Futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average each fell 0.2% before the opening bell. Nasdaq futures retreated 0.4%.

Walmart shares slid 2% in premarket after the retail giant delivered another quarter of impressive sales but offered up a weaker outlook than analysts were hoping for. Walmart has resonated with Americans who have grown increasingly cautious about where they spend their money with inflation taking a bigger bite out of paychecks, particularly since the start of the Iran war in late February.

Nvidia flipped between small gains and losses overnight after the artificial intelligence chipmaker latest quarterly results surpassed Wall Street’s expectations once again.

Massive demand for its high-end AI chips pushed revenue up 85% in the period while profits more than tripled, the company said after markets closed Wednesday.

Oil prices pushed higher early Thursday, a day after falling 5%. Brent crude, the international standard, gained $1.46 to $106.48 per barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude added $1.53 to $99.79 per barrel.

Brent remains well above its roughly $70 level from before the war with Iran. Prices have been yo-yoing on rising and falling hopes that the United States and Iran can reach an agreement to end their conflict and allow oil deliveries to fully resume from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide.

Treasury yields also resumed their climb after easing a day earlier and giving markets a lift. The yield on the 10-year Treasury inched back up to 4.60% early Thursday after sliding to 4.57% a day earlier. They were as high as 4.67% earlier this week.

The 10-year Treasury yield had been rising from less than 4% before the war with Iran began, along with other government bond yields around the world, because of worries that the fighting will keep oil prices high, among other factors.

High yields slow economies and weigh on prices for stocks, cryptocurrencies and all kinds of other investments. Besides driving up rates for mortgages, they could also curtail companies’ borrowing to build the artificial-intelligence data centers that have been supporting the U.S. economy’s growth recently.

At midday in Europe, Germany’s DAX and the CAC 40 in Paris each lost 0.3%. Britain’s FTSE 100 shed 0.4%.

Asian markets were mixed with South Korea’s Kospi soaring 8.4% to 7,815.59, helped by strong buying of technology shares. Samsung Electronics gained 8.5% after its labor union and management reached an agreement late Wednesday that averted a potentially costly strike.

Shares in SK Hynix, a computer chipmaker partnering with Nvidia, surged 11.2%.

The Kospi has been breaching records, recently exceeding 8,000 for the first time.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 jumped 3.1% to 61,684.14 after the government reported that Japan’s exports rose nearly 15% in April from a year earlier, despite shocks from the Iran war.

Technology-related shares were among the biggest winners, with Tokyo Electron gaining 5.9% and Advantest up 4.4%.

Taiwan's Taiex, also heavily weighted toward technology shares, gained 3.9% as major chipmaker TSMC's stock gained 3%.

Chinese markets declined, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng losing 1.2% to 25,352.82. The Shanghai Composite index dropped 2% to 4,077.28.

Indonesia's share benchmark dropped 3.3% as the market absorbed the impact of a government decision to put strategic natural resource exports such as coal under state control.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 picked up 1.5% to 8,621.70.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are expected to abandon a proposal for $1 billion in security money for the White House complex and Trump’s ballroom on Thursday. And Trump's plan to build a triumphal arch in Washington is getting a second look from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a federal agency that suggested changes before it approved the concept last month.

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Trump’s proposed Washington arch gets another review

Trump’s plan to build a triumphal arch in Washington is getting a second look from a federal agency that suggested changes before it approved the concept last month.

The proposed 250-foot (76 meter) arch is one of several projects the Republican president is pursuing alongside a White House ballroom to leave his imprint on Washington. Critics of the project, including an overwhelming number of people who submitted public comment in April, said the arch would be taller than any other monument in the capital city and dominate the skyline.

He has said some of his other projects, such as adding a blue coating to the interior of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, will beautify the city in time for July 4 celebrations of America’s 250th birthday.

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump, approved the concept for the arch at its monthly meeting in April. Commissioners are set to consider and possibly vote on updated plans when they meet again on Thursday.

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Young Republicans wrestle with their disappointment in Trump and their party

The more than a dozen young Republicans who gathered with beers and brightly colored cocktails at a bar called dEcORa in Kentucky this week were picking apart the presidential administration they welcomed with high hopes last year.

By now, their enthusiasm for Trump had curdled into frustration. What poured out at the bar was a sense that the Republican establishment — which they initially applauded Trump for disrupting, but which some now see him sustaining — had forsaken them.

That festering feeling has widened a generational gap between younger and older conservatives as the party slowly begins to consider a future without Trump in charge.

The Republican primary defeat of Rep. Thomas Massie — who had earned a younger and anti-establishment following while feuding with Trump — cost them one of their strongest allies in Congress.

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Republicans expected to abandon $1B security proposal for White House and Trump’s ballroom

Senate Republican leaders are expected to abandon a proposal for $1 billion in security money for the White House complex and Trump’s ballroom on Thursday after members of their own party questioned the timing and the lack of detail in the Secret Service request.

Pressured by the White House, Republicans have tried to add the money to a roughly $70 billion bill to restore funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. But the security proposal met with backlash from some GOP lawmakers who are questioning the cost and how the taxpayer dollars would be used.

The bill’s text has not yet been released, but the Senate hopes to pass it this week and send it to the House before leaving for a weeklong Memorial Day recess.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said the effort to add the security package to the bill was a “bad idea” and he does not think there is enough backing to pass it, even if the cost were reduced.

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US indictment raises pressure as Cuba's president condemns charges

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday announced criminal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro in the 1996 downing of civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles as the Trump administration escalated pressure on the island’s socialist government.

The indictment accuses Castro of ordering the shootdown of two small planes operated by the exile group Brothers to the Rescue. Castro, who turns 95 next month, was Cuba’s defense minister at the time. The charges, which were secretly filed by a grand jury in April, included murder and destruction of an airplane. Five Cuban military pilots were also charged.

Asked to what lengths American authorities would go to bring Castro to face charges in the U.S., acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said: “There was a warrant issued for his arrest. So we expect that he will show up here, by his own will or by another way.”

The charges pose a real threat, observers said, following the capture by U.S. forces in January of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to face drug charges in New York.

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Yet like other major retailers posting financial results this week, it was cautious about the rest of the year given the current economic uncertainty. On Thursday, it issued a forecast for the current quarter that was weaker than what Wall Street had been expecting.

Shares slipped 2% before the opening bell Thursday.

Walmart has resonated with many Americans who are increasingly careful about where they spend their money as inflation has taken a bigger bite out of paychecks, particularly since the start of the Iran war in late February. Traffic at Walmart can be a barometer of consumer spending given its vast customer base. More than 150 million customers are on its website or in its stores every week, according to Walmart.

On Thursday, Walmart touted strong sales that were fueled by online shopping.

Comparable sales at U.S. Walmart stores rose 4.1% during the three-month period ended April 30. Walmart’s U.S online sales rose 26%, the company said.

Walmart’s promise of lower prices, improved merchandise and faster delivery has also attracted wealthier shoppers. The biggest gains in market share for Walmart are coming from households with annual income over $100,000. That shift is taking place as lower-income shoppers become more entrenched in what economists collectively call a K-shaped economy.

“Our results reflect our continued focus on delivering across the enterprise — better shopping experiences, a broader assortment, and faster delivery,” CEO John Furner said in a prepared statement Thursday.

Yet U.S. retailers have spent months navigating an uncertain economic environment, from President Donald Trump’s tariffs to the impact of soaring gasoline prices due to the war. The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline raced higher this week and did so again overnight. Gasoline prices are about 45% above where they were at this time last year.

Based on quarterly financial reports this week from Walmart, as well as Target, Home Depot, Lowe's and TJX, shoppers are cautious but still spending, helped by more generous tax refunds. Yet there is a widespread belief among economists that once of those refunds dry up, shoppers will pull back on spending. Consumer spending is the dominant economic engine for the U.S.

Target reported the largest jump in comparable sales in four years Wednesday, but a cautious outlook overshadowed convincing evidence that changes under the company’s new CEO are resonating with customers. Target raised its annual revenue outlook Wednesday, but even that falls below the pace of its first quarter this year.

The nation’s two largest home improvement retailers Home Depot and Lowe’s this week reported strong sales, but both companies said that customers are putting off larger home projects.

“I think, overall, this has been the most difficult housing market that I’ve faced in this business since the financial crisis,” Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison said this week.

Walmart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas reported first-quarter earnings of $5.33 billion, or 67 cents, for the quarter ended April 30. Adjusted per-share results were 66 cents, matching the 66 cents that analysts expected, according to FactSet.

For the year-ago quarter, the company reported net income of $4.48 billion, or 56 cents per share.

Sales rose 7.3% to $177.75 billion in the fiscal first quarter, above the $174.84 billion that analysts predicted,

For the second quarter, Walmart expects sales will be 4% to 5% higher than the same period a year ago. That brings the range to between $182.8 billion and $184.59 billion. It also expects per-share profit to be between 72 cents and 74 cents. Analysts had been projecting per-share earns of 75 cents on sales of $186.2 billion, according to FactSet.

For the year, Walmart stuck to the guidance it issued in February of per-share earnings between $2.75 and $2.85, and an increase in sales of between 3.5% and 4.5%, or between $731.1 billion and $738.2 billion.

Wall Street has been anticipating profits of $2.92 per share on sales of $749.01 billion for the year.

“This is it,” Rodgers said Wednesday when the four-time NFL MVP was asked if this would be his final year.

The 42-year-old did not expand on why he came to that conclusion. Maybe because there was no need.

Rodgers acknowledged that he thought his time in Pittsburgh — and perhaps the league — was over when Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stepped down the day after a blowout first-round playoff loss to Houston in January.

Things changed when Pittsburgh hired Mike McCarthy a few weeks later, a decision that Rodgers said he may have played a small role in when he encouraged Steelers general manager Omar Khan to talk to McCarthy. Rodgers and McCarthy spent 13 years together in Green Bay, winning a Super Bowl while becoming a playoff fixture.

McCarthy and Rodgers stayed in constant communication in recent months as Rodgers weighed whether to run it back one last time. While there was no one tipping point, the relative health of his 42-year-old body and the chance to have his career come “full circle" with a team that spent the offseason upgrading the offense in hopes of ending a lengthy playoff victory drought led to a reunion he called “surreal.”

“It is like a (bunch of) ‘pinch me’ moments that have happened in the last few days,” Rodgers said following the second day of Pittsburgh's voluntary organized team activities.

Perhaps because McCarthy hardly came back to his hometown alone.

The familiar faces from Rodgers' time in Green Bay are everywhere inside the Steelers' facility, from defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to offensive line coach James Campen. There are “getting the band back together” vibes everywhere Rodgers looks.

When Rodgers plopped into a chair for a meeting on Monday, in many ways it felt like it was 2006, when he was entering his second year in Green Bay as Brett Favre's backup and McCarthy was a first-year head coach still finding his way.

“Took me back to being a 22-year-old kid,” Rodgers said with a smile.

Only he's hardly that anymore. While the oldest player in the NFL turned back the clock enough last season to throw for 24 touchdowns against seven interceptions and guide the Steelers to the AFC North title, he also missed a game after breaking several bones in his left wrist and looked very much his age during the second half of what became a blowout loss to the Texans that ended both Pittsburgh's season and Tomlin's largely successful 19-year run as head coach.

Still, Rodgers believes he has enough left to attempt the rarest of exits for players of his stature: the ability to go out on his own terms.

McCarthy said Rodgers “can still throw it with anybody," though the time of year when Rodgers will be asked to really cut it loose is still months away. Perhaps Rodgers' most important job through OTAs, minicamp and training camp is helping the Steelers prepare for life without him.

While McCarthy and Rodgers stayed in constant communication as Rodgers hung out in Malibu, California, with his wife and weighed his options for 2026, the Steelers selected Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the third round of the draft, and McCarthy has talked up 2025 sixth-round choice Will Howard at every turn since taking over.

Allar and Howard figure to be in the mix this time next year when the Steelers restart their quest to find a long-term solution at the game's most important position, a search that's been ongoing since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement in January 2022.

Rodgers' presence offers a cheat code of sorts. He knows all the answers to the test, particularly when the test is offered by McCarthy. Allar and Howard will get to spend the next seven or so months soaking up what they can from Rodgers about what McCarthy wants and perhaps more importantly, how he wants it.

McCarthy called Rodgers “a tremendous resource” who also happens to be a future Hall of Famer, giving him a certain cachet that might make him a better conduit for what McCarthy is trying to teach than the coach himself.

“It's like parenting,” McCarthy said. “I could sit there and tell my kids something, and then, like if he’d walk in and tell my son George something, he’d jump out the window and do it.”

While Rodgers took a friendly jab at Favre — whom he sat behind during the first three years of his career — by borrowing a phrase from Favre that mentoring is “not in my job description,” the reality is it's a role he relishes.

Just not as much as the chance to win. When Rodgers signed with the Steelers a year ago, he called the decision “best for my soul.” It's much the same this time around.

He likes what the team has done by trading for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., signing running back Rico Dowdle and drafting wideout Germie Bernard. The offensive line could be better with Troy Fautanu moving over to left tackle. The defense still has a pair of franchise icons in defensive lineman Cam Heyward and outside linebacker TJ Watt.

And now it has a quarterback eager to soak up every last bit of the final chapter of a career that will end with a gold jacket and a bust in the Hall of Fame. Just not quite yet.

“I am excited about these guys," he said. “I’m excited about the team.”

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

The Communications and Multimedia Commission said the move followed the circulation of “grossly offensive, false, menacing and insulting” content, including AI-generated videos and manipulated images linked to an account falsely claiming association with king Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar.

Such matters fall within the sensitive issues of race, religion and royalty “which are highly sensitive and may undermine public order, national harmony and respect for constitutional institutions,” the regulator said in a statement.

Despite prior notifications and engagements, it said TikTok’s moderation response especially in ensuring the prompt removal of such content and preventing further dissemination was unsatisfactory.

It said TikTok — which has not publicly commented on the case — has been issued a legal notice that requires it to explain its moderation failures and undertake immediate remedial measures, including strengthening its content moderation mechanisms and improving enforcement against content that violates Malaysian laws and community standards.

The commission said social media platforms operating in Malaysia are expected to exercise greater responsibility in preventing unlawful and harmful activities on their services.

It warned it would continue to take “firm and proportionate action” to ensure digital platforms comply with their responsibilities in maintaining a safe and respectful online environment.

The move comes amid Malaysia’ s broader push to tighten oversight of digital platforms, with authorities in recent years stepping up enforcement against social media companies over harmful content, scams, online gambling and material deemed offensive or threatening to public order.

TikTok did not respond to a request by The Associated Press for comment.

The Israel-based legal advocacy group, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, or Adalah, said Thursday that all of the international activists are in transit to a civilian airport near the southern Israeli city of Eilat for deportation.

The group said one participant, Zohar Regev, who holds Israeli citizenship, was in a court hearing in the southern city of Ashkelon on charges of illegal entry into Israel and unlawful stay. Regev has taken part in previous flotillas to Gaza.

Netanyahu calls for quick deportation after rebuking security minister

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday he instructed that the activists be deported “as soon as possible,” after sharply rebuking Israel’s national security minister for a provocative video showing the minister taunting detained flotilla activists who were handcuffed and kneeling.

Netanyahu said that although Israel has every right to stop “provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters,” the way National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir dealt with the activists was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms.”

Ben-Gvir released videos Wednesday showing him walking among some of the approximately 430 detainees. In one, activists with their hands tied behind their backs are kneeling, their heads touching the floor inside what appears to be a makeshift detention area on the deck of a ship.

Several countries, including Britain, France and Portugal, summoned Israeli envoys on Thursday over concerns about the treatment of flotilla activists and in protest of Ben-Gvir’s actions.

“The actions of Mr. Ben-Gvir toward the passengers of the Global Sumud flotilla, condemned even by his own colleagues in the Israeli government, are unacceptable,” French foreign affairs minister Jean-Noel Barrot said. Turkey, Greece, Italy and Indonesia also condemned Israel for Ben-Gvir's comments and the treatment of flotilla activists.

Turkey plans to provide planes to retrieve activists

Turkey is sending planes to retrieve Turkish citizens and others who participated in the flotilla, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Thursday. Around 85 Turkish nationals took part in the latest flotilla, according to Turkish media.

Dozens of the activists' boats began setting sail from Spain to Gaza in April, with organizers saying they want to draw renewed attention to the conditions for nearly 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Israel stopped 20 vessels from the group on April 30 near the southern Greek island of Crete and forced most of its activists to disembark there.

Israel took two high profile activists — Spanish-Swedish citizen Saif Abukeshek and Brazilian citizen Thiago Ávila — back to Israel where they were interrogated and detained for around a week before being deported.

The activists accused Israel of torture, claims Israel denies. Brazil and Spain condemned Israel for “kidnapping” their citizens.

Participants then regrouped and more than 50 boats departed from the Turkish port of Marmaris on May 14. Israeli forces began stopping the boats around 268 kilometers (167 miles) from the Gaza coastline, off the coast of Cyprus, according to the flotilla’s website.

Israel has repeatedly blocked similar attempts

Israel's Foreign Ministry has called the flotilla “a PR stunt at the service of Hamas” with no real intent to deliver aid to Gaza. The boats carry a tiny, symbolic amount of aid.

This week, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions against several European activists aboard the flotilla, which U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called “pro-terror.”

Last year Israeli authorities blocked a similar attempt involving about 50 vessels and some 500 activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela and several European lawmakers.

Israel arrested, detained and later deported the participants, who claimed Israeli authorities abused them. Israeli authorities denied the accusations.

Blockade of Gaza in place since 2007

Israel has maintained a sea blockade of Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007. Israeli authorities intensified it after the Hamas-led militant attacks on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023.

Critics say the blockade amounts to collective punishment. Israel says it’s intended to prevent Hamas from arming itself. Egypt, which has the only border crossing with Gaza not controlled by Israel, has also greatly restricted movement in and out.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive following the Oct. 7 attacks that started the war has killed more than 72,700 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of Gaza’s Hamas-run government, doesn’t give a breakdown between civilians and combatants. It is staffed by medical professionals who maintain and publish detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community. — Andrew Wilks in Istanbul and Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus contributed to this report.

Experts at the McWilliams Family YMCA say prevention starts long before families head to the pool, lake, or beach.

The YMCA offers group, private, semi-private, and adaptive swim lessons designed for children of all ages and skill levels, including neurodivergent children and kids with special needs. Parent-child classes are also available to help young children become comfortable and confident in the water early.

According to YMCA Aquatics Director Kennedy Conlee, formal swim lessons can significantly lower the risk of drowning.

“Taking formal swim lessons reduces the risk of drowning by at least 88%,” Conlee said. “Swimming is a life skill. It could save your child’s life one day.”

Safety advocates say swimming should be viewed as more than just a summer activity; it’s a survival skill.

Swim instructor and head lifeguard Madyson McMunn says one of the most important habits children can learn is asking permission before entering the water.

“We always ask for permission before getting in the water,” McMunn said. “That helps build a habit not just here, but at home too, so parents are always aware.”

McMunn also emphasized the importance of involving parents throughout the learning process to help build confidence for both children and caregivers.

The YMCA says adaptive swim lessons are especially important for children with autism or other developmental needs because instructors can tailor teaching strategies to fit each child.

McMunn shared the story of one child with autism who initially refused to touch the water but eventually gained enough confidence to join the swim team after working closely with instructors.

Experts say the goal is not only to make children comfortable in the water, but also to teach life-saving safety skills that can help prevent tragedy.

The YMCA also says financial assistance is available for nearly all aquatics programs, emphasizing that cost should not prevent families from learning water safety this summer.

The vote is the latest effort by Democrats to rein in Trump's military campaigns by using the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Previous votes on similar resolutions have failed, but Democrats are hoping that Thursday could be a turning point.

One by one, a small but potentially crucial number of Republicans have sided with Democrats to check Trump's power to continue the conflict. On Tuesday, the Senate advanced another war powers resolution on the Iran war when four GOP senators supported the resolution and three others were absent from the vote.

A final vote on the Senate resolution could also come Thursday, though Republican leaders expect they'll be able to block it once every GOP senator is present.

Frustration with Iran war grows on Capitol Hill

On Capitol Hill, patience with the war has grown thin as the stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz disrupts global shipping and elevates gas prices in the U.S. Another House war powers resolution nearly passed last week, falling on a tie vote as three Republicans voted in favor.

Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, who sponsored the war powers resolution, has said he expects to have the votes this time around.

“Congress has a constitutional duty. It has a duty to act, not to cheerlead, especially not to cheerlead an open-ended war of choice,” Meeks said.

The lone Democrat who voted against the war powers resolution last week, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, has said he will vote in favor of the legislation this time. Meanwhile, leaders of both parties have been dealing with several absences that could shift the vote either way in the closely divided chamber.

Republicans have been broadly supportive of Trump's efforts to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities, but some are now saying that the president's legal timeline to wage a war without congressional approval has expired. Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, presidents have 60 days to engage in a military conflict before Congress must either declare war or authorize the use of military force.

“We have to follow the law,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican shortly after he voted for an Iran war powers resolution for the first time last week.

The dispute over war powers

The White House argues that the requirements of the War Powers Resolution no longer apply because of the ceasefire with Iran. At the same time, Trump has said he was just an hour away from ordering another strike on Iran earlier this week, but held off because Gulf allies said they were engaged in negotiations to end the war.

Still, Trump said on social media that military leaders should “be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.” Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican who has so far voted against the war powers resolutions, expressed frustration with the Trump administration's stance, especially from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“The current status quo, Pete Hegseth demonstrates how incompetent he is,” Tillis told reporters, adding that he would be willing to vote for an authorization for use of military force.

Meanwhile, Democratic senators rallied outside the Capitol Wednesday alongside VoteVets, a left-leaning veterans’ advocacy group. They placed signs on the Capitol lawn noting that the nationwide average price of gasoline had risen to $4.53.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat who served in the Iraq War with the Air National Guard, argued that the Iran war has amounted to a strategic blunder for Trump.

“Trump started a war, and he’s made things worse than before,” Duckworth said, pointing to Iran's new leadership and the country's willingness to put a chokehold on commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Republican leaders praised Trump for taking what they said was bold action to directly confront Iran, a nation that has been a U.S. adversary for decades.

“I’m an American. I don’t believe in getting hit and walking away and pretending as though it didn’t happen,” said Rep. Brian Mast, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

For Congress, the growing momentum to pass a war powers resolution could eventually lead to a legal showdown over who has the final authority over military conflicts.

The legislation before the House Thursday is a concurrent resolution that lawmakers say would take effect without Trump's signature if it passes both chambers of Congress.

But Trump has also argued that the 1973 law — passed by Congress during the Vietnam War era in an attempt to take back its power over foreign conflicts — is unconstitutional.

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Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.

For the first time in a NATO and European Union capital, Lithuanians were pictured sheltering in underground car parks in Vilnius on Wednesday, as authorities warned of unidentified drone activity.

No one has died or been injured recently, but the increasing airspace incursions have prompted some Baltic ministers to chastise Ukraine for the violations. In Latvia, officials' handling of the stray drones led to a political crisis that triggered the collapse of the government earlier this month.

Ukraine has ramped up attacks on Baltic Sea ports used for Russian energy exports in an attempt to hit Moscow’s war chest as U.S. President Donald Trump’s war in Iran has driven up the price of oil, a key revenue stream for the Kremlin.

As Ukraine’s drones have snaked up north, they have skirted the borders of NATO members Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland. Some of them were not detected before they crash landed in some of the Baltic states.

Ukrainian officials apologized and said the drones were aimed at military targets inside Russia but were sent off course by Russian electronic interference.

The string of airspace violations has prompted questions about the state of air defenses on NATO’s eastern flank.

Ukraine is targeting Russian ports on the Baltic Sea

Ukraine's intensifying attacks against Russia has focused on arms factories, ports on the Baltic Sea and energy facilities as the war in Iran has boosted oil prices.

It has particularly targeted the ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk, close to the borders of Estonia and Finland. Russia uses the ports to load up ships taking its oil exports through the Baltic Sea.

During one attack in May, which set part of the port of Primorsk on fire, more than 60 Ukrainian drones were shot down, Leningrad region governor Alexander Drozdenko said.

After stray Ukrainian drones entered Latvian airspace on May 7, the country’s Defense Minister Andris Spruds resigned, leading Prime Minister Evika Silina to also quit days later because she was left without a majority in the coalition government.

On May 19, a Romanian fighter jet based in Lithuania shot down a Ukrainian drone over southern Estonia. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said it was likely aimed at targets in Russia and that he told Ukraine to send its drones “as far from NATO territory as possible.”

On Wednesday, NATO fighter jets escorted an unidentified drone which crossed into Lithuania, prompting a red alert urging citizens to take cover around the capital Vilnius, Lithuania's defense ministry said. Contact with the drone was lost and the military was searching for it, the ministry said.

Russian electronic interference sends drones off course

Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Nordic and Baltic nations have increasingly warned about electronic interference from Russia disrupting communications with planes, ships and drones.

In the Baltic region, Russia often uses jamming and spoofing to send drones off course.

Satellite communications systems — known collectively as the Global Navigation Satellite System, or GNSS — receive precise time signals from satellites around 20,000 kilometers (12,400 miles) away in space. A smartphone, car, marine or aircraft navigation system compares how long it takes to receive signals from several different satellites to calculate an exact location.

Jamming occurs when a receiver is overwhelmed by a strong radio signal transmitted in the same frequency range as GNSS and other satellite navigation signals, leaving the receiver unable to fix its location or time. Spoofing involves transmitting fake signals that imitate a real GNSS satellite signal, commonly known as GPS, to mislead a phone, ship, or aircraft into thinking it is in a different place.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said Tuesday that Russia is “deliberately” redirecting Ukrainian drones into Baltic airspace with electronic interference.

Drones have been entering Baltic airspace for many months

In September 2025, about 20 Russian drones flew into Poland, putting the spotlight on holes in NATO’s air defenses, as multimillion-dollar jets were scrambled. Those drones were not detected in advance, Estonia's defense minister said at the time.

Neither was a Ukrainian military drone which crashed with explosives in Lithuania last week, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, chief of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre said on Sunday.

While Poland and Romania responded to the drone incursions last year by deploying new anti-drone technology — the first used by the NATO alliance aimed specifically at countering drones — that system is not in place across the entire Baltic region.

Defending against drones requires solving a complex set of technological, financial and bureaucratic problems and "there is no one solution against every type of drone,” Colonel Janno Märk of the Estonian Defense Forces said.

Tackling various types of drones operating at different speeds and altitudes require a layered air defense response, Märk said during military exercises in southeastern Estonia.

Budrys, the Lithuanian foreign minister, told AP in an interview Saturday that the Baltic countries are likely going to have to continue to counter incursions from Ukrainian drones as Kyiv now has the capability to reach targets “deep in Russia” as well as ports on the Baltic Sea. The way to counter those drones, he said, is actually with Ukraine's help as the most effective anti-drone systems have been developed in the country.

Ukraine denies claims it is preparing attacks from the Baltics

Writing on X, Budrys accused Moscow of “waging smear campaigns” after Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, the SVR, claimed on Tuesday that Ukraine is preparing to launch drone attacks against Russia from the territory of the Baltic countries.

The SVR claimed Ukrainian military personnel had already deployed to Latvia and warned that the country’s NATO membership wouldn’t protect it from “just retribution.” It did not provide evidence for its claims.

Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesman, Heorhii Tykhyi, said Tuesday that none of the Baltic states or Finland have ever allowed Ukraine to use their airspace for strikes against Russia.

Budrys called the SVR claim a “transparent act of desperation” and an attempt to sow chaos and distract from a “simple reality” — that Ukraine is hitting Russia's military machine hard.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised the alliance’s reaction to the drone incidents, saying that they had been met with “a calm, decisive and proportionate response.”

“This is exactly what we planned and prepared for,” Rutte said, blaming Russia’s war on Ukraine for the incursions.

The announcement on Thursday by India's Ministry of External Affairs comes as health officials in Congo are tackling an Ebola virus outbreak.

The decision was made in recognition of “the importance of ensuring the full participation and engagement of African leaders and stakeholders, and mindful of the emerging public health situation on the continent,” the joint statement said.

India reaffirmed its solidarity with Africa and said it was ready to contribute to Africa CDC-led efforts to address the health situation.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

Healthcare workers and aid groups in eastern Congo said Thursday they are in dire need of more supplies and staff to respond to the rare Ebola outbreak, as armed groups continue to threaten the safety of a region already grappling with displacement and a humanitarian crisis.

“The situation is worrying because this is gaining momentum,” Hama Amado, the Bunia field coordinator for Alima, an aid group, told The Associated Press. “This is spreading in many areas. So everyone must mobilize.”

He added: “We are still far from saying that the situation is under control.”

There is no available vaccine or medicine for the Bundibugyo strain, which spread undetected for weeks following the first known death while authorities tested for another, more common, Ebola virus and came up negative.

Healthcare workers and aid groups are now playing a catch up game with an outbreak that experts say is much larger than what has been officially reported. So far, there are 139 suspected deaths and almost 600 suspected cases.

The World Health Organization, which noted a low risk globally, has said “patient zero” has not been found.

While almost 20 tons of aid has been airlifted to Bunia, the site of the first known death, doctors using out-of-date facemasks were tending to suspected Ebola patients in general wards because of the lack of isolation space.

Early detection of the virus is key in saving lives, but the region's already weak health infrastructure and surveillance capacity has been further weakened by international aid cuts, experts say. There are over 920,000 internally displaced people in Ituri, a province that has become the hot spot of the outbreak, according to the U.N.

“Communities in eastern DRC are already facing immense pressure from conflict, displacement, and a collapsing health system,” said Dr. Lievin Bangali, Senior Health Coordinator for the International Rescue Committee in DRC. “Years of underfunding, compounded by recent cuts to front line health and outbreak preparedness programming, have weakened the ability to detect and respond to outbreaks quickly.”

The group said it had to stop its surveillance activities in three out of five areas in Ituri over the last year because of funding cuts.

A mother watches her son ‘bleeding and vomiting’

At a treatment center in Rwampara, healthcare workers in protective gear handled the bodies of suspected Ebola victims.

Families who tend to wash loved ones’ bodies themselves watched on as workers disinfected the corpses and placed them into coffins to be taken to secure burial sites. Some relatives burst into tears.

The disease struck suddenly, they said, describing a rapid deterioration after symptoms were mistaken for illnesses such as malaria.

“He told me his heart was hurting,” said Botwine Swanze, who lost her son. “Then he started crying because of the pain. Then he started bleeding and vomiting a lot.”

The Ebola virus is highly contagious and spreads in the human population through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding.

‘We have no protection’

Schools and churches remain open in Bunia. Some residents have started wearing facemasks, which have become harder to find.

“It’s truly sad and painful because we’ve already been through a security crisis, and now Ebola is here too,” said Justin Ndasi, a resident.

There is growing anxiety at health centers.

A Doctors Without Borders team identified suspected cases over the weekend at the city’s Salama hospital but found no available isolation ward in the area, Trish Newport, an emergency program manager, said on social media.

“Every health facility they called said, ‘We’re full of suspect cases. We don’t have any space.’ This gives you a vision of how crazy it is right now,” she said.

In Bambu General Hospital elsewhere in Ituri province, suspected Ebola patients shared a ward with others injured or ill.

In Mongbwalu, where the body of the first known death was taken, the nearby border with Uganda remains open and gold mining continues, said Chérubin Kuku Ndilawa, a civil society leader, highlighting the difficulty of containing the virus.

“There’s no panic. People continue with their normal lives, but they’re also starting to spread the word,” said Ndilawa, and noted a lack of public handwashing stations.

It was very different at Mongbwalu General Hospital, where Dr. Didier Pay said it was treating around 30 Ebola patients, and a student from the local medical technology institute died on Wednesday.

“The patients are scattered here and there in rather unusual conditions,” Dr. Richard Lokudu, the hospital’s medical director, told the AP. “We hope for the proper triage and isolation facilities to be installed today, and if that doesn’t happen, we will be completely overwhelmed.”

They are understaffed and not trained to handle suspected cases, he said. If confirmed cases surge, “we have no protection.”

WHO chief says the ‘scale of the epidemic is much larger’

WHO has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. The organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday said he was “deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic,” while WHO’s chief in Congo said the outbreak could last at least two months.

Investigations are continuing into the source of the outbreak, but “given the scale, we are thinking that it has started probably a couple of months ago,” said Anaïs Legand, a viral hemorrhagic fevers expert at the WHO.

So far, 51 cases have been confirmed in Congo’s northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, and two cases in Uganda, Dr. Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. But “the scale of the epidemic is much larger,” he said.

The London-based MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis estimates that cases have been substantially undercounted and that the actual number could already exceed 1,000. “The true magnitude remains uncertain,” it said.

Insecurity continues

Long the scene of attacks by an array of armed groups, the region’s volatility now further complicates efforts to handle the crisis. Local leaders said an attack by militants linked to the Islamic State group killed at least 17 people on Tuesday in Alima, a village in Ituri.

Fighters with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has ties to IS, killed civilians with machetes and firearms, burned down houses and business and took several people hostage. Civil society groups warned of other villages in the region facing a threat of attack.

The number of ADF fighters in Congo is unclear, but they are a significant presence in the region and regularly attack civilians. Another armed group that is active in the region is CODECO, a loose association of militia groups mainly from the ethnic Lendu farming community.

___

Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Jean Yves Kamale in Kinshasa, Congo; Wilson McMakin in Dakar, Senegal contributed to this report.

___

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

___

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

The U.K. government on Thursday released the confidential papers related to the appointment, just months after lawmakers accused the king’s brother of putting his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein ahead of the nation.

“The Queen is very keen that the Duke of York should take on a prominent role in the promotion of national interests,” the head of Britain’s trade body wrote in a letter.

The involvement of the late queen will confirm previously held beliefs that the monarch held a soft spot for her son — an empathy that might have influenced her lack of decisiveness in dealing with allegations of Andrew’s connection to Epstein.

Lawmakers approved a motion in February demanding publication of the documents after the one-time prince, now known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on charges related to allegations that he shared government reports with Epstein while he was trade envoy.

Trade Minister Chris Bryant said in a written statement to lawmakers that “we have found no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken” before Andrew was appointed to the role.

“There is also no evidence that this was considered. This is understandable since this new appointment was a continuation of the royal family’s involvement in trade and investment promotion work following the Duke of Kent’s decision to relinquish his duties as Vice-Chairman of the Overseas Trade Board," he said.

He said that the government was cooperating with Thames Valley Police on their investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor and possible misconduct in public office.

Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal title last year as King Charles III tried to insulate the monarchy from the growing fallout from the Epstein scandal. The former prince served as a special envoy for international trade from 2001 to 2011, when he was forced to give up the role because of concerns about his links to questionable figures in Libya and Azerbaijan.

The move followed the U.S. Justice Department’s release of millions of pages of documents related to Epstein. Those files showed how the wealthy financier used an international web of rich, powerful friends to gain influence and sexually exploit young women and girls.

Nowhere has the fallout from the document release been felt more strongly than in the U.K., where the scandal has raised questions about the way power is wielded by the aristocracy, senior politicians and influential business owners, known collectively as “the Establishment.”

Mountbatten-Windsor has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

With Memorial Day marking the unofficial start of summer, airport officials are expecting one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

More than 1.3 million passengers are expected to travel through Houston Airport’s facilities, including George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport, through next week.

Airport officials are urging travelers to plan before heading to the airport, especially when it comes to parking, traffic delays, and confirming which terminal their flight departs from.

One major change travelers may notice this summer is the reopening of Terminal E at Bush Airport following a massive $1.5 billion renovation project. Officials say the terminal now includes updated TSA checkpoints, a new baggage handling system, and expanded space for international airlines.

The improvements come as Houston prepares for an increase in international travel this summer, which is expected to make terminals even busier.

Travelers also now have another transportation option to the airport. Officials say METRO Downtown Direct now connects downtown Houston to both Bush and Hobby airports, giving passengers an alternative to rideshare apps and airport parking.

Airport leaders are encouraging passengers to arrive early, warning that terminals, curbsides, and TSA checkpoints are expected to remain crowded throughout the Memorial Day holiday and into next week as summer travel officially ramps up.

During Trump’s visit, China sought to stabilize ties with the United States, while Putin’s trip served to deepen its strategic partnership with Russia.

Xi emphasized ceremonial hospitality during Trump’s visit, including a rare tour of Zhongnanhai, a former imperial garden that now serves as headquarters of China’s top leadership. Beijing understood Trump valued highly visible displays of respect, said George Chen, partner for Greater China practice for The Asia Group. “Xi knows this is what Trump values: being treated like a VIP, respected in front of the cameras.”

With Putin, Chen said, Xi switched to substance. “Reaffirming the friendship treaty, signing new energy deals, and re-emphasizing their ‘no limits’ partnership,” he added.

The similarities and contrasts began with the schedule

The differences between the two visits began with their length: The U.S. president stayed in China for three days, while Putin’s visit lasted two.

Both leaders were welcomed at Tiananmen Square with ceremonial guards, a military band and children waving flags.

Both also held closed-door meetings with Xi at the Great Hall of the People, next to the square.

Trump also received a private tour of the Temple of Heaven and walked through the imperial gardens of Zhongnanhai.

Putin, instead, spent much of his time with Xi inside the Great Hall of the People, where the two presidents toured a photo exhibition on China-Russia relations and later had tea.

Last week’s trip was Trump’s second visit to China as president. For Putin, it was his 25th visit to the country.

The clearest divide came in the messaging

The main contrast between the two summits was in their messaging.

With Trump, Xi focused on the need to maintain a relatively stable relationship after months of tensions and a trade war between the world’s two largest economies. He urged the U.S. president to see China as a partner rather than a rival, and both leaders agreed to work toward what they described as “a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability.”

With Putin, Xi sought to reinforce and deepen a longstanding partnership that is both strategic and economically important for the two countries.

While the U.S. and China are still trying to stabilize their trade ties, Moscow and Beijing reaffirmed their relationship as essential partners. Putin said the “driving force” of the relationship was the energy sector, particularly oil and gas.

Xi signed agreements with only one of the presidents

China and Russia reached more than 40 cooperation agreements covering areas including trade, technology and media exchanges. The two leaders also signed a joint declaration describing Russia and China as “important centers of power in a multipolar world.”

Trump and Xi, by contrast, did not sign a joint declaration or oversee the signing of any agreements publicly during the visit. It was only after the U.S. president left Beijing that the two countries announced the details of several accords, with Washington saying China had agreed to buy U.S. agricultural products at an annualized rate of $17 billion and purchase 200 Boeing jets.

“China and Russia reached more agreements, and with China and the U.S., what are the agreements? Even that is not very clear,” said Claus Soong, an analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin.

But Lyle Morris, senior fellow on Chinese national security and foreign policy at Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, said the biggest surprise from the Xi-Putin meetings was that it appears no formal deal was signed for the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline plan, which could send gas from Russia to China through Mongolia.

“This is a huge setback for Russia and Putin,” he said.

Putin and Trump have different stances on Taiwan

Moscow is closely aligned with Beijing on the issue of Taiwan, the island democracy China claims as its own. Meanwhile, the U.S. maintains an intentionally ambiguous stance on the island and serves as its main informal backer and arms provider.

