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

Wall Street is mixed in early trading Tuesday with chipmakers getting hit again after a huge sell-off in South Korea.

South Korea’s Kospi index plunged nearly 11% Tuesday on heavy selling of computer chipmaking stocks that have been battered recently by fears that the AI boom may turn out to be a bubble.

Trading was temporarily halted at times as Kospi dropped to its lowest level since April, closing 10.8% lower at 6,023.66. Shares in chipmaker Samsung Electronics sank 13.4% while those of SK Hynix tumbled 14.7%.

It was less dire in New York, where futures for the S&P 500 were unchanged, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.7%.

Still, futures for the technology-heavy Nasdaq slid 1% with most chipmakers down anywhere from 2% to 5%. While those losses would be significant for most companies, many chipmakers and other AI-related companies have seen their market values double and triple since the beginning of the year.

On Monday, SK Hynix’s U.S.-traded shares fell to below the $149 initial public offering, or IPO, price for its Wall Street debut earlier this month, closing at $143 a share.

A key factor driving the selling of AI-related shares, analysts said, is the expectation that rising competition from Chinese AI startups and chipmakers might undermine gains for leading global companies whose shares have skyrocketed in the past months due to the AI frenzy.

A 466% jump in the price of Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT in its trading debut Monday underscored such concerns. CXMT raised at least $8.6 billion in its IPO in Shanghai. But its shares dropped 4% Tuesday.

Tuesday’s chip stock sell-off also followed a report in the technology news publication The Information that China has begun mass production of homegrown deep ultraviolet, or DUV, chipmaking tools. Such equipment is used to print minute circuit patterns onto silicon wafers.

“We believe the market was likely spooked by the progress of China’s chipmaking equipment capabilities, and was worried that this progress would threaten the competitive position of global chipmaking and chip equipment leaders,” said equity analyst Jing Jie Yu of Morningstar.

“That said, we believe the sell-off today is largely a knee-jerk reaction and overdone,” he said. The dominant position of global chipmaking leaders is unlikely to be threatened meaningfully, he said.

In U.S. trading, shares of Johnson & Johnson rose 3% after the drugmaker agreed to pay $5.5 billion to settle remaining lawsuits that claim its talc products caused ovarian cancer.

J&J, which has been dealing with talc-related lawsuits for years, said in a statement that the settlement is conditioned on at least 95% of remaining claimants participating.

Coca-Cola Co. jumped 4.5% after it beat Wall Street's sales and profit targets. United Parcel Service also reported strong earnings for its most recent quarter but its shares rose a modest 1%.

Back in Asia, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 dropped 4% to 62,364.92. The Taiex in Taiwan skidded 4.7%, with shares of leading chipmaker TSMC, or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, falling 3%.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.4% to 25,310.85, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 1.2% to 3,813.31.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.6% to 8,947.80.

India's Sensex edged 0.1% lower.

At midday in Europe, Germany’s DAX and the CAC 40 in Paris were each up less than 0.1%, while Britain’s FTSE 100 picked up 0.5%.

Oil prices extended their declines as the U.S. and Iran refrained from strikes in their on-again, off-again war. Regional officials said Monday that mediators had made progress in getting the U.S. and Iran back to negotiations after they paused attacks.

Brent crude, the international standard, fell $1.35 to $84.52 a barrel. It was trading around $72 per barrel before the Iran war began in late February.

U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 81 cents to $81.80 a barrel.

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AP Business Writer Matt Ott contributed.

The two leaders also plan to discuss the framework agreement the U.S. and Israel signed with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, according to a White House official.

Trump is also set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, which will be their second sit-down this month. Sen. Lindsey Graham will be eulogized Tuesday during memorial services across Washington. Trump is expected to deliver remarks at the cathedral, alongside Fox News’ Sean Hannity and other conservative leaders.

Here's the latest:

Acting national intelligence chief announces more job cuts

Bill Pulte, the acting director of national intelligence, has sought to leave his mark during his interim status in the job.

With the Senate poised to confirm Jay Clayton for the role, Pulte released Tuesday on X a series of intelligence community documents from 2020 that described China’s capacity to interfere in the American political process as well as vulnerabilities in the election system.

The substance of the material was largely recycled and already known, but its disclosure is part of a broader Trump administration effort to raise concerns about the integrity of U.S. elections — most especially the 2020 presidential race he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Pulte has also presided over a downsizing of the national intelligence office, which functions as a coordinating hub for the U.S. government’s intelligence agencies.

He boasted on X that with a latest round of job cuts, the office is carrying out about a 30% staff reduction from weeks ago.

Trump urges Iran to make a deal so he won’t have to hurt the people

Trump has repeatedly retreated from threats to knock out bridges, power plants and other infrastructure but he told Fox News Channel in an interview that Iran knows he’ll “finish the job” if its leaders don’t make a deal to end the war.

He says millions of people would then struggle to get by.

Trump claimed he would need less than an hour to “take out” most of Iran’s bridges and said he could blow up their power plants “within one day” and then target desalinization plants.

“You know, if I can avoid doing that, I’d like to do that,” he said.

Trump says he doesn’t need Netanyahu’s advice on Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain

The president says he’s not worried about construction activities at Iran’s potential nuclear site at Pickaxe Mountain, a complex Trump has threatened to bomb.

And Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for publicly expressing concerns about the site ahead of the two leaders’ meeting Tuesday at the White House.

“I know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe,” Trump told “Fox & Friends,” adding that whatever Iran is doing is “not a big problem.”

On Netanyahu’s statements ahead of his visit to Washington, Trump said, “Why don’t you just tell it to me? Why do you have to announce to the world.”

The bilateral huddle, on the same day that both men are attending the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, is the first since Netanyahu and Trump launched their war in Iran five months ago.

Trump remembers Sen. Lindsey Graham both for his kindness and his hawkishness

Speaking fondly about his friend and ally, Trump said he admired Graham as a nice person who was quick to call for military action.

“He was a guy that liked war,” Trump said Tuesday in a Fox News interview. “I jokingly say, and there’s nothing funny about it, but he’s never seen a war that he didn’t like.”

Trump added that Graham was “very much a hawk on Iran” but had also told Trump it was time to make a deal to end the war. That sentiment did not extend to the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump said.

“Ukraine he’s very militant about,” Trump said. “Lindsey liked war, to be honest with you.”

Senate expected to confirm Jay Clayton as next intelligence director on Tuesday

It will ensure that a permanent director is in place as the midterm elections approach.

Clayton is expected to be confirmed along party lines after a contentious hearing two weeks ago in which he repeatedly refused to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Still, Democrats have said they have more confidence in Clayton than they do in Trump’s temporary pick for the job, Bill Pulte, who has no known intelligence experience and investigated the president’s perceived enemies in his previous post as a federal housing regulator.

Senators from both parties have expressed concerns about Pulte, who took over on an interim basis last month after Tulsi Gabbard resigned. Pulte was in charge when Trump delivered a speech from the White House earlier this month doubling down on his false claims about the 2020 election, which he lost, and released classified documents he said were relevant to his arguments.

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Security around the White House is tight due to Zelenskyy and Netanyahu visits

Only foot traffic is allowed on streets surrounding the complex. Vehicular traffic is blocked by city police cars and dump trucks at key intersections, like Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th St and near Lafayette Park.

Netanyahu is staying at Blair House, the U.S. government’s guest house across from the White House.

Zelenskyy has the first meeting with Trump, scheduled for 9:30 a.m., followed by Netanyahu at 11 a.m.

Zelenskyy will visit Trump at the White House before Sen. Graham’s funeral

Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Tuesday ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, their second sit-down this month and after a far-right activist with the U.S. president’s ear had a widely publicized change of heart on Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Trump is set to welcome Zelenskyy to the White House as the Ukrainian leader travels to Washington to honor Graham, whose final act as a public official was visiting Kyiv and securing an agreement on a package of sanctions that seek to punish countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other exports.

Zelenskyy posted on X early Tuesday that he had arrived in the U.S. and listed the goals for his visit.

“Our schedule includes meetings with President Trump, his team, and those who can support our defense,” the Ukrainian leader said. “Our number one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer.”

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Netanyahu’s first meeting with Trump since the Iran war began is a chance to smooth over strains

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday is the first since the two leaders launched a joint war against Iran and a chance for Netanyahu to smooth out strains in their relationship.

The meeting comes as both face growing pressures at home. Netanyahu is up for reelection and is embattled in part because of his deteriorating relationship with Trump. Trump is under pressure to end an unpopular war that has wreaked economic havoc and driven prices higher ahead of midterm elections this November.

The two leaders also plan to discuss the framework agreement the U.S. and Israel signed with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the meeting.

“We have a little difference,” Trump said Monday when asked by reporters if he and the Israeli prime minister were on the same page with Iran. “But pretty close, yeah.”

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Trump is set to welcome Zelenskyy to the White House as the Ukrainian leader travels to Washington to honor Graham, whose final act as a public official was visiting Kyiv and securing an agreement on a package of sanctions that seek to punish countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other exports.

Zelenskyy posted on X early Tuesday that he had arrived in the U.S. and listed the goals for his visit.

“Our schedule includes meetings with President Trump, his team, and those who can support our defense," the Ukrainian leader said. "Our number one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer.”

In a Fox News Channel interview on Tuesday, Trump recalled Graham's hawkishness and said the Republican South Carolina senator's support for Ukraine never wavered. Trump said Graham had suggested it was time to make a deal with Iran but no similar suggestion for the Russia-Ukraine war.

“Ukraine he's very militant about,” Trump said on “Fox & Friends." "I mean, Lindsey liked war, to be honest with you."

Zelenskyy is now being bolstered by an unusual source: Laura Loomer, known primarily for her incendiary social media posts and her influence with the Republican U.S. president. Traveling through Ukraine, Loomer has witnessed Moscow’s barrage firsthand and interviewed Zelenskyy while admitting she was “bamboozled by Russian propaganda.”

Loomer said she spoke to Trump after she met with Zelenskyy in Ukraine last week and she expects to meet with the U.S. president once she returns from her trip.

“It’s looking good for Ukraine, right?” Loomer said during an interview with The Associated Press. “Going into this meeting next week at the Oval Office is looking pretty good.”

Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy has also warned that Russia has been aiding Iran as the war persists by capturing satellite imagery of U.S. bases in the Gulf region that later appear in Iran. The Ukrainian president also asserted that there was a “clear correlation” between Russia’s images and subsequent Iranian strikes.

“The purpose is clear,” Zelenskyy said earlier this month. “None of us in the world should turn a blind eye to one very simple fact: Evil always seeks ways to make things worse and spread further.”

On Monday, Trump downplayed any impact of potential Russian assistance for Iran.

“I don’t think they’ve been doing it, certainly not at a high level,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he traveled to Michigan. “And if they have, it has been very un-impactful.”

Still, he said he would raise the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy has a busy itinerary during his latest visit to Washington. Besides his White House meeting, Zelenskyy will head to the Capitol to meet with senators on Tuesday evening after Graham’s funeral at Washington National Cathedral, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Republican leadership is hoping to advance Graham’s sanctions legislation this week, although the Senate is juggling several other priorities before lawmakers leave Washington for their August recess.

The bill has dozens of backers from both major political parties and is seen as the main policy tribute to Graham, who died unexpectedly this month from a tear in his aorta. It imposes tariffs on goods from the world’s top five purchasers of Russia oil or natural gas, including China and India.

The legislation also includes sanctions against Putin; senior Russian political and military leaders; and Russian financial institutions and energy projects.

Trump met with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit earlier this month in Ankara, Turkey, and announced that the U.S. will give Ukraine a license to make Patriot air defense systems, a long-running request from Kyiv to counter Russian missile attacks.

The air defense systems are expensive to make and are in high demand. Noting that he and Zelenskyy have “actually developed a good relationship,” Trump said that the U.S. will help Ukraine produce the Patriots and that the country would be able to produce them “pretty quickly.”

“This doesn’t have a precedent,” García told The Associated Press by phone before another long day ahead.

The out-of-control fire has consumed 500 square kilometers (193 square miles) — an area five times the size of Barcelona — and forced 25,000 people to flee villages in the smoldering hills of Ávila west of Madrid, the capital.

The ferocity of Spain’s largest recorded wildfire is forcing firefighters to fundamentally change their tactics, prioritizing evacuations and property protection due to the danger posed by fast-moving walls of flames and blazes too powerful to attack directly.

“The evolution is alarming,” García said.

Before, his brigade would tackle fires in the wilderness. Now they are a last line of defense, focused on saving lives. No deaths from these fires have been reported, while 79,000 people have fled their homes from the Ávila fire, another fire nearby in the Madrid region and one in eastern Castellón.

