50%, according to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs SNAP. The decline was more than 20% in Georgia, Louisiana and Nevada — and in Florida, where the Department of Children and Families said in a statement that the decreasing number “is reflective of the state's strong focus on advancing opportunities for Floridians and their families to achieve economic self-sufficiency.”

Eligibility requirements are tightening

SNAP helps more than 1 in 10 people in the U.S. buy food. Most of the beneficiaries have incomes below the poverty line. The monthly benefit, which is delivered on debit cards that can be used only for groceries, is $344 per household on average.

Newly released federal data found SNAP enrollment fell from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May, a drop of more than 13% in a year. The May data are preliminary and could be revised.

Since 2010, the average number of monthly beneficiaries has been below 40 million for only two years — 2019 and 2020. The rolls started dropping after a recent peak of 43.3 million in October 2024. They've fallen much faster since implementation began last year for Trump’s “one big beautiful bill,” which cut taxes and overhauled social safety net programs.

The expanded SNAP work requirement has now kicked in for most of the country, but it won’t begin in some places until next year.

Many adults 54 and younger without minor children have long been required to work to get SNAP benefits. The new law requires most people who previously had been exempt from requirements to either work, volunteer or go to school to get benefits. It now includes those ages 55 to 64, and those with children ages 14 to 17. Those 65 and older or with children younger than 14 remain exempt, as do those with health limitations. Some other groups that had been exempted from the requirement — including homeless people — no longer are.

In February, the Congressional Budget Office projected that the new requirements and other factors would push SNAP enrollment down over the next decade, falling below 34 million by 2036. But the nonpartisan office did not expect the drop to be as fast as it's been. By May, the number of people receiving the benefits was about as low as it was forecast to go in 2030.

Experts expect another impact when states are required to pay part of the cost of benefits if their rate of payment errors — when recipients receive more or less than they should — is above 6%. Advocates for recipients say states may deny benefits to some people entirely rather than risk errors.

The cost-sharing is scheduled to start in October 2027, though Congress has considered a delay.

Changes have been hard to implement in Arizona

In Arizona, enrollment plummeted by 55% from April 2025 to April 2026 — the biggest drop in the country, with more than 400,000 fewer people getting benefits now.

The state said the drop was driven largely by the state's own struggles putting new federal requirements in place.

“Implementing the federally mandated changes triggered unprecedented call volumes and administrative hurdles, including additional verification requirements, creating real barriers for applicants,” said Brett Bezio, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Economic Security.

Bezio said that hiring more staff members and introducing ways for people to submit their documents online have stemmed the enrollment drop in recent months as the state has reduced the chance for people who qualify to lose benefits.

In Phoenix, LaDiamond Lopez lost her benefits in January, with officials telling her she needed more documentation about her income and household — something that's needed for officials to determine whether enrollees meet work requirements.

She’s been skipping meals and some bill payments to ensure her children have enough to eat.

In her quest to be reinstated, she had previous employers sign forms confirming she no longer worked for them and added her children — ages 3 and 9 — to her apartment lease. She expected payments to resume in August, but she doesn’t know if they’ll last.

“I was approved at the end of May, but now they’re asking me for more documents,” she said. “It’s a panic.”

Other factors could be driving down enrollment

The Heritage Foundation's Sheffield says that some of the drop in SNAP use is likely a natural decline after peaks in the coronavirus pandemic era.

Paco Velez, the president and CEO of Feeding South Florida, said the 22% one-year enrollment drop in Florida is driven partly by immigrants who are in the U.S. legally but fear being targeted by Trump's immigration crackdown if they're seeking government benefits.

Invest in Louisiana's Fields said SNAP enrollment declines have broader consequences. For instance, children in households that receive the benefit can be automatically enrolled in free school lunch programs or in the SNAP for Women, Infants and Children program for low-income mothers, young children and expectant parents if they meet the other criteria.

“What happens when that child can’t pay for lunch?” she asked.

Some food banks have ramped up donations to try to meet a demand that they say has risen as SNAP rolls have declined. But that isn't expected to bridge the gap fully.

“We’re very worried about it because we know that no other organization or program can replicate the scale and success of SNAP,” said Carolyn Vega, a policy analyst at the advocacy group Share Our Strength. “We know that schools can’t fill this gap. We know that food banks can’t fill this gap.”

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Schuettler is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey.

Sinner beat Alexander Zverev last month for his second straight title at the All England Club, but then pulled out of the hard-court tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati that serve as a warmup for the U.S. Open.

The 25-year-old Italian wrote Friday that he won't be ready when the main draw begins on Aug. 30.

“Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year,” Sinner wrote in a post on X.

“We have been back on court in Monte Carlo over the last couple of days and have realized that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue. I’m obviously very sad and disappointed, as New York has a special place in my heart. I was very much looking forward to coming back and playing in the electric atmosphere in front of the great fans there.”

Sinner was the 2024 U.S. Open champion and lost to Carlos Alcaraz in last year's final.

Alcaraz posted on social media on Thursday that he would be ready to play in New York after he has been out of action since April because of a right wrist injury.

The rivalry between those two has dominated men's tennis in recent years, and they met in the last three Grand Slam finals in 2025. Alcaraz took the most recent one with his four-set victory in New York.

That ended Sinner's title reign after he beat Taylor Fritz in straight sets in the 2024 final.

Sinner is 44-3 with six titles this year. He had a stunning collapse at the French Open, blowing a two-set lead while struggling in the heat in his second-round match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo. He then sat out until Wimbledon, where his victory gave him five Grand Slam titles.

It will be the first time Sinner has missed a Grand Slam tournament since making his major debut at the U.S. Open in 2019.

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See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Those that survived are doing well, fattening up in time not just for fall and hibernation season but … drumroll, please … the very first Fat Marmot Week.

Just like Fat Bear Week, an online contest to vote for Alaskan brown bears plumped up for winter, Fat Marmot Week — beginning Monday — is mostly just for fun, but it also has a serious side: Scientists need to drum up donations for their long-running research into the rodents to keep it going through federal funding cuts.

“In some sense, we’re going to be laughing our way down as the Titanic sinks,” said Dan Blumstein, leader of the project launched decades ago at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, Colorado. “Because what else are you going to do?”

But wait. What’s a marmot?

A marmot is a cat-sized, furry ground squirrel that lives in burrows in North America, Europe and Asia. The 15 or so species worldwide include groundhogs, which have their own special day, Feb. 2, in the U.S. and Canada.

In the Rocky Mountains, yellow-bellied marmots are plentiful. Hikers often spot these charismatic creatures perched on boulders or scurrying through wildflowers.

Marmots aren't shy near trails popular with people. Watch out: A bold one might swipe your snack.

Like people, marmots have personalities and are “flexibly social,” meaning some like to intermingle in colonies of up to 30 animals while others prefer solitude, according to Emily Renkey, a master’s program student at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“We kind of understand these marmots just by looking at them sometimes, because we can kind of tell who’s who just by how they behave and how they interact with one another,” said Katie Adler, a UCLA doctoral student.

Some marmots are difficult to study because they are wary of researchers' efforts to trap them using wire boxes baited with an enticing mixture of oats and peanut butter, Renkey said.

“Others, you could trap three or four times in the same morning,” she said.

Marmots are big-time snoozers

While hibernating bears snooze in a state called torpor, allowing them to wake up — or be woken up — every now and then, marmots slip into a far deeper form of hibernation. Their body temperature drops from about that of a human to as low as 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius), not much warmer than their burrows in winter.

“You pick up a hibernating marmot and it’s this fuzzy ball and it feels like a cold rock with fur. It’s completely surreal,” Blumstein said. “They breathe once a minute or two.”

To prepare for winter, the animals do a tremendous amount of fattening. They double their weight to as much as 13 pounds (6 kilograms), then lose all of that bulk during half a year or more of hibernation.

“Marmots come out of the ground really skinny, relative to what they look like now, at least,” Adler said.

A poor snowpack affects more than the ski season

Last winter, scant snowfall and warm temperatures due to global warming deprived many Colorado marmots of an insulating blanket of snow over their burrows. Researchers believe their hibernation quarters got too chilly, causing many to die of cold.

“We had over 160 animals and we ended with 60 at the start of this season,” Blumstein said. “Most of them died because of the lack of snow cover.”

This year’s snowpack was the worst on record in the Upper Colorado River Basin, which includes Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. Human-caused climate change made the snow drought about 14 times more likely, a new study confirms.

Hundreds of researchers at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory have observed changes including fewer bees and other pollinators, and sagebrush encroaching in valleys once dominated by wildflowers.

Precipitation changes, meanwhile, literally cascade downstream to where farmers and communities need water to survive.

“The snowmelt here impacts the Colorado River which impacts our drinking water," Renkey said. “What happens in these mountains doesn’t stay in these mountains. It impacts all of us.”

Mouseketeers, musketeers and marmoteers

The study in Gothic, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Aspen, is run by researchers from UCLA and the University of Ottawa in Ontario. It was launched in 1962, making it one of the world’s longest-running studies of individual mammals.

The marmot researchers affectionately call themselves “marmoteers.”

“It allows graduate students and other people to come in and suddenly capitalize on this knowledge and ask questions. Without doing all the grunt work,” Blumstein said.

Funding cuts have caused Blumstein’s UCLA department to lose one-third of its graduate students. Fat Marmot Week is one approach to attract interest — and hopefully donations — to keep the work going. Among the rodents on display: Stonehenge, who chirps at mountain bikers; and Citroen, whose mate is a leader of this matriarchal marmot motherland. Voting opens Monday.

The researchers have also been posting marmot videos to the OnlyFans adult content platform. To capitalize on the attention those posts have garnered, a "super fan" created a meme coin, a type of cryptocurrency, called $OnlyMarms, and donates transaction fees to the research program. That alone has raised around $100,000.

The team needs to bank three years of funding — over $200,000 — to ensure marmot research can continue next summer.

“People have to find funding in ways that we’ve never really thought of before,” Adler said. “Like reaching out to the broader community to get people engaged.”

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

In an Instagram post Thursday, the 39-year-old Simpson said she was diagnosed with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a condition that triggered “dangerous heart rhythms that ultimately caused my heart to stop.”

She said the diagnosis means it would be dangerous to return to running.

“That chapter has ended,” she said. “Thankfully, my story hasn't.”

Simpson was pacing a group of girls in a mile run at an event in Raleigh, North Carolina, when she collapsed. She underwent CPR at the track and an automated external defibrillator was also used before medics rushed her to the hospital.

“You might be wondering what would be the right thing to say to me after an event like this,” she wrote. “Please do not say that you're sorry or that you feel bad for me. If it is true in your heart, please tell me you're glad that I'm here. That's how I feel — so glad that I'm still here.”

For about a decade beginning in 2007, Simpson was America's most successful women's 1,500-meter runner. She won worlds in 2011, finished second there twice and won Olympic bronze in Rio in 2016.

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

U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier abruptly ordered the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise just before it began Monday. Trump cited what he described as a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to support him over the war in Iran.

South Korea's military said the Ulchi Freedom Shield, a command post exercise with the U.S., ended on Friday.

This month's exercise was initially reportedly scheduled to be held in two phases for 11 days in simulation of North Korean attacks — the first part until Friday on defensive operations and the second part until Aug. 27 on counteroffensive operations. North Korea is extremely sensitive to the second phase.

South Korea and the U.S. had also planned to hold 14 joint field training exercises during the Ulchi Freedom Shield period. But they've agreed to halve them as well, according to South Korea's military.

North Korea shrugs off Trump's outreach

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, brushed aside Trump’s overture on Wednesday, saying that reducing the duration and size of the drills won't change their “provocative, aggressive nature.”

The next day, North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea, apparently following through with its previous threat to respond to the U.S.-South Korean drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.

The U.S. Pacific Command said the events didn't pose an immediate threat to U.S. territory or its allies. The command said the U.S. remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and its allies in the region.

Kim Yo Jong's statement dampened hopes for an early resumption of talks between Trump and Kim Jong Un, whose earlier nuclear diplomacy collapsed in 2019. Kim Jong Un has used the diplomatic stalemate to increase his leverage by modernizing his nuclear and missile arsenals and aligning with Russia over its war against Ukraine. Kim Jong Un suggested last year that he won't return to talks unless the U.S. drops its demand for North Korean denuclearization as a precondition for diplomacy.

Kim Yo Jong still used relatively measured language, avoided typical harsh North Korean rhetoric and touched upon what she called an “excellent” relationship between her brother and Trump. This suggests North Korea doesn't want to completely shut the door for future talks and may seek to win bigger U.S. concessions, such as international recognition as a nuclear state and broad sanctions relief.

More nuclear weapons, Russia ties give North Korea greater leverage

With its supply of ammunition and troops to Russia, North Korea is likely receiving economic and military assistance in return, and its expanding ties with Russia provides it with leverage to ask for greater support from China, its biggest trading partner.

“After this strategic play has run its course, Kim may seek further economic and reputational benefits from Washington,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “But that will probably be after the U.S. midterm elections when Trump is expected to be in a weaker domestic political position and in search of headline-grabbing foreign policies.”

Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said that Kim Yo Jong's statement showed North Korea's position that a personal relationship between her brother and Trump “can't be a factor that moves current North Korean-U.S. relations.” He said Kim Yo Jong likely aimed to head off speculation that Trump's move can restore diplomacy so as not to fully take the blame when it doesn't happen.

Kim Yo Jong denied Trump’s claim that Kim Jong Un had responded to his request for a conversation. When asked by reporters Wednesday if he would be meeting with Kim Jong Un this year, Trump said that “Yeah, I will be.”

The Ulchi Freedom Shield is one of the main military exercises conducted by the U.S. and South Korea annually to enhance their ability to cope with potential North Korean aggression. Its downsizing has caused worries about joint U.S.-South Korean readiness.

Among returning Big 12 quarterbacks, Weigman’s 25 passing touchdowns are second in the league, his 11 rushing touchdowns are tied for the most in the conference, his 2,705 passing yards are third in the Big 12 and his 700 rushing yards lead the league, his 65.2 completion percentage leads returning Big 12 QBs and his 147.1 QB rating ranks second.

• UH Football begins fall camp with focus on accountability

Since 2021, there have been 17 quarterbacks to win 10 games while compiling 3,000 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 or fewer turnovers. That list includes nine first-round draft picks, 11 Heisman finalists, five QBs who played for a national title and two currently active players: Conner Weigman and Arch Manning.

Weigman accounted for 36 total touchdowns – 25 passing and 11 rushing – which led the Big 12 and was seventh-most in the nation. Weigman’s 3,405 yards of offense were the 12th-most by a Cougar QB since 1996 and the most since 2021 – his 700 rushing yards were the second-most by a Houston QB since 1996 and his 36 total touchdowns were the seventh-most since 1996.

Weigman is 19-7 as a starter. Since 2020, the only quarterbacks with 25 or more starts and a better win percentage to not start at least one playoff game: Jordan Travis, Kyle McCord and Spencer Sanders.

The Cypress, Texas, native was named to the Preseason Maxwell Award Watch List earlier in August and the Preseason Johnny Unitas Award Watch List on Wednesday.

Weigman and the Houston Cougars open the new season September 5 at TDECU Stadium as they welcome in Oregon State.

Panettiere, known for her roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville,” died Sunday at age 36. Following news of her death, fans revisited comments she made about Neutrogena and its decision to end their long-running partnership.

• Hayden Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend was at apartment where she died, police report says

Panettiere worked with Neutrogena for about a decade, beginning in 2005. In her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, and during a May appearance on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast, she said the company ended its relationship with her after she publicly discussed her experience with postpartum depression.

Panettiere said she was surprised and hurt by the decision, believing her comments about her mental health had played a role.

The resurfaced comments sparked criticism of Neutrogena on social media, with some users calling for a boycott of the brand.

The company has now addressed the controversy.

“We are deeply saddened by Hayden Panettiere’s passing,” Neutrogena said in a statement shared Thursday. The company said Panettiere had been a valued member of its community for more than a decade.

“We are proud to have partnered with her and understand that we made her feel unsupported during a very difficult time,” the statement continued. “This is not what Neutrogena stands for or who we want to be.”

Neutrogena also said it plans to make a “significant investment” in a long-standing community health partner focused on women’s health. The company said it would provide more details once those plans are finalized.

• From ‘Nashville’ to ‘Remember the Titans,’ Hayden Panettiere’s notable roles and where to watch

The brand said it waited to publicly address the situation out of respect for Panettiere’s family and loved ones.

The backlash had already intensified online before Neutrogena’s response, with users criticizing the company and calling for a boycott.

Panettiere had been open about her experience with postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, Kaya, in 2014. Her decision to speak publicly about her mental health struggles became a major part of her later reflections on her career and relationship with the brand.

The water park is hosting Cool Down HTX, an event designed to help Houstonians beat the heat with frozen fun, refreshing drinks and an icy surprise in the wave pool.

The highlight of the event will be an Ice Dump Challenge, where guests can step into an icy splash zone and cool off as tons of ice are dumped into the Wave Pool.

The Ice Dump Challenge is scheduled for 2 to 2:30 p.m.

Guests can also expect frozen treats, cold drinks and other icy surprises throughout the day.

The event is included with regular park admission or a Typhoon Texas season pass.

• Houston eyeing 100 again as a weekend scorcher is on the way

Typhoon Texas is encouraging guests to grab their friends and family, head to the wave pool and cool off from Houston’s summer heat.

Cool Down HTX is happening at Typhoon Texas. For more information, including event details and admission information, visit Typhoon Texas.

But one woman says the staff at a Fogo de Chão restaurant in Washington, D.C., helped turn the experience into something much more positive.

According to TODAY, TikTok creator Troi, who goes by @allthingstroi, was at the Brazilian steakhouse when the person she was supposed to meet never showed up.