Xi made it clear to Trump that Taiwan is the most important issue in the bilateral relationship and warned that mishandling U.S. ties with the self-governing island could lead to confrontation between the two countries.

Trump did not publicly address Taiwan during the visit. But on his way back to the United States, he described arms sales to Taiwan as a “very good negotiating chip” with China, comments that stirred anxieties on the island.

With Putin, there was no sign of disagreement over the issue.

In the joint declaration signed by Xi and Putin, Russia reiterated its opposition to Taiwanese independence “in any form” and voiced support for what it described as China’s efforts to defend its sovereignty and achieve “national unification.”

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, both sides also raised concerns over what they called “accelerated remilitarization” of Japan, against the backdrop of strained China-Japan ties over Taiwan.

____

Leung reported from Hong Kong, and Mistreanu from Bangkok.

Houston police confirmed a road rage incident was reported Tuesday night near the 7600 block of the Katy Freeway.

The woman, who asked to be identified only as “Mary” out of fear for her safety, said she was driving with her 16-year-old daughter when a gray Cadillac Escalade suddenly pulled in front of them.

“So as me and my daughter were going up I-10, a car suddenly moved in front of us,” Mary said. “So I just went around and they got back in front.”

• Harris County planning $2M smart flood warning system ahead of 2026 hurricane season

Mary said the situation escalated quickly.

“They got on the side of us and they looked in the car and I saw a woman pull a Tiffany Blue pistol, a handgun,” Mary said.

According to Mary, the Escalade continued moving aggressively around their vehicle while her daughter started recording video.

“That was when my daughter literally started recording again and got the shot,” she said.

In the cellphone video obtained by KPRC 2, a gunshot can be heard ringing out during the encounter.

“I was just in shock honestly,” Mary said. “Couldn’t really believe it. It was never that serious.”

Mary described the driver as a young Black man with long dreadlocks or twists. She said the female passenger, who she says fired the shot, was wearing a bonnet.

Despite fearing for their safety, Mary said she tried to follow the Escalade in an attempt to get the license plate number.

“I really wanted the police to get them,” she said. “It looked like they were going to kill us.”

Mary said she called 911 four times and waited more than two hours for police to arrive before eventually filing a report at Houston Police Department’s Dairy Ashford station.

• Houston says 99% of reported potholes are patched within a day. KPRC 2 put that claim to the test

The incident comes amid several other recent road rage cases reported across the Houston area.

Last month, authorities said a road rage incident involving three vehicles on Greenhouse Road near Morton Road escalated into gunfire. Deputies said one of the vehicles involved had a 9-year-old passenger inside.

In another case from this past March in northwest Harris County, cellphone video captured a man approaching a woman while holding what appeared to be a machete during a confrontation on Highway 249 near Grant Road.

Mary said this was the first time she had personally experienced road rage violence.

“I’m still pretty shaken up and I just want justice honestly,” she said.

Anyone with information in the Katy Freeway incident is asked to contact Houston police.

The India Meteorological Department forecast maximum temperatures Thursday of around 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in the capital, New Delhi, where authorities have opened temporary “cooling zones” to help people cope.

The weather department warned conditions will likely persist across several northern regions in the coming days, with temperatures staying well above seasonal averages. Authorities urged people to stay indoors during the hottest hours and take precautions against heat-related illnesses.

India declares a heat wave whenever temperatures are above 40 C (104 F) in the plains and 30 C (86 F) or more in its hilly regions.

Severe heat disrupts daily life

The extreme heat has disrupted daily life across several northern states.

In some parts of Uttar Pradesh state, India’s most populous, roads and markets have closed in the afternoons as people stayed indoors while some traders shifted work to early mornings. Farmers began working at night because daytime conditions became unbearable.

The heat also disrupted schools, with authorities in several areas announcing early summer vacations and suspending classes as the maximum temperature shot up to 48.2 C (118.8 F) on Tuesday in the city of Banda.

Health authorities urged people to avoid going outdoors during peak afternoon hours, stay hydrated and seek medical help if they experience symptoms such as dizziness or high fever.

Cooling shelters offer relief

In New Delhi, residents and tourists sought relief from the heat inside cooling shelters set up across the capital. The shaded space provides air coolers, fans, drinking water and oral rehydration solutions to help people deal with the extreme heat.

Inside one tent on Wednesday, people rested beside air coolers as officials distributed cups of water mixed with rehydration salts.

“We had come here for outing. But it is too hot here. The cooling system here is good for us,” said Basharat Ahmad Malla, a 25-year-old tourist.

Extreme heat tied to global warming

Climate experts say India’s rising temperatures are part of a broader global pattern linked to climate change.

India has faced more frequent and intense heat waves in recent years, with all of its warmest years on record occurring in the last decade.

“India has warmed considerably as a result of anthropogenic (human-made) climate change in the last decade compared to previous years. Northwestern India has warmed much faster than many other parts of the country,” said Anjal Prakash, author of several United Nations climate reports and professor of public policy at Pune-based Flame University.

Prakash said India is accustomed to summer heat but “climate change is loading the dice towards extreme and pervasive episodes like those we see now.”

Studies by public health experts found that up to 1,116 people have died every year between 2008 and 2019 due to heat. Public health experts say the true number of heat-related deaths is likely in the thousands, but because heat is often not listed on death certificates, many deaths are not counted in official figures.

___

Associated Press journalists Biswajeet Banerjee in Lucknow, Piyush Nagpal in New Delhi, and Sibi Arasu in Bengaluru, India, contributed to this report.

Richard Knight, 47, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Knight was sentenced to death after being convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in 2006 for the deaths of Odessia Stephens and her four-year-old child, Hanessia Mullings.

This would be Florida’s seventh execution so far this year, following a record 19 executions in 2025. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The previous record was set in 2014 with eight executions.

According to court records, Knight had been living in Coral Springs, near Fort Lauderdale, with his cousin, his cousin's girlfriend and their daughter in June 2000. Knight and Stephens frequently argued about Knight living there. One evening while Knight's cousin was at work, Stephens told Knight that he would need to move out the next morning. Knight became angry and stabbed Stephens multiple times and then attacked the young girl, officials said.

While being held at the Broward County Jail following his arrest, Knight confessed the killings to another inmate, who testified against Knight during his trial.

The Florida Supreme Court denied Knight's appeals last Friday. The court rejected his claim of newly discovered evidence, pointing out that an unidentified fingerprint found on a knife at the murder scene was known about and addressed during Knight's original trial. The court also rejected claims based on Florida's execution protocols and warrant process.

A final appeal was still pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way with a flurry of death warrants signed by DeSantis. Alabama, South Carolina and Texas tied for second with five executions each.

An execution was scheduled for Thursday in Tennessee. And another execution is planned in Florida on June 2. Andrew Richard Lukehart, 53, was convicted of fatally beating of his girlfriend's infant daughter in 1996.

All Florida executions are carried out via lethal injection of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.

The drones targeted the Syzran oil refinery, located more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) inside Russia, Zelenskyy said on social media, where he posted a video of the aftermath.

It was not possible to verify the video or independently confirm the attack. The governor of Russia’s Samara region, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, said that two people were killed by Ukrainian drones in Syzran but he didn’t mention the refinery. Russia’s Astra news outlet said that Ukrainian drones struck the Syzran refinery owned by oil and gas giant Rosneft.

Ukraine has expanded its mid- and long-range strike capabilities, deploying eye-catching drone and missile technology that it has developed domestically as it battles to defeat Russia’s 4-year-old invasion. Ukrainian weaponry and expertise are now sought by other countries, whereas earlier in the war Kyiv had to plead for massive foreign military aid.

Ukrainian drones hit another refinery the previous day, Zelenskyy said, as attacks on Russian oil assets that play a key part in funding the invasion have become almost daily occurrences.

“Overall, our long-range plan for May is being carried out largely in full,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post late Wednesday. “The key targets are Russian oil refineries, storage facilities, and other infrastructure tied to these oil revenues.”

The escalating attacks have hurt Moscow’s revenue at the same time as it feels the economic pinch of international sanctions. With some attacks reaching more than 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) into Russian soil, the strikes have contributed to some Russians feeling unsafe due to the war and heaped pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine reportedly makes battlefield gains

Ukraine’s new reach has also helped it push Russian troops back along parts of the front line, with Ukrainian forces making their most significant battlefield gains since 2024, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

“Ukraine’s intensified midrange strike campaign against Russian logistics, military equipment, and manpower since early 2026 has also degraded Russian forces’ ability to conduct offensive operations across the theater and has also likely supported recent Ukrainian advances,” the Washington-based think tank said in an assessment late Wednesday.

Ukraine has slowed Russia’s battlefield advance and is gradually regaining the initiative along the front line, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said, partly due to Russian forces being denied access to Starlink satellite services to steer its drones toward targets.

“Russia has since not been able to find a full replacement (for Starlink), giving Ukraine a critical battlefield advantage,” Fedorov told reporters. He spoke on Saturday but his comments were embargoed till Thursday.

Fedorov said in February he had asked Elon Musk’s SpaceX to help deny Russia use of the service in Ukraine. Starlink is a global internet network that relies on around 10,000 satellites orbiting Earth.

Fedorov said that mid-size drones have become a key technological advantage for Ukraine on the front line and claimed that Ukrainian forces have doubled their interception rate of Russian drones over the past four months.

Ukraine is also preparing changes to the military, covering pay and contract terms, he said.

Drone attacks claim victims in Ukraine and Russia

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 121 Ukrainian drones between late Wednesday and early Thursday.

In the Belgorod region that borders Ukraine, eight people were injured by Ukrainian drones, according to the regional governor, Alexander Shuvayev.

Russia has also invested heavily in drones, using them to bombard civilian areas of Ukraine throughout the war and killing more than 15,000 civilians, according to the United Nations.

Ukraine’s air force said Thursday it shot down 109 out of 116 drones that Russia launched overnight.

One civilian was killed and at least six others were wounded in the strikes in the north, south and east of the country, emergency services said.

___

Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal. Associated Press writer Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

___

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

Let’s jump straight into the news of the morning.

If you’re headed out this morning, make sure you grab your umbrellas, because although it’s not raining right now, it’s set to begin sometime this morning.

And unfortunately, we are not done with the rain after today; it looks like we will be seeing rain pop up on our radar throughout the weekend into next week.

To read more, click here.

➡️ Love our morning newsletter? Share it with your family and friends!

YOUR MORNING FORECAST ☀️

TODAY: 80° TONIGHT: 71°

KPRC 2 Meteorologist says:

“Houston is waking up to a dry start, but don’t let that fool you. Rounds of rain and storms will move in from the west later this morning and continue through the afternoon. The concern with these storms is the speed. The trend over the last few days has been storms slowing down and not moving out of our area quickly. There is a flood watch that starts Thursday morning, lasting through Memorial Day. This pattern is with us through at least Tuesday of next week.”

Get your forecast details here.

TOP STORIES

TIMELINE: Stormy weather, heavy rains expected in Houston through Memorial Day weekend

We are tracking a multi-day period of heavy rain that began Monday night and continues through Friday, possibly into Memorial Day Monday. A series of storm systems will move across Southeast Texas, bringing the potential for significant rainfall totals. The forecast indicates widespread amounts of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated areas north of I-10 potentially receiving over 7 inches. Because we expect multiple rounds of rain, the ground will become saturated quickly, increasing the risk for runoff and street flooding.

Houston woman says road rage incident on Katy Freeway ended with gunshot caught on camera

A road rage shooting is now under investigation after a Houston mother said she and her teenage daughter were shot at while driving on the Katy Freeway. The mother said she was driving when she was all of a sudden cut off by another driver, who then pointed a gun and released a single gunshot.

Houston says 99% of reported potholes are patched within a day. KPRC 2 put that claim to the test

Umm, are you tired of potholes around the city? Well, according to Houston Public Works, the city is fixing reported potholes pretty fast.

“We resolve 99% of resident-reported pothole problems within the next business day,” Houston Public Works Director Randy Macchi said in a podcast hosted by the Houston Mayor’s office.

So, what did we do? We tested that claim by reporting a pothole on Monday through Houston’s 311 system.

ARE YOU A KPRC 2 INSIDER? HERE’S SOME EXCLUSIVES

Houston ISD students pitch businesses at NRG Arena in ‘Hustle Tank’ competition

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See a news story in your neighborhood? Capture a great weather moment? Just want to share a photo of your pet? Send your photos and videos to Click2Pins, and you may see them on air and online!

Tony Carruthers, 57, was sentenced to death after being found guilty of the 1994 kidnappings and murders of Marcellos Anderson; his mother, Delois Anderson; and Frederick Tucker. He was forced to represent himself at trial repeatedly complaining about court-appointed attorneys and threatening to harm several of them.

There was no physical evidence tying Carruthers to the killings, and he was convicted primarily on the basis of testimony from people who claimed to have heard him confess to or discuss the crimes.

They include a man who was later revealed to be a police informant and told media he was paid for his testimony. A co-defendant, James Montgomery, was originally sentenced to death along with Carruthers but was later resentenced and released from prison in 2015, according to court filings.

Authorities said Marcellos Anderson was a drug dealer, and Carruthers was trying to take over the illegal drug trade in their Memphis neighborhood. His attorneys have said that Carruthers' “paranoia and delusions” prevented him from being able to cooperate with court-appointed counsel, but the judge viewed this behavior as willful.

The Tennessee Supreme Court said on appeal that Carruthers’ actions before the trial jury were offensive and self-destructive but the situation in which he found himself was one of his own making. If the execution goes forward as scheduled, Carruthers will be the first person to be executed after being forced to represent himself in more than a century, according to a clemency petition to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.

In the petition, Carruthers' attorneys argue that the reason he was sentenced to death was because a medical examiner testified the victims were buried alive, going into excruciating detail for the jury. He later withdrew that claim and subsequent experts have said it was false.

Carruthers' attorneys have tried to show that he is incompetent to be executed. They claim in court filings that Carruthers believes the government is bluffing about executing him in order to coerce him into accepting a plea deal that exists only in his mind. That way, Carruthers believes, the government can avoid paying him what he thinks are millions of dollars it owes him. He is convinced that his own attorneys are part of a conspiracy against him and refuses to even speak with them, according to court filings.

The number of executions in the U.S. surged from 25 in 2024 to 47 last year, driven by a sharp increase in Florida. That state carried out 19 executions in 2025, up from one the previous year, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. So far this year, four states have executed 13 people, and 11 other executions are scheduled including one Thursday evening in Florida.

It’s not unusual to see several executions over a short period of time. Last year, four people were executed over three days in March in Oklahoma, Florida, Louisiana and Arizona. Another five people were executed over a week in October in Arizona, Mississippi, Missouri, Florida and Indiana, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Tennessee began a new round of executions last year after a three-year pause following the discovery that the state was not properly testing lethal injection drugs for purity and potency.

An independent review later found that none of the drugs prepared for the seven inmates executed in Tennessee since 2018 had been fully tested. The state attorney general’s office also conceded in court that two of the people most responsible for overseeing Tennessee’s lethal injection drugs “ incorrectly testified ” under oath that officials were testing the chemicals as required.

Let’s jump straight into the news of the morning.

If you’re headed out this morning, grab your umbrella and rain boots; it’s going to be a stormy morning with more rain expected throughout the day.

And unfortunately, storms will not be heading out anytime soon. For the next few days, the Houston area will see rain, which could cause some street flooding.

To read more, click here.

➡️ Love our morning newsletter? Share it with your family and friends!

YOUR MORNING FORECAST ☀️

TODAY: 85° TONIGHT: 73°

KPRC 2 Meteorologist says:

“We’re tracking an aerial flood advisory for parts of Brazoria until 7:45 as we track more rain and thunderstorms this morning before getting a break this afternoon. As of 5 this morning -more than 16,000 customers are without power and a portion of 610 near McCarty is shut down for a jackknifed tractor-trailer.”

Get your forecast details here.

TOP STORIES

TIMELINE: Stormy weather, heavy rains expected in Houston through Memorial Day weekend

We are tracking a multi-day period of heavy rain that started overnight and continues through Friday, and possibly through Memorial Day Monday. A series of storm systems will move across Southeast Texas, bringing the potential for significant rainfall totals. The forecast indicates widespread amounts of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated areas north of I-10 potentially receiving over 7 inches. Because we expect multiple rounds of rain, the ground will become saturated quickly, increasing the risk for runoff and street flooding.

End-of-year school parties this week? How to plan for the rain and thunderstorms Memorial Day weekend

Rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds are here as many families wonder how to end-of-the-year plan for the year school parties for their children this week. We’re tracking a front bringing us rain, thunderstorms, damaging winds and the potential for hail - estimated rain totals 3-5+” or more in some spots as we track a long week of rain in the forecast.

Memorial Day in Houston and the weather. Here’s what we can honestly tell you right now

We’re just days away from Memorial Day, which is Monday, May 25, 2026. Now that we’re within a week, we have a little better idea of what we’ll see for the holiday weekend. The first run for this week is showing that we’ll likely see some impact from storms as we’re going into a fairly wet pattern for most of this week and into the holiday weekend. Not a washout by any means, but, it would be a good idea to come up with some indoor alternatives.

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Initially, district officials said they expected both schools to reopen on Thursday, but that changed in a Wednesday afternoon update.

The closure does not set students back much. The last day of school in Alvin ISD is Friday, May 22, which was already an early release day.

• Storms in Houston: From overnight storms to more rain and thunderstorms this morning

In a message posted to social media, the district said:

“Due to extensive storm-related water damage at Wilder and Marek Elementary Schools, both campuses will remain closed for the remainder of the school year. Additional end-of-year information will be shared by your campus administrator. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and cooperation as we work to address these issues and ensure our campuses are safe for students and staff.”

The closures come as Southeast Texas remains under an unsettled weather pattern this week.

A line of storms moved through the Houston area overnight, and additional rounds of heavy rain are expected through Memorial Day weekend.

Our meteorologists warn that some areas could see 3 to 5 inches of rainfall or more this week, increasing the risk of street flooding and hazardous road conditions.

• Box truck falls off freeway, multiple crashes reported across Houston during storms

Drivers across the Houston area have already experienced slick roads and weather-related slowdowns during the Wednesday morning commute as storms continue moving through the region.

The three men had crossed the Texas-Mexico border separately and had lived in the country as undocumented immigrants for 22, 15 and 14 years. In that time, they worked, started families and had no criminal records before they were detained.

Ignacio Sosnava Rodriguez, Miguel Angel Gomez Alvarado and Alejandro Villegas Angel were eventually released from ICE custody after federal judges found that holding them without a chance for a bond hearing violated the men’s due process rights.

The Trump administration appealed, arguing that federal immigration law says undocumented immigrants should be held until deportation.

Their cases are now before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which will decide on a key constitutional question amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation push: Do undocumented immigrants have the same right to challenge their detention as citizens and legal immigrants?

“The case is about some of our most fundamental rights in the Constitution,” said Gracie Willis, an attorney with the National Immigration Project, which is representing the three men. “The ability to be heard on something that implicates your liberty.”

For decades, there was no controversy: the federal government and courts have said undocumented immigrants have due process rights. Then last summer, the Trump administration argued that undocumented immigrants don’t have a right to challenge their detention, which has led to a historic and unprecedented number of immigrants in detention: more than 73,000, compared to an average of 28,000 during the Biden administration.

The detentions have also led to a historic number of lawsuits challenging immigrants’ detention. According to ProPublica, immigrants filed more habeas corpus petitions — nearly 47,000 — in the first 13 months of the second Trump administration than in the past three administrations, combined. Roughly one in five were filed in Texas federal courts.

Here’s what you need to know about immigrants’ due process rights and how the Trump administration is attempting to strip them away:

What is due process?

Under the U.S. Constitution, anyone accused of a crime has a right to know why a law enforcement officer is detaining, arresting or jailing them. The person also has a right to go before a judge to defend themselves.

For the past 30 years, undocumented immigrants have also been afforded these rights even when they are detained for immigration violations, which are civil cases rather than criminal. In immigration court, immigrants don’t have the right to an attorney like U.S. citizens do in the criminal court system.

“Immigration court is like traffic court but with death penalty consequences,” Willis said.

Still, immigrants have been given the option to appear in court, hear the federal government’s case for holding them, and request to be released while their case is pending.

In 1993, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia wrote: “It is well established that the Fifth Amendment entitles aliens to due process of law in deportation proceedings.”

What changed?

Under federal immigration laws, the government can quickly deport undocumented immigrants who recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without giving them a chance for a bond hearing. But for those who have lived in the U.S. for months or years before being detained, the law gives them the right to challenge their detention.

In July 2025, the Trump administration announced a policy change, saying that anyone who has been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — regardless of how long they’ve been in the country — would be detained until they are deported, without giving them a chance to go before an immigration judge to challenge their detention and request their release on bond.

This included immigrants who requested asylum or were allowed to enter the U.S. despite not having permanent legal status — a practice called parole, often given to asylum seekers while their cases are pending.

Asylum requests soared along with the number of people crossing the southern border, a trend that started during the first Trump administration and reached historic highs during the Biden administration — that number has plummeted in President Trump’s second term as the administration ramped up immigration enforcement and cut off access to asylum.

What have the courts said?

The change in policy has led to thousands of legal challenges in federal courts.

Politico found that more than 400 federal judges — appointed by presidents of both major political parties since Ronald Regan — have ruled in favor of immigrants’ right to due process in more than 5,000 cases since the policy change in July. In comparison, 41 judges have sided with the Trump administration’s interpretation of the law in 250 cases, according to a Politico analysis of federal government data.

The Trump administration appealed some of the cases to higher courts, leading to competing rulings — three federal appeals courts have ruled against the administration, two have upheld its policy and one remains deadlocked.

In February, the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes Texas, issued a 2-1 ruling backing the Trump administration’s mandatory detention policy.

In March, the St. Louis-based 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 ruling, said the Trump administration’s interpretation of immigration law is constitutional.

But in late April, the New York-based 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the new policy was an unprecedented interpretation of immigration law that also raises constitutional concerns.

“The government’s interpretation (of immigration law) would send a seismic shock through our immigration detention system and society, straining our already overcrowded detention infrastructure, incarcerating millions, separating families, and disrupting communities,” Judge Joseph Bianco, a Trump appointee, said in the unanimous ruling from the three-judge panel. “If Congress meant to achieve such a radical break from the past, it would not have done so in such an indirect and ambiguous way.”

And more recently, the Cincinnati-based 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 ruling, also rejected the Trump administration’s policy, saying that noncitizens “should have a forum to explain that their backgrounds and connections to their communities justify release on bond.”

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Chicago, deadlocked on the issue.

What’s next?

The cases are far from settled, and more legal challenges are being filed nearly every day by immigrants targeted by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

With the federal appeals courts divided, immigration lawyers expect the issue to land before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is still weighing whether Rodriguez, Gomez, and Villegas had a right to challenge their detention.

Willis, the National Immigration Project lawyer, said it’s important that immigrants keep that right.

“It is surprising to us when we see arguments from the government that people in these civil proceedings don’t have due process rights,” Willis said.

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

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Before landing in Austin, Cathy Cocco lived in both New York City and Tokyo, where she enjoyed the convenience of robust public transit. 

So given the chance, she was happy to cast a vote in 2020 for a state-of-the-art, 20-mile light rail system, running through the heart of Austin all the way to the airport — even though the plan didn’t directly serve her neighborhood in northwest Austin.

“You have to vote for what’s good for the city,” Cocco said.

Some 242,000 Austinites agreed with her. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Austin voters made a bet on the capital city’s future, indefinitely raising their own city property taxes by 20% to fund Project Connect, a $7.1 billion proposal for an electric, urban rail system along with a bevy of other public transit improvements, including new high-frequency bus routes and expanded shuttle pickup service. Construction was slated to begin in late 2024.

Nearly four years after Cocco cast her vote for the rail, she sued the city to stop it.

Today, not a single foot of light-rail track has been laid. The total cost of the light rail alone is now $8.2 billion — up from the initial cost of $5.8 billion — but its footprint has been slashed to less than 10 total miles. The new plan no longer reaches Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and the number of stops was cut from 26 to 15.  At less than half the original proposed length, the light rail now costs almost $840 million per mile, three times more than it did in 2020. 

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Project Connect is now the costliest public transit project per mile in Texas history.  It’s also the seventh most expensive light rail project per mile in the U.S., out of 34 compiled by the Marron Institute of Urban Management at New York University and adjusted for inflation. 

The massive jumps in cost and shrunken scale left Cocco disenchanted with the project. She and a group of taxpayers sued the city in 2024 to stop it from collecting property taxes to fund the project, arguing that it wasn’t what voters had been promised.

“You said you’re going to do all this, and then you do a fraction, and then you’re still going to make us pay for the whole thing,” Cocco said. “At what point is that illegal?”

From the beginning, Austin officials vastly underestimated the cost of the light rail. A key reason, transit experts say, is that very little of the project was designed before it went to voters. And amid an unprecedented pandemic that created global economic uncertainty, transit officials did not account for rampant inflation and surging real estate prices that would balloon costs over the next few years.

Now even the more modest rail’s future is in doubt. 

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The project still requires billions in federal dollars, covering half of its costs. It has received none. The final decision to give those dollars rests with the Trump administration, which hasn’t agreed to fund new transit projects since President Donald Trump returned to office. And U.S. Sen. John Cornyn recently said he opposes Austin rail getting any federal funds, adding his voice to the long list of Texas Republicans in power who oppose or are actively fighting the project.

Even the local property tax dollars are in question. While Cocco’s lawsuit is pending, a separate legal battle threatening to gut the light rail project is moving ahead. That fight will determine whether the city’s use of a property tax hike to fund the transit system is legal, and it will ultimately be decided by the Texas Supreme Court.

“It’s a bait and switch on taxpayers,” said Bill Aleshire, an Austin attorney and Travis County’s former top elected official who filed the lawsuit. 

Austin officials project confidence in the light rail project, while acknowledging the higher costs and smaller footprint. No major infrastructure project, city and project officials have argued, was immune from cost increases spurred by global inflation.

Officials and transit advocates say that even the smaller light rail plan is necessary to give people more options to move around the state’s fourth-largest urban area as it grows. 

Greg Canally, who heads Austin Transit Partnership, the city-backed nonprofit charged with building the light rail, said the system can still be expanded in the future. Officials now refer to the current map as “phase one,” a nod to the fact that they hope to eventually reach the original scope put before voters.

“That’s what we’re focused on delivering for Austin: getting Austin Light Rail phase one built,” Canally said. “That’s an expandable system so that future Austin can keep on growing.” 

Austin Transit Partnership officials intend to break ground on the light rail project next year, and don’t expect a decision on whether federal dollars will be made available for the project until sometime after that. ATP won’t say exactly how much of the project they’d be able to build without federal funds.

This all comes as the Texas Department of Transportation — responsible for building highways — has called for more public transportation if the state is going to keep growing. The success or failure of the Austin project could be a bellwether for the rest of the state as places like Tyler and Fort Worth consider similar efforts. 

Austin riders won’t set foot on a light rail car until 2033 at the earliest.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said despite the setbacks, the city cannot afford to wait. 

Watson was also Austin’s mayor in 2000, the first year voters were asked to weigh in on a light rail plan. But they rejected it. That would have been the best time to have started work on such an ambitious and long-ranging transit project, he said. 

“The second-best time is now. It’s never going to be cheaper,” he said.

A big idea

After Austin voters shot down light-rail proposals at the ballot box in 2000 and 2014, traffic congestion fueled by the city’s continued growth only worsened. Officials with Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Austin region’s primary transit agency, went back to the drawing board in 2016 — and later came back with the first draft of a sprawling vision for the city’s public transportation system called Project Connect.

The light-rail line would run at least every 10 minutes and include an underground tunnel through downtown with a flashy shopping concourse. Planners sketched out potential future phases that could take light rail further into North and South Austin.

The plan included upgrades to Austin’s existing suburban commuter rail line, which connects downtown Austin to the northern suburb of Leander, aimed at enabling greater frequency and ridership while adding new stations. A new arm of that line would stretch into eastern Travis County. High-frequency, rapid bus routes would criss-cross the city. An existing on-demand service operated by CapMetro would expand to more neighborhoods.

“I think we had a city that was ready to invest in itself,” said Steve Adler, who was mayor at the time of the 2020 vote, in an interview.

The project’s costs were peer reviewed through the American Public Transportation Association. To Roberto Treviño, who sits on the board of the Houston region’s primary transit agency and participated in the review, the overall project’s $7.1 billion price tag was reasonable, given its scale. But that review took place in January 2020 — a couple months before COVID-19 shut down the global economy.

Seven billion dollars “in 2020 got you a lot. And if you do a cost-per-mile basis of that, it seems reasonable,” Treviño said in an interview.

But when officials asked voters to greenlight Project Connect, only 5% of the light rail had been designed, according to an April 2022 agency memo. That initial lack of design meant the project’s costs would almost certainly go up, transit costs experts said — even without historic inflation.

“That’s just not enough design work to really have a solid sense of the numbers,” said Rohan Aras, a senior transportation policy analyst at the Niskanen Center, a nonpartisan think tank.

Major transit projects often go before voters with little design work done, a problem that bedevils public transit in the U.S., transit costs experts said. Fully designing a project takes money localities often don’t have, making cost overruns common.

“What you’re voting on is sort of like a dream rather than an actual constructible plan,” said Eric Goldwyn, who researches public transit costs at the Marron Institute.

There wasn’t a viable way to firm up the project’s costs and design more before going to voters in 2020, said Wade Cooper, an Austin lawyer who chaired the CapMetro board during Project Connect’s formation.

“In a perfect world, sure, you have a bunch of money sitting around to design the project fully,” Cooper said. “But practically speaking, in the time period that we had with a major election, I don’t think we could have squeezed in anything.”

Officials also had to figure out how they would pay for it. 

Austin had hit a cap set by state lawmakers on local sales tax rates, a typical way cities and transit agencies elsewhere pay for new transit. Bonds could be issued to fund the construction and capital costs, but they couldn’t be used for the system’s day-to-day operations, planners deemed. Unlike places like California, New York and Washington, Texas largely doesn’t help pay for public transit in its major urban areas. Texas spends significantly less per capita on public transit than other large states including Florida, according to a report from the nonprofit Transportation for America and the National Campaign for Transit Justice.

Austin officials settled on a 20% permanent hike in the city’s property tax rate. For the owner of a $325,000 home, that meant a $284 increase on their annual city tax bill.

In November 2020, voters said yes by a 15.8-point margin.

“I really do think that part of it was showing a huge vision package,” said Susan Somers, former board president of AURA, an Austin group that pushes for better public transit. “I think that was really inspiring to people.”

Critics call the hike a blank check.

“There is no budget, and there is no limit, because this tax is forever,” Aleshire said.

Bigger price tag, smaller footprint

As the project’s design progressed, unforeseen costs added up — tacking on billions.

The light rail’s land acquisition costs nearly quadrupled amid a surge in Austin land values. Planners also discovered they’d have to buy more properties along the line than they previously expected, according to an April 2022 agency memo.

Inflation drove up the price of construction materials, while a tighter job market increased labor costs.

Planners encountered the steepest overruns when designing the downtown tunnel, the centerpiece of the project.

Building a tunnel is expensive in part because it requires specialized labor as well as pricey boring equipment and techniques. A transit project with any amount of tunnel tends to be more costly than those that run at street level, transit costs experts said.

As its design progressed, planners found the tunnel would have to plunge deeper underground and run a longer distance. That finding significantly drove up the tunnel’s costs — which doubled from $2 billion to $4.1 billion, roughly $978.5 million per mile.

Overall, the total cost of just the light rail component of Project Connect ballooned by nearly 80% to $10.3 billion. 

Following public input, Austin officials settled on a pared-down version of the light-rail line in summer 2023, stripping out the tunnel and slashing the system in half.

Under the new plan, the rail stops just short of the Austin airport, though officials have said a future airport extension is a high priority. 

“You have three choices when the cost of infrastructure goes up,” Canally said. “You can just stop, you can go back and ask for additional funds or you can reframe the project and size it to live within your budget.”

The project’s costs remain puzzlingly high for a project that has no tunnel, transit costs experts said. It’s the second most expensive light rail project per mile, when compared to 21 U.S. light rail projects that don’t tunnel, according to Marron Institute data.

As the project shrank, so did its ridership estimates. Austin officials initially projected that within two decades at least 70,000 riders would take the line, including future extensions, each weekday. The smaller line would see 34,000 daily riders under new projections. That means the cost per rider for the light rail is around $200,000, enough that Austin could buy every rider an Aston Martin luxury sportscar. 

Goldwyn said the project’s per-rider costs are alarmingly high, and it might make more sense to serve the project’s expected demand with bus rather than light rail. It used to be that U.S. rail projects cost between $50,000 to $75,000 per rider, Goldwyn said, high compared with other countries. The Austin project is among an emerging group of rail projects with per-rider costs exceeding $100,000, he said.

“Look, I’m a New Yorker, I don’t drive, I’m as pro-transit as it gets,” Goldwyn said. “But the people of Austin voted for something, and maybe they were sold a bill of goods that could not be delivered. I don’t know, but that’s not good.”

While critics cast the shrunken version as a “bait-and-switch,” Austin officials have argued they had the authority to reconfigure the line in the face of higher costs.

Voters asked for a light rail system funded with property taxes — and that’s what they’re getting, Watson said. 

“The purpose was to get a rail system in Austin,” said Watson, who took office in 2023. “This is a meaningful phase one, and part of that purpose was to do it within a very specific monetary amount…and we’re doing that.”

Project officials have defended the light rail’s costs.

For one, they’re building a brand new system on some of the most expensive real estate in Austin — and retrofitting an already built urban environment to accommodate new rail.

“It’s connecting the university with the government district, with downtown across the lake,” said Veronica Castro de Barrera, an architect who chairs the ATP board. “It takes you through a route that is very pricey per real estate in its context. It also has the oldest infrastructure underground.”

A new system comes with high upfront costs, ATP officials said, like a fleet of light rail cars, along with a 62-acre facility to store and maintain them.

“Those are all sort of those one-time costs,” said Bryan Rivera, ATP chief financial officer.

The project also calls for a new bridge over Lady Bird Lake, as well as elevated track southeast of downtown, both of which are significant cost drivers. The costs also include $1.1 billion in financing, which ATP expects will be eligible for reimbursement from the feds.

ATP officials said costs have stabilized and they’re doing what they can to contain them going forward. Canally said he cut the agency’s staffing plan by about 25% after he became CEO. The project’s builders are now more involved in the design process so they can advise designers on how to contain costs, he said.

The project is still catching flak. Earlier this year, ATP officials proposed moving the agency into high-end downtown office space with views of Lady Bird Lake – for $32 million. The proposal drew fierce online backlash, and officials backed off the idea.

And while the project’s future is in the balance, Canally, the top official, secured considerable pay bumps along the way. The ATP board hired Canally, then the project’s chief financial officer, as interim CEO in 2022, after ousting his predecessor, at an annual base salary of $310,000. The following year, the board gave Canally a nearly 18% bump to $365,000 when they hired him as full-time CEO. Last year, the board bumped up Canally’s pay once more — to nearly $405,000, about an 11% increase.  

Stiff headwinds

Moving forward, Project Connect still faces significant headwinds. 

Republican lawmakers have sought to sap the lifeblood of the project, pushing proposals in 2023 and 2025 to cut off the project from its voter-approved property tax funding mechanism. Those bills died after lobbying from Austin officials.

“Whatever one’s position on light rail, it is simply inaccurate to say voters approved the project as it exists today,” said state Rep. Ellen Troxclair, an Austin-area Republican who tried to kill the project.

Still, Republicans helped lay the groundwork for the project to be challenged in court. In 2023, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican, asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to weigh in on whether Project Connect’s financing mechanism is legal.

The measure voters enacted raised the portion of the city’s tax rate that funds maintenance and operations, such as city employee salaries. The city then gives that revenue to ATP, which it intends to use in part to finance bonds crucial to the project’s construction.

That May, Paxton issued a nonbinding legal opinion calling that arrangement illegal — which ATP officials contest.

Paxton’s opinion gave a group of taxpayers part of the blueprint to challenge the project in court in November 2023.

That group, represented by Aleshire, includes Dirty Martin’s Place, a 100-year-old hamburger joint neighboring the UT-Austin campus that would have been demolished to make way for an earlier iteration of the line. An online petition to save Dirty Martin’s from destruction garnered nearly 25,000 signatures, and the latest version of the light rail path appears to preserve the restaurant.

Mark Nemir, who’s owned Dirty Martin’s since 1989 but whose family history with the restaurant runs longer, said that’s not enough.

“What I would like to see happen is this thing go away,” Nemir said.

Austin Transit Partnership countered that lawsuit with its own, asking a judge to allow the entity to issue bonds for construction. The two lawsuits were combined into one legal proceeding, which is slowly making its way through the courts. 

Meanwhile, Austin light rail officials are seeking $4.1 billion in federal money. 

But the Federal Transit Administration hasn’t awarded funds to any new transit project in Trump’s second term, a break with past administrations dating back to President Bill Clinton, according to an Urban Institute analysis. 

The project has found itself without a vocal champion at the federal level — a departure from the Biden years, when then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg lauded the project.

That lack of support suggests that few of Texas’ Trump allies are using their political capital to help get the federal funds. 

“While Austin leaders keep pushing higher property taxes, the State of Texas is keeping Texans moving,” said Andrew Mahaleris, spokesperson for Gov. Greg Abbott, in a statement when asked about Abbott’s stance on Project Connect. “Smart infrastructure grows our economy and moves people efficiently — without more local tax increases.”

ATP officials say they think the feds will come through. So far, the project has cleared every hurdle to gaining federal dollars, they note, including a key go-ahead earlier this year when the administration signed off on the project’s environmental review. The light rail project also scored good marks from the FTA in a process that made it eligible for federal funds.

“We’ve been really successful working with this administration,” Canally said.

To woo the feds, ATP officials have argued the light rail line will be a boon that spurs jobs and economic development along the line.

Austin could be banking on a later infusion of federal dollars from a more public transit-friendly administration to take office after Trump. Waiting to break ground would come with a cost.

“It’s very true that time is money, and so the longer you extend these things out, the more expensive they actually are going to be,” Goldwyn said.

What’s next?

The agency’s putting on an optimistic face, enlisting various Austin celebrities — including Austin FC player Brad Stuver, singer Ben Kweller and Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas — to sell the line in a digital ad.

This year will be a busy one for the light rail project, ATP officials say.

Already, they’ve locked in a contract with an outside joint venture to do final design, engineering and construction of the 9.8-mile line — and another to build the operations and maintenance facility for those cars. The board also aims to issue a contract to purchase the system’s fleet of light rail cars.

The federal environmental go-ahead has allowed ATP to begin acquiring land, locking in final design work and making plans to relocate utilities.

Other aspects of the project are up-and-running, like CapMetro’s expanded on-demand shuttle service and a new commuter rail station at Q2 Stadium.

Two of the four rapid bus routes initially promised to voters opened two years behind schedule in 2025 — but not using electric buses or the 10-minute frequencies as first promised. Starting this summer, those routes will operate at those frequencies using electric buses, CapMetro CEO Dottie Watkins said.