“That gives us more work and more stress,” García said. “Now it is lives first, then homes, and after, the forest."

Climate change is fanning the flames

García works with one of Spain’s emergency wildfire brigades, which deploy to help regional firefighters when they need help. They spend 12-hour shifts hosing down burning trees and hacking away at underbrush before it becomes fuel for the flames.

His 40-man unit, based in Ávila, has been working for three days on the Ávila fire. Before that, they fought fires in Guadalajara and near Zaragoza in recent weeks. The Guadalajara fire consumed 320 square kilometers (123 square miles), making it Spain's third largest on record.

“Until last year, I had never experienced fighting one big fire after another,” the 43-year-old García said.

Large areas of Spain have always been fire-prone thanks to its hot summers and relatively dry climate. But experts and government officials say that climate change has increased the frequency of heat waves and periods of drought, extending periods of high risk for wildfires.

Once one ignites, it grows at a speed and voracity rarely seen before.

García said there used to be around 15 days of extreme fire risk each year. Now firefighters are on alert for 30 to 40 days.

Fires have burned 1,530 square kilometers (590 square miles) this year in Spain — six times the area scorched by blazes in the first half of 2025, Sara Aagesen, the ecology minister, has said.

Meanwhile, a monster fire in neighboring France has forced over 200,000 people to flee their homes.

Fires are too powerful to tackle head-on

Raúl Guerrero, 29, has worked as a firefighter in Castilla y León, the region including Ávila, for the past decade. He said this fire can't compare with any he has battled.

He told the AP that his 40-man unit has had to retreat to safer ground on several occasions when the danger of being trapped was imminent.

He said the fire at several moments was “beyond the capacity of extinction,” which, he said, means “the fire is so virulent and has such power that no matter what you do, you can’t put it out.”

Asked how that makes him feel, Guerrero said “above all, impotent.”

Vegetation can become ‘pure gunpowder’

While fires are often started by lighting or a spark made by agricultural machinery, a decisive factor that makes wildfires harder to combat is the disappearance of the farms, orchards and local forestry industries that used to create buffer areas around villages and towns.

Vegetation now grows right up to homes, Guerrero said. He called for property owners and local authorities to work all year in clearing brush away from homes and tending to forests.

If not, Guerrero said, that vegetation will remain “pure gunpowder” for future fires.

In a report on the human rights situation, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it had documented 499 civilians killed and 1,216 wounded by the fighting between the neighbors that has defied international peace efforts.

In one case, the report said, civilians trying to rescue others from the rubble of an airstrike were hit by a second one.

The report also explores other human rights issues, including a deadly crackdown on protests in western Afghanistan over restrictions on women’s clothing, and decrees that essentially legalize child marriage.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants

Pakistan and Afghanistan have been fighting on and off for months. Tension escalated significantly in February, when Afghan forces launched a raid into Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan, and Islamabad declared it was in “ open war.”

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants who carry out deadly attacks that have killed thousands over the years in Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. The group is allied with the Afghan Taliban, which has ruled Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021 amid the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denies the allegation.

In the deadliest attack of the fighting, a Pakistani airstrike hit a drug treatment center in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in March, killing hundreds of civilians. Rights group Amnesty International said last week the bombing should be investigated as a possible war crime.

Pakistan has not given an overall figure for civilian casualties caused by the cross-border fighting in its territory. The U.N. mission, known by its acronym UNAMA, noted it is only mandated to monitor incidents in Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies targeting civilians

In a written response to UNAMA’s report, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Afghanistan’s Taliban government “continues to maintain a permissive environment for a range of (militant) organizations.”

The response did not mention Afghan civilian casualties but said Pakistan’s military strikes "were directed exclusively at identified terrorist hideouts, sanctuaries, and support infrastructure linked to groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan.”

The hundreds of civilian casualties listed by UNAMA include 22 — five of them children — who were killed in two successive airstrikes on a residential building in the eastern province of Paktia on June 28. At least 185 others were wounded.

Most of the deaths and injuries were caused by the second strike, when locals were trying to rescue the victims of the first one.

“International humanitarian law provides special protections for medical personnel and humanitarian workers, including first responders. Attacks against them while performing their duties are strictly prohibited," said Fiona Frazer, director of human rights at UNAMA.

Afghan women still face harsh restrictions

UNAMA’s report also highlighted problems faced by women, who are subject to draconian restrictions by Afghanistan’s Taliban government. They include a ban on education beyond primary school, a strict dress code, bans on working in nearly all professions and a requirement to be accompanied by a male relative when outside the home.

The report detailed a crackdown in the western city of Herat in June, where at least 30 women were arrested on allegations of dress code violations. At least one person was killed and several others were injured when authorities opened fire during a rare protest against the detentions.

Rules governing women’s clothing stipulate they can only go out in public when wearing full hijab — which includes a headscarf and robe covering the entire body — as well as a face covering that leaves only the eyes visible. The regulations are policed by the feared Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.

However, interpretations of the rules and what constitutes wearing the hijab correctly vary and can be arbitrarily enforced.

The UNAMA report said Vice and Virtue officials visited health clinics and shops in various parts of the country to advise them to refuse entry to women not accompanied by a male relative.

The report also said new rules on separation in marriage “ implicitly sanction child marriage " by allowing for marriage contracts to be arranged for minors.

About three hours of audio and 117 pages of transcripts — with many redactions — were released by the Oversight Project, an arm of the Heritage Foundation, after Biden lost a prolonged legal fight to keep his conservations with his memoir ghostwriter, Mark Lewis Zwonitzer, private.

“They didn't even know I had this,” Biden told Zwonitzer in October 2016, near the end of his second term as Barack Obama's vice president, as he talked about sensitive foreign policy matters handled by the administration.

In one 2017 session, after Biden had left the West Wing and before he'd launched his own presidential campaign, he appeared to admit retaining classified information from his time as vice president.

“I just found all the classified stuff downstairs,” Biden said. “I wrote the President a handwritten 40-page memorandum arguing against deploying additional troops to Iraq -- I mean, to Afghanistan on the grounds that it wouldn’t matter, that the day we left would be like the day before we arrived.”

The potentially classified information itself is redacted in both the audio and transcripts that the Oversight Project released.

The right-wing group first sued to obtain the tapes after Special Counsel Robert Hur decided in 2024 not to charge Biden for how he handled classified information. Biden cooperated with Hur’s inquiry and told the special prosecutor during his presidency that he did not intentionally mishandle any classified material.

Hur, who obtained the tapes as part of his inquiry, said in announcing his decision that he believed a jury would find Biden a sympathetic figure because of his age and what Hur described as a “poor memory” — a statement that became a flashpoint in public debate about Biden's age and fitness for the presidency.

Biden was 74 when the interviews began. He was 81 and seeking reelection when Hur released his report in early 2024, though Biden later ended his campaign for a second term after a halting debate performance against Republican Donald Trump.

The tapes contain instances of Biden being unable to recall some dates and details of topics he was discussing with Zwonitzer. Biden also showed a command of many details, recalling meetings and details of conversations referenced in the notes he shared.

At the Oversight Project, Vice President of Litigation Jeff Clark insisted the tapes prove Biden's decline.

“The tapes have always belonged to the American People, the Oversight Project just delivered them to their rightful owner,” Clark said in a statement. “The knowledge of his deterioration was well-established.”

A Biden spokesman blasted the release as politically motivated.

“President Biden’s conversations for a book a decade ago that discussed his late son are private, and were provided to the Department of Justice on the express condition they stay that way,” said TJ Ducklo. “Reversing course and making them public is just the latest example of this Administration weaponizing the DOJ for political retribution.”

Biden initially sued to stop the Department of Justice from releasing the material, claiming the conversations were private. But he dropped his suit after a divided panel of appeals court judges rejected his bid. Biden could have petitioned the Supreme Court to intervene or asked for a rehearing by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

In a 2-1 ruling, a three-judge panel from the circuit court found a “substantial” public interest in disclosing the material.

Demonstrators in the capital Tripoli, Zawiya, Misrata and other locations across western Libya have protested for several days over hourslong power outages. They demand better electrical services and have called for the resignation of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

As part of the ongoing protests, a group stormed the General Electricity Company's Mellitah Oil & Gas complex about 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Tripoli. The disruption could cause a complete blackout in multiple areas and ultimately collapse the electricity network, the company warned in a statement Tuesday.

The Mellitah complex is a strategic energy supplier. Gas from the complex is compressed and sent to Sicily through a subsea pipeline, according to Bonatti, an international contractor that provides services to global energy sectors.

The Mellitah complex sends 30 million Standard Cubic Meters of gas to Italy daily, according to Bonatti.

The closure of the lines disrupted operations and caused a severe shortage in gas and fuel supplies needed to operate power plants, pushing a number of generators out of service, the National Oil Corporation said in a statement Tuesday.

The complex’s workers union condemned the closure of the gas lines, warning that the action had created serious technical and operational risks and endangered the lives of workers. The union called for stronger security measures to protect the facility and staff and urged authorities to take legal action against those involved.

Dbeibah's Government of Unity said Tuesday that the defense ministry secured the Mellitah complex, ensuring the safety of staffers and allowing the resumption of gas supplies, which gradually restored electricity and stabilized the national grid.

Libya  plunged into chaos  after a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator  Moammar Gadhafi  in 2011. The country split, with rival administrations in the east and west backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.

Dbeibah heads the internationally recognized Government of Unity in Tripoli in the west. Osama Hammad heads the administration in the east, where powerful military commander Khalifa Hifter holds sway.

The Texas Stock Exchange, headquartered in Dallas, is launching in phases throughout July as it looks to compete with the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq.

According to TXSE officials, the exchange will initially allow member firms to trade test securities before gradually adding thousands of stock symbols over the coming weeks. Once the rollout is complete, the public will be able to buy and sell stocks through participating brokerage firms.

Exchange-traded products are expected to be introduced during the third quarter of 2026, with corporate listings anticipated later this year.

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What is the Texas Stock Exchange?

Backed by major financial firms including BlackRock, Citadel, JPMorgan and Charles Schwab, the Texas Stock Exchange is the newest entrant into the U.S. stock market.

While many investors may not notice a difference when buying or selling stocks, the exchange’s long-term goal is to attract companies to list their shares in Texas rather than on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq.

Craig Pirrong, a finance professor at the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business, said the real competition is for corporate listings, which generate revenue for exchanges through listing fees. He said the Texas Stock Exchange hopes to capitalize on the growing number of companies relocating or incorporating in Texas.

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What does it mean for investors?

For most Texans, the launch is unlikely to change the way they invest.

Pirrong said investors will continue using their existing brokerage accounts, such as Fidelity, Charles Schwab or Robinhood. Brokerage firms automatically route trades to whichever exchange offers the best available price under federal regulations.

“The Texas Stock Exchange really doesn’t change what investors should be paying attention to,” Pirrong said, noting that people should continue focusing on company performance and market conditions rather than where a stock is traded.

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Why Texas leaders see it as a big deal

Although the exchange is not expected to affect stock prices or trading costs, Pirrong said it represents another sign of Texas’ growing influence as a place for businesses to operate.

“It doesn’t really have any impact on Texans’ lives day to day,” Pirrong said. “It’s an indicator of Texas’ growing prominence economically and particularly as a place for companies to do business.”

If successful, the Texas Stock Exchange could strengthen the state’s reputation as a financial center while creating more competition among U.S. stock exchanges.

Brown, 37, made the change of plea during a hearing at London’s Southwark Crown Court. He had previously denied more serious charges over what prosecutors called a “vicious attack” in 2023.

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. The two men had been due to stand trial in October.

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.

“This was a vicious and unprovoked attack by Brown and Akinlolu in a crowded nightclub where Brown used a glass bottle as a weapon to strike the victim’s head twice,” Claire Campbell, a senior prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service, said after the guilty plea.

“This kind of violence is entirely unacceptable, and the Crown Prosecution Service will work tirelessly – with the police and partners across the criminal justice system – to pursue cases like this, and prove that no one is above the law.”

Brown had been free on bail of 5 million pounds ($6.75 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, wearing a tan suit, gold-rimmed sunglasses and a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap, signed autographs for fans as he left the courthouse.

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.

Punch was abandoned by his mother after his birth a year ago Sunday, presumably because of exhaustion. Zookeepers nursed him and gave him the toy to develop his gripping ability, something newborn macaques need to survive.

Punch is no longer a plump baby with the plushie and he’s hard to distinguish from other monkeys as he mingles and plays with them at an enclosure at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden.

He still attracts big crowds, and has received some 2,500 birthday cards from inside and outside Japan, said Takashi Yasunaga, head of the zoo. Many of the cards and other messages fill the walls at an indoor Punch birthday exhibit where visitors can also view video chronicling Punch from his earliest days.