Troi shared a video from the restaurant, explaining that she had essentially been stood up by a friend.

Instead of leaving her to deal with the disappointment alone, the restaurant staff stepped in.

Troi said Fogo de Chão gave her a free drink and dessert and encouraged her to stay, enjoy herself and head to the bar.

• Is packing your child’s school lunch really cheaper? Houston parents weigh in

She also said employees told her, “We’re your date tonight.”

The video quickly gained attention online, with hundreds of thousands of views and commenters offering words of encouragement.

Troi later thanked the restaurant for making her feel welcomed during what could have been an embarrassing and upsetting experience.

“Fogo de Chão really took a moment that was honestly pretty disappointing for me … and turned it into such a wonderful experience through their compassion and fantastic customer service,” Troi told TODAY, according to the report.

View this post on Instagram

A Fogo de Chão spokesperson also praised the restaurant’s employees for helping turn the night around, saying the company is focused on making guests feel welcome.

• Viral TikTok has Ninja Creami users checking their ice cream makers for maggots

The story has resonated with viewers who have experienced the frustration of being stood up — whether on a romantic date or by a friend.

And for Troi, what started as a disappointing night ended with an unexpected reminder that sometimes a little kindness can go a long way.

This story was first reported by TODAY.

The crash happened near Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, approximately 450 miles (725 kilometers) west of Anchorage, Alaska.

“This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, commander of Alaskan Command, the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and Eleventh Air Force, said in a statement.

The radar site is managed by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center. It’s part of a network of remote radar sites that tracks aircraft operating in Alaska’s airspace and along its borders, the statement from Alaskan Command said.

The statement did not provide details on the specific work the individuals were doing. It referred to the plane involved as a “civilian-contracted aircraft.”

Davis described those on board as “dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment. Our absolute priority right now is providing unwavering support to their families, friends and teammates during this devastating time. We are profoundly grateful for the swift and tireless response of our search and recovery professionals.”

Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief, said earlier Thursday evening that two pilots and six passengers were on board.

The plane, a Cessna 441, had taken off from the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and was headed to Cape Newenham, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The crash happened about 12:15 p.m. Thursday west of Cape Newenham.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska posted online that the flight was operated by Security Aviation, an airplane charter company based in Anchorage.

An email was sent to the company Friday morning seeking comment.

“I join Alaskans in offering condolences as we learn of the plane crash in Cape Newenham,” Murkowski posted Thursday night. “I’ve traveled extensively with Security Aviation throughout Alaska, and have met many of their experienced pilots. I appreciate the U.S. Coast Guard, NTSB, Alaska State Troopers, and the Rescue Coordination Center for responding to the site. Alaska is praying for those on board, their loved ones, and the team at Security Aviation.”

It’s going to reach 100 degrees in some areas this weekend, so if you’re headed outside at any time this weekend, make sure you are well prepared for the heat. Stay hydrated, and try your best to stay cool.

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

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Weather ⛅

HIGH: 98° LOW: 87°

The KPRC 2 Weather Team says:

“We hit 100° Thursday afternoon, marking just the second time this summer that Houston has reached the century mark. There are more triple-digit temperatures in the forecast. Combined with Houston’s humidity, afternoon heat index values will climb to between 108° and 110°. The current Heat Advisory runs through Friday evening, and I expect it will likely be extended through the weekend and possibly into early next week as this dangerous heat wave continues.”

➡️ More weather headlines? Check them out here

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Houston’s Top Headlines 📰

19-year-old accused of stabbing pregnant woman dating her ex-boyfriend, court records show

A 19-year-old woman is facing an aggravated assault charge after investigators say she stabbed a pregnant woman who was dating her ex-boyfriend at a northeast Houston home. Carrieale Williams was arrested Thursday morning following the alleged attack on Dona Lane.

Local beef vs. grocery store beef: What to know about safety, cost and recent recalls

From eggs and lettuce to jalapeños and beef, a series of recent food recalls has put food safety back in the spotlight and left some Texas shoppers wondering what exactly is safe to put on the dinner table. KPRC2’s Re’Chelle Turner spoke to Anthony Thomas, owner ofThomas Cattle & Catering, who says more families are considering a different way to buy their beef: purchasing a quarter, half or even an entire steer at one time.

These cruise ships had the worst CDC sanitation scores in 2026

Thinking about booking a cruise? You may want to check the ship’s latest sanitation inspection score before you set sail.

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows several cruise ships received scores near the bottom of the agency’s 100-point sanitation scale this year.

Harris County Treasurer could get 30% raise as county weighs eliminating her office

Harris County Treasurer Carla Wyatt asked Thursday for her salary to be increased to $305,000, arguing she deserves to be paid the same as other countywide elected officials even as county leaders pursue an effort to eliminate her position. Wyatt initially filed a salary grievance seeking at least $250,000, but increased that request during a meeting of the county’s Salary Grievance Committee.

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 Thursday’s trending stories:

• Is packing your child’s school lunch really cheaper? Houston parents weigh in
• Viral TikTok has Ninja Creami users checking their ice cream makers for maggots
• Think you’re really good at UNO? You could win $50,000

Things 2 Know 💡

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

In case you missed it... 👀

• Body found in remote area of Attucks Middle School in Sunnyside
• 3 deadly crashes in 2 weeks put southeast Houston’s Telephone Road under magnifying glass
• Approximately 160 violations found in Texas City illegal fishing bust; multiple citations issued

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Geis’ remains were found by a team made up of local volunteers, according to Irfan Arshad Khan, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. The expedition was Geis’ first attempt to climb an 8,000-meter (26,247-foot) peak in Pakistan.

Geis, 39, lived in San Antonio, Texas. She announced on social media earlier this year that she was closing her Pilates studio to take “a giant leap of faith into the unknown to see where life goes. I have a sneaking suspicion there will be lots of helmets, harnesses, and crampons involved.”

Her family remembered her in a statement earlier this month as “a bright light who was loved deeply by her family and friends.”

The recovery ended a search that began on July 31 after the expedition, led by renowned climber Nirmal Purja, was swept away by an avalanche on Broad Peak.

Purja, a Nepal-born former British Army soldier widely known as Nims Dai, climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019, an achievement featured in the Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.” His record was broken in 2023.

Accidents are common on climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan because of avalanches, falling ice and rock, high altitude and rapidly changing weather.

Carrieale Williams was arrested Thursday morning following the alleged attack on Dona Lane.

Court records and Williams’ overnight court appearance are now providing more details about the case, including a previous charge involving another pregnant woman.

• Pregnant woman stabbed during visit at Houston home, suspect in custody

A charging document obtained by KPRC 2 identifies the woman who was stabbed as Jaidyn Thomas.

Prosecutors accuse Williams of intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury to Thomas by stabbing her with a knife. The document identifies the knife as a deadly weapon.

Williams was arrested at 5:52 a.m. Thursday and charged with aggravated assault. Her case was assigned to the 185th District Court.

According to Harris County Precinct 3 investigators, Williams invited Thomas to a home in the 12000 block of Dona Lane.

Investigators said the two women knew each other through church. Court records allege Thomas was dating Williams’ ex-boyfriend.

Once inside the home, investigators said Thomas noticed Williams trying to hide a knife.

• Harris County Treasurer could get 30% raise as county weighs eliminating her office

Williams allegedly pulled out the knife, and a struggle followed. Investigators said Thomas suffered stab wounds to her arms and face.

Thomas is expected to recover.

Williams appeared before a judge overnight.

“The allegations are that you used a knife to stab this complainant. Allegedly, this person is pregnant, allegedly dating your ex-boyfriend,” the judge told Williams.

The judge also referenced a previous assault case involving Williams and a different pregnant person.

“Do note that you have a prior assault of a pregnant person from just last year involving a different complainant,” the judge said.

Court records from the previous case show Williams was accused of assaulting her sister, who was six months pregnant at the time.

Williams was accused of pushing her sister down and punching her in the stomach during an argument over a phone charger.

That case was later dismissed after Williams completed a 10-hour anger management course.

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

During Williams’ overnight appearance, a $3,000 bond was requested.

The judge transferred the case to the trial court for a bond to be set, citing the allegations involving a stabbing with a knife.

The charging document lists Williams’ first setting in the 185th District Court for Monday, Aug. 24.

A protective order was also approved during the overnight hearing.

KPRC 2 will continue following the case as Williams moves through the court process.

The two-time Olympic champion released “Gold” with World Athletics on Friday as the anthem of the upcoming meet that boasts a total prize fund of $10 million.

Ultimate Championship will be staged in Budapest from Sept. 11-13 showcasing Olympic, world and Diamond League champions over three evening sessions. Gold medalists in individual events will win $150,000.

The 26-year-old Duplantis has dabbled in music for several years and released his first single, “Bop,” in 2025.

Duplantis, the world-record holder, says he dreams of winning a Grammy.

“Gold” was written by Duplantis with Carl Silvergran and Oscar Chase, and was produced by Chase, the World Athletics announcement said.

“I wrote the song around representing something that’s a lot bigger than yourself,” Duplantis said in the announcement. “I think that’s what we all do when we’re on the track. We represent our family, our team, our coaches, and I love that concept. Music and sports are the two things that bring people together in the best way, and ‘Gold’ is an expression of that.”

The accompanying music video was filmed in the Hungarian capital and includes archival footage of Duplantis as a young athlete.

The Louisiana-born Duplantis told the Olympics channel last year he uses his music “as a way of therapy. I really love to have something else to be able to do, and to kind of take myself away from sports a little bit.”

At the Ultimate Championship, his new song “will be woven into the broadcast and live-event experience, connecting fans in-stadium with audiences around the world,” World Athletics said.

Duplantis is scheduled to perform “Gold” live in-stadium to close out the event.

“The Ultimate is purposefully designed to showcase the talents and passions of our sport’s biggest stars, on and off the track,” World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said. “Mondo is one of our most recognizable and accomplished athletes, and we could not be more excited that he is the one who created the Ultimate Anthem."

The championship will be a biennial event.

___

See full AP coverage of European sports here

Even Ken Paxton is choosing his words carefully. The Republican Senate nominee, a reliable ally of President Donald Trump, said in a statement that the administration’s plan “is not smart border security,” representing a rare break from the White House.

As bipartisan outrage has exploded in West Texas, numerous top Republicans have hedged on the matter, welcoming this week’s construction pause without entirely breaking from the Trump administration. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, echoing other GOP leaders, said he was glad federal officials were taking a beat “to hear the concerns of local landowners and law enforcement.” And he acknowledged that “the tools needed to secure the border in Big Bend are likewise different than those needed in a dense urban environment,” without explicitly condemning the project.

“It is a huge liability,” said former Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, a Republican who has been outspoken about the political vulnerability presented by construction in the beloved region. “This issue has become big, really big, and it’s going to become bigger.”

Republicans are already taking a battery of attacks from Democrats, who are bullish on claiming a statewide victory in November’s midterm elections, which would be their first since 1994, and nabbing congressional districts that can upend power dynamics in Congress.

“To be honest with you, we’re in a general election coming up that’s going to be pretty tough,” state Rep. Wes Virdell, one of three GOP state lawmakers to sign a letter asking the governor to step in, said during an interview last week with KXAN News. “If people are watching Republicans not stand up for them down in South Texas, I think we’re going to lose the vote down there.”

The race for U.S. Senate is shaping up to be the greatest threat for Republicans, whose nominee, Paxton, will face Democratic state Rep. James Talarico of Austin. Polls place the two in a tight race, and Talarico, like many other Democrats, has spent weeks blasting the Trump administration’s plans.

After initially declining to say where he stands, Paxton issued a fresh statement that pushed back on Big Bend construction in starker terms.

“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,” the attorney general said. “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.”

Changing plans cause confusion

The source of all the anger are plans from the Trump administration to build an access road and vehicle barriers in Big Bend National Park and 30-foot tall barriers on private land outside the park.

Adding to the furor, the plans — consistently shrouded in secrecy — have changed repeatedly with little communication, as some residents and ranchers learned of developments through a government website or when they received letters from U.S. Customs and Border Protection threatening to take their land via eminent domain.

Republicans and Democrats alike in West Texas say there is no need for a physical barrier in the area the administration is eyeing out there.

Border Patrol agents are divided by geographic regions called sectors. The Big Bend sector is the largest and quietest. It covers 77 Texas counties and 517 miles of the 1,954-mile-long U.S.-Mexico border. That area accounted for just 1.3% of the 237,538 apprehensions recorded across the entire border last fiscal year.

“In other words, we don’t have a problem,” Patterson, the Republican who held statewide office for 12 years until 2015, said. “And we’ve got, so far, a $7.5 billion fix in no-bid contracts.”

Republicans break silence, carefully

In Congress, Texas’ Democrats have been banging the Big Bend drum for months.

The state’s Democratic delegation held a news conference in April to decry U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s wall plans, and signed onto letters to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin opposing the border construction plans in March and again in July. In all cases, the Democrats stood alone.

When U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, attempted to block construction in the park via an amendment to the annual homeland security funding bill, Republicans — including the Texans on the committee — voted in lockstep to block it.

Texas Republicans had opportunities to respond to locals’ concerns, but did not do so — for the most part — until last week, when photos and videos of construction crews arriving in West Texas drew even more attention to the issue.

Now that Republicans are speaking out, their responses have varied from calculated to pointed to misleading. And two of the president’s most loyal allies in the state have remained quiet: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. House Speaker Dustin Burrows also has not publicly commented. Spokespersons for all three did not respond to inquiries from the Tribune.

Some Republicans have backed the pause in construction announced this week by CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott while he visits with local officials. Among them are Cruz, who broke his silence in a statement to the Tribune, as well as U.S. Reps. Chip Roy, R-Austin, who thanked Scott for the pause, and August Pfluger, R-San Angelo, whose district includes a large swath of West Texas.

Pfluger wrote on social media that “security and conservation are not mutually exclusive” and encouraged CBP to work with local leaders, communities and ranchers regarding new border infrastructure in the region.

Other Republicans have been more explicit in their opposition.

Last month, Dawn Buckingham, who leads the General Land Office, sent a cease and desist letter to CBP and a federal contractor she said had illegally cleared GLO-owned land in Presidio County. In a statement to the Tribune, she said her agency was working with a contractor to “remediate” the land. She said all construction the GLO had identified has since ended.

Buckingham’s office is now surveying state tracts in the area and “conducting a thorough review of relevant titles and deeds to better determine the location and extent of any potential trespass,” she added.

“Our process concerning wall construction will ensure all factors, including our conservation obligations, are carefully considered,” Buckingham said.

CBP officials have repeatedly said there are no plans for a wall in the park. Some Republicans are talking about one, anyway.

Robert Garza, the GOP candidate for House District 74 — which includes the Big Bend region —told the Tribune he opposed a wall there. He will face state Rep. Eddie Morales Jr., a Democrat who has emerged as a leader of the opposition to the project.

“I’m for strong border security, but not a wall through Big Bend,” Garza said. “Big Bend is one of the most beautiful and rugged stretches of the border and its terrain is already one of the toughest natural barriers we have. Technology and manpower will do more there than a physical barrier.”

Comptroller Don Huffines said in a statement that “building a permanent wall through Big Bend National Park is one of the dumbest ideas I’ve heard in a long time.” He also added that he was pleased with the drastic reduction in illegal border crossings.

Gov. Greg Abbott has similarly focused on a wall and took credit for stopping it. Earlier this week, he told reporters that he had spoken with Mullin, who “committed to me that they will not be building a wall or a fence in Big Bend National Park.”

Most of the comments from Republican state leaders are far from a full-throated rebuke of what those in the region see as federal overreach of precious land that will be disrupted by heavy trucks and equipment to install infrastructure meant to address a problem many believe is nonexistent.

And CBP’s pause — lauded by Republicans — has done little to quell worries that eventual construction of any new roads and surveillance technology will destroy the tranquility and land many cherish in the region.

On Tuesday afternoon, Scott, the CBP head, met with one group of local officials — hailing from West Texas to Del Rio — for an hour and a half.

Democratic state Sen. César Blanco, whose district includes the area, told the Tribune after the meeting that Scott acknowledged a need to hear input from locals before proceeding.

Scott told those at the meeting that federal officials hope to make a decision in the coming weeks regarding the temporary pause of construction, according to Blanco. Local electeds suggested to Scott that the administration consider technology — like infrared surveillance — instead of building physical and permanent structures. Blanco said he felt that Scott made a sincere effort to listen.

But the administration’s plans to build on private land, the senator said, “was somewhat not negotiable.”

ORLA — Elected officials and industry leaders warn that Texas is at the “precipice” of running out of underground space to dispose of the nearly 1 billion gallons of wastewater that oil and gas production generates every day in the Permian Basin.

The toxic wastewater, known as produced water, is usually injected underground into disposal wells. But these wells have increased underground pressure, triggering earthquakes and blowouts. Instead of underground injection, the oil industry is now seeking alternatives to treat and reuse produced water.

Industry experts made clear last week, at a legislative hearing in Austin and a conference in Midland, that a lack of disposal space could soon constrain oil production in the Permian Basin.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is developing two permitting programs for re-using treated produced water. The agency began accepting permit applications to discharge the treated wastewater into rivers in 2024 but has yet to issue any permits. The agency released a proposed rule earlier this year to allow treated produced water to be applied on land for irrigation or rangeland restoration.

In public testimony last week, Commissioner Jim Wright of the Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas, emphasized the urgency of providing alternatives to disposal wells.

“Continued delay could restrict oil and gas development across the Permian Basin,” he said during a Texas Senate hearing. “I respectfully urge TCEQ to finalize and issue workable permits as soon as possible.”

While political pressure mounts on the TCEQ to issue permits, pilot projects using treated produced water are ongoing. Researchers are still gathering data to publish more peer-reviewed papers that will inform the permitting programs. Advocates question whether regulators are jumping the gun by drafting permits as research continues on the safety of treated produced water and treatment technologies.