ATP plans to break ground on the light-rail line next year — with or without federal dollars. 

Officials haven’t said how far they’d get without them.

Castro de Barrera, the board chair, said ATP officials are “doing everything that we can” to make their case to the feds and secure federal dollars.

But asked about the wisdom of beginning construction before federal dollars are in hand, she demurred.

“I think we have to be very cautious to make sure that we are not going to start breaking ground on something that we don’t have guarantees on how to finance it,” Castro de Barrera said. “Because we have to make sure we do this right.”

Disclosure: Steve Adler has been a donor to The Texas Tribune’s nonprofit newsroom. He’s also a family member of the Tribune’s CEO, who has no involvement in any coverage in which he is quoted or mentioned. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

“As a net energy importer, the EU’s economy is highly susceptible to the energy shock caused by the conflict in the Middle East,” the commission said in a statement Thursday. The rising cost of fuel "means higher household bills and surging business costs that reduce profits for many industries.”

The commission’s spring forecast lowered the outlook for growth in the 21 countries that use the euro to 0.9% for this year, from 1.2% in its autumn forecast, and to 1.2% from 1.4% for 2027. Inflation is now expected to reach 3.0% for 2026, up from the earlier forecast of 1.9%.

The new inflation figure exceeds the inflation goal of 2% set by the European Central Bank, and higher inflation expectations have led to predictions the ECB will raise its interest rate benchmarks this year to combat inflation.

Oil prices rose sharply after risk of Iranian drone and speedboat attacks closed off most ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the sea passage for about a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas. On top of that, news of the war has shaken consumer confidence, which fell to a 40-month low amid mounting fears of job losses and higher inflation.

Still, the commission said the economy will continue to show modest growth and avoid an outright recession.

It warned however that a downside scenario of a prolonged period of higher energy prices would push growth lower and inflation higher.

The new inflation figure exceeds the inflation goal of 2% set by the European Central Bank, and higher inflation expectations have led to predictions the ECB will raise its interest rate benchmarks this year to combat inflation.

Houston is waking up to a dry start but don’t let that fool you. Rounds of rain and storms will be moving in from the west later this morning through the afternoon. The concern with these storms are the speed. The trend over the last few days, have storms slowing down and not moving out of our area quickly. There is a flood watch that starts Thursday morning lasting through Memorial Day. This pattern is with us through at least Tuesday of next week.

Thursday Morning:

After a good soaking with rain totals ranging between 2″- 6″ late Tuesday to Wednesday. our next round arrives Thursday morning.

Friday and beyond: Flood risks and daily breakdown:

With the ground already saturated in our southwestern cities, street, stream and river flooding is possible with another round of heavy rain. Placement is key, and so far the Houston area’s rain totals have been manageable. But if too much rain falls in a short amount of time, we could get street flooding in the Houston area. Here’s how the next several days look.

• Thursday: Next organized rain arrives late morning to midday, raising the risk of localized flooding.
• Friday: Storms expected again in the morning but may be more scattered.
• Saturday and Sunday: More waves of heavy rainfall could develop, keeping the flood risk in play.
• Memorial Day: Flood watch remains, with another chance for storms and heavier rainfall.

Additional rainfall totals are forecast to reach 4 to 5 inches for many areas along the upper Texas coast through Monday. Temperatures are expected to stay mostly in the low to mid-80s. It won’t rain all day long so don’t cancel any plans but be ready to adjust those plans.

Memorial Day Weekend:

The number one question I’ve received about this upcoming weekend is timing of the rain. Unfortunately, the weather pattern we have isn’t giving us this luxury. We aren’t able to see these small disturbances until 12 to 24 hours before the rain starts. Stay tuned, we’ll continue to update our forecast and tell you as soon as we see what’s coming next.

7-Day Forecast:

This active pattern should stay with us through at least Tuesday. The hope is next week we head into a hit and miss afternoon storm pattern and not the widespread daily flood threat. We’ll keep you posted.

Have you captured a dramatic rain photo or video? Share your weather moments with the KPRC 2 community through Click2Pins at Click2Houston.com/pins.

HPD said investigators with the Narcotics Division’s Squad 21 worked alongside the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office during the May 14 operation.

• MORE NEWS: Houston says 99% of reported potholes are patched within a day. KPRC 2 put that claim to the test

Authorities said the seizure followed the arrest of a suspect who was wanted on a warrant for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

Anyone with information about illegal drug activity can contact the HPD Narcotics Division’s NO-DOPE line at 713-466-3673.

Lawmakers approved a motion in February demanding publication of the documents after the one-time prince, now known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on charges related to allegations that he shared government reports with Epstein while he was trade envoy.

The move followed the U.S. Justice Department’s release of millions of pages of documents related to Epstein. Those files showed how the wealthy financier used an international web of rich, powerful friends to gain influence and sexually exploit young women and girls.

Nowhere has the fallout from the document release been felt more strongly than in the U.K., where the scandal has raised questions about the way power is wielded by the aristocracy, senior politicians and influential businessmen, known collectively as “the Establishment.”

During the parliamentary debate on Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein, government ministers and other lawmakers demanded more accountability from the royal family.

Trade Minister Chris Bryant said Mountbatten-Windsor was engaged in a constant “self-enriching hustle’’ during his time as a working member of the royal family.

Mountbatten-Windsor was a “rude, arrogant and entitled man who could not distinguish between the public interest, which he said he served, and his own private interest,” Bryant said at the time.

Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal title last year as King Charles III tried to insulate the monarchy from the growing fallout from the Epstein scandal. The former prince served as a special envoy for international trade from 2001 to 2011, when he was forced to give up the role because of concerns about his links to questionable figures in Libya and Azerbaijan.

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This version corrects that the release is set to happen Thursday, not Wednesday.

Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who heads Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, has become a major player in formulating Iran’s tough stance in negotiating a possible end to the war with the United States, experts say. He is believed to be part of a small clique in direct contact with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who remains in hiding after being reportedly wounded in the Feb. 28 Israeli strikes that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Like everything in Iran since the war began, who ultimately controls decision-making remains uncertain. As people within the upper ranks of Iran's theocracy vie for power, they can gain or lose favor quickly. Vahidi himself hasn't been seen publicly since Feb. 8, weeks before the war began. On Thursday, Iranian media carried contradictory reports on Vahidi meeting with Pakistan's interior minister in Tehran, who carried a message regarding negotiations with the U.S. and met with other top Iranian officials.

A longtime veteran of the ruling system, Vahidi helped shape Iran’s support of militant groups across the region, is accused of a role in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Argentina, and in 2022, led domestic security forces in a bloody crackdown on protesters.

Elevated to Guard commander this year after his predecessor was killed early in the war, he leads the most powerful force in Iran, with its arsenal of ballistic missiles and its fleet of small boats threatening Persian Gulf shipping.

“Vahidi and members of his inner circle have likely consolidated control over not only Iran’s military response in the conflict but also Iran’s negotiations policy,” the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said.

Iran’s war strategy has been to keep a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, blocking oil and gas exports and causing a global energy crisis. At the same time, it has struck hard against oil facilities, hotels and infrastructure in Gulf Arab nations.

In negotiations, it has held out against U.S. demands that it surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, betting that it can outlast the U.S. in the ongoing standoff and that President Donald Trump will be reluctant to resume outright war that could bring greater damage to America’s Gulf allies.

That likely reflects Vahidi’s confrontational style. “He comes from that mindset of unending revolution, unending resistance,” said Kenneth Katzman, a senior fellow at the The Soufan Group, a New York-based think tank. Vahidi believes “the U.S. needs to be challenged at every turn,” said Katzman, a senior Iran expert who advised the U.S. Congress for over 30 years.

Vahidi boasted in January that Iran’s defense power has developed to make it a “high risk for any military action by an enemy.”

Vahidi now a focal point in talks

Pakistan hosted talks in April between an Iranian delegation, led by parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and an American one, headed by U.S. Vice President JD Vance. But it ended without any deal.

Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi returned home to face criticism from inside the theocracy suggesting they were too willing to make concessions. Qalibaf had to insist publicly that the talks had the support of the supreme leader.

Since then, Vahidi has become the main point of contact for those negotiating with Iran, said a regional official with direct knowledge of the mediation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomacy.

The extreme seclusion and unknown condition of the supreme leader have fueled speculation about jockeying among leaders for access to Khamenei and influence over him. In early May, President Masoud Pezeshkian, who many see as sidelined from influence by the Guard, went out of his way to say he “got to see our dear leader” and spoke to him for around two hours.

But Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said it’s likely the new supreme leader “is in lockstep with a more hard-line (Guard) — similar to his father, but in a more emboldened and uncompromising form.”

Analyst Kamran Bokhari wrote that figures like Vahidi “are not just managing war — they are actively reshaping succession, consolidating authority around a weakened supreme leader, and effectively ‘capturing’ the state through crisis governance.”

Vahidi forged by years leading Quds Force

Born Ahmad Shahcheraghi in Iran’s southern city of Shiraz in 1958, Vahidi like many young men after the 1979 revolution joined the Revolutionary Guard and fought against the invasion by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein that sparked a bloody, eight-year war.

Vahidi entered the Guard’s nascent intelligence arm and soon was overseeing operations outside Iran. He gained the favor of powerful patrons, including Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a later president. Rafsanjani said in his autobiography that Vahidi was involved in the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal, in which the Reagan administration sold weapons to Tehran in an effort to free hostages held by Iranian-backed militants in Lebanon. The U.S. later used the money from those sales to fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

Rafsanjani later intervened to protect Vahidi when then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini sought to prosecute members of the Guard who failed to stop an incursion by armed fighters from an Iranian exile group in the late 1980s during the war.

Around this time, Vahidi took over the newly formed Quds, or Jerusalem, Force. Over decades, the Quds Force helped create a network of proxy militant groups and allied governments around the Middle East. The Quds Force under Vahidi helped mastermind the 1994 bombing targeting Argentina’s largest Jewish community center, killing 85 people and wounding 300 others, prosecutors say. Iran has denied involvement.

American investigators also believe that under Vahidi, Iran organized the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, killing 19 U.S. service members and wounding hundreds. Tehran has denied being involved in that attack as well.

Vahidi left the Quds Force in 1998. In 2010, while he was defense minister, the United States imposed sanctions on him over alleged involvement in Iran’s nuclear program and its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.

More recently, as interior minister, Vahidi oversaw police units involved in a bloody, monthslong crackdown on protests over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after being arrested for not properly wearing the mandated headscarf to the liking of authorities.

An Iranian newspaper later published a classified document that showed Vahidi’s Interior Ministry ordered security agencies to monitor and photograph women not wearing the hijab, something he had denied was taking place.

At around that time, Vahidi said in public comments that calls to remove the hijab were a “colonial plan” by Iran’s enemies trying to undermine the Islamic Republic. “The hijab has been a big barrier against the progress of effete Western culture,” he said.

Vahidi’s role makes reaching an accord with Iran that much more difficult for the U.S. — as does the continued obscurity over Iran’s leadership.

Trump wants a single interlocutor in Iran for negotiations, but "the whole system has changed,” said Hamidreza Azizi, an Iran expert at the Middle East Institute.

“It is not a one-man show. Vahidi is one alongside others," Azizi said. "Some we know and some we don’t know.”

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Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo, Sarah El Deeb in Beirut, and Amir Vahdat and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.

But President Donald Trump is facing his own pressure at home for shipping to resume through the vital corridor off Iran's coast. Fellow Republicans in Congress are battling political headwinds ahead of November's midterm elections as gasoline prices skyrocket and global energy markets churn.

Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday advanced legislation seeking to force Trump to withdraw from the Iran war, with a growing number of Republicans defying the president in the 50-47 vote.

U.S. Central Command said on social media that the M/T Celestial Sea was searched and redirected after being suspected of trying to head to an Iranian port. It’s at least the fifth commercial vessel to be boarded since the Trump administration imposed the blockade on Iranian shipping in mid-April, several days into a ceasefire, to pressure Tehran into opening the strait and accepting a deal to end the war.

The military boarded the tanker after Trump said Monday he had called off renewed military strikes on Iran in an effort to make progress in negotiations to end the war. Trump said he had planned “a very major attack” for Tuesday but put it off, saying America’s allies in the Gulf asked him to wait for two to three days because they feel they are close to a deal.

Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off.

Before the U.S. blockade, Tehran had allowed some ships perceived as friendly to pass while charging considerable fees, leading to accusations it is holding the global economy hostage.

The U.S. military recently said that 1,550 vessels, from 87 countries, are currently stranded in the Persian Gulf.

Nearly three months since the war began with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Feb. 28, Iran maintains a chokehold on the strait, while the U.S. military has enforced its blockade on Iran's ports as well as Iranian-linked ships that are far away from the Middle East.

Last month, U.S. forces boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oil in the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean. A couple days later, the U.S. seized another tanker associated with smuggling Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

In early May, Trump said the U.S. military would begin to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped strait. The next day, he announced that the effort to protect ships was paused to see if an agreement could be reached.

Days later, U.S. forces fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers after exchanging fire with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military said the tankers were trying to breach the blockade. The day before, the military said it thwarted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships and struck Iranian military facilities in response.

Following a rain delay that lasted more than two hours, the right-handers traded zeros until the seventh inning — when Toronto loaded the bases with nobody out on an infield single, a walk and a bunt single.

Andrés Giménez then fouled off seven pitches, five with two strikes, before drawing an 11-pitch walk that scored Ernie Clement and chased Schlittler. One out later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lofted a sacrifice fly against Jake Bird to make it 2-0.

Yesavage (2-1) allowed just two hits and walked none while striking out eight over six shutout innings. The 22-year-old rookie has a 1.07 ERA in five starts after missing the first month this season due to a right shoulder impingement.

Three of his strikeouts came against three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge, who fanned all four times up.

Mason Fluharty, Jeff Hoffman and Tyler Rogers combined for six outs before the Yankees threatened against Louis Varland in the ninth. He gave up two hits and Paul Goldschmidt’s run-scoring comebacker before striking out Amed Rosario with a 99 mph fastball to earn his sixth save.

The 25-year-old Schlittler (6-2) permitted eight hits and two walks with seven strikeouts as his major league-leading ERA rose to 1.50.

It was the first time Yesavage and Schlittler have squared off after both authored dominant performances as rookies in the postseason last year.

Schlittler struck out 12 over eight innings in a 4-0 win against rival Boston in the decisive game of their AL Wild Card Series to advance New York to the Division Series versus Toronto, where Yesavage tossed 5 1/3 hitless innings with 11 strikeouts in a Game 2 victory over the Yankees.

The start Wednesday night was delayed by rain for 2 hours, 11 minutes.

Blue Jays right fielder Jesús Sánchez was shaken up in the seventh after diving for Goldschmidt's bloop single. Sánchez left the game but simply had the wind knocked out of him and is day-to-day, manager John Schneider said.

Up next

LHP Carlos Rodón (0-1, 5.63 ERA) pitches for the Yankees in Thursday’s series finale. The Blue Jays hadn't announced a scheduled starter, though RHP Spencer Miles (1-0, 2.55) is expected to pitch bulk innings in some capacity.

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

With star defenseman Cale Makar sidelined by an upper-body injury, the Avalanche hardly resembled the top-seeded team that rolled through the first two rounds. They experimented with different line combinations in a 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final.

"There’s definitely a trickle-down effect to that,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of not having Makar. “But he’s not playing. We have find a way.”

A few breakdowns led to some big plays. One of the biggest was Dylan Coghlan splitting the defense down the middle and scoring through the pads of goaltender Scott Wedgewood.

Just the way the night went as the Avalanche trailed 3-0 before making it a one-goal game with 2:21 remaining on a power-play tally from captain Gabriel Landeskog.

“They capitalized early, we fought back," said Wedgewood, who stopped 24 shots. “But just unfortunately didn’t have enough.”

Colorado relied heavily on Devon Toews, who logged 27 minutes, 32 seconds. Brett Kulak was just over 23 minutes and Sam Malinski at 20:31. Josh Manson was just over 19 minutes, Brent Burns, at 41 years old, just shy of 17 minutes and Jack Ahcan, the defenseman who filled in for Makar, was limited to 7:34.

“I think the guys that we had playing tonight, not just the D, were capable more and capable of better,” Bednar said. “It just wasn’t there for us tonight.”

The availability of Makar for Game 2 on Friday night remains unknown. Although, Bednar did say that Makar was “doing a lot better," on Wednesday after morning skate.

Makar hasn't been practicing with the team since he left the ice holding his right arm following a collision late in Game 5 against Minnesota last Wednesday. He did return in that game as Colorado won in overtime. Makar also briefly left Game 1 after taking a hit along the boards, with his right leg flying into the air before he fell to the ice.

His absence is a blow for the Avalanche. This was the first time Makar has missed a playoff game for the Avalanche with an injury. He was suspended one game for interference during a series against Seattle in 2023.

The Norris Trophy finalist has four goals and an assist while averaging nearly 25 minutes of ice time through the opening two rounds. Makar also is an integral part of Colorado's special teams.

“Best defenseman in the world,” Avalanche forward Logan O’Connor said before Game 1. "He’s not going to be easily replaced. There’s not one guy that’s going to be able to do it. I think the advantage we have with the group we have in the game tonight is a lot of guys can be minute-munchers for us.

“Cale presents a dynamic ability that is super-unique in the league. No one’s going to replicate that tonight, but it’s on the D-core as a whole, and our group as a whole, to try and pick it up when we can.”

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

Castro was charged for his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue. Castro was defense minister at the time.

President Donald Trump has been escalating talk on regime change in Cuba after the military action in Venezuela early this year resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. In addition, a White House-ordered economic blockade has led to blackouts, food shortages and a collapse in economic activity across Cuba.

The indictment comes amid rising tensions between Trump's administration and Cuba’s government. Meanwhile, the U.S. is in the midst of an uneasy ceasefire in the U.S. war against Iran.

Here’s a closer look at developments over the year between Cuba and the U.S.

Jan. 4

A day after the operation in Venezuela that captured Maduro, Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Cuba's government was “in a lot of trouble," as the president renewed calls for an American takeover of the Danish territory of Greenland.

Jan. 11

Trump fired off a warning to the government of Cuba as the close ally of Venezuela braced for potential unrest after Maduro was deposed. Trump called for the Cuban government “to make a deal BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."

Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, responded, “Those who turn everything into a business, even human lives, have no moral authority to point the finger at Cuba in any way, absolutely in any way.”

Jan. 30

Trump signed an executive order to impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a move that could further cripple the island.

Feb. 27

A day before the war in Iran began, Trumpsaid the U.S. was in talks with Havana and raised the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba,” though he didn't offer any details.

Trump said Rubio was in discussions with Cuban leaders “at a very high level.”

Trump didn’t clarify his comments but seemed to indicate that the situation with Cuba, among Washington’s bitterest adversaries for decades, was coming to a critical point.

Sometime in February

Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the grandson of Castro known as "Raúlito," secretly met with Rubio on the sidelines of a Caribbean Community summit in St. Kitts in February.

March 13

Díaz-Canelsaid Cuba and the U.S. held talks, marking the first time the Caribbean country confirmed widespread speculation about discussions with the Trump administration amid an energy crisis.

He said the talks “were aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences between our two nations. International factors facilitated these exchanges.”

March 31

A sanctioned Russian oil tanker arrived in Cuba, the first time in three months fuel reached the island.

April 9

Diaz-Canel said he would not resign.

April 10

Two senior State Department officials — Jeremy Lewin, who is in charge of all U.S. foreign assistance, and Michael Kozak, the top U.S. diplomat for Latin America — led a delegation to Havana and met with Rodríguez Castro, according to one U.S. official familiar with the meetings.

April 12

Díaz-Canel said in an interview he would not step down and that the U.S. has no valid reason to carry out a military attack against the island or to attempt to depose him.

Speaking in the interview on NBC's “Meet the Press,” the president said an invasion of Cuba would be costly and affect regional security.

April 16

Díaz-Canel spoke during a rally that drew hundreds of people to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the declaration of the Cuban Revolution’s socialist essence.

“The moment is extremely challenging and calls upon us once again, as on April 16, 1961, to be ready to confront serious threats, including military aggression. We do not want it, but it is our duty to prepare to avoid it and, if it becomes inevitable, to defeat it,” Díaz-Canel said.

April 17

News emerged that an American delegation recently met with Cuban government officials, marking a renewed diplomatic push. This was at least the third meeting with Rodríguez Castro.

A senior State Department official met with Rodríguez Castro earlier in the month, according to a department official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

The official did not say who from the U.S. met with Rodríguez Castro, whose grandfather is believed to play an influential role in the Cuban government despite not holding an official post. A second U.S. official said Rubio was not part of the delegation that visited Havana.

April 23

A Cuban diplomat speaking at the United Nations said Havana will not abide by any American “ultimatums” to release political prisoners as part of new talks.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Cuban Ambassador to the U.N. Ernesto Soberón Guzmán said internal issues regarding detainees “are not on the negotiating table.” The release of political prisoners was a key U.S. demand as the longtime adversaries held discussions in Cuba for the first time in a decade.

April 28

Senate Republicans rejected legislation from Democrats that would have required Trump to end the U.S. energy blockade on Cuba unless he receives approval from Congress.

The vote on the war powers resolution showed how Republicans continue to stand behind Trump as he acts unilaterally to exert American force in a range of global conflicts, including Venezuela, Iran and Cuba — one of the U.S.’s closest neighbors.

May 7

U.S. officials said the United States was not looking at imminent military action against Havana despite Trump’s repeated threats that “Cuba is next” and that American warships deployed in the Middle East for the Iran conflict could return by way of the island.

The officials involved in preliminary discussions with Cuban authorities also told the AP that they are not optimistic the communist government will accept an offer for tens of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid, two years of free Starlink internet access for all Cubans, agricultural assistance and infrastructure support.

But they said Cuba had not yet outright refused the offer, which came with conditions that the government has long resisted, even after the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on Havana.

May 14

U.S. and Cuban officials said CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials including Raúl Castro’s grandson during a high-level visit to the island.

Ratcliffe met with Rodríguez Castro, Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas and the head of Cuban intelligence services, and discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability and security issues. A CIA official confirmed the meetings to the AP.

May 15

The Justice Department was preparing to seek an indictment against Castro, three people familiar with the matter told the AP.

One of the people said the potential indictment was connected to Castro’s alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue. Castro was defense minister at the time.

All three people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation. The Cuban government did not respond to a request for comment on the potential indictment, which was reported earlier by CBS.

May 18

The State Department imposed a new layer of sanctions on several Cuban government agencies, including the Interior Ministry and National Police and Intelligence Directorate, as the Trump administration continued to ratchet up pressure against the island.

May 20

Federal prosecutors announced a grand jury indictment against Castro in connection with the shootdown of the two Brothers to the Rescue planes in 1996.

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This story has been corrected to reflect that two planes, not four, were shot down in 1996.

Trailing 3-0 in the third period, Colorado made it 3-2 with 2:21 remaining on a power-play goal from Gabriel Landeskog. Nic Dowd sealed it for Vegas with an empty-net goal.

Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden also scored for the Golden Knights, who took advantage of several defensive miscommunications by the Avalanche as they juggled their blue-line pairings with Cale Makar sidelined by an upper-body injury.

Coghlan scored his first NHL goal since Dec. 17, 2021. The 28-year-old defenseman spent most of the season in the American Hockey League. He's played the last five postseason games with the recent injury to Jeremy Lauzon.

“When you say Dylan Coghlan to me, I think of no fear,” Vegas coach John Tortorella said. “I think he's one of our best defensemen since he's been with us and in the lineup. ... He's a bit unflappable."

It was a smothering performance most of the game by the Golden Knights as they kept the pressure on goaltender Scott Wedgewood, while controlling the Avalanche's speed through the neutral zone. Vegas also had 23 blocked shots.

“We didn't play a flawless game by any means,” Tortorella said. “We have work to do.”

Valeri Nichushkin had a goal at 5:53 of the third to make it 3-1.

Hart was stellar most of the evening, making one sprawling save after another. He got some help from his post, too, when Logan O’Connor's liner clanged off it in the first period.

“We know they've got a lot of skill on their team, and we respect that,” Hart said. “But you can’t respect them too much, and I thought we did a good job of defending and limiting their time and space.”

Mitch Marner added an assist for Vegas to give him 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in this postseason. It was Dorofeyev’s NHL-leading 10th goal of this postseason. The Golden Knights didn’t have injured captain Mark Stone.

“We’re trying to play our game, not worrying too much about countering off another team," Tortorella explained. "They feel very comfortable in it.”

Game 2 is Friday night in Denver.

The Avalanche dropped their first game at home after winning five straight through the first two rounds. Wedgewood made 24 saves.

“It was kind of a nothing game, and then they got a few goals,” Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon said. "Really good team, obviously, but I thought we did a lot of damage to ourselves. Just guys kind of everywhere. Execution, like I said, needs to be better. Obviously, we’re capable of being a lot better than that.”

Colorado tried some different combinations without Makar. It led to some confusion, with Coghlan sneaking into the middle of the ice and lining a shot through the pads of Wedgewood to break a scoreless game in the second period.

“There's definitely a trickle-down effect to that," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of not having Makar. “But he's not playing. We have find a way.”

Coghlan has bounced around over his career, spending his first two seasons with Vegas before stints with Carolina and Winnipeg. He returned to the Golden Knights last July in part, he said, because of the bonds he'd formed.

“This is probably the best I've felt in my whole career,” said Coghlan, who played in three regular-season games for Vegas this season. “Whoever it is I'm playing with I'm very comfortable out there with them. They make it pretty easy on me. We have some pretty world-class players.”

The Golden Knights and Avalanche are meeting in a best-of-seven series for the second time. In 2021, Colorado won the opening two games of their second-round series before Vegas captured four straight.

“ Definitely things we can get better at,” Landeskog said. “But we knew it was (going to) be a long series.”

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

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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In rambling writings full of vitriol against a wide range of people, the teenagers who attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego this week, killing three men and themselves, left little doubt about the models for their violence.

Chief among them: the shooter who killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019.

Researchers who study extremism have long noted the resonance of the Christchurch attack among far-right assailants, attributing it to the extent of the violence, the document the killer posted concerning his views and actions, and — especially — his decision to livestream the massacre. Among those who apparently modeled attacks after Christchurch was a shooter who months later killed 22 people in a Texas Walmart.

“Part of what we’re seeing in violent extremist communities online is wanting to emulate the attacks that have had the most kills — which is a disgusting thing to say, but it's the reality,” said Katherine Keneally, director of threat analysis and prevention at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, an anti-extremism organization. “There is this obsession and it’s just sort of gamifying of attacks.”

Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, stormed the Islamic Center on Monday before being driven back outside by a security guard who exchanged gunfire with them as he initiated a lockdown, helping to protect 140 children, authorities have said.

The pair killed the guard, Amin Abdullah, and two other men before taking their own lives in a vehicle nearby.

Writings heavy on hate and grievance

They left behind a 74-page document — the same length as the one written by Christchurch shooter Brenton Tarrant. Like Tarrant's, it cited a range of far-right ideological inspirations, including the notion that white people are being replaced by other populations, and offered self-interviews detailing their motives and goals.

And they called themselves “Sons of Tarrant.”

The writings include hateful rhetoric toward Jewish people, Muslims and Islam, as well as the LGBTQ+ community, Black people, women, and the political left and right. They indicated they were trying to accelerate the collapse of society. In his section, Vazquez wrote of having “some mental health issues” and being rejected by women.

Brian Levin, the founding director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University in San Bernardino, noted that while white supremacist writings dating to the 1970s offered a narrative blueprint for decentralized terror attacks, neo-Nazis decades ago favored an approach sometimes called the “propaganda of the deed” — the attack on its own was supposed to inspire copycats, even without written explanations.

The internet has made it easier to spread writings by attackers, and since a far-right attacker killed 77 people in Norway in 2011 and released a 1,500-page document, it has become more common for writings to accompany such atrocities, Levin said. Frequently the writings quote from past white-supremacist texts.

“This strategy of being another chapter in a continuing chain of extremism not only telegraphs that the movement is bigger than it is, but also its resilience — that it is reoccurring with a different set of violent actors, some of whom die in the process,” Levin said.

A contagion of mass violence

The shooting was the latest in a series of attacks on houses of worship. Threats and hate crimes targeting the Muslim and Jewish communities have risen since war began in the Middle East, forcing increases in security.

Keneally said she had mixed feelings about the media attention on the attacks: The public needs to understand what happened, but it also risks amplifying the killers' message and spreading the contagion of mass violence. She said she has struggled with questions she has gotten about whether such attacks are motivated by nihilistic extremism, or accelerationist, neo-Nazi, or white supremacist ideologies.

“We’re trying to put people in buckets and we’re asking the why, but we’re not going back and looking at the how," Keneally said. "How did these kids end up going down this route? How is social media playing a role in that?”

At 17 and 18, she said, healthy teenagers should be excited about graduating high school or entering young adulthood, not engaging with extremist ideologies.

Another form of inspiration

While hateful extremism inspired the teens to attack the Islamic center, it inspired the security guard, Abdullah, in another way: to defend it.

In an interview, his friend Khalid Alexander said Abdullah was increasingly concerned about negative rhetoric toward Muslims, including from politicians.

“He recognized a direct kind of correlation between the threat of the community he was protecting and the types of, really, hate that was being spewed on television in an anti-Muslim, anti-Black, anti-immigrant feeling,” Alexander said. “And so he was keenly aware of the dangers of his job. And that’s exactly why he chose to do it.”

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Johnson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Julie Watson in San Diego and Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed.

The reason: Another hamstring problem, which the Thunder called tightness.

Williams appeared to be getting treatment on the hamstring during the first half, then left the bench area and did not play in the second quarter. Television footage showed him walking toward the locker room holding a large wrap on the back of his left leg.

Cason Wallace started the second half in Williams' place, and the Thunder announced that Williams wouldn't return not long afterward. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Williams would be evaluated on Thursday.

“He’s going to get checked out," Daigneault said after Oklahoma City's 122-113 win that evened the series at a game apiece. "I don’t deal in like hypotheticals, especially when doctors are involved. ... We'll see where he’s at. We’ll update him accordingly.”

Williams returned for Game 1 of the Spurs' series, scoring 26 points in 37 minutes on Monday night in Oklahoma City's 122-115 double-overtime loss. He had four points in seven first-quarter minutes Wednesday, including an alley-oop dunk with 2:12 left in the period.

Game 3 of the series is Friday in San Antonio.

Williams missed 55 of the Thunder’s first 91 games this season entering Wednesday, including playoffs. Of those absences, 19 were for a right wrist issue and the other 36 were related to his hamstrings — the right one costing him 30 games during the regular season, the left one costing him the most recent six during the playoffs.

“Obviously, if we don’t have him, it hurts," Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game. “I still believe in this team though. We've played a bunch of games without him, won big games without him. I still think we’ll get the job done. But losing a guy ... no matter how good your team is otherwise it hurts a little bit. And for him, just like as a human being, he’s had a tough year with injuries.”

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

What is planned for the finale has not been revealed but the folks at “The Late Show” have had months to prepare for the end of the network’s 33-year franchise.

Guests in the final week have included Michael Keaton, Jon Stewart, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Steven Spielberg, David Byrne and Bruce Springsteen, while there's been a wacky version of “It’s Raining Men” remade into “It’s Raining Fish.”

CBS announced last summer that Colbert’s show would end, citing economic reasons after 11 seasons. But Colbert is the ratings leader in late-night TV. Many — including Colbert — have expressed skepticism that President Donald Trump’s repeated criticism of the show wasn't a factor.

The decision to shutter the show came after parent company Paramount’s $16 million settlement of Trump’s lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview as Paramount awaited his administration's approval of a pending sale to Skydance Media. Colbert had called it a “big fat bribe.”

Dustin Kidd, a professor of sociology at Temple University, notes that Colbert leaves at the top of his game and as the ratings leader on late night. Canceling him can’t be explained strictly through economics, he said.

“I would argue that it’s answerable, frankly, through politics,” Kidd said. “There’s been a lot of political pressure levied against this show and a lot of political pressure at work within CBS more generally. And I think that has a lot more to offer in terms of explaining why this show, at this time.”

Colbert’s chief rivals, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” will both run reruns on Thursday night at the same time as Colbert's goodbye.

CBS will fill “The Late Show” slot with “Comics Unleashed,” in which comedians share stories. Host Byron Allen has vowed to avoid politics.

Pressured by the White House, Republicans have tried to add the money to a roughly $70 billion bill to restore funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. But the security proposal met with backlash from some GOP lawmakers who are questioning the cost and how the taxpayer dollars would be used.

The bill’s text has not yet been released, but the Senate hopes to pass it this week and send it to the House before leaving for a weeklong Memorial Day recess. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged “ongoing vote issues” on Wednesday as leaders tired to measure Republican support, as well as “ongoing parliamentarian issues” as they try to figure out what will be allowed in the bill under the chamber’s rules.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said Wednesday that the bill would be “back to square one” without the security money because “the votes are not there.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said the effort to add the security package to the bill was a “bad idea” and he does not think there is enough backing to pass it, even if the cost were reduced.

The wrangling comes as Democrats have criticized Republicans for trying to fund Trump’s ballroom when voters are concerned about basic affordability issues — and as some GOP lawmakers have grown increasingly frustrated with Trump. Several GOP senators have spoken out against the administration’s $1.776 billion settlement fund designed to compensate Trump’s allies who believe they have been persecuted, and many were upset by the president’s endorsement Tuesday of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the party primary runoff next week against Sen. John Cornyn.

“There’s always a consequence with taking on United States senators,” Thune said Wednesday. The president “obviously has his favorites and people he wants to endorse and that’s his prerogative. But what we have to deal with up here is moving the agenda, and obviously that can become slightly more complicated.”

Republicans could set parameters on Trump's settlement fund

The “anti-weaponization" fund, part of a settlement that resolves Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns, has unexpectedly become one of the main complications in the bill. Democrats said they would force votes to block it or place restrictions on it.

Democrats have an opening because Republicans are trying to pass the immigration enforcement bill through a complicated budget process that requires a long series of amendment votes. Democrats are considering multiple amendments, potentially to block that new fund outright or to ban any payments to Trump supporters who harmed law enforcement officers in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Those amendments, along with others, could pass as a growing number of Republicans have voiced reservations about the fund. So Republicans are now discussing their own last-minute additions to head that off, potentially placing some parameters on the settlement and who could receive compensation, according to two people with knowledge of the private discussions who requested anonymity to discuss them.

Thune — who said Tuesday that he is “not a big fan” of the settlement and doesn't see a purpose for it —- said Wednesday that any new language potentially putting restrictions on the settlement is “a work in progress."

It's unclear how any Senate Republican changes would be received in the House, even as some Republicans there have also criticized the settlement.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Wednesday that the House will pass the bill “whatever form it takes.”

Tensions rise between Senate and White House

As Republicans challenged the settlement and parts of his agenda, Trump unloaded on the Senate in a social media post.

He urged Republicans to fire the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, who said over the weekend that parts of the $1 billion security proposal cannot remain in the ICE and Border Patrol bill. Trump also renewed his long-standing calls for the Senate to pass the SAVE Act, a Republican bill that would require all voters to prove U.S. citizenship, and to end the Senate filibuster.

Republicans need to “get smart and tough," Trump said, or “you’ll all be looking for a job much sooner than you thought possible!”

While they have been loyal to Trump on most issues, Senate Republicans have resisted his repeated calls — even in his first term — to kill the filibuster, which triggers a 60-vote threshold in the Senate.

Hanging over the growing GOP rift is Trump’s surprise endorsement of Paxton. That intervention has Republican senators privately fuming that it could cost them their majority in November as they view the incumbent, Cornyn, as the better candidate in the November general election.

Secret Service request falters as Republicans want more detail

Under the Secret Service’s request, about $220 million would fund security improvements related to the ballroom. The rest would go for a new screening center for visitors, training and other security measures.

Tillis said the bill should not have included the other security improvements “because it’s just giving everybody the ‘billion-dollar ballroom.'"

Several other Republicans in the House and Senate have questioned the request, and senators left a briefing with the director of the Secret Service last week saying they needed a lot more information.

People “can’t afford groceries and gasoline and healthcare, and we’re going to do a billion dollars for a ballroom?” asked Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost reelection in his GOP primary on Saturday after Trump endorsed one of his opponents.

Left in the bill is the money for ICE and Border Patrol, which Democrats have blocked for months in protest of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement crackdown.

Democrats demanded reforms for the agencies, but negotiations with the White House yielded little progress. So Republicans are using the complicated budget maneuver called reconciliation — the same process that allowed them to pass Trump's tax and spending cuts bill last year — to fund the agencies through the end of Trump's term with a simple majority and no Democratic votes.

Still, passage requires signoff from the parliamentarian and unity from Republicans.

“We're working on it,” Thune said as he left the Capitol on Wednesday evening.

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Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

Just like that, the Spurs have some big issues to deal with in the Western Conference finals.

Fox — the Spurs' All-Star guard — tried to go through a pregame workout Wednesday but his right ankle wasn't good enough to let him play. So, the Spurs kept Dylan Harper in the starting lineup in his place, only to see him leave in the third quarter with a leg injury.

The Spurs got a split of the first two games in Oklahoma City, but it's anyone's guess who'll start in the backcourt when the series resumes in San Antonio on Friday night.

“It's a tough injury that he wouldn't be playing with in the regular season,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of Fox's ankle injury, the severity of which has not been fully disclosed by the team. “He's trying to tough it out.”

Harper took two awkward falls about a minute apart in the third quarter and was ruled out not long afterward. Johnson didn't have an update on him after Game 2, which Oklahoma City won 122-113 to even the series.

The Spurs held out hope until about an hour before game time that Fox could play, and Johnson — just as he did Monday — indicated that Fox's status will be a series of game-time decisions for the rest of the season.

“It’ll be pretty status quo moving forward, I believe, regardless of if he plays in games or not,” Johnson said. “This’ll be just kind of the world we live in.”

Fox was an All-Star this season for the Spurs, averaging 18.6 points per game in the regular season — second on the team behind only Victor Wembanyama's 25 points per game.

Harper — who was named to the NBA's All-Rookie first team earlier Wednesday — was brilliant in the Spurs' Game 1 win, with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a team playoff record seven steals.

He had 12 points in 25 minutes on Wednesday before heading to the locker room.

Harper, who turned 20 on March 2, is the second-youngest player to have appeared in this season's playoffs, behind only Minnesota's Joan Beringer and Phoenix's Khaman Maluach — both still just 19. Beringer and Maluach combined to score 24 points in the playoffs, matching the total that Harper had in Game 1 against the Thunder alone.

“He didn't just get this talented or this good,” Johnson said of Harper before the game. “For him to buy in to the role that was in front of him, for him to do what was asked and be held accountable and learn what it took and what we needed to win games and be a part of it — while probably suppressing some of his individual capabilities — is hard to do for a 19- to 20-year-old.

“For him to be able to do that and grow as a winning team player and then have his individual talent pop as well — it's hard to do in this league at any time. Doing it as a rookie in the playoffs is ridiculous.”

