The deadliest day in Israel's history features prominently in the campaign, but not in the way many outsiders might expect.

There's been almost no debate over Israel's wartime conduct in Gaza — which led to an international arrest warrant against Netanyahu — its occupation of much of southern Lebanon and parts of Syria, or its two wars launched against Iran, all of which have broad support.

Instead, candidates have focused on Netanyahu's leadership and moral character; his role in the security breakdown on Oct. 7; his efforts to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service and a 2023 judicial overhaul seen by critics as an assault on Israel's democratic institutions.

Both of the main electoral blocs are dominated by parties that support Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank and oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state, and no major candidate is advocating a return to the long-moribund peace process.

Here's a closer look.

Netanyahu's handling of Oct. 7 and its aftermath

People heading to the polls will pass the faces of fallen soldiers peering from stickers on train station walls and faded yellow ribbons honoring the hostages, the last of whom were returned in a ceasefire deal last year.

Around 68% of Jewish Israelis say their attitudes toward Oct. 7 are a central factor in deciding which party to support, according to the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. Among the Arab minority, just 32% said it factored prominently, with most citing crime as the main issue.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has sought to shift blame for the failures surrounding Oct. 7 to security officials while touting Israel’s military achievements against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and their patron, Iran.

Critics accuse him of evading responsibility by blocking an official inquiry into the attack, of not reaching a deal to bring back the hostages sooner, and of failing to win a decisive victory against any of Israel's foes.

Anger over exemptions from military service

Netanyahu's governing coalitions have long relied on ultra-Orthodox parties that demand exemptions from military conscription for young men engaged in religious studies. That policy has infuriated Israel's secular majority as reservists have been repeatedly called up in the various wars.

Military service is mandatory for most Jewish men and women, and about a quarter of Jewish voters polled by the Israel Democracy Institute ranked the issue as a key factor in deciding which party to support.

The country is struggling with a shortage of soldiers. Each year, around 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach the conscription age of 18, but fewer than 10% enlist.

“We have this notion that military service is a kind of permit to citizenship,” said Tamar Hermann, an expert on Israeli public opinion with the Israel Democracy Institute. It makes you a “legitimate part” of Israeli Jewish society, she added.

Netanyahu’s chief rival, Gadi Eisenkot, has vowed to end the de facto exemptions. The former military chief and political centrist lost his son and two nephews to combat in Gaza.

Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, said the military exemptions were “probably the number one issue” for the anti-Netanyahu coalition.

Netanyahu's judicial overhaul remains divisive

Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the judiciary and weaken the Supreme Court sparked mass protests in Israel in 2023, leaving the country fiercely polarized when Hamas attacked.

Netanyahu portrayed it as an attempt to curb the authority of unelected judges, while critics viewed it as a power grab by a prime minister who has been indicted on corruption allegations.

After the Oct. 7 attack, the public focus shifted to Gaza, and many who had mobilized against the judicial changes redirected their efforts to demand a deal to release the hostages.

Only 18% of Jewish Israelis said the judicial overhaul was a main factor in deciding which party to support, according to the Israel Democracy Institute. “There’s some public fatigue,” Hermann said.

On the left, judicial changes raised greater concern, with 22.5% of voters saying the issue will influence their decision at the ballot box. Among centrist and right-wing voters, it did not rank among the top four issues.

Last year, Israel’s parliament passed a law giving the government a larger role in appointing judges. But it won’t take effect until the next legislature is sworn in, and the anti-Netanyahu bloc has vowed to repeal it.

Questions of leadership loom large

Israelis vote for parties, not specific candidates, and no single party is expected to win anywhere close to a 61-seat majority in parliament, known as the Knesset. Whoever can cobble together a majority coalition will become the next prime minister.

If no one is able to, Netanyahu's government will continue to serve as caretaker until another round of elections in the coming months.

More than a quarter of Jewish Israelis view the head of the party as a key factor in deciding how to vote, according to the Israel Democracy Institute.

Netanyahu's supporters see him as a veteran statesman who has gone toe-to-toe with U.S. presidents and other world leaders, resisting pressure to end the war in Gaza or make other concessions that could harm Israel's security. His opponents think he's a crook.

Eisenkot's supporters point to his long military service and his personal losses in the ongoing wars. The son of Moroccan Jewish immigrants would also be the first Israeli prime minister of non-European descent, though he has not made that a central part of his campaign.

The economy and cost of living

Israel isn't immune from the affordability concerns that have roiled elections worldwide in recent years.

The cost of living has soared, and is higher than in many wealthy European countries like Austria, Denmark and Sweden, according to research by Sarit Menahem-Carmi of the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy at Reichman University.

Netanyahu says his policies have unleashed growth and contributed to the rise of a world-class tech sector, while opponents say many Israelis have been left behind.

Among Jewish Israelis, 38% said the economy and cost of living are the most important or second most important issue in the election, a stance that rose to 46% among Arabs, the Israel Democracy Institute found.

But you wouldn’t know it from the campaign.

None of the main candidates has made the economy a central issue or drawn attention to the costs of the various wars. Joseph Zeira, an economics professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said the high levels of military spending cannot be ignored.

“The cost of the conflict is tremendous,” Zeira said.

The Public Security Directorate said no member of the Jordanian forces was wounded in the dawn shootout in Karak, south of Jordan’s capital, Amman.

The attack on Friday in Karak, which is home to a minority Christian population, struck the Greek Orthodox Church during a funeral. Three men were reported to have taken part in the attack.

There has been no claim of responsibility, and no armed group has been accused of the attack.

Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya identified the three men as those responsible for the attack.

“The security services have fulfilled their duties, resulting in the capture of those who carried out this terrorist act,” he said in a phone interview with state TV Al-Mamlaka. “They put up fierce resistance against the security forces, but were ultimately subdued and taken into custody, having sustained severe injuries.”

He added that there “are three individuals involved; they were identified early on in the wake of the terrorist incident, and the security services employed all the means at their disposal to apprehend them.”

King Abdullah II had ordered authorities to respond with “an iron fist” against what he called the outlaws of Islam and anyone attempting to undermine the unity of the Jordanian people.

“We vowed the terrorists would not escape punishment, and no proponent of dark ideologies that divide Jordanians will be tolerated,” he said in a statement on Monday.

Relatives of the victims said the arrests brought them some relief.

“Despite the profound and immense tragedy, what happened today has eased our grief — and the grief of the Jordanian people — not just for us, the families of the martyrs," Khaled al-Borqan, himself a survivor of the attack and a relative of three of the people killed, told Al-Mamlaka.

“Despite the sadness and pain, the news brought us joy,” Fares Halaseh, an uncle of one of the victims and a survivor of the attack, told the TV station.

But the pain remains, he added. "We will not forget this agony for years to come.”

The talks come as many in Iran are girding themselves for the possible return to a return to all-out war, as Israeli and American leaders have been sharpening their threats ahead of pending elections in both countries, while Iranian leaders have remained defiant.

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Ibrahim Kalin, the head of Turkey’s intelligence service, were to meet with Iran’s top security officials and negotiators to push for a deal between Tehran and Washington.

The war in Yemen and strikes by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia were topics also on the table, said the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.

An Iranian official, also speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters, confirmed the arrival of the officials.

Saudi Arabia said in a statement that the delegations hoped to find “ways to de-escalate tensions, enhance regional security and promote its stability.”

Qatari mediators were in Tehran on Sunday, working in coordination with the U.S., as part of ongoing efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, according to a regional official speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.

Pakistan and Qatar helped broker an agreement in June aimed at having Iran fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, ending a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and opening negotiations on a broader settlement addressing Iran’s nuclear program. The deal unraveled quickly, however, as both sides renewed attacks.

With worries about renewed fighting ahead of Israel's election on Tuesday and the Nov. 3 midterm elections in the U.S., Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, on the weekend said Tehran had not closed the window of diplomacy and that messages were being passed to the U.S. via intermediaries.

With negotiations long stalled, Baghaei said that the U.S. appears to be persisting in unilateral demands and that Trump and U.S. officials repeatedly use the phrase “complete surrender,” which Baghaei said no Iranian accepts.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meantime, repeated his warning on Sunday that Iran or its proxies could attack ahead of the close elections to disrupt the vote, citing intelligence.

“The (military) is ready both to defend and to strike,” he said in a video statement, adding: “You will suffer disproportionate blows far greater than you can imagine.”

Israel’s Channel 12 reported Sunday night that Netanyahu and his military chief of staff clashed over an instruction by Netanyahu to carry out an “action” that the army believes could quickly trigger a resumption of the conflict with Iran.

Netanyahu described the Channel 12 report as nonsense during an appearance on another broadcaster, Channel 14. There was no immediate military comment.

Yemen has become a widening front in the Iran war that began in February, with the Houthis increasingly launching attacks on Saudi Arabia because it supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government battling the rebels.

The conflict has intensified since forces from the internationally recognized government and Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on Houthi-held Sanaa International Airport in July, shattering a 2022 ceasefire deal that largely stopped the fighting in the country’s civil war.

Early Monday, the Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the rebel group had fired ballistic missiles at military gatherings and weapons depots belonging to Saudi-backed government forces in Aden and Lahj provinces. He claimed the attacks caused the loss of military equipment and personnel but did not provide evidence of the strikes.

The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify the claims.

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Associated Press journalists Victoria Eastwood and Fatma Khaled in Cairo, Natalie Melzer in Tel Aviv, Israel, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this story.

The stunning triumph of leftist incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva over Flávio Bolsonaro on Sunday, with 51.8% of the vote to 48.2%, limits U.S. President Donald Trump’s drive to tighten his grip on the Western Hemisphere and cements Latin America’s most populous country and largest economy as a counterweight to Washington. A Bolsonaro victory would have left Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum as the only progressive president among the region’s powerhouses.

For the Trump administration, which has wielded punishing tariffs, severe sanctions and military force to reassert its dominance in the region, Lula’s victory complicates its campaign to enlist Brazil in its military coalition against cartels and to gain preferential access to the country’s critical minerals, analysts say.

Yet both sides see reasons to cooperate. Washington wants access to Brazil’s vast trove of rare earths to reduce its defense industry’s reliance on China. Lula wants foreign investment and tariff relief for Brazilian exporters.

“Lula is pragmatic enough to work out some kind of modus operandi with the Trump administration,” said Will Freeman, a fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, adding that the Bolsonaros’ allies in Washington would likely lose sway after the family’s second electoral defeat. Flávio’s father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, lost to Lula in 2022.

“I’m not sure anyone in the Trump administration, beyond a few individuals, will want to keep making the Bolsonaros the central issue in the U.S.-Brazil relationship,” he said.

Trump's missing piece

Across much of Latin America, voters fed up with organized crime and economic insecurity have rewarded presidential candidates promising to restore order. From Peru’s Keiko Fujimori to Colombia’s Abelardo de la Espriella and Chile’s José Antonio Kast, newly elected conservatives have courted Trump while taking their cues from El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, whose sweeping gang crackdown has sharply reduced homicides at the cost of mass arrests and suspended civil liberties.

Trump has reinforced that shift with electoral endorsements, financial bailouts and millions of dollars in military aid.

“The U.S. is certainly putting its finger on the scale to try to help the more hard-line right-wing elements in the region,” said Kenneth Roberts, a professor of government at Cornell University.

Brazil would have been Washington’s most consequential addition. Bolsonaro had promised to join the U.S.-led security coalition “with great enthusiasm and great honor,” making his alliance with Trump part of his pitch to voters.

Lula, by contrast, has championed Brazil’s long tradition of nonalignment, cultivating ties with competing powers. His government deepened trade ties with China and sought greater global influence through BRICS, a group of emerging economies.

Trump’s heavy-handed support for the Bolsonaros played into that message. The double-digit tariffs he imposed on a range of Brazilian goods to punish Brazil for prosecuting former President Jair Bolsonaro over a coup plot to oust Lula stirred a nationalist backlash that the leftist leader channeled into the rallying cry “Brazil belongs to Brazilians.”

“To the extent that the regional superpower becomes a threat to Brazil’s democratic institutions, defending Brazilian national sovereignty also becomes a form of defending Brazilian democracy,” Roberts said.

Lula's red lines

Brazil resisted joining the Shield of the Americas, a U.S.-led military coalition targeting cartels.

When Washington in May designated Brazil’s two largest criminal factions, the First Capital Command and the Red Command, as terrorist organizations, Lula warned the labels could become a pretext for American intervention.

“We don’t accept being treated like children,” he said after the announcement. Of the gangs, he added: “We will fight them here at home.”

Countries along the main northbound cocaine and migrant routes, many of them heavily dependent on the U.S. market, have been more accommodating. In Ecuador, U.S. troops have joined local police in raids targeting suspected drug networks across the coastal lowlands. Honduras, Guatemala and Colombia have also agreed to joint military operations, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said, though Guatemala’s government has denied it.

“Brazil is not Honduras. It’s a large country with a very independent history and a military that would not look kindly upon foreign troops in its own territory,” said Brian Winter, a veteran Latin America analyst and editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly, a policy journal. “The Trump administration will have to walk a certain line here.”

Washington may also have less reason to press Lula on military cooperation. Most of the cocaine moving through Brazil is consumed in the country or shipped to Europe and Africa, rather than the U.S.

On critical minerals, Lula wants Brazil to control its resources and preserve its freedom to sell beyond the U.S.

Brazil holds the world’s second-largest known reserves of rare earths, used in powerful magnets for guided missiles, smartphones, wind turbines and electric vehicles.

Last month, USA Rare Earth, in which the U.S. government holds a stake, completed its $2.8 billion takeover of Serra Verde, the Brazilian firm that owns one of the few mines outside of Asia producing all four rare earths needed for those magnets. Alarmed by the expanding U.S. role, Lula’s administration fast-tracked legislation tightening oversight of critical minerals.

“Revisiting the Serra Verde–USA Rare Earth deal may not be the first thing that Lula does when he’s reelected, but it’s on his radar,” said Monica de Bolle, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

Brazil also produces about 90% of the world’s niobium, a critical element for jet, rocket engines and other military hardware, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Any Brazilian export restrictions could disrupt supply chains for U.S. defense manufacturers.

“Brazil has leverage,” de Bolle said. “With Lula, the U.S. is on shakier ground.”

Compromise at home and abroad

For all his defiant public statements, Lula has sought peace with Trump. His White House visit in May to discuss trade, organized crime and critical minerals undercut the Bolsonaros’ claim that only they could deal with Washington.

More bargaining with Trump surely lies ahead over tariffs and with Brazil's Congress, where conservatives expanded their ranks in the Oct. 4 elections, depriving Lula of the backing he needs to institute meaningful reforms. After three previous terms, Lula confronts voters impatient for safer streets and relief from the high cost of living.

“Lula has his hands tied,” said Guilherme Casarões, an associate professor of Brazilian studies at Florida International University. “Pretty much everything he has tried to do has been blocked in Congress.”

Across Latin America, coalitions that united against a common opponent have often splintered as the realities of governing set in. Trump’s new allies are already losing support in Chile, Bolivia and Peru, suggesting the region’s rightward turn may be less durable than it appears. Lula bucked the anti-incumbent trend, but his support could evaporate quickly as he bargains with opponents — in Congress and beyond Brazil’s borders — to deliver the results voters expect.

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Associated Press writer Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo contributed to this report.

U.S. futures edged higher.

Analysts said investors were bracing for earnings reports of big companies and central bank decisions this week that could shake markets. Several influential AI-related companies report their latest financial results this week, including Google’s parent, Alphabet, along with Microsoft and Amazon.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 slipped 0.8% to 62,189.65 as shares of computer chipmakers and other tech firms came under renewed selling pressure. Advantest, which makes testing equipment for computer chips, fell 3.9%, while chip- and flat-panel production manufacturer Tokyo Electron lost 3.7%.

The Bank of Japan is due to announce a decision on its key interest rate later in the week.

The Kospi in Seoul dropped 1.5% to 5,469.47. Memory chipmaker Samsung Electronics lost 1.1%.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng picked up 0.5% to 23,206.82, while the Shanghai Composite index rebounded from early losses to gain 0.2%, closing at 3,697.52.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 likewise reversed its losses to advance 0.2%, to 8,809.90.

The price of Brent crude, the international standard, fell 1.4% to $110.12 a barrel. U.S. benchmark crude sank 1.8% to $101.37 a barrel.

On Friday, the price for a barrel of Brent crude rose 3.1% to settle at $116.72, its highest level since June 2022. It has surged from less than $97 since early October.

Also Friday, the S&P 500 fell 0.5%, adding to its decline from a day before and logging its second-straight weekly loss. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2% after giving up a modest gain.

Several AI-related companies rallied, helping ease some of the impact from the broader market slide. Micron Technology rose 2.5%, Intel gained 1.7%, Microsoft added 0.7%, and Advanced Micro Devices closed 1.7% higher.

Stocks that have benefited from the frenzy over AI have been buffeted by waves of selling as investors fret over whether their high prices are justified. Many of those companies have been borrowing to fund investments in AI technology and high interest rates are making those loans more expensive.

Market players are closely watching corporate earnings, looking for a better sense of whether those investments are likely to pay off.

“This week is less about broad conviction and more about proof. Big Tech now has to show that the spending binge still deserves the market’s faith," Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

“Investors want proof now. They want to know whether the billions going into the compute buildout are building a durable earnings machine or just a shinier version of the same old capex furnace,” he said.

Industrial companies had some of the biggest losses. Caterpillar fell 2.4%.

American Express slumped 3.7%, one of several financial stocks that lost ground, despite reporting profits for its most recent quarter that beat analysts' forecasts. The company did announce its first major job cuts in roughly a decade.

Treasury yields in the U.S. edged higher following sharp drops on Thursday.

Yields have been rising globally, partly over worries about governments taking on too much debt. Inflation also remains a concern and is stubbornly well above 3% in the U.S. That prompted the Federal Reserve to raise its benchmark interest rate at its last meeting in an effort to cool inflation.

Wall Street expects the central bank to hold rates steady at its meeting this week, but is leaning heavily toward another rate hike in December.

This week also will bring several big economic updates, including the Fed's preferred measure of inflation. The personal consumption expenditures index, or PCE, is expected to show that inflation rose at a 3.7% rate in September, sharply above the Fed's 2% target.

The U.S. war with Iran has severely cut the world's oil supply, driving energy prices higher and fueling a sharp jump in the cost of everything from gasoline to food and clothes.

In other dealings early Monday, the dollar slipped to 156.94 Japanese yen from 156.99 yen. The euro fell to $1.1216 from $1.1223.

With 100% of the vote counted, Brazil’s electoral court announced that the soon to be 81-year-old Lula had a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes over opponent Flávio Bolsonaro, giving him 51.8% of the total vote. Bolsonaro quickly refused to concede defeat and asked for the election results to be annulled after an evening of chaos at some polling places that followed a last-minute decision to extend voting by two hours.

Bolsonaro is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, whom Lula defeated to take the presidency in 2022.

Lula's triumph bucks a regional trend of victories for right-of-center presidential candidates allied with Trump. It also means Latin America’s largest economy, with a GDP of $2.6 trillion per year, will likely continue defying Trump’s demands, despite the pressure of increased tariffs.

Lula says Brazil is ‘not anyone’s backyard'

A video published by Lula’s campaign shows the veteran leader celebrating with First Lady Rosângela da Silva and allies after his runoff victory was confirmed by Brazil’s electoral court. Wearing star-shaped red glasses, he kissed his wife.

Speaking to his supporters, thousands of whom gathered on Sao Paulo's main artery and in Rio de Janeiro's Cinelandia Square, Lula expressed his gratitude to the Brazilian people, and pledged to respect all Brazilians, regardless of gender or religion. He also attacked Bolsonaro.

“This was a defeat for denialism and lies. I must confess that every time I attended a debate, I felt embarrassed,” he said.

He also doubled down on his commitment to Brazil’s sovereignty.

“Either the homeland remains free, or we die for Brazil,” he said. “This country will not accept being anyone’s backyard.”

In Rio de Janeiro, cars beeped their horns and a woman dressed in red — the color of Lula supporters — shouted “You lost! Cry harder!” to four men in yellow and green sipping beers, Bolsonaro's signature colors. A huge roar echoed in the street as the result was confirmed.

Rodrigo Valentim, a 51-year-old businessman and supporter of Bolsonaro, said that another Lula government would harm the economy. He pointed to financial markets’ positive reaction to the result of the first round, when Bolsonaro bested Lula.

“I don’t understand how people can vote for Lula,” he said. “The country is collapsing.”

Lula is set to begin his fourth non-consecutive term as president on Jan. 5, 2027.

Bolsonaro rejects results after confusion at polling places

The electoral court's announcement ended an evening of confusion at polling places after Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ruled three minutes before the scheduled end of voting to keep polls open for two more hours, following requests by both candidates. Lula’s request came after issues with buses that provide transportation to polls in Sao Paulo and Salvador, two cities that tend to favor the incumbent. Bolsonaro’s request was due to heavy rains in Brazil’s south, where he is favored.

The decision delayed tallying the votes by two hours. It was unclear how many polling stations stayed open after the scheduled closing time. Polling stations in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro closed shortly after the original 5 p.m. deadline, reporters for The Associated Press observed.

Bolsonaro, whose father is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup after he lost the 2022 presidential election to Lula, pointed out that Zanin is Lula’s former lawyer and criticized him for “changing the rules of the game in the middle of the game.”

“It's impossible to recognize the results of the election in the context of these things that happened,” he said.

It's not clear if Bolsonaro’s complaint could meet the legal threshold to annul the results. Bolsonaro also has the right to request a recount if he has evidence of fraud, but that might not change the results.

The president of the electoral court, Kassio Nunes Marques, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by former President Bolsonaro, said that the extension of voting hours did not impact results.

Joao Pedro Padua, a law professor at the Fluminense Federal University, said that Bolsonaro can file a lawsuit directly with the country’s electoral authorities or the Supreme Court, asking for the elections to be declared null and void.

“But there isn’t much legal basis for that,” Padua said. “The extension of voting hours is unusual, but for it to invalidate the elections, the candidate would have to prove that it affected voters’ ability to freely express their will. There doesn’t seem to have been any such impact.”

Lula overcame concerns about security and cost of living

Bolsonaro bested Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round of the election earlier this month. Sunday night's victory by Lula marked the first time since Brazil’s military dictatorship ended in 1985 that the second-highest vote-getter in the first-round elections won the presidency.

Lula faced a tough reelection battle because of concerns about the cost of living and security. Bolsonaro made a tough-on-crime approach the cornerstone of his campaign and pledged to bring down food costs while Lula, trying to lure undecided voters, has invested in costly incentives.

Both have been hit by corruption suspicions involving family members and allies, with Bolsonaro implicated in a sprawling scandal rocking Brazil. Lula previously spent more than a year in prison on corruption convictions that were eventually annulled.

This will likely be the last victory of the veteran leader’s political career. Lula began his political career in the 1970s as a union leader. He then helped found the Workers’ Party, which he represented as a presidential candidate three times until he finally won it in 2002. He was reelected four years later and was succeeded by one of his cabinet ministers, Dilma Rousseff, in 2010. She was reelected in 2014 but impeached two years later.

Lula tried to run for president again in 2018 but was jailed in March after being convicted. He was released from prison after 580 days and saw Brazil’s Supreme Court annul his sentence after police found messages that showed the judge who convicted him was biased. He quickly became one of Jair Bolsonaro’s biggest critics and narrowly beat him in 2022.

Since he lost the first round, Lula reorganized his campaign, appealed to young voters, put millions of Brazilians on the streets to defend democratic values and his legacy, raised fears of another Bolsonaro administration and boosted several government initiatives.

He joins Trump and Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega — all aged 80 — as one of the oldest presidents in the Americas.

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Savarese reported from Sao Paulo. Brigida reported from Brasilia.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

It was a seismic political shift in the Balkan country where Vucic, who had been endorsed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and who denounced the student movement as a foreign-led attempt to unseat him, led with virtually absolute power for 14 years.

Almost immediately, crowds flooded the streets of the capital Belgrade and other Serbian cities in an outburst of euphoric celebration.

Belgrade resident Dragana Kovacevic was thrilled that “everyone greets with smiles.” She said "we are all too happy, finally we are becoming one normal and free country.”

Maja Stetic said she feels “fantastic.” Vucic's ouster, she said, "means liberation for me, means a new future for us and our children.”

High turnout and gathering tensions marked the highly contested parliamentary election that was a showdown between Vucic and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party and university students who, accusing the government of corruption and dismantling democracy, had built a popular following across the country.

Serbia's 6.4 million voters were electing lawmakers to the 250-member Parliament. In conceding the election, Vucic said his party projects that his opponents, the youth-backed Students’ List, will take between 135 and 140 seats while his SNS party will have around 105.

“It is now clear that we have lost and the Students’ List has won,” Vucic told supporters at his party's election night event, though he blamed Serbia's independent media as well as alleged interference by unnamed European countries and an ”American deep state" for the loss.

Belgrade erupts in celebration

Vucic said that his SNS party won around 1.7 million votes compared to the Students’ List, which he said took around 2.2 million.

Radomir Saicic, a Students’ List candidate, said “tonight is not just about results.”

“It is about people who believed and continued to fight,” he said. “This is a victory over fear …it is nobody’s trophy, it is a citizens victory. But victory carries responsibility.”

Supporters of the Students' List drove around Belgrade in cars, honking horns, singing, shouting and chanting: “Aleksandar is gone,” referring to Vucic. Crowds swiftly dismantled the fences and tents at a park in central Belgrade where Vucic’s loyalists had been camping for over a year and gathered earlier on Sunday. One tent was later set on fire in the now-abandoned camp.

A group of young people could be seen throwing rocks at a withdrawing column of police cars and anti-riot vehicles.

The outcome, which Vucic announced only around an hour and a half after polls closed, came after tensions had built as voting progressed during the day.

Police in anti-riot gear had cordoned off an area in central Belgrade around the election commission headquarters. Special police vehicles could be seen near the pro-Vucic camp, and large groups of black-clad men had congregated at various points throughout the city.

Protests over corruption lead to Vucic's fall

Vucic was seeking become Serbia's prime minister after serving two near-full terms as president. He resigned the presidency last month to lead the campaign.

Support for the populist had eroded since 16 people were killed in 2024 when a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad. That set off a wave of youth protests that blamed the collapse on high-level corruption, cronyism and rampant graft during renovation work at the station.

Dijana Hrka, the mother of one of the victims, was in the crowd celebrating in Belgrade. Sobbing, Hrka told N1 television: “I have been waiting for this moment for two years.”

“Now I expect that they will all be held accountable,” she said.

Despite the protests, Vucic retained considerable support among many of Serbia’s voters. Admirers viewed him as a capable leader who can steer the nation through global uncertainties — the image that was carefully crafted by the mainstream media.

Student movement campaigned on rebuilding democracy

While the increasingly authoritarian Vucic has routinely outplayed Serbia’s fractured opposition in the past, the leaderless youth movement proved to be a tough opponent that rattled his firm grip on power in Serbia like no one else in the 14 years since his party took office.

The newly formed Students’ List movement was shaped by university students but none actually appeared on the election list. Instead, its candidates are little-known experts, athletes, farmers and artists.

This approach was meant to counter Vucic’s one-man rule and restore a sense of community and solidarity. The students’ message during the campaign focused on a non-partisan effort to rebuild Serbia’s economy and restore its democracy.

The students have used youthful energy to attract voters who are disillusioned with local politicians. Vilified by pro-government media, they cycled and walked through the country to reach voters in rural areas — Vucic’s traditional strongholds.

The student victory echoed the recent electoral defeat of a Vucic ally in Hungary, where youth participation helped oust the autocratic Viktor Orbán after 16 years and bring in a new pro-European government. It was likely to resonate beyond Serbia as countries across Europe have faced angry youth and student protests.

The vote was closely watched in the EU

Monitors predicted that total turnout in the election could reach around 70%, unseen in Serbia since 2000. During the day, long queues formed at polling stations in Serbia and in cities around the world. Some in the Serbian diaspora were made to vote in the middle of the night after authorities tied voting hours to local Serbian time.

Recent Serbian elections had been marred by irregularities and the EU was closely watching the conduct of Sunday's vote in a candidate nation for the bloc's membership.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated the student movement, saying “people of Serbia turned out in record numbers to shape their country’s future.”

“We stand ready to support reforms on the rule of law, media freedom, the fight against corruption and strong democratic institutions, and to work together to advance Serbia’s future in the European Union,” she said.

Independent election monitors reported dozens of cases of irregularities on Sunday such as photographing of ballots that suggested pressure on voters and attempted vote buying.

Both international and local election monitors had expressed concern about the safety and fairness of an election campaign marked by detentions, near-total government control over the media and reports of surveillance and cyberattacks against activists.

Local elections earlier this year in 10 municipalities in Serbia saw violent attacks on journalists and activists. The previous parliamentary vote in 2023 was followed by opposition protests alleging fraud.

Brown, 37, pleaded guilty to a count of affray at London’s Southwark Crown Court in July for attacking a music producer with a bottle on the head.

Brown had denied attacking Abraham Diaw with a bottle at the Tape nightclub in the swanky Mayfair neighborhood in February 2023. But prosecutors said the fight was caught on surveillance camera in front of a club full of people.

In return for the guilty plea, prosecutors dropped charges of assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and having an offensive weapon, a bottle.

Brown's friend and vocal coach Omololu Akinlolu also pleaded guilty to affray. He will be sentenced too.

Brown left the United Kingdom after the brawl but was arrested in May 2025 at a Manchester hotel after flying to the city for a concert.

Brown had been free on bail of 5 million pounds ($6.7 million), which allowed him to tour Europe and North America last summer. He was freed on bail again Friday and will be sentenced Oct. 26 on the affray charge, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

Brown, who rose to stardom as a teen in 2005, won his first Grammy for best R&B album in 2011 for “F.A.M.E.” He earned his second in the same category for “11:11 (Deluxe)” in 2025.

He has been in repeated legal trouble since his felony conviction in the 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, hours before the pair were due to perform at the Grammys.

He has been arrested in several U.S. states over altercations, and in 2019 he was arrested in Paris and questioned on suspicion of rape. He was released without charge.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught nine passes for 150 yards and a touchdown, and the Seahawks handed the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of the season, 20-3 on Sunday night.

Sam Darnold threw for 257 yards and a score for the Seahawks (4-3), while Emanuel Wilson had 24 carries for 100 yards and a TD.

“Playing a team like Kansas City and all the killers that they got on that side, we knew how big this game was, and we wanted this one badly,” said Smith-Njigba, the NFL's leading receiver and reigning Offensive Player of the Year. “You know, we saw it as a playoff game.”

Patrick Mahomes struggled, throwing for 165 yards with an interception for the Chiefs (5-1). Kenneth Walker III, the Super Bowl MVP for the Seahawks last season before signing with the Chiefs in the offseason, was held to 36 yards on 14 carries.

Walker entered the night averaging a league-leading 133 yards per game, but the Seahawks shut him down, along with the rest of Kansas City's offense. The Chiefs had 213 total yards, 50 on the ground.

“Listen, all three phases we struggled, so we’ve got to do better, and that’s my responsibility,” Kansas City coach Andy Reid said. “So I take full responsibility for this. We’ve got to play better as a team.”

The Super Bowl champion Seahawks have not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 36 games, the league’s longest current streak.

“We know what kind of running back was coming in here, but we don't allow people to run through our defense,” linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. “That's just us.”

The only bright spot for Kansas City's offense was a milestone for Travis Kelce, who had four receptions to reach 1,104 for his career, moving past Marvin Harrison and Cris Carter for fifth in NFL history.

After Darnold hit Smith-Njigba for a 33-yard gain early in the second quarter to get the Seahawks in the red zone, Jason Myers kicked a 25-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

On the next series, Ty Okada intercepted Mahomes on a pass intended for Jalen Royals. Seattle's ensuing drive was kept alive by Darnold's 7-yard scramble. He then connected with Smith-Njigba for a 28-yard touchdown to put Seattle up 10-0 with 1:44 left in the first half.

Another 28-yard pass from Darnold to Smith-Njigba got the Seahawks to the Kansas City 1 in the closing seconds of the half, but Darnold was intercepted by Nohl Williams in the back of the end zone. Williams returned the pick 64 yards, but Harrison Butker's 58-yard field goal attempt fell short as time expired.

Myers made a 35-yard field goal to extend Seattle's lead to 13-0. Before the third quarter was over, the Chiefs drove to the Seattle 30, but Mahomes fumbled on third down and Kansas City had to settle for Butker's 50-yard field goal.

Mahomes found Kelce for a 19-yard catch early in the fourth quarter, but the Chiefs came away with no points when Butker missed a 45-yard field goal attempt wide right. Butker has missed 10 field goals since the start of last season.

“He’s off a bit. Got to fix it,” Reid said.

The Seahawks pushed their lead to 20-3 on Wilson's 21-yard scoring run with 3:47 left.

“I think this game reminds the guys what we’re capable of,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “I think our guys understand that there’s more levels to where we can go, and so I hope they feel the sense of urgency that we can get there because it is stuff that we can control. You know, talking about procedural stuff, red-zone stuff, negative plays, how we rush our red-zone defense, all those things we’ve been attacking.”

Notable absences

The Seahawks moved running back Zach Charbonnet to the active roster this week, but he was ruled out for the game. Charbonnet rushed for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Seahawks last season before he tore an ACL.

The Chiefs were without receiver Rashee Rice, who missed his third straight game with a hamstring injury, and starting tackle Jaylon Moore, who is in the concussion protocol.

Injuries

Seahawks receiver Rashid Shaheed left early in the second half with a knee injury. He did not return. Tackle Charles Cross left in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.

Up next

The Chiefs visit the Denver Broncos next Sunday.

The Seahawks host the Chicago Bears on Monday, Nov. 2

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

According to United, the flight from Grand Cayman to Houston had a mechanical issue.

The Boeing 737 landed safely and the passengers got off the play at the gate.

There were 83 passengers and 6 crewmembers on the flight.

Witnesses told investigators that after a traffic incident, someone got out of a vehicle and approached another driver who had also exited their vehicle. The person shot the victim with a handgun, then returned to their car and fled, deputies said.

The victim was identified by authorities as Pablo Miguel Angel. Deputies attempted life-saving measures, but Angel was pronounced dead at the scene.

• Video shows vehicle crashing into Montgomery County patrol car on I-45 during traffic stop

Investigators described the suspect’s vehicle as a red passenger car, but said its make and model are unknown. The shooter was described as an adult wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt over a white undershirt.

Major Crimes detectives and crime scene investigators are working on the case.

Anyone with information can call the Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Division at 936-760-5876. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Multi-County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-392-7867 or multicountycrimestoppers.org. Reference case 26A365480.

He was injured on a drive with 1:14 remaining of Oklahoma City's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, getting tended to almost immediately by medical personnel after going down underneath the basket on the Thunder's offensive end.

Williams' ankle was draped by towels and players from both teams acted in immediate dismay and disbelief as the stretcher was brought out. The game was stopped for about five minutes, and the Thunder went on to finish a 108-101 victory.

“Just feel bad for him,” Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said in a postgame televised interview, fighting back tears as he spoke. “Nothing more than that.”

There was no immediate diagnosis from the Thunder, though it was obvious that the injury was severe — and the stretcher was called for within just a few seconds of the play ending. Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said the team would be briefed Monday morning with the latest updates on Williams' condition.

“We're not doing great,” Daigneault said.

Williams, seated up on the stretcher, saluted the cheering fans with two thumbs-up signals as he was wheeled off the court.

“Our whole city will have JDub in our thoughts and prayers as he deals with this adversity and as he makes his way through his recovery,” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt posted on social media after the game.

Williams — a shooting guard who entered Sunday having averaged 18 points per game in his first 250 NBA contests — has been an All-Star and an All-NBA player already in his career, plus was a huge part of the Thunder team that won the 2025 NBA title. He missed 49 games last season with an array of issues, mostly hamstring problems and recovery from a significant surgery on his right wrist.

“He just loves playing, loves the competition,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That's who he is. ... It's unfortunate, his luck so far. But he's equipped for it.”

The Thunder play again Monday night at home against Phoenix. The schedule gives Oklahoma City little choice but to try and move on somewhat quickly, Daigneault said.

“We don’t have a choice,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s what we signed up for. It’s obviously going to be tough without a player like that. He’s not gone forever. He’ll be back better than ever. We know it. We’ve just got to hold the fort down until he comes back.”

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See AP’s full NBA coverage here

As the rivalry intensifies, experts say the window for countries to be able to choose freely between the two AI superpowers may be narrowing, forcing them to at one point pick between the U.S.-led Pax Silica and the China-inspired World AI Cooperation Organization.

That could put many countries in a dilemma: Do they go with the U.S.’s most advanced chips and AI technologies, or join China’s more affordable, open-source AI systems?

Kazakhstan, a Central Asian nation of about 21 million people, is a rare example of a country that has sought to bridge that gap.

Just three weeks after its AI minister Zhaslan Madiyev visited Washington in June to join the U.S. group working to strengthen AI supply chains, he headed to Shanghai for a signing ceremony making the Central Asian country a founding member of China's initiative to shape the global AI agenda.

Being in Pax Silica means more technological partnerships, high-tech manufacturing jobs and a place in global AI supply chains. At the same time, as part of China’s World AI Cooperation Organization alongside 28 other initial founding countries including Pakistan and Russia, Kazakhstan hopes to also have a voice in setting regional and global AI standards.

“Everyone is hedging,” said Dana Masalimova, a former Kazakhstan diplomat and independent scholar and center associate at the Kathryn W. and Shelby Cullom Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University.

“We don’t want this binary choice,” she said.

Kazakhstan among countries hoping to harness the best of both blocs

Kazakhstan is benefiting from both U.S. and Chinese investments, but is in a “very precarious spot,” Masalimova said.

It has rich critical mineral resources essential to AI development and has cheap electricity to power data centers, which have become politically fraught in the U.S.

Earlier this year, Kazakhstan's government signed an investment deal worth up to $10 billion involving Nvidia to build a “data center valley” in the country.

Meanwhile, more Chinese companies are investing in Kazakhstan. Local officials say Chinese foreign direct investment in Kazakhstan reached a record $2.8 billion in 2025. Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in July to expand cooperation under China’s global infrastructure building Belt and Road initiative.

Washington’s pressure campaign versus Beijing’s courtship

Both China and the U.S. are leveraging access to AI to increase their global influence.

President Donald Trump insisted last month that “whoever wins AI, wins.” U.S. officials and AI companies have accused China of large-scale “distillation,” or extraction of capabilities, from frontier American models.

Beijing has rejected those claims and says the U.S. is pursuing an AI monopoly while restricting China’s access to some of the world’s most cutting-edge AI chips and chipmaking machinery.

Washington has signaled that Pax Silica — with China as its implicit target — is only for the trusted.

“Countries can’t be trusted partners in Pax Silica while substantively engaging in initiatives that advance a competing vision for super intelligence,” the U.S. State Department said, using the Trump administration’s new preferred term for AI.

For its part, Beijing touts the openness and inclusiveness of its World AI Cooperation Organization. “As both major countries in AI, China and the United States should leverage respective strengths in AI rather than guarding against each other,” the Chinese embassy in Washington said in a statement. “AI should not be owned by major countries.”

The two AI powers have different messaging largely because Beijing needs to court third countries in its bid to build an alternative coalition, whereas Washington already has a powerful network of allies, said Kyle Chan, a fellow at The Brookings Institution’s John L. Thornton China Center.

That lends power to what he described as “swing countries.”

Indonesia, Singapore may also be caught between China and the US

Like Kazakhstan, Indonesia has resources vital for AI and other technologies, such as nickel and copper. It's also seeking to make the most of both AI powers, having joined China's World AI Cooperation Organization.

Indonesia wants to benefit from both, Mari Pangestu, the Indonesian National Economic Council's vice chair, told reporters at a University of Hong Kong Business School event. “We should be able to be part of both, put it that way. And choose the best system.”

U.S. AI firms are bringing investments to other countries like Singapore, where Anthropic is setting up its latest Asia office. The city-state says it is also considering joining China’s AI organization.

In Saudi Arabia, the AI startup Humain unveiled in September a platform built on an open model by a Chinese AI company. The kingdom also has a deal with Nvidia to expand AI computing with its advanced chips.

France, one of the most ambitious AI developers aside from the U.S. and China, is attempting to go its own way with its startup Mistral, whose new model released this month outperforms some advanced Chinese models.

Japan is closely aligned with the U.S. on strategic and security issues, including advanced semiconductors, trusted AI and standards. But it will not reject the more affordable Chinese AI models for “lower-risk applications,” said Takahiro Tsuchiya, a professor at Kyoto's University of Foreign Studies.

Difficult to challenge the 2 leading powers

For countries like the U.K. and Germany, which have substantial economic and military capacity but no self-developed powerful frontier AI models of their own, aligning with the U.S. may be vital for their access to data centers and chip deals with U.S. companies, said Anton Leicht and Sam Winter-Levy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Essentially, their access to advanced AI systems “depends on the whims of policymakers in Washington and Beijing,” they said, while those countries may have limited influence over AI’s future.

China, meanwhile, has been closing the technology gap with the U.S. when it comes to chipmaking and advanced AI capabilities, but it still trails top U.S. technological capabilities, at least for now.

Also, Beijing's open-source approach allows countries to be less reliant on the U.S., and China has been providing funding for developing countries to develop their own AI ecosystems, said Alberto Lemma, a research fellow at the think tank ODI Global.

To date, China has provided official sector grants and loans for projects and activities that use or enable AI technologies in at least 77 low- and middle-income countries, according to the AidData research lab at William & Mary, a public university in Virginia. Some top recipients include Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, Bangladesh, Senegal, Cameroon and Kenya. Public perceptions are also changing. Recent study results from Pew Research Center have shown that people in middle-income countries are becoming more positive and trusting of China when it comes to AI and the technology’s regulation.

All things considered, many countries “don’t want to pick a side ... because there are advantages and disadvantages to each technology stack,” said Aalok Mehta, director of the Wadhwani AI Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Most countries may eventually lack a good option since they cannot compete on building AI frontier models, but “every country in the world in some way or another is thinking about AI sovereignty," he said. After all, “maybe no other country than the U.S. and China can really build these very large, powerful models.”

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Tang reported from Washington.