TCEQ declined an interview request from Inside Climate News. The agency did not respond to individual questions regarding the scientific basis of its rulemakings or when the agency anticipates issuing the first permits for produced water discharges, but it provided a statement.

“TCEQ develops permits that are unique and reflect site-specific conditions of a single entity’s proposed activities and the location of the activity,” spokesperson Victoria Cann wrote. “Permits are drafted to ensure compliance with the Texas Surface Water Quality Standards and protective of drinking water, aquatic life, and other existing uses of the receiving waterway.”

Senators hear updates in Austin

TCEQ regulates discharges from numerous municipal and industrial sources. But produced water is an especially complex waste stream.

Fracking companies inject often-toxic chemicals underground to stimulate wells. These fluids return to the surface in produced water, along with extremely salty water that has been trapped for thousands of years in inaccessible underground formations. Among numerous hazardous compounds, produced water may contain bromide, arsenic, strontium, barium, radioactive isotopes and volatile organic compounds, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes.

TCEQ obtained primacy in 2021 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to permit discharges of treated produced water. During the 2025 legislative session, Texas lawmakers transferred authority to permit land application of treated produced water from the Railroad Commission to the TCEQ, which has greater expertise in water quality.

In April, the Texas Produced Water Consortium, a research group funded by the state and based at Texas Tech University, published a report with water quality data from five pilot projects.

The Texas Senate Natural Resources committee met in Austin last week to hear updates from regulators and industry representatives.

Michael Lozano of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association testified that companies could soon run out of disposal space. “We’re at this precipice,” he said. “This is a large volume of water that we don’t have avenues for that we’re trying to rapidly create.”

State Sen. Kevin Sparks, a Republican from Midland and committee chair, stressed a prompt response from the TCEQ when he referred to discharges of treated produced water from treatment plants.

“Obviously, we want to make sure that the work product that comes out at the end of these plants is acceptable,” Sparks, who is also the director of an oil company, said while addressing panelists, including TCEQ Executive Director Kelly Keel. “But timing is a critical issue at this point.”

Not all the speakers recommended moving quickly. During public comments, Julie Range, policy manager for the nonprofit organization Commission Shift, noted that TCEQ has not made public any water quality standards for hazardous compounds in produced water. She added that the public does not have access to much of the data informing the permitting process.

“Let’s not trade one problem for another by hastily allowing unsafe waste fluids into our soils and into our rivers,” she said.

A massive ice maker in the desert

Further west, in the Permian Basin, energy companies aren’t waiting for regulatory certainty to move ahead with treatment technology.

The day before the Senate committee hearing, Texas Pacific Water Resources hosted a ribbon cutting at its new treatment facility outside the small town of Orla. The plant will be able to treat up to 10,000 barrels, or 420,000 gallons, of produced water a day.

The desert sun blazed outside as invitees gathered inside the large warehouse, with red pipes towering over their heads. The plant is deep in the oilfields of Reeves County, near the New Mexico state line.

Texas Pacific Water Resources chose the location, in part, because it lies within a “seismic response area,” where the Railroad Commission has reduced underground injection to limit the risk of earthquakes. Texas Pacific expects demand for produced water treatment to be concentrated in these areas.

The company is using freeze desalination technology to treat the raw produced water, which can be several times saltier than seawater. Adrianne Lopez Billings, who leads research at Texas Pacific Water Resources, described the technology as a “massive ice maker.”

When water molecules freeze, the salts are pushed out and separate into a brine. Of the raw produced water that is treated, about half will be recoverable for reuse. The other half will be brine that still must be disposed of underground.

State Sen. Charles Perry, a Republican from Lubbock, thanked Texas Pacific for its “risk taking” and investment in the technology.

“If they tell me it’s good enough to drink one day, I’ll drink it,” he said. “I’m looking for the first glass.”

Texas Pacific Water Resources is a subsidiary of Texas Pacific Land Corp., one of the largest landowners in the state. Texas Pacific already holds a permit for a pilot project to apply treated produced water onto nearby rangeland. The company recently requested permission to increase the permitted volume of water to 2.73 million gallons per day spread across 102 acres.

Texas Pacific Water Resources submitted a permit application to the TCEQ in 2024 to discharge treated produced water into the nearby Salt Creek, a tributary of the Pecos River. More than two years later, they are still waiting on the permit to be issued. Several other companies have applied to discharge treated produced water into the Pecos River watershed. Lopez Billings, of Texas Pacific Water Resources, said that they have worked on a second draft of the permit with the TCEQ and hope to receive approval by the end of the year.

Lopez Billings partnered with scientists at Texas Tech University to study using treated produced water to irrigate alfalfa at another Texas Pacific facility near Midland. A peer-reviewed paper in the journal Irrigation Science based on that research was published mere days before the recent ribbon cutting, after more than two years of work.

“There is a turnaround time in doing the pilots, gathering the data, submitting it for peer review,” she told Inside Climate News. “I think a lot of that work was really important for TCEQ to take what we were saying as fact. They had to see it in peer-reviewed articles.”

She added that Texas Pacific can also use the treated produced water on-site for internal re-use, in condensers and chillers. She said that is informing their plans to use treated produced water at data centers that are flocking to the Permian Basin.

Challenges remain. Desalination technology is energy intensive. To treat 10,000 barrels a day — a drop in the bucket compared to what the industry hopes to eventually treat — the Orla facility needs 5.5 megawatts of electricity, enough to power several thousand homes. They are relying on a mix of line power and micro-turbine generators.

Produced water treatment companies will have to line up alongside data centers and other projects seeking to connect to the electric grid or secure power generation equipment. The energy demand is one reason why treating produced water is still more expensive than the alternative of injecting it underground.

Scientific research continues

The Produced Water Society’s annual conference in Midland drew hundreds of people to two days of panels last week. The status of TCEQ permit applications was a hot topic.

In the words of Brady Murphy, president and CEO of the energy services company TETRA Technologies, the next step is for regulators to “really define what is acceptable to put into the environment.” TETRA Technologies currently treats produced water for reuse in the oilfields.

Those who hoped that remarks from TCEQ Commissioner Catarina Gonzales would clear the uncertainty were likely disappointed. After an extended aside about cowboy boots, Gonzales said she couldn’t speak to specific permit applications for produced water discharge.

“There’s a couple that, I’m told, are pretty close,” she said. “We’re kind of in the final stages of going back and forth with companies. But at this point, I can’t even tell you who those are.”

Robert Crain, executive vice president at Texas Pacific Water Resources, followed Gonzales on the stage. He touched on the status of the company’s permit application with TCEQ to discharge treated produced water into the Salt Creek.

“We want this permit framework to be defensible,” he said. “We don’t want to discharge … bad water.

“But we also have to have a framework that we can meet and that fits in those economic boundaries,” Crain continued. “We can’t have a $100,000-a-month sample fee. We need to do all the homework, we need to do all the legwork.”

His comments hinted at the tension between regulatory rigor and economic feasibility. Pilot studies and academic research on produced water have included wide-ranging water testing methods, including non-targeted analysis and “whole effluent toxicity.” Researchers have looked for hundreds of constituents that may be in the waste stream. But this battery of tests is expensive and can only be completed at certain labs.

TCEQ has not publicly disclosed what ongoing monitoring will be required of treated produced water and the frequency of testing. Companies could push back on testing requirements that they consider too costly or onerous, as indicated by Crain’s comments.

While many industry leaders are bullish on the prospects for treating produced water to use outside the oilfields, researchers have called for more scientific study.

Authors of the recent peer-reviewed paper in Irrigation Science wrote that their findings suggest that irrigating alfalfa with treated produced water “has the potential” to supplement existing irrigation resources. But the authors wrote that results should be considered preliminary because the study was limited to a single growing season. The authors recommended multi-year studies to evaluate cumulative effects of continuous irrigation with treated produced water.

Another study published in July in Separation and Purification Technology sought to address “knowledge gaps” in the literature. The authors wrote that short-term laboratory or bench-scale experiments conducted to date “do not adequately capture the operational variability or long-term reliability of treatment technologies under real-world conditions.” They also noted a “lack of comprehensive water quality characterization and toxicity studies for PW treatment.”

The Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter, which is a member of the Texas Produced Water Research Consortium, wrote earlier this year that additional research is needed to determine what level of treatment is necessary, what water quality standards should apply and how treated produced water may affect the environment and public health over the long-term.

“Writing the regulations before robust research can inform them is unreasonable,” the group wrote.

These ongoing questions have fueled public concern over the use of treated produced water outside the oilfields. TCEQ received nearly 450 comments on the proposed land application rule earlier this year. An analysis by the organization Future Heist found that over two-thirds of commenters opposed the draft rule.

Disclosure: Permian Basin Petroleum Association, Sierra Club – Lone Star Chapter and Texas Tech University 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.

Around 2:30 a.m., Houston Police Department officers responded to reports of a shooting in progress. The victim, a woman in her mid-20s, was visiting her boyfriend when a male suspect approached her with a firearm and attempted to steal her car.

• Body found in remote area of Attucks Middle School in Sunnyside

The suspect pistol-whipped the woman and shot her in the shoulder before fleeing the scene — without the vehicle. The victim ran to her boyfriend’s home for safety.

Houston Fire Department transported the victim to an area hospital. She is in stable condition.

The suspect is described as a Black male wearing dark clothing and a black-and-white hat. HPD searched the area but did not locate the suspect as of early Friday morning.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Houston Police Department.

“We have virtually given up on many things,” said Ahmad Karimi, 52, a taxi driver and father of two who has been working 15-hour days to make ends meet. “We’re cutting out fruit, we’re cutting out protein, we’ve given up leisure, we even work on weekends."

Nearly six months into the war with the United States and Israel, the Iranian economy is taking a beating under the force of sanctions and a naval blockade that is making it extremely difficult for the country to export oil, its most valuable product.

Whether this intensifying economic pressure will translate anytime soon into military or political concessions from Iran remains to be seen — but some experts are skeptical. Since the war began, Iran has been attacking oil-rich neighbors and U.S. bases in the region, and disrupting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, its biggest strategic advantage.

Iran is trying to use this retaliatory pressure — which is driving up energy prices globally — to bring the war to an end on the best terms possible. It is pressing for sanctions relief, and seeking enough control over the strait to demand payment from ships passing through to deliver energy and other goods.

The Trump administration — which is stuck fighting over a waterway in a war that was launched to curb Iran's nuclear program — is now promising to deliver even tougher sanctions to try to squeeze the Islamic Republic into submission. But experts say U.S. President Donald Trump may be underestimating how long Iran can hold out.

Iran has been subject to Western sanctions for years and has become deft at partially circumventing them. It has expanded domestic production, used informal cross-border trade networks, bought restricted goods through third countries, and used a shadow fleet to transport its oil.

“Iran’s resistance capacity not only avoids collapse, it also prevents the economic pain from translating into the political pressure and changes that the U.S. expects,” said Hadi Kahalzadeh, an expert on Iran’s economy at Brandeis University.

Iran's economic strains carry an ‘emotional toll’

Tehran’s sprawling Grand Bazaar is regularly packed with shoppers hoping to find more affordable staples than at the country’s grocery stores, where rice is 60% more expensive and beef is 150% more expensive than before the war.

A mother of two from northern Iran posted a photo on X this week after purchasing milk, eggs, toilet paper and a few other items, but no meat. She complained that it cost 89 million rials (about $65).

“Buying basic necessities has become our main priority, and our shopping basket has gotten smaller and more limited,” the 41-year-old told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.

“The emotional toll and the pressure we’re under are another story," she said. "Every time we have to say no to our children, every time we have to go back and forth over a decision, whether it’s a class you’d love your children to take or something they really want you to buy for them, it’s genuinely exhausting.”

By the end of the year, inflation in Iran is expected to rise nearly 70%, according to the International Monetary Fund, and the country's economy — devastated by a decade of sanctions before the war — is forecast to shrink by more than 5%.

While gasoline has remained cheap thanks to government subsidies, even that might not last forever as supplies get tighter. A presidential aide told Iranian state television last week that the country is now using more gasoline each day than it produces and may need to raise prices — something that in the past has led to widespread protests.

Iranians turn some anger toward countries behind sanctions

Iran's theocratic leaders were already facing economic discontent before the U.S. and Israel started the war on Feb. 28. Protests had spread across the country at the beginning of the year before they were violently put down, with thousands killed and tens of thousands believed to have been arrested.

Many Iranians have now turned at least some of their economic frustrations toward the countries behind the sanctions and the attacks that have destroyed factories and critical infrastructure and killed scores of civilians, said Hassan Golmoradi, a Tehran-based economist.

“Despite the hardships and difficulties, they have shown considerable patience in putting up with the resulting economic pressures,” Golmoradi said.

Iran’s leaders have said it is a treasonous offense — punishable by death — to take part in anti-government protests.

“They do suffer, but they do not think that by joining violent protests they can achieve something for themselves and their families,” said Mohammad Farzanegan, a professor of Middle Eastern economics at the University of Marburg in Germany.

Trump is threatening tougher sanctions

On Wednesday, Trump vowed on social media to unleash against Iran the “most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country.” He also threatened secondary sanctions on nations and companies that continue to do business with Iran.

The United Arab Emirates, which for years had enabled Iran to circumvent sanctions and receive goods from other countries, announced this week it was suspending all trade with Tehran. Trump had called the leader of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the day before the announcement.

With the economic struggles, the elected government of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said it favors a negotiated end to the war. “What concerns us is people’s livelihoods and their economic situation, and we are doing everything we can to deal with it,” he told reporters last week.

But the most powerful force in Iran remains the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which has only become stronger after withstanding U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that killed Iran’s top leaders during the war's opening salvos. The Guard is pressing for greater concessions from the U.S., including Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz and financial compensation for the war.

With negotiations to end the war stalled, Iran’s hard-liners believe their country can endure the conflict’s economic pressures longer than their adversaries.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, this month appointed a former Revolutionary Guard commander to head Iran’s powerful Supreme National Security Council, a sign that he favors the hard-line approach.

A taxi driver says something has to give

Official government statistics put Iran’s unemployment rate at 9.1%, though state-affiliated media outlets have said the real figure is most likely many times higher. A Labor Ministry official said last week that by late May, just three months into the war, more than 1 million jobs had been lost.

In a sign that Iran's leaders are at least somewhat concerned about public opinion, the government has refrained from enforcing mandatory hijab regulations as harshly as it had been — a social freedom that has long been sought by many.

But these days many Iranians are focused on how their lifestyles are restricted economically.

Karimi, the taxi driver, said Iran’s leaders will need to do something soon to alleviate the financial pressures he and others are feeling.

“The people won’t be able to continue living like this,” he said. “We’re simply breathing, surviving, and trying to make it from one day to the next.”

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Rising reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The 30-year-old entertainer, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, learned on Friday that prosecutors intend to try him for a second time on the charges.

Barrientos underwent an eight-day trial for the same alleged attack last month in the District Court of Western Australia state in Perth.

A jury found him guilty on two charges that he had assaulted the woman, then aged 20, occasioning bodily harm in a Perth hotel room in September 2024.

The jury also found him not guilty of choking her and not guilty of three of six charges of rape.

The jury could not reach majority verdicts of at least 10 out of 12 jurors on the remaining three rape charges.

Prosecutor Danielle Clarke told Judge Linda Black that the alleged victim, who cannot be identified, was willing to testify again at a retrial.

Black was the original trial judge. She told defense and prosecution lawyers on Friday to consider whether they want a new judge to hear the retrial and whether the proceedings should be heard by a jury or by a judge alone.

The Colombian-born entertainer will be sentenced for the assault convictions after his retrial. No date for the trial has been set.

Barrientos has been free on bail since he was charged and was allowed to return to Britain for several months.

He said nothing to reporters as he left the court on Friday.

Barrientos had been touring Australia and had already performed in Sydney and Melbourne before he encountered his victim in Perth. He was arrested several days later in the east coast city of Brisbane, where the tour was to end.

Prosecutors alleged the woman initially agreed to have sex but withdrew her consent because she feared for her safety.

Houston’s first dangerous chance came in the 16th minute when a loose ball in the box fell to midfielder Héctor Herrera, whose quick-reaction shot was blocked by an even quicker foot by the Whitecaps defender.

The Dynamo took the lead in the 34th minute when defender Franco Negri fired a 75-mile-per-hour, tremendously powerful shot into the roof of the net from outside of the box. The strike marked the Argentinian’s first goal for the Dynamo.

Negri took his chances from deep again in the 36th minute, trying to catch Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka off his line, but the Japanese shot stopper managed to corral the danger.

Twenty minutes later, midfielder Mateusz Bogusz nearly doubled the advantage for the visitors, as he found himself through on goal. The Polish forward slotted low toward the far post, but Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka got low and parried the shot away to keep the lead at one.

Vancouver thought they had found their equalizer in the 64th minute, as Emmanuel Sabi tucked home from close range, but the Video Assistant Referee intervened and ruled that Herrera was fouled in the buildup, chalking the goal off.

The Dynamo would see the match out from there, defending valiantly to earn their fifth consecutive clean sheet. Houston has not conceded a goal in 462 minutes, the second-longest streak for the Dynamo over the past decade.

Notably, defender Marcelo Saracchi made his Dynamo debut as a substitute in the 75th minute tonight after joining Houston on a full transfer from CA Boca Juniors earlier this month.

Houston next travel to face St. Louis CITY SC on Saturday with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT.

Reese was 9-for-9 from the field, hitting two 3-pointers, for 20 points and had 10 rebounds and eight assists for her WNBA-leading 25th double-double of the season. She had 18 points in the first half.

Reese set a Dream record for field goals without a miss and became the third player in WNBA history with a 20-point double-double on 100% shooting. She's four shy of Alyssa Thomas’ WNBA double-double record of 28 set in 2023.