“As Punch was trying very hard struggling to live each day, his two keepers did everything they can while other staff watched over him,” Yasunaga said, recalling the past year. “It was extremely hot when Punch was born. The memory is still clear to me as the hot season returns.”

In mid-January, after six months of special care by his keepers, Punch was placed into the zoo’s monkey enclosure to join some 50 other monkeys — a challenge that led to his fame.

In February, images of Punch with his toy posted by the zoo on social media immediately became a sensation and drove tens of thousand of visitors to the zoo, half of them from overseas, Yasunaga said.

When other monkeys shooed the baby away, Punch rushed back to the toy orangutan, hugging it for comfort. Fans cheered him with a #HangInTherePunch tag on social media.

It was not just the cuteness factor of seeing Punch with his toy, but also his lone struggle to be gradually accepted by others that struck a chord, fans say.

Kumi Ishizawa, a Kobe resident who was at the birthday exhibit, said she found Punch on social media earlier this year. From then on, overcoming her illness to come see him had become her goal.

“He moved me ... I kept on telling myself that I’m going to get well and come visit to see Punch,” said Ishizawa, who has since recovered and dropped by the zoo after wrapping up a business trip. “And here I am, I made it. I’m very happy I could finally see him in person.”

Yeye Lights, a longtime resident in the city, had never visited the zoo until she became a Punch fan and now has an annual visitor pass. She was hooked by Punch after her daughter in the Philippines told her about the monkey.

“I have a cake for Punch-kun, I’m celebrating with my friends,” Lights said, using an affectionate Japanese honorific for boys. She thanked the monkey’s two carers for taking good care of him.

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Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.

Across France and Spain, roughly 330,000 people have been driven from homes and vacation sites by fires of exceptional scale. Spain braced for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with several blazes still out of control, including the largest in its recorded history.

France may never have seen an evacuation on this scale in peacetime. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Saturday it was “very likely” the largest civilian evacuation operation ever carried out in the country outside of a period of war.

Firefighters held the Gironde blaze in check through a calm night, bringing flare-ups near coastal dunes under control and keeping the burned area unchanged at 420 square kilometers (162 square miles).

Authorities called the fire stabilized, not fixed — held for now, but still capable of breaking loose as temperatures rose and humidity fell.

Temperatures are forecast to rise again

The precautionary evacuation order covered campsites, holiday villages, tourist residences and leisure parks around the resort of Lacanau, Gironde regional authorities said.

“We are at a point of fragility,” Eric Brocardi, spokesperson for France’s national firefighters federation, told BFMTV on Tuesday. “We will continue attacking this fire despite the forecast rise in temperatures.”

Even as homes burned nearby and authorities urged tourists to stay away, some holidaymakers told French media they were still weighing whether to press ahead rather than lose thousands of euros sunk into summer rentals and train tickets.

France’s national weather service placed Gironde under a yellow heat warning from midday Tuesday, forecasting inland temperatures of 33 to 35 C (91 to 95 F). Southeast winds were expected across the department, with westerly sea breezes along the coast.

More than 1,160 square kilometers (448 square miles) have burned across France this year, according to the Interior Ministry.

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service. Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with extreme heat and widespread dryness contributing to the spread and intensification of fires in France and Spain, Copernicus said.

The Gironde blaze has raged since last week and proved wildly unpredictable, transforming at times into a self-feeding firestorm. Above it towered a gargantuan, electrified black thundercloud that generated lightning, violent winds and new fires beyond the original blaze — the first recorded in France.

In Le Porge alone, west of Bordeaux, the municipal government said about 150 homes were destroyed.

Officials warned that smoldering vegetation, rising temperatures and falling humidity could produce fresh outbreaks along the fire's vast perimeter.

Military engineers and forest-fire prevention crews resumed cutting firebreaks early Tuesday. Authorities said 103 kilometers (64 miles) had been completed.

Ninety-three firefighters have been injured, the prefecture said.

The A63 highway remained partly closed, while rail traffic south of Bordeaux was suspended except on the route toward Toulouse.

Thousands return as second fire stops advancing

In Landes, about 15,000 evacuees — half of the total — were allowed home after a separate wildfire stopped advancing.

"The fire is fixed, which is good news in Landes,” French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday evening. Regional authorities said that meant its advance had been stopped and there were no new fire starts.

Those allowed back included residents of Sanguinet, Parentis-en-Born, Biscarrosse’s aviation village and a large campground. Several other neighborhoods remained inaccessible.

Authorities warned that the Landes fire was not extinguished. Residual hot spots, wind and drought could cause flare-ups, and surveillance and damping-down operations were expected to continue for days or possibly weeks.

Spain braces for worsening conditions

Hundreds of firefighters backed by military emergency brigades and water-dropping aircraft continued battling several major wildfires in Spain.

Smoke from the fires reached Madrid itself, where residents in central and eastern districts could smell smoke and ash in recent days, emergency services said. Municipal monitors recorded increased particulate pollution in the capital.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said Tuesday that nonstop work through the night left him “reasonably positive,” though officials warned that crews had only a brief window before extreme heat returned.

Spain’s national weather service said the country was bracing for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with temperatures expected to exceed 40 C (104 F) in some areas.

Authorities have evacuated about 79,000 people and ordered another 30,000 to remain in their homes. The government declared a national emergency over the fires.

The greatest concern remained two large fires that had at times come close to merging into a single blaze in wooded hills about an hour’s drive west of Madrid.

A fire in hilly, rural terrain in Ávila, west of Madrid, has become Spain’s largest on record, scorching more than 500 square kilometers (193 square miles), the government said.

Another fire in the eastern province of Castellón also forced mass evacuations.

“Look at how the valley is burned. Look at the houses, the people,” said David Gonzalez, a 48-year-old gardener who used his van to deliver supplies to firefighters in Ávila.

“We are feeling a lot of anger and helplessness. It’s something inhuman,” he said.

Fires have burned 1,530 square kilometers (590 square miles) this year in Spain, Ecology Minister Sara Aagesen said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for a national pact to fight wildfires, saying climate change is making them worse.

___

Adamson reported from Paris. Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain, contributed to this report.

Schulz succeeds Dr. David Persse, who retired earlier this year after nearly three decades serving Houston. Schulz has served as an Assistant Medical Director with the Houston Fire Department since 2012, helping shape the department’s nationally recognized EMS system before stepping into its top physician leadership role.

“Dr. Kevin Schulz knows Houston because he has dedicated part of his career to serving our community. He has valuable expertise in multiple medical fields and an unwavering dedication that is key in his new position,” Mayor Whitmire said. “Dr. Schulz brings the experience and vision needed to continue strengthening our emergency medical services. He will also work to make the Houston Fire Department a national leader in emergency response and prehospital care, and assist me in continuing to make public safety my highest priority.”

• Houston Heat Advisory: Heat dome to bring multiple 100-degree days this week

As EMS Physician Director, Schulz oversees the medical aspects of one of the nation’s busiest EMS systems. His responsibilities include medical oversight for clinical protocols, quality improvement, continuing education, and patient care delivered by Houston Fire Department paramedics and EMTs.

“Dr. Schulz has dedicated his career to advancing emergency medical care and improving outcomes for the people of Houston,” Fire Chief Thomas Muñoz said. “He understands our city, he understands our firefighters and paramedics, and he has helped shape our EMS system for more than a decade. I have complete confidence in his leadership as we continue building one of the nation’s premier emergency medical services systems.”

From volunteer EMT to physician director

Schulz began his career as a volunteer EMT in New Jersey and Pennsylvania before earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from Villanova University and a medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine. He completed his emergency medicine residency at Morristown Medical Center, then moved to Houston to complete an EMS fellowship at UTHealth Houston.

Since joining the Houston Fire Department, Schulz has helped lead the medical response to some of the city’s most significant events, including Hurricane Harvey, Super Bowl LI, the NCAA Final Four, and the FIFA World Cup. He has also served as a tactical physician with the Houston Police Department’s Tactical Operations Division since 2013.

“I’m honored to serve the City of Houston and the Houston Fire Department in this role. I’m also grateful to Mayor Whitmire and Chief Muñoz for their confidence in me and for the opportunity to build on the outstanding work that’s already been done,” Schulz said. “Our paramedics and EMTs provide exceptional care every day, and I look forward to working alongside them as we continue advancing our EMS system and delivering the highest level of care to the people of Houston.”

• 1 dead after vehicle catches fire on Beltway 8 at Westpark Tollway

National leader in emergency medicine

Beyond his duties with the city, Schulz serves as Associate Clinical Professor and EMS Fellowship Director in the Department of Emergency Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, where he is also Co-Chief of the Section of Disaster and Prehospital Medicine.

Schulz chairs the National Association of EMS Physicians’ Council of EMS Fellowship Directors and is a past president of the organization’s Texas Chapter. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council.

Board certified in Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services, Schulz is a Fellow of both the Academy of Emergency Medical Services and the American College of Emergency Physicians. He has authored or co-authored more than 40 publications and abstracts related to prehospital and event medicine.

Anaheim, California; Tuesday, 9:38 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Peter Lambert (8-5, 3.03 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 94 strikeouts); Angels: Reid Detmers (3-7, 4.05 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 136 strikeouts)

LINE: Astros -111, Angels -110; over/under is 8 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The Houston Astros lead 1-0 in a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.

Los Angeles is 24-29 at home and 42-65 overall. The Angels have a 21-47 record in games when they have given up at least one home run.

Houston is 27-28 in road games and 53-55 overall. The Astros rank second in the AL with 147 total home runs, averaging 1.4 per game.

The matchup Tuesday is the ninth time these teams match up this season. The season series is tied 4-4.

TOP PERFORMERS: Nolan Schanuel has a .280 batting average to lead the Angels, and has 18 doubles and six home runs. Vaughn Grissom is 12 for 39 with two home runs and seven RBIs over the last 10 games.

Yordan Alvarez has 20 doubles, 34 home runs and 78 RBIs for the Astros. Jeremy Pena is 17 for 40 with a double, five home runs and nine RBIs over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Angels: 4-6, .233 batting average, 3.54 ERA, outscored by 12 runs

Astros: 6-4, .233 batting average, 3.96 ERA, outscored opponents by two runs

INJURIES: Angels: Travis d’Arnaud: 60-Day IL (foot), Adam Frazier: 10-Day IL (elbow), Yusei Kikuchi: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Ben Joyce: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Sebastian Rivero: 10-Day IL (hand), Yoan Moncada: 60-Day IL (knee), Jack Kochanowicz: 60-Day IL (elbow), Robert Stephenson: 60-Day IL (elbow), Anthony Rendon: 60-Day IL (hip)

Astros: Mike Burrows: 15-Day IL (elbow), Spencer Arrighetti: 15-Day IL (foot), Brice Matthews: 10-Day IL (knee), Carlos Correa: 60-Day IL (ankle), Brandon Walter: 60-Day IL (elbow), Hayden Wesneski: 60-Day IL (elbow)

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded late Sunday to a shooting in Ashburn, Virginia, where the couple still had a home from Bieniemy’s time coaching the Washington Commanders. They found the 57-year-old Mia Bieniemy with multiple gunshot wounds, and she was transported to a hospital where she was in stable condition Monday.

Elijah Zion Bieniemy, the 27-year-old son of the couple, was arrested early Monday in connection with the shooting. He has been charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling, and is being held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

The sheriff’s office said the investigation was ongoing.

Eric Bieniemy was with the Chiefs at training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, earlier Sunday. He was not present for Monday’s workout involving rookies, quarterbacks and a few veterans, which was closed to the public.

“Our hearts go out to Eric Bieniemy and his family. Thoughts and prayers with them,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said afterward. “I can’t get into details on it, but things happen sometimes, and Eric will work through it. He has a great support group here, as does his family, as needed, and we’ll just let time take care of it from there. But Mia is stable, which is a plus.

“She’s a saint, we all know that, those of you that know her. One of God’s great blessings,” Reid added. “But things happen. And you have to work through it. That’s where we’re at right now. Time will have to be involved in this to help heal.”

Reid did not know how long Bieniemy would be away from the team. Pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier and offensive line coach Andy Heck will take over his duties as the Chiefs continue with offensive installations during training camp.

“On these things, real life. So you take care of that,” Reid said. “We’ll be able to keep it moving here, but the most important thing is EB has an opportunity to spend some time there are take care of that business.”

Eric Bieniemy was part of Reid’s initial staff in Kansas City in 2013, and spent five seasons as the running backs coach before he was promoted to offensive coordinator. Over the next five seasons, the demanding but popular Bieniemy helped the Chiefs to reach three Super Bowls and win two of them while directing one of the NFL’s best offenses.