It was her first appearance since the U.S. military deposed the country’s then-President Nicolás Maduro in January, replacing him with an interim president who has exceeded the time she was authorized to serve, with no election scheduled.

Machado announced her arrival on social media, writing, “I am here. With you.”

Another leading figure in the Venezuelan opposition, Edmundo González, wrote on X that he would be at her side “very soon.”

“Today is a very important day for Venezuelans," he wrote. "Our sovereign voice returns with her to lead and guide this process!”

Venezuela run by Maduro ally backed by the Trump administration

On Sunday afternoon, Machado strode into a church in the state of Lara, west of Caracas, shocking dozens who began to applaud as they shook her hand and hugged her, with cellphones aloft to record her return.

“María! María!” one person cried, as another shouted, “Welcome to Venezuela!”

One woman wiped away tears and called it “a miracle” while another woman’s hands flew to her face as she saw Machado enter the church.

“Long live freedom, damn it!” a man yelled.

Machado arrived in Caracas late Sunday as thousands of people joined the hours-long caravan or awaited it.

“The future of my children is in your hands. Please!” said a man who teared up as he ran alongside her car.

Asked by reporters Sunday about Machado’s return to Venezuela, U.S. President Donald Trump said, “I don’t know anything about it, but I think she’s a very nice woman. She gave me her Nobel Prize. So how can I say anything else? And I hope she’s safe. She’s a very nice woman. But we’re doing really well in Venezuela.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X Sunday that the conditions allowing for Machado’s safe return “is the direct result of the U.S. supported reconciliation talks."

“The United States expects the freedoms of all sectors of Venezuelan politics to continue to be respected. Likewise, we expect all political actors to support these talks which represent the best chance Venezuela has had in thirty years to peacefully achieve not just a free and fair election but an enduring democracy,” he wrote.

Rubio has argued that before holding new elections, Venezuela must stabilize its economy and rebuild its institutions, including its courts and electoral council.

Brian Fonseca, a Venezuela expert and professor at Florida International University, said he thought her arrival was politically motivated when he first heard the news.

“But at the same time, it’s very symbolic,” he said. “Until there’s institutional change, or institutional space for the democratic opposition, this is a symbolic gesture.”

Fonseca said Machado’s arrival could complicate Washington’s strategy and might be a sign of talks about elections in Venezuela.

He said it remains to be seen how much latitude Machado is given and what steps she’ll take, adding that it could have consequences for the U.S. midterms.

Since Maduro’s ouster, Venezuela has been run by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a longtime Maduro ally who received the Trump administration’s blessing to succeed him.

Rodríguez was initially supposed to serve only 90 days as acting president, but has remained in office and has made no move to call an election.

Machado was briefly detained in January 2025, following a protest against Maduro’s planned swearing-in ceremony, and went into hiding in Venezuela for 11 months. After making a clandestine escape from the country, she reappeared that December in Norway, where she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her peaceful challenge to Maduro’s authoritarian government.

Machado and her allies have been demanding a date for a presidential election in Venezuela, but U.S. officials have emphasized economic stabilization first.

Credible evidence shows the opposition won the last election

In October 2023, Machado won an opposition primary and intended to challenge Maduro in the 2024 presidential election, but the government barred her from running for office.

González took her place on the ballot, and ample credible evidence showed that he defeated Maduro by more than a 2-to-1 margin. But the National Electoral Council, which is stacked with ruling-party loyalists, declared Maduro the winner.

The lead-up and aftermath of the election were marked by widespread government repression, including forced disappearances, torture and other human rights violations. More than 2,000 people, including poll workers, were detained in the days after the vote.

In January, the U.S. military captured Maduro in Caracas and whisked him to New York to face drug-related charges, which he has denied. Many Venezuelans were stunned by the Trump administration’s decision to work with Rodríguez, instead of Machado, to try to revitalize the crisis-racked country.

Machado has demanded a date for a presidential election

Machado had repeatedly vowed to return to Venezuela and, according to her party, she made seven unsuccessful attempts.

One of the efforts would have seen her take a charter boat, but the operator canceled the trip, alleging the vessel was unfit for navigation. In another attempt, her team said, Machado tried to fly to the Caribbean island of Curacao, from where she could take a speedboat to Venezuela, but her plane was denied landing permits.

Opposition activists have accused Venezuela’s government of blocking Machado’s return, a claim denied by Venezuelan authorities. Others have also questioned whether the Trump administration has also been involved in the efforts to stop her from returning.

Trump administration officials deny they are holding Machado back but have said that, on some occasions, they have advised her against returning due to safety concerns.

After Maduro was deposed, Venezuela’s highest court said Rodríguez could serve as acting president for up to 90 days — an interim appointment that could be extended by the National Assembly for an additional 90 days. But the ruling party-controlled assembly never voted to extend her term.

Machado and her allies have demanded that the Rodríguez government set a date for a presidential election. Rodríguez told the U.N. General Assembly in September that Venezuelans will determine the “right moment” for the next election.

Supporters of Machado have held demonstrations in Caracas demanding her return.

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Garcia Cano reported from New York City; Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Associated Press reporter Josh Boak in Washington, D.C. contributed to this report.

With 100% of the vote counted, Brazil’s electoral court said Lula held an unassailable lead. The announcement capped an evening of chaos at polling places following a last-minute decision to extend voting by two hours. That decision by a Supreme Court justice may trigger legal action by Bolsonaro.

The son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro bested Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round of voting earlier this month. More than 33 million of the nearly 160 million registered voters did not turn out.

The difference between the two candidates was stark. Bolsonaro and Lula have opposing ideological views on issues ranging from U.S.-Brazil relations and climate change to social welfare.

Here's the latest:

Bolsonaro won't concede election defeat

Flávio Bolsonaro refused to concede defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who bested him by nearly 4.4 million votes Sunday, following a chaotic delay in poll closing times ordered by a Supreme Court justice.

Both Bolsonaro and Lula asked that polls remain open late after issues with public transportation and inclement weather in some parts of Brazil. The decision to keep polls open came three minutes before scheduled poll close; some polls got word after they’d closed and it’s unclear how many votes were cast in the extended hours.

Bolsonaro called the move to extend voting hours unprecedented — though both he and Lula made the request — and asked for the election results to be annulled, saying it was impossible to accept the results. His father, Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence for an attempted coup following his defeat to Lula in 2022.

Lula addresses supporters

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his gratitude to the Brazilian people and pledged to respect all Brazilians after he won reelection Sunday.

“No one is required to like the president-elect, but he must govern for everyone,” Lula said as he addressed supporters.

He also attacked Bolsonaro. “This was a defeat for denialism and lies,” he said.

Citing his age and political experience, he said: “I want to make a commitment: I will deliver the best term any president has ever served. I will dedicate myself 24 hours a day to making this the country that everyone dreams of.”

Lula and his wife celebrate with cake

A video published by his campaign shows Lula celebrating with first lady Rosângela da Silva and allies after his runoff victory was confirmed by Brazil’s electoral court. Wearing star-shaped red glasses, he kissed his wife as a small cake appeared on a table. Lula will turn 81 on Tuesday.

Meanwhile hundreds of his supporters are arriving on Paulista Avenue, São Paulo’s main artery, to kick off celebrations into the night. Some supporters of Flávio Bolsonaro are nearby, which caused police to go to the region.

In Copacabana, two bars facing each other on a busy road filled with supporters of the opposing candidates watching the results.

As it became apparent the night was going in Lula’s favor, Bolsonaro supporters paid the bill and left the bar shaking their heads, as cries of “Olé olé olé ola Lula” rang out and supporters of the incumbent shouted and jumped around in joy.

Rodrigo Valentim, a 51-year-old businessman, said another Lula government would harm the economy.

“I don’t understand how people can vote for Lula,” he said. “The country is collapsing.”

A few meters away, Raquel Costa, who owns a small business, said she felt relief at Lula’s victory.

“Winning always feels good, but this isn’t about winning just for winning. This is about increased social justice, about how we look at ourselves and at the future,” she said.

Lula wins fourth term, electoral court says

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was reelected Sunday in a result that provides relief to critics of U.S. President Donald Trump and keeps some distance between Latin America’s biggest economy and Washington.

With 100% of the vote counted, Brazil’s electoral court said the soon to be 81-year-old Lula held an unassailable lead. The announcement capped an evening of chaos at polling places across Brazil, following a last-minute decision to extend voting by two hours. That decision by a Supreme Court justice may trigger legal action by opponent Flávio Bolsonaro.

His triumph bucks a trend in Latin America where increasing numbers of right-of-center presidental candidates allied with Trump have been winning, further extending the United States’ influence in the region. Lula’s victory leaves Mexico and Brazil, Latin America’s two most populous nations, with left-of-center leaders. It also positions Latin America’s largest economy, with a GDP of $2.6 trillion per year, to remain independent of the U.S., despite the pressure of increased tariffs imposed by Trump.

Brazil resumes tallying votes after last-minute extension of polling station hours

Brazilian Supreme Court Cristiano Zanin ruled shortly after the polls closed that voters nationwide would have another two hours to cast their ballots — at the request of both candidates.

Confusion reigned at many polling stations. Some had already shut down when the decision — made three minutes before poll close time — was relayed to them several minutes after they’d already shut down, and results were paused until the end of the two-hour window.

In Brasilia, volunteers who oversaw the vote count at a school debated whether they needed to stay after the announcement to extend voting, but most left 15 to 20 minutes after polls closed and they had given count information to electoral authorities. At a polling station in Rio de Janeiro, the voting machines had already been switched off minutes after polls were set to close and couldn’t be turned back on.

Eduardo Bolsonaro, brother of Flávio, greets supporters in Miami

Eduardo Bolsonaro, presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro’s brother and a 42-year-old former lawmaker, spoke to supporters at a polling station in Miami, Florida.

“What we really need is freedom,” Eduardo Bolsonaro said, as he called for judicial reform. “Most of the people here are coming to vote to free Jair Bolsonaro ... we need to reform the judiciary, we need to free the political prisoners.”

Eduardo Bolsonaro was sentenced for lobbying to impose sanctions against members of the Brazilian government and implement higher tariffs on the country’s exports during the trial of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, for a coup attempt.

It is unclear whether Eduardo Bolsonaro cast a ballot. Pre-trial detainees can vote in elections, but those convicted with a final sentence cannot as their political rights are suspended.

Eduardo Bolsonaro’s trial has been finalized and earlier this month, Moraes issued a warrant for his arrest. Eduardo Bolsonaro has lived in the U.S. since 2025 and experts say it is unlikely he will be extradited.

Both candidates seek to extend voting hours after problems with buses

With minutes to go before poll closing time, both presidential candidates are asking Brazil’s electoral court to extend voting hours in some cities. The request from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva came after issues in nine states with buses that provide transportation to polls. Flávio Bolsonaro’s is due to heavy rains in the nation’s south. Polls were expected to close nationwide at 5 p.m.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Kássio Nunes, who also heads the country’s electoral court, told journalists in capital Brasilia that some cities are indeed experiencing bus shortages, but did not answer whether the voting hours will be extended. He did not address Bolsonaro’s request in his comments.

Trump says he’s watching the Brazilian election

While leaving the White House on Sunday, President Donald Trump declined to endorse anyone in Brazil’s presidential election. “I don’t want to get into that,” he told reporters.

But the president added that his administration was tracking the race. “We are watching,” Trump said.

What newspapers in Brazil are saying

Brazilian newspapers are stressing that Sunday’s runoff between Lula and Bolsonaro will be a nail-biter, though Bolsonaro’s campaign is more optimistic after recent polls.

Folha de S.Paulo cited an analysis by its own pollster to say the election result is still open, but Lula will have to see his voters increase turnout to close the 2.2 million-vote gap between the two in the first round.

Rio de Janeiro-based O Globo, owned by Brazil’s biggest media company, reported that Bolsonaro, who was handpicked by his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, overcame initial fears in the right-wing camp that he would not be a competitive candidate because of recent corruption investigations involving him.

How the regions split votes

Brazil was sharply divided across its five main regions in the first round of the presidential election.

Flávio Bolsonaro won in three of the country’s five regions, but Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took the second most populous by wide margins. Bolsonaro won in the populous and rich Southeast, where Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states lie. They will be the key battlegrounds in Sunday's runoff.

Bolsonaro, 45, carried the agribusiness hub of the country’s Center-West and easily won in the South, which borders Uruguay and Argentina. Lula erased much of Bolsonaro’s gains by winning in the Northeast and also triumphed in the North, the region that includes the Amazon rainforest.

Lula voters cite his history of supporting marginalized Brazilians

Luzia da Souza, who runs a bar in a middle-class neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, is a longtime supporter of incumbent Lula and identified herself as "a Black woman from the periphery.”

“Black people’s lives greatly improved during Lula’s terms,” she said, and blamed Congress — which is largely right-wing — for the slow pace of reform.

“A president doesn’t govern on his own,” da Souza said. “But Lula is a man of the people and he knows what it’s like to be poor. I find it impossible not to vote for him.”

Anderson Falcão, a 43-year-old journalist in Brasilia who sported a red shirt in support of Lula, said he worried about Bolsonaro’s long-term political vision, which he called “exclusionary.”

“It’s a project that harms the less fortunate, harms the worker, women, the forest, the Amazon,” he said.

Social media play outsized role

Brazil’s left was caught off guard when Flávio Bolsonaro bested incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by over 2 million votes in Brazil’s first-round election.

Since then, it has made a clear bet on an unprecedented wave of digital activism and street protests to support Lula. The shift signals a turning point for the left, which has historically struggled to counter the far-right’s dominant online presence and savvy digital strategy.

Between the campaign’s launch on Aug. 16 and up to the first round, Lula and Bolsonaro had more or less the same number of interactions, according to data analytics company Bites. But since the beginning of the second round, the incumbent’s profiles received around 111 million interactions against Bolsonaro’s 31 million, it said.

Lula casts his ballot, thanks supporters

Lula voted in the city of Sao Bernardo do Campo, where he began his political career as a union leader in the 1960s.

“I am thankful to the Brazilian people. What people did to me in recent days is something I cannot repay,” he said before casting his vote and holding Brazil’s flag in front of the cameras.

He said he was still emotional about Saturday’s demonstration of support from voters in São Paulo. “I don’t think Paulista Avenue had so many people in any political event.”

“It is a lot of generosity, a lot of care, a lot of love. I will be forever grateful,” Lula said.

First lady Rosângela da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and other allies accompanied Lula to the polling station.

Mandated voting doesn’t mean everyone votes

Voting is mandatory for literate Brazilians aged 18 to 70. But that has never been a real consideration for nonvoters, who must either submit a formal justification online or at a polling station, or pay a small fine of less than $1.

More than 33 million people did not vote in the first round of the elections on Oct. 4. Some of those were hospitalized, living overseas or working outside their voting areas. And others just chose not to.

Unexcused absences in three consecutive elections freeze tax IDs, block nonvoters from applying to state jobs, hinders loans from state banks, and delays the issuance of passports. For those who don’t want to choose a candidate even when they show up, they can cast blank or null votes.

Some Bolsonaro voters evoke desire for change

Fabianne Borges Santoro, a 45-year-old physiotherapist who lives in the neighborhood where Bolsonaro voted, said she voted for change.

“The Workers’ Party has been in power for a long time and the voice of the people is saying that we need change to see improvements in security and the cost of living,” she said, wearing a top featuring Brazil’s national colors, yellow and green. “Things are really expensive and taxes are too high.”

Santoro said she once voted for Lula’s party but now associates it with corruption, particularly after the so-called Operation Car Wash that started in 2014, when the Workers’ Party was in power and entangled dozens of politicians.

Roulen Azeredo, a 76-year-old army reservist, said he had always voted right. He also echoed the desire for a shift in the country’s direction.

“The current government did nothing,” said Azeredo, who hopes Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup, will be freed if the former president’s eldest son wins. “His imprisonment is a disgrace.”

Bolsonaro casts his ballot, calls for change

Presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro voted at a local school in Rio de Janeiro just after 8 a.m., accompanied by his wife, Fernanda Bolsonaro. Wearing a light yellow shirt, he smiled and waved to supporters waiting to see him in the rain.

“The time of real change has arrived,” Bolsonaro told journalists. “Brazil can’t go on another four years on its current trajectory.”

As Bolsonaro voted, supporters of the opposition candidate shouted “Lula, thief, your place is in prison,” while fans of the incumbent responded with clapping and the chant “Olé olé olé ola, Lula!” The two anthems are common in demonstrations.

Electronic voting means speedy results

In Brazil, voting is fully electronic — meaning votes are counted much more quickly than in some other countries.

Polls opened at 8 a.m. and will close at 5 p.m. Brasilia time (2000 GMT) in most of the country.

On the ballot: the presidential face-off between Lula and Bolsonaro and six gubernatorial races. Votes are tallied quickly because each ballot box calculates results locally and prints a paper summary. The encrypted data is transmitted via secure networks to the nation’s top electoral court in capital Brasilia, which aggregates and publishes the counts within hours.

The system has been in place since the 1990s with few questioning its efficiency. One of its critics is former President Bolsonaro.

The 42-year-old left the pocket on third-and-6 and picked up 8 yards before being tackled just before the two-minute warning to help Pittsburgh seal a 16-10 victory in the NFL’s first regular-season game in France.

“Sometimes you’ve got to suck it up and make a play for your guys,” Rodgers said. “I think because I am so much less athletic than I used to be, it actually fires up the guys even more.”

Rodgers threw a touchdown pass — the 540th of his career, moving past Peyton Manning for third in NFL history — and Chris Boswell kicked three field goals at Stade de France.

Jaylen Warren rushed for 101 yards on 18 carries and Rodgers completed 19 of 30 passes for 212 yards as the Steelers (5-2) won their third straight game.

Linebacker Payton Wilson had a red-zone interception of Tyler Shough in the third quarter and the Saints (2-5) couldn’t recover. New Orleans rushed for just 18 yards.

With the Saints threatening on their opening drive of the second half, Wilson stepped in front of a short pass intended for Chris Olave. The Steelers got in field-goal position and Boswell was good from 39 yards for a 16-10 lead.

“That’s honestly just a credit to our coaches and what we do every day in practice,” Wilson said. “I’ve repped that play, no lie, more than 20 times now. Just gambling a little bit and undercutting it.”

Seated side by side at the postgame news conference, Rodgers added: “Did it help that you picked me off in practice on this very similar play this week?”

Patrick Queen sacked Shough on third down to stall a New Orleans drive with under seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Shough completed 30 of 38 passes for 278 yards, one touchdown and the interception.

Just before halftime, Rodgers was sacked by Carl Granderson on third down, and with 15 seconds left and no timeouts, the Steelers offense ran to the sideline. Boswell sprinted on and kicked a 47-yard field goal to give Pittsburgh a 13-10 lead at the half.

Rodgers’ 4-yard touchdown pass to 6-foot-7, 265-pound tight end Darnell Washington — with 5-foot-11 cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry in coverage — put the Steelers up 10-3.

Earlier on the drive, Rodgers moved in the pocket and found DK Metcalf for a 51-yard completion to the New Orleans 4. NFL France called it “quel caviar d’Aaron Rodgers.”

The Saints then tied it at 10-10 on Shough’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Devaughn Vele on fourth-and-goal from the 1.

Saints kicker Daniel Carlson missed a 52-yard field-goal attempt in the fourth quarter.

“When you have a day like today, 17 runs for 18 yards, it’s going to be hard to win football games doing that,” coach Kellen Moore said.

Shough said with such limited rushing success, “they know what’s coming in certain situations and they’re a good defense.”

Attendance was 78,488 and several players and coaches noted the good atmosphere.

Rodgers called the rendition of the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, “gorgeous.”

The Steelers quarterback did note, however, that it was sometimes confusing looking for the play-clock number among many other numbers on the stadium's scoreboard.

The atmosphere this week in Paris was tense following rioting and looting a week earlier during protests across the country over school funding and soaring living costs. Fans strolling Paris streets saw boarded-up storefronts and a heavy police presence ahead of more protests held Saturday.

Steelers coach Mike McCarthy said players and their families and friends “really enjoyed” Friday — when the team arrived — but stayed close to the hotel Saturday when more protests took place.

Injuries

Steelers: S DeShon Elliott was active for the first time in a year after returning from a knee injury.

Saints: CB Kool-Aid McKinstry was cleared to return after a concussion evaluation in the first half. ... RB CJ Donaldson left in the first half and was later ruled out. ... S Justin Reid was ruled out of the game early in the second half. ... Rookie Jeremiah Wright started in place of right guard Cesar Ruiz (knee).

Up next

Steelers: Host the Cleveland Browns before a bye in Week 9.

Saints: Bye week.

___

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Trump called El-Sayed, a former Detroit health official, a “jihadist” who was “on the side of the terrorists” and would “have to go through a metal detector before he’s allowed to go into the Senate.” He also repeatedly invoked the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, drawing a comparison between stopping El-Sayed from entering the Senate chamber and the passengers who fought back against the hijackers aboard United Flight 93.

El-Sayed, who would become the nation’s first Muslim senator if elected, has called attacks on his loyalty to the country “shameful” and repeatedly denied any ties to extremist groups. The Republican president's remarks were condemned by Bishara Bahbah, a founder of Arab Americans for Trump, the group that helped lead the president’s outreach to Arab American voters in 2024.

“The president’s statements are out of line," he said in a phone interview. "They are crossing a red line. They are racist.”

With Republicans on the defensive over inflation, soaring fuel prices and the Iran war, the president has been trying to generate turnout by claiming that El-Sayed and other Democrats are existential threats to America, instead of electoral rivals. Michigan’s Senate race between El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers is among a handful of contests that could determine control of the chamber.

Trump made his remarks in Port Huron, a Canadian border city about an hour north of Detroit and near communities where he made significant gains among Arab American voters in 2024. He became the first Republican presidential candidate since 2000 to win Dearborn, a city with one of the nation’s largest concentrations of Arab Americans.

Trump, who imposed a travel ban targeting several predominantly Muslim countries during his first term, has increasingly leaned into anti-Muslim rhetoric as Election Day approaches. He also attacked Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota at Sunday’s rally, where he declared that he had come to Michigan “to keep a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States senator.”

Responding to Trump, who also regularly mocks his name, El-Sayed told supporters at a rally in Grand Rapids later Sunday that he doesn't care how Trump pronounces or misrepresents it.

“I don’t even care that he remembers my whole name because he can just go on and call me ‘senator’ after November,” El-Sayed said, drawing cheers. "I will be Senator Muhammad to you, bro.”

El-Sayed’s faith, associations and past statements become campaign flashpoints

Central to Republicans’ strategy against El-Sayed in the final weeks of the campaign has been an effort to link him to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic movement with branches that the U.S. government has designated as terrorist organizations.

There is no evidence that El-Sayed has any affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood. His half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, wrote on social media in 2012 that “my family has long been MB” and described a conversation with her mother about her involvement in the Muslim Brotherhood in the early 1970s.

El-Sayed was born in the United States to Egyptian immigrant parents who divorced when he was young. He was raised by his father, not his biological mother.

Trump on Sunday also targeted El-Sayed’s ties to popular streamer Hasan Piker, who appeared alongside the Democrat multiple times during the primary campaign, including at his election night event.

Piker in the past has said that “Hamas is a thousand times better” than Israel, describing some Orthodox Jews as “inbred” and that “America deserved 9/11.”

El-Sayed has faced criticism for his own rhetoric. He has repeatedly refused to answer questions about whether Iran or Israel poses a bigger threat to the country. Earlier this year, he said “hurt people hurt people” after an attack on a synagogue in the Detroit area. The attacker had lost four relatives in an Israeli airstrike on Lebanon the week earlier. El-Sayed later apologized, saying he was not trying to justify what happened.

“To anyone who feels like my comments might have been hurtful, I’m really sorry,” he said. “That was not my intention.”

Founder of Arab Americans for Trump calls the president ‘racist’

Bahbah, whose organization has since changed its name to Arab Americans for Peace, said Trump’s remarks were unacceptable to Arab and Muslim communities, including Christian Arabs.

“The remarks are out of line and crazy. I mean, no sane individual would say these things," Bahbah said.

Dearborn helped Trump win Michigan in 2024 after many voters in the city were outraged by the Biden administration's handling of the war in Gaza.

“The president of the United States saying that about a person because of his religion, that is just not acceptable,” said Bahbah. “And people are going to remember that on Nov. 3.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, speaking at the Grand Rapids rally, said Trump and his allies were using Islamophobia because they have “nothing to say” about the issues most important to working people, such as health care, housing and income inequality.

“All they can do is foment hatred and divisiveness,” Sanders said.

The campaign has been one of the most contentious this year

Rogers and El-Sayed have been locked in a bitter race to fill the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.

During their second and final general election campaign debate, Rogers questioned El-Sayed's loyalty to the United States.

“Are you for America, or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?” Rogers asked.

El-Sayed said that questioning was “shameful.”

“I’m proud of our Constitution that guarantees all of us the right to pray as we choose to pray,” he said.

Speaking before Trump’s appearance Sunday, Rogers repeated his allegations linking El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood.

“The Muslim Brotherhood celebrated exactly one victory in the United States in the primary this year,” Rogers said on stage. “Abdul El-Sayed's.”

Rally doesn't deliver a new economic handout, but gets boost from Minaj

Trump has routinely announced new investments in factories at his campaign rallies, but he did not do so as part of his speech in Michigan, a state defined by the auto industry.

The president instead repeated investments already being made by domestic automakers. Those automakers could see their finances slump if the president expands his trade war with Canada, which has been an essential partner for the U.S. automotive sector.

While it lacked a fresh promise for Michigan's economy, Trump's rally did deliver a bit of star power.

Rapper Nicki Minaj appeared on stage and urged people to get out and vote for the state's Republican ticket. Her appearance followed an awkward moment from Trump, who has increasingly been fixated on commenting about other people's body parts.

After praising the body of Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, a Republican in a close election contest, Trump turned his eye toward Minaj and commented on her posterior.

The president then signaled for Minaj to stand for the crowd and she did, after which Trump said, “I hope Nicki wasn’t insulted, but we love Nicki. She’s been with us for a long time.”

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Cappelletti reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.

Which made his performance Sunday even more remarkable.

In a game the Falcons desperately needed to win, Daniels came through with a team-high 11 tackles, made a crucial interception in the fourth quarter and, for good measure, recovered a fumble that finished off a 29-20 win over the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers.

“I'm really proud of that kid,” said coach Kevin Stefanski, who rewarded the 23-year-old linebacker with a game ball.

Once he left the hospital and was cleared physically, Daniels faced the inevitable mental challenge of getting back on the field without any lingering doubts or fears holding him back. He knew that his facemask-on-knee collision with Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland could have turned out much worse.

“I've never not walked off the field after an injury,” Daniels said. “So mentally, I had to be prepared. Going back home, I had to make sure I was OK mentally, more than anything, and not playing timid.”

No one would accuse him of timidity against Brock Purdy and the Niners.

Daniels turned up everywhere, making the sort of big plays the Falcons (3-4) needed to pick up their first home win of the season. Especially in the final quarter, when the fourth-round draft pick looked like a budding star with Atlanta clinging to a 26-20 lead.

On third-and-9 from just shy of midfield, Purdy attempted a pass over the middle. Daniels read it all the way, leaping high to deflect the ball into his own hands. With the pick secured, he took off the other way for a 29-yard return that set up Nick Folk's field goal with 1:56 remaining.

“I had missed one earlier in the game,” Daniels said. “I just knew I needed to make a play for my team.”

Daniels wasn't done, either.

The 49ers tried to race down the field for a touchdown or field goal that would've at least given them a shot at an onside kick. But Jessie Bates jarred the ball loose from George Kittle after a long completion, and Daniels, hustling all the way, fell on the fumble at the Falcons 20 with 47 seconds to go.

Bring on the victory formation.

Teammate Maason Smith marveled at how far Daniels had come in the past week.

“I can remember on Monday, he could barely turn his neck to either side,” Smith said. “To see him go through all that, then come back on the following Sunday and have a hell of a game is great to see. I hope to see more of it.”

Daniels conceded that he was still thinking about the injury when he came out for the warmups at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a player alone with his thoughts after a harrowing ordeal.

“I wasn’t scared, but I definitely thought about it,” Daniels said. “I haven’t been in full pads all week. What if I’m not OK? But once I got my first tackle in pregame, I was good.”

He wouldn't get any argument from the 49ers, who lost for the first time this season largely because of four turnovers.

The Falcons can only hope their young linebacker's inspiring recovery signals a long-term turnaround for a long-suffering franchise.

Daniels is certainly looking forward. When fellow rookie linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. was slapping him on the back of his helmet in celebration as the final seconds ticked way, leaving the field the previous Sunday on a stretcher was long forgotten.

“That was the last thing I was worried about,” Daniels said with a grin.

___

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Jake Bates made a 22-yard field goal as time expired to give Detroit a 20-17 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Campbell, who is known for taking risks, seemed to make a reckless decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 from his 24 with just under 5 minutes to play and Jahmyr Gibbs was stopped for no gain.

“I thought we would get it, No. 1," Campbell said. “No. 2, I knew we would get the ball back if it didn’t work out.”

One play after Jordan Love put a pass on Josh Jacobs’ hands for an incompletion that landed in in the end zone, rookie Trey Smack missed a 35-yard field goal after D.J. Wonnum got a finger on the football.

Smack was wide right from 26 in the first half and became the first kicker to miss two field goals from 35 yards or closer in same game since 2019, according to Sportradar.

“We had some premier field position and we just didn't take advantage,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “We missed two field goals, but we know Trey is capable of making those.”

With a chance to drive for a winning score, Goff connected with Sam LaPorta on an 18 -yard pass and Karl Brooks was called for a late hit on the quarterback gave Detroit the ball at the Green Bay 45.

Gibbs had a 15-yard run and Brooks was called for being offside on third-and-5, giving Detroit a first down at the Packers 15.

Gibbs could have run for a touchdown twice because Green Bay didn’t want to tackle him, hoping to get the ball back. The running back wisely went down each time, the latter allowing Bates’ winning kick to come on the final play.

“That was as good as it gets at clock management,” Goff said.

The Lions (4-2) have won two straight for the first time this season, putting them in third place in the NFC North behind Minnesota (6-0) and Chicago (5-2).

Detroit hosts the undefeated Vikings on Sunday.

“Any division game is important,” said safety Brian Branch, who had a fourth-quarter interception in his first game since tearing his left Achilles tendon last December. “We need these. They're mini-playoff games.”

The Packers (4-3) had a three-game winning streak stopped and dropped to last place in the highly competitive NFC North. All four teams have winning records, matching the AFC North.

The Lions entered the game with only one turnover and lost two fumbles that took away chances for them to add to three-point leads late in the first half and early in the third quarter. The second turnover set up Love's 25-yard touchdown pass to Jacobs for a 14-10 Green Bay lead.

Detroit retook the lead on the ensuing drive on Goff's 10-yard scoring pass to Williams, who had two TD receptions for a second straight week.

The Lions missed another opportunity to add to a three-point lead when Campbell went for it on fourth-and-5 from the Green Bay 6 late in the third and Goff threw incomplete.

LaFleur passed on a field goal while trailing by three in the second quarter, and Love's pass to Matthew Golden was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-4 from the Detroit 7. But Smack had already missed from 26 by then.

Jacobs' return

Jacobs made his season debut less than a week after the three-time Pro Bowl running back was removed from the commissioner’s exempt list for pleading no contest to two misdemeanor charges stemming from a May altercation with his then-girlfriend. He had five receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown and 11 carries for 36 yards.

Flag day

Penalties gave Detroit five first downs, the most for the Lions since 2020.

“I’m not a fan of the refs right now,” Green Bay safety Xavier McKinney said in an expletive-filled response to questions about the officials.

LaFleur was more diplomatic.

“I could tell you what I really think, but it wouldn't do us any good,” he said.

Injuries

Packers: Starting C Sean Rhyan (ankle) and backup Jacob Monk (quad) were injured, putting second-year lineman John Williams in the game to snap for his first career appearance on offense. LaFleur said he would not expect Rhyan on Monk to play on Thursday night against Carolina.

Lions: C Cade Mays made his Detroit debut after signing as a free agent in the offseason. He injured a wrist in training camp. ... Oft-injured CB Ennis Rakestraw (ankle) was hurt during the game.

Up next

Packers: Host the Panthers on Thursday night.

Lions: Host the Vikings on Sunday.

___

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

With more showers and thunderstorms moving through, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for much of the Four Corners region — the meeting point of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. The area has experienced unusually heavy rain since Wednesday that caused rivers to surge, flooding homes and forcing water rescues.

“The soils are very saturated right now, so it’s not going to take much rain for at least the small creeks and streams to overflow,” said Kris Sanders, a meteorologist at the weather service office in Grand Junction, Colorado.

A tornado touched down in Santa Fe, New Mexico, around 7 p.m. Saturday, and forecasters were trying to confirm whether twisters also struck elsewhere in the state, said meteorologist Scott Overpeck with the weather service office in Albuquerque. He did not have damage estimates.

Michelle Vialpando spotted a tornado from her patio in the Aldea de Santa Fe neighborhood, facing north towards Los Alamos. She had just gotten home from work and stepped outside to look at what she called “crazy” storm clouds when she noticed the twister.

“I was pretty surprised at what I was seeing and just started snapping photos,” Vialpando wrote Sunday via Facebook. “I was literally in shock. I’ve lived in Santa Fe my entire life and have never seen anything like that before.”

Many remain evacuated and hundreds are without power in the Farmington area

In the Farmington area of New Mexico, local officials said swollen rivers were receding but that many people remained evacuated and hundreds were without power.

San Juan County, New Mexico, did not have official figures on the number of homes damaged or how many people were evacuated, but officials were not aware of any deaths, spokesperson Devin Neeley told The Associated Press.

“It’s a pretty active disaster zone,” he said.

About 4 feet (1.2 meters) of water flooded the home of county Sheriff Shane Ferrari. He said the area’s situation was stable Sunday, but he and other residents were trying to clean up.

Floodwaters could be contaminated with chemicals and raw sewage, officials warn

Officials in the hard-hit county urged patience and caution Sunday. Water could be contaminated with chemicals and raw sewage, and gas and propane lines could be broken, among other hazards.

“The public is anxious to get back in,” San Juan County Fire & Rescue Chief David Vega acknowledged at a news conference. “But I want the public to know there are still hazards out there.”

Undersheriff Cory Tanner said officials were going from house to house to check for hazards — a process that could take days to complete.

Zach and Abigail Flatt started putting together go-bags after receiving evacuation orders on their phones Thursday evening. Their home in Bloomfield, New Mexico, sits on the San Juan River, and Zach drove along the banks watching the water rise at an alarming rate.

“In 30 or 40 minutes it had jumped about four feet,” Zach recalled Sunday. “After I saw that big jump, and how close it was to going over the banks, I said we've got to get out.”

By the time the family was loaded into the car, water was coming up over the tires. They found a hotel room with their two children, ages 2 and 4, and watched via webcams as at least 18 inches (.45 meters) of water inundated their property, washing away 22 of their 24 chickens.

“We watched stuff just float away, off the porch into the front yard,” Zach said.

Authorities are still assessing damage in the Navajo Nation and in a Colorado county

In the Shiprock, New Mexico, area of the Navajo Nation, wastewater facilities and water holding ponds were damaged by flooding, causing sewage releases into the San Juan River, according to Navajo Tribal Utility Authority Shiprock District Manager Wilfred Franklin Jr. Officials didn't know Sunday how much sewage made it into the river.

New Mexico's congressional delegation on Sunday urged President Donald Trump to declare an emergency for the state to release federal assistance funding.

In Colorado, teams were doing welfare checks and aerial scanning to understand the extent of the destruction from flooding in Archuleta County. It was still unknown how much damage was caused, but the sheriff, Mike Le Roux, called it catastrophic. As of Sunday evening, there were no reports of injuries or loss of life, said Vicki Shaffer, a spokesperson with the Colorado incident management team.

The flooding is just the latest from two months of on-and-off heavy rain in the region caused by tropical moisture coming ashore from the Pacific. After months of drought, other recent deadly flooding struck the Grand Canyon and other areas of New Mexico.

Forecasters said El Niño, the natural and temporary warming of parts of the Pacific, was likely to blame for the latest storm's unusually heavy rainfall.

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Associated Press writers Anna Wilder in Austin, Texas, and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed.

Peralta is finally in the Fall Classic. So are the Brewers. Just on opposite sides.

Even in a different uniform, Peralta has received cheers from the Milwaukee crowds as his Tampa Bay Rays try to prevent the Brewers from winning their first World Series title. Peralta will be Tampa Bay’s starting pitcher in Game 3 on Monday in St. Petersburg, Florida. Milwaukee leads the Series 2-0.

“It is a little weird,” Peralta said Saturday. “I’ve been trying to focus on what I have to focus because even when I came out yesterday for practice, all the people, all the fans here (were) showing me some love, screaming my name. Also, when I went to the bullpen last night, they were telling me, ‘We still love you.’ It’s amazing.”

Perhaps this strange situation is the most fitting way for Peralta’s roller-coaster season to conclude.

Peralta went 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA for the New York Mets before going to Tampa Bay at the trade deadline. Just over two months later, he was voted the MVP of the AL Championship Series.

Tampa Bay has won each of Peralta’s last nine starts. He has posted a major league-leading 0.90 ERA during that stretch. Peralta has allowed two runs over 16 2/3 innings this postseason.

“I feel like he’s kind of come back to being Freddy Peralta with us,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

Shining with the Rays after struggling with the Mets

Peralta went 70-42 with a 3.59 ERA for the Brewers from 2018-25, making two All-Star teams. He had only one year remaining on his contract when the Brewers traded him in January for pitcher Brandon Sproat and infielder Jett Williams.

As the Mets struggled this season, Peralta endured one of the worst stretches of his career. He allowed seven runs over 5 1/3 innings in an 8-3 loss at Milwaukee on July 20 that caused his ERA to rise to 5.01.

“We knew when he faced us (with) the Mets, that wasn’t him,” Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff said. “I could see it visually. I’d seen him throw about every pitch in the big leagues up until this year.”

Peralta was asked Saturday what went wrong in New York.

“Sometimes I ask the same question myself,” Peralta replied. “I don’t try to make excuses and all that. The good thing, I was feeling really good physically. I was trying to give the best of myself as always, and I prepared how I should be preparing. But I don’t know. For some reason, things weren’t going my way.”

Peralta would make one more appearance for the Mets before they sent him to Tampa Bay for a package of prospects including outfielder Aidan Smith, infielder Émilien Pitre and pitcher Gary Gill Hill.

Winning friends in the clubhouse

Cash said he got a call shortly after the trade from San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames, who started his career at Tampa Bay before playing alongside Peralta in Milwaukee from 2021-24.

Adames’ message to Cash was that the Rays were getting one of the best guys in baseball. Sure enough, Peralta made an instant impact in the locker room.

“An extreme vibes guy,” Rays shortstop Taylor Walls said. “He’s always smiling. I’ve never seen him not smile. From the time he steps foot in the clubhouse to the time he leaves, he’s always working. He’s on the first bus in and the last bus out.”

The Brewers feel the same way about him. Milwaukee reliever Aaron Ashby called Peralta “one of the best teammates you can have.”

“He was a huge part in our organization’s success, and everyone over there in our clubhouse loves that dude,” Ashby said.

Peralta’s turnaround with Tampa Bay wasn’t immediate.

He allowed 17 runs over 21 1/3 innings in his first four appearances with the Rays as his ERA climbed to 5.11. But he caught fire from there and ended up going 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 regular-season starts with Tampa Bay.

Cash credits Peralta for communicating what he needed to do to get better and going out and doing it. As his fastball velocity improved, so did his results.

“He’s in his element, man,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “That’s ‘Fastball Freddy.’ Changeup’s been great, a pitch that he really worked on here and got better.”

Peralta wants to give the Rays their first World Series title, even at his former team’s expense. Peralta didn’t pitch in the first two games in Milwaukee because Cash wanted to save him for Tropicana Field, where the right-hander has sparkled in three playoff starts.

“I know how special it is to pitch on this mound here in Milwaukee,” Peralta said. “I would like to pitch here during the postseason.”

If the World Series extends to six or seven games, he might get that chance.

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

“Hey, thanks, guys. I didn’t know Quinn threw a knuckleball,” the Brewers manager said Sunday after the plane encountered a little turbulence.

GJ Priester, an uncle of Brewers pitcher Quinn Priester, was captain of the flight on a United Airlines Boeing 737. Alex Priester, a cousin of the right-hander, was first officer.

“Our flight was smooth as heck all flight and right when we came in, it really got a little knuckleballish,” Murphy said, holding his right hand out and shaking it like a bouncing plane.

Murphy said the Brewers had five charter flights to bring all the family members and employees to the games at Tropicana Field. The Brewers held a 2-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays going into Game 3 of the best-of-seven series on Monday.

“The landing was a little rough,” Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby said light-heartedly. “Certainly a cool thing. I guess we’re in good hands.”

GJ Priester was hired by United Airlines in 1995 and is a member of the family that founded Priester Aviation, which arranges charter flights.

Dwight Schmidt, father of New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt, piloted the team’s family charter flights during the 2024 World Series.

Quinn Priester has not pitched for the Brewers since last year's NL Championship Series. The 26-year-old started the season on the injured list because of right thoracic outlet syndrome and made eight minor league injury rehabilitation appearances from April 22 through June 8.

He had season-ending surgery on June 22 with Dr. Gregory Pearl, who removed a rib to create space around nerves.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

“I screwed up,” he said. “I felt like, ‘Man, another one I just gave away.’ And I probably never am going to have an opportunity to win a speedway race that easily with so many allies around me. And so I was just mad.”

About 30 seconds later, he was jubilant after picking the perfect time to make some perfect moves for his first victory at the 2.66-mile oval that has been among his worst in the NASCAR Cup Series.

“All of a sudden, everything just opened up,” he said. “An unbelievable way to get my first speedway win. It all just worked out.”

Desperate for a rebound after his worst finish of the Chase, the defending series champion expanded his points lead by a wide margin with a breathtaking rally from 11th to first through the last two corners of the final lap.

Larson took the white flag in the lead but lost 10 spots in the first two turns after being unable to handle several bumps by the No. 33 Chevy Austin Hill, who was trying to push him to the win.