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

The Republican president’s years of false claims that his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden was due to widespread fraud have shadowed many elections since in the presidential battleground. The issue is almost certain to play a role in a four-week runoff campaign as GOP voters choose nominees for governor, secretary of state and the U.S. Senate.

Among the contenders: one of Trump’s alternate electors in his attempt to overturn Biden’s win in the state, a Trump acolyte who won his first congressional race while saying Trump won in 2020 and a secretary of state hopeful who echoes Trump’s conspiracy theories as he vies to become Georgia’s top elections official.

To be clear, Georgia's presidential votes were counted three times, including once by hand, and each one affirmed Biden's victory.

The primary came amid continued legal and political wrangling over how elections are managed in Fulton County — home to heavily Democratic Atlanta. Trump's questioning of the Georgia results and longtime criticism of Fulton County elections were supercharged earlier this year when the FBI searched the county’s election office, seizing ballots and records from 2020.

The primary election's first-round results showed that siding with Trump, even on his election lies, is good politics within the GOP. Georgia candidates who opposed Trump’s efforts in 2020 got trounced. But some conservatives worry that misplaying the issue — or emphasizing it at all — could backfire with the general electorate in November.

“We’re going to look stupid,” warned Debbie Dooley, an early tea party organizer who supported Trump from the outset of his first presidential campaign. “What are you going to say — Trump won, and he was always the president? It serves no purpose.”

She said Republicans should instead focus on the economy, and that any mention of election procedures should look to “securing future elections, looking forward.”

Whether Trump sees it that way is another question. The president already has endorsed Burt Jones, one of his 2020 alternate electors, in the governor’s race. Dooley, who is backing Jones, said she wouldn't be surprised if Trump comes to Georgia to campaign — and air his 2020 grievances again.

“I don’t know if the president gets it or not,” she said.

A 2020 Trump fake elector in the governor's race

Jones was a state lawmaker in 2020 when he joined Trump’s cause to overturn Biden’s 11,779-vote margin in Georgia. He parlayed that loyalty into winning the lieutenant governor’s office in 2022 and getting Trump’s early endorsement in his bid for a promotion. On Tuesday, he won about four out of 10 Republican votes.

Trump and Jones don’t revisit the details, but Trump has praised Jones multiple times on his Truth Social platform for his loyalty while Jones has promoted “election integrity.”

Jones’ runoff rival, billionaire and political newcomer Rick Jackson, is among the Republicans who does not talk much about the 2020 election. But he spent a slice of the $83 million he invested in his own campaign on an ad attacking outgoing Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, another GOP candidate for governor who resisted Trump’s urging to help find “find 11,800 votes” to reverse Biden’s victory in 2020.

In the ad, a child is shown asking his mother why she chose the name Brad. The mother replies that her second choice was “Judas” – in the New Testament account, the name of the disciple who betrays Jesus to Roman authorities. The full name “Brad ‘Judas’ Raffensperger” appeared on the screen at the end of the spot.

Raffensperger finished a distant third in this week's primary, with just 15% of the vote.

Senate primary leader said Democrats stole 2020

Rep. Mike Collins, who led the Senate GOP primary with about 40% of the vote, has never backed off his false claims that Biden’s win was rigged, an argument he featured when he first ran for Congress in 2022.

“You count the legal votes that were cast in the state of Georgia, Donald Trump won this state. Period,” he said in one ad, in which he held a long gun and bemoaned the “federal hijacking” of the 2020 election. He concluded with shooting a mock voting machine.

Collins’ runoff rival, former college football coach and political newcomer Derek Dooley, has been more circumspect. But both men are pledging fealty to Trump, with the president thus far not endorsing in the race to determine who will challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.

It’s notable that Dooley’s main political benefactor is outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp, who like Raffensperger drew Trump’s ire in 2020 for certifying Biden’s slate of electors.

Kemp ran for and won reelection in 2022, saying Republicans should look forward instead of relitigating the 2020 election. Trump eventually made up with Kemp during the 2024 presidential campaign, and advisers to both men say Kemp has discussed the Senate contest with the president.

A conspiracy theorist in the race to succeed Raffensperger

State Rep. Tim Fleming, a former deputy secretary of state, and former state Rep. Vernon Jones, a Trump loyalist and perennial candidate, were the top vote-getters in the contest for secretary of state and will face off next month.

Jones, a former Democrat, embraced Trump's “stop the steal” movement and said during an Atlanta Press Club debate last month, “I stand with those who believe there was election fraud.”

Fleming, who worked under Kemp when the governor was secretary of state, has said there were “irregularities” in the 2020 election — a buzz word among Republicans who stop short of echoing Trump without refuting him. But Fleming said he believes the state has made great strides since then in improving elections and said he wants to focus on future elections.

Fleming and Jones far outpaced one of Raffensperger's top aides, Gabriel Sterling, who gained attention in December 2020 for urging Trump to help discourage threats of violence against election workers. Sterling got 12% of the primary vote, finishing fourth.

Heavily Democratic Fulton County remains a Trump, GOP target

Trump has long fixated on Fulton County, alleging it was the center of Georgia fraud in 2020. The FBI seized 2020 ballots and documents from the county elections offices in January, and the county remained a punching bag for Republicans through vote tabulations on Tuesday.

During voting hours, two voting precincts were closed for four hours in an Atlanta suburb after police received a call about possible gunfire and a suspicious person wearing military-style clothing. While the incident was unrelated to the primary, a judge ordered the precincts to stay open until 11 p.m. to make up for the lost time, and Fulton officials said the law prevented them from releasing any results until those precincts were closed.

State Sen. Greg Dolezal, a Republican runoff candidate for lieutenant governor, tried to capitalize on the delay, despite the fact that he's seeking an office with no role over tabulating ballots or certifying elections.

“Here we are on Election Night, Georgians are anxiously awaiting the results, and which county hasn’t even started reporting? It’s always Fulton County,” Dolezal posted on social media. “It’s time for Georgia to takeover the process. We will not have another 2020 this November!”

Ask Brits what they think of their former colonies in 2026, and they note these long-held views of America and Americans. But after 250 years of independence from Britain, the country’s former rulers cannot discuss the United States without mentioning President Donald Trump, almost always before listing the many qualities they admire and appreciate in the upstart nation across the pond.

“It’s Trump’s world now, isn’t it?” says Mark Keightley, a printer technician who serves the Cambridge area, about an hour north of London.

Over the past year, The Associated Press asked Britons — from George Washington’s ancestral home near Scotland to Cambridge, Bristol and London — a neutral question: “What do you think of America now?” Virtually every answer, even from those like Keightley who support some of the president’s policies, begins with a considered pause, followed by a crisp euphemism for Trump and the Trump era.

"Your president ..." "The current state of politics …" and "He …" with no ambiguity about who, are typical. And they suggest as much about the British perception of their former colony as the commentary that tends to come next. Is it possible to talk about America now without referencing Trump, they are asked? The unanimous answer, according to these interviews: No.

“My own opinion of America is now dictated by the president and he’s not covering himself in glory as far as I’m concerned,” said Eddie Boyle of Falkirk, Scotland, as he walked across Westminster Bridge in London last week. “It’s a shame that such a long arrangement between the two countries has been tarnished."

‘The Country disappoints me’

Being British and disappointed by the reality of the United States isn't a new phenomenon.

Charles Dickens wrote to a friend that he felt just that way during his 1842 visit to the new nation, where he was feted from Boston to New York and Washington — and reportedly earned a fortune from public readings of his work. But he was horrified by the ongoing practice of slavery, which Britain abolished in 1833. And the celebrated freedom of expression that Americans had enshrined in the First Amendment, he wrote, had gone awry with “a press more mean, and paltry, and silly, and disgraceful than any country I ever knew.”

Also, he wrote in a travelogue, Americans spit in public — a “filthy custom.”

“This is not the Republic I came to see. This is not the Republic of my imagination,” he wrote to William Charles Macready on March 22, 1842. “In every respect but that of National Education, the Country disappoints me.”

Over time, the history of the U.S.-U.K. relationship unfolded in such a way that no one event or president can define it.

Several inflection points inspired Britain to take America seriously as a permanent power and not a temporary, rebellious whim. Among them, the War of 1812 — a rematch of sorts between the two nations. It ended in a draw, but the conflict boosted the sense of American independence and established the United States as a sturdy trading and military force to be reckoned with.

The new country then survived its own Civil War. Then, before a century elapsed, the United States helped Britain fend off Nazi occupation and, with the rest of the Allied powers, defeated Germany during World War II. Four decades later, the storied friendship between President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher helped drive the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

“They did something great there,” Maria Miston of Suffolk, pausing recently near Big Ben, says of Thatcher and Reagan. “They actually managed to bring the Cold War to an end.” She notes that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 damaged the superpower's image around the world. And, she thinks, it hasn't gotten better. “We've just gone backwards since then.”

Trump rebrands the ‘special relationship’

During his second term, the American president first tolerated his fellow head of government, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but then dismissed him as “ not Winston Churchill ” over the premier’s refusal to involve the U.K. in the U.S. war against Iran.

Trump has suggested that he considers the king, not the prime minister, to be his peer. The president was deeply flattered by the king’s invitation for an unprecedented second state visit to England — and a dazzling royal dinner at Windsor Castle — last year as well as Charles’ recent visit to Washington. In the U.S., Charles said the four-century-long U.S.-British relationship is “more important today than it has ever been,” even as he laid in support for checks and balances — seen as an implicit criticism of Trump.

The White House posted on social media that the pair are “TWO KINGS,” — in part, perhaps, a clapback to the “No Kings” rallies that drew crowds across the U.S. during Charles’ visit. But the irony was not missed in the land of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” and more founding-era documents that rejected the rule of Charles’ five-times great-grandfather, King George III, and government by monarchy generally.

Back home, where polls showed significant opposition to the king’s visit beforehand, Charles’ performance won raves as a show of soft power. That seemed all the more noteworthy given the obvious tension between the monarch and the president over climate issues, and Trump’s threat to make Canada the 51st state, where Charles is sovereign.

“May I say, well done in the Americas,” rock star Rod Stewart told Charles at a May 11 gala within earshot of reporters. “You were superb, absolutely superb, put that little rat bag in his place.”

Polls show Britons have soured on America. Only 28% of British adults approved of U.S. leadership in a Gallup poll conducted in the late summer and early fall of 2025, while 68% disapproved. That’s broadly in line with views of U.S. leadership during Trump’s first term, and lower than approval of U.S. leadership under Democratic President Joe Biden, when around 45% of U.K. adults approved of American leadership.

The Pew Research Center’s 2025 Global Attitudes Survey, conducted in the spring of that year, found that roughly half of U.K. adults had a favorable view of the U.S. British adults had a sunnier view of America in the first two years of Biden’s presidency, when about two-thirds had a favorable view of the U.S. That fell to 54% by the spring of 2024.

U.S.-U.K. relations have been strained in recent history, The Suez Canal crisis in 1956, for example, proved a stark reminder of Britain’s waning power and American ascendancy on the world stage. A decade later, Britain resisted pressure from the U.S. to join the Vietnam War.

Watching the American experiment under Trump

Throughout the years, watching America has become something of a spectator sport in Britain, if only to gauge how well — or poorly, or amusingly — the cousins across the Atlantic are doing democracy their way.

Nowadays, Brits readily acknowledge a long list of American qualities they admire alongside those that anger or mystify them. To the good: American ambition. The country's wealth. Its military might. Its vastness. Its television, music and movies. And its resilience despite racial tensions and the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

In parallel runs the rest: America's gunviolence, which seems hard to fathom when viewed from Great Britain, where handguns were outlawed in 1997 after a school massacre. Immigration crackdowns in the U.S. seem puzzling to many Brits given that America was founded by immigrants. Though, like much of Europe, the U.K. has its own issues with people trying to enter the country illegally.

Topping the list of mysteries is Trump, the 47th president during the snapshot in time when the United States celebrates 250 years of independence. Talking about him is socially sensitive, Brits say, with Brexit still a raw tear through society and populist reform, led by some Trump supporters, on the rise in recent local elections.

“How can someone like that become president?” Mark Gibson asked over an ale recently at The Cross Keys pub in Washington, down the hill from the first president's ancestral home. He understands why Americans elected other men as their leaders, even if he didn't agree with them. But Trump? “I don't understand it. He's had bankruptcies and legal troubles."

"But,” Gibson adds, “I guess that's what people wanted. They elected him twice.”

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Associated Press News Editor Amelia Thomson DeVeaux in Washington and video journalist Kwiyeon Ha in London contributed to this report.

As more users of livestreaming social media platforms find being performative with bigoted language can draw big bucks, the line is blurring between freedom of expression and freedom for people to feel safe. Even within livestreaming communities, some assert they have a right to say whatever and earn revenue while others support having boundaries.

Racial justice advocates worry throwing money into the equation will only heighten and normalize racist antics. As for regulation, it can feel lawless out on the social media landscape. It is often left up to platforms to self-regulate and hold users accountable for obscene and abusive words. But, experts say, at some point laws for offline behavior can trump online freedoms.

Dalton Eatherly, who goes by the moniker “Chud the Builder,” is facing charges including attempted murder after allegedly shooting another man last week outside the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville, Tennessee, authorities said. Eatherly, now held on a $1.25 million preliminary bond, has a full bond hearing scheduled Thursday.

Eatherly, 28, and the victim got into a “physical altercation that escalated to gunfire,” the local sheriff's office said. A witness described the man, who was shot multiple times, as Black. Eatherly is white.

In an audio stream from just after the shooting, Eatherly said he shot in self-defense. It's unclear if the men exchanged any words beforehand. His attorney, Jacob Fendley, didn't comment on the charges when contacted by The Associated Press two days after Eatherly's arrest.

Freedom of speech or hate speech?

An online fundraiser for Eatherly raised over $100,000 within a day for his legal assistance. He also has defended his videos on the crowdsourcing site as “mild jokes, unfiltered thoughts.”

While he has sometimes defended using a racial slur as “edgy, harmless humor,” Eatherly wrote, "I know it’s controversial, but it’s my right to speak freely.”

It is reminiscent of an incident from a year ago when a white Minnesota woman was captured on cellphone video admitting to calling a child a racist slur. She amassed over $800,000 on GiveSendGo and also pointed to her First Amendment rights.

The freedom of speech argument does not hold water in such instances, according to the 41-year-old live-streamer and content creator who goes by SendaRoni Sloscru online.

“When you get to terrorizing and doing all this hate speech, that’s when the line gets drawn, especially when nobody is bothering you,” said Los Angeles-based SendaRoni. “Whatever platform is allowing him to get away with that is basically race-baiting, and I just think in this day and time you got people who are going to laugh at it or people who will beat you to death about it.”

“Race-baiting" content creates immediate risk for Black bystanders, said Brandon Tucker, senior director of government affairs for civil rights organization Color of Change. There's a “power imbalance” with a livestreamer who is attracting an audience.

“The same free speech that this individual wants to advocate for doesn't recognize the chilling of my response to know that I cannot react in any reasonable way because my face, my safety, my family's safety is in jeopardy and being broadcast to an audience that most likely aligns with this person's views,” Tucker said.

These streaming platforms cannot claim neutrality if they're essentially financially rewarding users for using racist language to agitate, he said.

Platform regulation can feel like the 'Wild West'

Eatherly was streaming on Pump.fun, a platform where users create and trade cryptocurrency tokens. Token creators have used the livestream feature to gain notice in some outrageous ways such as dangerous stunts and threatening violence. In November 2024, Pump.fun paused the feature because people were violating terms of service by uploading abusive, obscene or dishonest messages.

“It's not clear what was done to improve that situation before it was reinstated,” said Kate Ruane, director of the free expression program at the Center for Democracy and Technology. “If you're relying on users to report and none of the users that are viewing these livestreams disagree or have a problem with what they're seeing, you might not be getting the user reports that you should."

Pump.fun did not responded to an email sent Wednesday requesting comment.

Brandon Golob, a criminology, law and society professor at University of California, Irvine, said the number of livestreaming platforms has grown but self-regulation can still feel like ‘the Wild West.’

The First Amendment, however, is not a blanket shield from real-world laws against harassment, hate crimes and provocation.

“The reality is that when it involves two private individuals, state law is going to govern,” Golob said. “We just want to make sure that we’re not conflating government responsibility or government censorship with private accountability.”

SendaRoni says he's been livestreaming for a few years and has “tens of thousands” of followers across a number of social media platforms.

“I usually talk about social issues. I speak on trending events, news,” he said adding that a number of livestreamers addressed Eatherly's antics following the shooting in Clarksville.

“I think he tried to find people he’d get a reaction out of,” SendaRoni said. “When you do things such as that the end results are not going to be exciting. You’re acting like no one has a reason not to be disgusted and you made a mockery of yourself.”

Leading livestream platforms such as YouTube and Twitch do have an infrastructure for content moderation — and community guidelines barring hate speech and slurs. They utilize automated detection and user reports.

Both Golob and Ruane advise people to know their rights on how to handle livestreamers who are making them uncomfortable. Ruane says it's OK “to film them right back.”

“Make sure that you're sharing a different version of the story because whatever First Amendment rights they might be exercising, you have them too,” Ruane said. “Make sure that is being published at the same time and that can serve as a form of pushback in and of itself.”

Four people initially were found unresponsive inside the Mountainair home east of Albuquerque, New Mexico State Police said. Three died, while the forth was being treated at an Albuquerque hospital, police said. Their names weren't released.

First responders who arrived at the home were exposed to the substance and began experiencing symptoms, including nausea and dizziness, authorities said.

Antonette Alguire, a volunteer firefighter in Mountainair, helped perform CPR on a woman outside the home and watched as EMTs and firefighters started coughing, vomiting and becoming dizzy at the heliport, she said. Alguire said the experience was scary, even though she didn't go inside and didn't experience any symptoms.

She wondered if first responders might have to do more to protect themselves in the future.

“It’s getting to that point where we just have to live in fear, even saving lives," she said.

Investigators are working to identify the substance. Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto said he saw drugs at the scene and pointed to that as a possible factor in the deaths. He said the health issues people experienced were not related to carbon monoxide or natural gas exposure.

New Mexico State Police said there was no threat to the public.

“At this time, investigators believe the substance may be transmitted through contact and do not believe it to be airborne," said Officer Wilson Silver.

Nearly two dozen patients were assessed and decontaminated after being exposed to the substance, the University of New Mexico Hospital said. Most of those were first responders who were showing no symptoms and later were discharged, hospital officials said. Three symptomatic patients were being monitored Wednesday evening, the hospital said.

As law enforcement officers from multiple agencies remained on the scene late Wednesday afternoon, three bodies were placed onto gurneys and then loaded into a white van and driven away.

Yellow tape surrounded the home along a dirt road. A singlewide trailer could be seen in the home's backyard, with several cars, trucks and vans in the driveway.

The mayor described Mountainair as a tight-knit community of fewer than 1,000 people. Town hall will be closed Thursday because of the emotional toll on employees, he said.

“A tragedy like this is horrific,” he said.

Residents voiced frustration on social media about drug use in the community and elsewhere. New Mexico had the fourth-highest rate of drug overdose deaths of any U.S. state in 2024, with 775 deaths, according to the most recent data available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nieto said on social media that the town's law enforcement officers and first responders work daily to protect the community and respond to difficult situations.

“But the reality is that addiction and substance abuse are issues affecting communities all across our state and nation,” Nieto said. “There is no simple or immediate solution. Lasting change requires family support, accountability, education, and most importantly, individuals who are willing to accept help.”

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This story has been updated to correct that law enforcement officers remained on the scene late Wednesday afternoon, not Tuesday. It also corrects attribution to Nieto about possible factors in the deaths.

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Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden in Seattle and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed to this report.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bounced back from a subpar series opener to score 30 points, Alex Caruso added 17 off the bench and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 122-113 on Wednesday night in Game 2.

Chet Holmgren scored 13 points and reserves Jared McCain and Cason Wallace each had 12 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder finished with a 57-25 edge in bench scoring, plus a 27-10 advantage in points off turnovers.

“I thought we all played better,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “I had a quiet confidence about that. I didn't know if we'd win or lose the game, but I was pretty sure after watching Game 1 and knowing our team that we were going to come out and play better tonight.”

Stephon Castle scored 25 points for the Spurs, who got 22 points from Devin Vassell and a 21-point, 17-rebound, six-assist, four-block night from Victor Wembanyama.

Game 3 is Friday in San Antonio.

“The guys brought it tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Knowing what it would have meant if we lost this one, we brought the energy from the jump.”

Isaiah Hartenstein — who barely played in Game 1 — had 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder, who improved to 14-5 after a loss this season — and beat the Spurs for just the second time in seven meetings.

The win was not without cost for the Thunder, who lost guard Jalen Williams — who had already missed six games in these playoffs with a left hamstring strain — in the first half with a recurrence of the hamstring issue. The Thunder said it was tightness, but even that would figure to put his availability for Friday into doubt.

And the Spurs got banged up as well. Already without All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox because of ankle soreness, San Antonio lost his replacement in the starting lineup — Dylan Harper — to a right leg injury after he took a couple of awkward falls in the third quarter.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson had no update on Harper after the game, though he noted that it puts “a ton” of pressure on others when his team is down two guards.

“Obviously this team is as good as anybody at turning you over, so when you’re down some of your primary creators and initiators it causes a little bit of an extra strain, whether that’s who to play, what to play, what to run, etc., etc.,” Johnson said. “We’ll just have to be sharper in that area because it’s tough fully loaded against these guys.”

San Antonio was down by 11 at the half and trailed by eight going into the fourth quarter, then got within 99-97 off a corner 3-pointer by Harrison Barnes with 9:06 left.

The next 2 1/2 minutes saved the Thunder. An 11-0 run by the defending champions — including a banked-in 3-pointer by McCain midway through the burst — pushed OKC's lead to 13.

But the Spurs — on another night when turnovers plagued them and the stretch run was played without Fox and Harper — were far from done. Wembanyama scored down low to make it 118-113 with 1:25 remaining, but Gilgeous-Alexander got one last basket to settle things down and send the series to San Antonio tied.

“We've got to help our ballhandlers more and take care of the ball,” Wembanyama said.

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

Because let’s be honest… sometimes parents want the fun of a road trip without the actual road trip.

Just about an hour from Houston, Moody Gardens packs beach days, giant dinosaurs, rainforest adventures and lazy river vibes all into one destination — making it the kind of place where the kids barely have time to ask, “Are we there yet?” before you’ve already arrived.

This summer, families can cool off at Palm Beach, complete with white sand, a lazy river, wave pool and water slides. Starting in June, Beats on the Beach also brings live music and fireworks to Galveston Island on Saturday nights throughout the summer.

And for dinosaur lovers? The Dinos Alive exhibit takes families back in time with nearly two dozen giant animatronic dinosaurs hidden throughout a Jurassic-style jungle. From Stegosaurus to Tyrannosaurus Rex, it’s a prehistoric adventure kids are guaranteed to remember.

Of course, Moody Gardens is also home to some of its signature attractions including the Aquarium Pyramid, Rainforest Pyramid, 3D and 4D theaters, ropes course, zip line and interactive exhibits — all conveniently located in one spot.

Parents looking to turn a day trip into a weekend escape can also stay at the newly refreshed Moody Gardens Hotel, featuring updated guest rooms, on-site dining, a spa, and access to the Moody Gardens Golf Course and new pickleball courts nearby.

Basically? It’s summer fun without the stress of spending half your vacation stuck in the car.

For the best deals on tickets, hotel reservations, the Moody Gardens annual pass and basically everything you need to know, visit moodygardens.org or call 409-744-4673.

A filing shows that his SpaceX lost $2.6 billion from operations last year on $18.7 billion in revenue, and the losses kept piling up at the start of this year, too.

The prospectus did not put a dollar figure on the amount Musk hopes to raise, but various reports have put it at $75 billion or so. An offering of that size would easily surpass the current title holder, Saudi Aramco, the oil giant that went public seven years ago and raised $26 billion.

SpaceX, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., has said the money will help finance projects to put people on the moon and Mars in its quest to make humans an intergalactic species as they face existential threats that could wipe out civilization.

“We do not want humans to have the same fate as dinosaurs,” the filing states.

The prospectus reads in part like a Hollywood fantasy version of the future, detailing in one section how part of Musk’s compensation will be granted only if he maintains “a permanent human colony on Mars with at least one million inhabitants.”

Short of that, the stock sale alone could make Musk, a major owner who founded SpaceX in 2002, the world’s first trillionaire. Forbes currently puts his net worth at $839 billion.

In addition to making reusable rockets to hurl astronauts into orbit, SpaceX has other businesses, some successful, some struggling — and with plenty of questions marks.

The document shows that Starlink, the world’s largest satellite communications company, is a big source of cash for the company, generating $4.4 billion in operating income last year. The business uses 10,000 satellites in low orbit to provide internet service to 10 million people in 150 countries and territories.

Among the struggling businesses are two Musk units that were recently acquired by SpaceX — his social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and his artificial intelligence business, xAI. Those purchases were blasted by some SpaceX investors as bailouts because they are big money losers.

The prospectus said its AI business lost $6.4 billion in operations last year.

The original SpaceX business, making rockets and staging launches, has been helped by massive government contracts, which raises questions that could come back to haunt the company. Given Musk’s close relation to the Trump administration, government ethics lawyers and watchdogs have asked if he has gotten special treatment to win taxpayer money and whether that good luck will run out once President Donald Trump is out office.

SpaceX has won contracts worth $6 billion from NASA and the Defense Department and other government agencies in the past five years, according to USAspending.gov. The company noted in its filing that a fifth of its revenue last year was from the federal government.

Musk was the biggest donor to Trump’s presidential campaign and is still a big backer despite their sometimes rocky relationship after his stewardship of the government cost-cutting effort called DOGE early last year.

Like many corporate CEOs, Musk’s compensation will go far beyond his annual salary, which was $54,080 in 2025 and has remained unchanged since 2019, according to the filing.

The prospectus says stock grants for him would be sliced into 15 nearly equal amounts — 67 million shares each — and would vest only as the company achieves preset market cap goals. In addition to the Martian colony, SpaceX’s stock market value would have to reach $7.5 trillion for him to receive the full award.

He would get even more stock awards if SpaceX manages to get giant data centers the size of football fields in space.

The document shows Musk will be able to exert big control over the business.

It says he and certain other shareholders will receive shares in a special class of stock that gives them 10 votes for each share they hold. Those shareholders will be able, among other things, to elect a majority of the company’s board of directors.

“This will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters and the election of our directors,” SpaceX said in a warning to prospective investors.

SpaceX will be able to pitch the offering to investors — in what’s known in Wall Street parlance as a “road show” — 15 days after making its prospectus public. In this case, that works out to June 4.

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Associated Press writer Alex Veiga in Los Angeles contributed.

Weapons are now regularly brandished in Tehran, an increasing show of defiance as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens he could restart the war with Iran should negotiations break down and the Islamic Republic refuses to release its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

The weapons displays reflect the genuine threat Iran faces: Trump has suggested American forces could seize Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium by force and previously said that he sent arms to Kurdish fighters to pass onto anti-government protesters.

But they also offer reassurance and motivation to hard-liners and provide rare entertainment at a time of great uncertainty, when Iranians are facing mass layoffs, business closures and spiraling prices for food, medicine and other goods. Suggesting more hard-liners will be armed could also help suppress any new demonstrations against Iran's theocracy, which violently put down nationwide protests in January in a crackdown that activists say killed over 7,000 people and saw tens of thousands detained.

“This is necessary for all our people to get trained because we are in a war situation these days," said Ali Mofidi, a 47-year-old Tehran resident at a weapons training Tuesday night. "If necessary, everyone should be available and know how to use a gun.”

Iran has repeatedly sought to project strength during the war

For months, state television and government-sponsored text messages have bombarded the public with calls to join the “Janfada,” or the “ones who sacrifice their lives.” At one point, hard-liners encouraged families with boys as young as 12 to send them to the Revolutionary Guard to work checkpoints — which Amnesty International denounced as a war crime.

Government officials say more than 30 million people in Iran — home to a population of some 90 million — have volunteered via an online form or at public gatherings to lay down their lives for Iran's theocracy. There is no way to confirm that figure and there's been no sign of a mass mobilization yet, like the one that Ukraine underwent in the days before Russia’s full-scale 2022 invasion, in which officials handed out rifles and people banded together to make gasoline bombs.

But there have been several public announcements and presenters have appeared armed during live programs on state TV, as part of efforts to feed the fervor.

“Looking back at the moment I registered my name, I realize I wasn’t truly contemplating the dangers of fighting on the front lines. In that moment, like everyone else, my thoughts were solely on Iran,” wrote journalist Soheila Zarfam in a column for the state-owned Tehran Times newspaper. “My life might end, but Iran would endure, and that was all that truly mattered.”

Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi has criticized the public weapons demonstrations, particularly footage of young boys handling assault rifles, saying: “Scenes like these are reminiscent of child hostage-taking and arming by groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria, and militias in Sudan and Congo.”

Weapons training, once unusual, becomes a norm

A recent government-organized demonstration by nomads in Iran saw them carrying everything from bolt-action Lee–Enfield rifles of the British Empire to a blunderbuss, a predecessor of the shotgun more familiar to the age of pirates on the high seas.

But during weeks of an unsteady ceasefire, most of the weapon demonstrations appear focused on Tehran, not the rural areas where there is a tradition of keeping rifles and shotguns at home.

At a demonstration Tuesday night in Tehran, male and female participants divided into separate classes. Hadi Khoosheh, a member of the Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force and trainer, demonstrated how to handle a folding-stock Kalashnikov-style assault rifle.

“At the end of the training those who completed the course will receive a card titled 'Janfada,' proving they have received basic and preliminary training for this type of gun and they are able to use it if, God forbid, something happens to our country," Khoosheh said.

However, the weapons training was rudimentary at best for the young boys and older men gathered. One struggled to insert the rifle's magazine and inadvertently pointed the barrel of the unloaded weapon at others — a major safety breach that people are taught to avoid in basic firearms training.

“Definitely we will stand against (the Americans) and won’t give up even an inch of our soil," said Mofidi, the man at the training. "No matter if they come from the sea or land, we will stand by our flag.”

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Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi and Mehdi Fattahi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.

If you’ve been paying attention, our forecast is good for storms occurring and rain totals. But this isn’t a forecast that’s good with timing. With that said, here’s my thoughts for Thursday. There should be storms tomorrow morning. The question is how early they arrive? The range is starting between 6am and 10am. The concern with tomorrow is how these storms have been slowing down and not moving out of our area quickly. There is a flood watch that starts Thursday morning lasting through Memorial Day. This pattern is with us through at least Tuesday of next week.

Thursday Morning:

After a good soaking with rain totals ranging between 2″- 6″ late Tuesday to Wednesday. our next round arrives Thursday morning.

Friday and beyond: Flood risks and daily breakdown:

With the ground already saturated in our southwestern cities, street, stream and river flooding is possible with another round of heavy rain. Placement is key, and so far the Houston area’s rain totals have been manageable. But if too much rain falls in a short amount of time, we could get street flooding in the Houston area. Here’s how the next several days look.

• Thursday: Next organized rain arrives late morning to midday, raising the risk of localized flooding.
• Friday: Storms expected again in the morning but may be more scattered.
• Saturday and Sunday: More waves of heavy rainfall could develop, keeping the flood risk in play.
• Memorial Day: Flood watch remains, with another chance for storms and heavier rainfall.

Additional rainfall totals are forecast to reach 4 to 5 inches for many areas along the upper Texas coast through Monday. Temperatures are expected to stay mostly in the low to mid-80s. It won’t rain all day long so don’t cancel any plans but be ready to adjust those plans.

Memorial Day Weekend:

The number one question I’ve received about this upcoming weekend is timing of the rain. Unfortunately, the weather pattern we have isn’t giving us this luxury. We aren’t able to see these small disturbances until 12 to 24 hours before the rain starts. Stay tuned, we’ll continue to update our forecast and tell you as soon as we see what’s coming next.

7-Day Forecast:

This active pattern should stay with us through at least Tuesday. The hope is next week we head into a hit and miss afternoon storm pattern and not the widespread daily flood threat. We’ll keep you posted.

Have you captured a dramatic rain photo or video? Share your weather moments with the KPRC 2 community through Click2Pins at Click2Houston.com/pins.

Long the scene of attacks by an array of armed groups, the region's volatility now further complicates efforts to handle the crisis. Local leaders said an attack by militants linked to the Islamic State group killed at least 17 people on Tuesday night in Alima village in Ituri, a province that has become the hot spot of the outbreak.

The World Health Organization, which noted a low risk globally, has said “patient zero” has not been found.

“It’s truly sad and painful because we’ve already been through a security crisis, and now Ebola is here too,” said Justin Ndasi, a Bunia resident,

Tons of health supplies have been airlifted to Bunia, where the first known death was announced last week, but residents said masks are harder to find and some disinfectants that previously sold for 2,500 Congolese francs (about $1) now cost four times more.

A mother watches her son 'bleeding and vomiting’

At a treatment center in Rwampara, families cried and watched as healthcare workers in protective gear silently disinfected the bodies of their loved ones — suspected Ebola victims — and placed them into coffins for secure burial sites.

The disease struck suddenly, they said, describing a rapid deterioration after symptoms were mistaken for illnesses such as malaria.

“He told me his heart was hurting,” said Botwine Swanze, who lost her son. “Then he started crying because of the pain. ... Then he started bleeding and vomiting a lot.”

The Ebola virus is highly contagious and spreads in the human population through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding.

WHO chief says the 'scale of the epidemic is much larger’

WHO has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, worried over its “scale and speed.” The WHO chief in Congo says it could last at least two months.

The rare type of Ebola, known as the Bundibugyo virus, spread undetected for weeks following the first known death while authorities tested for another, more common Ebola virus and came up negative.

Investigations continued into where and when the outbreak started, but “given the scale, we are thinking that it has started probably a couple of months ago,” said Anaïs Legand, with WHO's emergencies program.

So far, 51 cases have been confirmed in Congo’s northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, and two cases in Uganda, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday. There are 139 suspected deaths and almost 600 suspected cases.

But “the scale of the epidemic is much larger,” he said.

The London-based MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis estimated that cases have been substantially undercounted and that the actual number could already exceed 1,000. “The true magnitude remains uncertain,” it said.

This is Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak, and the WHO has said the country's health ministry has experienced staff and capacity to respond. Most outbreaks, however, were of the more common Ebola type.

Any potential vaccine is months away

Dr. Vasee Moorthy, a special adviser at WHO, said a vaccine to address Bundibugyo would not be available for at least six to nine months.

Eastern Congo already faced “immense pressure from conflict, displacement and a collapsing health system,” said Dr. Lievin Bangali, senior health coordinator for the International Rescue Committee in Congo, adding that years of underfunding have weakened the response.

The outbreak highlights the effects of the Trump administration’s deep cuts in foreign aid. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the administration set a priority on funding 50 emergency clinics in affected areas. The U.S. pledged to contribute $23 million.

Anxiety grows with little protection in affected places

In Bunia, schools and churches remain open while some residents wear masks. Elsewhere in Ituri province, suspected Ebola patients share a ward with others injured or ill at Bambu General Hospital.

A Doctors Without Borders team identified suspected cases over the weekend at Bunia's Salama hospital but found no available isolation ward in the area, said Trish Newport, an emergency program manager.

“Every health facility they called said, ‘We’re full of suspect cases. We don’t have any space.’ This gives you a vision of how crazy it is right now,” she said on social media.

In Mongbwalu, where the body of the first known death was taken, the nearby border with Uganda remains open and gold mining continues, said Chérubin Kuku Ndilawa, a civil society leader.

“There’s no panic. People continue with their normal lives, but they’re also starting to spread the word,” said Ndilawa, and noted a lack of public handwashing stations.

There were around 30 Ebola patients at Mongbwalu General Hospital, where a student from the local medical technology institute died on Wednesday, Dr. Didier Pay said.

“The patients are scattered here and there,” said Dr. Richard Lokudu, the hospital’s medical director. “We hope for the proper triage and isolation facilities to be installed today, and if that doesn’t happen, we will be completely overwhelmed.”

They are understaffed and not trained to handle suspected cases, Lokudu said, and added that if confirmed cases surge, “we have no protection.”

In the Ebola-affected city of Goma, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels are in control, the “situation is complicated,” said Dr. Anne Ancia, WHO's representative in Congo.

An American with Ebola is in isolation in Germany

A U.S. national who tested positive in Congo arrived in Berlin on Wednesday and was in a special isolation ward where a “comprehensive examination” was underway, German Health Ministry spokesperson Martin Elsässer said.

Elsässer declined to comment on the condition of the patient, who has not been identified by German or U.S. authorities. The ministry later said, without elaborating, that it would take in the patient's wife and three children at the request of U.S. authorities.

A top health official in the Czech Republic said they are receiving an American doctor who was treating Ebola patients in Uganda and who is without symptoms. It was not clear whether any were infected.

Dr. Satish Pillai, incident manager for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Ebola response, told reporters Wednesday that the Americans were being transported in coordination with the U.S. State Department and other agencies. One patient, who is in stable condition, is now being treated in Germany, Pillai said.

Asked whether the White House played a role in the decision to move the Americans to Europe, Pillai said the decision was based on conditions on the ground and the need to mobilize rapidly.

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Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Jean Yves Kamale in Kinshasa, Congo; Wilson McMakin in Dakar, Senegal; Devi Shastri in Milwaukee; Karel Janicek in Prague and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

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For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

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The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Although the Israeli company had been producing large set pieces and other designs for the likes of Disney, DreamWorks and Netflix, the opportunity to instead quickly churn out large drone parts for the military was too good to ignore.

“I stopped thinking about Hollywood sets,” Azarzar said. “The entertainment industry is a nice customer — defense is a necessity."

Business has been booming for the Israeli arms sector, despite widespread criticism of the country’s conduct in its wars in Gaza, with Hezbollah and with Iran. Countries that have vowed to shun Israeli weapons makers are nonetheless quietly placing orders, according to industry officials. And manufacturers, including some like Massivit with no previous military know-how, can show that their innovations are being continually combat-tested and improved.

According to Israel’s Defense Ministry, Israeli weapons sales have more than doubled over the past five years, with a record high of nearly $15 billion in 2024. While the ministry hasn’t released overall 2025 figures, leading Israeli weapons makers, including Elbit and Israel Aerospace Industries, both reported double-digit sales growth last year.

More than half of the Israeli arms industry's sales are for missiles, rockets and air-defense systems. For the first time, Israel has surpassed the United Kingdom in its share of global arms exports, making it the world’s seventh-biggest supplier, according to a March report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

“This tremendous achievement is a direct result of the successes of the (army) and defense industries. ... The world sees Israeli strength and seeks to be a partner in it,” said Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz.

Solid sales, despite public criticism

This year's Defense Tech Expo in Tel Aviv reflected the growing international interest in Israeli weapons, with manufacturers promoting arms and other equipment shaped by the country’s recent conflicts. But it also highlighted the tension between showcasing the military technology and the political debate surrounding its use, with event protesters decrying the widespread destruction of Gaza as a testing lab for Israeli weapons.