He interviewed for several head-coaching jobs but was continually skipped over, so Bieniemy went to the Commanders in 2023 in hopes of burnishing his resume. But the team struggled and coach Ron Rivera’s staff was let go, and Bieniemy spent one season as the offensive coordinator at UCLA before spending last season as the running backs coach with the Bears.

Bieniemy returned to the Chiefs this season to replace Matt Nagy as the offensive coordinator. He was present for offseason workouts in Kansas City over the summer, and he was with the team when it began to report to training camp last week.

The Chiefs are off Tuesday. The first full-squad workout at Missouri Western State University is Wednesday.

“It’s great to have (Bieniemy) back in the building,” Reid said last week. “He always brings great energy. I’ve told you, he’s one of the more phenomenal guys I have been around at being a leader of men. He is doing that. He’s in there cranking — works his tail off, and I appreciate that. Doesn’t let anything slide by. Does a good job with that.”

Waiting until the night before school starts to move bedtime earlier is one of the biggest mistakes parents can make, according to doctors.

Instead, experts recommend starting the transition 1 to 2 weeks before school begins to help children adjust gradually and make those early mornings easier.

While many parents focus on putting their children to bed earlier, sleep experts say it’s more effective to begin by establishing a consistent wake-up time.

• LIST: Back-to-school freebies — backpack and supply giveaways around Houston

Once children are waking up at the same time each morning, parents can gradually move bedtime earlier to ensure they’re getting the recommended amount of sleep.

Experts say school-age children should get 8 to 12 hours of sleep each night, depending on their age.

Sleep specialists say two of the biggest obstacles to a good night’s sleep are screens and overscheduled calendars.

“What do you think is keeping kids awake at night? Screen time. ‘I’m going to bed but I’m still scrolling’—that’s a problem,” one sleep expert said.

The expert also pointed to packed schedules filled with extracurricular activities, sports and homework that often push bedtimes later.

“They’re too busy. They go to bed too late, and they’re still doing homework,” the expert said.

Experts say younger children, especially those in elementary school, respond well to predictable routines before bed.

A simple bedtime routine may include:

• Taking a bath
• Putting on pajamas
• Brushing teeth
• Reading together
• Lights out

Starting these habits a week or two before school begins can help children adjust more easily and reduce stress when classes resume.

Sleep isn’t just about avoiding groggy mornings.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, research has shown a direct connection between a child’s sleep and classroom performance. Getting enough rest can improve attention, learning, behavior and overall academic success.

By easing children back into a school-year sleep schedule now, parents can help set them up for a smoother transition and a stronger start to the new school year.

Tuesday’s Forecast:

Tuesday will be even hotter than Monday, with Houston expected to reach around 100° under mostly sunny skies. The combination of heat and humidity could push the heat index as high as 110 degrees.

High pressure dome is responsible for the extreme heat:

A very stout ridge of high pressure is strengthening across the Central Plains and will be the dominant weather pattern for us for the next five days.

These systems are very stubborn and hard to move so expect very hot days with very humid mornings generally in the low 80s. Storm chances will be very hard to find for most of the next 7-10 days.

Once these high-pressure ridges get into place, they will not move for a number of days. This high will keep strengthening through the week.

Heat index values will range between 106° to 110° each afternoon. Once the heat index hits 108° heat advisories go into effect.

This upcoming weekend the high pressure begins to move west, allowing for a weak front to approach the Gulf Coast. This will be the next best chance to see any measurable rainfall in southeast Texas.

The tropics will stay quiet:

We’ll get long break from our next storm. There is nothing brewing in the tropics for the next seven to ten days in the Atlantic basin.

10 Day Forecast:

The heat dome will remain firmly in control through the workweek, bringing mostly sunny skies, little to no rain and several afternoons near or above 100 degrees. Highs could reach 102 degrees Wednesday through Friday, while overnight lows remain near 80, offering very little relief after sunset.

Some changes may begin this weekend as high pressure shifts slightly west. A few showers or thunderstorms could return Saturday night and Sunday, with rain chances rising to around 30 percent. Temperatures may ease into the upper 90s by Sunday and early next week, but truly cooler weather is not expected anytime soon.

The administration notified Congress late last week that it intends to spend $175.8 million to replace outdated and aging undersea telecommunications cables in the Caribbean and Central America to prevent China from moving in. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the notification on Monday.

The administration has expressed deep concern about China's activities in the Americas, pushing back on Chinese ownership of ports at either end of the Panama Canal, infrastructure projects funded by China's Belt and Road initiative in the region, and Chinese investment in the telecommunications sector.

A State Department official said China’s economic activities in the Western Hemisphere pose risks to U.S. national security and prosperity. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly to the subject and spoke on condition of anonymity, said China's offerings may seem cheaper but in the end wind up being more expensive due to cost overruns, hidden maintenance fees and poor performance.

The underseas cable funding appears to be part of a broader push to restore support for initiatives aimed at blunting Chinese influence globally that would cost many hundreds of millions of dollars more. That is even as President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping put on a show of cooperation and Xi prepares to visit the U.S. this fall.

US weighs wider spending to counter China globally

The State Department is considering spending nearly half a billion dollars more on programs aimed at China throughout the Western Hemisphere, Africa and Asia, according to an internal State Department document obtained by AP.

“The United States must respond to the CCP’s growing economic, technological, and diplomatic leverage around the world which undermines our national interests,” the document says, using the acronym for the Chinese Communist Party.

Many of those proposed programs are designed to “reclaim diplomatic leverage” through investments in areas where the U.S. had previously been spending money but stopped as the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, carried out deep cuts to government budgets and personnel last year.

Those cuts, which dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development and eliminated several hundred diplomatic posts worldwide, also affected previously approved projects, including some aimed at countering China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that China's cooperation with other regions “is not about wooing or rivaling anyone, but about safeguarding world peace, promoting global development, upholding international order and building a community with a shared future for humanity.”

A senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss future administration plans, confirmed the Trump administration’s intent to boost funding on countering China but could not speak to specifics. The official acknowledged discussions of large-scale projects but said many were still in the discussion phase.

Congress told about undersea cable project to keep China away

The program described to Congress on Friday is called the “Countering CCP Control of Caribbean and Central America Undersea Cables project.”

It will “fund the installation of strategically selected undersea cable infrastructure” and support foreign governments in partnering with private sector undersea cable installers, according to the notification. The money will “support replacement of outdated undersea telecommunications cables in the Caribbean and Central America region with secure, U.S. and trusted alternatives,” it said.

Even as it pursues the war with Iran and peace efforts in Gaza and Lebanon, the Trump administration has put a focus on the Western Hemisphere, capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year, ramping up pressure on Cuba’s socialist government in the months since and imposing severe sanctions on the government in Nicaragua.

Under the new program, funding is anticipated to be given to or in support of undersea cable projects benefiting El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Haiti, the document said. The U.S. has tenuous ties with Nicaragua and would not be working with the government there.

Lin said undersea cables benefit people globally and that China is ready to work with the rest of the world to promote their construction and protection.

“Turning it into a political or security issue will only disrupt international market rules and threaten global digital connectivity and cybersecurity, which serves no one’s interests,” he said in Beijing.

Other anti-China efforts could focus on cyber and critical minerals

At the same time, the administration has drawn up plans to spend more than $340 million for over 50 specific anti-China projects around the world, including many in the Western Hemisphere, according to the internal State Department document outlining various proposals.

The administration notified Congress in May that it had spent several hundred million dollars in counter-China funding from the 2024 budget that was approved by the Biden administration. However, many other projects funded for 2024 and 2025 had been put on hold.

Among the plans to be resurrected are the creation of security operations centers in Argentina and Belize to monitor Chinese threats to critical infrastructure and cyber platforms throughout the region. Also coming back would be initiatives to protect Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay from alleged Chinese attempts to infiltrate port operations and illegally exploit offshore fishing and critical minerals extraction.

More broadly, the proposal, which is still under consideration, would work against Chinese influence in the selection of a successor to the Dalai Lama “by developing proprietary technology to ensure secure communications and information collection.” It also would go after international support for China’s space program and push back against Chinese firms seeking to export surveillance and censorship technology.

The document did not describe the initiatives in detail.

Trump is expected to meet with Xi in September around the time of the annual U.N. General Assembly gathering of world leaders in New York. To prepare for that meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last week at a regional security conference in the Philippines.

Trump has oscillated between anger and elation with Xi, whom the U.S. leader has sought to cultivate as an ally even while China pursues goals antithetical to many of his administration's. The ultimate impact of the proposed new programs won't be known for many months or years.

___

Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed.

The 30-year-old rapper, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, had pleaded not guilty in the District Court of Western Australia state to six charges of rape, three charges of assault occasioning bodily harm and one count of choking in a Perth hotel room in September 2024.

The accuser cannot legally be named. She was 20 at the time.

Prosecutor Danielle Clarke told the court Barrientos was an “entitled man” with a “moderate degree of fame" who had been sexually violent toward an “impressionable" young woman.

“She meant nothing to him,” Clarke told the court in her closing arguments.

“What could have been and should have been consensual sex quickly escalated into sexual violence and a non-consensual nightmare,” she added.

Defense lawyer David Edwardson replied that the accuser's "evidence is riddled with inconsistencies, embellishments and outright lies.”

Edwardson will complete his statement early on Wednesday. The jury could begin considering their verdicts late Wednesday after Judge Linda Black gives them their final directions.

Barrientos testified Monday that he did not slap or choke the woman, but he agreed to the allegation that he bit her multiple times.

“In England we would call it a love bite,” Barrientos told the court.

The performer denied the woman repeatedly told him to stop and told him he was hurting her.

“There was kissing in between; I would give her a love bite and then kiss her,” Barrientos said from the witness box. “I don’t recall any blood.”

Photos of the woman with bruising and bite marks on her face and neck were shown to the court.

Barrientos met the woman at a Perth nightclub after his performance.

“The vibes were good and she had a really good energy about her,” he said.

Prosecutors previously said the woman initially agreed to have sex with Barrientos, but withdrew her consent when she started to fear for her safety.

Barrientos agreed that his bodyguard took the woman’s phone before she entered the hotel room.

But he denied the prosecutor’s accusation that the phone was removed to trap the woman.

“It is standard practice for someone in the limelight to protect privacy,” Barrientos said.

The Colombian-born entertainer had been touring Australia and had performed in Sydney and Melbourne before he encountered the woman. He was in the east coast city of Brisbane, where the tour was to end, when he was arrested several days later.

It’s HOT! If you’ve stepped foot outside within the past 24 hours, you know exactly what I am talking about. But we learned that today will be worse. Temperatures are expected to reach 100 degrees today, and feel-like temperatures will reach as high as 110 degrees.

As you all know, this level of heat can become extremely dangerous, so be sure to drink a lot of water.

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

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Weather ⛅

TODAY: 100° TONIGHT: 89°

KPRC Meteorologist Daji Aswad says:

“Tuesday will be even hotter than Monday, with Houston expected to reach around 100° under mostly sunny skies. The combination of heat and humidity could push the heat index as high as 110 degrees. A very stout ridge of high pressure is strengthening across the Central Plains and will be the dominant weather pattern for us for the next five days. These systems are very stubborn and hard to move so expect very hot days with very humid mornings generally in the low 80s. Storm chances will be very hard to find for most of the next 7-10 days.”

➡️ More weather headlines? Check them out here

Get your forecast details here.

Houston’s Top Headlines 📰

Welfare check at Cypress home leads to rescue of alleged kidnapping victim, officials say

A welfare check at a northwest Harris County home led investigators to uncover evidence that a woman had allegedly been held captive before escaping, resulting in an aggravated kidnapping charge against a man who was already in jail on family violence-related charges.

According to Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman, deputies responded Sunday to the 15000 block of Darby Retreat Lane after receiving a request for a welfare check.

FBI joins search for Jordanian soccer player who disappeared hours after arriving in Houston

The FBI has joined the search for a Jordanian athlete who disappeared hours after arriving in Houston to participate in the Genuine Cup, an international soccer tournament for athletes with intellectual disabilities, KPRC 2 News has learned.

The Rice University Police Department issued a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) alert late Sunday night for Rabe’e Ata Juma’a Alqaq, 25, who was last seen around midnight between Saturday and Sunday on the Rice University campus.

Texas AG Ken Paxton launches investigation into Tampax, Kotex and other women’s brands over alleged toxic chemicals

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Monday that his office has launched industry-wide investigations into several popular feminine care and cosmetic brands over concerns about potentially harmful chemicals in their products.