“Just crazy to get the win after falling back as far as we did,” said Larson, who benefited from a drafting push by the No. 1 Chevy of Ross Chastain (who took fourth). "I went left, and everybody was just staying high.”

In a three-wide finish, Larson took the checkered flag by a few feet over Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, who spent much of the race pushing Larson to the front. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished 0.066 seconds behind in third place.

“It’s good that Kyle won,” Byron said. “We worked really well together all day. If I couldn’t win, I wanted him to win.”

Larson credited the drafting help from Byron and several other Chevy drivers who kept him near the front.

“I felt like the rest of the Chevys were going to go wherever I went,” Larson said. “I could kind of carve the way, and they would follow, and that just gives you a lot of confidence.”

His faith in a title repeat was also restored.

With his third victory in the past seven races, Larson moved 73 points ahead of Denny Hamlin in the Chase standings with two races remaining.

There are 76 maximum points available for a race win, so it’s possible that Larson could clinch his third championship with a win Nov. 1 at Martinsville Speedway. After leading by only five points entering the race, Larson gleefully blurted out a vulgarity when he saw the postrace standings that had Hamlin virtually conceding defeat.

“They’ve done a lot of things right, and a lot of things have really gone right, and we’ve not done that,” Hamlin said. “And so we’ve got a big old gap, and I think as long as (Larson) can keep his four tires on it the next two weeks, then he’ll be a champion again."

Larson drove like a champion Sunday as he rarely has at the Cup circuit’s three drafting tracks where drivers run inches apart at 200 mph.

Prior to his 35th career victory, Larson had a series-worst average finish of 30.6 at Talladega, Daytona and Atlanta, and hadn’t won on any of the tracks in 58 prior starts (the longest superspeedway drought among active drivers).

But he led 21 laps and engineered two impressive comebacks, the first starting with 15 laps remaining after he dropped from the lead to 21st in four laps.

He had made his way back to second with six laps remaining when a 15-car crash erupted. The race went into overtime after a 13-minute cleanup for a pileup that included Chase driver Joey Logano’s Ford landing on its roof.

While Larson made nearly all the right moves in the finicky draft where a split-second mistake can a large pileup, other title contenders made some costly errors over the course of 500 miles.

A 12-car crash on the 132nd lap collected five Chase drivers, effectively ending the championship hopes for Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick.

“Just a bumper car-type thing,” said Blaney, who lost control of his No. 12 Ford on a bump from Bubba Wallace after swinging into the top lane. “Ended up crashing and took a lot of others. Maybe it wasn’t the best move by me. I have to think about it more.

“This one hurts. We needed to have a good day.”

Christopher Bell, who entered just five points behind Larson, crashed after spinning while entering the pits under green for his first pit stop on Lap 56. He finished 35th and dropped to third in the standings. 74 points behind Larson.

Snookering the field

The Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing trio of Chris Buescher, Ryan Preece and Brad Keselowski swept the top three spots in the first stage with a unique strategy that had the rest of the field nearly a lap down at one point.

With many drivers conserving fuel to shorten their first green-flag pit stop, Buescher, Preece and Keselowski broke from the pack with laps that were 10 seconds faster. They had a lead of more than 40 seconds and easily stayed more than half a lap ahead of the field through the end of the stage on the 98th lap.

“A great game of poker where we just called the field,” Keselowski radioed his team. “I love it.”

Up next

The NASCAR Cup Series will head to its final short track of the season with Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 1. Chase Elliott outdueled Denny Hamlin for the victory earlier this season.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

In a back-and-forth showdown between storied programs, Duke escaped the Phog with a 74-70 overtime victory.

The Jayhawks got the last laugh, though: They avenged the defeat six weeks later, down the road in Kansas City, Missouri, when they beat Duke in the Final Four. The team known as “Danny and the Miracles” went on to beat Oklahoma for the championship.

That explains how rare on-campus games are between two of college basketball’s true blue bloods. Preseason second-ranked Duke and No. 17 Kansas have met only 16 times, and that game 38 years ago remains the only game in Lawrence — until Sunday, when the Blue Devils edged the Jayhawks 90-84 in the latest in a wave of high-profile matchups important on the court and off it.

“This is a special thing, you know, the fact that our two programs haven’t played here,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “Nothing about it felt like an exhibition game. You know, the environment, everything here was beyond special. So for us to go on the road, play, you know, a really good team — hungry team — I think we learned a lot.”

Iron sharpens iron with no nicks in the armor

The first benefit of these exhibitions is obvious: The opportunity to play a high-level game with no risk to your record.

Throughout the 1980s, ’90s and into the early 2000s, top schools played their exhibitions against elite amateur teams made up mostly of former college athletes. They had names like Marathon Oil and Athletes in Action, some sponsored by companies and others operating as a sports ministry or for another such purpose. Even the Harlem Globetrotters occasionally shelved their comedic antics for a night and sent out a highly competitive team to take on college basketball’s best.

In most cases, they offered some pretty stiff competition on the eve of the new season.

But when the NCAA passed a rule change in April 2004 saying Division I schools could no longer play non-college teams, they had to begin scheduling tune-ups against Division II and Division III schools that rarely provided the same challenge.

Eventually, Division I coaches wisened up and began playing “secret scrimmages” with no fans or media, though the results inevitably leaked. Then those games became public under the guise of charity exhibitions, and quite naturally, became the sort of exhibition game that just about every major college basketball team is playing this season.

“Our league is so good, you’re going to hit some road blocks, so you prepare for that,” explained TCU coach Jamie Dixon, whose team beat Wyoming in an exhibition game last week. “You know there’s going to be ups and downs. It’s not an easy road.”

Money matters in the current college landscape

The other benefit to high-profile exhibitions like Duke-Kansas is quite simple: money.

Isn’t that just about the only thing that matters in this era of college basketball, where players are freely transferring between schools in search of the most cash, and the NCAA Tournament has expanded to 76 teams in large part to drive more revenue?

The matchup between the Blue Devils and Jayhawks is sponsored by an insurance company — the State Farm Blue Blood Classic — and broadcast by ESPN, with Kansas due to visit Cameron Indoor Stadium next October for the first time since 1989.

Four hours before tipoff Sunday, prime courtside seats were listed for more than $6,300 on some ticket marketplaces.

“The good thing about the game is it’s not a conference game. It’s not on the season-ticket package,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said, “so that money can be used toward things that are pretty important to programs right now.”

In other words, the name, image and likeness bank accounts required to lure top players to school these days.

In the end, pride is still on the line

Duke and Kansas rarely played when they met back in 1988, though that has changed in recent years. Both are part of the Champions Classic, rotating opponents along with Kentucky and Michigan State each season, and many more showdowns have come in the NCAA Tournament, including a national championship game in 1991 won by the Blue Devils.

Other high-profile exhibitions Sunday included Michigan vs. Houston and St. John’s vs. Texas.

While those games won’t count in official tallies, they nonetheless carry a lot of meaning for everyone involved. There’s pride on the line, especially for a team like Kansas that already had lost an exhibition game to No. 11 Louisville at Allen Fieldhouse.

In Sunday’s showdown, Patrick Ngongba had 28 points and 10 rebounds, and John Blackwell scored 23 points.

Tyran Stokes had 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Jayhawks. Fellow freshman Taylen Kinney had 14 points.

“For me, I thought we showed a lot of toughness,” Scheyer said. “You know, you’re still figuring out what you have, even in these exhibition games. ... So really proud of our group. Learned a lot, and we’re looking forward to starting the season and taking these lessons and carrying forward, carrying us forward.”

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Then came a chorus of boos for the United players walking behind him.

United had just lost 3-0 — again — to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday and the disgruntled home support was letting it be known who they were behind in this latest sorry episode at a team that, not too long ago, was the pinnacle of English soccer.

Indeed, the only person to escape censure was the manager overseeing an eight-match winless run that is bringing more embarrassment to the country’s biggest club.

“It hurts an awful lot to see us going through this at this moment in time,” said an emotional-looking Carrick, who spoke of his “mixed emotions” during a match that further exposed the weakness in his fragile United team.

“It wasn’t a farewell from me,” Carrick added of post-match actions that saw him lead his players on a walk around the field. “What it looks like, what is next — I really don’t know. But I’ll always do what’s best for this football club.”

Captain on bench

Carrick is trying everything to get United out its perilous position, which sees the club languishing in 16th place in the 20-team Premier League.

That includes even dropping captain Bruno Fernandes.

The humbling by Bournemouth came four days after a humiliating 4-1 loss at Como in the Champions League that was followed by critical comments to the media by Fernandes about Carrick’s tactics.

Carrick responded by leaving the Portugal star — the player of the year in England last season — out of the team in what the manager described as a “pure football” decision. Fernandes briefly went out to warm up at one point but never made it onto the field, where United defended woefully as Bournemouth scored through Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson.

Asked about leaving Fernandes on the bench, Carrick told BBC Sport: “He’s fit and available but we decided to pick the team that we did today. Unfortunately for everyone we didn’t manage to get the right result.

“We want to push forward and create more, we could’ve done certain things but not enough really and that’s pretty clear.”

Carrick’s job is under huge threat, barely five months after he signed a permanent deal as manager after leading the team back into the Champions League while on a short-term contract in the second half of last season.

But getting rid of Carrick would not solve the huge problems at United, whose fans also chanted against Jason Wilcox — the club’s director of football who was the target of recent criticism from defender Lisandro Martinez — and the Glazer family, the majority owners, before letting rip on the players.

United has won one of its eight league games this season — and that was at home to promoted Ipswich on Aug. 30.

“It’s nowhere near good enough,” United defender Harry Maguire said. “Something needs to change.”

As for Bournemouth, it has now beaten United 3-0 at Old Trafford in three of the last four seasons. On its other visit in that stretch, there was a 4-4 draw.

Brighton run ends at Anfield

Brighton — the league’s surprise package this season — was beaten 2-0 at Liverpool for its first defeat since August, after which the south-coast team embarked on a stunning run since that included two 5-0 wins and a 3-0 victory over defending champion Arsenal.

That streak ended in a tight game at Anfield, with Liverpool’s goals coming in a four-minute span midway through the first half. Pascal Gross deflected Florian Wirtz’s shot into his own net before Alexander Isak turned home Bradley Barcola’s cross.

It was Liverpool's first league win at home under Andoni Iraola, hired as manager over the summer, and it lifted the team into fourth spot — a point and a place behind Brighton

Brighton had 64% possession and 17 shots — though just one on target — and manager Fabian Hurzeler called it a “missed opportunity” for his team to further underline its status as a growing force.

“I think everyone in the stadium saw that there was one team who really tried to create and try to win this game," Hurzeler said, "and therefore I have to praise my players."

Win for Newcastle

Newcastle beat Crystal Palace 2-0 thanks to second-half goals from William Osula and Harvey Barnes. Hull and Brentford drew 1-1, while Sunderland and Leeds finished 0-0.

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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

It’s much bigger than that as Antonelli marches toward F1 history.

Antonelli’s dominant win Sunday at the United States Grand Pri x put the 20-year-old Italian on the brink of becoming the youngest champion in series history at the next race in Mexico City

Antonelli's ninth victory of the season was a pole-to-flag drive that came within a razor-thin margin of closing out the championship. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate, George Russell, finished eighth to extend the championship at least one more week.

Anything lower by them Sunday and Antonelli would already be champion.

“The car felt perfect today,” Antonelli said. “Trying to have fun, hopefully fight for another win (in Mexico City). It would be best to finish well.”

He made quick work of the Sunday with a blistering start that blew Red Bull’s Verstappen off the line as he eased into the first corner. The uphill left-turn switchback is one of the most notorious collision spots of the season and it was no trouble on this day.

Verstappen has struggled with his starts several times this season, and Antonelli’s blast into the first corner from pole position never gave him a chance to win the inside line into the corner. Instead, the four-time champion quickly found himself in a fight with the two Ferrari cars while Antonelli drove off into the distance and seized control of the race.

Antonelli kept extending his lead while Mercedes watched to see where Russell and Hamilton would finish.

Ferrrari’s Charles Leclerc finished second. Verstappen was third after winning the previous two races.

“Not a good race for us, Verstappen said. ”My start was normal, it’s consistently (bad).”

After Antonelli took the checkered flag, team principal Toto Wolff spoke to him over the radio during his victory lap.

“Another small step,” Wolff told him. “Another small step.”

The biggest one could come next week in front of one of the biggest, most boisterous crowds of the season in the high elevation of the Mexico City Grand Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Close it out and Antonelli will be the first Italian to win the drivers championship since Alberto Ascari in 1953.

“It was a result we needed, the whole team deserve it so much,” Antonelli said.

Looking forward to the celebration

Under Texas law, where the legal drinking age is 21, Antonelli is too young to quaff the victory champagne on the podium. In the cool down room after the race, Leclerc and Verstappen hinted at what could come next week south of the U.S. border.

“So probably Mexico, then?” Leclerc asked. Antonelli nodded slightly.

“Some tequila,” Verstappen said with a fist pump.

“For Brazil you won’t arrive in great shape,” Leclerc joked about the following race.

“He misses the Sao Paulo Grand Prix,” Verstappen shot back.

How Antonelli can win the title

Almost every scenario puts the title within his grasp. He leads Russell by 123 points and Hamilton by 124. There are only five races and 125 points left to win.

Any Antonelli finish head of those two wins the title. A Russell victory and ninth-place finish by Antonelli wins it. A Hamilton victory and 10th-place finish by Antonelli wins it.

And if neither Russell nor Hamilton win, Antonelli clinches the title no matter how he does.

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Safety crews needed several minutes to turn Logano's No. 22 Ford back over on its wheels, and Logano was able to climb from the car to cheers from the crowd.

Logano was running in fourth when he lost control off a push by Carson Hocevar and started a 15-car pileup on the frontstretch that also included Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski, Austin Cindric, Josh Berry and Riley Herbst, who appeared to lose the brakes in his No. 35 Toyota before hitting the inside wall at virtually full speed.

“I just got a push in the wrong spot there,” Logano said. “It was very much a ‘Talladega Nights,’ Oh no, I’m upside down, this is not good’ moment. I can’t thank the safety crew enough. They did an amazing job flipping that thing over."

Herbst, who missed the Daytona race in August with a concussion from a crash at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, was able to exit his car with help from safety workers. He took a moment to lean against his car before removing his helmet.

In a postrace interview with USA Sports, Herbst had a soft cast on his left hand and a wrap around his wrist and forearm.

“I’m OK; it was a big one,” Herbst said. "But just thank you to 2311 Racing and Toyota for the support. It’s been an up-and-down year, to say the least. I thought we had a shot at it there at the end. We got shuffled out a little bit, but came back and ultimately just got caught up in that wreck at Talladega.

“My dad always said, ‘If you’re going to be dumb, you better be tough.’ So, cheers.”

Logano is a three-time winner at Talladega. He has been involved in airborne crashes before at the 2.66-mile oval that is infamous for its big crashes.

After a similar incident in the April 2021 race at Talladega, Logano expressed frustration that his car had gotten up in the air and had its roof crushed. “I got a roll bar in my head,” Logano said. “That is not OK. I am one hit away from the same situation Ryan Newman just went through ( in the 2020 Daytona 500 ). I just don’t feel like that is acceptable.”

NASCAR made safety enhancements to address airborne wrecks in recent years, and the Team Penske driver praised his car's integrity after the wreck Sunday at Talladega.

“The car did a great job," Logano said. "The last time I flipped it was crushed on my head. This time, I don’t think any of the roll cage crushed at all, so I appreciate what NASCAR’s done. Thank you and the safety team for getting me out of there. There was some vicious hits in this one. Just happy to be alive.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

They say a 59-year-old woman was killed when a pickup driving the wrong-way when it crashed into a her SUV.

Around 4:40 a.m. 911 callers reported the pickup going around 100 mph and heading south in the northbound lanes. A couple of minutes later, callers reported a major crash near the Highway 105 exit.

The SUV’s driver, identified as Emelia Muniz, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The 20-year-old pickup driver was taken to a local hospital and was in stable condition, police said.

The department’s Traffic Reconstruction Unit is investigating. Authorities are also examining whether intoxication was a factor, and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Vehicular Crimes Unit responded to assist.

Humidity is slowly returning, and soon, shower and thunderstorm chances will return also. By midweek or perhaps as early as Tuesday, isolated to scattered showers and weak thunderstorms are possible. Wednesday seems to be trending as the most likely consensus during the week, and Halloween Saturday appears to be the busiest chance next weekend. Some of this will be fueled by the Pacific tropical moisture streaming into Texas, mainly from Vance, off the western coast of Mexico.

Weather pattern change next week:

Mid-week, our weather pattern changes. Tropical moisture from TS Vance moves into the state of Texas. This, coupled with an area of low pressure, will bring rain as early as Wednesday, with heaviest rain falling on Halloween. We don’t have a specific timing yet because we are more than a week away from next Saturday, but I wanted to give you an early heads up.

Daylight saving time comes to an end next weekend:

Early Sunday, November 1st, we turn our clocks back one hour. 2 am becomes 1 pm and we seemingly get an extra hour of sleep. Below is how this affects sunrise and sunset.

Extended forecast:

The gorgeous weather continues through early next week, with slight rain chances returning Wednesday. Rain on Halloween “may” impact your plans. It is still too early to be specific on timing, so don’t make any changes to your plans just yet.

Watson led his fifth winning drive in the fourth quarter this season, connecting with Harold Fannin Jr. on a 36-yard catch-and run that set up Andre Szmyt's 32-yard field goal as time expired, and the Browns beat the Tennessee Titans 27-24 on Sunday for their fifth win in six games.

“He has something in him to be able to make plays when it counts,” Browns first-year coach Todd Monken said.

Watson also ran for a touchdown and threw for 308 yards.

“Being in this league for 10 years now, I understand that a lot of games are going to come down to that, if not every game,” Watson said. “So, if we’re close enough in it and we have those opportunities, we just got to lock in and ... that’s where the pressure and the most important (thing), you got to really be on your P’s and Q’s.”

Quinshon Judkins ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns, and rookie KC Concepcion caught eight passes for 129 yards in his best game yet.

The Browns (5-2) had two takeaways as they started a three-game road swing with a win.

Szmyt got the chance with his game-winning kick to make up for clanking a 43-yarder off the right upright within the first minute of the fourth quarter. The Titans responded with a drive capped by a 29-yard field goal by Joey Slye, which tied the game at 17-all with 8:41 remaining.

Watson responded with a 71-yard drive that he finished with a 9-yard TD run with 4:34 left. The Titans answered when Tony Pollard scored his career high-tying third TD with 58 seconds remaining. Slye’s extra point tied it at 24-all.

Officials missed an apparent false start on the Browns when Watson found Fannin for the big gain. Asked if officials missed the penalty, Titans coach Robert Saleh said he'd have to look at the video.

“Live, I think they did, yeah,” Saleh said.

The Titans (1-6) came in trying to string together back-to-back wins for the first time in nearly four years. They had their best start to a game this season, taking a 14-0 lead with Pollard's two touchdowns.

They missed a chance at a 21-7 lead when Pollard was ruled down just outside the end zone in the second. Cleveland turned the Titans over on downs with Maliek Collins stopping Pollard on fourth-and-goal.

“We’ve got to be able to push it in from the inch-yard line,” Saleh said.

Tennessee's Anthony Hill Jr. stripped Fannin of the ball after a catch in the second quarter, and safety Tony Adams recovered. But Cleveland's Denzel Ward picked off Cam Ward on the next play.

The Browns turned that takeaway into a 78-yard drive, capped by Judkins running for his second 5-yard TD.

The Titans went three-and-out, giving Cleveland the ball back. Szmyt kicked a 28-yard field goal as time expired for a 17-14 halftime lead.

Pollard finished with a season-high 129 yards rushing. Not that it mattered after another loss.

“The most important stat is a win,” Titans right tackle JC Latham said. “So, I don’t care if we have 1,000 yards rushing the ball in one game. If we didn’t win the game, it doesn’t really matter.”

Titans match an unwelcome Browns milestone

The Titans tied the 2014-18 Browns for most consecutive games without back-to-back wins in the same season at 65, according to Sportradar. Tampa Bay went 74 straight from 1985-1989 without consecutive wins, but the Bucs won the last game of 1988 and the first of 1989.

With this latest loss, Tennessee's streak is assured of reaching at least 66 games.

Injuries

Browns right tackle Tytus Howard was evaluated for a concussion after going down during Cleveland's opening drive of the third quarter. Cornerback Myles Harden hurt a hamstring but returned in the fourth quarter.

Titans punter Tommy Townsend hurt a knee on a 44-yard punt late in the second quarter. Townsend stretched on the sideline, but placekicker Slye came out for a punt on fourth-and-1, only to be bailed out when Cleveland had 12 men on the field. Slye punted late in the third and had a 42-yarder on his first NFL punt.

Saleh said after the game that Townsend was being evaluated.

Up next

The Browns visit Pittsburgh next Sunday.

The Titans visit Cincinnati next Sunday.

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross has begun receiving lists again of Palestinian detainees from the occupied West Bank and Gaza after the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the government to resume sharing them.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Sunday. Read our full coverage here.

Iran says messages are still passed to the US via intermediaries

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said Tehran has not closed the window of diplomacy and messages are being passed to the U.S. via intermediaries. Negotiations over the war have appeared to stall for weeks.

State media said Baghaei spoke in an interview with a German broadcaster. He said the U.S. appears to persist in unilateral demands and that Trump and U.S. officials repeatedly use the phrase “complete surrender," which Baghaei said no Iranian accepts.

Concerns are rising among Iranians about a possible return to all-out war as Israel and the U.S. face elections in the coming days.

Trump says no strike against Iran today

Asked if he planned to launch an attack on Iran, Trump initially suggested that he would be foolish to telegraph that.

But Trump then added: “No. There will not be a strike today.” At the same time, the head of the U.S. Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, was flying over the Strait of Hormuz and asserting that over 3,000 commercial vessels have transited the waterway with U.S. military support over the last six months.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his warning that Iran or its proxies could attack ahead of Tuesday’s close elections to disrupt the vote, citing intelligence.

“The (military) is ready both to defend and to strike,” he said in a video statement, adding: “You will suffer disproportionate blows far greater than you can imagine.”

Israeli broadcaster reports Netanyahu confrontation over Iran

Netanyahu and his military chief of staff have had a confrontation over a political directive related to Iran shortly before Israel’s close election, a local broadcaster reported Sunday night.

The Channel 12 report caused alarm among some Israelis including Netanyahu’s chief rival in Tuesday’s election, Gadi Eisenkot, who said on X he backed the chief of staff, Eyal Zamir.

The outcry reflected concerns some have raised in Israel that Netanyahu, who could lose power after being the country's longest-serving prime minister, might be eager to attack Iran ahead of the vote in an effort to stay in office.

Netanyahu described the Channel 12 report as nonsense during an appearance on another broadcaster, Channel 14. There was no immediate military comment.

The Channel 12 report did not say what exactly the Iran-related directive was. In recent days, the prime minister has asserted the need to “topple” Iran’s leadership.

Red Cross receives list of Palestinians in prison in Israel

The International Committee of the Red Cross has begun receiving lists again of Palestinian detainees from the West Bank and Gaza, a spokesperson confirmed.

The Israeli Supreme Court earlier this year ordered the government to resume sharing such lists and allowing the ICRC to visit detainees in Israeli prisons to assess their conditions. The government had suspended both practices since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and the start of the war in Gaza.

ICRC spokesperson Gilad Grossman said Israel had not yet allowed prison visits to begin again but “we hope that we will resume in the near future.”

Israel rounded up thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza after the Oct. 7 attacks. Some were released in last year’s ceasefire, but around 9,000 are still imprisoned or detained under harsh conditions.

Riyadh international airport reopens as Houthi attacks persist

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh said it opened terminals 1 and 2 for domestic and international flights, but Iran-backed Houthis in neighboring Yemen again fired drones and missiles toward the Saudi capital.

Saudi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and a drone fired toward Riyadh. The Houthis claimed the attack.

In early October, Houthi strikes hit an airport complex housing two other terminals, killing 17 people and wounding over 330.

2 wounded by debris from interceptions in Saudi Arabia

Saudi authorities said debris from the interception of two ballistic missiles in Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafida governorates wounded two people, a Saudi citizen and a resident from an unspecified Asian country.

The Civil Defense said the missiles were launched by the Houthis in Yemen, and the debris also damaged three buildings and seven vehicles.

The Houthi rebels later claimed attacks that included King Khalid air base in Khamis Mushait, calling them a response to “Saudi aggression” against Yemen’s rebel-held capital of Sanaa. The AP could not independently verify the claims.

Late Sunday, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government accused the Houthis of targeting displacement camps in Ras Imran on the outskirts of Aden with three ballistic missiles, without providing details. There were no reports of casualties. The Houthis did not immediately comment.

Palestinian officials say Israeli strikes killed 7 in Gaza

Israeli strikes in Gaza killed seven people, according to Palestinian hospital officials.

Two strikes in Gaza City killed four people, and two brothers were killed in the southern city of Khan Younis. One person was killed in the central town of Deir al-Balah. The deaths were confirmed by officials from Shifa, Hamad, Nasser and Al-Aqsa hospitals, as well as an American field hospital.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

A year since a ceasefire began, Israel continues to bombard Gaza in what it says are strikes against militant targets. More than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up nearly half of those killed.

Pope calls for an end to fighting in Yemen

Pope Leo XIV urged an end to the fighting in Yemen and warned of worsening conditions for more than 1 million residents of Taiz besieged by Houthi rebels.

“The population is suffering from a lack of food, water and medical care,” the pope wrote on social media. Families have begun rationing water and a shortage of groceries has sent prices soaring in the country’s third-largest city.

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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.

Investigators say the man was taken to a local hospital after getting shot in the chest.

A heavy police presence remains in the area. Officials asked the public to avoid the scene while investigators work.

Precinct 4 has not updated the man’s condition and have not released information on a possible suspect.

Then the best version of Joe Burrow arrived, and the second half wasn't close.

Burrow threw four touchdown passes, and the Bengals rebounded from a desultory first two quarters to beat Baltimore 35-13 on Sunday, handing the Ravens a second straight divisional loss with Lamar Jackson sidelined.

Baltimore (4-3) dominated the first half but led only 13-0 after settling for a couple of short field goals. Then the Ravens blew a double-digit second-half lead for the second straight week and 10th time since the start of the 2022 season.

Cincinnati scored touchdowns on its first five possessions of the second half.

“Just took a deep breath, kept their composure, led,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “And went out there and put together as good of a second-half performance as I've ever seen.”

The Bengals (4-2) were shut out in their second meeting with Baltimore last season, and were scoreless through two quarters this time before going 66 yards on the first drive after halftime, capped by Burrow’s 6-yard TD pass to Mike Gesicki.

Baltimore, which held the ball for 22:20 in the first half, went three-and-out on its first possession of the second. Burrow’s 13-yard scoring pass to Tee Higgins put Cincinnati ahead to stay.

“That second half is who we have to be,” Burrow said. “Our defense played well in the first half in limiting the points on the board and keeping us in it. We were able to make those plays down the stretch, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We can do that for a full game.”

The Ravens put together one more decent drive, but on fourth-and-2 from the Cincinnati 12, Tyler Huntley threw incomplete.

The Bengals then showed why Baltimore decided to be so aggressive, driving 88 yards and going up 21-13 on Samaje Perine's 1-yard run. Burrow added a 2-yard scoring pass to Ja'Marr Chase and a 16-yarder to Drew Sample.

“Right now, we’re too much of a momentum team,” Ravens coach Jesse Minter said. “We’re riding the wave when it’s good, and we’re riding the wave when it’s bad. I think that’s a main focus for us to be able to stay a little bit more even-keeled and continue to make plays and do things.”

The Ravens became the first team in 76 years to lead by at least 13 points at halftime and lose by at least 20, according to Sportradar. The Baltimore Colts were up 20-7 on the New York Giants on Nov. 19, 1950, before losing 55-20.

Jackson missed a third straight game with an ankle injury, and the Ravens are 1-2 without him. After a loss at Cleveland last weekend, he practiced in a limited role during the week but was inactive again.

Baltimore's running game wasn't much of a factor without him, but Huntley threw for 215 yards in the first half — 120 of them to Zay Flowers. The shifty Flowers opened the scoring with a 48-yard catch-and-run.

Cincinnati kept pouring it on after erasing the 13-0 deficit. Former Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco relieved Burrow late, closing out the Ravens' fifth loss in their past six home games.

Baltimore has outscored opponents by 65 points in the first half this season, while being outscored by 70 after the break.

Unpleasant reunion

Trey Hendrickson, the pass rusher who went from the Bengals to the Ravens in free agency, was credited with two quarterback hits but no sacks or tackles.

“We have to continue to rely on the technique that we’ve been coached and not make the moment bigger than it is. It’s just the details that win games,” he said. “Going through the process one play at a time will result in the way we want it to go.”

Two halves

The Ravens outgained Cincinnati 258-59 in the first half, but the Bengals had a 298-101 advantage after halftime. In first downs, it was 12-3 Baltimore in the first two quarters, then 18-5 Cincinnati.

Higgins had all six of his catches for 148 yards in the second half, and Chase finished with five catches for 62 yards.

“We just started calling some of our base stuff, O-line protected great,” Burrow said. “Really, we just got the ball in Ja'Marr and Tee's hands as many times as we could.”

Injuries

Bengals: S Kyle Dugger injured his quadriceps, and TE Erick All Jr. hurt his knee.

Ravens: Rookie G Vega Ioane (knee) exited in the first half.

Up next

Bengals: Tennessee at home next Sunday.

Ravens: At Buffalo next Sunday.

___

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Aranda's dismissal came a day after Baylor lost to Kansas 25-24 to fall to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12 Conference. The Jayhawks earned their first win over Baylor since 2007, ending a 14-game losing skid to the Bears when Blake Herold blocked a field-goal attempt in the final minute.

Aranda took over the Baylor program in 2020 after serving as defensive coordinator on LSU's undefeated 2019 national championship team.

He led the Bears to the Big 12 championship and a Sugar Bowl victory in 2021, but he couldn't maintain that success. Baylor has just one winning season since then, and Aranda leaves with a 40-40 record.

Aranda had been under pressure to turn things around in his seventh season. Part of that effort was hiring Klanderman from Kansas State to take over the defensive play-calling. The Bears also signed quarterback DJ Lagway, the Florida transfer from Texas whose dad, Derek Lagway, was a Baylor running back a quarter-century ago.

Not long after the Big 12 championship, Aranda had his contract extended through 2029. According to multiple reports, his buyout is $12 million. Baylor is a private school that isn't required to release contract details.

Aranda was under fire during the season last year, when former athletic director Mack Rhoades resigned for personal reasons. At the time, university president Linda Livingstone said the school was keeping Aranda in 2026, while saying that a review of the football program had been underway and that she understood the decision to keep him would "generate strong opinions.”

Doug McNamee, Rhoades' replacement, called the decision to fire Aranda a “difficult moment.”

"Anyone who knows Dave Aranda understands what a genuine and honorable person he is and how much he deeply cares for his players, staff and this university,” McNamee said. “He is a gifted coach and a brilliant football mind whose leadership brought some of our best Baylor football memories. While this is a difficult moment, we believe a change in leadership is necessary at this time for our program."

Baylor plays at UCF, which on Saturday knocked off then-No. 2 BYU 39-31 in double overtime, on Friday.

___

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The Cougars fell to No. 8, allowing an idle Ohio State to move up to No. 2.

Georgia moved up a spot to No. 3 after its open date, Indiana jumped two rungs to No. 4 after winning at Michigan in overtime, and Notre Dame slipped a spot to No. 5 after being idle. Utah, UCLA, BYU, Kentucky and Alabama rounded out the top 10.

Miami, Utah and UCLA are the only remaining unbeaten teams, the fewest at this point in a season since there were three left in 1977, according to Sportradar.

See what to look for this season and follow live analysis on the rankings below.

October 25, 2026

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These Cats are scratching and clawing their way up

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25 min ago

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35 min ago

Big 12 ties its own record with 6 teams ranked

46 min ago

SEC leads the way again with 9 ranked teams

50 min ago

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How the votes are counted

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AP Top 25 rankings

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Texas and Arch Manning make for must-see TV in the fourth quarter

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Hurricanes handle business as No. 1

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Third head coaches gets fired

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12:46 PM EDT

A second unbeaten team from the Big 12 goes down

12:22 PM EDT

No. 2 BYU loses in controversial fashion in the ‘Bounce House’

12:01 PM EDT

SEC carousel keeps spinning

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Another chaotic week in the Top 25

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AP Top 25 live updates: Every team changed except No. 1 Miami

By MARK LONG

Updated 3:25 PM EDT, October 25, 2026

No. 1 Miami was the only team to hold its spot in the latest AP Top 25 rankings after another major reordering in the poll in the wake of BYU’s loss at UCF.

The Cougars fell to No. 8, allowing an idle Ohio State to move up to No. 2.

Georgia moved up a spot to No. 3 after its open date, Indiana jumped two rungs to No. 4 after winning at Michigan in overtime, and Notre Dame slipped a spot to No. 5 after being idle. Utah, UCLA, BYU, Kentucky and Alabama rounded out the top 10.

Miami, Utah and UCLA are the only remaining unbeaten teams, the fewest at this point in a season since there were three left in 1977, according to Sportradar.

See what to look for this season and follow live analysis on the rankings below.

SEC fines South Carolina $500,000 for storming the field

By MARK LONG

The Southeastern Conference fined South Carolina $500,000 on Sunday for allowing fans to storm the field following a 27-24 victory over then-No. 11 Tennessee.

The fine will be paid to the Volunteers in accordance with SEC policy.

South Carolina was one of four schools whose fans rushed the field Saturday, joining celebrations at Minnesota (which beat Iowa 13-10), UCF (which stunned then-No. 2 BYU 39-31 in double overtime) and Cincinnati (which shocked then-No. 8 Texas Tech 37-24).

The SEC policy permits schools to establish procedures that would allow fans to celebrate on the playing surface after all visiting team personnel and game officials have safely exited the field or court.

Commissioner Greg Sankey may reduce the fine to $100,000 if South Carolina can prove that a full attempt to prevent the field rush was made, few individuals breached the competition area and minimal interaction with the visiting team occurred.

Ask a question: Is the SEC the best conference?

By JERRY HUMPHREY

The SEC has the most teams ranked in the Top 25. Do you think it’s the best conference, and why/why not?

AP sports editor Oscar Dixon

The SEC, for one, has the geographic advantage as it has access to some of the best recruits in the South region.

On the NIL side of it, SEC schools are ahead of the curve when it comes to booster funding. The Big 10 has caught up in the past few years with programs like Oregon and Michigan backed by billionaires.

The SEC speaks for itself, though. The best players want to play for the games of the most storied programs.

Wake Forest is unexpectedly on the rise in the ACC

By MARK LONG

There’s a third Atlantic Coast Conference team rising in the AP Top 25 rankings, and it’s one no one saw coming two months ago.

No. 14 Wake Forest (6-1, 4-1 ACC) is up 12 spots over the last three weeks. The Demon Deacons have won four in a row, three of those on the road. They won at Louisville, beat Stanford, won at N.C. State and won at Cal. The last three have been lopsided victories.

Wake Forest’s lone loss in 2026? A 33-20 setback to now-No. 1 Miami. The Demon Deacons were picked to finish 13th in the preseason by league media.

Miami and SMU are ranked as expected, but Louisville, Clemson and Georgia Tech have come up short of expectations midway through the season. Wake Forest plays Virginia on Saturday.

New coaches finding quick success in their first years

By MARK LONG

There are seven teams with new coaches in the latest AP Top 25.

No. 24 Oklahoma State reentered the poll Sunday after beating Colorado 57-24. The Cowboys have won five of six under first-year coach Eric Morris. No. 6 Utah (Morgan Scalley), No. 7 UCLA (Bob Chesney), No. 9 Kentucky (Will Stein), No. 12 Ole Miss (Pete Golding), No. 15 LSU (Lane Kiffin), and No. 17 Florida (Jon Sumrall) also are ranked with new guys in charge.

Those are the kind of turnarounds that prompt schools to make changes despite having to pay multimillion-dollar buyouts. Three programs made coaching changes over the last five days, with Maryland parting with Mike Locksley on Wednesday, N.C. State firing Dave Doeren on Saturday and Baylor dumping Dave Aranda on Sunday.

Scrappy Northwestern has a trio of tests ahead

By MARK LONG

Northwestern’s resurgence is one of the best stories in college football this season.

The 20th-ranked Wildcats (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) have won four in a row in coach David Braun’s fourth year to earn their highest ranking since being No. 10 in the final poll of the 2020 season.

Northwestern’s lone loss came at defending national champion Indiana in Week 3, 29-23.

Braun’s team has three consecutive tough tests on deck: at Oregon, against Iowa and at No. 2 Ohio State. Win those, and the Cats could get a rematch with the Hoosiers in the Big Ten title game.

Ask a voter: Walk us through your top 10 choices this week

By JERRY HUMPHREY

BYU's loss to UCF put me in an interesting spot that saw me move Georgia and Ohio State ahead of them.

The Notre Dame win kept the Cougars ahead of the Fighting Irish in my poll as well.

Utah’s victory over Houston moved them inside my top 10. However, I kept them behind the streaking UCLA. Kentucky and Ole Miss got my final two spots at 9 & 10.

These Cats are scratching and clawing their way up

By MARK LONG

No. 9 Kentucky has its highest ranking in more than four years.

The Wildcats have the longest winning streak in the SEC at six games, raising expectations under first-year coach Will Stein.

Oregon’s struggles surely can be traced to Stein leaving Eugene for Lexington. He was Oregon’s offensive coordinator between 2023 and 2025.

If the Wildcats are going to climb inside the top 10 for the first time since being ranked No. 7 in 2022, they will need to win at No. 16 Tennessee on Nov. 7. It’s the first of a three-game stretch that will decide whether or not Kentucky makes the College Football Playoff.

The Cats face No. 17 Florida at home and No. 23 Missouri on the road after traveling to Knoxville.

Slumping Oregon makes a change

Oregon fired offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer on Sunday, the latest change for a Power Four school.

Coach Dan Lanning made the move after the Ducks failed to top 17 points in three consecutive games, including losses to UCLA and Illinois.

Mehringer joined the Oregon staff in 2022 as the tight ends coach, and he added co-offensive coordinator duties ahead of the 2025 season. He was the primary play-caller this season after Will Stein took over at Kentucky.

“This was a decision I felt was in the best interest of our football program, as I believe a new direction is necessary to move our offense forward,” Lanning said. “I thank Drew for his efforts and wish him all the best.”

Oregon opened the season ranked No. 2 but has been unranked for three consecutive weeks.

The move follows head coaching changes at Maryland, N.C. State and Baylor.

Big 12 ties its own record with 6 teams ranked

By MARK LONG

The Big 12 has six teams ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2012. That ties its own mark set 23 previous times.

No. 6 Utah, No. 8 BYU, No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 18 Houston lead the way. No. 22 Arizona and 24th-ranked Oklahoma State round out the rankings. The Wildcats entered the Top 25 last week, and the Cowboys reentered the rankings Sunday.

It’s the first time the Big 12 has had more ranked teams than the Big Ten since the final poll of the 2023 season.

SEC leads the way again with 9 ranked teams

By MARK LONG

The Southeastern Conference has nine teams ranked in the latest AP poll, with eight of them slotted in the top 17.

No. 3 Georgia, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 10 Alabama, No. 11 Texas, No. 12 Ole Miss, No. 15 LSU, No. 16 Tennessee and No. 17 Florida give the SEC the most ranked teams of any conference. No. 23 Missouri is the last of the league’s ranked teams.

Six SEC teams -- including ranked Alabama, Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee -- have Halloween weekend off.

The league’s game of the week is Florida versus Georgia in Atlanta. The rivalry known as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” was moved from its usual home in Jacksonville, Florida, to Atlanta this year because of a $1.4 billion renovation to EverBank Stadium.

Ask a voter: Should BYU serve a more severe penalty?

By JERRY HUMPHREY

The Cougars’ victory over Notre Dame should keep their resume strong down the stretch. Georgia moving back up to No. 3 in this week’s poll proves that BYU still has room to climb.

They still have a ranked matchup with Utah on the road to look forward to.

How the votes are counted

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

For decades, voters called, emailed and faxed their votes to the AP and ballots were tabulated by hand.

Now voting happens online, and the count is automated first before AP checks for miscues.

The poll operates on a 1-to-25-point system, with the No. 1 team receiving 25 points down to the 25th team receiving 1 point. In between, the poll lists the teams with the most points from 24 down to 2. Teams that receive votes but not enough to make the top 25 are noted separately.

Miami holds at No. 1

By MARK LONG

No. 1 Miami was the only team to hold its spot in the latest AP Top 25 rankings after another major reordering in the poll in the wake of BYU’s loss at UCF.

The Cougars fell to No. 8, allowing an idle Ohio State to move up to No. 2.

Georgia moved up a spot to No. 3 after its open date, Indiana jumped two rungs to No. 4 after winning at Michigan in overtime, and Notre Dame slipped a spot to No. 5 after being idle. Utah, UCLA, BYU, Kentucky and Alabama rounded out the top 10.

Miami, Utah and UCLA are the only remaining unbeaten teams, the fewest at this point in a season since there were three left in 1977, according to Sportradar.

See what to look for this season and follow live analysis on the rankings below.

AP Top 25 rankings

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

1. Miami (Fla.) 2. Ohio State 3. Georgia 4. Indiana 5. Notre Dame 6. Utah 7. UCLA 8. BYU 9. Kentucky 10. Alabama 11. Texas 12. Ole Miss 13. Texas Tech 14. Wake Forest 15. LSU 16. Tennessee 17. Florida 18. Houston 19. SMU 20. Boise State (tie) 20. Northwestern (tie) 22. Arizona 23. Missouri 24. Oklahoma State 25. Wisconsin

— Others receiving votes: Iowa, New Mexico, Cincinnati, Oregon State, South Carolina, Minnesota, USC, UTSA, Virginia Tech

Texas and Arch Manning make for must-see TV in the fourth quarter

By MARK LONG

Texas and Arch Manning have experienced some extreme highs and lows in the second half of games this season. Their latest win was no different.