Last year, Spain canceled a deal for anti-tank missile systems sold by an Israeli company’s subsidiary. Slovenia, meanwhile, announced it would ban the import, export and transit of all weapons to and from Israel in response to the country’s actions in Gaza. After Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 others hostage, Israel retaliated, killing more than 72,700 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between fighters and civilians. Some countries and human rights groups have accused Israel of war crimes.

Israel’s Defense Ministry says it uses its equipment to defend the country and its people, and denies that it uses battlefields as testing grounds.

Human rights advocates, though, say Israel has deployed new weapons and technology during the war in Gaza, including in AI, big data and targeting.

“The regional war has drawn heavily on Israel’s deadly playbook and provided a boon to Israeli and other defense and technology companies able to parlay the use of their products in Gaza to attract more business,” said Omar Shakir, the executive director of DAWN, a U.S.-based group founded by murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi that pushes for human rights in the Middle East.

Despite criticism that Israel's weapons sector is profiting off technologies being used and improved on the battlefield, it's hardly alone, according to experts.

“Countries have had to dramatically increase defenses because of the proliferation of global conflicts and they need systems that will work. And most countries don’t have the time right now to build their own defense systems locally and quickly,” said Seth J. Frantzman, an adjunct fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who has covered Israel’s arms industry for a decade and wrote the book “Drone Wars.”

A lot of countries are looking to Israel because they’re seeing in real time that these are munitions and systems that work, he said.

High interest in Israeli technology

For Massivit, sales have soared since it pivoted to making drone parts for the military, including a 200% rise in inquiries from interested buyers since Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran at the end of February, according to Azarzar.

The company’s unique 3D printing technology allows it to make large parts for military drones within days instead of weeks. In addition to selling to the Israeli military, the company's technology has drawn interest from the defense and aeronautical sectors in Europe, the U.S., Southeast Asia and India, he said.

Business has also been good for other defense contractors.

Tomer Malchi, co-founder and CEO of ASIO, said Israeli army orders for the company's rugged smartphone unit, the Orion, have surged by 400% since the war in Gaza started.

The phones use maps, augmentation and artificial intelligence to help soldiers plan missions, navigate and respond to real-time battlefield threats. ASIO recently signed a deal with a major U.S. defense company and is in talks with about 20 other countries, Malchi said.

One area Israel’s Defense Ministry says will be a future priority for innovation is taking down drones, which has proven challenging during the war with Iran. Drones are hard to pinpoint on radar systems calibrated for spotting high-speed missiles and can be mistaken for birds or planes.

Israel Weapon Industries, a local weapons maker, has developed a system to help soldiers more accurately shoot down tactical drones. At a shooting range in central Israel, an IWI instructor fired rounds at a makeshift drone to show how the system works. A computer chip embeds into a soldier’s rifle, providing more accuracy and efficiency and significantly reducing the influence of fatigue and other factors by allowing the trigger to remain pressed.

The system, known as Arbel, came to market in 2024 and now has more than two dozen countries using it, said Semion Dukhan, head of Europe for IWI.

Among IWI’s buyers are countries that have said publicly that they won’t do deals with Israel, Dukhan said, though he wouldn’t name them.

“People and politicians say things they need to say ... what they say is not necessarily what is going on underneath the surface,” he said, noting that at the end of the day, countries want to equip their people with the best gear.

Giovanni Galizia has been the cover shot for the so-called sexy priest calendar for many of the last 23 editions. In the same photo used year after year, Galizia wears a clerical collar and flashes an enigmatic smile worthy of the Mona Lisa against the granite wall of a church in his native Palermo.

“It was the smile of an embarrassed kid, because I saw all my friends in front of me laughing out loud because I was dressed like I was a priest,” Galizia told The Associated Press during an interview Wednesday in his Verona living room.

For Galizia, the shoot was a lark that left no mark on his life, until a story in the Rome daily La Repubblica this week revealed that the “sexy priest calendar” could be more accurately called “the fake priest calendar,” drawing nationwide attention.

The calendar is not affiliated with the Vatican, which declined to comment.

A popular souvenir with 12 black-and-white portraits

Now a 39-year-old flight attendant for a Spanish airline, Galizia was just 17 years old when mutual friends put him in touch with photographer Piero Pazzi, who has also created a calendar featuring Venetian gondoliers and has founded museums in Budapest and Montenegro on the history of cats.

Officially named Calendario Romano, each edition features 12 black-and-white portraits of men mostly in clerical attire — many of which are recycled year after year. Galizia only knew one of the other subjects, a French man who also was not a priest.

Pazzi told the AP that at least one-third of those pictured in the already released 2027 calendar are actually priests but provided no details.

Galizia said he has never been stopped on the street, though his cousins once gave the calendar to their grandmother as a gift, “and they all died laughing.”

The calendar was intended as art, not deception

Galizia sees the photographs depicting priests as part of an artistic tradition, noting that no one watching a TV drama involving priests believes they are actually played by clergy.

“Of course, it winks a bit at the dynamic between the sacred and the profane, because it is clear that seeing a world that is distant and in some ways so lofty as the ecclesiastical world, with such a fresh-faced young man, creates a kind of dissonance,” he said.

But he also said he doesn't understand why the black-and-white close-ups have been interpreted as sexy. Pazzi also said that was not the point.

“There’s a tendency to confuse what is beautiful with what is sensual, because nowadays, especially in today’s world, which is quite sexualized, beauty is expressed only through sensuality,” Galizia said.

“That said, I appreciate the observation and take it as a compliment — because managing to be sexy in a priest’s collar is no small feat.”

It has the blessing of at least one real priest

Pazzi won’t say how many of the Roman calendars have been sold — but estimates several thousand a year. While Pazzi says he receives royalties, Galizia, who signed a release form when the photo was taken, said he has never sought payment.

The calendar sells for around 8 euros (around $9.30) in shops that surround the Vatican and crowd Rome’s historic center. One shop clerk, Hassam Mohammad, said he sells a handful of them every day.

Pazzi includes a page of information about the Vatican in the calendar, but its production is independent and unrelated to the Holy See.

A priest from South Korea walking near the Vatican this week said that the calendar is well known in his home country, especially among young people who view the calendar with humor.

“They often think priests are stiff and distant,” said the priest, who identified himself informally as Father Domenico. “But looking at this calendar, they think priests are more familiar, and priests can be funny. I think in Korea this calendar is very famous, and it is OK.”

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Barry reported from Verona, Italy. Giada Zampano in Rome and Nicole Winfield in Vatican City contributed.

The indictment accuses Castro of ordering the shootdown of two small planes operated by the exile group Brothers to the Rescue. Castro, who turns 95 next month, was Cuba's defense minister at the time. The charges, which were secretly filed by a grand jury in April, included murder and destruction of an airplane. Five Cuban military pilots were also charged.

“For nearly 30 years, the families of four murdered Americans have waited for justice,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in Miami at a ceremony coinciding with Cuban independence day to honor those killed. “They were unarmed civilians and were flying humanitarian missions for the rescue and protection of people fleeing oppression across the Florida straits.”

Asked to what lengths American authorities would go to bring Castro to face charges in the U.S., Blanche said: “There was a warrant issued for his arrest. So we expect that he will show up here, by his own will or by another way.”

Asked what will happen next for Cuba, President Donald Trump said, “We’re going to see.” He added that the U.S. is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to a “failing nation.”

The charges pose a real threat, observers said, following the capture by U.S. forces in January of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to face drug charges in New York.

“He’s going to have to keep his head pretty low from now on,” said Peter Kornbluh, a specialist on the U.S.-Cuba relationship at the National Security Archive at George Washington University.

Cuban president condemns indictment

While it remains unclear whether Castro will ever step foot in a U.S. courtroom, the murder and conspiracy charges carry the potential for life in prison or the death penalty upon conviction.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the indictment as a political stunt that sought only to “justify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba.” In a message on social media, he accused the U.S. of lying and manipulating events surrounding the shootdown, including ignoring repeated warnings by Cuban officials at the time that they would defend against “dangerous violations” of their airspace “by notorious terrorists.”

Among those attending Wednesday's ceremony in downtown Miami was Marlene Alejandre-Triana, whose father, Armando Alejandre Jr, was killed while she was away for her first year of college.

Over the years, she spoke to multiple federal investigators about charging Castro, referring to him as “one of the main architects of the crime.” But none until now had the courage to seek justice for her family and the other victims.

“It has been long overdue,” she said standing before a giant photo of her father.

Trump has threatened military action for months

Trump has been threatening military action in Cuba ever since U.S. forces captured Maduro, the Cuban government’s longtime patron. After ousting the Venezuelan leader, the White House ordered a blockade that choked off fuel shipments to Cuba, leading to severe blackouts, food shortages and an economic collapse across the island.

Since Maduro's capture, Trump has ratcheted up talk of regime change in Cuba after pledging earlier this year to conduct a “friendly takeover” of the country if its leadership did not open its economy to American investment and kick out U.S. adversaries.

Trump’s first administration indicted Maduro on drug-trafficking charges and used that to justify removing him from power and whisking him to New York to face trial.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday urged the Cuban people to demand a free-market economy with new leadership that he said will chart a new course in relations with the U.S.

“In the U.S., we are ready to open a new chapter in the relationship between our people,” Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, said in a Spanish-language video message. “Currently, the only thing standing in the way of a better future are those who control your country.”

Raúl Castro believed to wield power behind the scenes

Castro took over as president from his ailing older brother Fidel Castro in 2006 before handing power to a trusted loyalist, Díaz-Canel, in 2018.

While he retired in 2021 as head of the Cuban Communist Party, he is widely believed to wield power behind the scenes, underscored by the prominence of his grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, who previously met secretly with Rubio.

Last week, CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Havana for meetings with Cuban officials, including Castro’s grandson. Two other senior State Department officials met with the grandson in April.

The investigation into Castro stretches back to the 1990s

In 1995, planes flown by members of Brothers to the Rescue buzzed over Havana dropping leaflets urging Cubans to rise up against the Castro government.

After Cuban protests, the Federal Aviation Administration also opened an investigation and met with the group’s leaders to urge them to ground the flights, according to declassified government records obtained by the National Security Archive.

But those calls went unheeded and on Feb. 24, 1996, missiles fired by Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets downed two unarmed civilian Cessna planes a short distance north of Havana just beyond Cuba’s airspace. All four men aboard were killed. A third plane, carrying the group's leader, narrowly escaped.

Raúl Castro faced earlier indictment

Guy Lewis, who was a federal prosecutor in Miami in the 1990s, first uncovered evidence linking senior Cuban military officials to cocaine trafficking by Colombia’s Medellin cartel. Following the shootdown, the investigation expanded, and prosecutors pursued charges against Raúl Castro for leading a vast racketeering conspiracy by Cuba’s armed forces.

In the end, only the head of the Cuban air force and two of the MiG pilots involved in the downing of the planes were indicted but have never been apprehended.

A fourth individual was convicted of leading a Miami-based spy ring called Operation Scorpion that collected intelligence about the flights. He was later swapped for a U.S. intelligence asset imprisoned in Cuba as part of President Barack Obama's outreach to Cuba.

The shootdown led the U.S. to harden its position against Cuba, even though the Cold War had ended and the Castros’ support for revolution across Latin America was a fading memory.

But Castro himself was spared as the Clinton administration raised concerns about such a high-profile indictment.

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Durkin Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters David Fischer in Miami; Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Meg Kinnard in Houston; Will Weissert in Washington; Michael Weissenstein in New York; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.

The officers' attorneys filed the federal lawsuit a day after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the fund's creation during a congressional hearing. Blanche, a personal attorney for Trump before joining the Justice Department, wouldn't rule out the possibility that rioters who assaulted police on Jan. 6 would be eligible for fund payouts.

The lawsuit claims the government's “Anti-Weaponization Fund" is an illegal slush fund that Trump will use to “finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name.” It describes the fund's creation as "the most brazen act of presidential corruption this century" and calls for dissolving it.

“No statute authorizes its creation, the settlement on which it is premised is a corrupt sham, and its design violates the Constitution and federal law,” the suit says.

The fund stems from a settlement of Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns. It’s designed to compensate those who believe they were mistreated by prior administrations’ Justice Department. Decisions on payouts will be made by a five-member commission appointed by the attorney general.

More than 100 police officers were injured during the Capitol riot. Nearly 1,600 people were charged with Jan. 6-related crimes, but Trump used his pardon powers to erase all of those cases in a sweeping act of clemency last year.

The plaintiffs suing Trump over the fund are Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges and former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who is running in Maryland for a seat in Congress. Hodges and Dunn both testified before Congress about their harrowing experiences on Jan. 6. Videos captured a rioter ripping a mask off Hodges as he was pinned against a door during a fight for control of a tunnel entrance.

The officers claim the fund “encourages those who enacted violence in the President’s name to continue to do so.”

“Dunn and Hodges already face credible threats of death and violence on regular basis; the Fund substantially increases the danger,” the suit alleges.

A commission, whose members will be chosen by Blanche but have not yet been announced, will be charged with deciding who gets paid and how much.

Blanche said in a CNN interview on Wednesday that the board will have to consider the person's actions, among other factors, when deciding whether to give them money. But the attorney general added: “Whether the commissioners will give that person money — that claimant — it’s up to them.”

Blanche said “it’s abhorrent” to harm law enforcement, but added that “people that hurt police get money all the time” from suing the government. He dismissed backlash to the fund as “fake outrage.”

Blanche and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also are named as defendants in the officers’ lawsuit. Spokespeople for the Justice and Treasury departments didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the suit.

One of the attorneys for the officers is Brendan Ballou, a former Justice Department prosecutor who handled Jan. 6 cases.

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Associated Press reporter Jonathan Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this report.

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This story has been corrected to reflect that nearly 1,600 people, not over 1,600, were charged with Jan. 6-related crimes.

Pest control made in the USA

Nobody wants mosquitoes or ants crashing a barbecue. RESCUE offers made-in-the-USA pest control options designed for yards of all sizes. From targeted treatments to easy-to-use solutions, the goal is simple: keep pests out so people can relax in the fresh air. Ask your local retailer or visit the manufacturer site for specifics on products and coverage.

Make a splash with pool upgrades

Turn any pool into a backyard water park with iGARDEN’s portable pool jet. The device attaches easily and creates current, jets and play features so swimmers can float, exercise or race. It’s a quick way to upgrade pool fun without a full renovation. Combine the jet with pool-safe lighting and lounge seating for an after-dark oasis.

Bounce bigger with built-in trampolines

For families who want safe, long-lasting fun, consider a built-in trampoline from Trampolines.com. These units are designed to blend with landscaping, deliver a cleaner look and reduce the risk of tipping common with above-ground trampolines. They’re a backyard centerpiece for active kids and grownups alike.

Power peace of mind with whole home backup

Summer storms can knock out power when you least expect it. EcoFlow’s advanced whole home backup systems provide reliable power for essential appliances, pool equipment and charging stations so the party can go on. For best results, consult a certified installer to match system size to your home’s needs. Specific models, pricing and installation details should be confirmed with EcoFlow or your local dealer.

Experts Chip Wade and Kathryn Emery recommend planning upgrades now so everything is ready when the temperatures rise.

For more ideas and product links, visit www.bethebesthome.com and follow Kathryn: @KathrynEmeryTV and Chip: @ChipWade.

Make this summer the one your backyard truly earns.

Pressured by the White House, Republicans have tried to add the money to a roughly $70 billion bill to restore funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. But the security proposal has met with backlash from some GOP lawmakers who are questioning the cost and the lack of detail from the White House and U.S. Secret Service about how the taxpayer dollars would be used.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said Wednesday that the bill was “back to square one” without the security money because “the votes are not there.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said the effort to add the security package to the bill was a “bad idea” and he does not think there is enough backing to pass it, even if it were reduced.

The text of the bill has not yet been released. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged “ongoing vote issues” as leaders try to measure Republican support, as well as “ongoing parliamentarian issues” as they try to figure out what will be allowed in the bill under the chamber's rules.

The wrangling comes as Democrats have criticized Republicans for trying to fund Trump’s ballroom when voters are concerned about basic affordability issues — and as some GOP lawmakers have grown increasingly frustrated with Trump. Several GOP senators have spoken out against the administration’s $1.776 billion settlement fund designed to compensate Trump’s allies who believe they have been persecuted, and many were upset by the president’s endorsement Tuesday of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the party primary runoff next week against Sen. John Cornyn.

“There’s always a consequence with taking on United States senators,” Thune said Wednesday. The president “obviously has his favorites and people he wants to endorse and that’s his prerogative. But what we have to deal with up here is moving the agenda, and obviously that can become slightly more complicated.”

Republicans could set parameters on Trump's settlement fund

The “anti-weaponization" fund, part of a settlement that resolves Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns, has unexpectedly become one of the main complications in the bill. Democrats said they would force votes to block it or place restrictions on it.

Democrats have an opening because Republicans are trying to pass the immigration enforcement bill through a complicated budget process that requires a long series of amendment votes. Democrats are considering multiple amendments potentially to block that new fund outright or to ban any payments to Trump supporters who harmed law enforcement officers in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Those amendments, along with others, could pass as a growing number of Republicans have voiced reservations about the fund. So Republicans are now discussing their own last-minute add to head that off, potentially placing some parameters on the settlement and who could receive compensation, according to two people with knowledge of the private discussions who requested anonymity to discuss them.

Thune — who said Tuesday that he is “not a big fan” of the settlement and doesn't see a purpose for it —- said Wednesday that any new language potentially putting restrictions on the settlement is “a work in progress."

It's unclear how any Senate Republican changes would be received in the House, even as some Republicans there have also criticized the settlement.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Wednesday that the House will pass the bill “whatever form it takes.”

Tensions rise between Senate and White House

As Republicans challenged the settlement and parts of his agenda, Trump unloaded on the Senate in a social media post.

He urged Republicans to fire the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, who said over the weekend that parts of the $1 billion security proposal cannot remain in the ICE and Border Patrol bill. Trump also renewed his long-standing calls for the Senate to pass the SAVE Act, a Republican bill that would require all voters to prove U.S. citizenship, and to end the Senate filibuster.

Republicans need to “get smart and tough," Trump said, or “you’ll all be looking for a job much sooner than you thought possible!”

While they have been loyal to Trump on most issues, Senate Republicans have resisted his repeated calls — even in his first term — to kill the filibuster, which triggers a 60-vote threshold in the Senate.

Hanging over the growing GOP rift is Trump’s surprise endorsement of Paxton. That intervention has Republican senators privately fuming that it could cost them their majority in November as they view the incumbent, Cornyn, as the better candidate in the November general election.

Secret Service request falters as Republicans want more detail

Under the Secret Service request, about $220 million would pay for security improvements related to the ballroom. The rest would go for a new screening center for visitors, training and other security measures.

Tillis said the bill should not have included the other security improvements “because it’s just giving everybody the ‘billion-dollar ballroom.'"

Several other Republicans in the House and Senate have questioned the request, and senators left a briefing with the director of the Secret Service last week saying they needed a lot more information.

People “can’t afford groceries and gasoline and healthcare, and we’re going to do a billion dollars for a ballroom?” asked Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost reelection in his GOP primary on Saturday after Trump endorsed one of his opponents.

Left in the bill is the money for ICE and Border Patrol, which Democrats have blocked for months in protest of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement crackdown.

Democrats demanded reforms for the agencies, but negotiations with the White House yielded little progress. So Republicans are using the complicated budget maneuver called reconciliation — the same process that allowed them to pass Trump's tax and spending cuts bill last year — to fund the agencies through the end of Trump's term with a simple majority and no Democratic votes.

Still, passage requires signoff from the parliamentarian, and unity from Republicans.

“We're working on it,” Thune said as he left the Capitol on Wednesday evening.

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AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

The reason?

A small landscaping crew hired by the City of Houston cleaned up a neglected home in the community that had been the subject of 16 complaints to the city over the last four years.

ALSO READ: Abandoned Houston eyesore finally getting cleared after 16 complaints since 2022; 2 Helps You getting action from city

Residents said they were tired of no one addressing their requests until 2 Helps You Investigator Mario Diaz showed up and got a commitment from the city that the eyesore would be addressed.

“As soon as I turned the corner, I was like, yes! Chop it all down,” said resident Amber Oliver, who stopped her vehicle to share her enthusiasm.

Residents said news of 2 Helps You getting things done in their neighborhood became the buzz on social media over the last few days. The workers showing up had the community feeling good.

“They’re here making it look all nice,” said Rolando Cano, who lives a few doors down.

When asked how concerned he was about the lot returning to its previous condition, Cano did not hesitate.

“A little concerned. I’m hoping they find a way to either take over the property or find somebody to take care of it,” he said.

2 Helps You took those concerns straight to City Hall on Wednesday afternoon and spoke with Randy Macchi, the man in charge of Houston Public Works. When asked what he had to say to residents who have called and emailed his department with similar situations in other parts of the city, Macchi apologized.

“One thing I say is I’m sorry. It shouldn’t be that way,” said Macchi.

2 Helps You also learned Macchi’s department is planning to add 100 more inspectors — doubling its current size — to help address concerns from residents and speed up a process that usually involves the courts.

Meanwhile, back on Ansbury Drive, residents were not the only ones smiling about the neighborhood makeover. Hector Hernandez, the leader of the landscaping crew, was smiling as well. Hernandez, who said he cleans several lots every month, was proud of the impact he and his team were making.

“We feel very good because we always leave everything very clean,” Hernandez said.

As for tips if you find yourself dealing with a similar situation, contact a member of your HOA board or civic club, as well as the organization’s president. However, don’t stop there. A call to the management team for your community’s HOA can also produce results. From there, contact your city council member as well as city services. Don’t forget to do it with a group of your neighbors because there is strength in numbers.

Lastly, if all else fails, email 2 Helps You’s Mario Diaz at mdiaz@kprc.com.

The system, called WhaleSpotter, scans the bay around the clock for whale blows and heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away, alerting mariners to slow down or reroute when whales are nearby.

“They'll be able to make adjustments way before they get anywhere close,” said Thomas Hall, director of operations for San Francisco Bay Ferry. “It will also allow us to track data over time and see where the whales are camping out so we can adjust our routes during whale season to avoid those areas completely.”

The effort comes amid an alarming rise in gray whale deaths in the bay. Last year, 21 dead gray whales were found in the wider Bay Area — the highest number in 25 years, according to The Marine Mammal Center — with at least 40% killed by ship strikes. At least 10 more have died in the Bay Area so far this year.

Scientists say those figures likely underestimate the true toll as many whale carcasses sink or are swept back out to sea before they are ever found or reported.

Gray whales have long migrated along the California coast on their roughly 12,000-mile (19,300-kilometer) journey between breeding lagoons in Mexico and feeding grounds in the Arctic.

But instead of simply passing offshore, increasing numbers are now diverting into San Francisco Bay and lingering for days or even weeks inside the crowded estuary — a shift scientists increasingly link to climate change. Warming temperatures and shifts in sea ice in the Arctic are disrupting the food web gray whales rely on during summer feeding months, according to a 2023 study in Science, leaving many malnourished during migration.

Many whales now concentrate in a high traffic corridor between Angel Island, Alcatraz and Treasure Island, directly overlapping with ferry routes and shipping lanes.

“It’s the worst place possible in terms of all the ship traffic,” said Rachel Rhodes, a project scientist at the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory who led the initiative. There have been so many collisions that “the teams responding to strandings said they ran out of places to even land dead whales.”

The eastern North Pacific gray whale population was once hailed as a conservation success story after rebounding from commercial whaling and being removed from the Endangered Species Act in 1994. But numbers have since plummeted, decreasing by half over the last 10 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Just 13,000 remain.

“They may not be getting the quality or quantity of food they’re used to in the Arctic,” Rhodes said. “That means they’re starting this incredibly long migration at a disadvantage.”

The thermal camera system provides real time alerts to mariners

Artificial intelligence automatically flags potential whale sightings, which are then verified by trained marine mammal observers before alerts are sent via radio to ferry operators, vessel traffic controllers and posted publicly on the Whale Safe website.

WhaleSpotter systems are already used on vessels and fixed installations such as lighthouses and coastal towers in the United States, Canada and Australia. But researchers say the San Francisco Bay network is the first to directly integrate land-based and vessel-mounted detections with official mariner alerts, allowing whale sightings to be relayed in near-real time to ships navigating the bay.

The first hours of testing produced an immediate flood of detections.

“Suddenly to have a full sense of how much whale activity is in this space honestly put me a little bit on edge,” said Douglas McCauley, director of the Benioff lab. “But we're going to use that data and we're going to be smart about how we use that space and share it with the whales.”

Researchers say the system’s biggest advantage is constant monitoring. Unlike human observers, thermal cameras can operate through the night and in many foggy conditions common in the bay.

One camera was installed on Angel Island and a second will soon be fixed aboard a ferry traveling between downtown San Francisco and Vallejo to create what Rhodes described as a “moving data collection platform.” Scientists hope additional cameras on the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz could eventually expand coverage across the bay.

Warming oceans are also threatening humpbacks

A severe marine heat wave lingering off the California coast is shrinking the band of cold, nutrient-rich water where krill, anchovies and sardines thrive. As offshore waters warm, humpback whales are increasingly following that prey closer to shore, where California’s Dungeness crab fishery operates.

The fishery uses tens of thousands of vertical lines that connect traps on the seafloor to surface buoys, creating entanglement hazards for whales migrating and feeding along the coast.

This spring, regulators again closed parts of the fishery off central California to conventional gear, a measure that has become increasingly common in recent years as warming waters increase whale overlap with crab fishing seasons.

While grey whales are also at risk, humpbacks are most vulnerable.

“Humpbacks are curious and they’ll scratch their backs on the gear,” said Kathi George, director of cetacean conservation biology at The Marine Mammal Center. “If they get a line caught on their body, they’ll breach and they’ll roll and end up entangling themselves.”

Whales can drag heavy gear for months, unable to dive or feed properly, leading to starvation, infection and drowning.

Thirty-six whales were confirmed entangled off the West Coast in 2024 — the highest number since 2018, according to NOAA — though scientists caution most cases go undocumented.

California approved commercial use of ropeless pop-up crab fishing gear for the first time this spring, which will allow fishermen to continue harvesting through the end of the season.

Instead of floating surface buoys tethered to traps, the system stores ropes and buoys on the seafloor until fishermen return and trigger an acoustic release that brings the gear to the surface.

Supporters say the technology allows fishermen to continue harvesting crab while dramatically reducing the risk to whales.

As climate change reshapes ocean conditions and whale migration patterns, scientists expect the overlap between whales, ships and fishing gear to persist.

“We will have to continue to be adaptive and science driven in terms of our management to reduce wildlife risk and keep fishermen on the water,” said Caitlynn Birch, Oceana’s Pacific campaign manager and a marine scientist. “California has been a national leader in developing whale-safe fishing technologies and we hope that model can help guide other fisheries on the West Coast and nationally.”

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Follow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram: @ahammergram.

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

The “Hustle Tank” competition is part of the G-Unity Business Lab, a partnership between HISD and rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s foundation.

Students from six HISD high schools will step into the “Shark Tank”-style event, hoping their business ideas would win over a panel of judges — all while picking up life skills along the way.

For months, students studied everything from financial literacy to marketing, then built full business concepts with guidance from mentors. Organizers say the experience opened doors many students had never even imagined.

“So many of our students say that they had never thought about how to even open a bank account, let alone how to open a business checking account, and that’s huge,” said Elizabeth Martin, G-Unity executive director.

The G-Unity Business Lab collaboration launched in 2021 with three schools and has since expanded to six. More than 800 students applied this year to be part of the competition.

HISD Director of Special Programs Patrice Allen says the program is about closing a gap that exists in the communities these schools serve.

“There’s an equity gap that exists in the neighborhoods that these campuses are in,” Allen said. “It’s that whole idea that if you give a man to fish, he eats today but if you teach a man to fish, he eats for life.”

Among the competitors was 11th grader Irmani Garcia, whose team — “The Reading Rose” — paired personalized books with custom flower bouquets.

“Certain people like me won’t get this chance ever,” Garcia said. “I have been in some rooms where people say to leave, some rooms where I don’t belong. This is teaching me how to find my spot in the world.”

Tonight’s judging panel includes Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, along with leaders from the Astros Foundation, Metro, CenterPoint, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and more.

Winners will receive seed money and resources to help turn their ideas into real companies. But for organizers, the biggest takeaway extends well beyond the competition floor.

“There’s talent everywhere, talent is universal. We have amazing students here that are going to go far and do amazing things in life.”

The deal with Vox, widely seen as liberal-leaning, represents a major move toward his own media empire for the 53-year-old younger son of Rupert Murdoch, who himself owned New York Magazine from 1976 until 1991. And it comes less than a year after the Murdoch family reached a deal on control of the 95-year-old mogul’s media empire after his death, ensuring no change in direction at Fox News, the most popular network for conservatives, under Rupert's chosen heir, Lachlan Murdoch.

Under the new deal, expected to close within weeks, Lupa Systems, James Murdoch’s media company, acquires the three divisions — about half of Vox Media. Neither Vox Media nor Lupa was disclosing the sum. The New York Times cited people familiar with the matter saying it was more than $300 million. The acquired divisions will operate, according to a statement, as a subsidiary of Lupa — called Vox Media.

Lots included and some excluded

Not included in the deal are the Vox brands Eater, Popsugar, SB Nation, The Dodo, and The Verge. But the deal does include, along with New York magazine, its verticals The Cut, Vulture, Intelligencer, The Strategist, Curbed, and Grub Street.

It also includes the Vox Media Podcast Network. which features wildly popular shows like “Criminal” and “Pivot” with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway. The network “has been the fastest growing business within Vox Media and will immediately put Lupa at the top of the podcast field,” said the Vox statement.

James Murdoch, a former CEO of 21st Century Fox who resigned from the board of News Corporation in 2020 over differences about content and direction, is known to hold less conservative views than his father. In the deal reached last year, James and his two older sisters. Prudence MacLeod and Elisabeth Murdoch, gave up any claims to control of Fox in exchange for stock valued at the time at $3.3 billion.

That deal created a trust establishing control of the Fox Corp. for Lachlan Murdoch, along with his younger sisters, Grace and Chloe.

In his own remarks about the Vox deal, James Murdoch said the acquisition “aligns well with our existing holdings and investments and reflects both our interest in the forward edge of culture and our deep commitment to ambitious journalism and agenda-setting conversations.

It will allow us to apply new tools across the businesses we are building, adding substantial production, distribution, and editorial capability to our group," Murdoch said.

Continuity in leadership expected

Current Vox chairman and CEO Jim Bankoff will lead the new Vox Media, becoming CEO of the new company upon closing.

“We are incredibly proud to have built and scaled several of the leading media properties of this generation,” Bankoff said. “Together under Lupa’s stewardship we are primed to be the best home for talent and the most dynamic media company of this new era.”

David Haskell, New York magazine's editor-in-chief, noted in an email to subscribers that Lupa now becomes the magazine's sixth owner since 1968.

Haskell promised that the magazine would continue with “the fearless, independent journalism that you expect from us."

“We will continue to create news cycles, start conversations, contribute to the most important debates in politics and society, identify and explore what’s most interesting in contemporary culture, and always do our best to challenge our readers, surprise them, and help them make sense of the modern world,” Haskell said.

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Jocelyn Noveck covers the intersection of media and entertainment for The Associated Press.

The Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus in Texas this year was reported in Harris County.

According to DSHS, the resident was diagnosed with West Nile neuroinvasive disease — the most serious form of the virus that can affect the brain and nervous system.

“West Nile and other mosquito-borne illnesses are a fact of life in Texas in the warmer months, and all Texans should take precautions against mosquito bites to stay safe and healthy,” DSHS Commissioner Dr. Jennifer Shuford said in a statement.

Health officials say most people infected with West Nile virus never develop symptoms. However, about 20% can experience what’s known as West Nile fever.

Common West Nile symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Body aches
• Fatigue
• Rash

Less than 1% of infected people develop neuroinvasive disease, which can cause severe neurological complications including:

• Tremors
• Convulsions
• Neck stiffness
• Paralysis
• Disorientation

State health leaders say preventing mosquito bites is the best way to reduce the risk of infection.

Affordable ways to protect yourself and your family

Experts recommend:

• Dumping standing water around your home
• Cleaning clogged gutters
• Emptying buckets, flower pots and kiddie pools
• Keeping pet bowls and bird baths clean
• Wearing long sleeves and pants outdoors
• Using insect repellent with DEET or picaridin
• Repairing window and door screens
• Keeping grass and bushes trimmed

Mosquitoes are especially active during the early morning and evening hours.

According to DSHS, Texas has reported 976 total West Nile cases over the last five years, including 106 deaths linked to the virus.

Officials also warned Texans to continue taking mosquito precautions while traveling internationally, especially to tropical and subtropical regions where illnesses like dengue, chikungunya and Zika are more common.

More information about mosquito-borne illnesses can be found on the Texas Department of State Health Services website.

Now, county leaders are testing new technology designed to warn drivers before they reach high water.

Houston is one of the most flood-prone regions in the country, and officials say flash flooding remains a major safety threat across the area. According to emergency experts, just six inches of moving water can knock a person off their feet, while one foot of water can carry away a vehicle.

To help reduce those risks, Harris County is using a $2 million federal grant to develop a smarter flood warning system.

The proposed system would place sensors on flood-prone roads to monitor water levels in real time. When water reaches dangerous levels, the technology could automatically activate flashing warning signs, flood gates, and digital alerts to keep drivers away from hazardous areas.

• Galveston County installs AI-powered flood sensors in Friendswood, League City

Drivers would also be able to check an online public dashboard showing real-time water depth information at specific roadways before heading out.

County officials say the project will focus first on medium- to high-risk roads, especially in unincorporated areas where flooding conditions can change rapidly.

The effort comes as rescue crews continue responding to drivers trapped in flooded vehicles during major storms. Officials continue to stress the message: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”

Safety reminders during flooding include:

• Keep your phone charged
• Never drive around a barricade
• Never go around a flood gate or warning sign

The project is still in the planning stages, and county leaders have not yet announced specific locations or a timeline for installation. If the pilot works, county leaders want to expand it countywide.

It took the jury less than three hours to convict Jonathan Smith-Byrd, 35, on six counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion as well as three counts of enticing and coercing another to travel in interstate commerce for prostitution following a seven-day trial.

From January 2014 to October 2022,Smith-Byrd used force, fraud and coercion to cause five women to engage in commercial sex. Three of the victims were minors when he trafficked them.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Smith-Byrd posted commercial sex advertisements on Backpage.com and trafficked the victims on the Bissonnet “track” in Houston - an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street. Smith-Byrd also made them engage in sex acts across state lines such as Nevada, Louisiana, Florida, New Mexico and others using force and violence during travel to maintain control.

• RELATED: Houston man arrested after allegedly sex trafficking 3 people, including 2 minors, US Attorney says

One or more of the victims made multiple attempts to escape, but Smith-Byrd responded with threats and severe physical assaults, causing the victims to lose consciousness and sustain serious injuries.

Testimony revealed details of the sex ads as well as Smith-Byrd’s horrible assaults, some by using a padlock put inside a sock and belt that was broken as a result of the beatings. One of the victims suffered sustained multiple fractures to her jaw, requiring reconstructive surgery and resulting in partial facial paralysis. The jury also saw evidence of the injuries to include hospital records, photographs and physical items used to brutalize the victims.

He kept 100% of the proceeds.

Smith-Byrd seemed to acknowledge in his defense that he may have assaulted some of the women, but that it was not trafficking, just domestic violence. He further attempted to convince the jury the women were acting as independent contractors in prostituting themselves and the case was simply a love triangle gone wrong. The jury did not believe his claims and found him guilty as charged.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks presided over the trial and set sentencing for Aug. 3. At that time, Smith-Byrd faces up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

The bench is part of the We Remember Memorial created by Tom Ramsey’s office in partnership with Crime Stoppers of Houston. It features a QR code that pulls up details about Kanuch’s unsolved murder, giving the community an immediate way to learn about the case and submit tips.

The emotional unveiling brought tears, matching the rain falling from the sky as loved ones gathered to remember the father of three.

His mother, Celene Miller, remembered her son’s spirit.

“I would always tell him, ‘There’s my Awesome Austin’ or, ‘Go have an Awesome Austin day,’” Miller said.

Kanuch’s wife, Mary Kanuch, spoke publicly for the first time since her husband’s 2023 murder.

“He meant so much to all of us,” she said.

Investigators said someone entered the couple’s home on Greenleaf Lake Drive and stabbed Austin in his sleep. His wife and baby were in the home at the time and were not harmed. The only known evidence of a suspect is surveillance footage showing someone on a mountain bike near the home. To this day, no suspects have been identified.

Mary shared a tender memory of how she and Austin first connected in college, briefly dating for just one month before life pulled them apart.

“At one point during that time, I gave him a leather teak keychain. I had no idea something so small would mean so much to him,” she said.

Sixteen years later, the couple reunited, and Austin had never let go of the keychain.

“To me, it was a simple gift showing I cared, but to him it was something more — a symbol from the girl from way back when that showed him kindness. He never forgot about me,” Mary said.

Miller said she wakes up every morning waiting for the call that will change everything.

“I wake up every morning, and it’s a new day wondering. I keep waiting for that phone call to come: ‘We’ve made an arrest,’” she said.

The family is urging anyone with information to come forward, reminding the public there are 40,000 reasons to make that call.

“We do have 40,000 good reasons for them to call Crime Stoppers with a $40,000 reward,” Miller said. “We will never, ever give up.”

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office says investigators are following every tip and every lead in the case.

Anyone with information can report it anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (713-222-8477).

From cracked pavement to deep potholes capable of damaging tires, rims and suspensions, rough roads are a common frustration for drivers across the city.

“I mean, they’re awful,” Houston resident Arighno Das said. “They’re huge. They’re everywhere.”

Das, who moved to Houston from Chicago about a year ago, said some roads in Houston are worse than what he experienced in the Midwest.

“I’ve come to get used to it,” said Michael Crawford.

Houston Public Works says repairs happen fast

But Houston Public Works Director Randy Macchi says the city is fixing reported potholes faster than many residents realize.

“We resolve 99% of resident-reported pothole problems within the next business day,” Macchi said in a podcast hosted by the Houston Mayor’s office.

Macchi called Houston’s pothole program “the best in the country,” saying public works leaders from other major cities regularly ask how Houston repairs potholes so quickly.

“When we talk about what we’re doing in Houston, 99 and a half percent almost by the next business day, they look at me and say, ‘How do you do that?’” Macchi said.

According to Macchi, residents reporting potholes through Houston’s 311 system helps crews respond quickly.

“Without a doubt, where potholes are concerned, 311 is the best place to go,” Macchi said. “We have an expedited service, folks that are monitoring it continually.”

• Former Texas correctional officer pleads guilty in conspiracy case after orchestrating attack on inmate who spit on him

Macchi said crews immediately inspect reported issues to determine whether they are standard potholes or larger infrastructure problems.

“If it’s generally bigger than a pizza box, then it’s going to require a more extensive repair,” Macchi said.

He said larger roadway failures can involve sinkholes, collapsing sewer lines, subsidence or sinking manholes.

KPRC 2 tested the city’s pothole claims

KPRC 2 set out to test the city’s claim by reviewing potholes reported Monday through Houston’s 311 system and revisiting many of those locations Tuesday.