In addition, she had three offensive rebounds in the first half to break her own WNBA season record of 172 set in 2024.

Rhyne Howard added 26 points and five 3-pointers for Atlanta (23-13), which has won eight straight in the series with Los Angeles. Naz Hillmon had 14 points and Allisha Gray 13.

Cameron Brink scored 14 points off the bench for Los Angeles (12-24), which was eliminated from playoff contention. Rae Burrell added 12 and Nneka Ogwumike had 11.

The Dream led by 42 points and reached the 100-point mark with 8:10 left.

Play was briefly interrupted with 2:59 left in the third quarter after a sex toy was thrown on the court near where Jihyun Park was about to attempt a free throw for Los Angeles.

Up next

Dream: At Phoenix on Saturday.

Sparks: Host Connecticut on Saturday.

___

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Árpád Selmeci said navigating even a small fishing boat on Hungary's third-largest lake is becoming increasingly difficult as the water level has ebbed to around 20 centimeters (8 inches), well below the 150 centimeters (5 feet) optimal for August. Swimming beaches across the lake, once popular with tourists, have been closed.

Lake Velence’s decline is part of a broader water crisis confronting Hungary as increasingly prolonged droughts and climate change-driven heat waves have pummeled Europe.

“I've lived on Lake Velence since I was a child, and I've never seen the water so low," said Selmeci, 58. "It's terrible. My heart aches every single moment.”

This summer, wildfires scorched the continent from the United Kingdom to Greece, while in Hungary, drought has damaged crop yields, led to drinking water shortages and threatened to shut down the country's only nuclear power plant.

Yet the lack of rainfall linked to human-driven climate change is only part of Hungary's water problem. Experts say the country's long-standing practice of channeling water away from its landscape and draining natural wetlands has left it especially vulnerable as droughts become more frequent and severe.

A legacy of draining away water

Around 99% of Hungary’s lands are currently under severe or extreme drought conditions, according to the national meteorological service, and desertification, a process where vegetation recedes because of high heat and low rainfall, threatens much of the Great Hungarian Plain.

Yet more than a quarter of Hungary consists of low-lying land that naturally retains precipitation, and in past centuries its many rivers and streams made it rich in freshwater resources. However, a 2023 study published in the journal Nature estimated Hungary’s historical wetland loss at more than 80%.

Zsuzsanna Ujj, a biodiversity policy specialist and project coordinator with environmental group Friends of the Earth Hungary, said the country “has not been a good steward of its waters in the last 200 years.”

A major contributor is Hungary's network of more than 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles) of drainage canals — a length that exceeds the circumference of the Earth — which drain accumulated precipitation from fields, wetlands and the soil to make room for agriculture and other enterprises.

The priority on draining land rather than allowing natural flooding cycles to occur has contributed to a consistent drop in the water table and the drying out of wetlands and topsoil. With less water available to evaporate, the air dries out, further reducing the chances of localized precipitation.

Ujj said that Hungary — which is among the most drought-exposed countries in Europe and ranks 16th globally, according to a report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development — “needs to realign its water management practices, shifting from a drainage-based approach to one focused on water retention.”

Disappearing lakes

The drying out of Hungary isn't limited to streams and wetlands. Lake Garancsi, a small recreational lake around 20 kilometers (12 miles) northwest of Budapest, was once a popular destination for fishing, swimming and ice skating, and was the setting of the 2001 cult Hungarian comedy “Üvegtigris” (“Glass Tiger").

But the lake, present since the Middle Ages, has shrunk so dramatically in recent years that none of the previous recreational activities are permitted, and most of the former lake bed is now exposed, cracked and dry.

What remains of the water is so shallow and warm that all of the fish and most of the other wildlife have disappeared, and authorities have predicted no water will be left by the end of summer.

Zoltán Mettner, who runs the Glass Tiger bar on the shores of the lake, said conditions have gotten worse every year. After spending years beside the lake, he said looking at it now is “terrible, there’s no other way to put it.”

“It’s sad enough that we’ve let things get this far, and that we couldn’t have taken gradual steps to prevent this lake from being completely destroyed,” he said.

Hungary's government plans a change of course

Hungary's new government has promised to begin taking those steps.

In late June, on the same day the country set a high temperature record of 42 Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit), Prime Minister Péter Magyar told lawmakers that his government would put water management policies “on new footing,” and launch a comprehensive water conservation program to mitigate the effects of drought.

"Many have said year after year that water shortage will be one of Hungary’s problems and one of the most important strategic issues to be solved. They were right,” Magyar said.

In addition to poor water retention practices, Magyar said that aging water utility infrastructure causes 20-25% of the country’s drinking water to leak out through damaged pipes, costing some 17 billion forints ($54.4 million) annually.

“For years, even the existence of the problem was denied and relativized,” Magyar said. Now, he added, “water retention will be the basic principle of Hungarian water management.”

Danube River at historic lows

Yet implementing such sweeping changes will be time consuming and costly, while Hungary's current water crisis threatens its ability to produce adequate energy.

The Danube, the European Union's longest river which runs through 10 countries from southwestern Germany to the Black Sea, has set successive records this summer for low water levels, threatening to shut down Hungary's only nuclear power plant, which uses water from the river to cool its reactors, for the first time in its 44-year history.

Hungary's government has taken emergency interventions to raise the water level at the Paks plant, including sinking two 80-meter (262-foot) barges just upriver and beginning to install a riverbed sill designed to divert more water toward the plant's pumps.

In such drought conditions, wetlands near rivers like the Danube normally act as a “natural reservoir” for retaining water when weather gets dry, said Ujj, the biodiversity specialist.

The extremely low level of the Danube — as well as the increased chances for more frequent and intense floods — are effects of human-driven climate change that can be partially mitigated through appropriate land use and restoration of wetlands and other natural habitats, she added.

“We do indeed expect water levels to fluctuate more, and we also expect precipitation patterns to become more extreme with drier summers,” she said. "However, restoring wetlands and increasing evaporation in certain areas could help boost precipitation during the summer months.”

Until now, Mexicans deported from the United States were sent almost exclusively back to their country by air and land. Only a handful arrived in other countries.

Some civil organizations believe this change reported in recent days is a way to increase pressure on Mexico, whose government has protested the deaths of 17 Mexicans in immigration custody or during enforcement operations. This also comes as Trump has expanded agreements with allied Latin American countries to conduct joint operations in the region against criminal groups and has increased its security demands to Mexico.

Sent to Central America by plane and Mexico by bus

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo confirmed Wednesday night that, so far this year, 2,284 Mexicans deported from the U.S. have arrived in the country as part of a “transit stopover” before being taken to Mexico as part of an “arrangement” with the Mexican government, and without these individuals being under any refugee or asylum status.

“They are arriving on planes carrying Guatemalan returnees, and what we have done is bring them in transit so that, in coordination with Mexican immigration authorities, we can return them to Mexican territory within 24 hours of their arrival in the country,” he explained at a press conference.

The costs of these operations are covered by the Mexican government or, in some cases, by U.S. funding, he added.

Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) confirmed to The Associated Press in a brief message that Mexicans have been deported by the Trump administration to Guatemala and Honduras, primarily since April, and are then transported by bus to southern Mexico.

“The reason is that the United States wants to prevent them from crossing back into its territory,” the institution said. The INM did not provide figures or further details.

Asked about why the Mexicans were sent to Central America and not their own country, and for more details, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement, said in an emailed statement that the administration “is utilizing all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history, just as President Trump promised.”

“The Mexican government has expressed its opposition to this practice to U.S. authorities and has reiterated that every Mexican citizen has the right to enter the country,” the Mexican Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. It added that Mexico is coordinating with the countries involved to ensure the safe return of Mexican citizens.

Third-country deportations raise concerns for Mexican migrants

Historically, Mexico has always been willing to receive its deported citizens.

Since Trump’s first term, it has also accepted deportees from third countries, although the details of immigration agreements with Washington have usually been opaque. In 2025, Mexico received some 12,000 deported foreigners, mostly Cubans and Venezuelans, according to figures provided by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The government has not updated these figures since December although the practice has continued.

Authorities in Honduras also did not respond to requests for comment, but according to official documents from the country accessed by The Associated Press, 82 Mexicans deported from the United States arrived in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula on two flights on August 13 and 15. An additional 35 arrived on Thursday.

Another 165 Mexicans were deported to Honduras between May and mid-July, according to the website Third Country Deportation Watch, run by the NGOs Human Rights First and Refugees International, which track U.S. deportation flights to third countries.

The website does not clarify the source of its nationality figures, but both organizations have expressed concern because these transfers could endanger migrants who possibly sought asylum in the U.S. or have few resources in an unknown country.

The deportation tactic “seems to be to put pressure on the Mexican government,” said Savitri Arvey of Human Rights First. “They really don’t want any Mexicans crossing the border.” Some of those deported arrived in Honduras on U.S. military flights, she added.

A recent change in the deportation pattern

At the beginning of his second term, with immigration control as one of his priorities, Trump reached agreements with Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama to act as “bridge” or destination countries for migrants from third countries expelled from U.S. territory. These agreements gradually expanded to more countries, including some African ones, most recently Liberia.

Until recently, only a handful of Mexicans had been expelled from the U.S. to countries other than Mexico.

Arévalo said on Wednesday that Guatemala received 15 Mexicans in 2025. As of February 2026, Honduras had officially reported the arrival of six. Costa Rica has received 11 Mexicans since Trump’s return to the White House, and according to local immigration authorities, they remain in the country. Presumably, these individuals may have requested not to be returned to Mexico out of fear.

Immigration lawyers believe that the Trump administration is using deportations to third countries as a legal loophole to indirectly force asylum seekers to return to Mexico when the government cannot send them there because it would violate court orders from immigration judges that recognize the dangers. Organizations and politicians both inside and outside the U.S. have also questioned the use of force by U.S. immigration authorities.

___

Verza reported from Mexico City and González from Tegucigalpa.

Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Mendoza struggled in his second preseason game, throwing an interception that Houston returned for a touchdown before the Las Vegas Raiders rallied late for a 22-20 victory over the Texans on Thursday night.

Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner who led Indiana to a national title, played the first half and went 8 of 15 for 86 yards. The performance came after he threw a touchdown pass in his preseason debut last week against Arizona playing behind Kirk Cousins.

“I came away with there’s a lot more learning to do, and although that maybe you may have had a lot of success at another level, this level is a whole step further and that the margins are so small, and that one tiny mistake can lead to catastrophe,” Mendoza said.

On Thursday, Mendoza’s third pass was overthrown and intercepted by Wade Woodaz, who returned it 80 yards for a touchdown that made it 14-0. Mendoza chased him down, but Woodaz shoved him aside near the 15 and continued to the end zone.

“That’s what we are built for is attacking the football, so when we do that it puts us in a really good position,” Houston coach DeMeco Ryans said.

Mendoza was sacked once and took several other hits playing against Houston’s second-string defense. He played five series and led his team to just one field goal.

“I think there’s plenty to clean up, plenty to get better at,” Las Vegas coach Klint Kubiak said. “Plenty that we can do better for him as coaches. Plenty that he can learn from.”

Though Cousins is expected to start in Week 1, Kubiak wouldn't say that after the game.

“We got another week of playing. I don’t want anyone to be comfortable in their job,” he said. “It should always be that way from all positions, so let’s keep going forward.”

C.J. Stroud led the Texans (0-2) to a touchdown on his only series in his first action of the preseason. Stroud and the offensive line were among the few Texans starters who played.

Stroud was 4 of 6 for 27 yards, and a 20-yard scoring run by Woody Marks on the drive he led made it 7-0.

“C.J. made some really good decisions,” Ryans said. “Didn’t throw it around a ton but when he did throw it, it was good decisions with the football.”

The Raiders (1-1) also rested most of their starters, including Cousins, defensive end Maxx Crosby, running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers.

A 4-yard run by Dylan Laube with about five minutes left in the third got the Raiders within 20-10.

Former Texan Dare Ogunbowale scored on a 19-yard run with less than eight minutes to go. Kansei Matsuzawa's extra point failed to make it 20-16.

Aidan O'Connell relieved Mendoza in the second half. He scored a 1-yard touchdown on a tush push with 14 seconds to go to put the Raiders ahead 22-20. Matsuzawa missed that extra point, too.

Kickers convert 3 from 50-plus

Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn made field goals of 51 and 57 yards in his first preseason action after sitting out last week. Matt Gay kicked a 52-yarder in the second quarter for the Raiders.

Clowney returns to Houston

Houston defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft, played the entire first half after sitting out last week. He rejoined the Texans on a one-year contract earlier this month after spending his first five seasons in Houston.

He had a tackle and a quarterback hurry Thursday night. Clowney spent last season with the Cowboys and had 8 1/2 sacks.

Injuries

Las Vegas linebacker Buddy Johnson left early in the third quarter with a shoulder injury but returned in the fourth. … Las Vegas CB Chigozie Anusiem was carted off the field in the third quarter with a knee injury.

Up next

Raiders: Host San Francisco next Thursday night in their final preseason game.

Texans: End the preseason with a visit to Carolina on Aug. 28.

___

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, plan to return to the United Kingdom from California in a matter of weeks. They have already enrolled their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, in British schools so they can start the autumn term with their classmates.

News of the surprise decision, which broke late Wednesday in stories published by the Telegraph and Sun newspapers, has sparked widespread discussion about where the couple will live, who will pay for their security and whether they will return to royal duties one day.

But perhaps the most difficult issue is whether Harry can repair his once-close relationship with Prince William, the heir to the throne, which was decimated by Harry’s very public complaints of mistreatment at the hands of Buckingham Palace staff, racism in the royal family and the failings of the monarchy. There are also concerns that Harry and Meghan could try to upstage William and his wife Catherine, when they once again share the British stage.

“That will be something for the palace to deal with …” Craig Prescott, an expert on the U.K. constitution and the monarchy at Royal Holloway University of London, told The Associated Press. “They wouldn’t want Meghan and Harry’s presence in the U.K. here to overshadow the work of the monarchy, and there will have to be some discussion and allowance for that.”

Harry and Meghan wanted their children to grow up British

The couple are expected to live at a private, nonroyal residence outside of London and they won’t resume their royal duties, which they gave up when they moved to the exclusive Southern California community of Montecito six years ago, British media reported late Wednesday.

Their return to the U.K. comes as King Charles III, Harry’s 77-year-old father, continues to undergo treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer that was discovered in 2024. The prince said last year that he didn’t know “how much time my father has left,” and has expressed a desire for his children to have a chance to get to know their grandfather.

While Harry and Meghan’s decision is a surprise to many, royal historian Ed Owens said recent events created a pathway for the couple's return.

First, Harry spoke of his desire for reconciliation, then there was the apparently successful meeting between the king, his younger son and daughter-in-law and their children last month at Charles’ Highgrove estate in western England. In addition, there is Harry’s stated desire for his children to grow up British and that the U.K. looks like a safer place to be right now, given the divisions in American society, said Owens, author of “After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?”

Royal experts expect Charles to forgive Harry

Finally, Owens said he expects Charles to forgive Harry because as the supreme governor of the Church of England he has to demonstrate the teachings of Christianity, including the virtue of forgiveness.

William may find forgiving his brother more difficult, but someday he too will become head of the church, Owens said.

“It may be that privately William never fully forgives his younger brother for what he deems the betrayal of the family,” Owens told The AP. “But publicly,” he will, “because for traditional moralists, traditional Christian values, they demand that there is this public act of forgiveness, that there’s reconciliation between the brothers.”

Charles was informed of Harry and Meghan’s plans on Sunday and the matter wasn’t discussed during their recent visit to the U.K.

Relations have been strained in the House of Windsor

Relations between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the royal family have been strained since the couple gave up their royal duties and moved to California in 2020 to earn their own living. The couple later signed lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify.

The rift deepened after the couple gave a series of interviews and Harry published his explosive memoir “Spare,” in which he said they left Britain to escape the restrictions of royal life. The couple also criticized palace officials for being insensitive to Meghan’s mental health and alleged at least one member of the royal family had expressed racist views when she was pregnant with their first child. Meghan describes herself as biracial.

Oprah Winfrey asked Harry to summarize his reasons for leaving Britain in a 2021 interview that was broadcast around the world.

“Lack of support and lack of understanding,” he replied.

Strains are exacerbated by long-running battles with the newspapers

Those tensions were exacerbated by Harry’s long-running legal battle with Britain’s tabloid newspapers, which he alleges illegally hacked his phones and invaded his privacy when he was younger. The courtroom drama seemed to be nearing an end after Harry and other plaintiffs lost their lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail last month.

That case left Harry facing a potential bill for millions of pounds after the court ruled the plaintiffs were liable for the publisher’s legal fees. Associated Newspapers has filed documents showing that its costs amounted to 34.5 million pounds ($47 million).

Harry has also been embroiled in a legal wrangle with the British government after a government committee refused to authorize police protection for him and his family when they are in the U.K. The prince says they need armed police protection because they are at risk as members of the royal family, regardless of whether they are working royals.

The couple’s security arrangements are a “private matter” for Harry and Meghan to deal with, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said when asked about the issue on Thursday.

After Harry lost his court challenge of the committee’s decision in May 2025, the prince said he hoped to reconcile with his family while continuing to vent his anger at those in Britain he feels have mistreated him and his wife.

“I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point,” he told the BBC at the time. “And the things that they’re going to miss is, well, everything. You know, I love my country. I always have done, despite what some people in that country have done.”

Although much of the media attention on Harry and Meghan has focused on family tensions and recriminations in recent years, Owens suggested that the story may now shift to the royal’s efforts to rebuild family harmony.

“I think time is a great healer. It creates space in a social media-saturated world,” he said. “People are always looking for the next thing to talk about and, arguably, that will be reconciliation between first of all father and son, and then potentially the two brothers.”