After Manning fumbled and threw an interception in the second half Saturday to help No. 7 Mississippi tie the game at 24 in the fourth quarter, he answered by leading the Longhorns on consecutive scoring drives to win 34-27. It was reminiscent of his play against Ohio State in September, when Texas scored the final 21 points to stun the Buckeyes 24-23.

Sandwiched between those victories were two stinkers. Manning fumbled late in a home loss to Florida and threw two fourth-quarter interceptions in a loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.

Ask a voter: Do non-controllable factors play a major part in your ballot?

By JERRY HUMPHREY

Sometimes you’ll have a case where injuries could play a role in some matchups. I’m really big on strength of schedule and conferences.

Hurricanes handle business as No. 1

By MARK LONG

Top-ranked Miami routed Pittsburgh 52-23 in the Hurricanes’ first game atop the poll since 2002.

Coach Mario Cristobal’s team ended a two-week run of No. 1 teams losing to conference rivals. In recent weeks then-No.1 Texas was stunned by Oklahoma followed by Georgia being upset by Auburn.

Miami’s Malachi Toney and Darian Mensah shone in this one. Toney finished with a school-record 16 catches for 194 yards and three touchdowns, and Mensah threw for 387 yards and four scores as Miami proved it’s ready to carry the No. 1 torch.

The Hurricanes’ next two games are far from gimmes. They play at North Carolina on Saturday, a week before facing Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.

Ask a voter: Should South Carolina be ranked?

By JERRY HUMPHREY

I left them off my ballot simply because of how competitive the SEC is. The Gamecocks are still 2-3 in the conference, with losses to Alabama, Mississippi State & Kentucky.

Third head coach gets fired

By MARK LONG

Three college football head coaches have been fired this week: Baylor’s Dave Aranda and N.C. State’s Dave Doeren joined Maryland’s Mike Locksley.

Doeren lost his job on Saturday, one day after his team lost at Stanford. Doeren spent the last 14 seasons in charge of the Wolfpack and was under contract through December 2029.

The school will owe him $9.75 million in base salary for the remaining years, plus any remaining payments for the 2026 calendar year, which would ultimately push his buyout past the $10 million mark.

Doeren’s dismissal came three days after Maryland moved on from coach Mike Locksley following his team’s fifth consecutive loss. The Terrapins owe Locksley 65% of his remaining salary, which amounts to $9.2 million.

Aranda is also out.

Who could be next? Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, Washington’s Jedd Fisch, Florida State’s Mike Norvell, TCU’s Sonny Dykes, USC’s Lincoln Riley and Colorado’s Deion Sanders are ones to watch.

South Carolina’s Shane Beamer and Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell appear to have moved off proverbial hot seats.

Ask a voter: Why aren’t Utah and UCLA higher up in the rankings?

By JERRY HUMPHREY

Utah’s win over Houston will give them the validation to move inside the top 10.

I personally ranked UCLA over Utah because of the Bruins’ wins over Oregon and Wisconsin.

A second unbeaten team from the Big 12 goes down

By MARK LONG

No. 8 Texas Tech joined the ranks of one-loss teams even before No. 2 BYU on Saturday.

The Red Raiders allowed 21 consecutive points in the second quarter in a 37-24 loss at Cincinnati.

It was the Bearcats’ first win over a top-10 team at home since Nov. 18, 2006. The Red Raiders were trying to get to 7-0 for the first time since 2013 and were plagued by mistakes all afternoon.

“I’m as frustrated as I’ve ever been in my 32 years of coaching,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said.

No. 2 BYU loses in controversial fashion in the ‘Bounce House’

BYU’s stunning 39-31 loss at UCF came after a questionable call. It was somewhat fitting considering all the late-game craziness that played out in “The Bounce House.”

The Cougars forced a 26-yard field goal to start the second overtime, but defensive end Kendal Wall was flagged for roughing the kicker: replays showed he was partially blocked into Will Stone. The penalty gave the Knights a first down. They scored two plays later and added the 2-point conversion. BYU failed to answer.

The end of regulation was even wilder. BYU was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct with 14 seconds to play, moving UCF into field-goal range. BYU’s Faletau Satuala blocked the field goal on third down. Stone recovered and looked like he would get another shot. But his helmet came off during the play, incurring a 10-second clock runoff (UCF had no timeouts to prevent it) and sending the game into overtime.

SEC carousel keeps spinning

Georgia and Kentucky are the only Southeastern Conference teams remaining with one loss – just like everyone predicted two months ago, right?

The Bulldogs had a bye week while the Wildcats beat Vanderbilt, 34-17. It was Kentucky’s sixth consecutive win, the longest current streak in the league.

The SEC has shown a penchant for parity this season, with six teams following huge wins with losses: Ole Miss lost at Florida a week after beating then-No. 7 LSU; Florida lost at Missouri a week after beating then-No. 4 Ole Miss; Georgia lost at home to Auburn a week after winning at then-No. 6 Alabama; Oklahoma lost at home to Kentucky a week after stunning then-No. 1 Texas; Auburn got handled at home by LSU a week after shocking then-No. 1 Georgia on the road; and Tennessee lost at South Carolina on Saturday a week after knocking off then-No. 6 Alabama.

Another chaotic week in the Top 25

Week 8 of the college football season was nearly as eventful as Week 7, and significant adjustments to The Associated Press Top 25 are likely when the poll is released at 2 p.m. EDT.

No. 2 BYU, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 11 Tennessee, No. 15 Iowa and No. 16 USC lost to unranked opponents on the road Saturday. No. 7 Mississippi and No. 14 Houston lost to ranked teams away from home, with the Rebels falling at No. 19 Texas and the Cougars stumbling against No. 10 Utah in Salt Lake City.

Last week, five of the top seven teams lost on the same day for the first time in the poll’s 90-year history.

For those counting at home, that means 11 top-10 teams have lost over the last three weeks. And either No. 1 or No. 2 has fallen over three consecutive weeks.

Who decides the rankings?

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP Top 25 voters are writers and broadcasters who cover college football.

AP employees do not vote, but they do choose the voters, and they seek wide representation from all over the country. This season, there are 69 voters.

The focus begins with voter representation in states with a Bowl Subdivision school, and the total number of voters from each state increases with the number of FBS teams. There are also spots reserved for national voters.

The AP allows broad latitude for voters to determine their rankings. They are urged to base their votes on performance, not reputation or preseason speculation (except, of course, for the always provocative preseason poll); to avoid regional bias, for or against; to pay attention to head-to-head results; and to make significant changes if desired.

Three undefeated teams remain in FBS

Half of the six unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision lost this weekend, leaving Miami, Utah and UCLA as the only teams without a blemish in 2026.

Utah beat Houston 21-13 in Salt Lake City to reach 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big 12. UCLA handled Michigan State in Los Angeles, winning 28-10 to go 7-0 overall for the first time since 2005. The Bruins are 5-0 in the Big Ten. Miami is 7-0, including 5-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Interesting note: Utah (Morgan Scalley) and UCLA (Bob Chesney) both have new head coaches.

Three previously undefeated teams — James Madison, BYU and Texas Tech — suffered their first losses of the season this weekend. All three stumbled on the road.

A list of records in the Kennedy Center's possession suggests that Trump has been in “near-constant contact” with the center's management, either directly or through intermediaries, plaintiffs' lawyers said in a court filing on Sunday.

Attorneys for Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board, are seeking a court order for the administration to turn over documents, emails and text messages that it has withheld based on its claims that they contain privileged presidential communications.

“These communications directly bear on the issues before the Court, and the claim of privilege cannot stand,” Beatty's lawyers wrote.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper didn't immediately rule on their request to compel disclosure of the records.

The list of withheld documents includes 19 text messages between Kennedy Center executive director and CEO Matt Floca and Trump executive assistant Natalie Harp regarding Kennedy Center-related matters. They exchanged 11 of those messages on Sept. 15, when the center's board voted for a third time to close the facility, according to Beatty's lawyers.

The list also includes approximately 180 center-related texts between Floca and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who was acting as Trump's “go-between,” Beatty's lawyers say. The plaintiffs' attorneys suspect the administration is engaging in impermissible "gamesmanship."

“Without access to these materials, (Beatty) will lack a complete picture of Defendants’ actions,” they wrote.

The White House didn't immediately comment on the court filing.

Cooper, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Barack Obama, ruled in May that the Kennedy Center illegally added Trump’s name to the building and ordered it removed.

Trump, who was named the Kennedy Center’s chairman last year by loyalists on its board, has said the building is in dangerous condition that will require it to be “ripped down.” The board voted to close the center after Cooper blocked the institution from returning Trump’s name to the building.

On Sept. 16, Floca ordered a temporary closure of the center's main building. A day later, Cooper ordered the Kennedy Center to provide 30 days’ notice before making any major physical changes to the building.

Early voting ends October 30. During early voting in Houston, ballots bear the initials of Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth. On Election Day, ballots will instead carry the presiding judge’s signature.

• Missed the mail-in ballot deadline in Texas? You may still have options to vote

The Harris County Elections Department has been addressing concerns on social media, working to clear up confusion and ease concerns among voters who may be unfamiliar with the practice.

For Ligia Henriquez, the detail was news to her — but welcome news.

“Thank you for letting me know,” she said.

Meanwhile another resident, Cristian Podesta, said access to that kind of information makes a real difference at the ballot box.

“The more education we can have and the more people can, you know, have an understanding of what to expect when they go in... it just makes it easier for everybody,” Podesta said.

• Moved recently? You may still be able to vote in Texas with a limited ballot

Podesta also pushed back on the idea that unfamiliar election processes are a sign of wrongdoing.

“You might not be super familiar with how the law works, but that doesn’t mean the law is being broken,” he said.

“I just think so many people think everything’s fraud these days and everybody’s cheating. And it’s like, no, that’s really not happening,” Podesta added.

For Henriquez, the motivation to vote goes beyond the mechanics of the ballot.

“I’m vote because it’s my right. I’m vote because it’s very important. I’m vote because they hear me,” she said.

A record low turnout, attributed by observers to a general mistrust in politicians resulting in voter apathy, will pit two contrasting political visions against each other in a highly polarized contest on Nov. 1.

In a surprisingly strong performance, the candidate of the pro-Western reformist opposition, Andrey Gyurov, will face the incumbent leftist president, Iliana Yotova, setting clear lines of division regarding the country’s future relationships with other nations.

Bulgarians voted against a backdrop of growing economic hardship and drone attacks on Black Sea shipping. The vote is the first major test for the Moscow-friendly Progressive Bulgaria party of Prime Minister Rumen Radev after its triumph in parliamentary elections in April.

Despite a record number of candidates, the race had been expected to be decided in a runoff between incumbent Yotova, backed by Radev’s party, and former caretaker Prime Minister Gyurov, who is backed by pro-Western opposition parties.

The campaign focused heavily on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the widening hostilities in the Black Sea, where recent drone attacks on commercial vessels off Bulgaria’s coast have heightened security concerns in the European Union and NATO member country.

The strikes have raised concerns over Russia’s intentions to escalate the conflict and prompted the government to ask Bulgaria's partners for assistance to strengthen its maritime security.

Candidates also sought to address public anxiety over rising energy prices and inflation, as many families, particularly in rural areas, struggle to make ends meet.

The election had been expected to go to a runoff as none of the 27 candidates was expected to win outright. Turnout must be above 50% of 6.6 million registered voters, and the winner needs a majority of votes.

Bulgaria's incumbent president is a front-runner

Yotova, a 62-year-old journalist and former member of the European Parliament, is the country's incumbent president and a front-runner in the race.

She previously served as vice president under Radev, during his two terms as head of state. She took over the presidency in January 2026, when Radev stepped down to run for parliament, and is now seeking her own mandate.

She's running as an independent but also has the official backing of Progressive Bulgaria and the Socialist Party, where her career began.

If she wins, Yotova will become Bulgaria’s first elected female president.

Analysts expect her to continue Radev’s policy to keep Bulgaria on its European path but at the same time call for improved relations with Russia and the lifting of sanctions. Both Yotova and Radev have called for a diplomatic solution to end the war in Ukraine.

Addressing supporters at a rally this week, Yotova said she “advocated for peace through negotiations, rather than force.”

Observers say that Yotova’s victory would keep the presidency in the hands of the ruling majority, and such concentration of power could prevent institutions maintaining effective checks and balances on policy decisions.

A former deputy central bank governor is the main challenger in the race

Yotova's main challenger is economist Andrei Gyurov, a former deputy governor of the central bank and caretaker prime minister who led the country in the early months of 2026. He is supported by the pro-Western reformist opposition.

Gyurov, who has often expressed firm support for Ukraine, signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv during his premiership.

“I want Bulgaria to have a voice of its own in Europe. A reliable NATO ally that defends its interests through preparedness, strong diplomacy and a clear position,” he told supporters this week.

Exit poll results show Yotova with 3% to 4% ahead of Gyurov.

Presidents in Bulgaria are elected directly for a five-year term and can serve no more than two terms. While the post is primarily ceremonial, the direct election gives the president greater political authority. The president leads the armed forces and can veto legislation, signs international treaties and appoints ambassadors.

Became a familiar face as Lil’ Sweet in the Diet Dr. Pepper commercials.

Plus, he did voice-overs for Disney and performed on Broadway.

But for singer and songwriter Justin Guarini, the road to success was never a straight line.

Now, in his new chapter as an author, he’s drawing on 25 years of experience — the highs, lows and everything in between — to share his best tips for embracing your story and inspire confidence in his new book, “Center Stage Confidence.”

Sometimes, the fails lead you to a better path. All you have to do is own it and move forward.

When Guarini performed live on “Saturday Night Live,” he found out his record label dropped his album. Aspiring dreams do not always happen as planned, but Guarini didn’t let the moment stop him and welcomed unplanned opportunities.

According to Guarini, confidence is about trusting yourself — one of the points in his book. “When you feel the fear, you can make it into an ally,” Guarini says in his chat with “Houston Life” hosts Derrick Shore and Lauren Kelly.

“Center Stage Confidence” is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and major book outlets. For more information about his book, visit centerstageconfidence.com/home.

View this post on Instagram

For more of his tips and a look down memory lane — including behind-the-scenes footage of Lil’ Sweet — watch Guarini’s fun and inspirational conversation in the video above.

The operation, focused on the city of Hebron, the site of Friday's attack, came as Israel enters the final days before a tense election, which is largely seen as a referendum on current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and security policies during the past three years of war.

In new measures, the army said that most Palestinian workers with permits will not be allowed to enter Israeli West Bank settlements on Sunday and Monday, and crossings into Israel will remain closed until after Israel’s elections on Tuesday.

The military said it operated in more than 400 different locations over the weekend and arrested 40 Palestinians it claimed were affiliated with the Hamas or Islamic Jihad militant groups. No militant group has taken responsibility for the attack.

Thousands of Palestinians displaced from Hebron

The Hebron municipality said the operation displaced more than 2,600 people.

The military said that troops were conducting searches in the area where the gunmen operated, and warned residents to evacuate Deir Bahha, the suspected gunmen’s neighborhood. After Friday’s attack, Israel’s military said it found weapons in the gunmen’s car and that they were likely planning to attack Israeli civilians before being stopped at the checkpoint where the shootout erupted.

All entrances and exits to the city remained sealed, with the operation focused in Deir Bahha and another part of the city called Al-Jalda, according to Hebron Mayor Yousef Zuhair Al-Jabari.

“People cannot reach or enter the city, and they cannot leave it. The blockade has affected every aspect of life,” Al-Jabari said. He added that the blockade is forcing businesses to close and has also shuttered a mosque.

“The army told us that this area would be closed for 12 days. Now they’re saying 12 days, but maybe they’ll leave the area after two or three days,” said Shadi al-Qawasmi, a Hebron resident who was displaced with his family. “This may be because of the elections or some political matter. No one knows except God Almighty.”

The army declined to say how long the operation might last.

The operation forced some families to leave the city on foot. At some military gates, people passed sacks of flour and gas canisters through the gates, while an elderly man pushed his wife in a wheelchair through an opening beside one of them. Another family attempted to navigate the gate to access medical appointments.

Netanyahu vows a strong response as elections loom

Hebron municipal officials said families had been displaced from nearly 500 apartments in Deir Bahha and surrounding neighborhoods.

Six Israelis have been killed this year in attacks in the West Bank, which is experiencing a surge of violence. During the same period, 112 Palestinians have been killed, including the suspected gunmen, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The attack sparked outrage in Israel, with Netanyahu traveling to the attack site and vowing to respond forcefully. On Sunday, hundreds of mourners attended the funeral in Hod Hasharon of Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, one of the Israeli soldiers killed.

With the election approaching, Netanyahu is under pressure to demonstrate a strong show of force against Palestinian attackers to bolster his image for Israelis concerned with security.

Roughly 3 million Palestinians and 540,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, which Israel occupied in the 1967 Mideast war. Hebron is one of its most tense cities and the only place where Jewish settlers live in the heart of a densely populated Palestinian area under Israeli military protection. The international community overwhelmingly considers all Israeli settlements illegal.

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Associated Press writer Sam Metz in Hebron, West Bank, contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump, who said Friday that he was "the one that said do it,” is not trying to overturn state election results “in any way, shape or form” on the cusp of the Nov. 3 election, Blanche told CNN's “State of the Union.”

“We wish that we didn’t have to do this. We hope for a resolution that works,” Blanche said.

Republicans fear that a second candidate on the ballot who is named Dan Sullivan — a retired teacher and school administrator from the tiny fishing community of Petersburg — could siphon away votes from the senator and tip the outcome in favor of Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman.

A day after the lawsuit was filed on Thursday, Peltola called it “just flagrant, flagrant corruption in my opinion” and a diversion tactic by Republicans. Alaska’s other Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski, also criticized the lawsuit in a social media post.

Trump told reporters on Sunday that he believed the ballot was illegal because it was unfair and that Sen. Sullivan should be identified to voters as the sitting senator.

“At least let him use the name Sen. Dan Sullivan as opposed to incumbent, because a lot of people don’t know what incumbent means,” Trump said.

Alaskan voters will see “Dan S. Sullivan” identified as a “registered Republican” and “incumbent” on their ballots, while “Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.” will not have a party affiliation.

Blanche represented Trump as a personal attorney before the Republican president appointed him to lead the Department of Justice, which filed the lawsuit in Alaska. Blanche defended Trump in his election inference case before voters elected Trump to a second White House term, effectively ending the criminal prosecution.

Blanche told CNN host Dana Bash that it was “crazy” for her to ask him if Trump was trying to lay the groundwork for the same sort of election challenges that occurred before a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

“We are not doing anything improper. We’re not doing anything we’re not allowed to do. And we have to let the process play out," Blanche said. "But I do think it’s important for the American people to understand that we are not — (and) President Trump is not — trying to take over a state election in any way shape or form.”

The lawsuit, he told CBS' “Face the Nation,” is meant to “put guardrails in place” to preserve possible evidence of voter confusion at the polls.

“It’s not saying, ‘Don’t certify.’ It’s saying, ‘If a court ultimately determines that it was decided because of confusion and not the will of the voters, then we do not think the states should certify.’ And that’s consistent with federal law and consistent with even Alaskan law, if that happens,” he said.

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Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report.

Veteran guard Tiffany Hayes joined the starting five for the Valkyries on Saturday as they evened the best-of-seven series with a 67-62 win at Atlanta — and in 2015 it was veteran Andre Iguodala who delivered in his increased role against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers as the Warriors went on to capture their first championship in 40 years.

The 37-year-old Hayes knew her job. She came out of retirement two years ago for opportunities like this.

“Just to give it all I have, which is what I always do, but of course you’ve got to give a little more, so instead of 110 you’ve got to give 120," she said. "We’re all fighting, battling something, but at the end of the day, we’re here for each other, we do it for each other. I think we showed that today.”

In much the same scenario as the Valkyries and having won Game 1 at home, the Warriors were trailing 2-1 to the Cavs when Kerr turned to defensive star Iguodala to start Game 4 and the spot-on switch helped swing the NBA Finals. Golden State went on to win three straight and close the series in six games, and Iguodala won Finals MVP honors. Kerr used Iguodala again the next year in the Western Conference Finals against Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City.

The Valkyries will now come home for Game 5 on Monday night with that raucous “Ballhalla” crowd backing them against Angel Reese and the Dream. Many of those violet-clad, towel-waving fans packed Chase Center for a Game 4 watch party.

“Hey, get loud and get ready, show 'em what the crowd really do," Hayes said.

Then, Game 6 back in Georgia is scheduled for Thursday, with the location still to be determined. The past two games were played at the NBA Hawks' State Farm Arena and brought in 17,000 fans for each thanks to some schedule alterations, compromise and cooperation from both Atlanta franchises.

The Dream will try again to grab some momentum on the Valkyries' home court.

“We knew they were going to come out aggressive. We knew they were going to come out with a different mentality,” Reese said.

“... As long as we stay together and get back to our identity, we’ll be fine,” she said.

Nakase tightened her rotation to just seven playing significant minutes Saturday. Kaila Charles also moved into the starting five, while Nakase brought Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini off the bench to provide a spark and new look.

“I just wanted to change it up,” the coach said. “The best thing about our team is no one cares who starts, no one cares. People coming off the bench, it doesn't matter ... because we have a really selfless team, egoless team. So, yeah, I just wanted to change it, and you definitely saw some energy, better fight.”

Perhaps part of that fire came from Gabby Williams' viral postgame moment in a team huddle immediately following an embarrassing 97-71 defeat in Game 3 on Wednesday, which she described as “I think I’ve been a little bit too loose as a leader."

“So I just wanted to show my team something different because we need something different,” she said ahead of Saturday's game.

After the win, in which she had 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals, Williams said it served a dual purpose.

“I think it got me going,” she said. “I didn't like my last game, I didn't like who I was in that last game, so I think stepping up in that role made me step up also individually. If I want to lead my team, I have to have to be the one that sets the tone and I have to lead by example as well, so I think that motivated me to set the tempo today.”

The Valkyries trust everyone on this team to come through when it counts, no matter the role.

All year long, Nakase has referenced her players' love for one another, through any challenge.

“We’re about caring for each other,” she said. "We’re about pouring into each other, and I think what’s really big key is they want to see success in their teammates more than themselves.”

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Students in the center’s Automotive Technology program will work on customers’ vehicles under instructor supervision. Services include oil and filter changes, tire rotations and multipoint inspections.

The shop is designed to help students build practical skills and prepare for careers in the automotive industry. Through its Career and Technical Education programs, HISD also offers students opportunities to earn industry-recognized certifications before graduation.

A week after five of the top seven teams lost, three more top-10 teams went down Saturday to make it 10 in the last three weeks. Three teams ranked either No. 1 or 2 have lost to an unranked opponent over that span in what is shaping up to be the most topsy-turvy season since 2007.

Miami, Utah and UCLA are the only remaining unbeaten Bowl Subdivision teams, the fewest at this point in a season since there were three left in 1977, according to Sportradar.

Georgia moved up a spot to No. 3 after its open date, Indiana jumped two rungs to No. 4 after winning at Michigan in overtime and Notre Dame slipped a spot to No. 5 after being idle. Utah, UCLA, BYU, Kentucky and Alabama rounded out the top 10.

Miami routed Pitt 52-23 at home in its first game as the No. 1 team since 2002. The Hurricanes received 59 of the 70 first-place votes from the media voting panel, 19 more than a week ago. Ohio State got 10 first-place votes and Utah got one.

No. 6 Utah, which took sole possession of first place in the Big 12 Conference with its win over Houston, has its highest ranking in seven years and No. 7 UCLA has its highest in 11. No. 9 Kentucky has won six in a row and is in the top 10 for the first time since 2022. No. 10 Alabama avoided its first three-game losing streak since 2007 by beating Texas A&M and returned to the top 10.

In and out

In: No. 24 Oklahoma State bounced back from a close loss to Houston with a 57-24 win over Colorado and returned after a one-week absence.

In: No. 25 Wisconsin used a dominant defensive performance to beat Southern California 24-7 for its second ranked win of the season and first poll appearance since 2023.

Out: Iowa's 13-10 loss at Minnesota was the Hawkeyes' second in three games and left them unranked for the first time this season.

Out: Southern California, which against Wisconsin had its fewest yards and points in Lincoln Riley's five seasons, hadn't been out of the poll since Oct. 19, 2025.

Poll points

— The Big 12 matched its record with six ranked teams for the first time since Sept. 23, 2012. The Big 12 hadn't had more ranked teams than the Big Ten, which has five, since 2023.

— The 10 losses by top-10 teams over the last three weeks tie 2007 and 1959 as the most over a three-week span in poll history.

— UCLA and Kentucky are the biggest movers in recent weeks. The Bruins have jumped 19 spots over the last five polls and the Wildcats have moved up 17 in the last three.

Conference call

SEC (9 ranked teams): No. 3 Georgia, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 10 Alabama, No. 11 Texas, No. 12 Mississippi, No. 15 LSU, No. 16 Tennessee, No. 17 Florida, No. 23 Missouri.

Big 12 (6): No. 6 Utah, No. 8 BYU, No. 13 Texas Tech, No. 18 Houston, No. 22 Arizona, No. 24 Oklahoma State.

Big Ten (5): No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Indiana, No. 7 UCLA, No. 20 (tie) Northwestern, No. 25 Wisconsin.

ACC (3): No. 1 Miami, No. 14 Wake Forest, No. 19 SMU.

Pac-12 (1): No. 20 (tie) Boise State.

Independent (1): No. 5 Notre Dame.

Ranked vs. ranked

No. 17 Florida vs. No. 3 Georgia, at Atlanta: Georgia has won five straight and eight of the last nine games in the series. Gators are going for a third win over a top-10 opponent.

No. 22 Arizona at No. 13 Texas Tech: Wildcats take a five-game winning streak and College Football Playoff hopes to Lubbock, where they haven't won since 1935.

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This story has been corrected to show that Lincoln Riley, not Lane Kiffin, coaches Southern California.

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He couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning Saturday night against a Milwaukee Brewers lineup that specializes in driving up pitch counts and grinding starters into submission.

“They put together good at-bats,” Rasmussen said after the Rays lost 5-4 to the Brewers in Game 2 of the World Series. “Kudos to them. They fouled off some really good pitches. They took some really quality pitches. They just fought, they scrapped and they just put pitches in play.”

Tampa Bay’s inability to protect an early 4-0 lead caused the Rays to fall behind 2-0 in this World Series featuring two franchises seeking their first championship. Rasmussen gave up three runs in 3 2/3 innings, his shortest start since lasting just 2 1/3 innings in a 12-4 loss to the New York Yankees on July 9.

The Rays scored four runs in the first against Milwaukee rookie Logan Henderson. That lead seemed pretty secure, considering Rasmussen entered the World Series having allowed three runs in 21 playoff innings against the Yankees and Cleveland Guardians.

Milwaukee’s lineup proved tougher to solve.

“I thought early on my command wasn’t very good,” Rasmussen said. “I felt like I was falling behind far too often to expect good results. And then from there, they found themselves in some hitters’ counts and were able to find holes.”

Rasmussen also didn’t get much help from his defense.

Jackson Chourio and Jake Bauers opened the bottom of the first with consecutive singles to put runners on the corners. After Christian Yelich struck out swinging, William Contreras hit a high foul pop that went off the glove of first baseman Jonathan Aranda as he positioned himself near the netting in front of the stands.

Given new life, Contreras singled home Chourio. Garrett Mitchell added an RBI single later in the inning to cut Milwaukee’s deficit to 4-2.

“There’s a lot of respect there,” Mitchell said. “We know how great of a pitcher he is. … For us, it’s chipping one at-bat after another, passing it from one guy to the next, because it’s not going to be done in one pitch or one swing. It’s going to be quality at-bat after quality at-bat and kind of just trying to get his pitch count up.”

Even when Rasmussen retired the side in order in the second, Milwaukee took something out of him. Chourio ended that inning by grounding out on an 11-pitch plate appearance.

In the fourth, Rasmussen walked Cooper Pratt, who scored from third when David Hamilton’s RBI grounder to first went through Aranda’s legs for an error. Rasmussen left after issuing a two-out walk to Bauers on his 89th pitch.

Tampa Bay still led 4-3 when Rasmussen left the game, but the Rays made too many mistakes to stay in front.

Liam Hicks got thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on Victor Mesa Jr.’s sixth-inning single to shallow left field. Rays reliever Ian Seymour allowed Milwaukee to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth on a solo shot by Sal Frelick, whose last regular-season homer had come on July 11. Yandy Díaz, who has gone 0 for 9 the last two games, ended this one by striking out to strand the potential tying run at third.

Rays third baseman Junior Caminero screamed in the dugout after Milwaukee had rallied to tie the game.

“Just trying to create some energy and get some life back into us,” Caminero said through an interpreter.

The Rays still have some life left in them, but they blew a golden opportunity to even this series with a four-run lead and their ace on the mound. They understand what’s at stake as the series heads to Tampa Bay.

“Obviously, we’re excited to head back home,” said Rasmussen, who went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA during the regular season. “I mean, it would be really nice to have won today. Our offense, I would say they’re pretty confident when they spot our pitching staff a four-run lead, that we’re going to go ahead and get the job done.”

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

The Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim-directed “You Can See Everything” increased from 855 locations to 2,655. In expansion, it continued to blow away expectations. With $45.1 million in two weeks, it already ranks among the highest grossing documentaries ever.

“You Can See Everything” has turned into a sensation partly by drawing waves of Gen Z moviegoers. Its awards season prospects are also growing. If “You Can See Everything” is nominated for best picture at the Oscars, it would be the first documentary nominated for Hollywood's top prize.

“A24 invested a reported $7 million in an interesting but complicated idea without a beginning, middle or end, that’s turned into a zeitgeist film about money, dreams, truth and reality,” said David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe.

‘Clayface’ succeeds on a smaller scale for DC

In 3,458 theaters, Warner Bros.’ “Clayface” narrowly edged the A24 release for first place. That’s a solid start for the Gotham City villain tale and the third theatrical release for DC under the stewardship of James Gunn and Peter Safran. A bid to meld body horror with a comic book movie, it stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, a rising movie star who undergoes an experimental facial surgery after a mob boss disfigures him.

While such an opening would have been a flop for most superhero films, “Clayface” was budgeted at only $44 million — a fraction of the expense of most comic book films. It added $19 million internationally.

That was enough to offer some stability, and assured profitability, to DC Studios following the disappointment of “Supergirl.” Earlier this year, that film grossed just $126 million worldwide on a $170 million production budget.

Audiences gave “Clayface” an “A-” CinemaScore, a high grade for a horror release. Reviews were also largely good. The competition for horror audiences can be fierce in October, but “Clayface” may end up the top genre draw of the month.

“Clayface is a great example of studios taking chances, with DC venturing into R-rated horror and body horror, something that’s certainly not your typical comic book movie,” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak.

Last weekend’s top film, the video game adaptation “Street Fighter,” sank like a stone, dropping 72% with $8.6 million in its second weekend. The Paramount Pictures release, made for about $80 million, has grossed $46.9 million domestically in two weeks.

‘Wildwood’ and ‘Wicker’ make strong starts

“Wildwood,” the latest stop-motion animated film from the Portland, Oregon-based studio Laika, debuted in third place with $11.8 million in 2,779 locations. The film, directed by Laika chief executive Travis Knight, rode excellent reviews and strong audience scores (an “A” CinemaScore) to a notable improvement over the studio’s previous release: 2019’s “The Missing Link” (a $5.9 million opening).

But “Wildwood” is still unlikely to generate a profit, given that it cost $100 million to make. The PG-13 fantasy follows a teenage girl who enters an enchanted forest to find her abducted baby brother.

“Wicker,” a comic fable starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård, launched with an excellent $5.8 million in 1,471 theaters. Acquired for $2.5 million out of Sundance by Black Bear Pictures, the well-reviewed “Wicker” is a quirky love story about a fisherwoman (Colman) who has the local basket maker weave her a husband (Skarsgård).

The weekend’s other new releases were either hard to find or little seen.

Taika Waititi’s critically panned “Klara and the Sun,” adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, made just $725,000 at 880 theaters for Sony Pictures.

Amazon MGM opted not to even report grosses for Sacha Baron Cohen's poorly received mockumentary “Ali G: Who Iz I?”

Though Cohen took the rare step of conducting numerous interviews as himself, and not in character, “Ali G: Who Iz I?” was almost absent on its opening weekend. The film's theatrical footprint was shrunk considerably as Cohen faced backlash in the U.K. over cultural appropriation and racial caricatures.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:

1. “Clayface,” $24 million.

2. “You Can See Everything,” $19.5 million.

3. “Wildwood,” $11.8 million.

4. “Street Fighter,” $8.6 million.

5. “Wicker,” $5.8 million.

6. “Other Mommy,” $3.9 million.

7. “Sense and Sensibility,” $3.4 million.

8. “Whalefall,” $3.2 million.

9. “Verity,” $3.1 million.

10. “Resident Evil,” $3 million.

Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said long-standing restrictions on the civilian system in Ukraine made such offensive use impossible.

“It’s very strange that Elon Musk doesn’t know about the restrictions on Starlink’s operation in Ukraine,” he wrote in an online post.

SpaceX’s Starlink and its military-focused Starshield service are critical to Ukraine’s wartime connectivity. Earlier this month, Ukrainian drones connected to Starshield lost connectivity at high speeds, disrupting air defenses during daily Russian air attacks. Officials said the so-called speed caps were lifted on Saturday, and the service was restored.

Still, questions have persisted about who ordered the interruptions to satellite internet system that Kyiv has relied on for years to counter Moscow’s attacks.

Writing on Telegram, Beskrestnov said that drones operated via the civilian Starlink system had a speed restriction of 70–90 kmh (43-56 mph) within Ukraine and did not work in Russia.

“Therefore, we physically cannot use commercial Starlink for deep strikes or medium-range strikes,” he said.

Musk acknowledged on Saturday that SpaceX had throttled Starlink in Ukraine.

“Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be,” Musk wrote. “Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week.”

But he maintained that the U.S. government controlled whatever changes happened with Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink that is the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations and communication. U.S. President Donald Trump has maintained that he didn't make that call, while Vice President JD Vance has hinted at White House coordination with Musk.

Restrictions imposed last week on Starshield alarmed the Ukrainian military and government officials, with commanders reporting lost drones and disrupted missions. They also added to tensions between Kyiv and Washington, a relationship already strained by Trump’s reported deal with Moscow to import diesel from Russia that Ukraine viewed as a betrayal.

The US is making new efforts to end the war

The restoration of Starlink service followed a new U.S. diplomatic push to end the war. Russia agreed Wednesday to resume three-way negotiations with Washington and Kyiv next month. On Friday, Kyiv and Moscow also agreed to a localized ceasefire brokered by first lady Melania Trump around Oleshky, a war-ravaged, Russian-occupied town in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy on Sunday said Russia had launched nearly 2,300 drones targeting Ukrainian cities over the past week, renewing his call on Western allies to speed up deliveries of interceptors.

“This week alone, Russia has launched about 1,600 guided bombs, 48 missiles of various types, including ballistic missiles, and almost 2,300 strike drones at Ukraine,” Zelenskyy wrote in an online post.

He said the attacks — many of them deadly — had affected nine regions of the country, damaging power plants, grain stores, civilian homes and commercial facilities.

More civilian deaths in Ukraine and Russia

Russia launched more than 20 attacks on Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region overnight into Sunday, using drones and an aerial bomb, according to local authorities. Three people died at the scene and a fourth man later died in hospital, regional military administration head Oleksandr Hanzha reported, while over a dozen people were injured.

In Vinnytsia, a city in central Ukraine, at least six people were injured when a Russian drone struck a residential building, according to the state emergency service. The attack also damaged a nearby care home, with emergency crews evacuating 15 elderly residents, the service said.

Also according to the emergency service, consecutive Russian strikes on a shopping center in Kharkiv injured four people late on Saturday, including three rescue workers. Ukraine has long accused Russia of so-called double-tap strikes, in which an initial attack is followed by another once rescuers arrive on the scene.

Russia's Defense Ministry on Sunday claimed its forces targeted multiple sites in and around Kharkiv, including a shopping and logistics center, that it said had stored dual-use goods meant for the Ukrainian military.

In Russia, two people were killed and 13 others injured in Belgorod, a city 40 km (25 miles) from the Ukrainian border, following “mass” nighttime drone strikes by Kyiv, regional Gov. Alexander Shuvayev reported on Sunday.

In the Russian city of Oryol, body of a fourth victim was pulled from the rubble the day after a Ukrainian strike on an industrial plant, local Gov. Andrey Klychkov reported. On Saturday, local authorities said three people had been killed in the attack.

Ukraine's General Staff that day said its forces hit an electronics plant in Oryol that makes components for the cruise and ballistic missiles Russia fires at Ukrainian cities.

Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints fans mingled around the Stade de France before kickoff, with a visible but discreet police presence at the national stadium as about 76,000 fans attended the sold-out game.

The Steelers won 16-10 amid a festive atmosphere, including some live music and fan participation.

Special occasion

It was the Moore family's first-ever trip to the city. All four wore Saints tops with “The Moore Family in Paris” written on the back.

“We're celebrating our dad's 70th birthday, so we're very excited to come to the first-ever NFL game in Paris,” Alicia Moore told The Associated Press outside the stadium.

She hopes to see more NFL games in France in the future.

“I think it's amazing that we're bringing our culture over here,” she said.

Security issues in France have dominated the media in recent days, but this was not weighing too much on their minds.

“At the game, no. In the city, some,” said A'ndrea Moore, adding that they celebrated Billy Moore's 70th with a nice meal in Paris, but that “the jury's still out on the bill.”

They arrived on Wednesday: A'ndrea and Billy coming from Mississippi; Deborah from Tennessee and Alicia from Texas.

Clint and Rachel Rushing, both decked out in matching black, gold and white Santa Claus outfits, made the trek from Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

“Came all this way to Paris just for a game,” Clint told the AP.

He joked he should be renamed “Saint-a Claus" because of his eye-catching outfit in the Saints colors, which made several fans stop and turn to take a closer look — and photo.

“Paris has been wonderful, we've really enjoyed Paris,” Rachel added. “We’ve not had any issues.”

Friendly fans

Since the stadium is north of Paris and not realistically a walkable distance from the city center, transport is required via a short train ride from Gare de Lyon, Gare du Nord or Châtelet, or by subway.

As fans drifted out of the local train station at Saint-Denis, the mood was relaxed as they walked together under largely blue skies.

Once they arrived at the stadium, searches were carried out, customary before any match played here. A sniffer dog patrolled the area once fans were inside the stadium gates.

Sombre Saturday

About 70,000 officers were deployed nationwide on Saturday, along with helicopters, armored vehicles and water cannons. Gendarmes were stationed beneath the Arc de Triomphe, while major museums like the Louvre and Grand Palais were closed.

“NFL House” was shut in Paris on Saturday as the city awaited street protests and the soccer game between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon was postponed at the police's request.

Shopkeepers boarded up windows while others opened temporarily and endured a nervous Saturday afternoon, after around 3,000 shops were damaged or looted last weekend. Some 550,000 people marched across France in protest against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.

France's worst civil unrest for years saw city halls, public buildings and thousands of businesses nationwide impacted.

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

“Every time I have communicated with someone from the Public Works Department, it feels like a dead end and nobody will help,” Katarina Barbosa wrote in an email to KPRC 2.

Julie, a Maplewood South resident, posted on Nextdoor that her water bill had more than doubled since June, reaching between $450 and $475 a month for two people.

These complaints are why ENOUGH continues to investigate equipment, billing and customer service problems at the Houston Water Department.

Previous investigation found hundreds of customers billed for water they didn’t use

In March, ENOUGH’s Amy Davis reported that nearly 700 customers were billed for water they never used because the city installed incorrect equipment on their water meters.

Customers reported bills of hundreds of dollars, including one customer who received a $683 bill.

Houston Public Works Director Randy Macchi told KPRC 2 that a manufacturer sent the wrong equipment in a large order at the end of 2022. Much of it was installed in 2024.

Macchi said the wrong meter registers were not compatible with the meters, causing them to record water usage faster or slower than what customers actually used.

The department identified 637 meters with incorrect registers and said it replaced all of them by the end of March.

Houston homeowner tests his own water meter

In August, Energy Corridor homeowner Edgar Zavala contacted the water department after receiving unusually high bills. His July bill was $479, followed by an $820 bill in August.

Zavala said the city reported that he had used 27,000 gallons of water in one month, even though he and his wife were staying elsewhere while their house was on the market.

After the city told him it could take up to 30 days for someone to check his meter, Zavala decided to test it himself using a five-gallon bucket.

He made sure there was no water running inside his house. He recorded the number on his meter in the water meter box. Then he filled the five-gallon bucket. When he checked the meter afterward, it had registered 22 gallons — more than four times the amount of water he used.

Zavala shared his findings with KPRC 2 and water customer service. He wanted the city to have the information before they sent someone to his home. No one from the city responded to Zavala’s email.

About a week and a half later, a Houston Public Works employee stopped by his home. Zavala said the employee focused on finding a leak, not checking the meter’s accuracy. During a phone call, Zavala said the employee told him he was not part of the department responsible for meter accuracy.

After Amy Davis contacted Macchi and showed him video of the test, a city crew returned to Zavala’s home that same day and replaced the meter register. The register was not the correct one for his meter.

Zavala did have a small leak in his meter box, which he fixed while the crew was there. However, that leak would not have accounted for 27,000 gallons of water, according to the investigation.

The city credited Zavala’s account $872. But the letter explaining the adjustment did not tell him that the wrong equipment had caused his high bills. Zavala said he received no clear explanation of what the city had done or why.

City calls case isolated

Davis asked Macchi how many other meter registers had been installed by the same contractor on the day Zavala’s register was installed.

Macchi said the contractor installed six others on the route that day and the city had checked them, confirming the installations were correct. He called Zavala’s case isolated.

Macchi declined to speak on camera for the follow-up investigation.

Davis said the case raises questions about whether all incorrectly installed equipment has been found and why customers continue to have difficulty getting help when they report potential problems.

KPRC 2 contacts customers about refunds and notifications

KPRC 2 had only the addresses of the 637 customers identified as having incorrect meter registers, so the team mailed letters asking whether the city had notified them and whether they had received a refund or credit.

Of the 44 responses received so far, 25 customers said they had not heard from the city and had not received a refund or credit.