Locations across Houston were checked, including Bellaire Boulevard, West Bellfort Avenue, North Shepherd Drive and several streets in the Heights.

At most locations visited, the potholes had already been patched.

City records reviewed by KPRC 2 showed multiple potholes marked repaired by the following business day, including locations at 10804 Bellaire Blvd., 8201 W. Bellfort Ave., 241 W. 19th St., 303 W. 19th St., 2002 N. Shepherd Dr. and E. 7th 1/2 Street at Studewood Street.

Some residents initially doubted the city’s claim.

“Yeah, there’s no way 99% of the potholes not happening,” Houston Heights resident Garth Kemp said before hearing about KPRC 2’s findings.

But after seeing freshly repaired potholes in his neighborhood, Kemp reconsidered.

“Well, then I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt,” Kemp said. “These two right there, I wouldn’t have noticed unless you stopped me.”

Macchi said the city’s response times are part of a larger effort to rebuild trust in local government.

“We want folks to have confidence that when we say call 311 and we’ll take care of it, that it actually happens,” Macchi said.

Some roads need more than a quick patch

Not every problem could be solved with a simple pothole repair.

At 1500 Yale St., what appeared to be a pothole was actually a sinking manhole cover requiring more extensive work.

Another location along El Paseo Street near the Texas Medical Center remained heavily damaged Tuesday, with potholes stretching across much of the roadway despite signs of previous patchwork repairs.

KPRC 2 placed a camera inside one of the potholes while vehicles drove over it without touching the equipment because of the depth.

• ‘It’s scary’: California teen speaks out after photo is falsely shared online as San Diego mosque shooting suspect

Das questioned whether repeated patching is enough for roads in poor condition.

“I think sometimes you just have to fix it,” Das said. “Just putting Band-Aids over it is not the solution.”

Macchi acknowledged potholes are often signs of broader roadway problems.

“Potholes, as I like to remind people, are symptoms of larger problems,” Macchi said.

Houston’s street system is massive

According to Macchi, Houston maintains roughly 16,000 lane miles of roadway.

“That’s the distance of Houston to Tokyo and back,” he said.

Macchi said the city has increasingly focused on proactive repairs instead of waiting for residents to report potholes, which is outlined on the city’s Pothole Tracker.

“This year alone, we’ve already dealt with almost 25,000 potholes that we have proactively taken care of,” Macchi said. “You compare that to the ones that are reported through 311 and you’re only about 1,500.”

Macchi said Houston has also expanded pavement preservation efforts aimed at extending the life of city streets and reducing long-term deterioration.

“We’ve got a lot more that we can do,” Macchi said. “But we’re glad that you were able to prove it, that when we say we really do it, we really did it.”

Have a pothole on your street? Report it to 311 here.

Built high with fresh ingredients, house-made sauces and upgraded rolls designed to hold bigger builds, the Stacked Subs give local sandwich lovers three flavorful options to try: Turkey Avocado BLT, Honey Mustard Club and Zesty Italian.

What are Stacked Subs?

Stacked Subs are Schlotzsky’s newest hearty sandwiches, layered intentionally for texture and flavor. Each is made to order using premium ingredients and signature sauces, plus a new sub roll that keeps everything together even when piled high. During a recent Houston Life segment, Cassandra Roschen with Schlotzsky’s, demonstrated how to build the Zesty Italian — a hands-on look at how bold flavors and careful layering make these bigger sandwiches work.

More than sandwiches: fan favorites and catering

Beyond the Stacked Subs, Schlotzsky’s menu includes specialty pizzas like the BBQ Chicken & Jalapeño, fresh salads such as the Strawberry Chicken Salad, and warm Cinnabon cinnamon rolls for dessert. The chain also offers convenient catering options—bundles, trays, individual lunch boxes and breakfast packages—making it easy to feed groups for any occasion.

What to expect when you visit

Guests can expect a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and a commitment to quality and cleanliness at every location. Schlotzsky’s has more than 40 locations in Houston and surrounding areas; the easiest way to find your nearest shop is Schlotzskys.com. Not a rewards member? Download the Schlotzsky’s app and sign up free to get a welcome offer: $5 off a $10+ purchase.

Order online at Schlotzskys.com or call 855-DELIVER to place an order for pick-up, delivery or catering.

Taste the new Stacked Subs and see why Schlotzsky’s remains a Houston favorite.

A grand jury this week indicted Jon Demeter on a first-degree abortion charge. The charge carries a possible sentence of up to life in prison.

“This may be the first use of the statute under these circumstances in the state of Texas,” Montgomery County District Attorney Mike Holley said.

OUR FIRST REPORT: Grand jury indicts Montgomery County man accused of secretly giving pregnant woman abortion medication

He noted that Demeter had no connection to the medical profession and no license, unlike the Houston-area midwife arrested last year for allegedly performing illegal abortions.

Investigators allege Demeter ordered a pill online, crushed up a white pill, and slipped it into a drink before insisting his girlfriend consume it all. According to a search warrant affidavit, the woman told investigators the drink tasted “bitter” and ”fizzy.”

The affidavit states within hours, she went to the hospital cramping and bleeding and later delivered the fetus. Investigators say the pregnancy was about 14 weeks along and the unborn child did not survive.

The family says they named the unborn girl Presley Mae.

“It has never been lawful for someone to perform an abortion in the manner against a woman and against her consent of this nature,” Holley said. “If somebody’s considering doing this to a woman, they should think twice, especially if they’re in our county.”

Holley said an investigation continues with the Texas Attorney General’s Office related to the website where Demeter allegedly admitted to buying the pills, although the affidavit indicates he told investigators he gave the pills away and didn’t put them in her drink.

Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle also spoke publicly about the case, saying the fetus was developed at about 14 weeks.

“She had 10 fingers and 10 toes. She was developed about 14 weeks along,” Doolittle said.

Doolittle also described the loss during the announcement of the indictment.

“That future was stolen before it ever had a chance to begin,” he said.

Texas law only allows narrow exceptions for an abortion, when done by a medical professional for a medical reason, like saving the life of the pregnant woman or preventing a major impairment.

Demeter’s defense attorney has not responded to a request for comment.

Demeter has been held without bond since his arrest in February, when he was initially charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Since he’s now been indicted on new charges, which are eligible for bonds, the DA’s office said a judge could set a bond when he returns to court on Thursday afternoon.

Two police officers who helped defend the U.S. Capitol from an attack by a mob of President Donald Trump's supporters sued Wednesday to block anyone — including Jan. 6, 2021, rioters — from receiving payouts from a new nearly $1.8 billion settlement fund for people who claim to be victims of politically motivated prosecutions. The lawsuit’s filing comes a day after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, during his congressional testimony, wouldn’t rule out the possibility of fund payouts for rioters who assaulted police on Jan. 6.

Also, Trumpscored another win Tuesday against a Republican rival, dislodging Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s primary and knocking out one of his most outspoken critics on Capitol Hill. Massie has been a particularly difficult thorn in Trump’s side, pushing for the release of the Epstein files, opposing the war with Iran and voting against Trump’s signature tax legislation last year.

The U.S. government will permanently drop tax claims against Trump, according to a settlement document made public Tuesday, in an extraordinary use of executive power that could effectively help shield the president from further examination of his finances and legal conduct. As part of the settlement deal, the U.S. is “forever barred and precluded” from examining or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump organization’s current tax examinations.

Here's the latest:

Cubans wonder what comes next after Castro’s indictment

Many spoke strongly against any U.S. intervention in Cuba.

“I don’t think we need to find someone to prosecute for Cuba to change,” said Debrezei Barreras, a 43-year-old housewife.

“A military intervention could harm Cubans,” she said. “What I do think is advisable is for both countries to reach an agreement so that Cuba can emerge from this crisis.”

Rodny Amaguer, a 38-year-old architect, agreed.

“There’s no need for anyone from outside to come and fix problems that Cubans themselves, along with their government, should be able to solve,” he said.

Amaguer recalled he was a child when the planes the indictment accuses Castro of targeting were shot down. He said the pilots violated Cuban airspace.

Rolando Mesa, a 61-year-old state employee, concurred.

“If it were the other way around, if Cuba had sent those planes to the United States, and we arrived in Miami, what would they do? They’d shoot us down like doves,” he said.

Republicans mull dropping $1 billion security money request for the White House and Trump’s ballroom

Republican senators are considering dropping a proposal for $1 billion in security money for the White House complex and President Donald Trump’s ballroom after it has failed to win enough party support on Capitol Hill.

The White House has pressured Republicans to add the money to a roughly $70 billion bill intended to restore funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol.

But some Republicans are questioning the security price tag and asking for more details about how the money would be used.

Sen. John Kennedy said Wednesday that the bill was “back to square one” without the security money because “the votes are not there.”

Sen. Thom Tillis said the effort to add the security package to the bill was a “bad idea” and he does not think there is enough backing to pass it, even if it were reduced.

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Trump says he will speak with Taiwan’s leader over arms sales

President Trump today suggested he may speak with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te about an arms sales package opposed by Beijing, the second time in a week he raised the possibility of speaking with the island’s leader.

“Well, I’ll speak to him. I speak to everybody,” Trump said when asked if he had plans to call Lai.

On Friday, when returning from his summit in Beijing, Trump said: “I have to speak to the person that right now, as you know, you know who he is, that’s running Taiwan.”

Beijing, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, opposes any official interaction between U.S. and Taiwanese officials, and no sitting U.S. president has spoken with a Taiwanese leader since the two governments severed diplomatic ties in 1979.

Trump, as president-elect in 2016, took a congratulatory phone call from the Taiwanese president.

Trump calls the indictment of Raúl Castro ‘a very big moment’

“I think this is a very big day, very important day,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac, after flying back from Connecticut.

Asked what will happen next for Cuba, he said “We’re gonna see” and that the U.S. is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to a “failing nation.”

Trump also said the CIA has a presence in Cuba, and Rubio has been involved in discussions with the island’s leadership.

But Trump added of applying more economic pressure to Cuba, “There won’t be escalation. I don’t think there needs to be.

Trump says he may release his tax returns

Trump has long cited ongoing IRS audits as his reason for not releasing his past tax returns. But that could change now that his legal team has forged a deal with the Justice Department this week that includes permanently dropping tax claims against the president, his family and associates.

“I may even release my current returns,” the president told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after a trip to Connecticut.

As part of the settlement deal meant to resolve Trump’s $10 billion l awsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns, the U.S. is “forever barred and precluded” from examining or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump organization’s current tax examinations, according to a one-page document posted to the Justice Department’s website on Tuesday.

The settlement also includes the creation of a $1.776 billion fund to compensate Trump allies who believe they have been unjustly investigated and prosecuted.

Blanche says he expects Castro to appear in US on charges

Asked to what lengths the U.S. would go to bring Castro to face charges in this country, Blanche said the federal government indicts people outside the United States “all the time” and uses a variety of methods to bring them to justice.

“There was a warrant issued for his arrest,” Blanche said of Raúl Castro. “So we expect that he will show up here, by his own will or by another way.”

Blanche went on to say investigations like this one are “never over” when asked whether additional charges would be brought.

Castro should take the indictment as a real threat, observers said

That’s because former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was indicted on drug-related charges before he and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized by U.S. special forces in the Venezuelan capital in January

“He’s gonna have to keep his head pretty low from now on,” said Peter Kornbluh, a senior analyst and specialist on the U.S.-Cuba relationship at the National Security Archive.

“They’re going to have no choice but to take this threat extremely seriously.”

Top Communist Party leader praises Raúl Castro, says Cubans will defend his legacy ‘at any cost’

Roberto Morales Ojeda, a senior Communist Party leader, praised Army Gen. Raúl Castro on Wednesday, saying he “embodies the most genuine essence of the Cuban Revolution thanks to his ability to lead with modesty and personal example. His career has been an uninterrupted lesson in loyalty to Cuba and Fidel.”

He also said Raúl Castro has cultivated “an exceptional human sensitivity” and the ability to examine the “revolutionary endeavor,” rectify errors and open spaces for dialogue.

“For all these reasons, the Cuban people are absolutely certain that they will defend Raúl’s physical and ethical integrity and his legacy at any cost,” Morales Ojeda wrote on X. “Defending his legacy means embracing the continuity of the Revolution, updating the economic model without losing its socialist essence, training new generations, and the fundamental lesson: that one can be a revolutionary with firmness, constructive criticism, and unwavering loyalty to the people.”

In Miami, one Cuban American expresses approval of Castro’s indictment

Peter Hernandez, whose family owns Los Pinareños Fruteria in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, said it’s about time for the U.S. to do something about Castro.

“The piracy in that country, Cuba, it has been going on for a very long time,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez, whose parents moved from Cuba to South Florida before he was born, said he doesn’t have a problem with the U.S. sending its military to arrest Castro.

“He’s a criminal,” Hernandez said. ”I think we should do that with all criminals, especially if they’re hiding behind a country that consistently has been proven that they are on the wrong side of our national security efforts and ideology.”

Cuban president condemns Castro indictment

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the indictment of Raúl Castro and accused the U.S. of lying and manipulating the events of 1996. He called it “a political action without any legal basis” that only seeks to “bolster the case they are fabricating to justify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba.”

Díaz-Canel wrote on X that Cuba acted in “legitimate self-defense within its territorial waters after repeated and dangerous violations of its airspace by notorious terrorists.”

He said U.S. officials at the time had been warned about the violations but allowed them to continue.

Trump has been threatening military action in Cuba ever since U.S. forces captured the Cuban government’s longtime patron, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. After ousting Maduro, the White House ordered a blockade that choked off fuel shipments to Cuba, leading to severe blackouts, food shortages and an economic collapse across the island.

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The US has also accused Cuban military pilots of downing the planes

Lt. Col. Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez of Las Tunas is among the Cuban military pilots accused of downing the civilian planes in 1996.

The others include José Fidel Gual Barzaga and Lt. Col. Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, whom the U.S. indicted in November 2025 on charges including fraud and misuse of visa and permits.

At the time, former U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said: “This man’s past as a longtime military pilot for the evil Castro regime — which has wrought untold suffering on the Cuban people — should have been front and center in his immigration file.”

González-Pardo Rodríguez was accused in part of falsely claiming he had never received any weapons or military training on an application to register for permanent residence or adjust status.

The others accused are Emilio José Palacio Blanco and Raul Simance Cárdenas.

The penalties in the indictment against Castro

The murder and conspiracy charges Castro is facing carry a maximum sentence of the death penalty or life in prison upon conviction. However, it is unclear whether Castro will ever step foot in a U.S. courtroom.

Castro is charged alongside five other defendants. One of them, Luis Raul Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez, is in U.S. custody awaiting sentencing later this month in a case alleging he made false statements in an immigration document, according to the Justice Department.

Sen. Moody applauds Trump administration’s ‘accountability’ in Castro charges

Speaking at Wednesday’s event, Sen. Ashley Moody decried what she described as previous administrations’ relaxed attitudes toward Cuba, including moves to “relax our banking restrictions” or “coddle them into freedom.”

But with actions like the Castro indictment, the Florida Republican said the Trump administration is taking “the bold step of actually bringing accountability.”

Trump tells Coast Guard graduates they will ‘be tested’ in their military careers

President Donald Trump has returned to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy to give the commencement address at the Connecticut school.

He told cadets on Wednesday that they show “unbelievable heroism and exceptional selflessness” but will “be tested further” as they embark on their military careers.

Trump’s remarks to the class of 2026 were the first time he has given a commencement speech at one of the nation’s military academies after sending U.S. troops to fight the war with Iran. Trump also spoke at the academy’s graduation in 2017 during his first term.

During his address, Trump quickly touched on the war with Iran, now in its 12th week, as a sign of U.S. success from “the hottest country anywhere in the world.”

“The only question is, do we go ahead and finish it up or are they going to be signing a document? Let’s see what happens,” Trump said.

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Trump referenced ‘shores of Havana’ in remarks earlier Wednesday

He did not directly address Raúl Castro or any potential indictment, but Trump mentioned Cuba earlier Wednesday in a commencement address.

“From the Gulf of America to the frozen waters of the Arctic, from the shores of Havana to the banks of the Panama Canal, we will drive out the forces of lawlessness and crime and foreign encroachment, just like we’ve been doing,” Trump said to graduates at the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut.

Charges against Castro include murder

The indictment charges Castro with murder, conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals and destruction of aircraft.

A grand jury in Miami returned the indictment late last month, and it was unsealed on Wednesday, acting Attorney General Blanche said.

Blanche explains why Raúl Castro charges announced in Florida and not Washington

Many major Department of Justice cases are announced in Washington, but Blanche said Wednesday that it was important to discuss the Castro case in Florida instead.

“The community here, you all, understands the history of the Cuban regime better than anyone in America,” Blanche said. “Many families here know the cost of oppression.”

Crowd applauds as Raúl Castro indictment announced

Attendees rose to their feet, pulled out cell phones and broke into loud shouts as acting Blanche announced the charges against Castro.

The acting U.S. attorney general and other top Justice Department officials were in Miami on Wednesday for a ceremony to honor those killed in the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes.

US indicts former Cuban President Raúl Castro over downing of planes in 1996

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged former Cuban President Raúl Castro with ordering the 1996 downing of civilian planes operated by Miami-based exiles, a major escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle seven decades of single-party rule in the Caribbean island.

Castro, now 94, was Cuba’s defense minister when the planes operated by a Miami-based exile group were shot down, killing four people.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been ratcheting up talk of regime change in Cuba after pledging earlier this year to conduct a “friendly takeover” of the country if its leadership did not open up its economy to American investment and kick out U.S. adversaries.

Cuban president dismisses Rubio remarks, blames hardships on US sanctions, energy blockade

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel pushed back on Wednesday following claims by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the suffering of the Cuban people is the fault of the socialist government.

“They lie again and again without any shame, with alarming audacity, without presenting a single shred of evidence to support their claims,” he wrote on the social platform X. “The blame lies with those who order the closure of all access to material and financial resources.”

He noted that the U.S. executive order penalizing any country that supplies Cuba with fuel remains in effect.

“Only the most twisted minds could deny before the world this collective punishment being inflicted upon an entire people, which is already becoming an act of genocide,” Díaz-Canel wrote.

Progressive youth group launches digital campaign highlighting absent congressman

Voters of Tomorrow, a group focused on mobilizing young voters, launched a website highlighting Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s absence from Congress.

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday said he expects the New Jersey Republican to return “soon” after dealing with a “personal medical issue.” Kean has been missing from Capitol Hill since early March. His family and staff say that he is battling an undisclosed illness.

Santiago Mayer, Voters of Tomorrow’s executive director, said that Kean had “ghosted” Congress, adding that the issue of congressional absences was especially salient to young voters.

The digital ads depict doctored “Missing” posters with an image of Kean and the text “Have U Seen This Man?” The campaign’s accompanying website includes a voter registration pledge.

Kean’s absence from House votes comes as Republicans face a razor-thin majority, complicating the party’s legislative agenda. Democrats have faced their own challenges in maintaining stable margins, as some members have died while in office.

Trump gives the Coast Guard commencement address in relentless heat

The president called graduates of the Coast Guard Academy “the living standard bearers of America’s first fleet” and suggested danger is “a statement you live by.”

Trump said graduating together would build lifelong camaraderie , saying “You’re always going to be friends with each other. Hopefully with me.”

As he spoke, many in the crowd faced scorching heat with little shade available against the 85-deegre heat and a UV index of 9.

At least one person required medical attention after passing out. Others pleaded with organizers that elderly attendants be allowed to sit under tents.

Chilled water bottles were distributed, but quickly became warm.

Officers’ lawsuit claims government’s ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ is an illegal slush fund

And the lawsuit says President Trump will use it to “finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name.”

It describes the fund’s creation as “the most brazen act of presidential corruption this century.”

One of the attorneys for the officers is Brendan Ballou, a former Justice Department prosecutor who handled Jan. 6 cases.

Officers who defended Capitol from rioters sue to block payouts from $1.8B ‘anti-weaponization’ fund

Two police officers who helped defend the U.S. Capitol from an attack by a mob of Trump supporters sued Wednesday to block anyone — including Jan. 6, 2021, rioters — from receiving payouts from a new $1.776 billion settlement fund for people who claim to be victims of politically motivated prosecutions.

The officers’ attorneys filed the federal lawsuit a day after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the fund’s creation during a congressional hearing. Blanche, a personal attorney for Trump before joining the Justice Department, wouldn’t rule out the possibility that rioters who assaulted police on Jan. 6 would be eligible for fund payouts.

More than 100 police officers were injured during the Capitol riot. Over 1,600 people were charged with Jan. 6-related crimes, but Trump used his pardon powers to erase all of those cases in a sweeping act of clemency last year.

The plaintiffs suing Trump over the fund are Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges and former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who’s running in Maryland for a seat in Congress.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson says Trump’s endorsement is ‘most powerful’

The Republican leader said he spoke with the president late after Tuesday’s primary elections and the defeat of Rep. Thomas Massie, a once popular GOP lawmaker.

“We talked about how his endorsement is the most powerful in the history of politics,” Johnson of Louisiana said at the Capitol.

The speaker insisted there’s room in the Republican Party for those who cross Trump.

“We don’t demand loyalty to the president,” he said.

“I never ask anybody to violate a core principle,” he said, but “you have to give up on some of your personal preferences sometimes.”

Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodríguez blasts US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

He called Rubio “the mouthpiece of corrupt and vindictive interests, concentrated in South Florida.”

Rodríguez wrote on X that Cuba hasn’t rejected $100 million in humanitarian aid the U.S. has offered, adding that the “cynicism is evident to anyone given the devastating effects of the economic blockade and the energy embargo.”

In late January, President Trump threatened tariffs on countries that supply or sell oil to Cuba, which recently announced that its oil reserves have run dry.

Rodríguez also criticized Rubio for releasing a video message Wednesday in which he calls on Cubans to reject their government and demand new leadership and a free-market economy.

“He takes advantage of the infamous date of May 20th,” Rodríguez wrote. The date marks Cuba’s independence, but the socialist government rejects that date, saying true freedom began with the 1959 Revolution.

Days after Trump visit, Putin and Xi hail their friendship and growing energy trade at meeting

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed their strategic ties and growing energy trade as they met in Beijing on Wednesday only days after a visit by President Trump to China.

Putin and Xi oversaw the signing of more than 40 cooperation agreements in areas such as trade, technology and media exchanges. They stressed their growing trade, particularly in oil and natural gas, and declared themselves aligned on international relations.

The countries’ ties have reached “the highest level in history,” Xi said after the signing ceremony, speaking to members of the delegations and journalists. The two sides also agreed to extend a friendship treaty first signed in 2001.

Putin told those in the room that “the driving force behind economic cooperation is Russian-Chinese collaboration in the energy sector.”

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US sanctions hit alleged Sinaloa cartel fentanyl network, including a Chihuahua restaurant

The U.S. imposed sanctions Wednesday on more than a dozen people, a Mexican restaurant and a security firm linked to Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa cartel and its fentanyl trafficking activities.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control targeted Jesus Gonzalez Penuelas, a fugitive known as Chuy Gonzalez, who’s alleged to be involved in trafficking narcotics into the U.S. and laundering funds for the cartel. The State Department has been offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest since 2024.

Additionally, Armando de Jesus Ojeda Aviles, who allegedly helps launder the proceeds of fentanyl and other drugs on behalf of the cartel, has also been hit with sanctions.

A restaurant in Chihuahua, called Gorditas Chiwas — controlled by sanctioned businessman Alfredo Orozco Romero — was hit with sanctions.

The sanctions cut them off from the U.S. banking system, cut off their ability to work with Americans and block their U.S. assets.

Trump has repeatedly offered to send the U.S. military after the cartels and his administration designated the Sinaloa cartel as a terrorist group in 2025.

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Critics say the system’s proposal would leave fewer safeguards at a time when Texas universities face political pressure over what can be taught and studied.

“I come bearing terrible news,” graduate student Cameron Samuels told the crowd through a megaphone outside the system’s headquarters. “The University of Texas is dead. Yes, you heard that right.”

Samuels, co-founder of Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, said the university and “its spirit of academic freedom” had fallen to “a death by a thousand cuts.”

Currently, faculty at UT System schools have a formal role in reviewing academic programs and some jobs before they are cut. The proposed rule would put administrators more firmly in charge of that process and make clear that professors could not appeal a president’s decision on such matters.

The move aims to streamline the process while preserving faculty input and due process, according to UT System agenda materials.

After the first day of meetings got underway, several speakers urged regents to slow down or reverse consolidations of ethnic and gender studies programs. Board Chair Kevin Eltife defended the direction of the UT System. The system has record enrollment, philanthropy and alumni support, and 95,000 students applied to UT-Austin this year for 9,000 spots, he told attendees.

“Whatever we’re doing, we’re not perfect, but we’re damn sure headed in the right direction,” Eltife said. “We respectfully agree to disagree.”

Some UT schools are in the process of consolidating programs tied to race, ethnicity and gender.

UT-Austin officials announced in February plans to merge several race, ethnic and gender studies departments by September 2027. Faculty were later told the consolidation would be completed by this fall. University of Texas at San Antonio officials, meanwhile, said they would combine the university’s bicultural-bilingual studies department with its race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality studies department by Sept. 1.

In records obtained by The Texas Tribune through public information requests, UTSA cited declining enrollment, financial pressures and an “uncertain policy landscape” among the reasons for its move. UT-Austin officials reviewed data comparing faculty and undergraduate major counts in several departments slated for consolidation with much larger departments, according to the records. For example, data show women’s, gender and sexuality studies had 13 faculty members and 24 undergraduate majors, compared with 53 faculty members and 2,927 undergraduate majors in economics last fall.

Teaching about race, gender or sexuality isn’t against state or federal law. However, elected and appointed leaders in both levels of government are increasingly pressuring colleges over those subjects.

Last year, for example, President Donald Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott issued executive orders directing the federal and state governments to recognize only two sexes. UT-Austin was among the schools offered a Trump administration compact that would have given signatories priority for federal grants and other benefits if they agreed to campus policy changes. Eltife initially praised the proposal as an opportunity for reform, but UT-Austin leaders did not sign it.

Students and faculty dressed in funeral attire marched nearly 2 miles from the UT Tower on campus to system headquarters downtown, retracing a route organizers linked to student protests after former UT-Austin President Homer Price Rainey was fired in the 1940s amid conflict with regents over academic freedom.

The funeral was organized by Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, a youth-led advocacy group that held a similar mock funeral for academic freedom at a Texas Tech University System Board of Regents meeting on May 7. The group plans another demonstration Thursday at the University of North Texas System’s regents meeting.

Samuels urged alumni and supporters to withhold donations until UT leaders take steps to protect academic freedom as well as students and faculty members’ rights. In an interview Tuesday, Samuels said about 20 people had signed the pledge to withhold their donations over the past week, though not all listed an amount. Samuels said those who did list amounts had pledged to withhold about $30,000. That total does not include Pamela Ribon, a UT-Austin alumna with an endowed scholarship in the theatre and dance department.

Ribon, who spoke at the College of Fine Arts commencement in 2019, confirmed she will not add to that endowment or contribute to the Annual Fund, which she has done nearly every year since graduating in 1997.

“This is heartbreaking to me,” Ribon said in an email to The Tribune.

Karma Chávez chairs UT-Austin’s Mexican American and Latina/o studies department, which is among those being consolidated. She is also president of the campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

When she arrived at UT-Austin a decade ago, Chávez thought she had “won the workplace lottery,” she said during the funeral demonstration.

She had come from the University of Wisconsin System, which she said had weakened faculty governance and tenure protections. Now what happened in Wisconsin “appears quaint compared to what this board and our administration at UT have already done and plan to do here,” Chávez said.

“Faculty are assumed to be out-of-touch elites, hell-bent on indoctrinating students, and our beloved students are infantilized and disempowered at every turn,” she said. “Though the UT we once knew is gone, we are its future, and we must fight for the future we want.”

During public comment, Alicia Perez-Hodge, representing HABLA Hispanic Advocates and Business Leaders of Austin and the Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education, said regents’ decisions in Austin affect students across Texas. She said she wished she had learned about Simón Bolívar, the South American independence leader, at the same time she learned about George Washington.

“But in South Texas, they taught us about Robert E. Lee,” Perez-Hodge said. “You talk about indoctrination? The man was a traitor to the United States of America, yet we were taught to honor him.”

Under the current policy, tenured faculty in a program being considered for closure must be allowed to contribute to a review through a committee made up of faculty and administrators.

The proposed rule would shift more of that review into administrators’ hands. The president would direct the review and decide what to consider, including cost, enrollment, student demand, completion rates and whether the program fits within the university’s mission. The provost would conduct the review and recommend a decision to the president.

Faculty could still submit information, and a review panel made up mostly of faculty members would consider it before making recommendations to the provost.

The proposal would narrow some appeals. Faculty could not appeal a president’s decision to eliminate an academic program and the jobs tied to it. They could appeal only when some jobs are cut within a program that remains open and only to challenge whether university leaders acted arbitrarily in choosing one professor over another. The proposal would cut the appeal window from 30 days to 15 days.

Presidents could fast-track program closures in rare, time-sensitive cases involving state or federal regulations, including when delays could threaten compliance or students’ eligibility for federal aid. The proposed change does not outline how quickly that process could move but notes that financial pressure or enrollment declines alone would not qualify.

Randa Safady, UT System’s vice chancellor for external relations, communications and advancement services, responded to The Tribune’s questions about the proposed changes saying they are part of a broader effort by regents to streamline rules and “make each section work more efficiently.” The academic program elimination rule was created more than two decades ago and has had little modification since, leaving it to operate under “old language and definitions,” Safady wrote in her response.

Safady said drafts of rule changes are sent to university presidents, faculty representatives, members of the employee and student advisory councils and others for review. She did not say whether the proposed rule could apply to ongoing consolidations at campuses.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Texas Tech University System, University of Texas System and University of Texas at San Antonio 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 Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Fox has indicated it likes the 24-team idea, but embedded within that equation is the critical calculation of how much that network, or any broadcast partner, would pay for a new set of games involving second-tier teams that might not garner the same TV ratings as some of the biggest programs in the sport.

“The answer is ‘less,’ but not nothing,'" said Ed Desser, a former NBA executive and media rights expert who co-authored a paper about the value of college football on TV with former ESPN executive John Kosner. “There will be perceived value. It becomes a question of, on the margin, can you create good, meaningful games that enhance the value of the playoff? Or are you just kind of making people wait longer for the entree, for the game they really want?”

The CFP deal that starts this season with ESPN is worth $7.8 billion over six seasons. That network would have first dibs on the first two games added to any package. The rest are up for grabs.

“I want to see whoever is committed to making it work,” Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said this week when asked which TV partner he'd like to see jump in. “I think it's about whoever has the commitment to scheduling it right and who's going to bring the right resources.”

Figuring the size of the playoff is a puzzle that continues to confound the sport. On one side is the Southeastern Conference, which has held steady to the idea of not expanding past 16 teams though commissioner Greg Sankey teased that some might come around to 24 at meetings next week.

On the other is the Big Ten, which now also has backing from the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conferences for a move to 24.

The SEC’s idea would more or less keep the overall schedule where it is, including preserving the conference championship games that Petitti estimated to be worth a combined $200 million to the four power conferences.

Sankey has said the league has contracts for its title game and it has to honor those contracts; Petitti didn't seem as tied to the title games, saying he thought the Big Ten could “undo our championship games” as soon as the 2027 season if needed. The conferences are already working on a plan in which the Power 4 would pool their non-playoff teams to feed a new system for a further diluted bowl system, The Athletic reported last week.

A 24-team playoff would eliminate automatic qualifiers and render conference title games virtually meaningless. According to many in the Big Ten, they would give all programs what they crave — more access to the playoff, and a reason for fans and boosters to keep bankrolling all those player salaries.

“I think if we went to 24 teams, there might be 24 teams that could win the national championship,” said Illinois coach Bret Bielema, who is on the board of the American Football Coaches Association that also recently voiced support for the expanded field. “I don’t know if that was true 10 years ago.”

There is still the issue of paying for it.

While popular, college football only captures a fraction of the viewers as the NFL.

The 30.1 million who tuned into last season’s college final between Indiana and Miami would have ranked fifth on the NFL’s list of most-watched regular-season offerings. The Super Bowl drew more than 125 million viewers.

For the weeks when the CFP goes against NFL regular-season games – first-round contests the past two years have taken place opposite NFL games on Saturdays – the NFL games have drawn between 2.5 times and 5 times the viewers. Part of this is because the NFL games are over-the-air on Fox and the college games were on cable, TNT/TBS/TruTv.

There is also the issue of how much networks or streamers will have to spend.

The NFL's recent move into streaming and adding new broadcast windows — for example, Christmas Day and the days before and after Thanksgiving — has led to thoughts that the league will press for sooner renegotiations of its own deals that currently have an opt-out clause in 2029.

While the league controls all its games, college football's rights are spread out among the individual conferences and the CFP.

“We don’t feel that the current Balkanized state of college football lends itself to maximizing (revenue) across the board,” Kosner said. “Nor do I think that just doubling the CFP at this stage is going to be such a revenue motherlode that it's going to make a difference."

Pettiti views filling the gaps from the lost title-game revenue differently. He sees an influx of on-campus games, which generate $6 million or more in ticket sales and other receipts, as part of the equation.

The SEC, once seemingly in the majority in seeking a move to 16 teams, is now in the minority. Sankey said the league will have to do its own research to see how a bigger expansion would impact the college football calendar, the title games and, of course, the financial bottom line.

“I think there's going to be a lot of pressure on the commissioners to help make it happen," Kosner said. "I would kind of be surprised if, within two years, it hasn’t happened. But I’d also be surprised if it winds up being the sort of business boom that they might hope that it would be.”

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

The event is open to adults, teens and all genders. Attendees are encouraged to bring gently used clothing items to exchange for new-to-them pieces.

Live music, food, beverages and local vendors will also be on-site to round out the experience.

The Houston Clothing Swap is organized by the Conscious Consumer Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to sustainability and accessible fashion.

Tickets for Sunday are available at CCCSwaps.com, where attendees can also select a timeslot.

To save yourself time when you go to shop, early donation drop-offs are being accepted Saturday, May 23 from 12 to 4 p.m.

Online, the Conscious Consumer Collective states its mission is to “create a community that celebrates conscious consumerism and makes the basic need for clothing accessible for all. It is rooted in sustainability through clothing swaps that cycle clothes through the community rather than clothes ending up in landfills.”

For more information about the Houston Clothing Swap and the Conscious Consumer Collective, follow the organization on social media at @ConsciousConsumerCollective.

Aston Villa beat Freiburg 3-0 in Istanbul on Wednesday to secure Emery a record-extending fifth title in this competition.

Celebrating wildly inside the Tupras Stadium was lifelong Villa fan Prince William, who traveled to watch his beloved team end a 30-year wait for a major trophy.

“Amazing night!! Huge congratulations to all the players, team, staff and everyone connected to the club!” the Prince posted on X.

He had his phone out taking photos as captain John McGinn lifted the cup in the center of the field and in front of an explosion of confetti.

“He's a classy guy. He was in the dressing room before the game and he’s a massive Villa fan so he was never going to miss it,” McGinn told TNT Sports.

It was Villa’s first major piece of silverware since winning the English League Cup in 1996 and its first continental title since lifting the European Cup and then the Super Cup in 1982.

Was the outcome ever in doubt with the ultimate Europa League specialist Emery on the sideline?

The Spanish coach has enjoyed remarkable success in Europe's second-tier competition, winning it three years running with Sevilla from 2014-16 and again with Villarreal in 2021.

Now he has led a third team with ‘Villa’ in its name to the title.

“I am always very grateful for Europe, for every competition, Conference League, Champions League, Europa League, but especially Europa League,” Emery said. “We fought strongly in this competition and tried to give it our best. We played in a very serious way this year.”

Two brilliant first-half strikes from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia put Villa into a 2-0 lead at the break. Morgan Rogers added a third in the second half.

German team Freiburg, which was playing in the second division 10 years ago, was outclassed in its first European final.

Villa was in England's second tier even more recently, in 2019. And while it was the overwhelming favorite going into Wednesday's match, occasions like this looked a long way off when Emery was hired in 2022.

Back then, Villa was one place above the relegation zone and in danger of going down again.

The transformation he has overseen has been remarkable — leading the team into the Champions League last season and qualifying for European club soccer's top competition again next term.

“With this manager in charge, anything’s possible,” said McGinn, a Scotland international. “Tonight was just everything we have built, coming together, and the pride I felt at 3-0 with 10 minutes to go, thinking we’re European champions was something I can’t even describe.

“It’s the proudest moment and night of my career so far.”

Tielemans put Villa ahead with a controlled volley from Rogers’ cross in the 41st minute — driving his shot past Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu.

Three minutes into first-half stoppage time, Buendia doubled the lead with a curling left-footed shot from outside the box that arched into the top corner.

Rogers’ goal in the 58th came when he slid in at the near post to divert Buendia’s cross over the line.

“We had a great season and to top it off with this is amazing,” Tielemans said.

Victory was further personal redemption for Emery, who was fired by Arsenal in November 2019 despite having led the team to the Europa League final earlier that year, which it lost to Chelsea.

A serial winner, he has now won trophies with clubs from three different countries, having also lifted the French title with Paris Saint-Germain.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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

The 193-member world body approved a nonbinding resolution endorsing the landmark advisory opinion by the U.N.’s top court last July that called failure by countries to protect the planet from climate change a violation of international law.

“The world’s highest court has spoken. Today, the General Assembly has answered,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement. “This is a powerful affirmation of international law, climate justice, science, and the responsibility of states to protect people from the escalating climate crisis.”

The vote was 141-8 with 28 abstentions. The U.S., Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia — some of the highest oil-producing nations and major greenhouse gas emitters — opposed the measure. Climate change is caused mainly by the burning of coal, oil and gas.

The text includes adopting a national climate action plan to limit global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit); phasing out subsidies for fossil fuel exploration, production and exploitation; and urging those in violation to provide “full reparation” for damage.

The Paris climate agreement in 2015 set a goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times, or the mid-1800s, giving rise to the mantra “1.5 to stay alive,” but now scientists say even their best-case scenario still shoots past that signature temperature mark.

The U.N. resolution had initially included stronger language from the International Court of Justice opinion that called for establishing an “International Register of Damage” to record evidence and claims, but it was removed after nearly a dozen consultations in order to receive more support.

The adoption came despite reporting by The Associated Press in February that the Trump administration had been urging other nations to press the small island country of Vanuatu — the draft's original sponsor — to withdraw it from consideration.

In guidance issued to all U.S. embassies and consulates, the State Department had said it “strongly objects” to the proposal and that its adoption “could pose a major threat to U.S. industry.”

On Wednesday, Tammy Bruce, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the U.N., blasted the measure once again, calling it “highly problematic” and maintaining that Washington has serious legal and policy concerns despite changes to the draft.

“The resolution includes inappropriate political demands relating to fossil fuels and on other climate topics,” Bruce told the assembly before the vote.

But representatives from Vanuatu and other island nations, who fear for their survival because of the impact of climate change, said it was important for the General Assembly to back the court opinion, which was hailed as a turning point in international climate law.