According to the Office of the Attorney General, the investigations will examine whether companies misled consumers about the safety and chemical makeup of products, including lip balms, lipsticks and feminine hygiene products.

Traveler’s Cart closes as family of beloved owner files wrongful death lawsuit

Traveler’s Cart announced it will close down on Friday, July 31. The restaurant opened on Montrose Boulevard in October 2023.

It was a spinoff of the restaurant group’s Traveler’s Table.

Back 2 School - Moms 💌

Summer Survival: What parents should be doing now before back-to-school

We’re almost two months into summer, and the countdown to back-to-school is getting closer. In this week’s Moms Blog with Houston Moms, we’re checking in on summer regression, what it is, how it can impact kids, and what parents can do now to help their children transition smoothly back into a school routine.

Plus, our Surviving Summer tip covers simple ways to make the most of the season, from planning a fun “Yes Day” with your kids to setting healthy boundaries around digital devices and screen time.

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Houston drivers feeling the pinch as gas prices rise again; see how much more you’re paying

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How to keep children with autism safe around water this summer

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The planned injections come 18 months after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis began stepping up executions at a rate unseen in modern times in Florida. DeSantis hasn't said why he scheduled two executions six hours apart, and Florida prison officials haven't said whether the timing creates any logistical challenges for staff.

James Aren Duckett, 68, is scheduled to die by lethal injection at noon at Florida State Prison near Starke, followed later that day by 80-year-old Dominick Anthony Occhicone, who also would become the oldest prisoner executed in Florida's modern history.

Duckett was convicted of raping and drowning an 11-year-old girl while working as a police officer in a small central Florida city in 1987, and Occhicone was convicted of the 1986 killings of his ex-girlfriend’s parents.

Duckett and Occhicone would become Florida’s 11th and 12th inmates to be executed this year if their sentences are carried out.

The Florida Supreme Court denied appeals for both men last week. Duckett’s attorneys had asked for another stay, claiming that Duckett is innocent and that the state’s handling of the DNA evidence is the reason for the inconclusive results. Occhicone’s attorneys argued that several age-related ailments, including kidney and prostate problems, could make his execution especially painful, constituting cruel and unusual punishment.

Both men still had appeals pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Record numbers for governor's final two years

DeSantis, who leaves office in January, oversaw a record 19 executions in 2025, more in a single year than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in the U.S. in 1976. The previous high was eight executions set in 2014.

If Tuesday’s executions proceed, that would bring the total for DeSantis’ final two years in office up to 31 overall, compared to just nine executions during the first six years of his administration. With another execution already set for August, 2026 could also be a record-breaking year.

DeSantis initially signed a death warrant for Duckett in February, setting a March 31 execution date. But the Florida Supreme Court issued a stay just days ahead of that date to allow for DNA testing of old evidence that couldn’t be performed at the time of the original trial because of technological limitations. The results came back inconclusive, meaning they did not exonerate Duckett or definitively connect him to the crime. Judges have allowed the jury verdict to stand.

When Occhicone's death warrant was signed late last month, his was the only execution scheduled for Tuesday. But after the Florida Supreme Court removed Duckett's stay on July 8, DeSantis signed a new death warrant soon after and added Duckett to Occhicone’s execution date, which hadn't been done in Florida in more than 60 years. Florida Department of Corrections records show multiple executions on a single day were more common in the past, with the last being on May 12, 1964.

Nationwide, it's not uncommon for two different states to hold executions on the same date, but it's less common for a single state to perform two. Before Florida, the most recent U.S. state to execute two inmates on the same day was Arkansas in April 2017. And Texas executed two convicted killers on the same day in 2000, the year it put to death 40 prisoners.

Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty has urged DeSantis to halt both executions.

“July 28 represents an unprecedented escalation of Florida’s use of the death penalty,” the group’s executive director, Grace Hanna, said in a statement. “These are two profoundly different cases, but they point to the same troubling reality: Florida continues to expand the use of capital punishment, despite mounting evidence that it is not what Floridians want.”

Decades on Death Row

The governor's office has rarely commented on executions over the past 18 months. DeSantis has previously said his goal is to bring justice to victims’ families who have waited decades for death sentences to be carried out.

“Some of these crimes were committed in the ’80s,” the governor said at a November 2025 news conference. “Justice delayed is justice denied. I felt I owed it to them to make sure this ran very smoothly. If I honestly thought someone was innocent, I would not pull the trigger.”

Occhicone would become Florida's oldest inmate to be executed, just weeks after two 74-year-old men briefly held that spot, the second man just a week older than the first at his time of death. Recent executions have highlighted the nation's aging death-row population and renewed questions about the humanity of administering capital punishment to inmates who might die soon from natural causes.

Occhicone also would become the second-oldest prisoner known to be executed in modern U.S. history after 83-year-old Walter Moody Jr. in Alabama in 2018. Moody was condemned for a wave of mail bombs in 1989 that killed a federal judge and wounded a Black civil rights attorney.

Florida executions are all by injection of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.

“i will end ur career and ur life,” she told him in a text message sent the night before her death.

Los Angeles Judge Charlaine Olmedo decided that evidence presented during a preliminary hearing provided probable cause for a trial on charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.

The dark and disturbing details presented over five days brought tears, gasps and horror to the courtroom. The evidence included grisly autopsy photos, explicit descriptions and depictions of sexual abuse and a stark picture of the final texts she sent minutes before she died and her phone went permanently silent.

The ruling was a major step in the 10-month investigation and prosecution of D4vd that began when the dismembered and decomposing body of a girl was found in the trunk of his Tesla in the Hollywood Hills in September while he was on tour.

D4vd shows no emotion as decision is read, and now heads to trial

D4vd, the 21-year-old whose legal name is David Burke, showed no emotion when the judge issued her ruling, watching calmly and intently in his orange jail clothes and glasses as he had throughout the proceedings.

He has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers argued that the murder evidence was insufficient, but did not argue against the other two charges. They declined to comment outside court.

Prosecutors argued that the evidence was overwhelming.

“Based on the mountains of evidence presented,” Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said, “all of the allegations have been proved way beyond the standard required.”

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said outside court that prosecutors presented only a “small fraction” of the evidence they have. They are still weighing whether to seek the death penalty, but Burke is eligible for it after Olmedo also found probable cause for lying in wait, killing for financial gain and killing a potential witness, special circumstances in a crime that allow for a death sentence.

Olmedo ordered that Burke continue to be held without bail. An arraignment is to be held on Aug. 31, and a trial could happen as soon as 60 days later.

The last night of Celeste Rivas Hernandez

Before the decision, prosecutors gave a moment-by-moment account of Rivas Hernandez's last night.

As she neared his Hollywood home shortly after 10 p.m. on April 23, 2025, in an Uber he had sent to pick her up, she sent her final text: “girly pop i’m almost there open ur door if ur home.”

Prosecutors allege Burke stabbed her to death when she came through the door.

The night before, the two argued via text about his relationship with a woman. She sent him an angry and profanity-riddled text saying she will tell her dad so many lies about him and that she would “end ur career and ur life.” She had sent several similar messages around the same time.

Prosecutors said that Burke met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11, began sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18. A year before her death, the pair also exchanged messages about how she had become pregnant — she assured him the baby was his — and that she had an abortion.

During the preliminary hearing, prosecutors introduced photos of the two of them kissing and lying in bed. The pictures showed that she had “David” tattooed in red ink on a finger — one of two that had been cut off when her body was found.

Prosecutors said they have records showing Burke ordered chain saws and wading pools that he used to dismember her body in his garage, and that her DNA was found there on blood stains.

They said he then drove around for weeks and even months with the body in his trunk before the seemingly abandoned Tesla was towed from the Hollywood Hills.

Defense argues there's insufficient evidence for murder

The defense argued that the evidence didn't show the kind of malice that was required for murder.

“There’s no evidence that Mr. Burke harbored a deliberate intent to kill Miss Hernandez,” said Burke's attorney, Marilyn Bednarski.

She said the communications between Burke and Rivas Hernandez showed “no threat, no evidence of a history of violence” and that he had “the opposite of homicidal malice” toward her.

She argued that a medical examiner ruling that her death was a homicide from two puncture wounds was too vague and inconclusive to be evidence of murder. The defense did not directly give an alternative theory on how she died and isn't required to.

The defense also established that she had asked seven times to come to see him in the days before her death, and he reluctantly agreed only after she demanded it, and that she had threatened to kill Burke and to mutilate him.

Silverman told the judge that “the defense tried numerous times throughout these proceedings to dirty up the victim” despite her being a child.

Farrell, the detective, also said under defense questioning that the parents of both Burke and Rivas Hernandez knew about their relationship, that he had attended church with members of her family and that her parents had given their consent for her to go to London with him for a week.

Patrick Steinfeld, an attorney for Rivas Hernandez’s family said after the hearing that they were “horrified that the defense attorneys brought up evidence to put the blame on a 14-year-old girl.”

Her parents sat in the front row through most of the hearing, but sat out some of the more graphic parts and left in the middle of the sexual testimony after her mother began crying.

D4vd's career was reaching new heights at time of killing

D4vd (pronounced “David”) became an online musical phenomenon as a teen with a blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. He had huge followings on TikTok, Soundcloud and Spotify, where his top songs, including his 2022 breakthrough “Romantic Homicide,” have more than a billion plays.

In 2024 he played the Coachella music festival and released his first full-length album, “Withered,” two days after authorities say Rivas Hernandez was killed.

LUBBOCK — When Texas was awarded more than $3 billion to expand broadband services to every corner of the Lone Star state, broadband advocates celebrated.

Fast-forward four years, and that same pool of money has become the subject of tense speculation. Lawmakers have lobbed allegations of favoritism to companies — namely Elon Musk’s Starlink — that are set to receive federal money from an official state office.

Now, with an audit of the state’s Broadband Development Office underway, more questions have come up regarding what exactly the state is planning to do with billions in taxpayer dollars to make sure all Texans have internet access.

What are the allegations facing the Broadband Development Office?

The biggest accusations thrown at the BDO have been around favoritism and transparency in the grant-awarding process for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, or BEAD.

During a Senate committee hearing last month, Sen. Charles Schwertner, a Republican from Georgetown, said his office heard about the concerns regarding taxpayer money.

One of the issues Schwertner brought up was about how much money was disbursed up-front for BEAD projects. Originally, providers were only expected to receive 10% of the grant money up front, and the rest would be dispersed on a tiered system based on how many subscribers use the service.

That was changed, but only for one kind of company — satellite internet providers.

“We did make a change to the disbursement schedule specifically for low-Earth orbit,” Bryant Clayton, the BDO’s director, told lawmakers.

The changes were made one or two days before the grant was awarded, Clayton said. Schwertner asked what the amount changed to, but Clayton did not give a clear answer.

Schwertner said the favorable terms offered to low-Earth orbit satellite companies prompted other applicants to seek changes to their own disbursement schedules.

Clayton said he was not aware of those requests. Schwertner referred to a signed letter from a coalition of businesses that asked for reconsideration. Clayton said he was familiar with the letter but disagreed that it reflected what they were asking for. Schwertner also said the office was requiring applicants to file Public Information Requests to get information on the award process, which he called an adversarial process. Clayton said it was to put the office on a timeline to respond, but Schwertner called for transparency.

“I have my eye on y’all regarding the way y’all are conducting your business,” Schwertner told Clayton. “I don’t care who’s messing with your business, but we, as an oversight committee, are going to oversee it regarding fairness and transparency.”

How much money is at stake?

More than $5 billion of federal and state money has been dedicated to broadband development funds.

A large tranche of that money — $3.3 billion — comes from the Biden Administration’s Infrastructure bill, which created the BEAD program. Despite U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn both voting against the bill, Texas was still awarded the most BEAD funding out of any state.

How is Elon Musk involved?

One of the initial requirements for the BEAD program was that all projects had to use fiber optic cables before any other option. That was changed in 2025 when the National Telecommunications and Information Administration adopted a technology-neutral stance that opened the door to satellite companies receiving federal money for broadband development projects.

Musk’s Starlink offers residential broadband service through low-earth orbit, or “LEO”, satellite in Texas on a larger scale than any of its competitors. It has at least 12 million active customers globally. Amazon has begun deploying satellites for its own LEO service, Amazon Leo.

Both Starlink and Amazon were listed as subgrantees for the BEAD program on the comptroller’s website, though it did not state how much money was awarded. Musk, who was recently named the world’s first trillionaire, has reportedly received at least $38 billion in government contracts, loans, subsidies and tax credits.

During the hearing, Sen. Nathan Johnson, a Dallas Democrat, expressed his concerns about Musk, who he says has “tremendous control” over the federal government.