Davis said the team is continuing to follow up with those customers. KPRC 2 also sent their information to Macchi and asked him to review the accounts and explain why the customers had not heard from the water department.

How to test your water meter

If you are concerned that your Houston water bill is unusually high, a five-gallon bucket test may help you document a possible discrepancy.

KPRC 2 encourages customers who try the test to record it and share their findings with the ENOUGH TEAM.

ENOUGH will continue following the results and seeking answers about inaccurate bills, customer communication and whether affected customers received refunds or credits.

Related: How to check your water meter

A driver traveling the wrong way crashed head-on into a Chevrolet Suburban. The Suburban’s driver was taken to Ben Taub Hospital in critical condition. Police said they saw no signs of impairment.

Investigators have not determined where the wrong-way driver entered the freeway. He was the only person in his vehicle, police said. Responding personnel arrived and pronounced the wrong-way driver deceased on scene.

• Video shows vehicle crashing into Montgomery County patrol car on I-45 during traffic stop

While officers blocked the roadway, another truck hit two patrol vehicles. Officers were outside the vehicles, and no one was injured. The truck’s driver showed no signs of impairment but told officers he had not been paying attention.

HPD is handling the investigation.

Officers were dispatched at about 2:39 a.m. to the 9000 block of Humble Westfield Road, near McKnight Lane.

Police said the man was a DJ and was leaving a party. Houston Fire Department personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.

• Deadly shooting at Houston party rental raises questions about city oversight

Investigators said the driver was ejected and appeared not to have been wearing a seat belt.

Police have not released the name or other identifying information of the victim.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the World Cup season-opener on the Rettenbach glacier on Sunday to extend his winning streak in the discipline to four races, a streak that began with his gold at last season’s Milan Cortina Games.

The Norwegian-born Pinheiro Braathen added to his first-run advantage and finished nearly a half-second ahead of the two Swiss skiers who completed the podium.

“I didn’t want to hesitate," Pinheiro Braathen said. "I knew what I had in me, and I’m so, so proud to put it out there.”

Olympic slalom champion Loic Meillard finished second, 0.48 seconds behind, and five-time defending overall champion Marco Odermatt came third, 0.49 back.

American racer River Radamus moved up from 15th after the first run to finish fourth, 0.82 behind.

After his second run, Pinheiro Braathen held his arms out wide in celebration and yelled toward the crowd, which featured a small group of spectators waving Brazilian flags.

Also celebrating in the finish area was Isadora Cruz, the Brazilian actress who is Pinheiro Braathen’s girlfriend.

The course was shortened due to strong winds on the upper portion of the Rettenbach glacier and the race was held in flat light.

Pinheiro Braathen is unbeaten in giant slalom since his Olympic breakthrough, having also won the final two World Cup GS races last season to seal the season-long discipline title. He switched nationalities two years ago to represent his mother’s home country.

“There was a lot of pressure on my shoulders today,” Pinheiro Braathen said. “But pressure is privilege and I was able to capitalize on that. What a relief to be able to open the show in this way.”

Pineheiro Braathen's slalom victory in Levi, Finland, nearly a year ago was Brazil's first World Cup victory in Alpine skiing. He now has nine career World Cup wins — including four since he started representing Brazil.

Atle Lie McGrath stood fifth after the first run but lost control early in his second run.

Marco Schwarz lost control shortly into the opening run and went through a gate.

On Saturday, Paula Moltzan claimed her first career World Cup victory in the women’s opener; while Mikaela Shiffrin finished seventh.

___

See AP’s full Alpine skiing coverage here

Now with the Philadelphia 76ers after an offseason trade, Brown didn't quite seem ready to call a truce with Tatum.

“There's no beef,” Brown said after the 76ers beat Milwaukee 127-116 on Saturday night. “There might be a little lamb chops and some gravy. He should stay ready at all times."

Tatum started the postgame back-and-forth after the Celtics beat the Knicks a night earlier.

Brown posted a social media response that took issue with Tatum saying in a video on his YouTube channel that he was “just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world” by Brown’s trade to the Philadelphia.

Brown responded on his Instagram account with a baseball cap emoji. “Cap” is slang for something that is not true. Asked if he had any response, Tatum sighed before expressing his frustrations with the entire situation for several minutes:

“I don’t have any animosity or beef, or ill will towards him. I think the toughest part is since he’s not on the Celtics anymore, the narrative or the conversations haven’t been enough about what we accomplished — all the games we won, winning a championship, how we’ve grown together. It’s turned into this drama type of thing."

Brown said he had no plans to talk to Tatum ahead of Boston’s first visit to Philadelphia this season on Nov. 10.

“We’ve both got so much stuff in front of us,” Brown said.

Brown added: “Jayson comes from a wonderful family. We accomplished some great things. He’s a hell of a basketball player. He’s got a great PR team.”

Both players have spoken glowingly at times about how they grew and thrived together during their nine years together as teammates.

But it’s morphed into something else since the Celtics chose Tatum as the player they want to build around after trading Brown in what amounted to a move to cut one of the two players with $300 million contracts from the payroll.

Brown celebrated his 30th birthday on Saturday with 27 points that included a late 3-pointer on a pass from Joel Embiid that gave the All-Star center a triple-double. Embiid had 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists and went 12 of 14 from the free-throw line.

“I’m still getting used to the guys; where my spots are,” Brown said. “As I get more and more comfortable, I’ll be able to make more plays for myself and others.”

Philadelphia is 3-0, with its first two wins over the NBA champion Knicks and Eastern Conference finalist Cleveland Cavaliers.

Brown was serenaded with an off-key version of “Happy Birthday” by rookie Labaron Philon Jr. earlier in the day at shootaround. Sixers fans broke into their rendition of the song in the first half with Brown at the free-throw line.

There just might be more on the menu than birthday cake.

“No beef,” Brown said. “It should never, ever be that. It’s just basketball. We’re both blessed. It might be a little lamb chop. We’re all right.”

___

See AP’s full NBA coverage here

The elevator dinged open. A year ago in this building, surgeons removed Banda’s right breast, and she still didn't know whether treatment had expunged the cancer from her body. Doctors had told her it would be tough to beat.

“I’m more of a positive person myself,” Banda said, now sitting with a white wristband in a dim waiting room. But the bills are harder to dismiss, and the single mother with six children in her care repeated something like a mantra. “Keep the house. Keep the cars. And just keep the kids stable.”

That’s true for many Americans, as rising healthcare costs leave more families with a sinking feeling after seeing the bill for surgery or medication. Heading into the Nov. 3 midterm elections, about half of registered voters said healthcare costs are a major problem for them and their families, up from a little more than one-third four years ago, according to a Fox News poll from September.

With party control of Congress at stake, registered voters are nearly twice as likely to say they trust Democrats over Republicans to handle healthcare, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll from the same month. Those frustrations, combined with broader concerns over rising prices, have sapped support for President Donald Trump and his Republican Party.

Banda knows how that feels. She backed Trump in each of his three campaigns, motivated by her opposition to abortion. But when cancer came, the ensuing scramble to make ends meet was painful enough to rearrange her priorities, and she started to think about voting Democratic for the first time.

The 46-year-old was ushered into a sterile room for her appointment, her phone lit up with a text. “Please contact TD Auto Finance.”

“This one’s $1,300,” she said of the car payment bill. “I have to go back to work.”

She had been on sick leave from her job selling internet service for one year, and she needed the income to support her three kids and three more she had taken in after her sister's death.

The doctor said her reconstruction surgery could be scheduled early next year. “I was hoping for maybe December,” Banda said, “only because I've met my deductibles.” Come January, she would have to pay down the $7,500 again. Earlier may be possible, the doctor replied, if the skin around her surgical scar loosens.

The evening had cooled slightly by the time she walked back through the rows of parked cars, their ebb and flow marking the tide of sickness, survival and death in a small corner of a colossal healthcare industry that saves lives while taking in over $5 trillion every year.

Banda paid $8 for parking as she left.

Confronting death and debt in America before a midterm election

Two weeks later, Banda was back at work, making door-to-door rounds to sell Spectrum's Wi-Fi in McAllen, her city along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley. Banda, holding blue flyers, walked along a row of storefronts, some that shuttered since she last was in the area.

She hadn't had a sale and commission since October of last year, after the biopsy and diagnosis.

The doctor who gave her the news had hugged Banda, and she sobbed even though she never really sobs in front of other people. During chemo, her children took turns buzzing off her wispy hair. When her 9-year-old daughter's hand quivered, a teenage cousin helped guide the clipper over her mother’s scalp.

Banda’s first impulse was to maintain normalcy, stability, for the children.

But that requires roughly $7,000 a month for utilities, mortgage, car payments and groceries, along with the two water leaks. Then, even with insurance through her job, the surgeries, chemo and radiation added up to over $25,000 that she's been paying off, making Banda one of tens of millions of other people in the United States in medical debt.

Banda tries not to dwell on death and debt.

“It’ll consume you,” she says. She smothers those thoughts beneath her bubbly demeanor and avoids being alone. But that truce, between her insistence on positivity and the fears that it covers, is brittle.

Certain thoughts still arrive uninvited. Banda’s late sister, Melissa, didn’t have life insurance. Banda makes sure it's a payment she never misses.

“Sometimes I think, and I shouldn’t think like this, but I’m worth more gone than here,” she said one day. “Obviously, the goal is not that, the goal is to beat it,” she continued, “to keep the house and keep the cars.”

So far she has, with the help of others.

On top of child support, the father of Banda's 9-year-old often pays $400 a week for a nanny to help with the kids. Banda’s own father sent her $700 before for her recent Houston appointment, one of his many cash infusions. Her high school classmates, who she hadn’t been in close touch with in decades, fundraised by selling grilled chicken, rice and beans from a roadside tent. Two GoFundMe fundraisers raised nearly $30,000 and Banda rented her late sister’s house while putting her own in forbearance.

But months of insecurity takes its own, sleepless toll. She needed to sell some internet services to catch up.

After sticking the Spectrum Wi-Fi flyers onto empty storefronts, she drove to pick up her kids from school. The following day she had a morning meeting at a barbershop for what would be her first sale back at work.

Turning on Trump and voting Democratic for the first time

A lifelong Christian, Banda had voted her anti-abortion stance in past elections. When her sister was kidnapped and murdered by her ex-husband in 2020, Banda retreated from religion. The cancer brought her back to church with an apology to God, but it also made her rethink her politics.

She voted for Trump in 2016, and his first four years seemed steady, so she voted for him again in 2020. Democratic President Joe Biden's tenure, including the tail end of a global pandemic and rising inflation, felt like bedlam, so she voted for Trump to return to the White House in 2024.

But two years later and fighting an expensive disease, she had found no respite from high prices.

So when James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminary student running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat, visited one of Banda’s fundraisers — speaking about his diabetes and his work in the Texas Statehouse to lower the price of insulin — it moved her. “Imagine if he can do that for the cancer,” she said.

Talarico and his Republican opponent, state Attorney General Ken Paxton, have different approaches to healthcare. Talarico wants all Americans to be able to join Medicare; Paxton proposed a $25,000 tax deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Talarico also supports a law guaranteeing abortion access nationwide, which Banda has voted against for years. But after she slid into debt to stay alive, after her grocery bills mounted and the high school had to comp the kids' soccer gear she couldn't afford, Banda’s anti-abortion concerns have been superseded by costs.

“Because it’s what I’m living,” she said. “I'm living it."

Banda cast an early ballot for Talarico. “Never voted Democrat before today!!” she wrote in a text with blue heart emoji.

Her news will come on Election Day, in a doctor's office

Banda had just started a new cancer-targeting medication that cost $16,000 a month, reduced to $500 by insurance. By the afternoon, she was nauseous and fatigued, unable to eat. The malaise would keep her home the next day. She would miss the meeting with the barbershop to close her first deal since getting sick, though she felt confident it was in the bag.

But Banda pushed through the discomfort one evening to join her family as they replaced the flowers at her sister's tomb.

She drove past the headstones and oak trees in the evening’s slanting light, and the family gathered around Melissa Banda's tomb in an open-air mausoleum. There was no speech. Their eulogy was her father, Fidel Banda, methodically clipping and arranging the flowers for his daughter.

Banda walked along the wall of tombs. She will find out on Election Day whether the cancer is in remission or whether it's spread to her organs.

“This one’s for me,” she said, pointing to a blank tomb next to her sister's.

“Mom!” said her daughter with the huffiness of a 9-year-old. “Why would you say that?”

Banda smiled and added, “in a hundred years."

The crash happened early Saturday in the 14000 block of I-45, where deputies were investigating a suspected impaired driver. A second deputy had arrived in a marked patrol vehicle with its emergency lights on. He was beginning to get out when the passing vehicle hit the patrol car, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators tracked down the vehicle at its registered address, where they found damage they said was consistent with the collision. The sheriff’s office identified the owner, 33-year-old Elizabeth Perez, as the suspected driver.

Perez was arrested on charges of felony failure to stop and render aid, passing an emergency vehicle and causing bodily injury, and driving while intoxicated. The driver who had been stopped before the crash, 24-year-old Jacob Zamora, was also arrested on a DWI charge. Both were booked into the Montgomery County Jail.

• DJ killed after car rolls into ditch in northeast Houston

The incident renewed Sheriff Wesley Doolittle’s call for drivers to give roadside responders space. Under Texas’ Move Over or Slow Down law, motorists approaching a stopped emergency vehicle with its lights on must move out of the nearest lane when safe. If they cannot, they must slow to 20 mph below the posted speed limit.

The sheriff’s office also pointed to Deputy Erika Serrato’s line-of-duty death earlier this year, saying the latest crash highlights the dangers deputies face while working on roadways.

Friday, October 23, was the final day for county election offices to receive applications for a regular ballot by mail. Texas law generally requires voters to meet specific eligibility requirements to vote by mail, including being 65 or older, having a qualifying sickness or disability, or expecting to be outside their home county during the voting period.

While most voters who missed the deadline will need to cast their ballots in person, Texas has several lesser-known emergency voting procedures designed to accommodate people facing unexpected circumstances.

Here’s what voters should know about the options still available, who qualifies and the deadlines to keep in mind.

What if you suddenly become sick or disabled?

Voters who develop a qualifying illness or physical disability after the regular mail-in ballot application period may be eligible for an emergency early voting ballot.

Under Texas law, the condition must have originated on or after Thursday, October 22, 2026, and prevent the voter from appearing at a polling place without the likelihood of needing personal assistance or injuring their health.

• More info on the Emergency Ballot due to Sickness or Physical Disability

Unlike a regular mail-in ballot, this emergency voting process allows an eligible voter to designate a representative to deliver the application, obtain the ballot and return the completed ballot to the county’s early voting clerk.

The application requires certification from a licensed or accredited physician confirming the condition and when it began.

The designated representative must meet certain requirements, including being at least 18 years old and not having already served as a representative for another voter in the election.

The deadline to submit an emergency ballot application is 5 p.m. on Election Day, November 3. The completed ballot must be returned by 7 p.m. that day.

This option is specifically intended for newly developed medical circumstances. Having an existing illness or disability does not automatically qualify someone for an emergency ballot if they simply missed the regular application deadline.

What if there’s a death in your family?

Texas also provides an emergency voting procedure for people who must leave their county because of a death in their immediate family.

To qualify, the death must occur on or after Thursday, October 29, 2026, and require the voter to be outside their county of residence on Election Day.

The law limits eligibility to relatives within the second degree by blood or marriage. This includes parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren and certain relatives by marriage.

Eligible voters may apply for an emergency ballot beginning Saturday, October 31, through the close of business on Monday, November 2.

Unlike the emergency medical ballot procedure, this option requires the voter to appear in person at the main early voting polling place, submit the emergency application and complete the voting process with the early voting clerk.

The procedure is particularly important for voters who unexpectedly need to travel after regular early voting ends.

What if you’re in the military or living overseas?

Military personnel and certain U.S. citizens living overseas have special voting procedures under federal and Texas law.

Eligible voters can use a Federal Post Card Application, or FPCA, to request an absentee ballot. The process is available to qualifying service members, their spouses and dependents, and U.S. citizens living temporarily or permanently outside the United States.

However, the FPCA application deadline for the November 3 election was also Friday, October 23.

That means military and overseas voters who have not submitted an application generally cannot begin a new request through the FPCA process after that deadline.

There is still an important distinction for voters who applied on time but have not received their ballots.

Eligible military and overseas voters may be able to use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot, or FWAB, as a backup when their requested ballot has not arrived in time.

The FWAB is not a general replacement for a missed application deadline. Voters must meet the applicable eligibility and application requirements.

Military and overseas voters may also qualify for extended ballot return deadlines, depending on their circumstances.

What if you already applied for a mail-in ballot but haven’t received it?

Voters who submitted their applications before the October 23 deadline should not assume they’ve missed their opportunity to vote by mail.

The October 23 deadline applied to requests for mail-in ballots, not the return of completed ballots.

For most domestic voters, completed mail-in ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day. However, ballots postmarked by 7 p.m. November 3 can still be counted if received by 5 p.m. Wednesday, November 4.

Different deadlines apply to certain military and overseas voters.

Voters can check the status of their applications and ballots through the state’s Ballot by Mail Tracker.

If a ballot hasn’t arrived, voters should contact their county’s early voting clerk to determine whether a ballot was issued and what options remain.

Can you still vote if you’re hospitalized?

Potentially, but eligibility depends on when the medical condition developed.

A voter who becomes hospitalized because of a qualifying illness or physical disability that began on or after October 22 may qualify for the emergency ballot procedure described above.

Hospitalization alone does not automatically qualify someone for a late ballot application. The condition must meet the state’s medical eligibility requirements, and the required physician certification must be completed.

Patients who were already hospitalized or living with a disability before the emergency eligibility period began may face different circumstances if they did not submit a regular mail-in ballot application.

Those voters should contact their county elections office as soon as possible to determine whether another lawful voting accommodation is available.

Can you still vote in person?

Yes. For registered voters who do not qualify for an emergency voting procedure, voting in person remains the primary alternative.

Early voting continues through Friday, October 30, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.

Texas voters can generally vote at an authorized early voting location in their county of registration. Election Day voting locations depend on the county’s voting system.

• Moved recently? You may still be able to vote in Texas with a limited ballot

Voters with disabilities may also request assistance or accommodations at polling locations. Those who cannot physically enter a polling place may qualify for curbside voting.

More information about accessible voting is available through VoteTexas.gov.

What should you do if you missed the deadline?

The most important step is determining whether you qualify for one of the state’s exceptions rather than assuming every mail-in voting option has closed.

Voters facing a newly developed medical condition, an unexpected death in the family or complications with a previously requested ballot should contact their county elections office immediately.

Because each emergency voting procedure has its own eligibility requirements, documentation and deadlines, waiting until Election Day could make completing the process more difficult.

Voters can find their local election office through the Texas Secretary of State’s county election office directory.

Under Texas election law, eligible voters who moved from one county to another can cast what’s known as a limited ballot, allowing them to participate in certain races even if their registration still reflects their previous address.

However, not everyone qualifies, and voters have a limited window to take advantage of the option before the November 3 election.

Here’s what you need to know.

What is a limited ballot?

A limited ballot allows registered Texas voters who recently moved to a different county to vote in statewide elections and certain district races shared by their former and current addresses.

For example, someone who moved from Galveston County to Harris County but hasn’t updated their voter registration may still be eligible to vote in statewide races, including governor and U.S. Senate.

However, they would not be eligible to vote in county-specific races, such as county judge or county commissioner.

Depending on where they previously lived and where they live now, voters may also qualify to vote in certain congressional or state legislative races if both addresses fall within the same district.

Who qualifies for a limited ballot?

According to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, voters must meet the following requirements:

• They moved from one Texas county to another.
• They would have been eligible to vote in their former county if they still lived there.
• They were registered in their former county when they applied to register in their new county, or remain registered in their former county when requesting a limited ballot.
• Their voter registration in their new county will not be effective by Election Day.

The deadline to register to vote or update voter registration information for the November 3 election was October 5.

Voters who moved between counties and missed that deadline may qualify for a limited ballot.

What if I recently moved to Texas from another state?

A voter who moved to Texas from another state cannot use that state’s registration to request a Texas limited ballot.

The limited ballot process is only available to eligible voters who were previously registered in another Texas county.

For example, someone who recently moved from Louisiana to Harris County cannot use their Louisiana voter registration to request a limited ballot in Texas.

Instead, new Texas residents must register to vote in their new county by the state’s voter registration deadline.

For the November 3 election, that deadline was October 5.

Those who moved to Texas and missed the registration deadline generally cannot vote in the upcoming election. However, depending on their former state’s election laws and residency requirements, they may still have voting options in that state.

New residents should contact their county voter registrar to verify their registration status and eligibility for future elections.

When and where can I cast a limited ballot?

Limited ballots are available during the early voting period, October 19 through October 30, either in person or by mail for eligible voters.

• For in-person voting, voters must visit the main early voting polling location in their new county of residence and complete an Application for Limited Ballot. Limited ballots are not available at other early voting locations or on Election Day, November 3.
• For voting by mail, voters must also meet Texas’ eligibility requirements for mail-in voting. They must submit both an Application for Limited Ballot and an Application for Ballot by Mail to the early voting clerk in their new county.

The deadline for the early voting clerk to receive applications to vote by mail is Friday, October 23.

Voters should contact their county elections office to confirm where to cast a limited ballot or how to request one by mail.

Can I cast a provisional ballot instead?

A provisional ballot may be an option for voters whose eligibility cannot be confirmed at the polling place, but it does not replace Texas’ voter registration requirements.

For example, someone who submitted their voter registration application before the October 5 deadline but does not appear on the list of registered voters may be allowed to cast a provisional ballot.

Election officials will review the voter’s registration records to determine whether the ballot can be counted.

However, someone who recently moved to Texas from another state and failed to register by the deadline generally cannot use a provisional ballot to bypass that requirement.

Voters who believe they registered on time but are experiencing problems at the polls should ask an election worker about provisional voting or contact their county voter registrar.

What if I moved within the same county?

If you recently moved but still live in the same county, you generally do not need a limited ballot.

Instead, Texas offers a process known as “fail-safe voting,” which allows eligible voters who haven’t updated their addresses to cast a ballot using their previous registration information.

For example, someone who moved from one Harris County neighborhood to another may still be able to vote after completing a Statement of Residence at the polling place.

However, voters must still meet applicable residency requirements, and their ballot may reflect the districts associated with their previous registered address.

The limited ballot process is specifically intended for eligible voters who moved across county lines.

How do I request a limited ballot?

Voters who believe they qualify should contact the elections office in their new county of residence.

At the designated main early voting location, election officials will ask voters to complete an Application for Limited Ballot.

Officials will then determine which races the voter is eligible to participate in based on their former and current addresses.

The application also serves as a voter registration application in the voter’s new county for future elections.

Voters can check their current registration status through the Texas Secretary of State’s voter registration portal.

The deadline to cast a limited ballot in person for the November 3 election is Friday, October 30.

The mindset shift has helped the Milwaukee Brewers left-hander deliver one of the great runs by any reliever in postseason history.

Ashby finished a five-out save after the Brewers rallied from a four-run deficit in a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays for a 2-0 World Series lead Saturday night. He struck out Yandy Díaz to end the game, stranding the potential tying run at third base.

That extended Ashby’s shutout streak this postseason to 15 2/3 innings. According to Sportradar, Cleveland’s Andrew Miller had the longest streak of consecutive scoreless relief innings within one postseason with 16 in 2016. Including the regular season, Ashby has thrown a career-best 20 2/3 straight scoreless innings.

“I don’t know that I have the words to describe it,” the 28-year-old Ashby said of his October success. “Maybe when it’s all said and done.”

Ashby has been one of many outstanding bullpen performers during Milwaukee's postseason run.

Brewers relievers have allowed seven earned runs over 50 2/3 postseason innings. That's helped Milwaukee come from behind in seven of its nine victories.

Ashby's performance is particularly notable because of how he had struggled in previous postseasons.

Before this year, Ashby had allowed nine runs — eight earned — in 9 1/3 playoff innings. He believed he knew the reason why he had come up short.

“Trying to grip it too tight and make too much happen, be too good, throw too hard,” Ashby said. “Any number of things you can do in a big situation when there’s a lot of adrenaline.”

Now he’s reminding himself to take a breath and trust his stuff. The results have his teammates marveling at his poise under pressure.

“He’s just low-key, man,” Brewers captain Christian Yelich said after Game 1. “He just goes with the flow. He’s got the same heartbeat every day. He’s been like that for us all season.”

That approach has made Ashby the guy the Brewers trust as much as anyone when a game’s on the line.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy showed his faith in Ashby by bringing him back out for the ninth inning Saturday after he already had gotten the final two outs in the eighth. Ashby allowed a leadoff double to Jonny DeLuca before striking out Victor Mesa Jr. and retiring pinch-hitter Ben Williamson on a grounder to the right side.

That brought up the right-handed-hitting Díaz, who got ahead 3-1 in the count after Ashby threw two pitches in the dirt. Ashby froze him with a backdoor breaking ball to make it 3-2, then Díaz attempted to check his swing but didn’t get the call, throwing up his arms in frustration.

“I didn’t go look at it, but from my vantage point, it did look like that he swung,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

Ashby credited catcher William Contreras for guiding him through that final inning.

“I’m just trusting him,” Ashby said. “There’s not a lot of thinking I’ve got to do. He’s locked in right now.”

Murphy was asked after the game how he chose to bring Ashby back out for the ninth rather than using usual closer Trevor Megill.

“Very carefully,” Murphy quipped. “Very carefully.”

Murphy went into much more detail when he described Ashby's ability to have effective relief outings that extend beyond one inning. Ashby had a five-out save and a three-inning save during the Brewers’ NL Championship Series sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“He does what it takes," Murphy said. “It’s unconventional. Multiple innings in relief. It’s Goose Gossage-like. I guess we had a guy like that here, too: Rollie (Fingers). Multiple-inning relief. Sometimes you make mistakes, sometimes you go with it.”

Ashby has taken a winding road to get to this point.

He signed a five-year, $20.5 million contract in the summer of 2022 as he alternated between starting and relief roles early in his career. He underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery the following April, knocking him out for the entire 2023 season. He was struggling in the minor leagues with a drop in velocity for much of the 2024 season before he started feeling like himself again.

He eventually carved out a niche as a key member of Milwaukee’s bullpen. Now he’s one of the biggest reasons why the Brewers are two victories from winning the World Series for the first time.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Sal Frelick and Cooper Pratt, two of the under-the-radar Brewers manager Pat Murphy thinks of with his nickname for less-appreciated candy, combined for a sweet World Series comeback.

Frelick tied the score with his first home run in three months, Pratt hit a go-ahead single in the seventh inning to make up for his earlier error and the Brewers stunned the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Saturday night for a 2-0 World Series lead.

“I would think I’m in that orange Life Saver category,” Frelick said, turning to Pratt. “Do you? Maybe you’re a red.”

Down 4-0 in the first inning, Milwaukee rallied for its seventh comeback win among nine postseason victories. The Brewers also rebounded from a 4-0 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series, completing a four-game sweep.

Milwaukee has won seven straight games and became the fifth team to twice overcome four-run deficits for victories in a single postseason, the first since Philadelphia in 2022.

“They believe and they don’t give up,” Murphy said. “They just keep going.”

Tampa Bay first baseman Jonathan Aranda committed one error and misplayed a foul pop, left fielder Chandler Simpson dropped a flyball and slow-footed catcher Liam Hicks was thrown out at the plate by Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio.

“We’ve had moments like these throughout the regular season and we’ve been able to flip the page,” Aranda said. “So we just have to do that here.”

Abner Uribe pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings for the win, and the game ended when Aaron Ashby struck out Yandy Díaz on a checked swing, stranding Jonny DeLuca at third after a leadoff double in the ninth.

Game 3 of the matchup between teams seeking their first title is Monday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Of the 57 previous teams to take 2-0 World Series leads, 46 claimed the championship.

“We got beaten in all phases of the game,” DeLuca said. “We love playing at the Trop. It’s a unique place.”

After losing Friday’s opener 3-2, the Rays burst ahead in the first against rookie Logan Henderson.

Pratt made his fourth error of the postseason at shortstop, the Brewers’ ninth in 10 games, bouncing his throw past first baseman Jake Bauers on Díaz's leadoff grounder. Simpson and Junior Caminero followed with RBI singles, and Liam Hicks hit a two-run homer.

Milwaukee started to claw back with two runs in the bottom half off Rays ace Drew Rasmussen.

Chourio and Bauers started with singles and Aranda allowed Contreras’ one-out foul pop to bounce out of his mitt near netting in front of the seats.

With Bauers running on a full-count pitch, Contreras bounced an RBI single to the left of second baseman Richie Palacios, who had taken a step toward the bag.

“It’s a huge at-bat," Murphy said. “That first inning meant something that we bounced back against a pitcher that good.”

Garrett Mitchell’s two-out single cut the deficit to 4-2 in the highest-scoring Series first inning since 1993’s Game 4. Hamilton hit an RBI grounder in the fourth that bounced under Aranda’s legs for an error.

Frelick capped a nine-pitch at-bat against Ian Seymour in the sixth by driving a fastball over the center-field fence. The 5-foot-9 No. 8 hitter sped around the bases in 18.72 seconds, half the time of some theatrical postseason trots.

“I don’t think he knows what it’s like to hit a home run to dead center, so I don’t think he knew if he got it or not,” Bauers said.

Frelick had gone 103 plate appearances without a home run since his July 11 drive off Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft and had not gone deep against a lefty pitcher since opening day against Tyler Gilbert of the Chicago White Sox.

“He’s got the `it factor,'” Murphy said before the game. “You think of Joe Montana. You think of people that have — Larry Bird — that have the it factor. I’m not saying he’s at that level of talent or has been in a position to do those things, but he has that `it factor.' He can take a team down the field.”

Caminero reacted by yelling at teammates in Tampa Bay’s dugout.

“Just trying to create some energy and get some life back into us,” he said through a translator.

One of the 12-year-old kid reporters from Wisconsin working the Series pointed out to Frelick that his home run caused Bernie Brewer, Milwaukee's mascot, to slide down his 75-foot slide beyond the left-field fence for the first time in World Series history.

“That’s really cool,” Frelick said. “I only made him go down four times this whole year.”

Screaming fans in the crowd of 43,245 at Milwaukee’s first World Series since 1982 were fired up during the seventh-inning stretch, dancing to the “Beer Barrel Polka” played by Mike Schneider, an accordionist from Clinton, Wisconsin.

“It’s mayhem, and I’ve never experienced anything like it before,” Frelick said. “It’s been motivating for all the players.”

Brice Turang doubled against losing pitcher Tyler Wells on the second pitch of the bottom half, advanced on Mitchell’s deep flyout to right and scored when Pratt looped a 2-2 sinker from Kevin Kelly into short right field.

“My heart was racing,” Pratt said. “You saw me chase the 1-1 pitch in the other batter’s box.”

A 22-year-old who debuted in June, Pratt has had a season of learning. Murphy removed him from an Aug. 25 game at the New York Mets when he didn't run hard on a bloop single.

Pratt thought of that as he spoke with Frelick.

“I sat there next to this guy, and he’s like, `Hey, man, I’ve been there, I’ve done that. I’ve been pulled a couple times. Just don’t let it happen again. There’s standards here,'” Pratt said.

Up next

Rays RHP Freddy Peralta, a two-time All-Star while pitching for the Brewers from 2018-25, starts Game 3. He was the AL Championship Series MVP and is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in three postseason starts and one relief appearance. He will be opposed by Brewers LHP Robert Gasser, who allowed one run over nine innings in his first two postseason starts.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

No. 2 BYU wasn't as fortunate. Playing with their highest ranking since 1984, the Cougars lost 39-31 in two overtimes to UCF and the list of unbeaten teams thinned to Miami, UCLA and Utah during another chaotic Saturday. Three top-10 teams lost and a total of seven Top 25 were beaten.

UCF was among five unranked teams to knock off ranked opponents. No. 8 Texas Tech lost to Cincinnati, No. 11 Tennessee to South Carolina, No. 15 Iowa to Minnesota and No. 16 Southern California to Wisconsin.

No. 7 Mississippi joined BYU and Texas Tech as losing top-10 teams.

No. 19 Texas, coming off consecutive losses, posted its third win over a Top 25 opponent and kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive by beating the Rebels 34-27.

No. 10 Utah extended the nation's longest active winning streak to 13 games and took sole possession of first place in the Big 12 with its 21-13 victory over No. 14 Houston.

Miami, No. 1 for the first time since 2002, was never threatened in its 52-23 win over Pittsburgh. The Hurricanes scored on seven of their first eight possessions and Darian Mensah threw for 387 yards and four touchdowns. Three of those TD passes went to Malachi Toney, who made 16 catches for 194 yards.

BYU made the cross-country trip to Orlando, Florida, a week after it beat then-No. 2 Notre Dame at home, and there was talk all week about how this could be a trap game.

UCF's Keyone Jenkins passed for 293 yards and three touchdowns in a game that had five lead changes in regulation. The final seconds of regulation were a mess. A fumble was overturned and ruled an incomplete pass. UCF had what would have been a tiebreaking field goal on third down blocked and was denied a second try even though it recovered the ball. The player who came up with the ball, the kicker, had his helmet knocked off with 2 seconds left. The helmet incident required a 10-second runoff, which sent the game to overtime.

When UCF held BYU out of the end zone in the second overtime, fans stormed the field and the Knights had their first-ever win over a top-five opponent.

“This will be humbling for us and we have to learn from it. Kind of frustrated by the outcome but am impressed with UCF,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “We’ve got some things to think about and things to correct so we can be in a better position next week. There’s still a lot of football ahead of us and there’s a lot more games to play, so we can’t let one loss define us.”

This was the third straight week in which a team ranked No. 1 or 2 lost to an unranked team. Texas was No. 1 when it lost to Oklahoma two weeks ago and Georgia was No. 1 when it was beaten by Auburn last week. The last time top-2 teams lost three times to unranked opponents was 2007, when it happened eight times.

Hoosiers win despite their offense

No. 6 Indiana overcame a balky offense in its 13-6 overtime road win over Michigan. The defending national champion Hoosiers generated 212 yards, the second-fewest in coach Curt Cignetti's three seasons, and Josh Hoover was just 8-of-18 passing for 81 yards.

“It's a great win,” Cignetti said. “They all come in different shapes and sizes. The offense struggled to say the least. Yes, Josh Hoover did practice every day but was limited a little bit. We feel he'll get better and better physically.”

Those other upsets

Cincinnati's 37-24 win over Texas Tech was the Bearcats' first victory over a top-10 opponent in five years. The Red Raiders had trouble controlling Cole Tabb, who rushed 16 times for a career-high 173 yards. His 58-yard burst for a touchdown put the Bearcats up by 19 points with 6 minutes left.

LaNorris Sellers accounted for three touchdowns and Malik Orsan kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired to lift South Carolina past No. 11 Tennessee 27-24 and perhaps take some heat off Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer, who now has consecutive wins over ranked foes.

Minnesota claimed Floyd of Rosedale for the first time since 2023 and second time in 12 years when Luke Drzewiecki kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired to beat Iowa 13-10.

Wisconsin beat USC 24-7, sacking Jayden Maiava five times and holding the Trojans to their fewest points and yards (241) in coach Lincoln Riley's five seasons. Maiava threw interceptions on consecutive possessions in the first quarter, and the Badgers won despite generating only 200 yards.

Ducks go down again

Oregon's season has gone from bad to worse. The Ducks lost 21-10 to an Illinois team starting its backup quarterback. After the Ducks drove 75 yards for a touchdown on the game’s opening series, they managed only a field goal on their other 12 possessions and were held scoreless in a second half for the first time since a 49-3 loss to Georgia in the 2022 opener.

The Ducks' No. 2 preseason ranking was the highest in program history and they had the potential No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL draft at quarterback among a bevy of returning talent. Things began going south when they lost at Oklahoma State and Dante Moore went out with a concussion in a win over Southern California. Moore has yet to return, the Ducks are 1-2 without him and they've been unranked for two weeks.

Oregon (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) has scored a total of 42 points in the three full games without Moore, and the schedule doesn't let up. No. 24 Northwestern takes a four-game win streak into Eugene next Saturday and the Ducks visit No. 3 Ohio State on Nov. 7.

Asked if first-year offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer would be replaced, coach Dan Lanning said, “I think all things are on the table to make sure we’re the best version of ourself. We’re currently not that. That’s very clear.”

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Kim’s visit to China is his latest move in an increasingly assertive foreign policy as he seeks to align Pyongyang with Beijing and Moscow in a united front against the United States under what he portrays as a “new Cold War.” It's his first visit in a year.

Kim arrived in the Chinese border city of Dandong Saturday after crossing the newly opened bridge, according to South Korea’s Unification Ministry and China's official Xinhua News Agency.

Both sides promise to strengthen cooperation

In Dandong, Kim visited a memorial marking China's support of North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War and met with Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of China’s Communist Party.

At the memorial, Kim said that North Korea will “firmly carry forward the invincible DPRK-China friendship forged at the cost of blood all the time,” according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.

During their meeting, Kim reaffirmed a resolve to develop bilateral cooperation, while Wang conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's greetings and said Kim's visit to the memorial was “of great significance” in carrying forward the friendship between the two countries, KCNA said.

The two toured a car factory as well, before Wang accompanied Kim to the bridge to send him off, according to KCNA and Xinhua.

New bridge was built to help expand trade between the countries

Experts said the opening of the New Yalu River Bridge this month was a key symbol of strengthening ties between North Korea and China and reflected their intent to expand trade, as it is expected to accommodate two-way traffic around the clock, including container shipments and heavy cargo trucks. The bridge was opened after more than a decade of delay.

While returning home via the bridge, Kim said “the bridge would undoubtedly and correctly fulfill its historic mission of linking the two countries and firmly joining the minds of the peoples of the two countries,” KCNA reported.

Kim has recently taken steps to bolster ties with China, the North’s traditional main ally and economic lifeline, after years of prioritizing ties with Russia. China, for its part, has sought to restore its unique influence over North Korea.

North Korea has sent thousands of troops and conventional weapons to support Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for military and economic assistance.

Kim's visit timed to key battle anniversary in Korean War with China

Kim’s latest visit to China is his sixth since taking power in late 2011 following the death of his father, Kim Jong Il. The visit appears to be timed to underscore the strength of his ties with Beijing ahead of the Oct. 25 anniversary of China’s first major victory in the Korean War, which was days after Chinese troops crossed the Yalu River into North Korea in October 1950.

The war began with North Korea’s surprise attack on the South in June 1950, prompting a U.N.-led coalition headed by the United States to intervene and push back the offensive. North Korea was backed primarily by Chinese forces, with assistance from the then-Soviet Union’s air force, before fighting ended with a 1953 armistice that left the peninsula technically at war.

Xi traveled to Pyongyang in June for a meeting with Kim. During their summit, Xi expressed Beijing’s willingness to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, agriculture, construction and technology, while Kim described ties with China as a top strategic priority.

Kim last visited Beijing in September 2025, when he met with Xi and watched a military parade alongside Putin and other foreign leaders.

Kim has maintained a hard line toward Seoul and has so far rebuffed a proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump to revive their diplomacy, which broke down in 2019 during Trump’s first term. Kim’s government has called for Washington to abandon its “hostile policy” and drop demands for the North’s denuclearization as a precondition for renewed talks.

South Korea’s liberal government, which favors engagement with the North, hopes renewed talks between Washington and Pyongyang will thaw inter-Korean relations, and has also urged China to play a “constructive” role in resolving the standoff. Seoul's spy agency told lawmakers last month that it saw a 50% possibility of a meeting between Trump and Kim on the sidelines of next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, summit in Shenzhen, China.

“From Seoul’s perspective, if North Korea focuses more on economic development than military buildup and threats, that would be positive for diplomacy and security,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

“But if Kim can extract ever more benefits from China and Russia, it is unclear what Seoul could offer that would be worth the political risks Pyongyang attaches to exchanges with a more prosperous, globalized, and free Korea.”

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Wu reported from Bangkok. Associated Press journalists Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul and Mayuko Ono in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Both Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola spoke at this week's Alaska Federation of Natives conference in Anchorage.

The organization previously endorsed Peltola, who is Yup’ik, during her House races in 2022 and 2024, but it did not issue endorsements this year. Both candidates have highlighted support from Native organizations and leaders ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Sealaska Corp., a regional Native corporation in southeast Alaska, has endorsed both of them, calling it a way to “honor their contributions and commitment to our communities, and to honor the diverse positions of our shareholders.”

The race is among the most closely watched nationally, with control of the Senate at stake. On Friday, President Donald Trump — who held a rally in support of Sullivan earlier this month — said he told his administration to sue to block certification of the race if the incumbent loses. The lawsuit cites potential confusion with another candidate who is listed on the ranked choice ballot as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.

Sen. Sullivan is listed as a Republican and the incumbent, while Sullivan Jr. is listed without a party designation. U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote on social media that the lawsuit is necessary to make sure officials “have the information necessary to make a determination as to whether Alaskan voters were confused or mislead.”

Alaskan Natives represent about one-fifth of the state's population, but they can face challenges to voting in remote communities. Advocates have raised concerns in recent years with polling locations in some villages opening late or ballots not arriving on time to be fully counted due to mail delays.

There's also cynicism about whether participating in elections will make a difference.

"There’s legitimate hesitations about whether whoever they vote for is actually going to impact them,” said actor and activist Dallas Goldtooth, who is Bdewakantunwan Dakota and Dine and came to Alaska to encourage conference attendees to vote. “And our job is to say, hey, whether that matters or not, there’s an opportunity for you to make sure that your voice is counted. And I want to encourage people just to take the opportunity as much as possible.”

Sheri Buretta, who chairs the board of Chugach Alaska Corp., an Alaska Native corporation, introduced Sullivan to the conference Thursday as “one of our strongest champions.”

Sullivan, speaking as part of a congressional delegation update, said he’s learned important lessons from Native leaders. He cited work he’s done on issues such as pushing to ensure that Alaska Native Vietnam War-era veterans have access to land allotments.

Peltola, during a candidate forum Friday, became emotional speaking about the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people and said additional law enforcement resources are needed. She also expressed support for fisheries. Subsistence fishing is critical in many Native communities.

“I will always fight to restore our fisheries. I feel like working on fish issues is my life’s work,” she said.