Wyatt initially filed a salary grievance seeking at least $250,000, but increased that request during a meeting of the county’s Salary Grievance Committee.

“I did file a grievance for $250,000. I’m formally making a motion to move that to $305,000 just like the other elected officials,” Wyatt told the committee. “I’m a county elected official. The people of Harris County put me here and so I plan to continue to serve them in this capacity.”

County officials discussed the office’s scaled-back responsibilities and efforts to eliminate the position.

Wyatt added, “I’m asking for an increase of my salary to $305,000 just like the other countywide elected officials and I don’t intend to be disrespected.”

Wyatt currently earns $139,547, meaning her requested salary would represent an increase of more than $165,000, or about 119%.

The committee did not recommend giving Wyatt the full amount she requested. Instead, it recommended a 30% salary increase, which would bring her pay to approximately $181,400.

Commissioners do not have to take action.

The request comes after Harris County commissioners approved increasing the salaries of several other elected officials to $305,000 for the upcoming fiscal year. The proposed increases include the elected constables, County Clerk, District Clerk and Tax Assessor-Collector, whose salaries would increase from $179,421 to $305,000. The County Attorney and District Attorney would increase from $217,485 to $305,000.

Wyatt was not included among those proposed increases.

Treasurer’s office faces uncertain future

The salary dispute comes as Harris County leaders are simultaneously pursuing an effort to abolish the elected Treasurer’s Office.

Commissioners have argued that many of the office’s duties could be performed elsewhere in county government. Eliminating the position would require action beyond Commissioners Court, including approval from voters.

Earlier this year, commissioners also moved a key financial safeguard known as Positive Pay out of the Treasurer’s Office and into the county’s Office of Management and Budget.

Despite the transfer of that responsibility and the effort to eliminate the elected office, Harris County’s proposed FY2027 budget would actually increase funding for the Treasurer’s Office.

The office’s proposed budget is about $2.07 million, up from approximately $1.84 million in FY2026, an increase of roughly 13%.

The Treasurer’s Office continues to perform other financial duties for the county.

Dr. Wyatt did not return KPRC 2’s request for comment.

Debate comes during tight county budget

The salary debate is also unfolding as Harris County considers a budget that could mean higher property tax bills for homeowners.

The county’s proposed FY2027 budget assumes a property tax rate that would generate approximately $2.42 billion for the General Fund. Under the budget’s assumptions, the county portion of the property tax bill for an average homestead would increase from approximately $1,202 to $1,350 — or $148, about 12.3%. That estimate does not include separate taxes for Harris Health, the Flood Control District or the Port of Houston.

The county has been wrestling with rising costs. During development of the proposed budget, officials identified a projected General Fund shortfall that at one point reached approximately $181 million.

Hurricane Lala tore roofs off houses, uprooted trees, covered roads in mud and rocks and left many households without electricity. With thousands of homes and businesses still in the dark Thursday, forecasters warned yet another tropical cyclone is likely to approach the islands soon.

“We’re worried about people going through this again,” said John Bravender, a warning coordinator meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu. “Normally we would say pay attention to the forecast just in case. Now we’re saying take action now.”

He said a tropical depression was just starting to become more organized, and while the system is not expected to take exactly the same track or even dump potentially as much rain as Lala, the ground is already saturated from the recent hurricane.

The depression moving west and northwest could become a tropical storm in the coming hours and pass near or south of Hawaii's Big Island over the weekend or early next week, the U.S. Central Pacific Hurricane Center said. That system could dump up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain on the Big Island and trigger life-threatening flooding, mudslides and rip currents, it added.

On Hawaii's Big Island, there's ‘tension in the air’

“There's definitely tension in the air'' at the thought of more rain in communities that floodwaters turned into rivers, said Tiffany Edwards Hunt, a teacher living in Keaau, on the east side of the Big Island. “There were some areas that were completely washed out.”

Some people paddled to safety on surfboards, she said.

Hunt went to the area's grocery store but hesitated to buy food in case the power goes out again. Her home was without electricity from Saturday to Monday, she said, but some neighborhoods were still in the dark days later.

The Hawaiian Electric utility said it expects nearly all affected customers on the Big Island to have power restored, except for certain remote and severely damaged areas.

Many families with limited resources are worried about spending more money to prepare for another storm, Hunt said Thursday.

“We’re at the beginning of the hurricane season,” she said. “We know how to pull it all off in our community. It’s just having to mentally and emotionally prepare for it.”

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and other state officials, held a news conference Thursday afternoon to update Lala recovery progress and urge people to prepare for the next storm.

“These hurricanes are very serious. There were many houses that were destroyed,” Green said. He said the next storm could be similar in strength but there's still a lot of uncertainty though “we're going to prepare.”

Officials urged people low on emergency supplies after Lala to restock up to 14 days of food, pet food, medicine and other essentials and closely monitor the storm's progress.

A 93-year-old beloved teacher died fleeing Lala's floods

Residents found the body of a man in his 60s in a pasture Tuesday, a day after the recovery of the body of May Doi, 93, whom neighbors said was trying to escape from floodwaters in her home. Doi was a beloved former kindergarten teacher who taught generations of residents in a small town on the Big Island.

“She taught grandkids of her students,” said ʻĀina Akamu, a former student of Doi who is now a vice principal at a local school. “She was a fixture in this community.''

The highest total rainfall from Lala, 43.54 inches (1.1 meters), was recorded on the northeast coast of the Big Island, the National Weather Service said. Dozens of homes were washed from foundations, bridges were damaged and about 13,200 customers on the Big Island remained without power Thursday.

Help from California to restore power

The Hawaiian Electric utility said that as of Thursday afternoon, there were still about 13,000 customers without power on the Big Island. The company expected that nearly all of them would have electricity restored by Friday, except for in certain remote and severely damaged areas.

The utility said crews from Southern California Edison arrived to help repair equipment and restore power.

Lala is the first major hurricane of 2026 in the Central Pacific Ocean. Now well west of Hawaii’s main islands, Lala had top sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph) on Thursday and had begun pummeling the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument — a remote area at the northwestern edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago. The impacts were being felt between Lisianski Island and Maro Reef, authorities said.

Forecasters said Lala would cross the waters of the marine national monument for a few days at hurricane strength despite some gradual weakening.

One charter boat heads far out to sea to avoid stormy weather

Even in that remote area, people were seeking safety. A charter boat carrying a 16-member crew dedicated to removing marine plastics and abandoned fishing nets from the shores of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands got out of Lala’s projected path.

Kevin O’Brien, president of the nonprofit Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project, said the vessel left Lisianski Island on Monday and headed hundreds of miles (kilometers) out to sea away from the storm.

“We were ready for it,” O’Brien said. “We keep on our toes out here during hurricane season.”

___

Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Associated Press writer John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, contributed.

The 20 deportees arrived at Roberts International Airport outside Monrovia.

Deportees will include African nationals as well as nationals from North America, South America and the Caribbean, according to Liberian Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah. Liberian Justice Minister Natu Oswald Tweh has said they could seek asylum in the West African country if they wished.

The U.S. State Department declined to answer questions about the Liberia agreement, but said that implementing the Trump administration’s immigration policies was a “top priority.” It said it was “unwavering in our commitment to end illegal and mass immigration and bolster America’s border security.”

The U.S. Homeland Security Department declined to confirm Thursday's deportations “for operational security reasons” and referred additional questions to the State Department.

Third-country agreements are often shrouded in secrecy. Migrants have been deported to countries they have never been to or where they face safety risks and are left with little choice other than to return to the home countries they were fleeing from.

The Trump administration struck agreements with at least 35 countries to deport people who are from other countries, including Liberia and 13 others in Africa, according to Third Country Deportation Watch, a partnership of Refugees International and Human Rights First that relies on public records requests, news reports and other sources. More than 23,000 people have been deported to 26 countries under the agreements.

The U.S. State Department previously announced that Liberia agreed to accept deportees who are not from Liberia. But a six-page agreement reached in September 2025 and posted on its website does not say how many or from which countries.

In October 2025, Liberia offered to accept Kilmar Abrego Garcia of El Salvador, who was mistakenly deported to prison in El Salvador. Blocked from sending him to his native country, the Trump administration has vowed to send him to a third county, including Liberia.

Abrego Garcia has said he would agree to be deported to Costa Rica, which has said it will accept him. But the government has so far declined to send him there. Abrego Garcia is fighting deportation to Liberia in a federal lawsuit in Maryland.

For Cohen, who served prison time for his role in what he said was covering up Trump’s “dirty deeds,” it was the culmination of a behind-the-scenes detente that would have been impossible to imagine several years ago.

The interview, part of which aired on Cohen's 77 WABC radio program Thursday evening and which will air in full Sunday, was an exceptionally friendly affair, with only passing reference to the men's tumultuous history.

“They weaponized you like nobody's ever been weaponized, like few have been,” Trump told Cohen.

“I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said,” he went on. “That’s a big thing that you did."

In an interview with CNN shortly before the radio interview aired, Cohen said he had resubmitted a pardon application to the White House that had been denied by the previous administration, but had yet to receive any response and planned to follow up Friday.

The truce with Cohen makes him the latest in a long line of Trump loyalists who have had public falling-outs with the president but found themselves back in his good graces. Other recent examples include Elon Musk and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

But the split from Cohen was perhaps the most personal. Cohen once boasted that he would “take a bullet” for the president and was by Trump’s side during his political rise. After their public breakup, Cohen’s testimony in Trump’s 2024 criminal hush-money trial instead helped secure Trump’s criminal conviction just as he was trying to make his political comeback.

Cohen has since criticized prosecutors in the case — an admission that paved the way for their reconciliation.

‘Boss, remember when I was by your side,’ Cohen tells Trump

Cohen has said he and the president have had multiple conversations over the past year and introduced the interview by explaining his decision to move on.

“Forgiveness does not mean amnesia. It does not mean that the past did not happen. It does not mean the scars vanish, that the pain was fake or that I have forgotten a single second of what transpired, I have not. Forgiveness isn’t about erasing history," he said. “It is about having the courage to decide that yesterday will no longer dictate tomorrow.”

He sounded nostalgic about a time when he was one of Trump's most trusted aides.

“Boss, remember when I was by your side,” he said at one point.

The clip was introduced with the 1975 War song, “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” and closed with the lyrics, “Reunited and it feels so good,” from the 1978 Peaches & Herb song.

In a long post on his online newsletter Thursday promoting the interview, Cohen said that although his relationship with Trump became “political blood sport,” there were 15 years of close friendship between them.

“The good times don’t cease to have existed because the bad times came afterward,” Cohen wrote.

Simply, he said, “We forgave.”

Trump had made no warm public statements about Cohen before Thursday, but in a series of social media posts this year, he linked to some of his former lawyer’s comments saying he felt pressured by prosecutors to testify against Trump in the criminal hush money case and a civil fraud case.

Cohen was a key figure in Trump's prosecution in New York

In 2024, Cohen was the star witness in Trump's criminal hush money trial, which resulted in a 34-count felony conviction. He ended up facing no punishment.

But over days of probing questioning by prosecutors, followed by bruising cross-examination, Cohen placed the then-Republican candidate at the center of schemes during the 2016 presidential election to stifle accounts from an adult film actor and former Playboy model who said they had sexual encounters with Trump.

Cohen testified that Trump promised to reimburse the lawyer for the money he fronted and that he was constantly updated on behind-the-scenes efforts to bury stories feared to be harmful to the campaign.

“What I was doing, I was doing at the direction of and benefit of Mr. Trump,” Cohen testified.

Cohen’s testimony at the time appeared to be the final breach in a once-close relationship between the lawyer and his client that was tested in dramatic fashion in 2018 when FBI agents searched Cohen’s office, home and hotel room.

Cohen later pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Trump Tower project in Russia as well as to campaign finance violations in which he implicated Trump in payments that went to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, and Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal. He was sentenced to three years in prison.

Since his trial testimony, though, Cohen has sung a different tune as he’s moved closer to Trump, insisting that he had testified under duress.

“I felt pressured and coerced to only provide information and testimony that would satisfy the government’s desire to build the cases against and secure a judgment and convictions against President Trump,” he wrote in a Substack post in January.

Cohen testified before Congress in 2019, alleging Trump had a history of misrepresenting the value of assets to gain favorable loan terms and tax benefits.

He gave similar testimony in a 2023 civil fraud trial in New York, which found that Trump and his companies had engaged in fraud by exaggerating his wealth for decades. A New York appeals court later threw out a $550 million judgment against Trump in that case. Trump has asked a court to overturn the remaining parts of the case.

In his tell-all memoir in 2020, “Disloyal: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump,” Cohen was unsparing, calling Trump an “organized crime don” and “master manipulator.”

But, foreshadowing their later rapprochement, Cohen also wrote that he still cared for Trump, writing, “I had and still have a lot of affection for him.”

___ Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.

Doctors Without Borders criticized the decision by Israel's military not to investigate two fatal attacks on the medical humanitarian organization's staff, and in Gaza City, a mass funeral was held for 50 people killed in Israeli airstrikes nearly three years ago but whose remains were just recovered.

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

Iran denounces Trump's economic threat

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected the economic threats made against his country, saying that such “failed policies” will stir more hostility among Iranians and “bring more failures.”

Araghchi's comments came a few hours after Trump threatened “crushing economic measures” against Iran. The U.S. president promised “Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale,” but provided few details.

In a social media post, Araghchi maintained that the threats aim to divert the attention of the U.S. public from domestic financial problems, saying that U.S. “economic terrorism threatens the global economy and the national sovereignty of countries around the world.”

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that Iran will face the “greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world."

In a CNBC interview, Bessent threatened secondary sanctions on nations and companies that conduct business with Iran, saying it's time for U.S. allies to make a decision on where they stand.

China's government and India are major buyers of Iranian oil, though Bessent didn't call them out by name.

Doctors Without Borders condemns Israel's military

Doctors Without Borders said that the decision by Israel's military not to open a criminal investigation into two strikes that killed four people shows the country won't take responsibility for attacking civilians.

The international aid group now wants an impartial investigation into the deaths, but didn't specify who should lead the effort.

Doctors Without Borders asked Israel's military to investigate an attack on a Gaza City convoy in November 2023 and a strike on the organization's shelter in Khan Younis in February 2024. Israel’s announcement on Wednesday said that it wouldn't launch criminal investigations into the two cases, in which troops killed the organization's employees.

The decision by Israel's military shows “there is no prospect of accountability within the Israeli legal system for the killing of our staff, just as there has been no accountability for Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians,” Doctors Without Borders said in a statement that cited 15 staff and 1,700 healthcare workers killed in Gaza since October 2023.

Israel denies accusations of genocide and war crimes and says it's targeting Hamas after the militant group's attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostage on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas, because it operates in populated areas in the tiny, overcrowded Gaza Strip.

UK and others rebuke planned West Bank settlement project

Six European countries along with Canada condemned the latest development in a contentious Israeli settlement project near Jerusalem that would effectively cut the occupied West Bank in two.

Israel’s Ministry of Construction and Housing issued a tender for constructing several compounds with more than 1,200 homes in total in an open tract of land east of Jerusalem. It’s the latest step in a project under consideration for more than two decades, which critics say would prevent the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state in the territory.

The joint statement from the leaders of the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Canada said international law is clear the settlement is illegal and noted “unprecedented levels of violence by settlers against civilians.”

“We urge the government of Israel to retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Not only will they take us further from peace, but they further undermine Israel's international standing,” the countries wrote.

Egypt and Jordan also condemned Israel’s move.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded on Thursday by defending “the historic right of the Jewish people to reestablish their national home in the Land of Israel — including in the area in question.” Saar criticized the U.K. government for “blaming only Israel while ignoring Palestinian extremism.”

Gaza funeral for 50 killed in opening strikes of war

A mass funeral Thursday in Gaza City remembered 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in the opening months of the Israel-Hamas war, but whose remains were only recently recovered from under rubble.

Dozens of mourners carried the remains, draped in Palestinian flags, through debris-strewn streets before lowering them into graves. Some held portraits and posters with photos of the deceased.

“We were able to recover them after three years of war, after three years of anguish, pain and torture. We were able to recover them, and dignify them in their final resting place. We were able to pray over them and bury them,” said Lina Karam, who lost her father and other members of her family.

The 50 bodies were from three families who were killed in airstrikes in November and December 2023.

The nearly three-year war has killed more than 73,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, which was part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It doesn’t distinguish between civilians and militants, but says women and children make up around half of the toll.

US sanctions network supporting Hezbollah

The U.S. announced new sanctions Thursday against a network of people who allegedly funneled cash into Lebanon for the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The network run by Turkish businessman Yunus Alper Yilmaz uses couriers traveling on commercial flights between Lebanon, Turkey, the UAE and Iran “to move up to hundreds of millions of dollars between jurisdictions, providing an avenue outside the formal financial system” to move funds to Hezbollah, the U.S. Department of Treasury said in a statement.

The Treasury also redesignated Hezbollah — which was already sanctioned by the U.S. — as an Iranian proxy acting on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force rather than a stand-alone operation.

The redesignation aims to underscore that Hezbollah “operates with little to no regard for Lebanese sovereignty, the Lebanese people or the Lebanese state,” the Treasury statement said.

Turkey denies delegation had visited air base in Syria

Turkey has denied that a Turkish military delegation had visited an air base in northern Syria that was hit by Israeli airstrikes, and vowed to continue supporting Syria in its efforts to rebuild its military.

The Israeli strikes targeted the Abu Duhur base early on Tuesday, causing damage but no casualties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that Israel had attacked the base because Syria was “on the verge of breaching” an agreed-upon “status quo in security matters” by allowing Turkish troops to deploy there.

Syrian officials have said that a Turkish delegation visited the base before the Israeli strike to review rehabilitation work underway there.