“The federal government issues some new edict, and the award happens to go to 99% of his companies which are priced at three times what other companies are pricing,” Johnson said. “I understand there’s probably deficiencies, and there may be a perfectly logical explanation. I hope there is.”

Johnson asked who it was that wanted the BDO to reconsider the payout structure. Clayton said it was Gov. Greg Abbott’s office.

When asked what reason they were given, Clayton said: “We were out of step with other states.”

How has the comptroller responded?

Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock responded to the allegations directly last week by accusing Amazon of “aggressively” lobbying state legislators, including members of the Business and Commerce committee. According to Hancock, Amazon wanted a reduction in liability requirements and is portraying itself as a victim. The company did receive an award, Hancock said, but they decided to not sign the grant agreement.

“During the hearing, it became clear that certain committee members are unaware of statutory constraints,” Hancock wrote. “Instead, it appears they have received talking points from industry lobbyists.”

Hancock also said he didn’t believe Texans should act as a financial safety net for multibillion-dollar companies.

Hancock’s statement did not mention Musk or Starlink — the focus of the favoritism allegations.

How have lawmakers responded?

Lawmakers are taking the allegations seriously. Last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows called for an audit of the state’s broadband office. In a joint statement, the lawmakers said the audit is a result of the concerns raised about the BEAD award process.

“It is critical the Office’s performance and operations meet the expectations of the Texas Legislature and the people of this state,” the lawmakers said in a statement.

In a post on X, Schwertner shared Hancock’s letter, saying the committee believed testimony warranted the audit. Schwertner also expressed his joy at the upcoming change in leadership at the comptroller’s office. Hancock’s tenure is ending this month, and former Republican state senator Don Huffines will take over for the rest of the year.

“It’s good to see new incoming leadership in the comptroller’s office after the failed election and tenure of the current interim comptroller,” Schwertner posted. “No tantrum on the way out of the office will change that.”

Sen. Jose Menendez, a Democrat from San Antonio who sits on the Senate committee, responded to Hancock’s letter Thursday, saying his office was unaware of the lobbying Hancock accused Amazon of doing. Menendez did agree with Hancock’s belief that Texans should not act as a financial safety net for a multibillion-dollar corporation’s liabilities. However, he specified that belief includes Musk’s Starlink.

“Unfortunately, there have been reports that millions of Texas taxpayer dollars have been routed via Starlink, owned by the world’s first apparent trillionaire,” Menendez said. “It is clear that Elon Musk does not need Texas taxpayer dollars.”

Menendez reiterated that Amazon, Starlink and other multibillion-dollar companies shouldn’t be relying on everyday Texans to “pay towards their continued wealth.”

Why is broadband development taking so long?

Despite being awarded the BEAD money in 2023, broadband development projects have not started because of years of delay.

In November 2024, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the agency responsible for administering the program, approved Texas’ plan for the BEAD money. Two days later, Cruz wrote to the NTIA, urging them to pause all actions related to the program in anticipation of changes with the incoming Trump Administration.

A few months later, then-Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar wrote to Cruz saying they could return as much as $1 billion in BEAD funding, citing state-led initiatives and private sector expansion.

When the NTIA changed the requirements last June to have a “technology-neutral” approach, Texas had to scrap its previous plan for BEAD projects and start a new proposal. This one would reflect the “benefit of the bargain” plan, which removed “rules favoring particular technologies” and eliminated “unnecessary regulatory burdens,” including rate regulations.

The BDO accepted applications last July, and the new, final BEAD proposal plan was approved in December. According to the comptroller’s website, projects will begin construction this summer.

What comes next?

According to the BDO, the audit process has already begun. There is not a clear date on when the audit will be completed. However, Patrick and Burrows’ statement said they will take action during the next legislative session, beginning in January.

A Texas Senate committee will hear invited testimony only. However, students and professors who say they experienced censorship and other effects under Senate Bill 37 are planning a news conference at the Capitol beforehand.

Under SB 37, governing boards must regularly review universities’ undergraduate course requirements and academic programs. It expands regents’ authority over the selection of campus leaders and faculty senates, groups that represent professors in university decisions. The law took effect Sept. 1, and boards must complete their first review of general education requirements by Jan. 1.

The original bill would have barred required undergraduate courses from endorsing particular policies, ideologies or legislation, but lawmakers removed that language. The final law instead says those courses must prepare students for civic and professional life, the workforce and the “betterment of society.”

Soon after the law took effect last fall, a secretly recorded video of a Texas A&M professor teaching about gender identity intensified scrutiny of college classrooms. Public university systems subsequently reviewed thousands of courses and adopted policies requiring professors to follow approved syllabi; to seek advanced approval for certain lessons about race, gender, and sexuality; or to present controversial topics in a “balanced” way.

Senators will hear from Texas Tech University System Chancellor Brandon Creighton, the former state senator who authored SB 37, as well as officials from the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems.

In an April interview with Everything Lubbock, Creighton called the law “a floor,” not a limitation, saying universities could “expand off of that along that same spirit or intent.” Since becoming chancellor, he’s barred instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in core and most lower-level courses and required advance approval to include it in certain upper-level and graduate courses.

Faculty groups are suing Creighton and the system’s regents, seeking to block the restrictions on grounds that they suppress disfavored viewpoints, discriminate based on sex and are too vague for professors to know what they may teach without risking discipline.

Brandon Simmons, the state’s new higher education ombudsman, is expected to testify publicly for the first time.

SB 37 empowers him to investigate whether universities are complying with SB 37 and the state’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs; compel schools’ cooperation; and recommend that lawmakers block them from spending state funds if administrators do not correct violations.

Simmons’ office has dismissed dozens of complaints and opened one investigation into a student’s allegations that Stephen F. Austin State University operated a prohibited DEI program and discriminated against conservatives. Stephen F. Austin officials told KTRE that the university “complies with all state and federal laws. If there is a governmental investigation, the university will fully cooperate.”

Community college funding

Lawmakers will also review Texas’ performance-based funding system for community colleges.

Last week, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board lowered the amount colleges can receive for certain student outcomes after they outperformed predictions and collectively qualified for more money than lawmakers budgeted for the biennium.

Campus leaders will speak publicly for the first time since learning they will receive millions less than they earned under a performance-funding system adopted in 2023.

Lawmakers could close the gap between what the colleges are owed and what the state can pay through supplementary appropriations during next year’s legislative session.

In the meantime, to lower the dollars Texas owes community colleges, the state’s higher education agency decreased incentives in the funding model for educating low-income students and nontraditional, adult learners, who advocates say are among those who need the most help getting to graduation.

Research security

Research security officials from the University of Texas System, including MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the Texas A&M University System are expected to testify about how they are carrying out House Bill 127, a new research-security law.

The law requires public universities to screen certain foreign researchers or people with professional ties to countries deemed foreign adversaries by federal intelligence officials or the governor, including China, Russia and Iran. Universities must also monitor employees’ international travel and restrict certain gifts and academic partnerships involving those countries.

A Rice University official is expected to testify. Although the private university in Houston is not subject to most of the law’s requirements, HB 127 allows private research universities to participate in a state council that develops research-security standards and guidance.

Sneha Dey contributed to this report.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Open Campus, Rice University, Texas Tech University System and The Texas A&M University System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in The Texas Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The incident happened around 3 a.m. on the southbound Sam Houston Tollway at the Westpark Tollway interchange.

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Officials said the vehicle caught on fire, resulting in a fatality.

Due to the severity of the fire, investigators were initially unable to determine the vehicle’s make or model because it was burned beyond recognition.

All southbound main lanes of Beltway 8 are shut down as investigators work the scene. Drivers are urged to avoid the area and expect significant delays.

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Authorities have not released the identity of the person who died or said what may have caused the vehicle to catch fire.

The investigation remains ongoing. Additional information is expected to be released as investigators determine what led to the deadly incident.

Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego was a passenger in the vehicle driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during the deadly July 7 encounter.

In a five-page order signed Monday, U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison granted Pliego’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus and denied the federal government’s request for summary judgment.

This comes less than a week after the judge blocked Pliego from deportation.

ICE must release Pliego within 48 hours of the order.

“You’re always hopeful that this is going to be the result,” said Raed Gonzalez, the Houston immigration attorney representing Pliego and another witness Daniel Tirado Pantoja in the federal proceedings. “We were hopeful, but definitely really happy.”

The federal government argued Pliego was subject to mandatory detention under federal immigration law because he entered the country without being legally admitted or paroled.

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Ellison agreed that the mandatory detention statute applies to Pliego under a recent Fifth Circuit ruling. However, the judge found that applying the law to Pliego without considering his individual circumstances violates his Fifth Amendment right to due process.

“The Due Process Clause does not permit the government to ‘detain any noncitizen, no matter how long they have actually lived in the United States, for any length of time, without any individualized justification,’” Ellison wrote, quoting an earlier ruling.

Gonzalez said courts have issued conflicting decisions over whether immigrants in similar circumstances are entitled to bond hearings and whether mandatory detention violates due process.

He said the shifting legal landscape left Pliego’s legal team hopeful but uncertain about how the judge would rule.

“The due process clause, according to the judge, does not allow the government to detain noncitizens, especially individuals who have been here for so many years and have so many ties to the community,” Gonzalez said.

The order states that Pliego has lived continuously in the United States for nearly 30 years. He has no criminal history, is in a common-law marriage with a U.S. citizen and has multiple children and stepchildren who are U.S. citizens.

Pliego was on his way to work July 7 when ICE officers stopped the vehicle in which he was riding, according to the order.

Agents shot and killed Salgado Araujo before taking Pliego and two other men, Tirado Pantoja and Victor Salgado Araujo, into ICE detention.

He has remained in ICE custody without an individualized bond determination.

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Ellison said the concern was not simply how long Pliego had already been detained, but the possibility that his detention could continue indefinitely as his immigration case moves through the courts.

The judge noted that removal proceedings can take years and said Pliego’s pending U-visa application could further complicate the case.

Pliego applied for the U-visa as a possible victim of a crime based on the circumstances surrounding the ICE shooting. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is supporting that application, according to the order.

The judge also said Pliego may be eligible to seek cancellation of removal because of his lengthy time in the United States, lack of a criminal record and U.S.-citizen relatives who could face hardship if he were removed.

The judge ordered ICE to release Pliego in a public location within the Southern District of Texas and notify his attorney of the time and location at least three hours beforehand.

ICE must also return all of Pliego’s personal property, including his driver’s license, passport or other identification documents.

If the government attempts to detain Pliego again while his removal case is pending, it must first provide notice and hold a hearing before an immigration judge.

At that hearing, the government would have to prove by clear and convincing evidence that Pliego is a flight risk or a danger to the community.

The government must file an update with the federal court by July 30 detailing the status of Pliego’s release and whether it complied with the judge’s order.

Genevieve is a Category 4 hurricane, after briefly reaching Category 5 early Monday, the first in the East Pacific region in two years, the National Hurricane Center said. It was expected to stay far out to sea on a course roughly parallel with the Mexico coast.

Genevieve had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 kph), according to the Miami-based hurricane center. Genevieve’s center was located about 515 miles (830 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula and was headed northwest at 10 mph (17 kph).

No coastal watches or warnings were in effect, but the hurricane center said that swells from the storm — likely causing “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions” — were affecting parts of Mexico’s southwestern coast and the Baja California peninsula.

Genevieve was expected to fluctuate in intensity before weakening later in the week.

Farther northwest in the Pacific, Hurricane Fausto has weakened to a tropical storm as it continues on a path in the general direction of the Hawaiian Islands. Forecasters said Fausto is expected to pass north of Hawaii, but residents should still monitor the progress of the storm for impacts

Large surf and strong currents were increasing on east-facing shores along Hawaii's islands, the hurricane center said. Fausto had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph). It was centered about 340 miles (545 kilometers) east-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and traveling west-northwest at 15 mph (24 kph).

Respect for it, though, has come under strain: Some countries have denied entry to asylum seekers. Under U.S. President Donald Trump, the United States has led a policy of sending asylum seekers to third countries — upending years of U.S. policy.

More than 41 million refugees remain forcibly displaced: Nearly 70% are hosted by low- and middle-income countries. The ranks could grow: The International Committee of the Red Cross counts more than 130 armed conflicts around the globe.

The convention took key steps toward defining what a refugee is, laying out their rights, and establishing standards of treatment. Nearly 150 countries are parties to the convention or its 1967 protocol. However, many nations, including many hosting large refugee populations, still aren't party to the convention, leaving millions out of its protections.

“It codified a simple but powerful principle that people forced to flee persecution, conflict or violence must be able to find safety and protection,” said Elizabeth Tan, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees' director of international protection and solutions.