Energy is also a crucial issue in Alaska, including within Native communities.

Peltola recently said Alaska Natives were being “absolutely crushed” by high costs from the ongoing war with Iran, which Sullivan has supported. Many rural communities rely on diesel for electricity and to heat their homes.

Sullivan has argued the war against Iran is temporary and that the “forever war is the Democrats’ war against Alaskan energy.”

Many Native leaders on Alaska's petroleum-rich North Slope see responsible oil drilling as critical to their region's economy, and they felt their voices weren't heard while Democratic President Joe Biden was in office. His administration sought to restrict drilling in places like the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but Trump and the Republican-led Congress have rolled those efforts back.

Peltola has said she supports expanded oil and gas drilling and would work with Trump to accomplish that. But Sullivan and his allies have tried to align her with “ Lower 48 liberals” who oppose more drilling.

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Bohrer reported from Juneau, Alaska.

Houston police say a disturbance inside the home escalated into an exchange of gunfire involving multiple people.

A 23-year-old man died in the shooting. A second man, believed to be 19, was taken to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators say he is expected to survive.

Police say more people were inside than expected

Sgt. Clint Ponder with the Houston Police Department said preliminary social media photos showed a large crowd inside the rental home.

“From the limited social media photos we’ve seen so far, there was a lot of people inside the house — more than we should have been inside the house,” Ponder said.

The shooting has renewed attention on the rules governing short-term rentals used for large gatherings.

Houston requires short-term rental registration

The property was registered with the City of Houston.

Under the city’s short-term rental ordinance, operators must register their properties, provide an emergency contact and comply with applicable building and fire codes. Requirements also address disclosure of the property’s maximum permitted occupancy.

Houston’s rules also prohibit advertising short-term rentals as party spaces.

• RELATED: Man killed, another wounded in shooting at Houston house party

The regulations are intended to give the city greater oversight of short-term rental properties. However, the deadly shooting raises questions about how those requirements are monitored when a home is used for a large gathering.

Victim’s father warns young people about parties

The father of the man killed in the shooting is urging young people to avoid gatherings he believes have become increasingly dangerous.

“Stay away from these parties, man. These parties are not safe no more. There’s too much going on. Too much of the youngsters are dying,” Elthanius Toliver said.

His warning comes as investigators continue looking into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

City plans crackdown on unregistered listings in 2027

Beginning January 1, 2027, the City of Houston says it will begin notifying short-term rental platforms to remove listings that do not have a certificate of registration.

The planned enforcement step is aimed at addressing unregistered properties, but questions remain about how the city will ensure registered rentals comply with occupancy requirements and other rules.

For now, the shooting underscores the consequences of violence at large gatherings and the challenges of regulating homes rented for short-term stays.

First in Ohio, Obama took aim at Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who has doubled down on an advertising campaign featuring the estranged mother of Democratic rival Dr. Amy Acton. Trump and Vice President JD Vance have also defended the ad, even as Republican leaders across Ohio, including Gov. Mike DeWine, have called for its removal.

“In recent days, we’ve seen there is no line he will not cross, no low he will not sink to,” Obama said of Ramaswamy, noting that Acton has “spoken movingly about her painful childhood and all she’s experienced: abuse, neglect and homelessness.”

Later in Michigan, Obama condemned critics of Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, suggesting that they're using his name or his faith to tear him down.

“We have seen this movie before. I starred in it,” Obama told a packed high school gym in Detroit. “I’ve got a long-form birth certificate to prove it."

“Abdul is as Michigan as it gets," he added.

Obama, 65, remains the Democratic Party’s best motivator nearly a decade after leaving the White House. And he's taking his star power on the road in the final days of the midterm elections, which will help determine the balance of power in American politics on Nov. 3.

Trump cast his own ballot on Saturday in Florida, where he defended the Ramaswamy ad, which has emerged as a national flashpoint a little more than a week before Election Day.

“The mother said that Amy Acton is a liar, and she’s no good," Trump said. "And you know what? I don’t think you can get a better reference on that.”

The Ramaswamy campaign video features Acton’s birth mother, Donna Arthur, calling her “a liar” and insinuating she has mental health issues.

Acton, Ohio’s COVID-19-era health director, has made no secret of facing homelessness and abuse as a child. Arthur lost custody of her children after their stepfather, Arthur’s husband, was indicted on a charge of rape involving Acton.

The abuse allegedly happened from December 1976 to April 1978. Cledith Arthur failed to show for a court appearance and became a fugitive. Donna Arthur remained married to him until his death in 2004.

Appearing before Obama, Acton spoke as if addressing Ramaswamy directly.

“My opponent has chosen to exploit, intentionally, my childhood to save his stumbling campaign, but it’s not going to work,” she said. “Decency still matters.” She added: “Mr. Ramaswamy, you are not just out of touch, you are out for yourself and you are a danger to my state. Apparently there is no low to which you won’t stoop.”

Although Ohio has become more reliably Republican, it's been a hotly contested battleground this year. Trump and Vance have both visited the state in recent weeks to drum up support for Sen. Jon Husted and Ramaswamy. And the controversy over Ramaswamy's ad has ratcheted up the already high temperature.

Michigan, too, is a critical state this midterm season, with high-stakes contests for the Senate and governor.

While Obama addressed both races, he offered a passionate defense of El-Sayed, a former public health official running against former Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican.

The former president pushed back against those who call El-Sayed a radical, declaring that “Abdul shares my values.” He also acknowledged that El-Sayed was critical of him after his 2012 reelection for not following through on all of his progressive campaign promises.

El-Sayed wrote that Obama “was not the right choice — he just wasn’t the wrong one.”

“Some of these folks say, well, you know, Abdul didn’t like some of the things you did as president,” Obama said in Detroit, wearing a blue shirt with no tie, his sleeves rolled up. “You know who else doesn’t agree with everything I do? Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama, about five times a day.”

Democrats hoped that Obama’s appearance in the city, which is three-quarters Black, could bolster support for El-Sayed among Black voters. In the primary, his opponent Haley Stevens won Wayne County, which includes Detroit, by about 6 percentage points. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black and South Asian vice president, campaigned for El-Sayed in September.

Cheryl McWilliams, 67, said Obama’s speech “pumps you up to vote,” and she's hoping to see high turnout in the midterms.

“If Detroit doesn’t vote, whoever’s running is going to lose, period,” McWilliams said. “I’m just hoping we can reach voters that don’t vote. They think it doesn’t matter, and it does.”

Chunnika Hodges, who lives in Detroit and canvassed for El-Sayed on Saturday, said some Black voters are supporting Rogers because they don’t think anything has changed after years of voting for Democrats. Some are also wary of El-Sayed because of his progressive policies, Hodges said.

“We don’t lean to the conservative, but we have seen that within our community,” Hodges said. “There are conservative Blacks, conservative Democrats.”

While Obama talked up Democratic candidates in Ohio and Michigan, he also spoke at length about Trump.

He accused the Republican president and his family of rampant corruption and called out his inability to lower costs, noting that Trump has instead focused on building a new White House ballroom and helipad on the South Lawn.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he seems very focused on home renovation," Obama quipped. “He should be on HGTV.” He went on: “There's gold everywhere. He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.”

The former Democratic president acknowledged that the nation has Trump for another two years, until his term ends. But voters are not stuck with Trump’s allies, he said.

“We’re not stuck with a spineless Congress and Republican governors who are handling lawlessness and carelessness and cruelty and indifference for working people,” Obama said. “After two years of chaos and cruelty and corruption and incompetence … you get a chance to say enough is enough.”

Obama will headline a rally in Georgia next week with Sen. Jon Ossoff and candidate for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Trump, campaigning in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday evening with their Republican rivals, made several references to Obama's Michigan event, insisting “the place was empty.”

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Peoples reported from New York. AP writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed. GaNun is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, where he sought to boost Republican candidates, Trump said Audi — the German luxury brand owned by Volkswagen — would commit $4.2 billion in nearby Macon to begin construction on a plant that will produce 200,000 cars a year.

“Think of that. 200,000 cars a year. That’s incredible,” Trump said, crediting his aggressive and unpopular tariff policies for the company's decision to build the plant.

The announcement seemed timed to offer a last-minute boost to Republican candidates in the battleground state, including Rep. Mike Collins, who is trying to unseat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Trump has spent October campaigning in reliably Republican states as the party tries to hold onto its majorities in the House and Senate. Trump won Georgia in 2024 after losing it in 2020.

Trump was joined on stage by Gernot Döllner, the chairman of the board of management at Audi, who said the plant would be producing “our biggest and most premium SUVs.”

“This is a long-term investment, because we believe in the American market,” he said.

Audi, in a news release, said the plant — its first in Georgia — would create approximately 4,500 jobs and that construction was scheduled to begin in 2027, with production beginning in the early 2030s.

Republicans are bracing for losses in the Nov. 3 midterm elections as they contend with an unpopular president and an electorate that is angry over high costs and the ongoing war in Iran.

At the rally, Rick Jackson, the Republican candidate for Georgia governor, thanked Trump for the plans.

“Thank you on behalf of Georgia for putting the biggest economic deal in Georgia history right here today," he said.

___

Colvin reported from New York.

The demonstration in Milan remained peaceful, but there were brief clashes with police in both Rome and Turin.

In Milan, thousands of young people marched the streets as soldiers were deployed and luxury boutiques were boarded up, but by late afternoon, most shops had opened, Italian media reported.

Premier Giorgia Meloni announced a raft of measures, including sending an additional 500 soldiers to Milan and tougher penalties for minors, who police said made up a large part of the violent protesters last week. In Milan, police detained several minors as a preventive measure, media reported.

While protests in France have claimed most international attention, large demonstrations also rocked many European cities Saturday from Milan to Rome to Madrid, Lisbon and Tirana.

The protests encompass a broad range of issues from education and corruption to anti-war movements, pensions and housing.

Army vehicles and boarded-up luxury stores in Milan

In Milan, huge crowds of mostly young people gathered as night fell, chanting insults to Meloni and holding aloft banners such as “No to lies of the state.”

A group of protesters dumped manure outside Italy’s energy regulator and burned a symbolic, oversized electricity bill, images broadcast on local television showed.

The 500 soldiers deployed to Milan came in addition to hundreds already stationed there, supporting about 5,000 police and other security personnel. Authorities used drone surveillance, checks at railway stations, rapid-response units and online monitoring for potential calls to violence.

A mayoral hopeful, Pierfrancesco Majorino, who announced his candidacy Thursday, joined the marchers and remarked how peaceful the day was, according to Italian media. He will contest a center-left primary in early 2027. Milan's center-left Mayor Giuseppe Sala, who has held the role since 2016, is not running again.

Many stores, particularly luxury boutiques within Milan's fashion district including Omega, Tiffany and Gucci, boarded up their front windows. The Apple store also shut down and remained shut even as others reopened.

Rioters last weekend smashed their way into stores, targeting sneakers, athletic wear and sporting goods on streets that run off the city’s central Duomo square.

Security measures extended beyond the city center over concerns protesters could move into other neighborhoods.

The protesters ended their march peacefully Saturday evening outside the Milan Polytechnic, more than 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the city center.

Officials said Saturday they were investigating a 30-year-old freelance journalist said to be the “mastermind” of the newly formed Oct. 17 movement, which has been the main driver of the recent protests in Italy.

Milan police say last week's violence and looting involved about 2,000 very young protesters, many of them “naturalized, second-generation Italians,” alongside foreign nationals. Over two days, police arrested 45 people, including 34 minors.

A group of about 30 far-right activists, described as hooligans linked to Inter Milan soccer club, made a brief appearance chanting anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim slogans but were isolated by police.

Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said the soldiers deployed Saturday were only recently allowed to use plastic restraint ties and only in areas around train stations, not throughout the city. They are not authorized to carry pepper spray or tasers, he said.

Protesters try to force entry into Colosseum in Rome

Security was also heightened in Rome, where authorities locked down luxury shopping streets and stepped up controls around the Circus Maximus and Piazza del Popolo.

A small number of protesters tried to force their way into the Colosseum, but were ushered out by guards. Elsewhere, several hundred students demonstrated peacefully to stress they were not rioters.

“I think the images from last week were truly something terrible, especially for the young people, for the students, for the vast majority of the younger generations who want to study ... and do not accept being represented by those who use issues and needs to devastate entire cities,” said Riccardo Ponzio, national president of an Italian far-right student association.

A separate anti-war march took place in central Rome. Organizers sought to distance themselves from potential unrest, urging participants to keep their faces uncovered and hands visible.

But it was these marchers who briefly clashed with police near the Piazza della Repubblica, even as organizers were trying to hold the crowd back using batons and tear gas. In the end, the protesters pulled back when a water cannon was turned on. They retreated to a location about half a kilometer (mile) away.

Clashes and buildings set on fire in Albania

In Albania's capital Tirana, riot police used water cannons on large groups of protesters, some of whom set government buildings on fire and threw projectiles at police. Authorities said 2,500 officers patrolled the streets Saturday.

For over a week, protesters have hurled rocks, flares, firebombs and fireworks at police who have used batons and tear gas in clashes in the city center.

High school and university students are demanding lower tuition fees, greater state investment in education and protesting corruption in the education system. Some have joined a broader anti-government movement calling for the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.

A separate protest organized by the opposition outside the prime minister's office turned violent earlier, with some activists lighting fires on the street.

Rama said Saturday his government was preparing a response to the students' demands and called them to a dialogue. He warned that violent protesters will face penalties.

Pensions and housing spark Madrid and Lisbon protests

Thousands of retirees and others marched peacefully in Spain's capital Saturday to demand public pensions aren’t meddled with.

“They are threatening us with privatizing pensions. It’s just another thing they want to profit from," said Maria José Benito, 68.

The protests came ahead of next month’s snap election as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Party criticized the conservative opposition Popular Party for making overtures about privatizing public pensions. Spain also has been roiled by protests this fall around the issue of housing, as rental and home costs have risen in recent years beyond what many Spaniards can afford.

Taking their cue from Spaniards, protesters in Lisbon demanding affordable housing marched across the city on Saturday.

They have also targeted recent measures announced by the government of Prime Minister Luis Montenegro that include easing the cap on yearly rent increases and facilitating the eviction of tenants who fail to pay rent.

Montenegro defends the measures, saying that they aim at reinforcing trust between tenants and landlords and boosting the rentals market. Protesters claim that the measures are not balanced and put tenants in a more vulnerable position.

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Nellas reported from Athens, Greece, and Hui reported from London. Associated Press writers Suman Naishadham in Madrid, Giada Zampano in Rome, and videojournalists Niccolò Lupone in Milan, Veronica Sauchelli in Rome, Alicia León in Madrid and Helena Alves in Lisbon contributed to this report.

Archbishop Ronald Hicks sent an email Saturday to clergy confirming the settlement after attorneys for the survivors of alleged abuse announced it. Hicks said the agreement will not be final until the parties sign it, an action scheduled for the week of Nov. 6.

The only larger settlement over sexual abuse claims in the U.S. was by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which agreed in 2024 to pay $880 million to 1,000 abuse victims, in addition to $740 million in claims it had paid previously. In June, the Archdiocese of San Francisco agreed to a $395 million settlement over about 500 lawsuits filed over clergy abuse, and in December 2025, a federal judge approved a settlement in which the Archdiocese of New Orleans agreed to pay at least $230 million to abuse victims.

The agreement with the New York archdiocese would end more than seven years of lawsuits. The parties agreed to a framework for an agreement in May that required everyone who filed a claim to sign off.

“The unanimous agreement of survivors who filed claims against the Archdiocese of New York marks a powerful moment in the pursuit of justice,” Jeff Anderson, an attorney representing people who filed more than 1,000 of claims against the Catholic Church in New York state, said in a statement. “Through their courage, sacrifice, and determination, survivors have helped bring about a reckoning and a meaningful step toward accountability.”

The Archiocese of New York covers the city's boroughs of the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island as well as seven counties to the north of New York City and is home to about 300 churches, more than 150 parochial schools and 2.5 million Catholics.

In his email to clergy, Hicks said that if church members ask about the settlement, “please let them know that much progress has been made.”

“We are on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors,” he wrote. “This agreement will also allow the archdiocese to turn its full attention once again to its mission of preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, caring for the poor and needy, welcoming the stranger, and educating our children.”

A New York law enacted in 2019 allows survivors of child sexual abuse to file lawsuits against their abusers and institutions that shielded them until they turn 55. People who had already had turned 55 when the law was enacted also were given until August 2021 to file lawsuits, no matter when the alleged abuse occurred.

“This is an extraordinary achievement for the survivors,” said Trusha Goffe, an attorney in Anderson’s firm. "The survivors remined resolute through years of litigation to reach this monumental settlement.”

But Jackson’s path differs from Donald Trump’s, and the 72-year-old healthcare magnate and investor brings a vastly different persona to his first campaign. Unlike Trump, who was born to wealth, Jackson spent his early years bouncing through foster homes before launching his first company as a young man.

Now, he wants to leverage both his similarities and contrasts with the president, a challenge he's tackling with buckets of his own campaign cash and a personal story that anchors his appeal to voters.

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

Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, disputes Jackson’s altruistic pitch, setting up the Nov. 3 election as a test of whether an alternate, softer version of conservative billionaire politics can complement or even counter Trump’s pugilistic populism in a key swing state.

Jackson joined Trump at a rally Saturday in Perry, marking his second appearance with the president in the closing stretch of the campaign.

“He's an amazing, really an amazing man with an incredible story," Trump said as he introduced Jackson to the crowd. Jackson, for his part, thanked Trump for a new Audi plant set to be built in Georgia, and told the crowd, “I don't have anything to prove, I really don't. But I have a lot to give."

‘From foster care to billionaire’

“My father left me at nine months old. My mother was a sixth-grade educated waitress with a severe alcohol problem,” Jackson said in the only debate of their general election campaign. “I had seven stepfathers before I was 12. I lived in the projects, went to 13 different schools, and lived in five different foster homes.”

He left college to start a business at 21. That led to Jackson Healthcare, a behemoth company that provides contract nurses and other workers to hospitals and health systems, including public entities that have helped fuel Jackson’s fortunes with taxpayer money.

At events with supporters, Jackson gets more personal.

“I have, because of my background, severe abandonment issues,” he told hundreds of voters in Cleveland, a conservative enclave in the north Georgia mountains. He turns that acknowledgment into a promise: “Let me tell you one thing: I will never abandon you.”

Rags-to-riches themes are not uncommon in politics, and it’s yielded Jackson’s campaign motto: “From foster care to billionaire.” But the scale is eye-popping, illuminated by the nearly $200 million Jackson has spent personally on the campaign. That puts him among the largest self-funding candidates in the history of American elections.

But on that score, too, Jackson tries to soften the caricature of the billionaire executive.

“It’s not my money,” he said in a northern suburb of Atlanta. Jackson calls his fortune “God’s money” and says that “my job is to have kingdom impact” with it.

“The reason I have spent so much money to do this,” he said, is to “help 11 million Georgians, to keep them from struggling.”

A range of images over a long campaign

Jackson launched his bid as a relative unknown, though Capitol insiders knew him because of Jackson Healthcare, its lucrative state contracts and his lobbying interest in healthcare, business and tax policy.

The Republican primary field featured a trio of statewide elected officials, including Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who won Trump’s endorsement in August 2025, before Jackson got in.

During the primary, Jackson embraced the president even though he wasn't Trump's choice. Jackson sometimes promised to “be like Trump, but with Southern tone.” He pledged to “deliver for Georgia the same type of business solutions that President Trump is bringing to our country.”

Largely aligning himself with Trump on immigration, Jackson promised to make Georgia a national leader in deportations.

“I don’t care if you’re Muslim or Mongolian, you don’t have the right to force your culture on our country,” he said in one ad. “Criminal illegals” who “commit sick, violent crimes” would “end up deported or departed,” he promised.

Soon after defeating Jones in a runoff, Jackson shelved the immigration ad, but not before using it as part of a spot featuring his grandchildren. “Granddad, why do you look so mean in these ads?” one asks after watching the “deported or departed” clip on her phone. The children and teenagers then tell their grandfather how he can “look cool” with a pickup truck, a dog and a hipper wardrobe.

“Let’s make Georgia better together,” the redressed Jackson concludes.

He has since circulated an ad with several young adults who benefited from the millions he spent helping foster children who age out of the Georgia system when they turn 18. “I am so proud of you,” he tells them as he chokes up.

On policy, Republican fare and centrist appeals

As he softens his image, Jackson maintains traditional Republican positions, pledging to cut taxes, regulation and what he describes as waste. If he cannot halve the state income tax in four years, he promises not to seek a second term. He wants a balanced budget and full audits of state spending, without saying state law requires a balanced budget and audits of state agencies have long been standard practice.

He says he will expand healthcare without expanding Medicaid under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Instead, he argues he can fund broader coverage through partnerships with private insurers. That would require Washington to grant permission and commit a level of financial support that no state has gotten without expanding the traditional Medicaid program.

Jackson says he can do all of that while increasing spending on teacher salaries and vocational education.

At the same time, he has toned down his Trump adulation, reflecting Georgia’s general election math and voters' frustrations with the Iran war and inflation.

In July, Jackson stood with Trump in Marietta and expressed his hope to “be this guy’s favorite governor.” When Trump returned to Dalton on Oct. 16, Jackson did not mention Trump at all in his own speech. Later, when the president called him on stage, Jackson praised Trump — for advocating for foster children. When Trump announced that he would be back to Georgia on Saturday, Jackson's campaign initially planned its own event in metro Atlanta before changing it up so Jackson would again be with the president.

Bottoms disputes Jackson's everyman appeal

Bottoms says Jackson is “trying to buy this election” so he can be a Trump stooge. And Democrats have seized on the way that Jackson has talked about the economy.

Discussing trade schools, Jackson said on the debate stage that “my plumber drives a Mercedes.” Discussing inflation and crime during his town hall-style debate with Bottoms, he suggested Atlantans felt unsafe “at the gas store” during her tenure. When a citizen in the debate audience asked Jackson about minimum wage and affording basic necessities, Jackson told her, “Hopefully, you’re not the one that is getting the $7.50 an hour.”

Minimum wage is $7.25. Bottoms has proposed doubling it. Jackson has not proposed any increase. “My focus is creating jobs,” he said. “I’ve been creating jobs my entire life.”

Jackson's balancing act is enough for Debbie Satterfield, a 72-year-old who came to a Jackson rally in White County wearing both a Trump shirt and a Jackson sticker.

“When I heard about his harsh upbringing, and to hear how far he had climbed, and starting from nothing,” she said. “It reminds me of my life starting with nothing. You can see his soul.”

Meanwhile, the death toll rose from Friday's attack on a church in Jordan. And an Iranian military commander said his country will not allow U.S. warships to enter the Persian Gulf as concerns grow of a return to all-out war.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Saturday. Read our full coverage here.

Thousands rally in Tel Aviv days ahead of Israel's election

A large crowd gathered in a final protest against Netanyahu and his government ahead of Tuesday's close election.

The crowd heard calls for a commission of inquiry into the security failures that led to the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza. Netanyahu has refused such an inquiry.

Netanyahu’s chief rival, Gadi Eisenkot, attended the rally that was an echo of the weekly ones once held to call for the release of hostages taken into Gaza. All hostages or their remains were eventually released, but Netanyahu has been accused of delaying deals to free them sooner.

Trump weighs more strikes or a deal with Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump bristled when asked how far he was from a possible attack on Iran. He recently said on social media he would not hit Iran again before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

“Do you really think I’m going to tell you if I’m going to do it?" Trump responded. “And there’s a possibility I will. There’s also a possibility we’ll have a nice, big, beautiful agreement.”

Trump repeated his assertion that Iran wants to make a deal, “but the problem is, will they hold the deal?”

Iran’s president accuses the US of disrupting negotiations

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Washington of disrupting negotiations to end the war but said he still believes “we have to go and finish it.”

In comments aired on state television, he said Iran’s supreme leader had instructed Iranian officials to “go and finish it (the deal),” but “these scoundrels broke the rules of the game. We were holding talks, and they disrupted them.”

Anxiety has been growing in Iran and elsewhere that the U.S. or Israel will resume attacks before or just after Tuesday’s elections in Israel or the U.S. midterm elections.

Israel carries out arrests across Hebron after attack

Israeli forces carried out arrests and demolitions in Hebron in the occupied West Bank a day after two Palestinian gunmen killed two soldiers and wounded three others.

Up to 300 families left Deir Baha and two adjacent neighborhoods, according to a tally from Hebron’s municipality. Israel's army didn't respond to questions about the operation. On Friday, it said its forces had begun “conducting precise, targeted and thorough searches” in the area from where the gunmen operated.

Death toll from church attack in Jordan rises to 9

A ninth person died after gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church in Jordan, state television reported. More than two dozen people were receiving treatment in hospitals.

Gunmen on Friday opened fire at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, south of Jordan's capital, Amman. Karak is home to a minority Christian population.

Airstrikes kill 15 people in Yemen, including a child

Strikes killed 11 people, including four children, in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, according to the Health Ministry run by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. And an airstrike hit homes in Hodeida province, killing at least four people, health authorities said.

The Houthis blamed neighboring Saudi Arabia, which backs forces fighting the rebels. Saudi Arabia did not respond to a request for comment. The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify the claims.

At least two explosions were later heard near the international airport in Yemen’s southern city of Aden, the seat of the internationally recognized government. The Houthi military spokesperson said a military camp and a naval base were targeted. The government's interior ministry said the Houthis attacked the coast guard headquarters at its complex with two ballistic missiles.

The Saudi-led coalition earlier said it intercepted three ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis toward the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and Taif and Yanbu cities.

The UAE closes beaches after oil spill from tanker

The United Arab Emirates closed beaches after an oil spill from a tanker. The spill impacted beaches of Umm Al Quwain, one of the seven emirates making up the federation, and cleanup efforts were underway, the Climate Change and Environment Ministry said.

The ministry said the spill poses no health risks but did not provide details about its scale. It came two weeks after Iran’s state-run broadcaster reported an oil tanker had struck a naval mine and caught fire while attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz without coordinating with Tehran.

Iran says it will not allow US warships to enter Persian Gulf

An Iranian military commander said Iran will not allow U.S. warships to enter the Persian Gulf or approach Iran’s territorial waters, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

Gen. Ali Abdollahi, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces and commander of its joint military command, also warned Trump that U.S. forces would never return to the Strait of Hormuz.

US reissues Mideast travel warnings over Houthi threats

The State Department reissued travel advisories for Americans in or traveling to the Middle East, citing threats posed by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are covered by the warnings and have appeared in previous travel alerts since the start of the Iran war.

The department has reduced staffing at four U.S. embassies in the Middle East after receiving intelligence that Iran has stepped-up efforts to target American personnel.

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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.

Needing a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to force a third OT, the Cougars (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) drove to the UCF 4-yard line, but Bear Bachmeier’s fourth-down pass to Walker Lyons fell incomplete, giving the Knights (4-3, 2-2) their first win over a top-5 team in school history.

“We set a standard,” Jenkins said. “That standard has got to be upheld week in and week out. We just beat the No. 2 team in the country.”

A week after knocking off then-No. 2 Notre Dame and moving into its highest spot in the AP Top 25 since its national title season of 1984, BYU became the latest unbeaten team to fall in a wild stretch of the college football season. A school ranked in the top 2 has lost to an unranked foe in each of the past three weeks.

UCF was driving toward a potential game-winning field goal in regulation when Jenkins lost the ball on a play that was ruled a sack on the field. But after a replay review, the call was overturned to an incomplete pass, and BYU was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, moving the Knights into kicker Will Stone's range.

But BYU blocked Stone's 47-yard attempt. Stone recovered the loose ball, and since UCF tried the field goal on third down, the Knights would have had a chance at a second attempt had Stone's helmet not been knocked off on the play. That necessitated a 10-second runoff, which sent the game to overtime.

Jenkins finished 25 of 41 for 293 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a score in his fifth start since replacing Alonza Barnett III, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury.

“There’s a lot of teams in football with their quarterbacks hurt and their backups aren’t doing great,” UCF coach Scott Frost said. “Our backup is not a backup. He had an unbelievable game tonight.”

Tyren Hornes had six catches for 137 yards for the Knights, and Duke Watson ran for 94 yards on 15 carries.

“UCF put us on our heels and put us in some uncomfortable positions,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “I want to give them credit for what they have done. They deserve the win.”

Bachmeier threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Kyler Kasper had six catches for 129 yards.

The Knights drove to the BYU 1-yard line with less than two minutes left in regulation, but Jenkins was stopped on a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal.

UCF forced a three-and-out and got the ball back with 42 seconds left, setting up the wild finish to regulation.

“That’s the weirdest end of a game I have ever seen,” Frost said. “I thought it would take 31 to win it. It should have if we would have got a sneak in.”

In the first overtime, Bachmeier gave BYU the lead when he connected with Legend Glasker for a 28-yard touchdown, and UCF tied it on a single play when Jenkins hit Josh Derry for a 25-yard TD.

There were five lead changes in regulation.

Jenkins' 1-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter put UCF ahead 24-21, and BYU's Matthias Dunn connected on a 47-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to tie it at 24-all.

Fans storm the field in celebration

UCF beat a ranked team for the first time since blowing out then-No. 15 Oklahoma State in 2023, the Knights' first season in the Big 12. Fans celebrated with fitting enthusiasm by storming the field and tearing down a goalpost.

“It was unreal. It felt like a movie,” UCF running back Landen Chambers said. “I just took it all in.”

Sitake thanked security workers for ensuring his team could leave the field without incident.

BYU still has a path to a playoff spot

A Big 12 title and College Football Playoff spot remain within reach for BYU.

With No. 8 Texas Tech's loss at Cincinnati earlier Saturday, Utah is the only unbeaten team in conference play. The Cougars should be in position to make the Big 12 championship game if they win out.

“Obviously, we would like to be 7-0 right now, but it's still right there,” Kasper said. “We go win out and do what we're supposed to do, we'll be where we want to be in the playoffs.”

BYU visits the currently 10th-ranked Utes on Nov. 7.

The takeaway

BYU: No longer chasing a No. 1 ranking, the Cougars now turn their focus to winning the Big 12.

UCF: Frost, who led the Knights to a 13-0 season in 2017 before leaving for Nebraska, now has a signature win in the second season of his return stint.

Up next

BYU: Hosts Arizona State next Saturday.

UCF: Hosts Baylor on Friday.

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

The dogs were just some of the estimated 30-40 dogs found abandoned near Shady Lane and Bantum Street at about 10 p.m. Tuesday.

“Today, some of the dogs from the Shady Lane case will meet potential adopters for the first time. And we’re really hoping they find their people,” BARC said.

• RELATED: ‘It’s madness’: 30 to 40 dogs found abandoned on North Houston street

BARC reiterated the Shady Lane dogs have received a lot of attention this week, but they aren’t the only animals looking for their forever homes.

“These dogs might not have made the news. They might not have hundreds of emails waiting for them. But they’re just as deserving of a fresh start. Big dogs, little dogs, shy dogs, goofy dogs, and couch potatoes. They’re all here, and one of them might be exactly who you’ve been looking for,” the organization said.

BARC’s Adoption Center is open Tuesday-Sunday from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.

For more information on BARC or how to adopt, click here.

The family of Brantley Conner confirms he died in an update on GoFundMe.

“Brantley fought with everything he had. Words cannot express the depth of pain our family is feeling right now as we process the loss of such a bright, kind, and deeply loved young boy whose life was taken far too soon,” his family said.

• RELATED: Dayton ISD bus driver arrested after hit-and-run leaves 14-year-old boy fighting for his life

Brantley was left critically injured after being struck by a bus in a hit-and-run crash last Friday near U.S. Highway 90 eastbound and Stilson Road.

70-year-old Ricky Eugene Cherry, a Dayton ISD bus driver, was arrested following an investigation into the crash.

In a final campaign swing with progressive candidates across the country, the Democratic congresswoman from New York packed rooms in Michigan’s deeply Republican Upper Peninsula, where chants of “AOC” broke out.

In Ohio and Maine, hundreds of students turned out to catch a glimpse of her as she campaigned alongside Democrats in competitive races in the Nov. 3 midterms. On Friday night, she was in California’s Central Valley, lending support to a progressive seeking to unseat a House Republican.

Ocasio-Cortez has built a national following that few other members of Congress can match. Her tens of millions of social media followers give her a platform far beyond her New York district, and her nickname, AOC, has become one of the most recognizable in American politics.

Now, as she contemplates a next move, including a possible run for the White House or the Senate, she is also offering a largely untested proposition: that her brand of progressive politics can appeal beyond the Democratic base and help the party win those competitive elections.

“We have written a check on the left, saying if you champion these policies that have popular support, we can win,” Ocasio-Cortez told a recent fundraiser. “Now it is time to cash in. Now it is time to go out and show what we are capable of.”

At 37, she is the natural heir to the political movement fostered by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont that has had striking appeal for young voters. It also offers a stark contrast to the roles that the superrich like Elon Musk are trying to play in influencing elections.

“You have to be the right person at the right place at the right time,” said Doug Sosnik, who was a senior adviser to Democratic President Bill Clinton. “The year that Jimmy Carter ran and got elected president is the only year I think he could have run and gotten elected.”

The progressive brand is on the line in Maine and Michigan Senate races

In a historic concert hall in Portland, Maine, filled with college students, retirees and others, Ocasio-Cortez looked to Senate nominee Troy Jackson and acknowledged the political calculation of his appearance alongside her.

“There are a lot of consultants out here in Washington that would tell him, ‘Do not sit on a stage next to her,’” she said.

Minutes later, Ocasio-Cortez received rousing applause after an emphatic response to a question about putting “America first or Israel first." She argued that the United States should question how it can afford wars rather than programs such as “Medicare for All.”

“Going back to her previous comment, why wouldn’t I want to sit alongside someone who just talked like that?” Jackson asked.

Maine, where Jackson is trying to defeat five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins, will be pivotal in determining which party controls the Senate. So will Michigan, where Ocasio-Cortez recently appeared with Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in the Upper Peninsula.

In Iron Mountain, a town near the Wisconsin line in a county that President Donald Trump won by more than 30 percentage points, Ocasio-Cortez made the case for the progressive movement.

“Our problems are less left and right," she said. “They’re top and bottom.”

Isabella Pruter, a junior at the University of Michigan, said Ocasio-Cortez has a certain star power among younger voters.

“I remember in 2020 and hearing about her name and thinking she was so cool,” Pruter said. “She really clicks with anyone who’s younger, especially for college students.”

At the New York fundraiser for El-Sayed this month, Ocasio-Cortez made clear how much she believes is at stake in Michigan. “If Abdul can win in Michigan, anybody can win anywhere,” she said.

But not everyone agrees that enthusiasm for progressive candidates will translate into victories in competitive states.

Former Rep. Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican who retired from Congress after voting to impeach Trump in 2021, said winning swing states requires appealing beyond a party’s base to independent voters.

“There's a place in the party for her but I don't think it's a majority," said Upton, who served with Ocasio-Cortez. “She'll win New York and California, but not in other states they'd need to get to 270” electoral votes to win the White House.

Heading west to help House candidates

The next stretch of Ocasio-Cortez's swing took her west to gauge her appeal in closely contested House districts and spend time in a state important to a potential 2028 presidential run.

In California’s Central Valley on Friday night, she rallied with Randy Villegas, a young progressive who defeated a rival backed by Democratic Party leaders in the primary.

The race against Republican Rep. David Valadao is one of the most competitive in the country. The district is nearly 75% Hispanic, though Democrats have long struggled to turn out working-class Latino voters there.

On Saturday, she campaigned in Nevada, the second state on the 2028 political calendar and one that would be crucial to her path to the nomination. Nevada, where working-class Latinos are a major force in Democratic politics, has been friendly to her brand of progressivism and overwhelmingly backed Sanders in the 2020 caucuses.

She came to support Rep. Steven Horsford, a former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, near Las Vegas’ historic westside neighborhood, the cultural and historical heart of the city’s Black community.

A presidential run would require more than a theory of the case

Even if the progressive candidates Ocasio-Cortez is backing succeed on Election Day, a presidential run would present a different challenge.

South Carolina is first on the Democrats’ new early primary calendar, and Black voters make up a significant share of the state’s Democratic electorate. Sanders lost the state by wide margins in 2016 and 2020.

Jaime Harrison, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee and a South Carolina native, said Sanders’ struggles in the state were not because of his progressive politics, but because he did not put in the time needed to connect with voters.

To win South Carolina, Harrison said, “you better go to churches, you better go to union halls, you got to go to HBCUs" — historically Black colleges and universities.

“She has the talent,” Harrison said. “The question is, will you utilize that talent and focus it to do what is necessary to win on the biggest stage?”

At a rally in Columbus, Mississippi, that featured former Vice President Kamala Harris and Senate candidate Scott Colom, some voters waiting in line expressed interest in an Ocasio-Cortez presidential run, though they were not ready to commit their support.

Paula Small, a 58-year-old Democrat from Columbus, said she likes Ocasio-Cortez’s ideas but would need to learn more about her background.

“We are ready for a change. We are tired of the same politics,” Small said, adding that she believes it’s time for younger people with fresh ideas to get involved in politics.

Sosnik, the former Clinton adviser who considers himself more moderate than Ocasio-Cortez, called her an “unbelievable political talent” and described her as having at her fingertips “the zeitgeist of our times.”

But he questioned whether her appeal could extend beyond the Democratic primary electorate.

“I think she would be an extremely powerful force in the Democratic primary,” Sosnik said. “I’m skeptical that a majority of people in America would vote for her for president.”

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Associated Press journalists Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix, Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine, Mike Householder in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Sophia Bates in Columbus, Miss., contributed to this report.

Ditka's family announced his death on Friday in a statement.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka,” the family said. “While the world knew Mike as a Hall of Fame football player, legendary coach, and leader of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl XX championship team, we knew him as the heart of our family. Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever.”

Nicknamed “Iron Mike” as a player, Ditka helped revolutionize the tight end position and in 1988 was the first to play at the spot to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He then moved to the sidelines and later took over as Chicago’s coach. His 1985 team featured one of the game’s most dominant defenses ever. It also had enough outsized personalities to record a rap video, “The Super Bowl Shuffle,” and back up their boasting in the championship game three months later.

He was arguably the NFL's most recognizable — and imitated — personality during his time as Chicago's coach with his thick but neatly groomed mustache and sweater vest with “BEARS” emblazoned across the chest. The iconic look is still mimicked by fans at Bears games decades later. That along with his fiery, red-faced sideline tantrums inspired the popular “Da Bears” skit on “Saturday Night Live” during the 1990s.

After retiring as a coach, Ditka became a restaurateur, pitchman and TV personality, as well as a forceful advocate for improved medical and retirement benefits for former players.

Ditka was tough and gruff, the quintessential Chicago Bear. He did everything from order off the menu to knock defensive backs on their butts with a growl. His adopted hometown reveled in every minute.

Revered as "Da Coach," Ditka was the ringmaster of the 1985 Bears, one of the most dominant and perhaps the zaniest Super Bowl-winning team in league history.

“When I got to Chicago in the summer of 1985, Mike Ditka and the Chicago Bears were king,” former President Barack Obama wrote on X. “Coach Ditka set the tone for a team that was punishing, dominant, and fun — and the city loved him for it. I’m thinking of the Ditka family and Bears fans everywhere on the passing of a legend.”

Ditka was enshrined in the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and the Bears said during a ceremony in 2013 that his "No. 89" jersey will be the last one retired by the team.

“Player. Coach. Legend,” the Bears wrote in a tribute on social media. “Mike Ditka embodied the spirit of Chicago and will be deeply missed.”

Ditka was the first person enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, who had won Super Bowls as a player, assistant coach and head coach. Tom Flores, inducted in 2021, is the only other person to accomplish the feat.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Ditka “epitomized football over so many years” during his career.

“He brought intensity, authenticity and an unmistakable personality to everything he did,” Goodell said in a statement. “As a Hall of Fame player, Super Bowl-winning coach with his beloved and iconic Bears, and as a broadcaster, Mike served as an ambassador for the game and inspired generations of fans. Through his work with the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, Mike was a champion for taking care of those who helped build our game. We extend our deepest condolences to Diana and the Ditka family.”

Ditka got his “Iron Mike” nickname during his western Pennsylvania upbringing

He was born in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, the son of a welder who changed the family name from Dyczko. He grew up in nearby Aliquippa — which also later produced fellow Pro Football Hall of Famers Ty Law and Darrelle Revis — close to the coal-mining and steel-manufacturing plants that dotted the western part of the state, a big, talented, three-sport athlete and All-American at Pitt whose bruising style made his first nickname, "Iron Mike," a good fit.

“When our players see Mike Ditka’s name, I want them to understand how he competed," current Pitt football coach Pat Narduzzi said in a statement. “He gave everything he had and expected the same from the guys beside him. That’s Pitt. He showed us that tough people find a way through tough times and taught us to fight for the names on the front and back of our jerseys.”

Selected fifth overall by flinty Chicago owner George Halas in the 1961 draft, Ditka went on to Rookie of the Year honors, multiple Pro Bowl trips and the 1963 NFL Championship. He and Baltimore's John Mackey changed the tight end position and offensive schemes forever. He was a battering ram of a blocker, but Ditka was just as likely to catch a short pass and pinball through an entire secondary or outrace a lone safety on a deep touchdown throw.

He left Chicago in 1966, playing briefly for Philadelphia and Dallas.

Soon after his playing days, Ditka became “Da Coach” of the Bears

Ditka moved to the sideline in 1973 as an assistant to the revered Tom Landry and stayed with the Cowboys for eight years, including winning the Super Bowl during the 1977 season, before returning to a hero's welcome in Chicago as head coach in 1982.

Ditka's return to the Bears lasted 11 tumultuous years, including five straight NFC Central titles, the Super Bowl win, a DUI conviction, a heart attack, a long-running feud with defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan and, finally, a new nickname — “Da Coach.”

To Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary, the seeds of what was to come were planted in Ditka’s first meeting with the team. He laid out his vision, saying Chicago would be in the Super Bowl in three years — and many of the players in the room would not be around for it.