“We should be honest with one another about why this matters,” Odo Tevi, the Vanuatu ambassador to the U.N., said before the vote. “It matters because the harm is real and it is already here, along our islands and coastlines, for communities facing drought and failed harvests.”

He added, “The states and peoples bearing the heaviest burden are very often those who contributed least to the problem.”

The action by the world body follows decades of frustration for Pacific nations that are watching their homelands disappear.

In Tuvalu, where the average elevation is just 2 meters (6.6 feet) above sea level, more than a third of the population has applied for a climate migration visa to Australia, although only a limited number are accepted each year. By 2100, much of the country is projected to be underwater at high tide.

In Nauru, the government has begun selling passports to wealthy foreigners — offering visa-free access to dozens of countries — in a bid to generate revenue for possible relocation efforts.

Louis Charbonneau, U.N. director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement Wednesday that by endorsing the court ruling, the U.N. “reaffirmed the global commitment to protect human rights.” He noted that it came “despite efforts by the U.S. and other oil-producing states to stifle attempts to combat climate change.”

The allegations come as part of escalating pressure by the Trump administration on Cuba's socialist government to open its economy to American investment and remove U.S. adversaries. In addition, a U.S. blockade of fuel and other goods has caused widespread blackouts, food shortages and an economic collapse on the island.

Castro, now 94, was Cuba's defense minister at the time the two small planes were shot down. They were operated by the exile group Brothers to the Rescue, which had been dropping leaflets over Havana urging Cubans to rise up against their government. Russian-made fighter jets downed the two unarmed civilian aircraft, killing all four men aboard the planes.

Here's what to know about Castro, the indictment and the 1996 incident.

What does the indictment allege?

Castro is accused in the indictment of authorizing the use of deadly force against Brothers to the Rescue, after the group had flown planes that dropped pro-Democracy leaflets over Cuba in January 1996. U.S. prosecutors said Castro and his older brother, Fidel Castro, who was president at the time, were the final decision makers on orders to kill.

In February 1996, Raúl Castro ordered Cuban military officials to begin training, using MiG fighter jets from Russia, on finding, tracking and intercepting the group's small planes off the island's coast, the indictment says. The two planes were shot down on Feb. 24, killing four U.S. nationals, including three U.S. citizens. A third plane managed to escape.

Castro and five other people, including MiG pilots, were charged in the indictment. Castro is accused of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals and multiple counts of murder and destruction of aircraft. The murder and conspiracy charges carry a maximum punishment of the death penalty or life in prison upon conviction, but it's unclear whether Castro will ever set foot in a U.S. courtroom.

Will Castro ever face the charges in U.S.?

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, who announced the indictment Wednesday in Miami, said he expected Castro to appear in the U.S. for prosecution, either by “his own will or by another way.”

Blanche said the federal government often indicts people who are outside the United States and uses a variety of methods to bring them to justice.

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was indicted on drug-related charges before he and his wife were seized by U.S. Special Forces in the Venezuelan capital in January.

What happened in 1996?

At about 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 24, 1996, the three Brothers to the Rescue planes took off from an airport in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Over international waters, outside of Cuban airspace, two of the three unarmed Cessna planes were shot down by the Cuban MiG pilots without any warning, U.S. prosecutors said. The MiG pilots then began following the third plane, which escaped being destroyed, authorities said.

A Cuban official, however, insisted at a United Nations Security Council meeting in late February 1996 that the two planes were violating Cuban airspace when they were shot down and one of the civilian pilots had ignored warnings to not enter that airspace, according to Security Council records. The official also alleged the U.S. took no effective measures to prevent such airspace violations by U.S. pilots, despite warnings from Cuba.

Brothers to the Rescue dates back to 1980, during the unexpected emigration of 125,000 Cubans to the United States. It aimed to help the Cuban refugees in the Florida straits by dropping supplies from small planes and alerting the U.S. Coast Guard during the monthslong crisis.

What has been the reaction to the indictment?

Cuba's current president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, condemned the indictment against Castro and accused U.S. officials of lying about the 1996 shootdown of the planes. He called it “a political action without any legal basis, that only seeks to bolster the case they are fabricating to justify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba.”

He wrote on X that the shootdown of the planes was “legitimate self-defense” after repeated and dangerous violations of Cuba's airspace by “notorious terrorists.”

The Cuban government said in a statement that the Cuban people fully support Castro. “Homeland or Death, We Will Prevail,” the statement said.

Marlene Alejandre-Triana, whose father, Armando Alejandre Jr, was among those killed in the 1996 shootdown, called the charges “long overdue.” She said her father only wanted to bring freedom to his Cuban homeland.

The charges against Castro were also welcomed by members of the Cuban community in Miami.

“He's a criminal,” said Peter Hernandez, whose family owns a fruit and vegetable market in the Little Havana neighborhood and whose parents moved from Cuba to South Florida before he was born. He added he would support the U.S. sending its military to arrest Castro.

Who is Raúl Castro?

Castro served as minister of the Cuban military during his brother Fidel Castro's decades-long reign as president. He took over as president in 2006 while his brother was ailing and served until 2018, when he handed over power to Díaz-Canel, a trusted loyalist.

In 2008, Castro launched a series of reforms that expanded Cuba's private sector and allowed citizens greater freedom to travel and access information. In 2014, he led historic talks with former U.S. President Barack Obama that resulted in the reopening of embassies and the re-establishment of diplomatic relations.

While he retired in 2021 as head of the Cuban Communist Party, he is widely believed to wield power behind the scenes.

Members of the House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing on ways to modernize the TSA nearly 25 years after it was created in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. But the morale of TSA officers who went without pay during three funding lapses since Oct. 1, and whom the administration wants to replace at small U.S. airports, overshadowed the talk about better machines and reliable funding.

“Between the 2025 and 2026 shutdowns, transportation security officers endured a total of 119 days impacted by shutdown conditions," Republican Andrew Garbarino of New York, the committee’s chairman, said in his opening remarks. "That means TSA officers spent roughly 40% of this fiscal year reporting to work without a paycheck while continuing to carry out one of the most important security missions in the federal government.”

Several other committee members noted that Congress has failed to pass any of the pending bills seeking to guarantee continued pay for TSA workers. Rep. Lou Correa, a California Democrat, said if TSA workers don't get paid during shutdowns, neither should lawmakers.

Correa also took aim at President Donald Trump's proposed budget, which in addition to spending $477.3 million to have private companies take over airport screening at about 250 smaller airports would cut more than 4,500 TSA positions to save $529.3 million in compensation and benefits. The TSA this week also authorized contractors in its airport staffing program to acquire and maintain screening equipment, which previously was strictly a government function.

“Technology alone can’t replace the experienced people who make the security checkpoints work as they have for the past 25 years,” Correa said. “It's about pushing an antigovernment privatization ideology.”

About 20 U.S. airports already staff their checkpoints through the Screening Partnership Program. Currently airports choose whether or not to opt in. Under Trump's proposed budget, smaller airports would be required to participate.

The TSA has proposed letting private screeners handle security at airports with scheduled flights of passenger planes with 10-30 seats and ones that accomodate charter flights and private planes without fixed schedules. Examples include Oxnard Airport in California, Ocala International Airport in Florida, Alabama's Tuscaloosa International Airport and Gary-Chicago International Airport in Indiana, according to a spreadsheet maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The witnesses at the hearing included Christopher Sununu, president and CEO of the airline trade group Airlines for America; Dallas Fort Worth International Airport CEO Chris McLaughlin; American Federation of Government Employees President Everett Kelley, whose union represents TSA workers. All three said they thoughts airports should get to decide whether to employ private screeners.

“Ensuring SPP remains an option for airports and does not become a mandatory program is paramount to the U.S. aviation industry,” Sununu said.

Kelley took a strong stand against the plans in Trump's budget.

“I'm totally against the privatization of any airport,” he said. “You don't contract out the CIA, do you?”

After several more Democrats on the committee said they thought that handing off airport security to businesses would leave U.S. airspace more vulnerable, Garbarino interjected to point out that “the very conservative cities of San Francisco, Seattle and Atlanta” all use private screeners at their airports, “so yeah, maybe it's not a Republican thing.”

Garbarino and Rep. Tim Kennedy, a New York Democrat, championed legislation he and three other committee members introduced earlier this month that would double, from $250 million to $500 million, the amount of money the TSA administrator is required to set aside to reimburse airports for capital costs associated with security. The bill also would establish an annual TSA fund of $250 million for airport screening technology.

Revenue for both would come from a $5.60 fee that airline customers pay for each one-way trip they take on U.S. flights. The 9/11 Passenger Security Fee has existed since 2002, but Congress decided in 2013 that a certain amount had to be used each year to reduce the federal deficit. Since then, an estimated $15 billion went to the U.S. Treasury for that purpose, according to the bill's co-sponsors,.

“Americans and Congress expected this fee to directly fund our aviation security system, but that is not the case. Nearly half the fee's revenue goes to something else,” Garbarino said. “Congress must restore the passenger security fee to its original intent, to fund the next generation of screening technology that protects our people in the skies.”

Trump's fiscal 2027 budget proposal would end the practice of diverting passenger fees and fund the TSA partly with the $1.68 billion that was expected to go to deficit-reduction.

Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that it would limit the number of A grades awarded to undergraduates, adopting one of the most ambitious efforts by a major university to curb grade inflation. The decision was made by faculty vote earlier this month.

The move comes after top grades became so common that some Harvard faculty argued they no longer reliably distinguished exceptional work. More than 60% of all grades awarded to undergraduates in recent years were in the A range, according to university data cited by faculty members who supported the measure.

Harvard Psychology Professor Joshua Greene, who served on the faculty subcommittee that developed the proposal, said the reform is intended to reduce what he called “the tyranny of the perfect transcript.” If straight A's become less common, students may feel freer to take risks and focus on learning rather than preserving a perfect record.

“The Harvard faculty voted to make their grades mean what they say they mean,” members of the faculty subcommittee that proposed the changes said in a statement.

They said the reform would ensure that “a Harvard A grade will now tell students, as well as employers and graduate schools, something real about what a student has achieved.”

‘The tyranny of the perfect transcript’

Harvard is not the first elite university to confront grade inflation. Princeton University adopted a policy in 2004 to limit A-range grades to 35% of those awarded, though it abandoned the system a decade later after criticism that it disadvantaged students in competition for jobs and graduate school admission.

Harvard government professor Alisha Holland, co-chair of the faculty subcommittee that developed the proposal and a former Princeton student, said Harvard designed a narrower policy that limits only A's — not A-minuses — in hopes of avoiding a significant impact on students’ GPAs. Holland said faculty viewed the change as a “pro-student reform” intended to restore meaning to Harvard transcripts.

She said the decision carries significance beyond Harvard’s grading policies at a time when universities face growing scrutiny.

“This sends a powerful signal that, when people are questioning what universities do, universities are capable of governing and reforming themselves and evolving to match the challenges of our times,” Holland said.

The university plans to implement the policy in the academic year beginning in 2027.

GPAs at four-year public and nonprofit colleges rose more than 16% between 1990 and 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Amanda Claybaugh, Harvard’s dean of undergraduate education, called grade inflation a “complex and thorny issue” and a “problem that many people have recognized, but no one has solved” in a statement Wednesday.

Steven Pinker, a cognitive scientist and Harvard psychology professor who has long criticized grade inflation, said in an email to The Associated Press that he was “delighted” by the result.

For too long, Pinker said, professors “who held the line with challenging material and high standards would see their enrollments plummet.” Failure to address the issue turned “universities into national laughingstocks.”

“Grade inflation forced a race to the bottom,” he said, adding that the problem could only be solved through a university-wide policy.

In an emailed statement Wednesday, Zach Berg and Daniel Zhao, the co-presidents of the Harvard Undergraduate Association, said they recognized concerns with the current grading system but were disappointed that student voices “have not been centered throughout the decision-making process.” In a February survey of students conducted by the association, nearly 85% of roughly 800 responding undergraduates opposed the proposal to limit the share of A-range grades awarded in Harvard courses.

A cultural shift

Beginning in fall 2027, instructors in letter-graded courses at Harvard College will be allowed to award A grades to no more than 20% of students in a class, plus four additional students.

Faculty also approved a proposal to use average percentile rank rather than GPA when comparing students for honors, prizes and awards.

A separate proposal which failed would have allowed courses to opt out of the A-grade cap by switching to a satisfactory/unsatisfactory system with a new SAT+ designation for exceptional performance.

The new policies will be reviewed after three years. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences is Harvard’s largest school, comprising 40 academic departments. It is the home of Harvard College, Harvard’s undergraduate program, and all of Harvard’s Ph.D. programs.

Max Abrahms, a political science professor at nearby Northeastern University who studies terrorism and international security, was among those outside Harvard who applauded the decision.

“When everyone gets an A there is no signal,” he wrote on X, calling Harvard’s vote “a huge win for higher education.”

Stuart Rojstaczer, a former Duke University professor who has spent years tracking grade inflation at colleges in the U.S., said if the system spreads to other universities, he would welcome the change.

“For many years, Harvard faculty maintained that their students deserved all those A's. This is a real cultural shift,” Rojstaczer said. “Will this policy be adopted elsewhere? Will it stick long term? That’s hard to predict.”

Leroy Dean McGill, 63, was pronounced dead at 10:26 a.m. PDT following a lethal injection at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. McGill was convicted of murder in the death of Charles Perez, who was attacked with his girlfriend in a north Phoenix apartment on July 13, 2002.

It was the first lethal injection carried out this year in Arizona, and McGill didn’t appear to be resisting at any point during the procedure. After a lethal dose of pentobarbital began flowing, he began breathing heavily and made a snoring sound. And, about 21 minutes after the IV insertion process began, he was pronounced dead.

While the state was criticized for having difficulty in inserting IV lines during executions in 2022, it took just one attempt on each of McGill’s arms to successfully insert IVs.

“Today’s process went according to plan,” said John Barcello, deputy director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. Barcello quoted McGill’s last words as: “I just want to thank everyone for being so accommodating and nice.”

Before the injection began, McGill looked at the witnesses, smiled and nodded. Media witness Josh Kelety from The Associated Press said he heard McGill at one point say: “I’m going home soon.”

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, whose office pressed for the execution to be carried out, said her thoughts were with the victims.

Media witness Sean Rice from Phoenix television station KPN said the execution was carried out smoothly.

"I didn’t see any issue at all finding a vein on either arm,” he said. Rice said he also observed a slight twitching on the right side of McGill’s head about four minutes before the inmate was pronounced dead.

Authorities said that in 2002 McGill threw gasoline at Perez and Perez’s girlfriend, Nova Banta, as they sat on a sofa in the apartment, setting them on fire. Perez and Banta had accused McGill of stealing a gun from the apartment before the attack. At the time, McGill was using methamphetamine and hadn’t slept in several days.

Banta survived, but Perez died.

Twelve people have been executed so far this year in the United States. Tennessee and Florida each are scheduled to carry out an execution Thursday.

At the Arizona trial, Banta testified that McGill had told her and Perez not to talk behind people's backs. Before they could respond, McGill lit them on fire, authorities said.

Perez and Banta ran out of the apartment. Another man who lived in the apartment used a blanket to put out the flames on Banta, who suffered third-degree burns over three-quarters of her body. Perez died later at a hospital in extreme pain, prosecutors said.

Banta identified McGill as the attacker at trial.

Jurors deliberated for less than an hour before convicting McGill of murder in Perez’s death in October 2004. He also was convicted of attempted murder for attacking Banta, arson and endangerment of people who escaped without injuries when the fire forced them to flee the apartment and a nearby unit where flames spread.

McGill’s lawyers had argued for leniency by presenting evidence about abuse he suffered as a child as well as mental impairment and psychological immaturity. The jury ultimately returned the death sentence.

This spring, McGill’s lawyers made a last-ditch bid to get him resentenced, but a lower-court judge rejected it. The Arizona Supreme Court also declined a request from McGill’s lawyers to postpone the execution.

McGill, who declined an interview request from The Associated Press, waived his right to seek clemency.

Arizona last applied the death penalty in 2025, executing Richard Kenneth Djerf for the 1993 killings of four members of a Phoenix family and Aaron Gunches for the 2002 fatal shooting of his girlfriend’s ex-husband.

The state carried out three executions in 2022 following a nearly eight-year hiatus brought on by difficulties obtaining execution drugs and by criticism that a 2014 execution was botched. In that 2014 execution, Joseph Wood was injected with 15 doses of a two-drug combination over two hours, leading him to snort repeatedly and gasp hundreds of times before he died.

The state’s current execution protocol calls for administering two syringes of pentobarbital, a powerful sedative.

With McGill’s death, Arizona now has 108 prisoners on death row. ___ Billeaud reported from Phoenix.

In letters dated May 11, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. notified the two doctors who chaired the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that he was terminating their appointments immediately, before the end of their multiyear terms.

The Department of Health and Human Services already had largely sidelined the task force, indefinitely postponing scheduled public meetings over the past year and thus leaving some long-expected updates on cervical cancer screenings and other topics in limbo.

The panel, first created in the 1980s, is composed of experts who scrutinize the latest evidence behind a wide array of disease prevention tools, such as depression screenings ad the use of statins to prevent heart attacks. The panel updates guidelines with letter grades showing the strength of the science. Under the Affordable Care Act, most insurance plans must cover preventive services given an “A” or “B” grade without requiring a co-pay.

Kennedy’s letters don’t make clear why he ousted Drs. John Wong and Esa Davis from the panel. He wrote that their “leadership, contributions and expertise” have advanced the task force’s work “to improve the health of Americans” and encouraged them to reapply. He said he was reviewing task force appointments “to ensure clarity, continuity and confidence” in HHS oversight.

The letters were first reported by The New York Times. An HHS spokesman didn’t respond to questions about why the two were fired.

Kennedy told lawmakers last month that he was reforming the task force, calling it “lackadaisical,” so that it would meet more frequently and “have, for the first time, transparency.” The panel holds public meetings, opens its draft guidelines to public comment before finalizing them, and publishes the scientific evidence behind them.

Some health advocates had worried that Kennedy was preparing to replace the expert panel with less experienced political appointees, like he had done with a critical vaccine advisory committee. Over the past year, the task force wasn’t allowed to publish its final update to the cervical cancer screening guideline or take steps to update recommendations about maternal depression, said former task force chairman Dr. Michael Silverstein, a pediatrician.

“This is a level of government intrusion into scientific processes that I’ve not experienced in my 10 years on the task force,” he said.

The panel has staggered terms so that normally health secretaries can regularly appoint new members, making their mark on the task force without upending it, said Aaron Carroll of the nonpartisan healthy policy group AcademyHealth.

—-

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Unfortunately for the Cleveland Cavaliers, it turned into Brunson versus James Harden in the fourth quarter of Game 1.

Brunson continuously attacked the matchup to spark one of the largest postseason comebacks on record, as the New York Knicks rallied from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 115-104 victory. A day later, the Cavaliers shrugged off concerns that one of the most accomplished offensive players in league history might be too poor of a defender to give them NBA Finals hopes.

“I know everybody’s putting it on James, but I’d say a lot of, it’s on the team, our team defense,” coach Kenny Atkinson said Wednesday after the Cavaliers practiced at Madison Square Garden. “And we were great for three quarters. Like, really, really great. So we can do it.”

The Cavs will try again Thursday, hoping to even the series before it shifts to their home court over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Atkinson took as much, if not more, heat than Harden for waiting too long to use a timeout to stop New York's momentum after Brunson kept driving right at Harden as the catalyst for an 18-1 run.

“Kenny’s a great coach and we know that they’re going to come out ready to play,” said the Knicks' Mike Brown, who worked with Atkinson when both were assistants to Steve Kerr in Golden State. “They came to New York to get one game and it’s still within reach.”

The Cavs know they should have it already. They controlled the middle two quarters against a Knicks team that showed plenty of rust in its first game since May 10. Looking nothing like the team that won by 19.4 points per game in the previous two rounds, the Knicks finally went to an offensive scheme that forced Harden to switch onto Brunson, and the All-Star guard had four straight New York baskets during the run.

Cleveland reserve guard Dennis Schroder credited Brunson more than blaming Harden.

“Jalen Brunson is one of the most clutch players in the NBA. Social media for that is just in a bad place,” Schroder said. “I think that we lost the game. Basketball is a team game. It’s everybody on the bench, coaches, the guys who were on the court. At the end of the day, he made some tough shots and good credit.”

The Cavaliers surged late in the season after acquiring Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers. Harden is ninth in NBA history with nearly 30,000 points and also 12th in assists. The 2018 NBA MVP was playing on an MSG court Tuesday where he shares the record with Kobe Bryant for points by an opponent with 61.

But he's had some sloppy performances in the postseason and Game 1 was another. Harden shot 5 for 16 overall and 1 for 8 from 3-point range, and had twice as many turnovers (6) as assists. He's bounced back before and Atkinson believes he will again.

“I said, ‘Without you, we’re knocked out in the first round.’ That’s my first (opinion). My personal opinion," Atkinson said. "So, let’s just stop that. We’re in a great position. ‘You’ve played great.’ You know, sometimes micro experiences get exaggerated. ‘So, you know, keep being yourself.’”

The Knicks, who have won eight straight games, understand how the Cavs must be feeling, after a loss that was every bit as gut-wrenching in Game 1 of the 2025 East finals.

New York led Indiana by 14 points with under three minutes remaining in regulation. The Pacers rallied to tie when Tyrese Haliburton's long jumper bounced high off the rim and fell through as time expired, then won 138-135 in overtime.

“Obviously they’re looking at it like that was our game that we gave away,” Knicks forward Josh Hart said of the Cavaliers. “And they’re looking at film of, ‘If we fix this here or fix this here, we would have won the game.’ And that’s what they’re going to try to do tomorrow.”

___

AP freelance writer Adry Torres in New York contributed to this report.

___

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

Philadelphia shifted to remote learning for students at 57 schools, saying that while the district has made progress, a number of them continue to have inadequate air conditioning.

The heat sneaked up on some Philadelphia residents and had them concerned about electricity bills before summer has even set in, said Lauren Authur, who lives in the city.

“Today has been like a heatwave,” Authur said, “and when you have little children, you use more of your air conditioning than anything to try to prevent them from being sick.”

“It honestly got hot sooner than we expected it to be,” she said.

The National Weather Service said another day of record heat was expected from the mid-Atlantic to New England before a cold front brings rain later in the week. Daily high temperature records were broken Tuesday in Portland, Maine, at 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius), and in Boston at 96 (35.5 Celsius).

Temperatures were expected to plunge as low as 45 Fahrenheit (7 Celsius) in Portland and 50 (10 Celsius) in Boston as soon as Thursday.

In Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, officials at one high school set up fans, passed around bottled water and allowed students to wear shorts and T-shirts instead of their usual uniforms.

“The heat outside feels like it’s manageable because of the wind but inside it feels just tight and burdening because we also have to go through quizzes, exams, there is no excuse,” student Ariolainy Baez told CBS News.

A heat advisory was in effect for portions of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island through Wednesday evening.

In Maine, temperatures soared again Wednesday for Portland, and the small town of Fryeburg also sizzled a day after setting its own local heat record. Authorities advised people to use caution when outside.

“Our bodies are not adapted to the heat yet. On the first hot days of the year, it’s especially important to take breaks in the shade or A/C and drink plenty of water,” the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.

Some people coped by flocking to beaches that were not yet besieged by summer tourists. Others turned front lawn sprinklers into makeshift water parks for their children and neighbors.

In New York City, officials opened cooling centers.

“Just as New Yorkers look out for one another through the coldest days of winter, we must do the same through the hottest days of the year,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

____

Whittle reported from Scarborough, Maine. Associated Press writer Holly Ramer contributed from Concord, New Hampshire.

The company said Wednesday it earned $58.32 billion, or $2.39 per share, in the February-April period, up from $18.78 billion, or 76 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, Nvidia earned $1.76 per share.

Revenue jumped 85% to $81.62 billion from $44.01 billion.

Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of $1.75 per share and revenue of $78.91 billion, according to a poll by FactSet. Nvidia's results have exceeded the analyst projections that shape investors’ perceptions since Nvidia’s high-end chips emerged as AI’s best building blocks three years ago.

“The buildout of AI factories — the largest infrastructure expansion in human history — is accelerating at extraordinary speed,” said CEO Jensen Huang in a statement.

Along with higher profit and revenue, however, Nvidia's operating expenses increased by 49% to $7.75 billion.

For the current quarter, Nvidia forecast revenue of about $91 billion. Analysts are forecasting $87.29 billion.

Despite the solid results and outlook, many investors still evidently are worried about a comedown after a three-year boom that has seen Nvidia’s market value soar from $400 billion at the end of 2022 to $5.4 trillion as of Wednesday.

Shares of the Santa Clara, California-based company dipped slightly after-hours to $222.12 after closing at $223.47 in the regular trading session.

“Time and time again, (Nvidia) obliterates expectations and consensus; it delivered exactly on what people wanted, especially regarding data centers,” said David Wagner, head of equity and portfolio manager at Aptus Capital Advisors. “But the market doesn’t always act as you would expect after a strong report like this one.”

The company also announced plans to return some money to shareholders. It authorized a plan to buy back $80 billion worth of stock and increased its quarterly cash dividend to 25 cents per share from 1 cent.

Carmen Lineberger, who worked in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida and managed its Fort Pierce branch, faces charges including theft of government property and concealment of government records. She pleaded not guilty during a court appearance in West Palm Beach. Her attorney did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Prosecutors allege that while serving as a Justice Department prosecutor last December, Lineberger sent a copy of the report that special counsel Jack Smith and his team had prepared, recapping their investigation into Trump’s retention of top-secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, to her personal email account. At the time she did so, the indictment says, a judicial order barred Justice Department employees from sharing, transmitting or distributing copies of the report.

The indictment alleges that Lineberger sought to conceal her actions by altering the original file name of the report to “Bundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf” before saving the re-titled file on her government computer and emailing it to her personal email account with the subject line of “Bundt_Cake_Recipe,pdf.”

Several months earlier, according to the indictment, Lineberger created on her government computer a document consisting of portions of internal Justice Department messages, along with portions of an internal memorandum with header and footer markings that indicated it was for official use only.

She sent the material to her personal email address via an attached file titled “Chocolate_cake_recipe.pdf,” prosecutors say.

The indictment does not explain why Lineberger may have wanted to send the report, which prosecutors say she had access to in her professional capacity as a prosecutor, to her own email account.

The volume detailing Smith's findings in a criminal investigation once seen as posing significant legal peril to Trump has never been seen by the public. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon sided with Trump’s lawyers, who argued that releasing the report would be unfairly prejudicial after Smith abandoned the case following Trump's 2024 election victory.

Lineberger worked in the same judicial district where Smith's case against Trump was filed. That case accused Trump of illegally retaining at the Mar-a-Lago property dozens of classified records from his first term and obstructing government efforts to get them back.

“This FBI will not hesitate to bring to account those who violated the trust of the American public in an investigation that should’ve never been brought to begin with,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement posted on X.

Four-year-old Max, affectionately known as “Gordo,” is full of joy, curiosity, and a love for monster trucks — especially Grave Digger, Megalodon, El Toro Loco, and T-Rex because, as he proudly says, “the trucks can fly!”

But the road to this moment hasn’t been easy.

Gordo’s mom, Cruz Lara, says what first seemed like a virus quickly spiraled into something much more serious, wreaking havoc on his immune system and leading to countless hospital visits, needles, blood transfusions, and uncertainty for the entire family. Doctors struggled to determine exactly what was wrong, and at one point Gordo even underwent chemotherapy treatment.

His mother says one of the hardest moments was watching him lose his beautiful long hair during treatment.

Now, seeing him healthy enough to experience the excitement of Monster Jam feels like a dream come true — not just for Gordo, but for the entire family.

That dream became even more special thanks to employees at Gexa Energy, who spent their weekend transforming the company’s downtown Houston headquarters into a monster truck-themed celebration space for Gordo’s big surprise reveal.

“It’s an incredible day for Gordo, but honestly it’s also an incredible day for all of us,” said Ryan McGeachie, President of Gexa Energy. “To come to work knowing you’re helping create joy for a child and a family who have been through so much — that’s a really meaningful feeling.”

Grit Farrell, Vice President of Revenue at Gexa Energy, said the event was a monster-sized feel-good moment for the team.

“To be able to bring some joy to a family that has gone through such hardship is incredibly special,” Farrell said. “Moments like this remind all of us what community is really about.”

The celebration was hosted alongside Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana, which has granted more than 11,900 wishes to local children since 1984.

Shelly Millwee, President & CEO of Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana, said wish-granting isn’t the only way to help a kiddo like Max, the organization relies on the support of volunteers, and anyone interested in being part of helping make a dream come true can visit their website at wish.org/texgulf.

And for one Houston little boy who dreams of monster trucks flying through the air, this wish is officially full throttle.

An arbitration panel upheld the English Football League's decision to remove Southampton from Saturday's final, meaning Middlesbrough will take its place and play Hull at Wembley Stadium for the chance to win promotion to the Premier League.

The decision is final.

Southampton was expelled on Tuesday after admitting to repeatedly spying on opponents.

It was charged earlier this month for the unauthorized filming of Middlesbrough’s practice sessions ahead of their semifinal. It went on to win the two-legged tie to go within one game of promotion to the top flight.

The southcoast club subsequently admitted further breaches this season concerning games against Oxford United and Ipswich. It was also deducted four points for next season.

In its appeal, it described its punishment as “manifestly disproportionate” to any previous sanction in English soccer history.

In a long club statement, Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons had accepted “what happened was wrong” and that the club deserved to be sanctioned.

“What we cannot accept,” he said, “is a sanction which bears no proportion to the offense.”

The playoff final is labeled the world’s richest one-off soccer match because a windfall of at least $270 million in future earnings is on offer for the winning team.

Promotion to the top flight of English soccer — the world’s wealthiest and most-watched league — brings with it access to its multibillion dollar global broadcast deals as well as sold out stadiums for games against the biggest teams in the world like Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.

Southampton was relegated from the Premier League after finishing bottom of the standings last season and was aiming to make an immediate return.

The league said the final would go ahead on Saturday, kicking off at 3.30 p.m. local time.

___

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

A trade license that came into effect Wednesday permits the import of Russian oil that has been refined into jet fuel and diesel in third countries such as India and Turkey. The U.K. announced in October that it would ban imports of those products.

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory grip on the strait, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil usually passes, has sent fuel prices soaring around the world and sparked concerns about a shortage of jet fuel.

Opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused the British government of “choosing to buy dirty Russian oil.”

But Starmer said the government is phasing in the sanctions package announced in October and has issued a “targeted short-term” license for the refined products to protect British consumers in a volatile situation.

“So, these are new sanctions being phased in. This is not a question of lifting existing sanctions in any way whatsoever,” he said in the House of Commons.

The licenses have no end date, but the government said they would be reviewed regularly.

Britain has been one of Ukraine's strongest allies since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, and the government insists its sanctions against Russia remain among the toughest in the world.

Starmer spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday and “outlined how the U.K. was ramping up measures to crack down on Russia’s economy,” Starmer's office said.

It said Starmer “reaffirmed the U.K.’s steadfast support for Ukraine.”

After the call, Zelenskyy posted on X: “I am grateful for all the support the United Kingdom provides to Ukraine — our efforts to protect life."

But lawmaker Emily Thornberry, who chairs Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said Ukrainians would “feel very let down” by the easing of sanctions.

A senior Ukrainian official said the Kyiv government was “clarifying the details” with U.K. officials.

“There is currently very active communication between our diplomats, the office (of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy) and the British side,” the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to comment publicly.

The U.S. has also eased Russian sanctions. Earlier this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent extended a 30-day sanctions waiver allowing the purchase of Russian oil shipments already at sea.

On Tuesday, finance ministers from the U.S., Britain and the other Group of Seven wealthy nations issued a joint statement reaffirming “our unwavering commitment to continue to impose severe costs on Russia in response to its continued aggression against Ukraine.”

John Lough, an associate fellow in the Russia program at the Chatham House think tank in London, said that while the sanctions carve-outs were likely to be temporary, “it has a symbolic effect because it does look as though the sanctions regime is weakening.

“If you’re looking at this from Moscow, you would say, well, this is welcome news, because it shows that when push comes to shove, Western countries are really not that committed to a sanctions regime,” Lough said.

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Associated Press writers Danica Kirka in London and Susie Blann in Kyiv contributed to this story.

The S&P 500 climbed 1.1% for its first rise in four days and pulled closer to its all-time high set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 645 points, or 1.3%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 1.5%.

Stocks got a lift from easing yields in the bond market, which offered relief following rapid climbs that had rattled stock markets worldwide recently. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.57% from 4.67% late Tuesday, which is a significant move for a market that measures things in hundredths of a percentage point.

The 10-year Treasury yield had been rising from less than 4% before the war with Iran began, along with other yields around the world, because of worries that the fighting will keep oil prices high, among other factors. The inflation concerns not only seemed to eliminate the chances for a cut to interest rates by the Federal Reserve this year, they also heightened the risk that central banks may have to raise rates in 2026.

High yields slow economies and weigh on prices for stocks, cryptocurrencies and all kinds of other investments. Besides driving up rates for mortgages, they could also curtail companies’ borrowing to build the artificial-intelligence data centers that have been supporting the U.S. economy’s growth recently.

Yields eased Wednesday as oil prices pulled back some more. The price for a barrel of Brent crude fell 5.6% to settle at $105.02, though it remains well above its roughly $70 level from before the war. Prices have been yo-yoing on rising and falling hopes that the United States and Iran can reach an agreement to allow oil deliveries to fully resume from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide.

A report showing less bad inflation in the United Kingdom than economists expected also helped calm yields worldwide.

With the easing of yields, technology stocks helped lead Wall Street higher.

Nvidia rose 1.3% ahead of its latest profit report, which arrived after trading ended for the day, and was the strongest force lifting the S&P 500. The chip company reported another quarter of bigger growth in profit and revenue than analysts expected, while it also gave a better-than-expected forecast for revenue in the current quarter.

Other tech stocks leading the market included Advanced Micro Devices, up 8.1%, and Intel, up 7.4%.

Smaller companies can feel even bigger relief from lower yields than their bigger rivals because many need to borrow to grow. The Russell 2000 index of the smallest U.S. stocks jumped 2.6%, more than double the gain of the S&P 500, which measures the biggest U.S. stocks.

Also helping to drive the market was the company behind TJ Maxx, Marshalls and other stores, which climbed 5.7% after delivering stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. TJX’s CEO, Ernie Herrman, said the current quarter is off to a good start, and the off-price retailer raised its forecasts for revenue and profit this year.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers jumped 18.2%, and Cava Group rose 3.1% following their own better-than-expected profit reports. Such results raise hopes that households can keep spending and supporting the economy, even though they’re contending with high gasoline prices and widespread discouragement about economic conditions.

Most big U.S. companies have likewise reported better profits for the start of 2026 than analysts expected, which has helped stocks run to records. Stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate profits over the long term.

On the losing side of Wall Street was Target, which fell 3.9% even though the retailer reported better profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. A new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, is trying to turn around the company and boost its revenue.

Expectations were high for the company’s performance after Target’s stock came into the day with a gain of more than 30% for the year so far, quadruple the S&P 500’s gain.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 79.36 points to 7,432.97. The Dow Jones Industrial Averae jumped 645.47 to 50,009.35, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 399.65 to 26,270.36.

In stock markets abroad, indexes climbed in Europe following weaker finishes across Asia.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.2% as the yield on the 10-year Japanese government bond slipped but remained near its highest level since 1997.

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AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

The company's announcement Wednesday comes a day after the Toronto-based Sherritt said it is no longer pursuing a plan to dissolve its Cuban joint venture, reversing a decision it announced last week amid expanded U.S. sanctions on the country.

The preliminary private placement deal would see Gillon hold a warrant that would allow it to buy enough shares to give it a 55% stake in the company. If the deal goes ahead, Sherritt says it expects the price paid by Gillon will be at a discount to its closing share price on May 15.

Sherritt, which has a 32-year presence on the island, suspended direct participation in its Moa joint venture in Cuba earlier this month after the U.S. ramped up pressure on the Caribbean country.

Gillon is the family office for the Washburne family. Ray Washburne was appointed by Trump as head of the U.S. development bank known as Overseas Private Investment Corporation from 2017 to 2019. He later served as a member of the president’s intelligence advisory board. He was vice chairman of the Trump Victory Committee in 2016 and has been a major Republican fundraiser.

Gillon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In connection with the agreement, Sherritt says it has confirmed that the U.S. State and Treasury Departments do not object to Gillon’s talks with the company, but that any deal would require their approval.

“Sherritt has engaged constructively with the United States Department of State, which has confirmed that the Department of State and Department of Treasury do not object to Gillon Capital’s engagement in negotiations with the Corporation and, based on the information provided to date, do not consider such negotiations to be contrary to U.S. law,” Sherritt said in a statement.

In the hours following the attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, authorities identified the suspected shooters as Caleb Vazquez, 18, and Cain Clark, 17.

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Livestreamed footage from the attack captured Clark fatally shooting Vazquez before turning the gun on himself.

As news of the shooting spread online, photos believed to show the suspects quickly circulated across social media platforms. One of those images incorrectly identified Jakub Vazquez, a San Diego student, as Caleb Vazquez.

Jakub is now speaking out to clear his name.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jakub Vazquez (@jakub_fam)

“First and foremost, my heart goes out to all the victims, loved ones and family members who were affected in yesterday’s shooting,” Jakub said at the start of a video posted online.

Jakub explained that he attended the same school as Clark and that the two were on the same wrestling team two years ago.

He believes he was misidentified because of that connection and because he shares the same last name as Caleb Vazquez.

However, Jakub said he had never met Caleb Vazquez and had no involvement in the attack.

“I am being falsely recognized as Caleb Vazquez, however, I have no idea who he is ... or what school he even attended,” Jakub said. “I am not involved in this matter — in what they were planning — in any way, shape or form.”

He described Clark as “just a teammate,” adding that they had not stayed in touch since their time on the wrestling team.

Jakub said the viral misinformation has left him fearful.

“I am personally scared, because this misinformation is being spread rapidly,” he said. “I’ve seen the comments — it’s scary.”

His image was reportedly shared in multiple posts by online news aggregators and social media users as people rushed to identify the suspects following the shooting.

It remains unclear whether any accredited news organizations published the image before the mistake was discovered.

In one example, a Los Angeles-based X account with more than 64,000 followers called “SafetySwipe” shared Jakub’s image in two separate posts while debating over the races and political affiliations of the suspects.

Correction: The photo on the left for Caleb Velasquez is incorrect/misidentified. New images have since been uncovered by researchers. pic.twitter.com/BUh8LqKqEP

— SafetySwipe (@SafetyNotorious) May 20, 2026

Although the account later posted corrections in the comments, the original posts featuring Jakub’s image remained online as of this writing.

As the investigation progressed, authorities definitively confirmed that Jakub was not involved in the attack. According to a new report from the Associated Press, Clark and Caleb Vazquez met online and did not attend the same school.

Investigators also uncovered writings linked to the shooters containing Nazi symbolism, extremist rhetoric and hate speech directed at Muslims and other groups, offering insight into a possible motive.