Its core principle is “non-refoulement,” prohibiting the return of people to a place where they would face persecution, torture or other serious harm. It all rests on the idea that no society is immune to war, persecution or sudden upheaval.

Here’s what six refugees say about their experiences and the importance of the convention.

Escaping Nicaragua's deadly crackdown

Human rights lawyer Juan Carlos Arce considers himself among millions of people whose lives have been saved by the convention: He fled Nicaragua by foot in 2018 after a bloody government crackdown against protesters killed hundreds.

The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, for which Arce worked, had documented the violence and was deemed a “terrorist organization” by President Daniel Ortega’s government. He fled to Costa Rica where he was granted asylum.

In Costa Rica, rights defenders and Nicaraguan opposition leaders were attacked and even assassinated, so he moved to Barcelona, Spain, last year under a resettlement program organized by UNHCR and the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration.

“Feeling safe and protected, that is priceless,” he said under Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf, as tourists and residents walked by.

From refugee to Olympic basketball player

Wenyen Gabriel said his parents worked hard too. He was born in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, in 1997 after his parents fled civil war in southern Sudan. They later moved to Egypt as refugees, before being resettled in New Hampshire.

Little Wenyen was 2 at the time. Big Wenyen — he’s 2.08 meters (nearly 6 feet, 10 inches) tall — earned a basketball scholarship at the University of Kentucky and played in the NBA. In 2024, he played for the young country of South Sudan at the Olympic Games in Paris.

While he at times felt “a little bit different from the people in the community” in New Hampshire, there were other refugee families around.

“We had to struggle and figure out how to become something inside of the United States,” he said at the headquarters of the refugee agency UNHCR, for which he became its newest goodwill ambassador on Monday. “It’s not easy to make something of yourself in a foreign country.”

The US was once welcoming

Hershel Greenblat was born during World War II, in 1941, inside a cave in Ukraine as his Jewish family hid from the Nazis.

After the war, his family sneaked into Austria, where they lived in U.S. Army camps for displaced persons. After initially considering moving to Israel, they opted for the U.S. after receiving approval in 1949 to immigrate there.

He recalled how his father woke him in the middle of the night as the Army transport ship approached the Statue of Liberty. The kids received welcome boxes packed by American middle-schoolers.

In Atlanta, where his family has lived for decades, Greenblat said refugees today often get a different welcome. He said he wasn’t previously familiar with the convention despite it being sparked by the displacement of WWII — but said refugees deserve protections and opportunities for work and education.

“Refugees in the ’50s worked their butts off to get what they wanted, what they needed,” said Greenblat, now 85.

Rohingya fleeing Myanmar

Sayed Alom, a humanitarian aid worker and one of the 700,000 Rohingya who fled Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh in 2017, has been languishing in refugee camps there ever since. The Rohingya are the largest group of stateless people, according to UNHCR, and Bangladesh is not a party to either the 1951 convention or the following 1967 protocol.

Myanmar’s military forces “raped our mothers and sisters, burned down our homes, threw our children into the river and set them on fire,” he recalled in an interview in refugee camps outside Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. “We were persecuted until we could no longer live there.”

Alom, who expected to return home quickly, says the limbo situation has become “imaginably worse,” with kidnapping for ransom, as well as threats from nature, including extreme heat, flooding and landslides destroying the camps.

A Palestinian living for decades in Lebanon

More than seven decades after fleeing her village, 88-year-old Hussniyah Ahmad Ghozlan still remembers the journey that brought her family to Lebanon.

Ghozlan was a child when they fled during the 1948 war after their village — Yajur, southeast of Haifa, Israel — was depopulated.

“We got by because we worked, raised our children and built our lives,” she said in an alley near her home in Shatila camp for Palestinian refugees in Beirut.

Asked whether she knew of the 1951 Refugee Convention, Ghozlan laughed and said she had not, explaining that she never learned to read or write. But even if she had, Lebanon is not a signatory to the treaties meant to protect her.

Swimming to refuge in Germany

Swimmers Yusra and Sarah Mardini fled war-torn Syria in 2015, joining the wave of refugees from their home country that year, in a saga that has been turned into a highly-regarded movie.

They went first to Lebanon, then Turkey, where they paid smugglers to take them by sea to Greece: They jumped out of an overloaded boat to keep it from sinking. After an arduous trek across southeast Europe, they received refuge in Germany. Yusra was named a UNHCR goodwill ambassador in 2017.

Now that Syria’s war is over, Yusra is hopeful: Some 1.3 million Syrians have returned. But after such an ordeal, change doesn’t just happen overnight. “You can’t just snap your fingers,” she said.

“I do believe that my country and its people are very strong and that I’m going to contribute in the best way possible.”

___

Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press journalists Ali Sharafeddine in Beirut; and R.J. Rico and Emilie Megnien in Atlanta contributed to this report. Freelance journalists Habi Zullah and Ro Yassin Abdumonab contributed from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

Luis Arraez got the scoring started with an RBI single in the third that drove in rookie catcher Jesús Rodríguez, who opened the inning with a double.

With two outs in the fourth, Willy Adames singled and McCray sent a 406-foot shot the other way to left-center for his sixth career home run and first since a two-homer game at San Diego on Sept. 7, 2024.

The 25-year-old outfielder went 2 for 22 in 22 big league games last season and had been hitless in six at-bats this year since getting recalled July 10 from Triple-A Sacramento.

McCray started in right field for injured Jung Hoo Lee.

Mahle (3-9) allowed three hits and two walks while striking out three. He threw 54 of his 88 pitches for strikes and was lifted after giving up a leadoff single in the seventh.

Sam Hentges, Dylan Smith and Erik Miller combined to retire Milwaukee's last nine batters. Miller got three outs for his third save, finishing the three-hitter.

Brewers starter Brandon Sproat (3-6) permitted three runs and six hits in six innings. He picked off a pair of runners at first base.

San Francisco lost Casey Schmitt to an apparent leg injury, as the third baseman exited in the second after pulling up awkwardly while rounding first base. Christian Koss replaced Schmitt.

Schmitt adds to San Francisco’s growing injury list as the team was already without third baseman Matt Chapman (abdominal strain) and Lee (right elbow soreness).

Up next

Brewers RHP Logan Henderson (4-1, 3.05 ERA) opposes Giants RHP Landen Roupp (7-8, 3.93) on Tuesday night.

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In a document filed in juvenile court in Seattle, where a 15-year-old arrested in the case waived his initial appearance Monday, police said they believe there were at least three shooters: the 15-year-old, an acquaintance who died at the scene and “at least one other unknown suspect.” Authorities had earlier said they believed there were two.

Nicole Powell, the Seattle Police Department's assistant chief of investigations, said at a news conference Monday afternoon that investigators believe the shooting may have been gang-related, with two groups firing at each other. The deceased shooter was 19.

A judge ordered the 15-year-old held in juvenile detention for investigation of firearms violations and first-degree assault. The King County prosecutor's office said it expected to receive the case from Seattle police on Wednesday for a charging decision.

The gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. Sunday in the waning hours of the Bite of Seattle, leaving the 19-year-old shooter and two others dead. At least four others, including a toddler, were injured. The annual three-day festival draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers to Seattle Center, a sprawling park in the shadow of the Space Needle. Many attendees rushed into campus buildings or ran from the park at the sound of the shots.

Officials provided confusing statements about the shooting

News that there were at least three suspects followed a series of confusing statements from city officials concerning the shooting.

On Sunday, the police department waited five hours to share with the public that one shooter had been arrested and that they believed another to be on the loose. Earlier, Mayor Katie Wilson had announced two people were in custody, a statement she retracted.

At a news conference before the court hearing Monday, Police Chief Shon Barnes said investigators weren’t sure if the second shooter was among the dead. Neither he nor the mayor made any reference to additional shooters. Barnes had been out of town Sunday, attending a conference of Black law enforcement executives in Dallas.

The officials defended their handling of the case, saying they were trying to ensure they provided accurate information about chaotic events.

The victims included a father of three

The King County Medical Examiner's Office on Monday identified the dead as Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44; Ashley Whitehead, 56; and Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19.

Villalba was a husband and father of three known for his kindness and willingness to help others, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched Monday to help his family with funeral expenses. He died from a gunshot wound to his torso, while Whitehead died from a gunshot to her pelvis and Semo died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Whitehead had just moved to Washington from Alabama a year ago and was enjoying the festival with one of her adult daughters when she was shot, her cousin Michelle Whitehead told The Associated Press. She was taken to the hospital and died in surgery, she said.

Ashley Whitehead adored her two adult daughters, and also loved nature and arts and crafts, her cousin said.

“I would consider her just a free spirit. She had the best sense of humor, the best gorgeous smile," she said.

During a vigil Monday night at the center, Michelle Whitehead stood among dozens of others with a sign that said “Whitehead Strong" as the group held a moment of silence and raised up flashlights on their phones to honor those that had been killed. Candles and flowers were arranged around them.

The four wounded included a 2-year-old boy, two men, ages 23 and 27, and a woman, 39, all of whom were discharged, a hospital spokesperson said.

One of the victims was walking a bicycle when struck, the court document said. The toddler was with his mother.

Vendors returned to venue to clean up

Vendors were allowed to return to the campus Monday morning to collect their equipment. Skewered squid on grills, roasted ducks in ovens and plates full of food were among the items left behind as people fled.

Near the spot of the shooting, a stain of what appeared to be blood was still visible.

Dozens of officers were providing security at the event and responded in seconds, with at least one observing a suspect firing, authorities said. Police searched an IMAX theater on the grounds where they initially believed a second shooter had fled.

Adam Lombardo, who had a Burmese food stand at the festival, described the panic of fleeing people as a “stampede.” As he gathered his equipment Monday, he described how police escorted food vendors back to the crime scene to turn off their ovens and stoves.

“They just came to enjoy a food festival with people, with friends, with new friends, and they lost their lives in just what sounds like meaningless bloodshed," he said.

A nearby resident offered shelter to people fleeing

Moises Perez, 30, was cooking in his apartment next to the Seattle Center when he spotted people running and yelling outside his window. When he opened his door, he heard gunshots and started ushering more than a dozen people, mostly women and children, inside.

“I was like, ‘OK, we need to help these people,’” said Perez, a construction worker who had attended the food festival that morning. He said losing his brother to gun violence in Mexico years ago made him determined to help the people trying to get to safety.

He and his roommate, William Large, 25, made sure the door was locked and started directing people to the bathroom and hallway, and told them they could stay as long as they needed.

“They were definitely in shock. I know that a lot of people were crying, people were screaming, people were just in complete fear," said Large, who works in social services.

About 30 minutes later, Perez walked out to see what had happened. He found a woman shot in the leg being helped by emergency officials.

The festival started in 1982 and draws 350,000 attendees, according to its website.

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Associated Press journalists Manuel Valdes and Lindsey Wasson in Seattle; Annika Wolters in Bangkok; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Saar's death was confirmed Monday by relatives. She would have turned 100 this week.

A central figure of the 1960s Black Art Movement, Saar pioneered assemblage boxes, or sculptures made of found objects, and reclaimed Jim Crow-era memorabilia as powerful totems of Black liberation.

“Her symbolically rich body of work has evolved over time to demonstrate the environmental, cultural, political, racial, technological, economic, and historical context in which it exists,” according to Roberts Projects, the Los Angeles gallery that represents her.

Saar began her career in design and shifted to art at age 35. She continued to make art into her 90s. She grew up in Pasadena and was part of a community of Black artists in nearby Altadena; she often cited Simon Rodia's Watts Towers as an early source of inspiration.

Saar’s practice incorporated painting, printmaking, sculpture and found objects including dolls, washboards and other antiques. Boats, clocks, cages and altars recur in her practice, as well as symbols of the occult and cosmology. She often referenced her astrological sign of Leo in the form of lions, punctuating many works.

“Her appropriation of Black collectibles, heirlooms, and utilitarian objects are transformed through subversion,” the gallery said. “Among the older generation of Black American artists, Saar is without reproach.”

Made in 1969, “Black Girl’s Window,” was groundbreaking. Still, it wasn't widely celebrated until decades later, and it was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2019. “There weren’t that many galleries in Los Angeles at the time and there certainly weren’t any for Black artists,” she once said in an interview.

“The Liberation of Aunt Jemima,” created in 1972, is one of her most important works. It features memorabilia she collected that denigrated Black people, included a “mammy,” or 19th century minstrel character who smiled while serving white slave owners.

In Saar's hands though, the figure is reclaimed: She smiles, but holds a rifle and has a hand grenade.