Syria's top diplomat discusses Middle East in Pakistan

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani arrived in Islamabad for talks expected to focus on regional issues, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The visit comes days after Israeli airstrikes targeted an air base in northern Syria, causing damage but no casualties.

Pakistan's officials say the country's political and military leadership remains in contact with both Iran and the United States over efforts to de-escalate tensions and push for the resumption of talks, after a 60-day deadline under a June memorandum of understanding expired. The agreement was brokered by Pakistan with help from regional countries.

Bodies of Pakistani sailors returned after Houthi attack

The bodies of two Pakistanis killed in last week’s Houthi attack on a Tanzanian-flagged commercial vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have been repatriated to Pakistan.

Six Pakistani sailors who were wounded in the attack have also safely returned to the country, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a post on X.

That agreement is at the center of whether a judge will order a retrial for Anthony, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison over the killing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf last year during a confrontation in the bleachers of a high school stadium near Dallas.

Anthony, 19, sat at the defense table as his attorney argued that the pact ultimately marred the June trial, which ended with jurors rejecting his claims of self-defense. Prosecutor Bill Wirskye defended the trial as fair.

The hearing was set to continue Friday, and it was not clear when the judge will rule on Anthony’s retrial request.

Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Among the details that jurors never heard, according to attorneys on both sides, were that Anthony once sent a text message fantasizing about stabbing someone and Metcalf had a history of fighting and using racist language.

During the trial lawyers on both sides told jurors the tragedy had nothing to do with race, but social media posts amplified the killing nationwide in racial terms.

“All of us wanted the temperature on this, so to say, to be turned down,” said Mike Howard, who was Anthony’s lead attorney.

Prosecutor says Anthony was angry before meet

In addition to citing the off-the-record agreement, defense attorney Russell Wilson also told the judge a new trial should be allowed because of errors that limited access to the proceedings.

Wilson said the case’s original judge allowed a “shadow docket” that shielded character information about both sides. “Everything was done off the record, at an astonishing clip,” said Wilson, who didn’t represent Anthony at the criminal trial.

Wirskye said Anthony's original attorneys agreed to everything done during the trial.

“Witness after witness came in” and said Anthony did it and it was not self-defense, Wirskye said.

The prosecutor said he agreed not to use evidence that showed Anthony had an obsession with guns and knives and that he was angry on the morning of the stabbing.

“He went there that day spoiling for a fight,” Wirskye said about the day of the track meet.

The defense team had information showing that Metcalf used racial slurs in the past and bullied Black classmates, according to Howard and documents shown during Thursday's hearing.

As Howard spoke in the court, Metcalf's parents sat quietly in the gallery. There was no immediate response to an email seeking comment from them through a court spokesperson.

Karmelo Anthony case spurred a wave of threats

As national attention intensified last year, the families of both Metcalf and Anthony said they had been targets of harassment.

The prosecutor said there were threats against a judge who granted Anthony bond, fake autopsy reports circulating online and attempts to intimidate witnesses.

“The lawyers on both sides were worried about their lives in this case,” Wirskye said.

New judge deciding whether Anthony will get a new trial

Anthony already won a legal victory on Wednesday when the judge who presided over his trial was removed from the case. Judge Michael Chitty was then assigned to consider the motion for a retrial.

Anthony's attorneys had asked for state District Judge John Roach to be removed in part because of a TV interview in which Roach said jurors “got it right” when they delivered a guilty verdict.

Students who took the stand described a heated exchange over Anthony’s refusal on a rainy spring day to leave a tent that belonged to Metcalf’s team.

Several schools were competing at the track event when Anthony sat under a tent in the bleachers. Metcalf and others repeatedly told Anthony to leave, witnesses testified, leading to a confrontation.

Prosecutors said Anthony provoked Metcalf, and witnesses testified that Anthony was the aggressor.

Anthony at one point reached inside a bag and replied: “Touch me and see what happens,” according to a police report.

Metcalf pushed Anthony, according to witnesses, who said Anthony then pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest.

___

This story has been corrected to show that prosecutors said a judge who granted bond, not the trial judge, received threats.

___

Associated Press writer John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

General manager Mike Hazen confirmed Thursday that Marte is headed to the injured list and will return once he's healthy, which The Arizona Republic and MLB.com first reported.

The three-time All-Star traveled back to Phoenix for tests on his left knee Tuesday. Manager Torey Lovullo said he has struggled to get information from the veteran slugger throughout the process.

Marte's absence and apparent injury come at a difficult time for the D-backs, who are fighting to make the playoffs for the first time since a run to the World Series in 2023. Arizona has a 67-61 record and is one game behind the San Diego Padres for the final National League wild-card spot.

Marte is hitting .249 with 21 homers and 67 RBIs so far this season.

This wasn’t the first time Marte had a strange disappearance.

Last season, he went on the restricted list when his home in Arizona was broken into during the All-Star break. He missed three games after flying back to his native Dominican Republic and later apologized for his absence.

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

We hit 100° Thursday afternoon, marking just the second time this summer that Houston has reached the century mark. There are more triple-digit temperatures in the forecast. Combined with Houston’s humidity, afternoon heat index values will climb to between 108° and 110°. The current Heat Advisory runs through Friday evening, and I expect it will likely be extended through the weekend and possibly into early next week as this dangerous heat wave continues.

Small chance of rain Friday and Saturday:

There is a frontal boundary in north Texas that will send an outflow toward Houston. It looks to me like it will struggle to stay together and bring meaningful rain to southeast Texas. Our best chance of showers will be in our far northern cities Friday and Saturday nights.

No end in sight to this unrelenting heat:

The heat is courtesy of a strong ridge of high pressure. This ridge is bringing sinking air into Houston, and as that air sinks, it gets compressed and heats up.

This pattern shows no signs of letting up through the weekend. While there is a small chance of rain Saturday, it’s not enough of a change in the overall weather pattern to bring temperatures down in any meaningful way.

In other words, the heat is here to stay.

Triple-digit heat:

Friday should be another 100° high in Houton. That will make three days of triple digit heat in Houston this year. Saturday and Sunday look hotter. Last year we had 8 100° days in Houston. The all-time record is 46 from 2011.

Tracking the tropics:

All is quiet. Long range data has us looking in the Atlantic the first week of September for some possible development. We’ll keep you posted.

10 Day Forecast:

We’re in the hottest stretch of the summer right now.

There is a small chance of rain, but it won’t affect temperatures. The strong ridge of high pressure finally begins to break down in the middle of next week, but as you can see temperatures won’t drop very much.

The heat may ease a bit, but summer isn’t giving up just yet.

The Trump-aligned board at the Kennedy Center voted earlier this month to inscribe the president's name on the venue’s facade so it would read “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump.” If the Trump Kennedy Center Fund reached $100 million, another inscription would be added reading “Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.”

The plaza in front of the Kennedy Center would also be renamed to recognize Trump.

The Kennedy Center has said it wouldn’t attempt to engrave Trump’s name on the building before Sept. 8 to allow for legal arguments to unfold.

Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex officio member of the Kennedy Center, has led the effort to prevent Trump from memorializing himself there. In asking for the court’s intervention, her lawyers, Norm Eisen and Nathaniel Zelinsky, wrote that the board's actions amounted to “clear violations” of an earlier court order.

A representative for the Kennedy Center didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The resolution approved by Trump’s allies on the board said the Kennedy Center “would be in financial ruin without President Trump’s unique stature as both an unparalleled fundraiser and world-class developer.”

Congress named the performing arts center as a living memorial to Kennedy in 1964, the year after he was assassinated. The law explicitly prohibits the board of trustees from making the center into a memorial to anyone else, and from putting another person’s name on the building’s exterior.

U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in May that the Kennedy Center illegally added Trump’s name to the building, ordering it removed. The institution’s leaders complied in June but left a tarp and scaffolding in place where Trump’s name once stood.

Lawyers for the Kennedy Center wouldn’t commit this week to taking down the scaffolding, saying it’s needed as part of a broader system for “water testing and structural repairs to the roof overhang.”

The agency says they responded after a concerned citizen made a report of suspicious fishing activity at the dike during the early morning hours sometime earlier this month.

After arriving, game wardens hiked over a mile to conduct surveillance from a concealed position. They saw three people actively deploying and tending multiple nets and repeatedly filling a cooler with aquatic resources.

The agency says after the group removed several large nets from the water and returned to their vehicle, the game wardens made contact with them. The wardens found that the group had four gill nets totaling over 700 feet in length and an oversized cast net in their possession.

Gill nets are illegal in Texas public waters as they indiscriminately kill marine life. Cast nets are only legal for taking nongame fish and must not be greater than 14 feet in diameter. In saltwater, nongame fish taken by a cast net may only be used for bait purposes.

The agency says the game wardens found the group had illegally taken 137 saltwater fish of various species as well as three stone crabs and one sponge crab. Additionally, two of the three individuals did not have valid fishing licenses.

Game wardens issued multiple citations and warnings after documenting approximately 160 different violations. The nets and edible aquatic resources were seized as well.

Biya arrived at the international airport in the capital, Yaoundé, aboard a flight from Geneva, Switzerland, after more than 10 weeks away.

The world’s oldest president, who has led Cameroon since 1982, began his eighth term in office in November after winning a widely disputed election in October.

Biya had left the country on June 7 for what his office described as “a brief private stay in Europe,” but it became the longest recorded absence of his presidency.

The health of the president has long been a topic of speculation as he spends significant time in Europe, including France and Switzerland, where he often spends weeks while leaving governance to key party officials and family members.

Cameroon’s constitution does not specifically prohibit a president from leaving the country for months. But without a vice president, an appointment Biya has full control over, the opposition has described the country as being run on “autopilot.”

Biya’s close collaborators were at the airport on Thursday, but he was not shown descending from the plane and held no briefings. He was seen waving to supporters from his vehicle.

The results of Biya's nearly half-century in power have been mixed. Armed insurgencies by Boko Haram in the north and separatists in the west, along with a stagnant economy, have left many young people disillusioned with the leader.

The president’s reelection last year sparked widespread protests that left at least 16 people dead, according to government figures, signaling significant tensions between the mostly young population and its aging leader.

After a 2008 constitutional amendment abolished term limits, Biya has now led Cameroon longer than most of its citizens have been alive: More than 70% of the country’s population of nearly 30 million people is below the age of 35.

In April, Cameroon’s parliament reinstated the vice president’s post, a move criticized by the opposition as a power grab because Biya can appoint and dismiss the deputy at will and determine which powers the office can exercise.

According to Veterinarians.org, Texas has the highest number of heat-related pet deaths in the country, with about 40 reported annually which is six times the national average.

“Pets have very limited ways to cool themselves down,” says Dr. Valarie Tynes, chief veterinarian for the SPCA of Texas. She says dogs and cats primarily rely on panting to release excess heat, which may provide limited relief during extreme temperatures.

The SPCA recommends the following ways to keep your pets safe:

• Keep pets indoors if possible
• Outdoor pets should have access to multiple nontippable water bowls and shade throughout the day.
• Metal bowls should not be used outdoors
• Schedule walks and exercise during cooler hours, before 10 a.m. or after 5 p.m.
• Pets should never be left unattended in a parked vehicle.

If you suspect you pet has heatstroke move the pet to a cool, shaded area, offer water and use cool, not cold water or damp towels to gradually lower its temperature. Owners should then take the animal immediately to an emergency veterinary clinic.

Heatstroke symptoms include:

• Excessive panting
• Drooling
• Rapid breathing
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Investigators with the League City Police Department and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General arrested 46-year-old Richard Ybanez of Bacliff.

Ybanez was taken into custody a little before 3:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon in the parking lot of a convenience store on West League City Parkway.

Detectives with the department’s Special Investigations Unit began working with USPS OIG agents about a week ago after receiving information about suspected mail theft involving Ybanez.

Ybanez was charged with mail theft involving 10 to 30 items, which is a state jail felony.

The investigation remains ongoing, and police said additional information will be released as it becomes available.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the national observance, which honors people who have died from fentanyl poisoning.

The 2026 theme, “Power of the Parent,” highlights the role parents and families play in starting conversations about the drug and helping protect loved ones.

The DEA Museum and its Faces of Fentanyl memorial exhibit in Washington, D.C., will have extended hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. The exhibit features more than 7,000 photos of people who died in the synthetic opioid crisis. An interactive online version is available through the DEA’s website.

“Being aware of the threat of fentanyl and counterfeit pills can save lives,” said Brian Leardo, special agent in charge of the DEA’s Houston Division. “Talk openly about the risks, educate them about the dangers, and help spread the word—because one conversation could save a life.”

The DEA says fentanyl is about 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Two milligrams—roughly the amount of a few grains of salt—can be fatal.

Although fentanyl-related deaths have declined in recent years, the synthetic opioid remains the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 45, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Many people who have been poisoned by fentanyl did not know they were taking it, the DEA said. Officials advise the public to take medications only from licensed and accredited medical professionals.

The public can learn more through the DEA’s Fentanyl Free America and One Pill Can Kill resources.

Swalwell, a Democrat who was running for California governor, ended his campaign and resigned from Congress in April after he was accused of sexual assault and harassment, which he denies. Wahab will represent the state’s 14th Congressional District, which covers parts of Alameda County on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, through Swalwell's term ending in January.

She will be the first Afghan American to serve in Congress. The progressive Democrat defeated Bay Area Rapid Transit Director Melissa Hernandez even after a swell of spending by outside groups opposing Wahab in the race's final stretch. She said her victory shows her district “cannot be bought.”

“I will fight for this district that raised me,” Wahab said in a statement. "From foster care to Congress, this journey shows the possibility of the American Dream.”

The conclusion of the race to replace Swalwell comes as criminal investigations continue into the sexual assault allegations he faces. Over the weekend, federal agents seized electronic devices from Swalwell at the San Francisco airport and later searched his home in Washington, D.C., according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Swalwell’s attorney did not immediately respond to an email and phone message seeking comment.

Wahab became the first Afghan American elected to public office in the U.S. when she won a Hayward City Council seat in 2018.

She has championed housing affordability and access in her time in the Legislature and throughout her campaign. She also wrote a bill in 2023 to ban caste-based discrimination, which garnered national attention. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed it, saying such discrimination is already outlawed by civil rights protections.

Wahab and Hernandez will face off again in a separate November election determining who will serve the next full two-year term.

Wahab won the June primary decisively, but outside spending in favor of her rival poured into the race ahead of the general election.. Groups affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, spent millions into supporting Hernandez, and thousands into opposing Wahab.

At a candidate forum in April, Wahab answered “yes” when asked if she considered “what is happening to the Palestinian people” to be a genocide.

Hernandez did not give a straight yes or no answer. She said Israel had a right to defend itself following the October 2023 attack by Hamas but that “the destruction into Gaza has gone too far.”

Hernandez, a moderate Democrat, said she was proud to put up a competitive fight after Wahab’s success in the primary.

“I’ve been a fighter my whole life, and when I promised the residents of CA-14 I would fight for them, I never gave up,” she said in a statement.

___

Associated Press reporter Alanna Durkin Richer contributed from Washington.

Davis, who said in the interview that he was also in the car with Anderson, is accused of orchestrating the 1996 killing of the 25-year-old hip-hop superstar in Las Vegas. At the time of the interview, his nephew had been dead for a decade.

Davis said the white Cadillac he and Anderson were riding in with two other men pulled up alongside a car with Shakur inside, along with hip-hop mogul and Death Row Records head Marion “Suge” Knight.

“If we would have been on my side, I would have blasted,” Davis said. Instead, Knight’s car was on the other side, so Davis passed his gun back to Deandre “Big Dre” Smith. But Smith didn’t want it, Davis said.

Anderson, who was also in the back seat, took the weapon and started firing, Davis said.

Jurors watched the screen as the transcript of the audio recording rolled. Some occasionally took notes. At the beginning of the audio interview, Davis and his attorney whispered to each other. Shakur’s family sat still, occasionally looking at the screen or looking down to the floor. The room was quiet as Davis described the shooting.

It was the first time Davis directly discussed his involvement in the killing with authorities. The interview is essential evidence in the state's case against the 63-year-old Davis. Prosecutors told jurors in opening statements that they would lean heavily on Davis' own admissions in interviews with police and on podcasts, as well as the 2019 memoir he co-authored, “Compton Street Legend.”

He also previously told the FBI that his nephew was not involved in the 1996 shooting of Shakur, and speculated that Knight or Sean “Diddy” Combs were involved.

Davis has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer has called the prosecution’s narrative “fiction” and said Davis was “full of crap” when he told stories of his involvement, and that authorities knew it. He argued investigators failed to back up the statements his client made with evidence.

The Los Angeles police detectives had actually brought Davis in to talk about the 1997 shooting death of Shakur's archrival, the Notorious B.I.G.

Davis had briefly been one of the suspects in that still unsolved killing, but he was later discounted.

“Everybody was a suspect at that time,” Daryn Dupree, one of the detectives in the interview, said in court testimony Thursday.

The detectives tell Davis that their discussion is confidential.

“Nothing you say today can be used against you,” said Greg Kading, the other detective conducting the interview who described it in a book a few years later.

Some in the audience shook their heads when someone in the audio tells Davis that “nothing leaves this room.”

Dupree adds, “If you don’t say nothing, it’s cool, but if you go out there and start talking …”

Prosecutors say Davis did in fact “go out there and start talking” a decade later when he told stories about the shooting in interviews and the memoir. They said that nullifies any agreement he had with law enforcement over this and other recorded conversations.

Prosecutors allege Shakur was killed to avenge Shakur’s entourage attacking Davis’ nephew Anderson a few hours earlier at the MGM Grand after a Mike Tyson fight. Davis was at the fight but not the brawl.

Later in the evening, they were in the Cadillac and saw Shakur hanging out of a black BMW with people calling out “Tupac!”

Davis said that after Lane fired the shots, he thought Knight was dead.