“When I first heard him when he walked in the room, to me Coach Ditka had the opportunity to be the greatest coach of all time because he had the fire,” Singletary said at the Bears’ 100th anniversary celebration in June 2019. “I don’t know how George Halas coached. But I can imagine that the fire and intensity and passion that Coach Ditka exuded that first day set the tone for exactly what he said: ‘Three years from now, we’re going to be in the Super Bowl.’ And that was 1982. In ’85, we were there and it was because of that vision.”

The Bears were a colorful bunch, with Ditka leading the way

The public beefs with Ryan mirrored the behind-the-scenes battles that Ditka waged trying to contain a team bristling with outsized personalities.

“It was more than a team,” Ditka once said. “It was a team of characters that had character that played for a crazy man, who let him be crazy and had fun doing it and don't apologize for it ever. I wouldn’t want to be one of these suits walking around on the sideline today.

“I have no desire to be that. I was what I was and they were what they were and, damn, it was fun.”

It wasn't until two dozen players recorded "The Super Bowl Shuffle" — an audacious rap-styled video released three months ahead of the 1986 title game — that the rest of the football world wondered whether Ditka was losing his grip.

His players never did.

"We call him 'Sybil' after that girl in the movie," quarterback Jim McMahon once explained. "You know, the one that had all those personalities. Mike will be calm one minute, then throw a clipboard the next. People don't understand that, but we do."

The Bears demolished the New England Patriots 46-10 in the Super Bowl, but Ditka often said he regretted having McMahon and defensive tackle William "The Refrigerator" Perry run for touchdowns instead of Walter Payton, Chicago's loyal and long-suffering running back.

Ryan departed for a head coaching job in Philadelphia soon after. While the Bears continued to be a contender for most of the next five years, a 5-11 season prompted Ditka's departure in 1992.

Ditka's last coaching tenure in New Orleans was highlighted by a stunning trade

After a four-year absence, he returned to coaching with the New Orleans Saints, but failed to revive the franchise. His tenure with the team might be best remembered for the trade before the 1999 NFL draft when he dealt a package of eight draft picks — including each one the Saints had that year and two of its first three selections in 2000 — to Washington to move up from 12th overall to No. 5 so New Orleans could select running back Ricky Williams.

After a miserable 1999 season ended with a 3-13 record — Ditka's worst as either a player or coach — he left the sidelines for good.

“We proudly honor his chapters as a head coach in New Orleans,” the Saints said in a statement. “While his time leading our franchise on the field was brief in longevity, his presence left an indelible mark on our organization. Mike approached his tenure with the Saints with the same bold authenticity and relentless drive that defined his entire career.”

Ditka's post-football career featured TV appearances and advocating for former players

Ditka's face and demeanor were so familiar by then that a second act became an easy segue. He began building a stable of restaurants and appeared as himself in TV sitcoms from "Cheers" to "Third Rock from the Sun," as well as shows such as “L.A. Law.”

He also stayed close to the game as an NFL analyst and game-day show personality — first at NBC after his Bears tenure, and then at CBS and ESPN after his time with the Saints.

“Mike Ditka was larger than life, an iconic football figure whose presence commanded attention the moment he walked into a room," ESPN VP and executive producer Seth Markman said in a statement. "He was fearless and candid on the air, bringing the same authenticity and conviction that defined his football career.

“For those of us who worked with him at ESPN, we were able to experience another side of Mike: a kind, generous and genuinely caring colleague who treated everyone with warmth and respect, whether he knew you or not.”

Ditka's high-profile status also made him an effective advocate to secure improved health and retirement benefits for former players.

His name also circulated for years in Illinois political circles. Though he never ran for office, Ditka described himself as a staunch conservative and was mentioned several times as a possible Republican candidate, including a congressional race against then state Senator Obama for the U.S. Senate.

“Mike Ditka," ESPN NFL host Chris Berman said in a statement, “was a national treasure.”

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This story been corrected. A previous version reported erroneously that Ditka's stint coaching the Bears lasted 10 years, not 11, and that he was out of football for five years, not four, before coaching the Saints. That version also reported erroneously that the “Da Bears” skit appeared on “Saturday Night Live” in the 1980s, not the 1990s.

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Litke is a retired AP Sports Columnist.

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AP Pro Football Writer Dennis Waszak Jr. and AP Sports Writers Jay Cohen and Joe Reedy contributed to this report.

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

At a time when some Democratic leaders nationwide are recalibrating their approach to transgender issues, particularly sports, and polls show Americans generally back the bans, supporters are optimistic they will pass and open the door to similar efforts in other places where lawmakers have blocked bans.

Though the issue has been debated in many legislatures, this is the first time it's going to voters.

“What is happening in 2026 is a testing ground for the future,” said Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, executive director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, which supports LGBTQ+ rights.

Twenty-seven states — including all where Republicans control both the legislature and governor’s office — already have such laws.

The efforts are billed as a way to protect women and girls and keep separate spaces for them, tapping into a concern that’s gained momentum. President Donald Trump has taken steps to roll back transgender rights. The Supreme Court has upheld state sports bans.

A June poll from Quinnipiac University found that about 7 in 10 registered voters think transgender women and girls should not be allowed to play on female sports teams. About one-quarter think they should. Democrats are divided, with about half saying transgender women and girls should be allowed and about half saying they should not.

Robert Preuhs, a professor of political science at Metropolitan State University of Denver, said the absence of public polls on Colorado's ballot measure, which also covers college sports, makes it hard to predict whether it will pass. “It’s probably going to get more support than some of the Republican candidates that will run,” he said.

Since transgender restrictions gained traction this decade, states with Democratic-led governors' offices and legislatures generally have rejected proposals such as banning transgender people from the bathrooms that match their gender identity and restricting gender-affirming care. Most Republican-led states have adopted those policies.

In addition to the two blue-state questions, a measure in Arizona would broaden an existing ban to include private schools, and one in Nebraska would add an existing state law to the state constitution.

The argument has been framed around fairness

There’s not a clear consensus on whether transgender women and girls have a competitive advantage. Factors include the age of the athlete, the sport, whether the athlete went through male puberty and how long they’ve received hormone therapy.

But the idea that girls are being cheated is personal for some athletes.

Ahnaleigh Wilson, a 17-year-old junior at Eastmont High School, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) east of Seattle, has been speaking out against allowing transgender girls to compete in girls’ sports since she was in junior high. She said she’d won all her 1,600-meter races in seventh and eighth grade — until she finished second to a transgender athlete in a major meet.

“I knew it wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair,” she said.

Wilson said three other transgender athletes she's competed against since then placed better in girls races than they would have with the same times against boys.

“Women have fought for Title IX and our own categories and it’s very important that we keep the dignity of that, and let women have their own sports and their own spaces to be safe and completely fair,” she said, referencing the federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities, including athletics.

Opponents say excluding transgender girls is also unfair.

“They will say that they want to protect kids and in particular, young girls,” said Nadine Bridges, executive director of One Colorado, which is leading the opposition to the measure there, “but I don’t understand how you can protect kids and discriminate against kids at the same time.”

The number of transgender girls in school sports is believed to be a sliver of the total participants. Neither Colorado nor Washington has an official count.

Let's Go Washington, which is behind the measure in that state, says it’s counted 16 such athletes and that there could be more. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association has counted about 101,000 girls in sports that it oversees — a figure that double-counts girls who play in multiple sports.

The issue crosses party lines — and that may be the idea

Imara Jones, an advocate who runs a website that features the stories of transgender people, said the issue is attractive for conservatives because some Democrats agree with them.

Hedge fund manager Brian Heywood is funding Let's Go Washington, which is also behind two other measures. One would expand parent access to school social work and counseling records for their children and one would repeal a newly adopted tax on incomes over $1 million.

Western Washington University political scientist Todd Donovan said Let's Go is hoping that voters supporting the transgender sports ban would also favor overturning the tax.

Tracy Flint of Ridgefield, Washington, a Democrat and former graphic artist, said she’s wrestling with how to vote.

“It’s new to my brain, so it’s a really tough one for me,” she said.

Her husband, Dave Flint, 60, a former Republican who opposes Trump and now votes for Democrats, lamented that an issue affecting so few people has become such a national controversy. “But I guess you still have to address it,” he said.

One Colorado's Bridges said she believes that many voters can be persuaded to oppose the measure there, though the challenge is reaching them. Groups registered as opposing the transgender-related measures in Colorado have raised nearly $4 million — more than 20 times what proponents have brought in, but not a lot for a statewide campaign.

In Washington, Let's Go has raised more than $7.8 million to campaign for the three measures — nearly twice as much as the ban opponents.

One key question is how to enforce the ban

The Washington measure would require that a healthcare provider verify the student's “biological sex, relying only on one or more of the following: The student’s reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or normal endogenously produced testosterone levels.”

“We see that as being as simple as a checkbox,” said Let's Go Washington spokesperson Hallie Herzberg. “Doctors can use the history of the patient from treating them all their lives or their medical history forms.”

But Dr. Libby Loft, who opposes the measure, says the language calls for a genital inspection as part of a physical, or expensive testing.

“I think it doesn't make any sense to force the working families of … girl sports players in Washington to pay for unnecessary medical tests to be able to weed out an estimated five or 10 girls in the state of Washington, trans girls,” Loft said.

She fears the verification requirement will lead to fewer girls — trans or not — playing sports.

The idea of exams bothers some voters.

“I’m voting against it primarily because I think medical exams of girls’ genitalia is, like, Middle Ages,” said Rosemary Kacorozki of Renton, Washington, 63, a language interpreter.

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This story has been corrected to say that Eastmont High School is about 150 miles (241 kilometers) east of Seattle.

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Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey.

Even as the San Juan River and other streams receded from record highs, more storms rumbled through, causing local officials to warn of still more surges.

“This is not over, and we need you to monitor alerts,” police Chief Steve Hebbe of Farmington, New Mexico, said in a news conference.

The flooding affected some 2,000 people in and around the city of 46,000 not far from Four Corners, the meeting point of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.

At least a couple hundred people needed rescue — too many for busy officials to keep accurate count — since rains picked up Wednesday and flooding culminated Thursday and Friday.

Some were stranded on rooftops. Rescues included 11 hoist operations involving New Mexico National Guard helicopters, each of which hauled as many as eight people to safety, San Juan County spokesperson Devin Neeley said.

But shelters were not full, leading officials to suspect that most evacuees were staying with friends and family.

Even with water levels having lowered, evacuations remained in effect until officials deem it safe to return. Potential hazards included downed power lines, leaking gas lines and the likelihood of yet more storms through the weekend.

“There’s a lot of anxiety, and there’s a lot of frustration,” San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari said. “But please understand we are blocking those areas for your safety.”

Officials in Colorado and New Mexico urged people not to fly drones to check on their property or to sightsee, warning that such activity can endanger rescue aircraft. They also asked people not to use 911 except for true emergencies.

Downstream from Farmington, the San Juan River flooded parts of the vast Navajo Nation. A 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) stretch of U.S. Highway 64 west of Shiprock was closed with water on the roadway.

Upstream in Colorado, the milkshake-brown San Juan River raged through the hot springs resort town of Pagosa Springs at a level unseen in over a century. The flood was well over 2 feet (60 centimeters) higher than one just over a year ago that officials considered a 100-year flood.

The Animas River raged in a muddy torrent through Durango, a southwest Colorado tourist city, though below records dating back over a century.

Flooding extended as far east as the Conejos River in south-central Colorado, and Gov. Jared Polis added Conejos County to a list of places eligible for disaster help.

Some routes including U.S. 160 northeast of Pagosa Springs remained closed. But the famous, winding Million Dollar Highway — formally U.S. 550 — reopened between Durango and Ouray after crews addressed an area of water damage.

The flooding is just the latest from two months of on-and-off heavy rain caused by tropical moisture coming ashore from the Pacific. After months of drought, other recent deadly flooding struck the Grand Canyon and areas of New Mexico.

The region's rocky deserts are naturally prone to flash floods, but the rain has saturated soils, making flooding even likelier.

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Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas.

The letters, which were sent on Friday, ask for sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, on roughly 20,000 voters. It is illegal for noncitizens to register to vote or cast a ballot. The administration has insisted that immigrants voting is a major problem nationwide, when in fact it is quite rare, as even its own investigations have shown.

“All of this is simply meant to raise huge doubts about the integrity of this election,” said John Tuteur, the registrar of voters for Napa County in California’s wine country.

Tuteur and other election officials who spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday said they have already started to count ballots that have trickled in from the state's 23 million registered voters.

“We’re not changing anything we’re doing. We’re proceeding with the election,” he said.

The federal government set a 48-hour deadline to provide information, and it warned that legal action could be taken against any official who knowingly counted a noncitizen's vote.

However, the California attorney general's office said the letters contained errors. For example, Mendocino County officials received a list of people who were not residents there, according to the state's court filing.

The letters are the latest escalation in a legal battle between Democratic-dominated California and Trump's Department of Justice ahead of the midterms. The federal government sued on Oct. 15, roughly three weeks before elections, asking a judge to bar the state from counting mail-in ballots from people the federal government has identified as likely noncitizens. A panel of 9th Circuit appeals court judges will hear arguments on Sunday about whether California can be compelled to comply with the federal government’s demands.

Some clerks say they will proceed with counting ballots

Tuteur said that two uniformed Department of Homeland Security officers delivered a letter to his office late on Friday afternoon. The letter included the names of 42 people who the federal government accused of being noncitizens illegally registered to vote. There are roughly 86,000 people registered to vote across the county of over 130,000 people, Tuteur said. Approximately 11,000 people had already cast a mail-in ballot as of Friday. In larger counties like Los Angeles, that number has already reached over 331,000 counted mail-in votes.

He said his employees and his relatives were worried about what could come next.

“My family’s upset, worried about what’s going to happen to me,” he said.

The letter sent to Clerk-Recorder Kim Grady's office in rural Amador County listed four people allegedly illegally registered to vote in the county. Grady was waiting on more guidance from the state about what she should do, and she wasn't sure if she would get any clarity before the deadline.

DOJ threatens to prosecute

Department of Justice spokeswoman Kiersten Pels emphasized in a statement on Saturday that the department is explicitly “not requesting a purge, cancellation of registrations, or any programmatic action."

Instead, Pels wrote, federal officials are asking for collaboration to “ensure the most secure election in California history.”

The letters on Friday came on the heels of a statewide sweep by federal authorities on Monday, where 28 people from the list of 20,000 were charged with illegally registering to vote. Some were also charged with illegally voting and lying on naturalization paperwork. Those charges could lead to years in prison.

Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, said that the clerks who didn't comply with the government's demands could face prosecution as well.

“The letters speak for themselves. Any election official who knowingly processes the ballot of a noncitizen is opening themselves to legal jeopardy," Essayli said in a statement.

Noncitizen voting is very rare. For example, earlier this month Attorney General Todd Blanche announced federal charges against 10 people in Minnesota alleged to have voted illegally over the last three elections, a period in which more than 8 million ballots were cast in the state.

But Essayli said on Monday that even a small number of illegal voters could “dilute” the vote and undermine confidence in elections.

Concerns about the accuracy of federal data

Some election officials who spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday have questioned the accuracy of the federal government's list of 20,000 voters.

“I expect this accusation to fall apart like we saw recently in Nevada,” Kristin B. Connelly, the Contra Costa County clerk-recorder and registrar of voters said, referring to remarks Trump made in July, when he claimed the neighboring state had 1,500 noncitizen voters on its rolls. After his administration was asked to identify them, the number of actual registered noncitizens turned out to be zero.

Officials in Los Angeles County, who are named as defendants in the federal lawsuit, have echoed Connelly's concerns about the federal government's data. A preliminary analysis of 200 names from the statewide list of 20,000 found that over 40% had canceled registrations, according to a court filing from county officials on Wednesday. More than 70% of that sample had no voting history whatsoever, and nearly 4 in 10 were born in the United States.

The school announced the decision less than a day after the Wolfpack fell to 3-4 by losing on the road to a Stanford team picked to finish last in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Doeren, 54, had a 98-74 record with the Wolfpack and became the program’s winningest coach with a 2023 victory over Miami. He entered this year as the fourth-longest-tenured coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision and second in the ACC behind Clemson’s Dabo Swinney.

“I want to thank Coach Doeren for his service and contributions to N.C. State, and for always representing the university with pride,” athletic director Boo Corrigan said in a statement. “I appreciate his leadership during his 14-year tenure and the passion he brought to this role. We wish Dave, (wife) Sara and his family the best in the future.”

Running backs coach and special teams coordinator Todd Goebbel will serve as interim coach for the remainder of the season.

Doeren was under contract through December 2029. The school will owe him $9.75 million in base salary for the remaining years plus any remaining payments for the 2026 calendar year, which would ultimately push that figure past the $10 million mark.

Doeren built a consistent winner, with the Wolfpack securing 11 bowl bids with eight of those teams reaching eight or nine wins — including a 9-4 mark against rival North Carolina. Yet N.C. State never played for an ACC championship nor reached the 10-win threshold hit only once in program history, creating a ceiling that Doeren’s teams kept bumping into and that led to a steady but typically low-simmering level of fan frustration.

Then things went quickly awry in his 14th year.

First, the Wolfpack looked surprisingly overmatched in a loss at Virginia in August. A few weeks later came a loss at Vanderbilt on a last-second fumble recovery for a touchdown, one of the most stunning and improbable finishes in recent memory in college football.

Injuries mounted to compound emerging problems, which showed when N.C. State was outscored 28-0 after halftime in a home loss to Wake Forest on Oct. 10. The Wolfpack then went into an open week with a chance to regroup before visiting the Cardinal, which boasted one of the nation's worst offenses that failed to score more than seven points in any of the team's four losses.

But the Cardinal took a 14-0 first-quarter lead and built another two-touchdown advantage in the third quarter before winning 31-28, a result that ultimately removed whatever cushion Doeren had left.

His firing was hardly expected when the school announced after last year's fifth straight win against rival North Carolina to close the season that he would return.

Hired from Northern Illinois after the 2012 season, Doeren had occasionally been linked to other jobs, including talks with Tennessee in late 2017, but remained committed to the Wolfpack. That included shutting down in-season rumors last year that he might retire, then again after the school announced his return last November.

“I’m totally invested in this place,” Doeren told The Associated Press at the time. “I love this school and I plan on finishing here.”

Doeren’s Wolfpack flirted with breakthrough moments multiple times, but seizing one proved elusive.

N.C. State formerly shared an ACC division with Florida State and Clemson when each was a national power, making it a daunting task to try to run either team down and reach a league championship game. As an example, Doeren’s best team in 2017 won nine games and had seven players go in the NFL draft the following spring — including No. 5 overall pick Bradley Chubb at defensive end — but still lost a November home game to then-No. 6 Clemson and ultimately finished a game behind the Tigers in the division.

There were three times that Doeren's Wolfpack reached a bowl game with a chance at a 10-win season. N.C. State lost two, while the 2021 Holiday Bowl matchup against UCLA was called off hours before kickoff because the Bruins had to pull out due to COVID-19 issues.

N.C. State’s only season with a double-digit win total was 2002, when the team led by eventual NFL great Philip Rivers and coached by the late Chuck Amato cracked the AP's top 10 and finished 11-3. Its last ACC crown came in 1979, a stat that loomed larger as the other three in-state league schools each twice reached the championship game, with Wake Forest (2006) and Duke (2025) winning titles.

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The Cedar Rapids Fire Department said firefighters responded to the call at about 4:45 p.m. Video and photos posted to social media showed black smoke over the downtown of the city of about 140,000.

The fire evidently began with an explosion, the department said via Facebook.

All workers got out safely and were accounted for without any injuries, Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said in a Facebook video.

The fire happened in an area of the building that handled products, O’Donnell said.

“It’s not heavily populated with employees and team members. Which of course in this case was a blessing,” O’Donnell said.

There was no immediate information on what caused the fire.

PepsiCo Foods US said in a statement that fire responders went to the scene of the blaze and how it started would be investigated.

The Quaker Oats brand, by way of the Quaker Mill Company, turns 150 years old in 2027. It is owned by PepsiCo.

The Quaker Oats facility is the largest milling facility in the world, processing over 2 million pounds (900,000 kilograms) of oats daily, according to the company’s website.

On Sunday at the Circuit of the Americas, he'll have the clearest view possible of the path to get there. And it could come fast.

Mercedes' championship leader earned a surprise pole position on Saturday, edging Red Bull's Max Verstappen. If he can turn that into a victory, and his closest rivals falter, the 20-year-old Italian could win the season title and become F1's youngest champion ever.

Verstappen was the favorite for pole. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton looked faster than Mercedes through all three practice sessions.

Then Antonelli put in a late-afternoon wonder lap at COTA to earn his first pole position since Belgium, a span of seven races..

“It was surprising,” Antonelli said. “I’m just going to try to do the best race I can, try to win and see what happens.”

The math for a season championship requires some help but achievable.

First he must win. If he does that, and Mercedes teammate George Russell finishes ninth or lower, and Hamilton finishes outside the top four, Antonelli will be champion.

Hamilton will start fourth, with Russell sixth.

“Just get a good start and see from there what we can do,” Antonelli said.

That's the first job. He'll be battling Verstappen into the first corner, an uphill, left turn switchback that can wreak havoc on the field and often does. Verstappen is likely to be his usual aggressive self into the first turn.

Verstappen is a four-time champion who has won four times at COTA. He also won the previous two races in Malaysia and Singapore and is trying to chase every victory he can in a season when the championship is out of reach.

Verstappen didn't offer Antonelli any advice about how to approach the race so close to the championship. He has won titles in seasons that went to the final laps, and others where he dominated.

“He doesn’t need that. He knows what he’s doing, If it doesn’t happen this weekend, it will happen next weekend, or the next weekend,” Verstappen said. “When it’s official, go celebrate.”

Antonelli's championship does appear inevitable as the season heads into the final six races.

Antonelli leads Russell by 102 points and Hamilton by 111. He built the large lead through the first half of a remarkably consistent season that included five wins in the first six races.

Russell and Hamilton will be trying to hang on Sunday to keep the championship going another week. Russell started the season as Mercedes' No. 1 driver. He won the first race but couldn't keep up.

“It’s a long race and a lot happens here in Austin," Russell told Sky Sports.

And Leclerc didn't count himself out of winning. He noted his victory at COTA in 2024 from the second row of the starting grid.

“I strongly believe we had the pace to be fighting at the front,” Leclerc said. "The last time I started from fourth here I won. I hope we can do the same tomorrow.”

Hard to keep cars on the track

The entire field struggled through all three practice sessions and qualifying to keep the cars on the track, enough so that it will be worth watching to see if any get warnings in Sunday’s race.

Race officials deleted more than 200 lap times across Friday's two practices. On Saturday, Leclerc lost a time that would have given him a clean sweep of all three sessions.

Colton Herta gets closer to super license for F1 future

Cadillac’s American reserve driver Colton Herta took part in Friday practice to earn another point toward being licensed to race in F1 in hopes of joining the grid next season.

The team could give him more practice sessions over the next five races. He has at least 38 of the 40 license points required.

Herta left IndyCar this season to join the Formula 2 junior series to restart his goal of racing in Formula 1. If he is able to join Cadillac for next season — Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez are the team's current drivers — Herta would be the first American driver in F1 since Logan Sargeant, who was dropped by Williams in the middle of the 2024 season.

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The 33-year-old three-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender met the media before New Jersey faced the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday and his eagerness to wear No. 37 for the Devils was evident.

“Sitting at home for so long was getting to me. For myself, I’m just really excited to play hockey again," Hellebuyck said after his suspension by the Winnipeg Jets for his failure to report to training camp led to Friday’s trade with New Jersey. “I’m joining a very skilled group. They brought me for a certain specific role. I’m really excited to fill that role, not only on the ice but off the ice as well.”

Hellebuyck spent 11 seasons with the Jets, including a Presidents’ Trophy-winning season in 2024-25, and helped the United States win gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics this year. A fifth-round draft pick in 2012 by Winnipeg, Hellebuyck is fifth on the U.S.-born goaltenders list with 345 career wins. Among U.S.-born goalies with 300 or more career starts, his .916 save percentage ranks fourth and 2.58 goals-against average ranks sixth.

Hellebuyck will share goaltending duties with 36-year-old Jake Allen, who is 5-2-0 this season.

The Devils sent forward Dawson Mercer, goalie Nico Daws, prospect Alexander Command, a 2029 second-round pick, a 2027 seventh-rounder and injured forward Nick Bjugstad to Winnipeg for Hellebuyck.

“Obviously having a goaltender of this pedigree come in here and support Jake is exciting," Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said. ”That should give the group more confidence."

General manager Sunny Mehta said Hellebuyck's excitement for his new destination was palpable within minutes of their initial conversation.

Hellebuyck has been skating in Michigan while trade talks continued. He has five seasons left on a seven-year contact with an annual salary cap hit of $8.5 million.

“He was like: ‘I’m ready, I’m packed. I’ll get in my car right now,'” Mehta said about his exchange with his new goalie.

Mehta laughed and said he told Hellebuyck: "Don’t do that.”

Mehta has been trying to improve a team that missed the playoffs two of the past three seasons and won just one playoff series since 2012. With Saturday's 3-1 win over the Kings, New Jersey has won seven of its first 11 games this season.

“Everything is about winning. That is my goal every single day," Mehta said. ”This obviously makes us a better team. In my view it improves our team — and I was thrilled about my team coming out of camp."

When Hellebuyck plays his first game for New Jersey is still undetermined. He hasn't played in an NHL game since April 13, a 6-2 Jets loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Winnipeg missed the playoffs last spring a year after finishing with an NHL-best 116 points.

Hellebuyck won 47 games in 2024-25. The Jets advanced past the second round only once during his tenure in Manitoba.

Hellebuyck said it's too early to address his feeling toward the city of Winnipeg and Jets fans. New Jersey visits Winnipeg on Nov. 10.

“There’s a lot I need to say," he said. ”Out of respect for them and the celebration of hockey, I’m going to postpone to a later date. I hope they know I care about them."

Hellebuyck added that winning gold with his now-teammate Jack Hughes — who scored the overtime goal against Canada in February for the Americans' first gold medal since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team — has left an indelible mark on him.

“That’s one of those moments and memories that I will cherish forever. And I will probably hear how other people will cherish them forever," he said. “One of my favorite stories is, ‘Where were you when?’ People will tell me what they were doing during the gold-medal game. Those are my favorite stories to hear.”

The veteran netminder, a native of Commerce, Michigan, who played two seasons of college hockey at UMass-Lowell, added that he looks forward to playing home games in the U.S. after more than a decade calling Canada home.

Hellebuyck added that while he was unfamiliar with life in New Jersey at the moment, he is looking forward to discovering everything that comes with new surroundings — finding a home, favorite restaurants and new places to spend free time.

“I know I’m going to get a lot more of that here than in Canada because I don’t think they care much about it," he said of the gold-medal plaudits for the Olympic win over Canada. “This is closer to my family’s home. Just being in the USA will be very exciting for this next chapter in my career.”

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Officers responded around 1 a.m. Saturday to a report of an assault in progress in the 3100 block of Baer Street. Precinct 6 deputy constables were already at the scene and had detained several people who may have information about the incident.

Police said there was an exchange of gunfire inside the house during the party, then shots were fired out on the street.

Police found a man with a gunshot wound to his upper body. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His family identified him as 23-year-old Elthanius Toliver.

While officers were investigating, a nearby hospital reported a 19-year-old man with gunshot wounds to his arm and leg. His injuries were considered non-life-threatening, police said.

• Suspect gets away with cash after threatening teller at Cypress PNC Bank

No suspects are in custody. The Houston Police Department is handling the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

“We just beat the No. 8 team in the country,” Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield said. “That team played in the playoffs last year. I’m really proud of our program. This is one of the greatest wins I’ve been a part of.”

It was the Bearcats' first win over a top-10 team at home since Nov. 18, 2006, when they defeated No. 7 Rutgers 30-11. Cincinnati won at ninth-ranked Notre Dame in 2021.

The Red Raiders (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) failed go 7-0 for the first time since 2013 and were plagued by mistakes all afternoon.

“I'm as frustrated as I've ever been in my 32 years of coaching,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “I'm really searching for words.”

Red Raiders QB Will Hammond lost a fumble, leading to an early field goal for the Bearcats. He then had an intentional grounding penalty that forced Texas Tech to settle for a tying field goal.

Hammond passed for 227 yards with an interception, and J’Koby Williams rushed for 81 yards on 11 carries for the Red Raiders.

The Bearcats (5-2, 2-2) scored 21 points in the second quarter.

Tabb’s four-yard TD catch put the Bearcats ahead 10-6. They extended the lead to 17-6 on a 5-yard TD catch by Malachi Henry with 1:37 remaining in the half.

Following MJ Cannon's interception of Hammond, the Bearcats drove 75 yards in 27 seconds. Tabb’s 51-yard run set up a 2-yard TD catch by tight end Lyviel Waters, making the score 24-6 at halftime.

The Red Raiders caught a break in the third quarter after safety Peyton Morgan intercepted French’s deflected pass and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown. The play initially was negated by a targeting penalty on Brice Pollock, but then it was overturned by video review and the Bearcats’ lead was cut to 24-15 after the 2-point attempt failed.

The Bearcats responded with a nine-play, 80-yard drive and French’s fourth TD pass, a 17-yarder to Larenzo Fenner that extended Cincinnati’s lead to 31-15 with 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Tabb’s 58-yard touchdown run with six minutes left sealed the victory for the Bearcats.

“Those guys are ranked, they feel like they can’t be beat,” Bearcats left guard Evan Tengesdahl said. “They also have not been run on. That was our biggest motivation.”

The takeaway

Texas Tech: McGuire wanted his players to focus on the pursuit of a College Football Playoff spot this week and not lingering bad blood after quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s transfer from Cincinnati fell through when he admitted to betting on college football. Bearcats fans chanted Sorsby’s name at times during the game.

“We didn't talk about it at all,” McGuire said. “The team that was here in the middle of June versus the team that's here now is a totally different team. We made it about football and the football wasn't good enough today.”

Cincinnati: The Bearcats came in averaging 231 rushing yards. After having minus-6 yards on the ground in the first quarter, aided by a couple of sacks, they finished with 252 yards and a 6.1-yards-per-carry average.

“They hadn’t given up a rushing touchdown,” Satterfield said. “We rushed for 252 (yards). Cole Tabb had a Cole Tabb day. He’s been doing it week in and week out.”

Texas Tech hindered by penalties

The Red Raiders average 5.4 penalties per game but committed a season-high 12 for 75 yards in Saturday's loss. Their previous high was seven on Sept. 12 at Oregon State.

“We've been one of the least penalized teams in the country and we had 12 penalties today, you know, four pre-snap penalties,” McGuire said. “We also had three turnovers that led to points. Whenever you do that, you're not going to win.”

Red Raiders may nave no margin for error going forward

The Red Raiders also began last season 6-0 before losing at Arizona State. They won the remainder of their games, including the Big 12 championship game, to reach the College Football Playoff. McGuire believes that will be necessary again.

“For us to get where we want to get, we're going to have to win out,” McGuire said. “I felt the exact same way last year.”

Up next

Texas Tech hosts Arizona next Saturday.

Cincinnati hosts No. 10 Utah next Saturday.

___

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The Valkyries leader did just that as she scored 17 points and led a stellar defensive effort to beat the Atlanta Dream 67-62 on Saturday and even the WNBA Finals 2-2.

“I didn’t like my last game. I didn’t like who I was in that last game,” Williams said. “So I think stepping up in that role made me step up also individually. If I want to lead my team, I have to be the one that sets the tone and I have to lead by example as well. So I think that motivated me to set the tempo today.”

Tiffany Hayes was moved into the starting lineup and scored all of her 13 points in the second half, while Kiah Stokes anchored the defense effort that stymied Angel Reese, who had double-doubles in the first three games.

Golden State will host Game 5 of the best-of-seven series Monday.

Stokes, who won three WNBA championships while playing with Las Vegas, grabbed 16 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end. After Atlanta rolled to a 97-71 victory in Game 3, she told the Valkyries they only needed to worry about winning the next game.

“One thing that I had told the team after the last game is the goal when we play on the road ... just steal one on the road. So yeah, we lost on Wednesday. but to me, that doesn’t mean we’re out of anything,” Stokes said. “Because our goal was there and could still be accomplished if we won today, and then we go back home.

“Now it’s the best-of-three series," Stokes added. "So it was just shake it off and learn from it and then just get ready. Nothing was won or lost in Game 3.”

Reese, like the rest of her teammates, struggled on offense. Reese had just eight points and nine rebounds after dominating the previous two games while averaging 25.5 points and 14 rebounds in the Dream victories.

Reese missed 10 of her 12 shots, including a few layups in the fourth quarter.

“I think it was me. I think I rushed a lot on my shots and I didn’t take my time and finish around the basket like I’ve been doing the last three games,” Reese said. “It happens and I’m just looking forward to the next game and just do it.”

Atlanta shot 33.3% overall and only 4 for 23 from 3-point range. Rhyne Howard finished with 19 points to lead the Dream.

Even as poorly as they played at times, the Dream trimmed a 16-point halftime deficit to 61-55 midway through the fourth quarter, bringing fans in the sellout crowd of over 17,000 to their feet. Golden State answered with a 3-pointer by Veronica Burton to briefly silence them.

The Dream then scored seven of the next nine points, including a three-point play by Howard with 28 seconds left to get within 66-62.

Burton then made the first of two free throws a second later and Atlanta couldn’t convert on the other end as once again Golden State challenged shots led by Stokes.

She finished with three blocks and now has a WNBA Finals record of 14 in the four games, surpassing the old record of 12 by Brittney Griner and Sylvia Fowles.

“I just hang my head on defense. I like to block shots,” Stokes said.

Coach Natalie Nakase also made a change in the starting lineup, Hayes and Kaila Charles for Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini. While the Valkyries got off to a slow start again in the early afternoon tipoff with the Atlanta Hawks playing their home opener at night, when Thornton and Zandalasini entered the game they paid immediate dividends.

The two helped a key first-quarter run that gave Golden State its first lead since the third quarter of Game 2. Atlanta got within 24-20 on Reese’s basket — her lone one of the first half — but the Valkyries responded with an 18-6 run to close the half.

The 42-26 deficit at the break was the largest that the Dream had faced all playoffs.

Atlanta had dominated the third quarter in the WNBA Finals, outscoring Golden State 60-35 in the first three games. Atlanta managed just a 19-12 edge in Game 4.

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The Paris march began peacefully, a week after widespread rioting and looting during protests across the country. But near the demonstration's endpoint in eastern Paris, masked protesters hurled objects and fireworks at police, who answered with clouds of tear gas, deafening sound grenades and jets of water cannons.

Officers with megaphones urged protesters to disperse. Some demonstrators panicked as tear-gas canisters landed in their midst, scattering with screams. Veteran protesters shouted after them: “Don’t run!”

The Interior Ministry put nationwide turnout at 410,000 — fewer than the 550,000 it said protested last weekend — while the CGT union that helped organize some of Saturday's protests estimated nearly 800,000. The ministry’s estimate included 110,000 in Paris, where authorities confined the march to the city’s southeastern edge, away from the center. The CGT put the number of protesters in Paris at 250,000.

Unrest is challenging Macron's final months in power

More than a month of unrest that started with protests in high schools for more funding and teachers is testing Macron’s authority in the final months of his presidency before voters choose his successor in May.

The stakes are high: The far-right National Rally party has accused his government of failing to protect the public and urged people to channel their anger into votes for its candidate Marine Le Pen. On the far left, presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon has backed demonstrators and criticized policing that has left some teenage protesters with life-changing injuries.

As dusk fell Saturday, violence erupted at the end of some of the 289 protests counted by the Interior Ministry nationwide. Street fires burned in the cities of Marseille and Lyon. Police used tear gas in Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, Strasbourg and Bordeaux and water cannons in Nice and Nantes, French media reported. In Nice, far-right extremists fought with demonstrators downtown and 11 people were arrested, regional authorities said.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said police made nearly 1,000 arrests but added that the number is expected to increase significantly as more are counted.

Nuñez said beefed-up policing, with 70,000 officers backed by helicopters, armored vehicles and other support, helped prevent a repeat of widespread looting and damage to shops the previous weekend.

A small protest became a national movement

What began last month as a protest over staff shortages at one high school southeast of Paris spread nationwide, drawing students demanding more funding for education and workers seeking help with soaring costs for fuel and other necessities.

In Paris, Bénédicte Pittion, a 46-year-old teacher, marched with her 16-year-old daughter, Garance, a high school student — in their first protest together.

“The young people who have been demonstrating have not been heard, and as a parent and as a teacher, I stand with them,” Pittion said.

Garance said she'd been “really scared” after seeing the previous weekend’s violence, but felt that staying away would hand the government a victory.

Macron met high school representatives Friday. They said he had promised to overhaul university admissions, but they called for protests to continue until concrete measures are announced.

Some protests were banned

Soumaya Abed, a 58-year-old nurse wearing a red CGT union vest, complained that authorities in Paris wanted to stifle protesters by making them march on the capital's outskirts, keeping them away from the center where the Louvre and other major museums closed exceptionally.

“But it won’t stop the movement. It won’t stop students from demanding better conditions in schools,” she said.

Other protesters expressed anger about record poverty and wealth inequality under Macron. Camille Chesnier, 27, said she hasn't found work despite having an engineering degree and a master’s degree.

“There are enormous numbers of people in the same situation as me but who aren’t privileged and who find themselves living on the streets and in squats and, frankly, it’s very tough,” she said..”

In Marseille, police put attendance at 17,000, while the CGT union estimated 100,000. In the southwestern city of Toulouse, 26,500 people joined the protests, according to authorities. Authorities had banned rallies in cities including Lyon, Nice and Montpellier.

Trade unions criticized the bans, calling them violations of freedom of expression, which is protected by the constitution.

Thousands also marched Saturday in Orléans, south of Paris, in a separate peaceful protest against the far right as Le Pen’s National Rally held a two-day congress in the city.

Shops board up and museums close

Gendarmes stood guard Saturday beneath the Arc de Triomphe and shopkeepers boarded up storefronts across Paris. Near the Saint-Lazare train station Saturday, Akram Ahmed, a 34-year-old contractor, was boarding up an optician’s shop.

“I got the call last night,” he said. “The owner seemed desperate. He said I was saving his life.”

Art Basel, one of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art fairs, opened to the public Friday, but only for the day, with the threat of unrest prompting organizers to cancel the weekend program.

Students and workers are angry

Student groups want 250,000 more places in higher education and an end to selection through Parcoursup, the national admissions system.

Their joint 10-point plan also calls for more teachers and repairs to schools and universities.

They are also seeking help with everyday costs: an extra 200 euros ($224) a month in student grants and a rent freeze in public student housing.

Energy prices in France were 21.3% higher in September than a year earlier, helping drive overall inflation to 3.1%, according to the national statistics agency, INSEE.

Paris protester Louis Ledoux--Xatard voiced frustration over inequality.

“Looking at countries like the United States, we don’t want to end up like them, where part of the population has everything and the others have nothing,” he said.

“I never imagined that I’d be taking to the streets so much before my thirties.”

___

Associated Press writers Samuel Petrequin and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed

Caleb Komolafe rushed for 150 yards and a TD, including a 56-yard dash. Griffin Wilde, who finished with 133 receiving yards, Alex Honig and Drew Wagner caught passes for scores as Northwestern (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) raced to a 28-3 lead late in the first half.

Explosive starts are becoming a trademark for the Wildcats, who cashed in on their first three possessions.

“I think what you saw out of our football team and our offense specifically was there is, that there was urgency, there was focus, there was execution and it was a great way to start off,” Northwestern coach David Braun said.

Rutgers starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan left after sustaining a blow to the head 6 minutes, 25 seconds into the first quarter and didn’t return. He was initially replaced by AJ Surace, then by third-string QB Sean Ashenfelder late in the third quarter.

Antwan Raymond rushed for 150 yards on 18 carries and the lone Rutgers (2-5, 1-3 Big Ten) touchdown, a 46-yard run late in the third. The score was set up by the first interception thrown this season by Chiles, who finished with 219 passing yards and a career-high 83 rushing.

Rutgers’ Dane Pizzaro kicked a pair of field goals.

Chiles had his hand in five TDs in a game for a second time. The senior transfer from Michigan State tossed for three and ran in two in a 41-7 rout of Colorado on Sept. 19.

“He just continues to just feel more and more comfortable,” Braun said. “The thing I love about him is there's no complacency there. To know you've got a quarterback that isn't satisfied just being good, but wants to be great, it's pretty exciting as a coach.”

Chiles is up to 12 passing TDs and nine on the ground.

“This is an equal opportunity offense,” Chiles said. “Whatever's working is working. So if me running is a key part of our game, that's what we're going to do.”

Surace tossed for 64 yards but was sacked three times by Northwestern’s hard-nosed defense. The first sack led to a costly fumble that resulted in a pivotal Wildcats touchdown late in the first quarter that made it 21-3.

Ashenfelder was the victim of Northwestern's fourth sack of the day.

Lonergan was hurt when he scrambled up the middle for a 5-yard gain, then slid forward to the ground at the Rutgers 45 with two Northwestern defenders closing in. Lonergan’s momentum was finally stopped by Northwestern’s Kobie McKinzie as the two players’ helmets struck each other.

Lonergan remained down on the field for a couple of minutes, then was helped to a medical tent.

Northwestern jumped out to a 21-3 lead after one quarter, then upped it to 28-6 at the half.

The Wildcats scored on the opening drive as Wilde caught Chiles' 13-yard TD pass 5:06 in. The series was keyed by Komolafe’s 30-yard run.

After Lonergan exited, Surace maneuvered the Scarlet Knights to field goal range. Pizzaro kicked a 43-yarder with 4:26 left in the quarter to cut it to 7-3.

Then the Wildcats raced down the field on only five plays to up it to 14-3, scoring on Chiles' keeper.

On the first play of Rutgers' next drive, Surace was sacked at the Rutgers 8 and fumbled with Northwestern’s Jamaal Johnson recovering. Chiles hit Honig with a 8-yard TD pass off the next snap to up it to 21-3.

Komolafe scored on a 33-yard run down the left side with 1:46 left in the half, capping a zippy 61-yard drive to increase the score to 28-3. Pizzaro booted a 35-yarder as time ran out in the half to make it 28-6.

A 43-year-run by Clay Thevenin, who finished with 166 yards on the ground, and a 31-yard rush by Raymond moved Rutgers to the Wildcats 7. But Ashenfelder threw a pair of incomplete passes, then was sacked by McKinzie on a fourth-and-7.