MORE FROM INVESTIGATORS: San Diego mosque shooters met online and left writings expressing hate, FBI says

The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals was both. The Knicks wouldn't have been able to charge all the way back without Cleveland collapsing.

The Cavaliers led 93-71 with under eight minutes to play before the Knicks outscored them 44-11 the rest of the way to win 115-104 in overtime. The only bigger fourth-quarter playoff comeback in the last 30 years was when the Clippers rallied from 24 down to beat Memphis in Game 1 of a Western Conference first-round series in 2012, and it matched the biggest in any NBA game this season.

“We should’ve won the game," Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell said. “We didn’t.”

A look at some of the reasons they didn't.

The turning point?

Impossible as it became to imagine a few minutes later, James Harden made a good defensive play on a then still-struggling Jalen Brunson with the Cavs leading by 20 with 7:04 to play. Harden blocked Brunson's shot on a drive, but Karl-Anthony Towns came up with the ball to extend the possession and kicked it out to Landry Shamet, who made a 3-pointer. After a Cavaliers turnover, New York took a timeout with 6:41 to play. The lead was still 93-76, but as players walked off the court with Shamet pumping his fist to urge on his teammates, the Knicks suddenly looked like they had life for the first time in a while.

“If you’re going to make a run, that’s when you’ve got to do it. So might as well throw your best punch at that point and try to do what you can,” Shamet said.

“You've got to leave it all out there especially at this time of the year and that’s what we did. We had a group that didn’t flinch at that deficit and made some effort.”

Hunting Harden

The Knicks' game plan over the next few minutes was basic basketball. Whoever Harden was guarding when Brunson brought the ball up the court — usually either Mikal Bridges or OG Anunoby — would come set a pick on Brunson's defender, so Harden would then have to switch onto Brunson. Brunson then attacked Harden off the dribble, creating angles for a series of floaters and bank shots that he has mastered to become an All-Star.

Brunson made four straight Knicks baskets that way, before eventually making a 3-pointer that cut it to 94-89 with 3 1/2 minutes to go.

Take a timeout?

Moments before Brunson lined up that 3-pointer, ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson noted that the Cavaliers might want a timeout if the Knicks scored.

But was it perhaps too late by then? Cleveland had multiple possessions to see the Knicks were running one thing at them and could have halted play before then to set up a defensive scheme that might've changed things.

The Cavaliers still had four timeouts they could have used at that point. Yet they never called one until after Brunson's shot.

“I like to hold my timeouts,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson explained afterward, when his answer became an internet meme. "I didn’t want to get one timeout at the end of the game, a one- or two-point game. I try to hold them.”

Bad bounces

The game perhaps never would've gotten to overtime if the Cavaliers had gotten a little luckier on a pair of 3-point attempts.

Mitchell had one with 3:47 to play that was inside the rim and then spun out. That would have extended Cleveland's lead to 11. Instead, Brunson hit his 3-pointer 17 seconds later that cut it to 94-89.

Then, not long after Shamet hit a tying 3-pointer that bounced off the rim first before falling in, the Cavaliers had the ball on the final possession of regulation and got it to Sam Merrill from straightaway. His shot looked so perfect that play-by-play man Mike Breen appeared to be beginning his signature “BANG!” exclamation with the ball inside the rim. But he got out only the “BA!” before having to switch to “In and out! That one halfway down!"

“We got a little unlucky," Atkinson said.

The numbers

Counting the last 12:49 of the game — the end of regulation and then all of overtime — Brunson outscored the Cavaliers himself, 17-11. Anunoby nearly did; he had 10 points in that span.

A look at some of the numbers:

— Field goals: New York .750 (15-20), Cleveland .222 (4-18).

— 3-pointers: New York .750 (6-8), Cleveland .182 (2-11).

— Free throws: New York .800 (8-10, all of that from Anunoby), Cleveland .250 (1-4).

— Rebounds: New York 13, Cleveland 2.

— Brunson shot 8 for 10 in those minutes, while Shamet and Bridges were a combined 5 for 5 (all on 3-pointers).

— Harden (1-5) and Mitchell (0-5) were a combined 1 for 10 in the collapse.

___

AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

___

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

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, pleaded not guilty to starting what became one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. Prosecutors say Rinderknecht started a fire on Jan. 1 that burned undetected deep in root systems before flaring back up a week later. The Palisades Fire began Jan. 7, 2025, and burned through the hillside neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Malibu, eventually killing 12 people.

Rinderknecht’s trial is set to begin June 8. His lead attorney, Steve Haney, has said that Rinderknecht is being used as a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s failure to fully extinguish the earlier blaze.

During Wednesday's hearing, Judge Anne Hwang ruled that depositions by members of the fire department and a state park ranger cannot be introduced at trial because she thinks the information is irrelevant to the charges against Rinderknecht and could confuse the jury.

The evidence that defense attorneys intended to use included testimony from a firefighter, fire captain and a state park ranger that the New Year’s Day 2025 blaze was visibly smoldering when first responders left the scene. That testimony was gathered as part of a lawsuit filed by fire victims against the city.

Hwang also barred prosecutors from introducing AI-generated images of a city burning that prosecutors said Rinderknecht created a few months before the fire.

Haney said the exclusion of the ChatGPT images was important to his client because they are “very, very prejudicial” and taken out of context.

Other fire department actions can be discussed, including its initial response to and investigation of the Jan. 1 fire that burned some brush. Haney said he plans to argue that the government does not have solid evidence linking Rinderknecht to that fire, and that first responders had heard fireworks in the vicinity of where the blaze started.

An outline of prosecutors’ strategy — with details about the defendant’s alleged state of mind on the night before the first fire began — appeared in an April 29 pretrial memo filed by the U.S. attorney’s office. Prosecutors will claim he was upset that he didn't have plans for New Year's Eve and ranted about being angry at the world before the initial blaze was sparked.

The audition included former Miami Dolphins wide receiver River Cracraft, former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge, former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Samori Toure, Jha’Quan Jackson and former Marshall wide receiver Demarcus Lacey.

Cracraft has 32 career catches for 374 yards and three touchdowns. He has played for the Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers, Dolphins and Washington Commanders.

Eskridge has 24 career receptions for 228 yards and one touchdown. He’s a former second-round draft pick from Western Michigan who played the Dolphins the past two seasons.

Toure has 14 career receptions for 163 yards and one touchdown in two seasons for the Packers.

Jackson played in 12 games last season for the Tennessee Titans in 2024, catching one pass for eight yards He returned 28 punts for a 7.7 average and 16 kickoff returns for a 25.8 average.

Lacey went undrafted this year. A Jacksonville State transfer, Lacey began his career at North Alabama. He has also played running back.

Lacey led the team with 65 catches for 769 yards and five touchdowns last season.

Lacey rushed for 162 yards last season and averaged 6.1 yards per Cary.

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

A personal journey behind the mission

The drive behind Fountain Life’s approach to medicine is deeply personal for its Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dawn Mussallem, who spent 25 years at Mayo Clinic before joining the organization.

“I had always prided myself in being really healthy,” she said. “In fact, at a young age, if you would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was, I wanna be the oldest woman in the world and I wanna be a doctor.”

That vision was tested when she was just 26 years old and a medical student. After feeling unwell and visiting multiple doctors, she collapsed, was rushed to emergency surgery, and then was told she had stage four cancer. Years later, her health crisis continued when she experienced heart failure and was saved by a heart transplant.

Rather than defining her life in tragedy, Dr. Mussallem said she came to see it differently.

“I feel like it was such a blessing, truly, the cancer diagnosis, because it was such a teacher of life,” she said. “The textbooks teach you what you need to know about the science, but it really doesn’t teach you the art of medicine, how to connect with people and how to really, truly understand the importance of healing.”

The case for early detection

That experience shaped everything about how Dr. Mussallem practices medicine today.

“This is why I’m so passionate about what we’re doing here at Fountain Life, early detection is so important,” she said. “We want to find the disease before the body’s screaming.”

She noted that the majority of diseases Fountain Life identifies in members are silent — showing no outward symptoms — and that many conditions begin developing 10 to 20 years before they appear on standard imaging.

The numbers coming out of Fountain Life’s screenings are striking. According to Dr. Mussallem, 14.4% of everyone who comes in for screening is found to have a life-threatening condition.

Inside the Houston location

The Houston facility features five private suites where members spend their full day of testing — and return to that same space when meeting with their doctor.

“You don’t feel like you’re in a clinic,” the CMO said. “You feel like you’re in a place where you can restore and heal.”

The location is equipped with a full-body MRI, a DEXA scanner, and a quantitative coronary CT scan. While many are familiar with DEXA scanning for bone density, Fountain Life uses it to measure fat mass and muscle mass — what the CMO calls “the strength that’s gonna carry you through your lifetime.”

The cardiac CT goes well beyond a standard calcium score, analyzing soft plaque buildup throughout the heart’s vessels.

Detect, optimize, restore

Fountain Life describes its model with three words: detect, optimize and restore. The approach is built on multimodal testing — combining laboratory studies, advanced imaging and functional testing — with an AI overlay that processes billions of data points.

“We have the smartest doctors out there — longevity experts, lifestyle medicine experts, functional medicine doctors — who are very wise and knowledgeable in this space,” said Dr. Mussallem. “But we use AI to put all those thoughts together in a comprehensive manner.”

Each member is paired not just with a physician, but with an entire care team: a nurse practitioner, medical assistant, care coordinator, nutritionist, health coach and exercise physiologists.

That team works together to provide highly individualized guidance — from nutrition recommendations based on gut microbiome testing to supplement plans designed to close nutrient gaps and restore energy and vitality.

Meet Zori, the AI health companion

Dr. Mussallem said one of her favorite parts of the Fountain Life experience is an app called Zori — an AI companion available to members around the clock.

Zori allows members to ask health questions and stay connected to their care team between visits, serving as a real-time extension of the Fountain Life experience.

“You can’t run from what may be hiding,” the CMO said. “It’s better just to go ahead and look and let’s get you on that journey of your own health optimization.”

Fountain Life has multiple longevity and healthspan membership options available for anyone from teens to seniors. You can find more information on FountainLife.com.

Netanyahu said that although Israel has every right to stop “provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters,” the way National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir dealt with the activists was “not in line with Israel's values and norms.”

Ben-Gvir released videos Wednesday showing him walking among some of the approximately 430 detainees. In one, activists with their hands tied behind their backs are kneeling, their heads touching the floor inside what appears to be a makeshift detention area and on the deck of a ship.

“Welcome to Israel, we are the landlords,” says Ben-Gvir, waving a large Israeli flag. One handcuffed activist shouts “Free Palestine” as Ben-Gvir walks by and is immediately pushed to the ground by security personnel.

In another video, Ben-Gvir says the activists “came here all full of pride like big heroes. Look at them now,” while appealing to Netanyahu to grant him permission to imprison them.

Israel's leader calls for quick deportation of activists

“I say to Prime Minister Netanyahu, give them to me for a long, long time, give them to us for the terrorist prisons,” Ben-Gvir said.

Netanyahu said he's given instructions that the activists be deported “as soon as possible.”

Ben-Gvir drew the ire of Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who publicly chastised his fellow minister on X, saying “you knowingly caused harm to our State in this disgraceful display.”

“No, you are not the face of Israel,” Saar wrote.

Ben-Gvir shot back at Saar in the Israeli parliament, accusing him of “bowing to the terrorists” and that any Israeli apology to the activists would send a message of “weakness,” “submission” and “surrender.”

Israel accused of humiliating activists

An Israel-based legal advocacy group, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, or Adalah, accused Israeli authorities of “employing a criminal policy of abuse and humiliation against activists.”

Adalah's statement said this followed similar patterns of ill-treatment by Israeli authorities against activists in previous flotilla missions “for which Israel faced zero accountability.”

Adalah lawyer Suhad Bishara told The Associated Press a group of 11 lawyers who visited the detainees is aware of at least two activists who were hospitalized after being shot with rubber bullets “for no reason, without any justification.” Bishara said the activists will be brought before a judge Thursday who will decide on when their deportation will begin.

Flotilla spokesperson Rania Batrice said Ben-Gvir posts such videos because the world hasn't held Israel to account.

“If they’re doing that to Europeans and Americans and people from South Africa and all over the world, imagine what they’re doing to the Palestinian people,” Batrice told the AP in an online interview.

Batrice urged governments to step up their response. “Strongly worded letters are not what we need right now. We need more action."

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the video “violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity" in how people should be treated and demanded an explanation from Israeli authorities.

Italy condemned the detained activists' treatment as a violation of human dignity and called Ben-Gvir's videos “unacceptable.” It also summoned Israel’s ambassador in Rome to protest the treatment of Italian detainees and demand their immediate release. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said she’s directed her officials to summon the Israeli ambassador to Ottawa.

Both Turkey and Greece condemned Israel's treatment of the activists. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the behavior “openly demonstrated to the world the violent and barbaric mindset” of Israel's government. The Greek Foreign Ministry called Ben-Gvir's actions “unacceptable and entirely condemnable” and said it had lodged a formal protest.

Palestinian militant group Hamas called out Ben-Gvir for the “scenes of abuse and humiliation” of the activists, saying they show Israel's “moral decadence and sadism.”

Israel intercepts all remaining flotilla boats

Israeli forces on Tuesday boarded the last of the flotilla boats that tried to challenge the blockade — the latest effort to highlight the grim conditions for nearly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza.

Flotilla organizers claimed Israeli soldiers fired on five boats during the interdictions, causing some damage. Israel's Foreign Ministry said no live ammunition was fired and that “nonlethal means” were aimed at the vessels as a warning, but without targeting or injuring protesters.

Israeli forces had begun stopping the flotilla, which had departed last week from Turkey, around 268 kilometers (167 miles) from the Gaza coastline, according to the flotilla’s website.

Israel has called the flotilla “a PR stunt at the service of Hamas” with no real intent to deliver aid to Gaza. The boats carry a symbolic amount of aid.

On Monday, the Israeli navy stopped 41 boats from the flotilla in international waters off Cyprus and detained those on board.

More than a dozen Irish nationals were aboard the flotilla, including Irish President Catherine Connolly's sister. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin has called Israel’s interception of the boats in international waters “absolutely unacceptable.”

The U.S. Treasury, however, imposed sanctions against several European activists aboard the flotilla, which U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called “pro-terror.”

Gaza's coast blockaded for nearly two decades

Israel has maintained a sea blockade of Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007. Israeli authorities intensified it after the Hamas-led militant attacks on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023.

Critics say the blockade amounts to collective punishment. Israel says it's intended to prevent Hamas from arming itself. Egypt, which has the only border crossing with Gaza not controlled by Israel, has also greatly restricted movement in and out.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive following the Oct. 7 attacks that started the war has killed more than 72,700 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of Gaza’s Hamas-run government, doesn't give a breakdown between civilians and combatants. It is staffed by medical professionals who maintain and publish detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.

___

Hadjicostis reported from Nicosia, Cyprus. Associated Press journalists Areej Hazboun, Isaac Scharf and Ibrahim Hazboun in Jerusalem; Samy Magdy in Cairo; Giada Zampano in Rome; Andrew Wilks in Ankara, Turkey, and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens, Greece, contributed to this report.

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The Texans running back almost knocked down every pin during his first annual charity bowling tournament Sunday night at Lucky Strike as his charitable foundation raised money to benefit youth in Houston and Atlanta.

Toro was in the house and rolled a strike on his first try, drawing a lot of applause.

“It’s been a great event, just seeing everybody smile in the community,” Marks told KPRC 2. “Just being one year here, just seeing a lot of people come out and be happy. That’s what we do. That’s why we’re here.”

Marks was joined by his family, including his mother and brother, and his manager along with teammate David Montgomery, Montgomery and Marks are forming a new-look Texans backfield after Montgomery was acquired in an offseason trade from the Detroit Lions.

“Family is everything,” Marks said. “David, we hang out a lot. He’s been around this whole weekend.”

Running back Woody Marks @JoquaviousMarks on #Texans slate of games: 'It's a nice schedule. Big-time games. We're going to see where we get to. The thing is to get a bull on a ring, be the first team.' @KPRC2
@texanstor pic.twitter.com/PTeuYz53XI

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) May 18, 2026

Marks grew up going to the bowling alley in Georgia that his brother worked for.

He’s having a Texans customized bowling ball designed now. The custom ball will have his picture on it and his uniform.

“Got a lot of pin action,” he said."

A fourth-round draft pick last year from USC who led the Texans in rushing yards, Marks became inspired to pursue football while growing up in Atlanta when he met Falcons star linebacker Jesse Tuggle.

“I looked up to him, and it just made me want to go even more,” Marks said. “Jesse Tuggle was a great football player.”

The Texans have made the playoffs and reached the AFC divisional round each of the past three seasons. They’re 0-7 all-time at that stage of the postseason and haven’t shied away from high expectations entering this season. They’re talking Super Bowl.

“It’s a nice schedule, got a lot of primetime games, big-time games,” Marks said. “We’re just ready to kick it off. We’re going to see what we get to. The thing is to get a bull on the ring, be the first team. That’s what we’re going to do this year.”

#Texans running back Woody Marks @JoquaviousMarks first annual charity bowling tournament tonight Lucky Strike to benefit his charitable foundation. Marks was joined by David Montgomery @MontgomerDavid @TexansTORO1 @houstontexans his family and several fans@trillburgers… pic.twitter.com/85lMtJwt20

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) May 18, 2026

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

Ujiri also said he wasn't referring to the trade of Luka Doncic, or anyone connected to the February 2025 deal that ended up being a huge setback for the franchise.

“Honestly, that trade has played no part in how I have thought about anything,” Ujiri said at a news conference Wednesday. “I’m in no position to criticize or blame or even really investigate some of the things that happened then. We have to figure out a way to slowly move on from this, and I have to hold myself accountable for doing this.”

Ujiri said he spent plenty of time talking to Kidd since he was hired two weeks ago. He declined to share details of those conversations.

“Being transparent with everybody, I think a new slate was a good way to look at this,” Ujiri said. “I feel sometimes in this organization we needed clarity in where we’re going. We need to really work in one direction and how we build this team and how we create winning.”

Dallas made two deep playoff runs with Kidd and Doncic, reaching the NBA Finals in 2024, two years after a loss to Golden State in the Western Conference finals.

The Mavericks traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2024-25 season, getting Anthony Davis as their centerpiece in return. Dallas missed the playoffs that season and again in 2025-26, during which the oft-injured Davis was traded while sidelined with an injury.

Kidd, the Hall of Fame point guard who led the franchise to its only championship as a player in 2011, finished with a .500 regular-season coaching record (205-205) with the Mavs. In two of the three years Dallas missed the playoffs under Kidd, it was clear the club was focused on draft positioning as the seasons ended.

“What he’s done for this organization we truly respect, so this was a very, very tough decision,” Ujiri said. “I have to be accountable with a decision like this. I also have to be very active in how I look at the organization from top to bottom.”

Ujiri has already touted building around Cooper Flagg, the 19-year-old who won Rookie of the Year after being the top draft pick last summer following a standout one-and-done season at Duke.

Flagg still hasn't had a chance to play with fellow Duke alum Kyrie Irving, who thrived under Kidd before tearing the ACL in his left knee in March 2025 and missing all of the 2025-26 season.

When Irving arrived in Dallas, he was coming off tumultuous tenures in Boston and Brooklyn. He enjoyed a career renaissance while teaming with Doncic on the run that ended with a five-game loss to Boston in the 2024 NBA Finals.

Now the 34-year-old awaits word on Kidd's replacement.

“Kevin Durant once told me that there’s only one Kyrie walking around in the world,” Ujiri said. “I think we have to figure out a way, how Kyrie fits with our program. And I’ve had those conversations with Kyrie. And I think Kyrie will fit. As I said it before, there’s a huge curiosity in our minds to see how Kyrie fits playing with Cooper Flagg.”

Ujiri hired Mike Schmitz as general manager three days after he was introduced, and confirmed Wednesday that former co-interim general manager Matt Riccardi is leaving the organization.

Ujiri said discussions continue on a potential role for Michael Finley, the former Dallas player who was promoted alongside Riccardi in November when Nico Harrison, the engineer of the Doncic trade, was fired as general manager.

Moving on from Kidd was expensive for the Mavericks, who had signed him to multiyear extensions during the playoffs in 2024 and again last year after denying the New York Knicks permission to talk to him about their head coach opening.

“I am going to sit here and take responsibility for any of the decisions that we are going to make,” Ujiri said. “It’s not about being defensive. We’re just going to have a vision here that we are going to follow.”

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

Instead of hearing the warm, roaring cheers like other great IndyCar champions and popular personalities, Palou has started hearing a different chorus from the crowd, boos. No, it's not an overwhelming sentiment, yet, but the Spaniard got a first-hand glimpse of what could lie ahead during the parade lap of this month's Indianapolis Grand Prix.

Of course, the four-time series champion understands why it's happening — fans are weary of seeing him reach victory lane race after race — even though Palou isn't tired of winning.

“It was the first time I heard the boos like from multiple sections and I was like, 'All right,’” he said during practice for the sold-out Indianapolis 500. “I think till now, it's been very friendly and now it's getting like more toward boos. But I think it's good, you need to have that. We're getting booed for being successful and for doing the right thing.”

The quick transition from champion to villain is nothing new in sports.

Dynasty teams or even top athletes such as Tom Brady, LeBron James, Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson have all experienced — and embraced — the boos reserved for only the best of the best. Right now, Palou certainly fits the definition.

But in the relatively friendly confines of IndyCar racing, he's a rarity.

Palou has won three straight series titles and holds a 27-point lead in this year's standings thanks to three win in the season's first six races. He owns 11 wins in IndyCar's last 23 events, and just when it appeared Palou's success may finally be waning with an unlucky decision relegating him to fifth place in the Indianapolis GP, Palou's pole-winning qualifying run has made him the betting favorite to win the 500 again.

For Palou, it's a strange place to be. Here, in Indianapolis, he's a big hit on the defending winner's appearance circuit and many fans clamor for photos with the 2025 Indy champ. At the same time, many others want to see someone else win if only to add some intrigue to the championship chase.

Yet in many ways, it appears Palou can do no wrong.

Despite drawing a late spot in the qualifying line on a hot, windy Pole Day and nearly missing the 12-car pole shootout on his first four-lap attempt, Palou somehow surprised himself by delivering on the bold pre-qualifying prediction of Chip Ganassi Racing managing director Mike Hull by putting his car at the front of Indy's first row. Palou's teammates, six-time series champ Scott Dixon and 21-year-old Kyffin Simpson, couldn't pull that off.

Dixon, the 2008 Indy winner, is starting 10th. Simpson qualified seventh, the inside of Row 3 and now they, like everyone else are find themselves chasing Palou.

“It’s something I’m absolutely, like, ‘How is he doing that week in, week out?’” 2018 Indy champ Will Power said recently. "Well, it’s one, he’s qualifying well. Two is he executes in the race and three is the pit stops, you know, top notch, there’s no mistakes in there. And he’s fast. So that’s what it takes when you’re driving out there.”

Just how dominant has Palou been lately?

He has two top-five finishes to his three wins this year, bringing his three-year totals to 14 victories and an additional 17 top fives in 41 races. His remarkable run of success is even more surprising because he's doing it in a spec series that is supposed to be relatively even.

Palou didn't reach this place by happenstance.

“They (the three drivers' teams) work so well together,” Hull said. “They help each other. We’re able to map the racetrack pretty quickly as well as collectively. That’s been a big deal for us. That’s always what our culture has emphasized.”

Hull's comment may explain why Palou and Dixon have combined to win seven of the last 11 series crowns for Ganassi.

But it doesn't explain why Palou is so far ahead of teammates such as Dixon, who has spent 5 1/2 seasons pursuing a record-tying seventh series title only to watch Palou take the crown four times. Only A.J. Foyt has more all-time series championships than Dixon.

Palou has a difficult time explaining the secret of his success, too.

“I just try to prepare as much as I can before going out on the track,” he said. “Then you have a list of things you need to do as a driver, like hitting references or just following the workload the engineer and mechanic have and that keeps you focused.”

In Palou's case, it's all about being first in practice, qualifying or on race day.

He's less concerned with what fans think though he certainly reveled in the warm, post-qualifying celebration fans gave him after winning the pole with a four-lap average of 232.248 mph. Or whether he'll hear more cheers — or jeers — on Sunday if he becomes the seventh driver in race history to win back-to-back 500s.

“You need to win again. Obviously, that's what they pay us to do as drivers,” Palou said. “We all need to be fighting for wins and winning things. Getting the first (500 win) is probably the toughest or the thing you chase the most, so I feel a little bit of a relief there. But I still want to win more.”

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

That’s the idea behind a new flood warning system now online in parts of Galveston County.

The Galveston County Consolidated Drainage District has installed seven flood sensors in Friendswood and League City, part of a new system officials say could help residents track rising water levels in real time and better prepare for dangerous flooding conditions.

District leaders say six sensors are located in the Clear Creek watershed and one is in the Dickinson Bayou watershed.

“With no flood sensors at all in Galveston County, this was a very obvious step in the right direction,” said Jason Jones, secretary of the Galveston County Consolidated Drainage District board.

• ‘We’re tired of it’: Houston-area homeowners demand answers over recurring power outages

The sensors are provided by Simplicity Integration and powered by Axonis Decision Intelligence, a technology company focused on water and flood intelligence.

According to the company, the system combines real-time sensor data with public information including rainfall totals, stream gauge readings, weather station data and soil saturation conditions.

The platform then uses artificial intelligence tools to analyze the information and help predict how flood conditions could develop.

“The tool is trained on data, and the more data it ingests that’s appropriate and needed to help understand the water behavior all over Texas,” said Alison Reese, chief operating officer and co-founder of Simplicity Integration.

Reese said the goal is to help communities prepare earlier and make better decisions before conditions become dangerous.

“If they can give that level of warning and that amount of lead time, then people can get themselves — and whatever people love that are in their houses — out of the way in plenty of time,” Reese said.

Reese said the AI system studies historical flooding patterns, current rainfall, upstream water conditions and soil saturation levels to generate predictive insights.

The technology can also analyze how conditions upstream could affect neighborhoods farther downstream.

Jones said the system could help residents make critical decisions during severe weather — including whether roads are still passable or whether it may be time to evacuate.

“For a person like me with a big truck, I’m worried about how can I get home,” Jones said. “But if you live in one of the lower areas, or if you’re in a car, you need to look to see your passable routes out of town. So that’s very crucial.”

The system also includes a public web portal where residents can monitor sensor locations in real time and sign up for alerts tied to specific creeks or monitoring points.

Officials say the map uses color-coded indicators to show flood conditions:

• Green indicates safe conditions
• Yellow indicates flooding possible
• Red indicates flooding likely

Jones said the technology is especially meaningful in neighborhoods that still remember devastating floods from storms like Hurricane Harvey and Tropical Storm Allison.

“People come outside and look at the creek every day. It’s almost like PTSD from Harvey and other rain events,” Jones said. “Now from their phone, they can be in their home or they could be anywhere in the world and access this data in real time.”

• When to trim, when to remove: What Houston homeowners need to know about trees before hurricane season

Right now, the sensors are only online in Friendswood and League City, but officials say they hope to eventually expand the technology into other parts of Galveston County.

Residents can access the flood sensor portal through the Galveston County Consolidated Drainage District website and sign up for alerts based on specific monitoring locations.

“Look, you don't own me. I don't need to play tape of you to have a successful TV show,” he warned an image of Trump. “Someone on television should have a modicum of dignity and it could be me.”

Over the next 11 years, Colbert couldn't curb his appetite for making Trump barbs, often turning his show into a full-throated rebuke of MAGA policies. Trump would call him a “dead man walking.”

The on-air feud between the two men seemingly ends Thursday as Colbert's top-rated late-night TV program goes off the air for the final time, effectively silencing a high-profile White House critic.

“The legacy of this show needs to be that we remember it as the show that was canceled because a presidential administration wanted it off the air,” says Heather Hendershot, a professor of communication studies and journalism at Northwestern University. “We haven’t connected every single dot on that, but it’s very clear that this was a political decision. And I think 20, 30, 40 years later, that is going to be strongly remembered about this show — that this was a moment of authoritarian triumph.”

When comedy and politics collide

When CBS announced last summer that Colbert’s show would end in May, the network said it was for economic reasons but others — including Colbert — have expressed skepticism that Trump’s repeated criticism of the show had nothing to do with it.

The cancellation came after CBS parent company Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview, as Paramount's sale to Skydance Media awaited the Trump administration’s approval. Colbert had called the settlement a “big fat bribe.”

Trump rejoiced over the cancellation in a Truth Social post, writing “I absolutely love” that the host “got fired.” He followed it with: “I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next.” Just two months later, ABC, buckling to pressure from Trump’s Federal Communications Commission chair and affiliate networks, temporarily suspended Kimmel — the host of its own late-night show — following his remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

TV experts said there are not many other examples of a hit show being shuttered due to political pressure. In 1969, CBS abruptly canceled “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” which had aired comedy bits in opposition of the Vietnam War and in support of civil rights.

Colbert, a “Daily Show” alum, spent nine years playing a buffoonish, conservative commentator on Comedy Central's “The Colbert Report.” He was not universally welcomed to “The Late Show” by those he had lampooned, with Rush Limbaugh saying “CBS has just declared war on the heartland of America.”

Through Democratic and Republican administrations, Colbert and other late-night comedians have offered their take on the day's events that offered something different from traditional news media.

“In given moments, like when something big happened, you really do want that perspective that says, ‘Here’s another way to look at it,’” says Dustin Kidd, a professor of sociology at Temple University. “Or when it feels really overwhelming, you want that reminder that there’s still some way to laugh at it. And so the more you lose those ways to laugh at it, the more we all decline.”

Colbert put his own spin on late night

“The Late Show” had celebrities, musical guests and jokes about Arby’s and Spirit Airlines, like other late-night shows. But Colbert put his own spin on things, like wearing his Catholic faith and his adoration of his wife and frequent guest, Evie McGee Colbert, on his sleeve.

After the monologue, he had oddball segments like “Meanwhile,” a look at global affairs in “What’s Going On Over There?,” technology with “Cyborgasm” and youth slang in “Stephen Colbert Presents: That’s Yeet. Dabbing on Fleek, Fam!”

“The Late Show,” which began in 1993 with host David Letterman, won two Emmys under Colbert, as well as a Peabody Award. Come Friday, the 11:35 p.m. time slot goes to “Comics Unleashed,” a talk show that host Byron Allen has vowed will eschew politics.

“There’s just going to be a huge void,” says Lisa Rogak, the author of the 2011 biography “And Nothing But the Truthiness: The Rise (and Further Rise) of Stephen Colbert.” “And I don’t think anybody’s going to really want to step up and fill it.”

Among those sorry to see Colbert go is astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, a frequent guest. Johnny Carson used to book scientists, but Tyson notes wryly that not many TV hosts do these days. Colbert even had a segment highlighting new discoveries called “The Sound of Science.”

“Science doesn’t have many opportunities to access centerline pop culture,” says Tyson.

In a departure from the infighting of decades ago, other late-night hosts have rallied around Colbert. Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers — who hosted the “Strike Force Five” podcast with Colbert during the Hollywood strikes — visited “The Late Show” recently.

NBC's “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and ABC's “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” which typically air against “The Late Show,” will instead broadcast reruns on Thursday.

Catholics and Tolkien fans mourn, too

Catholics will also mourn the loss of a late-night host who could quote Psalms by heart and who brought up issues of faith with guests and even what happens when we die with “The Colbert Questionert.”

“We’re losing a very well-known Catholic and someone who shares his religious ideas freely and intellectually, too,” says Stephanie Brehm, author of “America’s Most Famous Catholic (According to Himself): Stephen Colbert and American Religion in the Twenty-First Century.”

She pointed to poignant moments like Colbert's chat with then-Vice President Joe Biden about the death of his son, his discussion of grief with Anderson Cooper and his exploration of the relationship between faith and comedy with Dua Lipa.

Brehm saw Colbert make himself into a sort of moral authority and lean into the social justice camp of progressive Catholics: “He is playing up that moral quality by standing up for American moral values like freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and he’s doing it with a Catholic jargon, with Catholic language.”

Then there are devotees of author J.R.R. Tolkien. Colbert is a superfan of “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” and championed Tolkien in skits, references and competitions, memorably smoking James Franco in a few throwdowns.

“I think if you step back and reflect on his career, everything he’s done is for the betterment of the community,” says Duane Cronkite, head of live programming for the Fellowship of Fans forum and news site.

Timothy Lenz, part of the leadership committee of The Mythopoeic Society, a group dedicated to the study and appreciation of Tolkien, says Colbert inspired new readers.

“Stephen Colbert is easily the most enthusiastic celebrity fan of Tolkien’s works,” he says. “That sort of public, unapologetic enthusiasm for stories that in Colbert’s youth would have been considered like nerdy and uncool, that really helps to encourage fans of all ages to let their geek flag fly.”

Tolkien, fittingly, offers a next step for Colbert after his show goes dark. He's co-writing a new “Lord of the Rings” movie.

“He’s living the fan dream right now,” says Lenz.

Court documents state Houston Jewelry Buyers owner Michael Crouch and store manager Victor Ortega are accused of “intentionally display, offers for sale, possess with intent to sell items.”

The records allege the items included “Rolex watches, Omega Watches, Richard Mille Watches, Audemars watch, Patek Philippe Watches, Louis Vuitton case and wallet, Rolex Clocks, Louis Vuitton Jewelry, Cartier bracelets and earrings” that “bore and are identified by a counterfeit mark.”

Both men have been charged with trademark counterfeiting and are currently out on bond.

KPRC 2 News reached out to Houston Jewelry Buyers by phone and through the company’s website but has not yet received a response.

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According to the company’s website, Houston Jewelry Buyers describes itself as “Houston’s premier pre-owned jewelry and watch seller and buyer” specializing in luxury brands including Rolex, Cartier, Patek Philippe, Breitling, Omega and Tag Heuer.

It is unclear from court records how investigators determined the items were counterfeit or how many items were allegedly involved in the case. But with the charge, records say the total cost is at least $150,000 but less than $300,000.

The investigation remains ongoing. The two’s next court dates are scheduled for Thursday, May 21.

The 2026 list, announced Wednesday, marks America's 250th anniversary with the foundational principle that everyone is created equal as the theme, said Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the nonprofit organization. The 11 sites offer examples of how, over time, Americans have fought against injustice and for equality, she said.

“We wanted to think about those ideas, especially this notion that all human beings are created equal and find places, sometimes unsung places ... that not all Americans routinely think about," Quillen told The Associated Press.

The sites are spread across the United States — from New York and California on the East and West Coasts, to Alabama and Texas in the South, to Michigan in the Midwest and the Four Corners of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah in the Rocky Mountain West.

At least three of the sites — Stonewall, the El Corazon church in Texas and President's House in Philadelphia — have been endangered by Trump administration actions.

“We want to save these places," Quillen said, “not just because the bricks and mortar is important but because the stories these places hold are important."

For the first time since the list debuted in 1988, each site on the 2026 list will receive a one-time $25,000 grant to help highlight their connections to the principle that all people are created equal and address the threats they face.

The 11 sites are:

Montgomery, Alabama: Ben Moore Hotel

The hotel was a refuge for Black people living under laws that enforced racial separation in the South. Prolonged vacancy has caused structural deterioration and the historic Centennial Hill neighborhood surrounding it faces pressure from development. The hotel housed key players from the Civil Rights Movement, including the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Ralph Abernathy. The Conservation Fund announced in November that it would help preserve the hotel.

Modoc County, California: Tule Lake Segregation Center

Initially known as the Tule Lake War Relocation Center, it was set up as a camp but later became a segregation center where Japanese Americans who were thought to be disloyal to the United States were imprisoned. The site is now a national monument managed by the National Park Service. Only 37 acres of the 1,100-acre site is protected. Most of it is at risk of permanent alteration from a proposed nearby construction project.

California: Angel Island Immigration Station

It was the largest immigration port on the West Coast between 1910 and 1940, particularly for immigrants from Asia and the Pacific. Hundreds of thousands were processed, detained and/or interrogated there because of their race. The station currently is threatened by physical, environmental, political and economic factors. Additional funding is needed for structural repairs and programming to increase awareness.

Somerset, Massachusetts: Swansea Friends Meeting House

Recognized as the oldest surviving Quaker meeting house in the state, it was built in 1701 to serve as a refuge by a congregation fleeing religious persecution and looking for a safe place to worship. The building has been closed for years and needs significant rehabilitation.

Michigan: Detroit Association of Women's Clubs

Founded in 1921, the association was one of the first Black organizations in Detroit to own their headquarters building, which was purchased in 1941. But the building has been closed since 2024, when water pipes burst and damaged the interior. Money is needed to help the association reopen the building.

New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Utah: Greater Chaco Cultural Landscape

The landscape is an ancestral homeland sustained for over a millennium by the Pueblo and Hopi people, but is threatened by changes to federal land policy that could open up significant portions to oil and gas development. Permanent protections and tribal consultation are needed to protect its cultural integrity.

Seneca Falls, New York: Women's Rights National Historical Park

The park tells the story of the first Women's Rights Convention, held in Seneca Falls, in July 1848. It faces a deferred maintenance backlog of over $10 million. Additional funding and support are needed to help preserve the park as a place to teach visitors about the history of women's rights.

New York: Stonewall National Monument

The first and only U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ history was the subject of administration actions that saw the rainbow Pride flag removed from its flagpole earlier this year before it was restored. The National Park Service had removed the flag in February, citing federal guidance that limited the agency to displaying only the American, Interior Department and POW/MIA flags. But the administration reversed course in April as it agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by advocacy and historic preservation groups that sought to block the flag's removal at the Manhattan site.

After Trump returned to office, he ended diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and many references to transgender people were excised from the Stonewall monument’s website and materials. The Republican administration similarly has put national parks, museums and landmarks under a messaging microscope, aiming to remove or alter materials that it says are “divisive or partisan” or “inappropriately disparage Americans.”

Philadelphia: The President's House Site

The administration abruptly removed exhibits on the lives of nine people enslaved at the site in the 1790s under George Washington, the first U.S. president, who lived there when Philadelphia served as the nation's capital. The exhibits were taken down as part of a broad effort by the administration to remove from federal properties information it deems “disparaging” to Americans. The issue is currently the subject of litigation between the city and federal government.

Heath Springs, South Carolina: Hanging Rock Revolutionary War Battlefield

The Battle of Hanging Rock was a key battle in the Southern Campaigns of the Revolutionary War and is considered a Patriot victory that helped boost morale and ultimately weaken British control in South Carolina. Only portions of the core battlefield are protected and open to the public, with the area anticipating population growth and increasing development pressures.

Ruidosa, Texas: El Corazon Sagrado de la Iglesia de Jesus

The more than century-old adobe church served as a refuge and place of worship for Mexican and Mexican American farming communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border along the Rio Grande River. Vacant since the 1950s, the structure has benefited from continued restoration provided by the nonprofit Friends of the Ruidosa Church but remains threatened by proposed construction of a U.S. border wall that could come within a few hundred yards of the property.