Decades after his death, Shakur remains a cultural icon, and one of the most influential and versatile rappers of all time. He died as his popularity was peaking and his film career as an actor was taking off. His legend has only grown in the years since.

____

Associated Press Writer Rebecca Boone contributed from Boise, Idaho and AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton contributed from Los Angeles.

The Treasury and State departments announced Thursday that they are leveling new penalties against nine state-owned mining, metal and construction companies along with the leadership of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, or ICAP.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the institute is responsible for sponsoring “a vast subversive network in the United States aimed at identifying, cultivating, and radicalizing” Americans.

“Just days ago, the regime attempted to use Communist kingpin and despot Fidel Castro’s 100th birthday to reinvigorate this subversive network, ferrying a new brigade of international sympathizers to Havana to network with regime officials,” Rubio said in a statement.

“The Trump Administration will not stand by while a hostile foreign power seeks to exploit our freedoms — none of which are afforded to its people — by misleading and corrupting American citizens with lies, spy tradecraft, and other malfeasance as part of the regime’s raison d’être of exporting Marxism, racial resentment, and Communist violence across the world,” Rubio said.

Trump's Republican administration has steadily ratcheted up pressure on Havana, threatening it with potential military intervention even when mired in a conflict against Iran, while also boosting economic sanctions designed to cut off funding for the Cuban government. An oil blockade that the U.S. imposed on Cuba after the American military raid that ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, whose country provided Cuba with subsidized oil, has plunged the already economically crippled island into full-blown crisis.

Cuba accuses the US of trying to hurt the country's economy

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez rejected the sanctions in a post on his official X account, asserting that the United States and Rubio are pursuing the “deliberate aim of harming” the economy “to prevent the provision of basic services to the population.”

“In his failed obsession with Cuba, he is now targeting executives and officials from ICAP — an institution that, for over six decades, has promoted friendship, international solidarity, justice, and peace — the exact opposite of what the Secretary of State has always championed in his corrupt policy,” Rodríguez wrote.

The latest sanctions follow an operation at the Miami airport last weekend in which several American citizens returning from Cuba after participating in events marking Castro’s birthday were briefly detained, according to U.S. officials. Some of them had their cellphones and other personal electronic devices seized for inspection, the officials said.

U.S. authorities had been prepared to detain dozens of returning activists for secondary screening, but far fewer were found to meet the criteria for the enhanced questioning by Customs and Border Protection agents, the officials said.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because details of the operation have not been made public, said those detained were eventually released and allowed to enter the U.S.

The officials said anyone detained and released could still face prosecution if it is found they violated U.S. sanctions, which prohibit all transactions with Cuban government-owned entities, including restaurants, hotels and shops. The status of seized cellphones, laptops and tablets, however, was unclear.

New sanctions are the latest pressure tactic as Cuba's economy falls into crisis

The new sanctions on the leadership of ICAP target the group’s president, Fernando González Llort, who had been among five Cuban intelligence officers arrested in the U.S. in 1998 but later released in 2014. They also target its first vice president, Noemí Ramona Rabaza Fernández, and its North America director, Leima Martínez Freire.

The metals, mining and construction sector sanctions target a nickel production company, two firms that specialize in the import of heavy industrial products, a mineral resources company, the Cuban Ministry of Construction, a company that provides Cuban workers to foreign entities on the island and two enterprises that import vehicles, automotive parts and construction materials.

The Trump administration also has stepped up a campaign that portrays Cuba as a grave national security threat to the U.S. In a report released last month, the State Department accused the Cuban government of sponsoring or otherwise supporting left-wing and anti-American activism in the United States for the past six decades.

While Cuba has been falling deeper into crisis for around five years, the oil blockade by the Trump administration has thrown the nation into freefall.

The lack of fuel to provide Cubans with electricity has plunged the island into all-out blackouts. Access to public transport has effectively disappeared, shortages of things like medicine have worsened, work hours have been slashed to adapt to the outages, and tourism, the island’s economic lifeline, has evaporated.

___

Associated Press writer Andrea Rodríguez in Havana contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to show the sanctions are on nine, not 10, companies.

Bodeen died Monday after a struggle with cancer and complications from a stroke, his daughter, Ingrid, said Thursday by telephone from Taiwan.

Bodeen, who spoke fluent Mandarin with a proud Taiwan accent, spent much of his career detailing China's rise to an economic, political and military superpower — and the accompanying friction from what critics have long called Beijing’s heavy-handed efforts to establish dominance in Asia and beyond.

“Chris was a reporter who would go anywhere and do anything for the story,” said Charles Hutzler, AP's former bureau chief in Beijing. After a huge quake flattened a swath of Sichuan province in 2008, Bodeen composed his account from one devastated town sentence by sentence over text messages because of damaged telecommunications networks. "It was one of the first eyewitness reports the AP and the world received about one of the worst earthquakes in decades,” Hutzler recalled.

He was an expert on politics and Chinese military issues

From AP bureaus in Shanghai, Beijing and Taipei, Bodeen was for years the news agency's go-to person on Chinese politics and military issues, able to quickly determine the newsworthiness of the government's often abstruse statements.

“A chat with Chris would inevitably turn into a remarkable history lesson," said Emily Wang Fujiyama, former Greater China news director. “He had astounding knowledge of the region and would be writing about China’s military presence in the South China Sea, pivot to Taiwan’s intricate politics, and just as deftly write about the political sensitivities of Tibet, Mongolia and China.”

Bodeen was born in Missouri on Sept. 9, 1970, but he spent parts of his childhood in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia. His father was a foreign service officer and his mother a former diplomat, his daughter, Ingrid, said. Friends and colleagues remembered his love of the Boston Red Sox, esoteric punk rock -- and his contagious enthusiasm for the job of journalism.

"He was the blondest, palest person you’ll ever meet” yet also spoke pitch-perfect Chinese, said Ted Anthony, AP’s former China news editor and news director for Asia. “So when the earthquake in Sichuan happened in 2008, he went out there, put on one of his ever-present ballcaps to cover his hair, and slouched down. He passed as Chinese, started interviewing people and sailed under the scrutiny of the authorities.”

He was 'always ready for adventure’

Bodeen joined the AP in 1996, in Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island China claims as its own, before working as an editor on the agency’s international desk in New York and then joining the AP bureau in Beijing as a correspondent, in 2000. He majored in history and Asian studies at Tufts University, graduating in 1993.

“Chris Bodeen was always ready for adventure. Hiding in the hills of Hainan Island, China, to try to report on the return of an American Air Force plane forced down in 2001, he was the best colleague to be with,” said Raf Wober, a video journalist in the AP's Hong Kong bureau.

In a 2017 story on efforts to burnish the image of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Bodeen described state broadcaster China Central Television leading its evening national news bulletin “with more than four minutes of uninterrupted clapping for Xi as he met with adoring citizens,” and a Russian translator who “was so engrossed with reading a recent speech by Xi, Xinhua (the official news agency) said, that he skipped lunch and dinner just to finish studying it.”

While much of this might have seemed amusing to outsiders, Bodeen was careful to note that “the domination of (Xi’s) image in official propaganda evokes, for some, the painful memories of the upheaval of the 1960s and ’70s, when Mao (Zedong) was accorded the status of a near deity.”

Julie Pace, AP's executive editor, remembered Bodeen as not only an effective China correspondent but as a fellow journalist whose knowledge elevated those around him.

“Chris cared deeply about his work and the value of on-the-ground reporting in such an important region of the world," she said. "His expertise informed AP’s audiences for so many years, but also helped lift up so many colleagues.”

Passion for family and work was his hallmark

Bodeen was deeply proud of his two daughters and loved showing off their artwork and achievements — and creative Halloween costumes — to colleagues. “Every parent thinks their kids are the best, but, hand to God, these girls are both adorable and seriously tough cookies,” he wrote of his children.

“He truly, passionately loved what he did, as much as he loved being a dad," Ingrid Bodeen said. She recalled that when her father spent long stints reporting from Afghanistan during her childhood, “he would always have my mom fax over my spelling lists and homework so we could work on them together. He never missed a spelling test week.”

Bodeen was also beloved by colleagues for his sharp sense of humor, his knowledge of good local food and an encyclopedic knowledge of movie and TV comedies from the ’70s and ’80s.

Kanis Leung, an AP reporter in Hong Kong, said that Bodeen once told her about an old correspondent's description of news reporting as “the art of shoving 50 pounds of oatmeal into a 10-pound sack."

“Except,” Bodeen told Leung, "he didn’t say oatmeal.”

Bodeen is survived by his wife, Yen Ling, daughters Ingrid, 26, and Naomi, 22, his parents and a sister.

Hundreds of emails exchanged between U.S. immigration officials, which were obtained by the National Iranian American Council and made public on Tuesday, offer the most transparent play by play yet of how the two countries worked together to arrange for more than 100 Iranians to be flown back to Iran on three separate immigration flights in September and December 2025 and January 2026. The emails were first reported by The Intercept.

The emails show that Iranian officials had some influence over which Iranian immigrants in the U.S. were sent back to their home country, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials apparently heeded some last-minute changes to deportation lists at the request of Iran.

“Per request from the Iran Embassy I added a few cases," one unnamed ICE official wrote in late August, a month before the first deportation flight in September. Just over a week later, someone with the same job title moved to make another, unspecified change to the deportation list after they said they met with the “Director at the Iranian Embassy.”

“Iran has requested that I amend the previous manifest and expedite the removal process,” the official wrote.

In a Sept. 26 email, just three days before the deportation flight left U.S. soil, an ICE official said in an email that the Iranian Embassy was still making requests for three additional Iranians on the flight. It's not clear who ended up on the flight, which ended up being much smaller than initially planned. Iranian officials were still making requests the day the flight departed, although one official wrote that those requests were denied.

Coordination of the flights remained a high priority even as ICE officials acknowledged internally that Iranians were fleeing Iran amid the deadly 12-day war with the U.S. and Israel in June 2025, emails show. The flights departed just months after the U.S. and Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Iran.

The new emails highlight a clear departure from a decades-long practice by the U.S. of welcoming Iranian dissidents, exiles and others since the 1979 Islamic Revolution forced a large number of Iranians to flee.

The deportation of Iranians to a country whose government has a pattern of violent persecution against women, religious minorities and political dissidents has drawn significant criticism from human rights activists.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said in an email Thursday evening, “The Trump Administration is utilizing all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history, just as President Trump promised,” and the people deported included “terrorists, human smugglers, and suspected foreign agents."

Some deportees were handpicked by Iranian officials, emails show

Iranian officials acknowledged in September 2025 that as many as 400 Iranians could be returned under an agreement with the Trump administration. They said most of the Iranians had crossed into the U.S. from Mexico illegally, while some faced other immigration issues.

It is not clear from the emails how frequently U.S. immigration officials had direct contact with the Iranian government. Sometimes messages were conveyed through Qatari officials, who helped charter the deportation flights through Doha, but other times officials reference regular meetings with the “Iranian delegation," the “Director at the Iranian Embassy” and other unnamed Iranian officials.

It is not clear whether the people Iran put on the list had volunteered to repatriate or if they were forced. Previous reporting from The New York Times revealed that asylum-seekers were among those deported to Iran, while others said they were deported against their will.

At least one person was deported who wasn't supposed to be, emails showed.

“An Iranian not included on the final manifest we sent to the Qatari MOI was boarded on the flight,” an unnamed U.S. official wrote.

In response, another unnamed U.S. official wrote, “I have no idea how the case/person got through on the plane.”

A spokesperson for DHS said in a statement that all asylum-seekers receive due process and “have their fear claims heard.” The statement also pushed back on the idea that there was a person who was mistakenly deported — and instead said he was deported because he was a “possible national security risk” who "illegally entered the United States."

"It is total fabrication that ICE inadvertently removed an illegal alien to Iran," the spokesperson said in an email.

US prioritized deportation efforts during war

Emails suggest that pressure to carry out the Iranian deportations came from the highest levels of the Trump administration, even when U.S. and Israel were exchanging strikes with Iran in a 12-day conflict between June 13 and June 24, 2025.

Just days after Trump's June 16 warning on social media that “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” the former acting director of ICE, Todd Lyons, called the repatriation of Iranian immigrants a “priority" in an email sent to the agency’s head of removal operations Marcos Charles and a number of unnamed staff.

Shortly after Lyon's email, Charles forwarded the message to a group of officials whose names are redacted. An unnamed ICE official responded, warning that “removal will prove difficult” amid the ongoing conflict because Iran wasn't issuing the travel documents for Iranians eligible for deportation. On top of that, the Iranian airspace was closed to all flights during the bombings and Iranians were fleeing the country.

Charles was unfazed, telling staff in a subsequent email to make a plan to deport 58 Iranians with final removal orders in ICE custody at the time.

“We need a plan forward ASAP,” Charles wrote. Another official, who name was redacted, urged colleagues to “identify a solution for this White House priority.”

Jamal Abdi, the president of the National Iranian American Council, said the emails undermine Trump’s assertions that the U.S. is at war with Iran to save ordinary Iranians from a repressive regime.

“It demonstrates that the top priority here was to kick out as many people as possible by whatever means necessary,” Abdi said.

Iranian officials had access to immigration detainees

On several occasions, the emails show ICE officials arranging for Iranian officials to meet for unspecified reasons with people detained in the U.S., echoing testimony from Iranian asylum-seekers in an unrelated lawsuit filed by an unaffiliated Iranian interest group in July.

Eleven Iranians in immigration detention said they were forced to meet with Iranian government officials while in ICE detention. Those Iranian authorities knew intimate details about their asylum claims, according to the sworn declarations filed in a Washington, D.C., court in July.

The lawsuit alleges that U.S. immigration agencies have been illegally sharing confidential information about Iranian asylum-seekers with the Iranian government.

The U.S. government is allowed to work with government officials of foreign countries to coordinate deportation logistics. However, federal regulations passed in the late 1990s prohibit the government from sharing information that could reveal that the person getting deported applied for asylum.

DHS vehemently disputed the lawsuit's allegations.

“These allegations that ICE shared asylum application records with the Iranian government are FALSE. ICE works with every country to get travel documents for detainees,” a DHS statement read.

Since the beginning of the year, at least 32 crashes have been reported on Telephone Road between Polk Street and Almeda-Genoa Road, according to TxDot crash data.

KPRC 2 is examining the recent crashes and the conditions along the roadway, including traffic volume, pedestrian access and the distance between sidewalks and moving vehicles. At some points, sidewalks appear to be about a foot and a half from the roadway, leaving a little separation between walking and passing traffic.

On Wednesday, Aug. 19, a man using a walker was fatally struck at Moline Street and Telephone Road, according to Houston police. The driver, identified later as Bernandino Bautista, 55, told police he was blinded by the sun. He was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide, police said. The victim’s identity had not been released.

• RELATED: Man with walker struck and killed by vehicle in southeast Houston; driver arrested

On Aug. 8, police said a man in a wheelchair was struck while crossing in a marked crosswalk near Westover Street and Telephone Road. The driver continued without stopping, and the man later died at a hospital. Police described the suspect vehicle as a small white sedan.

• RELATED: Man in wheelchair killed in crosswalk; Houston police searching for hit-and-run driver

The 71 year-olds name is David Storm.

“He was knocked 10 feet up in the air by this car, and the car kept going,” said David’s friend, Lynda Carter. “Something needs to happen out there because it’s just crazy. Three deaths in two weeks is crazy.”

Hours later, a woman in her 20s died in a separate crash at Telephone Road and Reveille Street, police said. Investigators said she was driving south on Reveille at a high rate of speed, ran two red lights and struck another vehicle. The other driver suffered injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.

• RELATED: Woman killed in high-speed crash after running red lights in southeast Houston, police say

The crashes happened amid heavy traffic through the area, where drivers, pedestrians and people using wheelchairs or walkers share a busy corridor. Residents have also described the area as dangerous. After the Aug. 8 crash, Lashanda Simmons told KPRC 2 she had seen multiple dangerous incidents nearby and urged drivers to watch for others.

So now, Carter is calling for local officials to consider putting in speed bumps.

KPRC 2 contacted TxDOT to ask about safety measures and possible improvements. The agency said Telephone Road is not a state roadway, so it does not have oversight or jurisdiction over the street. TxDOT said it does maintain crash data collected from law enforcement agencies statewide and referred questions about the roadway to the City of Houston.

The mayor’s office told KPRC 2 it would refer to information provided by the Houston Police Department. HPD provided a video link about driver safety but did not identify a specific project or planned safety improvement for Telephone Road.

Now District 1 Council Member Joaquin Martinez provided a specific plan. Martinez said a construction project north of Interstate 45 on Telephone Road is expected to begin before the end of the year. The project will include expanding sidewalks and create a larger buffer between pedestrians and moving vehicles. It also serves as a drainage project.

Drivers should use caution, watch for pedestrians in crosswalks and obey traffic signals. Anyone with information about the Aug. 8 hit-and-run is asked to contact the Houston Police Department Vehicular Crime Division at 713-247-4072 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

• PREVIOUS: Houston renters will soon have a right to working A/C under new city rules

KPRC 2 is working to get your questions answered.

The council approved the measure 12-2. The new law goes into effect Dec. 17.

Readers respond

The comments have been rolling in on Click2Houston.com since the story broke. Landlords, in particular, have raised concerns about cost, responsibility and fairness.

One reader questioned what protections landlords have when a tenant misuses equipment.

“As a landlord, what protections do I have from this when the tenant sets the A/C to its lowest setting and the unit gets fried?” one reader wrote.

Another raised concerns about how the ordinance could affect existing rental agreements.

“Only two of my rentals have window units. I always made them responsible for furnishing their own window units, just like other appliances. They own the window units and the appliances they purchased. My rent and deposit are based off these things. The minute I’m forced to repair or supply a new window unit, the rent is going up at the first opportunity,” another reader wrote.