Raymond rushed in with 8 seconds left in the third, and a two-point conversion cut it to 28-14.

Wagner pulled in Chiles' 4-yard toss in the end zone 4:28 into the fourth quarter for a 35-15 Northwestern lead. Chiles ran in his second TD, wide off a fake handoff, with 4:33 left to complete the scoring.

The Takeaway

Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights never got their offense rolling after Lonergan's quick exit, and star wide receiver KJ Duff was limited to three targets and 33 yards. The severity of the Lonergan's injury was not immediately known.

Northwestern: The Wildcats are technically bowl-eligible, but are going for much more. They're 6-1 for the first time since 2020 and the fourth time since 2000.

“This season does feel different," Braun said. “For us to even acknowledge the bowl eligibility right now, I think would distract us from what's right in front of us.”

Up next

Rutgers: Hosts Michigan on Oct. 31.

Northwestern: Plays at Oregon on Oct. 31.

___

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Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived at their West Palm Beach polling location at the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections office together after the president spent the morning at his nearby golf course. Trump has been criticized in the past for voting by mail despite his long history of railing against that method of submitting ballots.

Asked if he voted the party line, Trump, who was wearing an “I Voted” sticker, said, “Very much so.”

Speaking to reporters at the poll site, Trump again defended an ad from Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The ad has faced intense blowback for featuring the estranged mother of Democratic rival Dr. Amy Acton, who lost custody of her children after her husband, the children’s stepfather, was indicted for raping Acton when she was 12.

Trump also defended his decision to instruct his administration to file its lawsuit to block certification of the U.S. Senate race in Alaska if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses over the inclusion of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on the ballot.

As for the war in Iran, he said, “I may have to finish it off. Or maybe they’ll make a deal, but I’m not sure. Either way, we win.”

Melania Trump, who this week brokered a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the ravaged, Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky so that humanitarian aid could be delivered and civilians evacuated, was asked whether she might travel to Ukraine.

“We will see,” she told reporters.

In Florida, Trump has endorsed Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, who is running against David Jolly, a Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat, to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis.

He has also campaigned for Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, who is running to fill the last two years of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s former Senate term against progressive state lawmaker Angie Nixon.

___

Colvin reported from New York.

Curt Cignetti, though, chose to stick with Hoover instead of turning to his seventh-year backup, and the fifth-year quarterback delivered.

Hoover had a 4-yard touchdown run in overtime and No. 6 Indiana kept Michigan out of the end zone in a 13-6 win on Saturday.

“There were a lot of discussions about Grant Wilson and Josh Hoover in the second half because Grant had a good week of practice and is really capable," Cignetti said. “At the end of the day, it’s been Josh's season and even though he’s not 100%, we’ve got to finish it out with him and he responded.”

Hoover helped the Hoosiers (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) win at the Big House for the first time since 1967.

“It’s cool to be a part of," Hoover said.

The Wolverines (4-3, 1-3) started quarterback Tommy Carr and sat Bryce Underwood, but the freshman didn't fare as well as he did last week coming off the bench in a win over Penn State.

Carr lost a fumble on an ill-advised pitch in the first quarter and was picked off in the second half on a deflected pass that was thrown into traffic.

“Both turnovers, completely on me,” he said.

Carr took sacks in the second and third quarters that led to missed field goals, including a 32-yard kick after advancing to the Indiana 1.

The Wolverines reached the Hoosiers 3 in the final minute of regulation — with a chance to potentially win the game — when Carr was sacked for a fourth time and they had to settle for a 26-yard field goal as time expired.

Hoover struggled, too, until making a 21-yard pass to Brock Schott on the first snap of overtime that set up his touchdown run.

With a chance to send the game to a second overtime, Michigan advanced to the Indiana 13 and Carr threw an incomplete pass that hit the turf in front of Salesi Moa just outside of the end zone.

“If that’s the No. 6 team in the country, then we’re pretty good," coach Kyle Whittingham said.

Carr was 20 of 32 for 167 yards with an interception and a fumble. He is the grandson of College Football Hall of Famers Lloyd Carr and Tom Curtis and the brother of Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr, who attended the game while his team had the weekend off.

“It would be absurd to judge him off this one performance,” Whittingham said.

Indiana's injured QB

Hoover was 8 of 18 for 81 yards and threw an interception in the third quarter, setting up Michigan for a field goal, and isn't completely healthy.

“I had to battle through some things this week to get out here,” Hoover said. "I knew I was going to find a way to get out here and find a way to win this game for this team regardless of how I felt. There’s guys on this team that are banged up every week. It’s no different for me.”

Michigan’s close calls

The Wolverines have only had one game this year that wasn’t decided in the final minutes.

“It comes down to the last play, the last possession in every game except UTEP,” Whittingham said. “We’re the only team in the country that has done that.”

The takeaway

Indiana: A week after being inches away from beating then-No. 4 Ohio State, the Hoosiers avoided losing two straight for the first time in three years with Cignetti.

Michigan: With Carr or Underwood at quarterback, the offense is struggling on the ground and through the air.

“You name it and we’ve got to work on it,” Whittingham said.

Up next

Indiana: Hosts Minnesota next Saturday.

Michigan: Plays at Rutgers next Saturday.

___

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The motivation was still unknown for the shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of the capital, Amman. Karak is home to a minority Christian population.

There was still no claim of responsibility, and no armed group has been accused of the attack that Jordan's government described as a “terrorist” act.

King Abdullah II directed authorities to respond with “an iron fist” against what he called the outlaws of Islam and anyone attempting to undermine the unity of the Jordanian people.

Friday's attack happened as people had gathered for a funeral. Some people were chatting outside the church when something sounded like an engine backfiring.

“All of a sudden, three masked men appeared, armed with automatic weapons, and began firing indiscriminately at those of us standing outside,” witness Saed al-Halaseh recalled.

And “they weren’t satisfied with just the initial casualties. They went back and fired on everyone again. They returned to finish off those who had already been hit,” he said.

“Even then, they weren’t finished; they came and stood right here, firing at the facade of the church, this part right here,” he added.

Al-Halaseh described how people he knew were shot in the head or the back as others tried to flee. He dropped to the ground and crawled behind a nearby car, which he said saved him.

Jordan, and especially Karak, has been seen as a symbol of religious coexistence, al-Halaseh said.

“The sense of security we once had, the very foundation we grew up with, has, sadly, vanished,” he added. “They were simply mourners at a funeral. I cannot fathom what the perpetrators could have possibly wanted from them. I don’t believe any religion in the world could condone what happened. It was truly a massacre.”

Emergency services in the Berchtesgaden district, in the Bavarian Alps in Germany's southeastern corner, were alerted to the fire by an alarm at about 9:15 p.m. Friday. Firefighters and police rushed to the scene — located at the end of a narrow road that winds up the mountain, in part through a series of tunnels — and could see the flames as they approached.

They stopped and arrested a man on a motorcycle driving the other way down the road.

Prosecutors said the 33-year-old suspect, a German citizen who has ties to the Berchtesgaden area but doesn't currently live there, was questioned. They said he showed signs of mental illness and he was being sent to a psychiatric facility, but they also would look into the possibility of a political motive in view of the building's history. Police said there were no current indications that anyone else was involved.

Rain that turned into the season's first significant snow, accompanied by strong wind, complicated the already difficult task of tackling the blaze and firefighters had to pull out overnight after several hours, officials said. No one was injured in the fire, and firefighters hoped to finish their work on Saturday though they weren't able to enter the building because of a danger of falling material.

The building, known in German as the Kehlsteinhaus, is located on a cliff 1,834 meters (6,017 feet) above sea level. It is reachable by an elevator built inside the rock from the end of the mountain road, which is closed to public traffic but used during the day by buses for visitors.

It has been operated as a cafe and restaurant since 1952 and contains an exhibition on its history. The Nazi dictator himself rarely used the Kehlsteinhaus — unlike the Berghof residence, also in the Berchtesgaden area, the ruins of which were blown up in 1952.

The Obersalzberg Documentation Center, further down the mountain, is home to the area's main historical exhibition and was unaffected by the fire.

Officials indicated that the Eagle's Nest would be restored, though they were vague so soon after the blaze about how exactly that would be done.

“We're not going to leave a ruin there,” Bavaria's interior minister, Joachim Herrmann, told reporters in Berchtesgaden. But what the site will look like in the future will be a matter for discussions with local officials, historians, preservationists and others.

“I think we will be able to find a sensible solution,” Herrmann added. Bavaria's state government owns the building.

The minister stressed that “it is important that we continue to do the work of remembrance.”

Musk's admission on social media came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s access to Starlink and Starshield satellite links has been restored to the speeds it had before restrictions that disrupted front-line operations for more than a week.

Questions have persisted since last week about who ordered the interruptions to the Musk-made satellite internet system that Kyiv has relied on for years to counter Moscow’s attacks.

“The speeds are now where they need to be,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding that restoration began overnight and were sufficient by Saturday morning, improving front-line logistics and defense against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones.

Musk admits he was behind Starlink’s speed restriction

After Ukraine said the services had been restored, Elon Musk spoke out on the speed restrictions that began last week. In a post Saturday on X, Musk acknowledged that his company SpaceX throttled the Starlink satellite internet service.

“Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be,” Musk wrote. “Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week.”

But he maintained that the U.S. government controlled whatever changes happened with Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink that is the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations and communication. He also defended the role of SpaceX in bolstering Ukraine’s defenses since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Restrictions imposed last week on Starshield alarmed the country’s military and government officials, with commanders reporting lost drones and disrupted missions.

The restoration follows a new U.S. diplomatic push to end the war. Russia agreed Wednesday to resume three-way negotiations with Washington and Kyiv next month. On Friday, Kyiv and Moscow also agreed to a localized ceasefire brokered by first lady Melania Trump around Oleshky, a war-ravaged, Russian-occupied town in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region.

Restriction led to tensions between Ukraine and the US

The episode added to tensions between Kyiv and Washington, a relationship already strained by President Donald Trump’s reported deal with Moscow on Russian diesel imports, which Ukraine viewed as a betrayal.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara credited “direct dialogue” and Zelenskyy’s diplomacy with Washington, adding that the outcome mattered most “for our front, for the military, the work of drones, logistics and communications.”

Trump has maintained that he didn’t make the call, while also saying Musk should not be blamed. Vice President JD Vance has hinted at White House coordination with Musk, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have denied any administration involvement.

Russia and Ukraine have continued to target each other

Meanwhile, a man was killed and two others wounded in a missile attack on the city of Lozova in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, local officials said Saturday.

Moscow-installed authorities in cities across Russia-occupied Crimea reported power blackouts Saturday following overnight Ukrainian attacks.

Ukraine’s General Staff said Saturday that its forces hit a chemical plant in the Russian city of Tolyatti, which produces materials used in rocket fuel. Tolyatti Mayor Ilya Sukhikh said the overnight attack damaged industrial facilities in the city.

Ukrainian forces also hit an electronics plant in the city of Oryol, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed Saturday. Local officials in Oryol said Saturday that three people were killed in Friday’s attack. The General Staff said the plant makes components for the cruise and ballistic missiles Russia fires at Ukrainian cities.

Ukrainian drones also reached Russia’s Omsk region in western Siberia, more than 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) from the border with Ukraine. Omsk regional Gov. Vitaly Khotsenko said drones “reached a northern industrial hub.”

Online retailer Ozon said Saturday that its logistics center in Omsk has been attacked by a drone, but there were no casualties. Ozon is a competitor to Wildberries, whose facilities Ukraine has also targeted.

___

Morton reported from London.

___

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

Voters didn't change their minds. Politicians changed their voters.

The Republican-controlled legislature redrew the state's congressional map to transform what was one of the last remaining swing districts in the South to a safe GOP seat. Lawmakers split the rectangular 13th District into an hourglass shape that carved out Democratic voters in Raleigh and replaced them with a swath of rural counties reaching up to the Virginia border.

Swing seats, meaning districts that a presidential candidate won by 5 percentage points or fewer in the previous election, are disappearing from the national map. For decades after World War II, the number of competitive seats in the House slowly eroded as the United States grew more polarized, voters were less likely to split their ticket between parties and people moved closer to like-minded neighbors, creating Democratic strongholds in urban areas and Republican ones across rural America.

That decline accelerated over the past year after Republican President Donald Trump sparked a partisan redistricting battle. The number of swing districts fell from 45 to 37. There were 96 House seats that fit the modern definition of a swing seat in 1964, according to one count from the 1970s, when the shrinking number of such districts was first noted.

That means the overwhelming majority of House seats are effectively won in primaries, with the support of only a fraction of voters who usually are at the extreme ideological end of their party.

Nickel saw the impact firsthand during his lone term in Washington.

“The biggest divide I found in Congress wasn’t Democrat versus Republican, it was safe seats versus competitive seats,” Nickel said. “When your focus is on running a campaign where you talk to every single voter, you look at things differently and your focus is on solving problems.”

Unite America, an organization pushing alternatives to party primaries, calculated that 87% of the representatives elected to the House in 2024 were chosen by 7% of the country’s voters.

“Voters don’t have any way of holding Congress responsible, except for a narrow window of swing districts,” Nick Troiano, the group's executive director, said in an interview, adding that he expects things to get worse in November. “The least competitive election of our lifetimes will lead to the least accountable and least representative Congress of our lifetimes.”

A narrow battlefield expands slightly in unpredictable midterm year

Republicans are hoping the smaller number of competitive seats puts a low ceiling on what Democrats can win on Nov. 3.

“Both sides are fighting over a narrow House battlefield,” said Mike Marinella, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Campaign. “It's a knife fight in a dark alley.”

The alley may be widening this year, but it still is an alley.

Democrats have expanded their political targets, given the unpopular war with Iran and voters angry about high prices. Both parties are spending on campaigns in Republican areas that normally would not be competitive.

Even in what is shaping up as a difficult political environment, however, Republicans are protected by the limited number of seats in play.

“Even if there's the kind of swing we got in 2006, there's not going to be 40 seats changing hands. There's going to be 20 seats changing hands,” said Ian Shapiro, a Yale political scientist.

There is a long-standing debate among academics as to how much of the decline can be blamed on partisan-motivated redistricting, known as gerrymandering, and how much on Americans' increasing proclivity to live among like-minded people who vote the same way. Multiple studieshave found that without partisan gerrymandering, the House would have about double the number of competitive seats it has now.

One thing most agree on is that the diminishment of competitive seats leads to greater polarization because legislators are only beholden to primary voters.

“It produces more alienation because Congress doesn’t do anything besides investigations and positioning,” Shapiro said.

Studying the math and making a decision

Nickel decided not to run for reelection after studying election returns going back to 2016 and finding that no Democratic incumbent had held on in a seat where Trump took 55% or more of the vote. Trump received 58% of the vote in the new district.

Nickel, who had introduced a bill to require all states to use a nonpartisan redistricting system, said at first he would run for U.S. Senate because statewide seats cannot be gerrymandered. But when former Gov. Roy Cooper announced he was running for the Democratic nomination, Nickel switched to run for district attorney of Wake County, the deeply Democratic county that was largely cut out of the 13th District.

Nickel won the Democratic primary and will take office in January. No Republican ran.

That highlights how North Carolina, and the country, have effectively become segregated by political party.

“If you just draw big blocks around a state, you're going to get noncompetitive districts because we are so polarized,” said Joshua Huder, a political scientist at Georgetown University.

An hour away, a very different state

Only 15% of North Carolina's voting precincts could be classified as politically competitive, according to Michael Bitzer, a political scientist at Catawba College in North Carolina.

“For the average North Carolinian, depending on where they live, if they drive an hour in any direction they will be in a very different North Carolina than they live in,” he said.

That certainly is the case traversing from the old 13th District to the new one. From the office towers, cafes and gourmet restaurants of central Raleigh that were part of the competitive 13th District, it is about a 90-minute drive north through the subdivisions and soybean and tobacco farms that are the heart of the new, conservative one.

Here, few are talking about the congressional race. While plenty express dissatisfaction with the direction of the country, they see no reason to vote for anyone other than a Republican.

“It's just what I've always been,” said Linda Long, 62, a Republican in the town of Roxboro who works at the local Walmart.

George Scott, a retired architectural engineer in Franklinton, viscerally dislikes Trump but also is a lifelong Republican and expects to keep voting that way.

“It's just one person,” Scott, 75, said of the president.

Democrats make a play in a long-shot district

This is what Paul Barringer is up against.

The Democratic nominee against Knott hopes for an upset in a year when even Republican members in safe seats like the 13th District are running scared. Neither Knott's office nor his campaign responded to a request for an interview.

On a recent evening, Barringer drove his 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, with his two dogs in back, to the home of Mary Blank, who heads the chapter of the liberal group Indivisible in Johnston County, a fast-growing, conservative-leaning area just outside Raleigh.

Barringer, a former healthcare lawyer who returned from Maryland to the tree farm in the district where he grew up to care for his ailing mother, said he was previously a Republican but switched parties to run, hoping he could attract voters of all stripes.

“I think people are disgruntled about things that are happening,” Barringer said. “They want people who will find ways to work together.”

On the house's back porch, he was greeted rapturously by a self-admitted political minority of liberals in the conservative area. At one point, Barringer reminisced about the grueling task of curing tobacco and asked everyone who had undergone that rural North Carolina rite of passage to raise a hand. No one did.

“We're all transplants!” one woman called out.

There was palpable excitement, especially after Barringer noted that national Democrats had put the seat on a list of ones to watch for a possible upset. Blank, a retired 73-year-old social studies teacher from New Jersey, said that gave her hope, but she was realistic about the local dynamic.

“I've been saying all along I don't think Paul can win,” Blank said.

Linwood Parker agrees. “They're blowing smoke,” Parker, the 78-year-old mayor of Four Oaks, a town 26 miles south of Blank's house, said of Democrats' hopes they could win the district.

Parker is a lifelong Republican who knows well that gerrymandering is a decades-old tradition in North Carolina. Democrats used to do it ruthlessly to maintain their control of the legislature and the congressional delegation until they lost power in the 2010 wave. Now Republicans are the ones who bend the maps to benefit their party.

Parker approves even though he said he is no fan of gerrymandering, or the polarization that has eaten away at bipartisan trust in society.

“Redistricting is just one of the levers that when Republicans, when they are in control, have to touch,” Parker said. “Otherwise it's like saying, when we play this baseball game, we're going to have three outs, we'll give you two.”

Also, Tottenham sealed its second win this week by beating 10-man Chelsea 2-0.

Nicolas Jackson scored both goals for Villa against a City that was aiming for an eighth straight league win. Victory extended Villa’s outstanding recent run to six wins from seven games in all competitions.

“It is incredible," Jackson said. "It was difficult but we got the win and that is the most important thing. Now we can focus on the next one.”

After City's defeat in the early kickoff, defending champion Arsenal took advantage by beating Everton 2-0 at Emirates Stadium.

Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhaes scored in each half for Mikel Arteta's team, which is second on goal difference.

Spurs, without a league win until Monday against Coventry, followed that with a rare victory at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders inadvertently punched the ball into his own net and gave Spurs the lead and Cole Palmer was sent off soon after. Tottenham's win was sealed late by Mathys Tel.

Meanwhile, Fulham beat Coventry 1-0.

Arsenal ends unlikely run

Konsa scored his first goal for Arsenal since joining from Villa at the start of the season and ended the champion's run of 13 games without scoring from a set-piece.

Last season's title victory relied heavily on Arsenal's scoring efficiency from corners, in particular, but Konsa's scrambled goal after seven minutes was its first in any competition this term, excluding penalties.

“A goal from a set-piece has felt like it has been coming. Today was the day,” Konsa said.

Gabriel was also on target, heading in the second in the 68th for his first of the campaign.

After showing its Champions League credentials with a 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich midweek, Arsenal strengthened its title defense with victory against Everton to move to neck and neck with City, with just goal difference separating them.

“We’re very happy with the victory, the performance and the week, because we were given a terrible schedule,” Arteta said. “We just have to focus on what we can do, and we’re very pleased with 90% of the performances and results.”

Emery a ‘tactical genius’

Villa is rapidly climbing the standings after a desperate start to the campaign saw it fail to win its opening four games and picked up just one point.

The difficult start was understandable after a hugely disruptive offseason when a raft of star players left the club including Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, Konsa, Emi Martinez and Youri Tielemans.

Unai Emery, who transformed the club from relegation battler to Champions League contender, was forced to rebuild a team that won the Europa League last season, and has done that in double-quick time.

Villa's last defeat was on Sept. 12, to Nottingham Forest 2-1. Since then Emery's team is unbeaten.

Jackson is up to seven goals in all competitions. He fired the opener inside six minutes at Villa Park.

Erling Haaland headed City level in the second half, but Jackson got his second and the winner with a first-time finish that squirmed under goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

City fell to a fourth defeat at Villa Park in as many seasons.

“Emery is just a tactical genius. Especially against Man City at our place we have been really good," Villa defender Matty Cash said. “He always has a plan for something and is always coming up with new ideas. When you play against top teams you have to adapt and we did that today.”

Maresca not so perfect now

Maresca said City would learn lessons from its first league defeat.

The Italian enjoyed a perfect start in England's top flight since succeeding Pep Guardiola in the offseason.

Villa joined Arsenal and European champion Paris Saint-Germain as the only teams to beat City in any competition this season.

“I don’t think we deserved to lose today, but we lost,” Maresca said. “You can always learn something.”

Spurs on the rise

Bottom of the standings at the start of the week, Tottenham climbed to 12th after a victory at fierce London rival Chelsea.

After steering Spurs clear of relegation at the end of last season, coach Roberto De Zerbi might have earned the standout result of his short reign — only Tottenham's second victory at Stamford Bridge in 36 years.

“It’s a big moment for the fans, for the club, for the players also. They deserve this win,” De Zerbi said.

Spurs finished one place above the relegation zone in each of the past two seasons.

“We are working to change the last part of the history of this club,” he added.

Chelsea looked blunt in attack without the injured Joao Pedro and it was further hindered when Palmer was red-carded in the 80th for a second bookable offense.

“We are all disappointed with the result and the performance. Collectively and individually, we were not on our best level,” Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said.

For Fulham, Oscar Bobb scored in the 80th to seal victory at Coventry.

___

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

___

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The lot is located at 4477 W. Sam Houston Parkway North.

A lawn crew that was working at the property discovered the remains in a brushy area.

It is unclear how long the remains have been there or how the person died. Shoes and other articles of clothing were found on and near the remains.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Science will conduct an autopsy.

• PREVIOUS: Fort Bend County judge calls for Tax Assessor Carmen Turner’s resignation after federal payroll fraud indictment

The answer is yes, although an indictment alone does not automatically remove an elected official from office.

Texas law establishes a separate process for removing county officials under certain circumstances, as well as procedures for appointing replacements when an office becomes vacant.

Here’s what residents should know.

Why are officials calling for Carmen Turner to resign?

Turner was arrested Thursday, Oct. 22, following a federal indictment alleging she participated in a scheme to use Fort Bend County payroll funds to compensate people for work they did not perform.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Turner and two other defendants face charges involving conspiracy, theft concerning federal program funds and wire fraud.

Federal prosecutors allege the scheme operated between September 2023 and September 2025.

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The indictment accuses Turner of arranging for county employees to receive paychecks while performing personal services or working elsewhere instead of fulfilling their assigned county duties.

Turner is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

On Friday, Oct. 23, Fort Bend County Judge Daniel Wong called for Turner’s resignation, citing concerns about public confidence in the tax assessor-collector’s office.

As KPRC 2 previously reported, Turner can remain in office while the federal charges are pending.

Does a federal indictment automatically remove an elected official?

No.

An indictment is a formal criminal accusation. It does not establish guilt, and it does not, by itself, create a vacancy in the office of county tax assessor-collector.

That means Turner is not automatically required to resign simply because federal prosecutors have filed charges against her.

A call for resignation from another elected official also does not carry the legal authority to remove her from office.

However, Texas law provides a separate civil process through which certain county officials can be removed.

Can a county official be removed before being convicted?

Yes, under certain circumstances.

Chapter 87 of the Texas Local Government Code establishes procedures for removing county officials, including tax assessor-collectors.

Under Section 87.013, grounds for removal include incompetency, official misconduct and intoxication, as those terms are defined by law.

A removal case is separate from a criminal prosecution. That means a criminal conviction is not necessarily required before a court can consider whether an official should be removed.

• Who is behind the fake transgender brochures? KPRC 2 goes looking for answers

The law allows qualifying removal proceedings to be brought in district court. A removal petition must allege legally recognized grounds and follow the procedures established in Chapter 87.

Under Section 87.018, a contested removal case is generally decided through a jury trial.

Whether any particular allegations would justify removal is a question for the legal process, not something established by the filing of criminal charges.

Could Turner be suspended while a removal case is pending?

Potentially.

Section 87.017 allows a district judge to temporarily suspend an officer after the filing of a removal petition and appoint another person to perform the duties of the office while the case proceeds.

A suspension is not the same as a final removal. It is a temporary measure that may be ordered during the civil proceeding.

The decision rests with the court under the applicable law. It does not happen automatically when an official is indicted.

What happens if an elected county official is convicted?

A criminal conviction can have additional consequences for an official’s ability to remain in office, depending on the offense and the applicable law.

Section 87.031 of the Local Government Code provides for removal following certain criminal convictions.

However, not every conviction produces the same result, and the precise consequences depend on the offense, judgment and statutory requirements.

Turner has not been convicted in the current federal case, and the charges against her remain allegations.

Who would replace Carmen Turner if she leaves office?

If Turner resigns, is removed or otherwise leaves office and a vacancy occurs, Fort Bend County Commissioners Court would have the authority to appoint a replacement.

Under Section 87.041 of the Texas Local Government Code, commissioners courts may fill vacancies in several county offices, including the office of tax assessor-collector.

The law requires a majority vote of the commissioners who are present and voting.

• Sugar Land’s historic Imperial Sugar building is getting a $15M makeover. Here’s what’s planned

The person appointed would serve until the next general election, when voters would have an opportunity to choose someone to fill the office under applicable election laws.

That means the position would not automatically go to a deputy or another county employee as the permanent replacement.

Would residents still be able to pay property taxes or register vehicles?

The Fort Bend County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office handles important public services, including property tax collections, vehicle registrations and title transactions.

A change in the elected official leading the department would not, by itself, eliminate those responsibilities.

However, county officials would need to confirm whether any specific staffing changes or temporary service disruptions were expected if Turner were to leave office.

Residents can find current vehicle registration and title service information through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles’ Fort Bend County tax office directory.

What happens next?

Turner’s federal criminal case will proceed through the court system unless it is resolved through another lawful process.

Separately, Texas law provides avenues for resignation, civil removal and temporary suspension under specific circumstances.

As of Saturday, Oct. 24, KPRC 2 has reported calls for Turner’s resignation, but the indictment itself has not removed her from office.

For now, the central distinction is that facing criminal charges and being legally removed from elected office are two different matters.

In July, Beasley entered a not guilty plea in New York federal court. He was among the latest big names caught up in a sweeping federal gambling investigation.

Beasley's attorney, Steve Haney, told The Associated Press in a text message that they were negotiating an agreement with the government “with an expected direction in the coming days.”

Beasley, 29, and sports agent Paolo Zamorano, who has also pleaded not guilty, were among six people charged in an indictment unsealed this summer detailing a gambling scandal that has involved more than three dozen arrests.

Zamorano, 39, formerly represented another co-defendant, ex-NBA player Ed Davis, who had lent money to Beasley and is accused of acting as his “gatekeeper” in the alleged scheme.

Beasley is accused of fixing or trying to fix his performance in at least four games while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024 by under or overperforming bookmakers’ expectations. In exchange, the indictment said, the bettors bribed Beasley — and his debts to Davis were reduced or eliminated.

“Only way you can beat Vegas is sports betting,” Davis told Beasley in a Jan. 26, 2024, text message, according to the indictment. “Everything else they got the edge.”

Beasley borrowed money from Davis, a former teammate, after racking up millions of dollars in gambling losses. His widely reported financial problems include disputes with a Detroit landlord, a Milwaukee barber and a Minnesota dentist. A 2025 lawsuit from a sports marketing agency resulted in a $1 million default judgment against him.

Beasley has been out of the NBA since playing with the Detroit Pistons in 2024-25 on a one-year, $6 million contract. He averaged 16 points per game and scored 20 in his last game, a playoff loss to the New York Knicks. He is one of five players in NBA history with more than 300 three-pointers in a season. ___

AP Sports Writer Larry Lage contributed to this report from Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The theme park operator announced the extra safeguard less than two weeks after 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem of Atlanta died after being ejected from his seat on the Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia.

“We are reinforcing safety precautions at our parks and taking additional measures, including adding seat belts on Goliath and other coasters with a similar restraint,” John Reilly, president and CEO of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, said in a statement Friday.

Goliath remains shut down while state and local officials investigate the Oct. 12 death.

Reilly didn't specify which other Six Flags coasters will get seat belts. But it has temporarily closed eight additional roller coasters at five other parks in the U.S. and Canada. Those rides all share the same manufacturer and a similar restraint system.

Six Flags hasn't said when those coasters are expected to reopen. Reilly's statement said Six Flags has enlisted independent engineers and inspectors to review safety procedures for all rides at its theme parks.

Investigators haven't said what went wrong on the Georgia coaster. Witnesses said they saw Kariem rise up out of his seat and fall headfirst back into the cart before being ejected. Some people who rode Goliath before him that day said they had concerns about its restraints.

All nine of the Six Flags coasters taken offline were manufactured by the Swiss company Bolliger & Mabillard. They also feature similar clamshell restraints that sit at the top of a vertical bar between each rider's knees. The bar locks a padded restraint into place over the rider's lap and upper legs.

The U.S. patent granted to Bolliger & Mabillard for the restraint system in 2001 says it's designed to make each rider feel “that he is seated on a flying carpet or that he is at the controls of a kind of flying scooter, while still guaranteeing optimum security.”

Following the death in Georgia, non-Six Flags theme parks SeaWorld Orlando in Florida and La Ronde in Montreal, Canada, also temporarily closed one roller coaster apiece that use clamshell restraints.

SeaWorld reopened its Mako coaster Tuesday after it had been offline for a week. The Associated Press emailed the company Saturday asking if seat belts or other safety upgrades were planned for the coaster.

The AP also emailed a spokesperson for La Ronde seeking an update on its shuttered coaster.

In addition to Goliath in Georgia, eight coasters remain closed at Six Flags parks in Gurnee, Illinois; Jackson Township, New Jersey; Charlotte, North Carolina; Mason, Ohio; and Vaughan, Ontario.

___

Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.

Meghan, Prince Harry’s wife, said Friday she was “deeply distressed” by allegations that a collection of child sexual abuse images had been found at a former home of her father, Thomas Markle Sr. She issued a statement after a British tabloid newspaper reported that her brother found the images while clearing out their father's home in the Philippines.

She also referred to a letter containing “troubling and disturbing allegations” against her father that was sent to the Metropolitan Police Service’s Royal and Specialist Protection unit, which later shared its contents with her.

On Saturday, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that in January 2019 it received a letter “containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom.”

It said that while officers shared the letter with Harry and Meghan's office, they did not share the allegations with other law enforcement agencies — and that it is now reviewing how it handled the matter and considering whether the force needs to be referred to the police watchdog.

Meghan married Harry at Windsor Castle in 2018. They have two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Thomas Markle Sr., a retired television lighting and photography director, did not attend their wedding, prompting extensive media coverage of Meghan’s estrangement from her father. Meghan said her decision to distance herself was intended to protect her children.

“Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children,” Meghan said in Friday's statement.

Thomas Markle Sr. was living in the Philippines earlier this year when he suffered a stroke and had his left leg amputated. That forced him to return to the U.S.

The Sun reported that Thomas Markle Jr. recently found “hundreds, if not thousands” of child sex abuse images in boxes at his father’s former home in the Philippine city of Cebu when he was clearing out the property. Markle Jr. told the newspaper that he reported the images to police in the Philippines and contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the U.S.

In the Philippines, the director of the National Bureau of Investigation, Melvin Matibag, told The Associated Press that the FBI has sought its assistance in looking into the allegations of Markle Jr. against his father.

Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla told the AP separately that the national police was also investigating the allegations by Markle Jr. against his father, without elaborating.

The 82-year-old Markle denied the allegations in comments to the Daily Mail newspaper.

And rather than wait for a reason to smile, just making the physical change of literally turning that frown upside down could impact emotions, according to experts.

Research backs up the fact that smiling goes a long way.

Some older research has focused on this “facial feedback hypothesis,” according to Jeanne Tsai, a longtime psychology professor at Stanford University who runs the Culture and Emotion Lab. In one classic study in the late 1980s, researchers would have subjects put a pencil between their lips and adopt a smile or a frown while viewing a positive movie clip like a cartoon. Some subjects who smiled would feel the sensation of the smile more and be more amused.

“When we’ve done that demonstration in classes, it works,” Tsai said. “When you’re doing it in a room by yourself, you’re not doing it in a social interaction, maybe it’s making you remember, or it’s an effect of remembering some good thing that happened and that would put you in a better mood.”

At the Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts in Southern California, the power of a smile is taken very seriously. An entire section on the charter school group’s website is dedicated to its philosophy that a smile can make a difference.

“Smiling creates a supportive classroom culture that makes students relaxed, active, and motivated,” according to the website. “It increases emotional well-being, lowers stress, and gives students confidence.”

How smiling can benefit health

Dr. Judy Ho, a Los Angeles clinical and forensic neuropsychologist who also teaches at Pepperdine University, discusses smiling as a coping strategy with some patients suffering depression or anxiety.

“I'm not suggesting that that's the only way they can fix things,” Ho said. “It's just like another thing that you can add to your toolbox.”

Smiling can affect one's level of cortisol, a hormone the body releases partly to help regulate stress and mood, according to Ho. Smiling can affect brain chemicals that are associated with positive feelings including endorphins, dopamine and serotonin.

“People who smile during stressful tasks generally demonstrated lower heart rates during recovery than those maintaining neutral expressions,” Ho said. “Smiling also reduced aspects of the body's physiological stress response.”

The hope is if you smile enough, you will start feeling it emotionally.

“In some ways it's like a mediating effect,” she added.

The value of a smile varies culture to culture

How smiling and even the openness of a smile are perceived are not universal. Tsai, the Stanford professor, has conducted research on how emotion in American culture puts value on trying to always feel positive and minimizing negativity and sadness. In East Asian cultures, emotion is more about balance.

“It’s like the positive and the negative emotions are braided together, and so you don’t want to feel too positive or too negative,” Tsai said. “You want more of a balance between the two.”

Her past studies also examined how European Americans and East Asians — including Taiwanese, South Koreans, Japanese and Hong Kong Chinese — look at a “neutral or a calm” smile versus a full-on grin. Subjects rated the differing facial expressions on warmth and trustworthiness. While some Americans saw the excited smiles as friendlier, some East Asians characterized those facial expressions as “emotionally unstable” or “unreliable."

“What kind of smile matters — whether it’s a calm, closed mouth smile more like the Dalai Lama or a big toothy excited smile like Julia Roberts,” Tsai said. “We’ve done some series of studies in Taiwan and other East Asian contexts. They don’t like the big, toothy, excited smile unless it’s really situationally appropriate.”

In Thailand — known as “The Land of Smiles” — smiling is embedded in the culture. There are nearly 30 Thai words for “smile.” Many teach-abroad programs where people can teach English as a foreign language in Thailand cite that smiling often with children and colleagues is key to showing respect, good manners and calmness.

At the OCASA charter schools, smiling is part of an effort to make children feel seen.

“I’ve always believed in wanting school to be a happy place for kids,” said RaNae Posey, principal of OCASA Capistrano Elementary School. “To actually help them form habits of looking at the bright side of things.”

Mandating smiles may lead to more frowns

Women in recent years have smacked down the idea that they have to smile in the workplace while men do not. Smiling can feel like a Catch-22 for some women and sometimes for people of color who may be stereotyped as unapproachable or cold if they don’t smile enough.

Last year, retailer Target was ridiculed across social media for instituting a smiling policy. Workers had to smile and make eye contact if a customer was within 10 feet (3 meters) and personally greet them if they were within 4 feet (1.2 meters).

People do not like feeling like they have no “emotional autonomy,” according to Nicholas Coles, an assistant professor who runs the Social Science Collaboratory at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

“In those scenarios, what we find is that it’s more that you’re smiling your way to misery,” Coles said. “It’s only when it feels authentic and voluntary that I think it’ll have any real effect.”

With the holidays approaching, more people may have to muster smiles with family if sensitive topics like politics and religion come up. Those could be good times to see if smiling helps.

“If we were able to just smile and be like ’Look, this is somebody that historically cares about you and loves you,' maybe that would change the way that we respond to them even in a moment of tough conversation,” Ho said.

Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, former leaders of a since-disbanded task force set up to counter foreign election interference, appeared in federal court Friday in Washington, where their lawyers pressed for a speedy hearing to contest allegations their clients lied to lawmakers by saying that they did not participate in FBI investigations of Biden.

The prosecution, a rare Department of Justice criminal case against a former employee, revisits a tangled and peculiar saga that roiled the final weeks of the 2020 race. It also comes amid a broader, backward-looking effort by FBI Director Kash Patel, who before taking over the nation’s premier law enforcement agency was a harsh critic of it, to scrutinize high-profile episodes from the bureau’s recent past that for years have animated President Donald Trump’s conservative base.

Floris’ attorneys called her “a patriot” and said she has “served our nation as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years.”

“Yet today, the DOJ has accused her falsely of a crime on the say-so of politicians, not on the facts,” her attorneys said in a statement. “It’s no coincidence the government is filing these nonsense charges now, years later, on the eve of an election.”

Attorneys for Benavides accused the government of bringing “baseless criminal charges against him in a transparently political complaint.”

“This is another sad day for the Department of Justice,” his lawyers said in an emailed statement. “But now we are in court, and the truth will come out: Brad Benavides is a true patriot who devoted his career to protecting this country and its people. These charges are a disgrace.”

A criminal complaint comes just before the midterms

The case was filed less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 elections via criminal complaint, which means prosecutors have not yet presented the allegations to a grand jury for an indictment. The Justice Department has repeatedly struggled in high-profile cases to convince grand juries in the nation’s capital to return indictments.

During the former FBI employees’ court appearance, both defense attorneys and the judge noted the unusual move to charge the case through a complaint, which is more often used by prosecutors when they have an urgent need to take people into custody because, for example, they present a danger or a risk of flight.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui remarked that it is “rare that we have charges this old coming in this nature," and over the objections of prosecutors who pushed for more time, set a preliminary hearing for next Tuesday, citing what he said was the “sword of Damocles” hanging over the defendants’ heads.

The laptop discovery created turmoil in 2020 election

The revelation of the laptop’s existence in October 2020 injected a thorny storyline in the race between Trump, the Republican incumbent, and Biden’s father, Joe Biden, Trump’s Democratic challenger who went on to win the race.

The laptop was publicized by the New York Post, which said it had obtained from Trump ally Rudy Giuliani a hard drive of a computer dropped off by Hunter Biden at a Wilmington, Delaware, repair shop about a year earlier.

The criminal complaint aims to build on longstanding congressional Republican complaints about the FBI’s handling of the laptop, including allegations that the bureau was not forthcoming to the public that the materials on it — including emails that showed discussions of the younger Biden’s foreign business dealings — were authentic and not the product of Russian disinformation.

The curious circumstances of the laptop’s discovery raised concerns among Democrats and former intelligence officials about the possibility of Russian involvement, particularly at a time when the Trump administration’s own intelligence community had assessed that Moscow that Russia was attempting to interfere in Trump’s favor in the election and as Giuliani had traveled abroad looking for dirt on the Bidens. Dozens of former U.S. intelligence officials signed a letter saying that the laptop bore the "classic earmarks of an Russian information operation.”

But Trump’s then-director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, attested to the computer’s authenticity in a Fox Business Network interview. The FBI, under then-Director Chris Wray, subsequently told Congress in a letter that it had nothing to add to Ratcliffe’s public statement.

Hunter Biden was charged with, and convicted of, gun and tax offenses during his father’s administration. Joe Biden pardoned him in his final weeks in office.

The case shines a light on an FBI task force on foreign intelligence

The complaint alleges that in their capacity as leaders of the Foreign Influence Task Force, Floris and Benavides were deeply engaged in the investigations into Hunter Biden, and that Biden was a recurring subject at FITF meetings.

Yet, the complaint says, both downplayed their firsthand knowledge of the laptop or involvement in investigations during 2023 testimony to lawmakers who were doing their own Biden investigation.

It accuses Benavides of making a false statement by saying he learned through Wikipedia that the FBI was in possession of the laptop, and says Floris falsely claimed to have had no knowledge of Hunter Biden having been the subject of discussions at FITF.

“Lying to Congress by senior FBI officials strikes at the heart of our system. No one is above the law,” Patel said.

The case brings renewed attention to the work of the task force, which was established in the first Trump administration to police influence campaigns staged by Russia and other nations aimed at sowing discord, undermining democracy and spreading disinformation. The task force became a magnet of congressional Republican criticism in part because of the Hunter Biden investigation and was disbanded in February 2025 by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The Justice Department has made other splashy moves

As FBI director, Patel has presided over widespread firings of agents who were involved in investigations of Trump or who are perceived as being against the Republican administration's agenda.

He has also focused attention on years-old investigations like the Hunter Biden one that occurred before he became director and that have been the subject of grievances and complaints by Trump allies.

The Justice Department historically looks to avoid public and overt investigative acts in the direct lead-up to an election that involve candidates or that risk influencing a political outcome. But officials in the last two weeks have made a series of bold moves in cases with political undertones, including a search of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s house in an immigration fraud investigation and a corruption indictment unsealed Thursday against powerful Democratic Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas.

Omar and Lucas are both Trump critics. Omar, who's from Minnesota, has called the search of her Washington home an “attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement.” Lucas has said she won't be intimidated or bullied by the federal government in its case against her and “will not back down.”

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This story has been corrected to reflect that then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe attested to the computer’s authenticity in a Fox Business Network interview, not in a letter to Congress, and that the FBI, under then-Director Chris Wray, subsequently told Congress in a letter that it had nothing to add to Ratcliffe’s public statement.