A third commenter acknowledged the need for air conditioning in Houston’s brutal heat but pushed back on the financial burden the ordinance places on property owners.

“I’m of the opinion that working AC is a bit of a non-negotiable in Houston, but that having or providing it is not inexpensive must be acknowledged as well. Landlords must be able to raise rents to cover the extra cost,” the commenter wrote.

How will it be enforced

Houston health department told KPRC2 about 700 to 800 complaints of no air conditioning are filed yearly. The health department will be enforcing the mandate.

How it works

Enforcement is tenant-complaint based. Your first step as a tenant is to call 3-1-1, then a health inspector stops by. The health inspector can issue a citation or landlords can go to a set hearing to argue their cases.

Council member who voted against it says affordability is at risk

Council member Twila Carter voted against the a/c ordinance. Carter said not everyone can afford this change.

“It’s hot yes, but at what cost? If you can’t afford to pay the rent, how can you afford to pay an increase in your utilities?,” said Carter.

Four days brought a big change for Scottie Scheffler, too. The world's No. 1 player went from an eight-shot victory in the postseason opener to feeling under the weather and having to rally for a 72, his highest opening round since the U.S. Open in June.

Scheffler's voice was hoarse when he said he didn't want to stop to talk, saying only that he was sick as he headed for the locker room.

McIlroy returned from a four-week break after the British Open with plenty of rust and very little golf and failed to break par in any of the four rounds for the first time in more than five years at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

He went home to Florida and worked with swing coach Michael Bannon.

“I went home and I worked on a few things and at least got myself back in a frame of mind where like I felt like I’m at least back on the right path of what I’m doing with my game and with my swing,” McIlroy said. “It’s certainly a work in progress. Days like this are encouraging, obviously. There’s still a lot of work to be done.”

McIlroy is fond of saying players never remember what it's like to play bad when they're going well and they think they'll never play good again when the game is going poorly. It's never that far away, and Thursday was a reminder of that.

Bellerive originally was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and later updated by his son, Rees, who had the reputation as the “Open Doctor” for trying to modernize and toughen courses. While soft conditions contributed to a bunched leaderboard, it was hard to look past so many U.S. Open champions at the top.

Gary Woodland, a Kansas native getting plenty of support in Missouri as he continues to recover from brain surgery and make it to the FedEx Cup finale, holed out for eagle on the 11th fairway and didn’t miss a green until the 18th, his lone bogey. He won the U.S. Open in 2019 at Pebble Beach.

Wyndham Clark, who birdied five of his last six holes, is a two-time U.S. Open champion, including this year at Shinnecock Hills. J.J. Spaun went back to the putter he used when he won the U.S. Open at Oakmont two years ago and had seven birdies until a bogey on the final hole.

Among those a shot behind was 2022 U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick.

“Coincidence,” Clark said about five of seven U.S. Open champions at 65 or better.

Woodland is the only one at 64 who really needed a start like this. The triple-digit heat last week in Memphis, Tennessee, made it difficult for him to slow his heart rate, which is key for him to prevent his brain from being overly engaged.

He is at No. 31 in the FedEx Cup — only the top 30 reach the Tour Championship next week in Atlanta, which would guarantee him starts in all four majors next year, along with giving him a chance to play for the FedEx Cup and its $10 million prize.

“I can promise you East Lake wasn’t on my mind to start the year,” Woodland said. "It’s a goal, I think you write it down, but it seemed like far, far away. I’ve had up-and-down days. I’ve had some rough days lately. But we’ve built this together, Randy (Smith) and I, to get to a point where I feel very comfortable over the golf ball.

“If I can find a way to get through 18 holes mentally, my game’s in a pretty good spot where I can compete out here at a level I haven’t been able to compete in a while.”

Woodland kept the excitement down when the crowd erupted in cheers to see his sand wedge from 99 yards spin back and roll into the cup for eagle on the 11th hole. He smiled and raised his arm and gave high-fives to Adam Scott and the caddies.

Most impressive was his 2-iron from 286 yards on the par-5 17th that rolled out to 12 feet on the fringe. He narrowly missed that and settle for birdie.

Woodland occasionally places his hand on the left side of his chest before putting. It looked like a reminder to keep his shoulders in place. Turns out it has a much deeper purpose.

“When I’m struggling I put my hand on my heart to just to remind myself that I’m alive, and if I can feel my heart beat I know I’m breathing,” he said. “And I’ve done that this year just to try to slow my heart down, tell myself I’m safe and I’ll be all right.”

___

See AP’s full golf coverage here

The United States' debt surpassed a record $40 trillion Wednesday, a staggering milestone as defense costs, social programs and interest on the burgeoning deficit make up an enormous share of federal spending.

The milestone figure was recorded just five months after the U.S. hit a record $39 trillion debt in March. It reached $38 trillion five months before that, in October.

The Latest:

Democrats introduce legislation to stop trades from early access to Trump’s Truth Social posts

The bill seeks to bar social media platforms from selling preferential access to posts from government officials including the president, Congress and the judiciary.

It comes in response to Truth Social’s launch of a subscription-based service that provides advance access to posts from Trump and other influential accounts.

The legislation would also make it illegal for people to trade securities or other instruments off the information obtained through the preferential access.

Introduced by Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut and other Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee, the bill is the House version of similar legislation from Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.

Himes said “auctioning off advance access to government announcements on Truth Social is one of the most brazen attempts at self-enrichment yet.”

Vance says the debt is too high but puts blame on Biden administration

“Even though we inherited this debt bomb from the Biden Administration, we actually do have a plan to get the economy growing faster than the debt, and that’s the most important thing,” Vance said in an interview on Newsmax.

The debt has exploded over several presidential administrations as the government spent more than it collected in taxes, including during Trump’s first term, under former President Joe Biden and in Trump’s second term, when the president signed tax cut and spending legislation into law last year.

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Trump praised Cohen for ‘recanting everything you said’

In the roughly 15-minute friendly exchange on the radio show between Trump and Cohen that aired Thursday evening, the president told his former lawyer that he respects “the fact that you recanted everything you said.”

“That’s a big thing that you did. That’s a very big thing,” Trump told him.

Much of their conversation focused on Trump’s second term and the Iran war, with Cohen slipping back into a role of adviser and at one point telling Trump, “Maybe what we should do is then have a press conference and literally put out all of the accomplishments.”

More than 750 US troops have been wounded during operations against Iran, Pentagon data shows

Of the 757 service members who have been wounded since the war began in February, more than 580 are Army soldiers. The total injured also include 86 sailors, 64 airmen and 19 Marines.

While many of the casualties are categorized as having occurred during “Operation Epic Fury,” the formal name for the conflict, the Pentagon created a new category for wounded troops called “Overseas Operations” in the Defense Casualty Analysis System in late July. The Pentagon said that was because Operation Epic Fury has concluded and the military has decided to classify casualties tied to the latest strikes in the new category.

The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command have offered almost no details on how the injuries have occurred or the amount of damage that U.S. bases have sustained. However, officials have said the vast majority of the injuries are traumatic brain injuries.

Michael Cohen says he sent a pardon application to Trump after first submitting it to Biden

Trump’s former fixer told CNN on Thursday that he applied for a pardon to former President Joe Biden, but it was denied. Cohen served prison time for his role in what he said was covering up Trump’s “dirty deeds.”

“What I did is I took that same application, with the same documentation, and I just rewrote the cover letter removing the name of President Joe Biden and inserting the name President Donald Trump,” Cohen said.

Cohen said he has not received any acknowledgment from the Trump White House of the application but he said it’s on his to-do list for Friday.

Canadian premier says Trump is a ‘bad person’ as Canada weighs concessions for trade deal

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Canada has leverage in the talks even as his province weighs restoring U.S. alcohol sales at Prime Minister Mark Carney’s urging to help secure a deal that would avert threatened 50% U.S. tariffs.

“Everybody knows the American president by now, he’s erratic, he’s irresponsible, and he’s not to be trusted. And this is the person that we were supposed to make a deal with, and we’re going to make additional concessions for it. That’s why I say you can’t make a good deal with a bad person, because who’s to say it’s not going to be undone?” Kinew said.

Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for Canada-U. S. trade, said Thursday the two countries were close to finalizing an agreement after he returned to Washington to meet again with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

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Army is shutting down unit in Europe focused on drones

The Army’s top general has directed a Europe-based unit specializing in drone warfare to revert to traditional infantry roles.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade has spent over a year experimenting with drones, influenced by tactics from the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Last November, 600 soldiers formed a battalion that specialized in drone warfare and was set up to deploy anywhere drones were required.

Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army’s acting chief of staff, has ordered the battalion to refocus on its core mission of being an airborne infantry unit, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal Army deliberations. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported the change.

The move is part of broader Army changes under LaNeve, who took over after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ousted his predecessor, Gen. Randy George, in April.

Melania Trump accepts $2 million gift to provide college scholarships

The $2 million donation from IndyCar and Fox Corp. will pay for scholarships at Indiana University and Purdue University through the first lady’s Fostering the Future program for youngsters in foster care.

The Indiana schools are the latest to join a network of more than two dozen colleges and universities nationwide that participate in her program, she said during an event in the White House Rose Garden to announce the gift. The program, she said, give foster care youth the opportunity to get a college education, launch a career and achieve financial independence

“America’s greatest competitive advantage remains in its own people,” she said.

IndyCar is sponsoring Sunday’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix through the streets of downtown Washington in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

Treasury extends Lukoil license

The U.S. Treasury has extended a general license that grants permission for certain transactions connected to the potential sale of the foreign assets of sanctioned Russian oil firm Lukoil.

The latest license, which has been renewed several times, expires Sept. 19.

Last October, the Trump administration announced “massive sanctions” against Russia’s oil industry that were aimed at moving Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table and bring an end to Moscow’s brutal war on Ukraine. Those sanctions included punishing measures on Lukoil.

Trump meets Vance’s baby

The vice president said in an interview on a radio show on Thursday that he took his youngest son, Alec Neel Vance, who was born July 19, to meet Trump.

Vance, speaking on the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, said the president loves children and gave his son a challenge coin.

“The baby doesn’t understand that, but he will someday,” Vance said.

Vance said the meeting happened after he and his wife, Usha, had lunch with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and country music star Luke Bryan, who is in town for a show.

Trump keeps embracing data centers even as they become toxic in midterm races

The president has voiced strong support for AI and data centers, emphasizing their economic benefits and importance in the global AI race.

“If I were the mayor of a town or the governor of a state, and I had a chance to get a big plant in, an AI plant or a data center,” Trump said, “I would absolutely want it because the jobs are enormous and the money paid, the taxes paid, are just enormous.”

Candidates in competitive midterm elections, however, are far less accepting.

Data centers have become a contentious issue, with concerns about energy costs and environmental impact. In Ohio, Republican Jon Husted faces attacks over his support for data centers. In Nevada, Democrat Aaron Ford accused Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo of aligning with Trump on the issue.

The debate reflects broader tensions over technology and local impact.

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US ramps up Cuba sanctions and detentions of Americans returning from the island

The Trump administration is imposing new sanctions on Cuba targeting its mining and metals sectors and broadening restrictions on Americans’ transactions with government-owned or affiliated businesses. It also accused Havana of using cultural and educational exchanges to radicalize U.S. citizens.

The Treasury and State departments announced sanctions on Thursday against 10 state-owned mining, metals, and construction companies and the leadership of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, or ICAP.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said ICAP is responsible for sponsoring a “subversive network” to “cultivate” Americans, most recently with educational and cultural exchanges around the 100th anniversary of Fidel Castro’s birth earlier this month.

The sanctions follow an operation at the Miami airport last weekend in which several American citizens returning to the U.S. from events marking Castro’s birthday in Cuba were briefly detained, some of whom had their cellphones and other personal electronic devices seized for inspection.

Federal agents seize devices from ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell in sexual misconduct probe, AP source says

Federal agents have seized electronic devices from former Rep. Eric Swalwell and searched his Washington home as part of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by the ex-Democratic congressman from California, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Swalwell’s devices were seized at the San Francisco airport on Saturday, and federal agents searched his home a day later.

A message seeking comment was left Thursday with an attorney for Swalwell.

Swalwell announced his resignation from Congress in April following sexual assault and misconduct allegations, which he has denied. The AP source wasn’t authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

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Bessent says bond buyback operation could be more than $4 billion

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during a CNBC interview on Thursday that an accelerated buyback of government debt “could be more than $4 billion per issue.”

His comments followed the Treasury’s Wednesday announcement that it would dramatically expand the amount of U.S. government bonds it will buy back. When asked about the motivation for the move, Bessent said: “We’re trying to signal that this is a thinly traded area of the market, we’re in August and there’s been a lot of corporate issuances.”

“We’re trying to keep the market in equilibrium.”

Melania Trump is set to announce new scholarships for foster children

The first lady is partnering with IndyCar, the sanctioning body for U.S. auto racing, and Indiana and Purdue universities to fund the scholarships, her office says.

Both Indiana-based schools are joining about two dozen other institutions of higher learning to offer scholarships through Melania Trump’s “Fostering the Future” initiative benefiting young people in foster care.

A formal announcement is set for Thursday afternoon in the White House Rose Garden. The first lady will be joined by her husband and representatives from IndyCar and the universities.

The announcement comes just before Sunday’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix race in downtown Washington, which was organized by the president to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday.

US approves $4.5 billion sale of military aerial refueling planes to Qatar as Iran conflict lingers

The State Department said Thursday that it had given the green light for Qatar, a key U.S. partner in the Gulf, to buy four KC-46A aircraft along with assorted equipment, including turbofan engines, radar warning devices and countermeasure systems. The sale will also include trucks, training and assorted logistics services.

The sale “will increase Qatar’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing its defense capabilities and interoperability with U.S. and allied forces and reinforcing Qatar’s strategic role in regional security,” the department said.

Qatar, which hosts a major U.S. military base, has been a critical part of the war with Iran, including by trying to mediate an end to the conflict.

North Korea fires missile barrage toward the sea after dismissing overture from Trump

The launches come a day after North Korea shrugged off a U.S. decision to scale back military drills with South Korea in an apparent bid to resume diplomacy.

South Korea’s military said the launches of about 10 short-range ballistic missiles happened from North Korea’s capital region Thursday evening. The military said the missiles flew about 300 kilometers each toward North Korea’s eastern waters.

Trump ordered the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises just before they began Monday. The president cited what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to support him over the war in Iran.

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White House legislative affairs director James Braid is leaving his post

Braid was in charge of helping to shepherd Trump’s legislative agenda through a Congress where his Republican Party controlled both chambers.

Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that Braid “played a critical role in all of the administration’s achievements in Congress,” including the sweeping tax and spending legislation approved last summer.

Vance described Braid as “brilliant” and “one of the hardest workers you will ever meet.”

The vice president didn’t provide details of Braid’s next job, saying only that he was “very excited to see what he does next.”

Fresh US aircraft carrier arrives in Middle East

The Asia-based USS George Washington aircraft carrier is now operating in the Middle East, the U.S. military said Thursday.

The Washington is relieving the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln after reports that sailors were facing mental health challenges and supply shortages while supporting the Iran war.

The Lincoln’s deployment has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea. Democratic lawmakers are pressing for accountability from the Pentagon over conditions aboard the carrier, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said were “completely misrepresented.”

The deployment of the Washington to the Middle East has left Asia without an American carrier strike group at a time when China shows more signs of aggression.

Democrats narrow their list of 2028 presidential convention sites

Democrats on Thursday narrowed the list of potential host cities for their 2028 presidential convention to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia as their party looks ahead to a wide-open primary to succeed President Trump.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement the cities put forward “incredibly strong bids,” and he promised the convention would be an “inspiring celebration of our party’s future nominee.”

A final decision is expected to be made later this year by party leaders. Republicans have already chosen Houston for the site of their 2028 convention.

The Democratic convention, scheduled for Aug. 7-10, 2028, traditionally gives the party a chance to formally introduce its nominee to the country, rally the base and kick-start the most intense period of campaigning ahead of the general election.

The party didn’t specify why Atlanta and Chicago, which was the site of the 2024 convention, were eliminated. Officials visited all five cities in April and May, considering logistical and fundraising capacity among other factors.

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Trump plays White House tour guide to show off work on his helipad and ballroom

Trump played White House tour guide on Wednesday, showing off the helipad he is building on the lawn before leaning over to autograph a piece of it and bragging about the ballroom he’s rushing to complete despite legal challenges.

Trump gushed for several uninterrupted minutes about granite being laid and said the chopper landing area would leave visiting foreign leaders “very impressed” — including Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is coming next month.

At times, he sounded almost like a construction manager, singing the praises of granite over asphalt in painstaking detail and noting for reporters he brought out for the show that the stone could withstand 35,000 pounds per square inch of pressure.

The president also revealed for the first time that he has replaced the walkway from the White House’s diplomatic entrance along with a portion of the asphalt driveway around the South Lawn with white granite.

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The US national debt now stands at $40 trillion

The national debt surpassed a record $40 trillion Wednesday, a staggering milestone as defense costs, social programs like Social Security and Medicare and interest on the burgeoning deficit make up an enormous share of federal spending.

The milestone figure was recorded just five months after the U.S. hit a record $39 trillion debt in March. It reached $38 trillion five months before that, in October.

The unprecedented $40 trillion figure highlights competing administration priorities, from boosting defense spending that the U.S. relies on to carry out President Donald Trump’s almost 6-month-old war in Iran to lowering the cost of gas and groceries.

Kush Desai, a White House spokesman, said the Trump administration “has been focused on slashing waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending while accelerating economic growth to get America’s debt-to-GDP ratio trending in the right direction.”

However, experts say the exploding debt and the latest record milestone are already affecting Americans’ pocketbooks by raising borrowing costs for things like mortgages and cars, lowering wages from businesses that have less money available to invest, and creating more expensive goods and services.

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