It came in response to the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee. Saar said King's death “triggered a rage within me, and the mystic transformed into the warrior.”

“I had a lot of hesitation about using powerful, negative images such as these — thinking about how white people saw Black people, and how that influenced the ways in which Black people saw each other,” Saar said. “What saved it was that I made Aunt Jemima into a revolutionary figure.”

After more than 130 years, Quaker Oat announced it would retire its Aunt Jemima brand in 2020, acknowledging the logo and its origins were “based on a racial stereotype.”

Saar taught and mentored generations of Black artists, including painter Kerry James Marshall.

Though Saar’s work was exhibited in a 1975 solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art, in the decades that followed large institutions have exhibited her work only sporadically. In 2019 though, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and MoMA mounted concurrent solo shows.

In spring 2026, Saar was inducted to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

“She had boundless energy for making art. I think she had a lot to say and was tired of the art world being dominated by white males,” said Angela Robinson Witherspoon, who produced and directed a documentary in 2023 on Saar's life. “Betye Saar: Ready to Be A Warrior” features interviews with John Legend, Tina Knowles and other prominent voices.

“She was raising her three young daughters and she wanted to be part of the Civil Rights Movement,” Robinson Witherspoon said.

“Let’s Get It On: The Wearable Art of Betye Saar,” which focuses on costume design, is currently on view at Robert Projects in Los Angeles, and a collection of more than 100 of her dolls are on view at the New-York Historical Society in Manhattan.

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Associated Press writer Anna Furman contributed reporting from Los Angeles.

Genevieve was briefly a Category 5 hurricane early Monday, the first in the East Pacific region in two years, the National Hurricane Center said. It was expected to stay far out to sea on a course roughly parallel with the Mexico coast.

Genevieve had maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph), according to the Miami-based hurricane center. Genevieve’s center was located about 505 miles (810 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula and was headed northwest at 12 mph (19 kph).

No coastal watches or warnings were in effect, but the hurricane center said that swells from the storm — likely causing “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions” — were affecting parts of Mexico’s southwestern coast and the Baja California peninsula.

Genevieve was expected to fluctuate in intensity before weakening later in the week.

Farther northwest in the Pacific, Hurricane Fausto weakened to a tropical storm Monday evening as it continued on a path in the general direction of the Hawaiian Islands. Forecasters said Fausto is expected to pass north of Hawaii, but residents should still monitor the progress of the storm for impacts

Large surf and strong currents were increasing on east-facing shores along Hawaii's islands, the hurricane center said. Fausto had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph). It was centered about 415 miles (670 kilometers) east-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and traveling west-northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).

The meeting comes as both face growing pressures at home. Netanyahu is up for reelection and is embattled in part because of his deteriorating relationship with Trump. Trump is under pressure to end an unpopular war that has wreaked economic havoc and driven prices higher ahead of midterm elections this November.

The two leaders also plan to discuss the framework agreement the U.S. and Israel signed with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the meeting.

“We have a little difference,” Trump said Monday when asked by reporters if he and the Israeli prime minister were on the same page with Iran. “But pretty close, yeah.”

Trump and Netanyahu's relationship has ebbed before

Trump has had a hot-and-cold history with Netanyahu over the years, but upon his return to the White House last year, their alliance seemed stronger than ever. When they started the war together in February, it was with a united front, touting their respective militaries as acting in lockstep to take out Iran’s leadership and pave the way for a government more friendly to the West.

But as Iran fought back — sending drones and missiles slamming into U.S. bases and high-rises in cities in the Gulf, and choking off the Strait of Hormuz — Trump came under immense pressure both at home and by allies in the region to end the conflict.

Since then, Netanyahu, who wanted to continue the fighting in Iran and against its ally, Hezbollah, in Lebanon, has been sidelined as Trump sought a deal with Tehran. His visit to the White House this week comes as the disagreements with Trump and Vice President JD Vance have burst into the open over the war in Iran and more.

“The Americans are making it clear to the Israelis they are the ones who are running the war,” Israeli journalist and political analyst Amit Segal wrote Monday in the daily newspaper, Israel Hayom. “It is clear to everyone that Israel has been put in the back seat.”

Netanyahu keeping focus on Iran's nuclear program

With U.S.-Iran tensions flaring again in recent weeks, Netanyahu plans to share with Trump Israeli intelligence on Tehran’s nuclear program, according to a person familiar with Netanyahu’s visit, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

On Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo, Netanyahu said he hoped to sit down with Trump “to hear what he has in mind” for Iran.

“Because I think, in many ways, it’s his decision” on how to move forward, Netanyahu said. “If he can do so without returning to intense military fighting, that’s fine. Why not?

"But one way or the other, they have to end their nuclear program,” he said of Iran.

Netanyahu also used the interview to warn Iran against attacking his country, saying Israel’s response would be “very forceful.”

Steps to allow other forces in Gaza and in Lebanon

But even as Netanyahu sees an opportunity, he also needs to persuade Trump that he won’t play spoiler to U.S. diplomatic and reconstruction efforts in Gaza and in Lebanon, where the president has previously complained that “too many people are being killed” by Israeli strikes.

Israel has taken recent steps in both places.

In Lebanon, where the Israeli military occupies much of the south, Israel agreed to allow the Lebanese army to deploy to some villages as part of a “pilot program” testing their ability to secure areas where Hezbollah once operated. The U.S. State Department said Monday the next round of talks between Israel and Lebanon will take place next week in Rome with a focus on expanding the program.

On Gaza, Israel’s security cabinet green-lit on Sunday a measure that would, in theory, grant entry to the first members of an international stabilization force outlined last year in a U.S.-backed ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Few countries have pledged troops for the force, however, and Israel would approve their entry into Gaza on a case-by-case basis.

The troops — including from Morocco and Uganda — would only be allowed to operate in a small, desolate area in Rafah in the south, where the plan is to vet and house some displaced Palestinians.

The Israeli military continues to carry out strikes it says target militants but that have also killed civilians.

Support for Israel has eroded

Israel has lost a significant amount of bipartisan support in the United States, particularly over its conduct in Gaza.

In June, Vance warned Israeli officials that Trump was their only friend among world leaders. Vance is expected to attend the meeting with Netanyahu, according to a person familiar with the plan who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

An AP-NORC poll published earlier this month found a dramatic erosion of support among American adults for Israel.

“We’ve lost America. Thank you, Bibi,” wrote Ben Caspit, a political commentator for Israel's Maariv newspaper.

___ Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Darlene Superville and Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed reporting.

Democrats are hoping to retain control of the governor’s office and flip both chambers of the Legislature to earn full control of Wisconsin state government for the first time since 2010. But they have failed to coalesce around one candidate for the top job, spurring fears that they could miss an opportunity to win in November.

Early in-person voting begins as Democrats meet for only debate

The five Democratic candidates are scheduled to meet for their only debate Tuesday night ahead of the Aug. 11 primary.

Insurgent democratic socialist Francesca Hong has garnered strong support among the most liberal wing of the party. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who narrowly lost a 2022 U.S. Senate race, is hoping that voters in his hometown of Milwaukee help him overcome Hong, whose base is in Madison. Those two cities hold the largest number of Democratic voters in Wisconsin.

Also in the race is Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who is running with the endorsement of Gov. Tony Evers. Crowley had dropped out of the race on July 8, but got back in on July 17, the day after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out amid a campaign finance scandal.

Both Crowley and Barnes are trying to become Wisconsin's first Black governor.

The winner of the Democratic primary will advance to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November. Tiffany, who is running with the backing of President Donald Trump in a state Trump won in 2016 and 2024, faces only nominal opposition in the primary.

Judge hearing arguments over canceling already-filed absentee ballots

And hours after polls open for early voting, a judge was scheduled to hear arguments in a Democratic lawsuit seeking to allow voters who already returned their ballots to cancel those and cast a new one. As of Monday, more than 100,000 ballots had already been returned by mail.

The lawsuit was filed last week with support from the Wisconsin Democratic Party. They are seeking an order from a judge to immediately allow for already-cast ballots to be canceled, a rarely used practice known as ballot spoiling.

Democrats argue it's necessary given that Rodriguez and former state economic director Missy Hughes ended their campaigns, and Crowley got back in the race, after tens of thousands of ballots had already been returned.

Hughes and Rodriguez’s names remain on the ballot.

In-person absentee voting, which began Tuesday, runs through Aug. 9. All absentee ballots must be received by the time polls close on election day Aug. 11 in order to be counted.

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Mayes-Osterman 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. She reported for this story from Milwaukee.

Clayton is expected to be confirmed along party lines after a contentious hearing two weeks ago in which he repeatedly refused to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Still, Democrats have said they have more confidence in Clayton than they do in Trump’s temporary pick for the job, Bill Pulte, who has no known intelligence experience and investigated the president’s perceived enemies in his previous post as a federal housing regulator.

Senators from both parties have expressed concerns about Pulte, who took over on an interim basis last month after Tulsi Gabbard resigned. Pulte was in charge when Trump delivered a speech from the White House earlier this month doubling down on his false claims about the 2020 election, which he lost, and released classified documents that he said were relevant to his arguments.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said he had worked in the past with Clayton, who is the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman. After the hearing, Warner said he would oppose Clayton’s nomination but acknowledged that Democrats are “between a rock and a hard place” with Pulte in the job.

The Senate voted 51-43 along party lines on Monday to advance Clayton’s nomination.

Clayton won’t say Biden won the election

The Democratic pushback on Clayton comes as Trump has made revisiting 2020 a primary focus, repeatedly trying to cast doubt on that election and amplifying debunked theories about Biden’s win.

Clayton told senators that he had no involvement with Trump’s primetime speech, but he said repeatedly that the election was “certified” for Biden, declining to say outright that the Democrat won.

Warner said at the end of the hearing that he was “bitterly disappointed.” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he thought Clayton’s performance was “abysmal,” and that “makes it much less likely that he will get Democratic votes.”

Republicans tried to quickly confirm Clayton

Republicans were hoping to confirm Clayton in June so he could replace Gabbard without Pulte serving as interim. But Trump delayed Clayton’s nomination before the Senate left for a two-week recess, allowing Pulte to take the job temporarily.

Clayton did not mention Pulte in the confirmation hearing. But he emphasized his own government and national security experience, attempting to assuage senators in both parties.

“I saw firsthand how a strong national security apparatus depends on decisive judgment, discipline, integrity, and effective communication and cooperation across different branches of the government,” Clayton said. “If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, I will commit to upholding these principles every day.”

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who expressed frustration last month when the hearing was delayed, said that Clayton has a reputation for operating with “morality, decency and integrity” in his previous positions.

“Jay Clayton is a highly qualified nominee with a deep experience combating a wide range of national security threats,” Cotton said.

It was a spinoff to the restaurant group’s Traveler’s Table.

In a news release, the group says Traveler’s Cart will close on Friday to give the community a chance to enjoy one last meal at the restaurant.

The group adds they are actively helping the employees find new jobs in the area.

Traveler’s Table will remain open and some of the employees will move there.

The two restaurants were owned by Matthew Mitchell and his wife Thy Mai.

On May 4th of this year, Houston Police Investigators say Mitchell killed his wife, two young children, then himself.

Tonight, the family of Thy Mai is filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the estate of Matthew Mitchell.

In the lawsuit, they claim Mitchell planned the murders and say Mitchell made statements recorded by a Ring camera in the two weeks leading up to the triple murder suicide.

According to the lawsuit, Mitchell was worried about money and said, “I can’t stop it for myself. I can’t stop it for them. I can’t stop it for...I’m in such a deep hole. I’m sorry Mr. Mai.”

The lawsuit also alleges that Mitchell moved more than a million dollars into accounts in his mother’s name, and that Mitchell caused the death of their daughter and grand children.

Mai’s family is asking the court to order a stop to all money transfers, and for Traveler’s Table to be managed by an independent executor of the estate of Thy Mai Mitchell.

Graham's remains will arrive at the U.S. Capitol, where the Republican served for more than 30 years as an indefatigable dealmaker who talked and laughed and badgered his colleagues into action. Later, a funeral service will be held at Washington National Cathedral with lawmakers and foreign leaders, a testament to his stature on the global stage.

President Donald Trump is expected to deliver remarks at the cathedral, alongside Fox News' Sean Hannity and other conservative leaders. Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy are planning to be in attendance, a nod to Graham's role as a foremost believer in the power of the U.S. and its military to intervene in the world's problems.

It's the start of two days of services, with burial Wednesday in his home state of South Carolina. Graham died suddenly on July 11 at his home in Washington of a likely aortic tear, according to preliminary findings. He had just returned from a whirlwind trip to a NATO summit in Turkey, where he celebrated his birthday, and a visit to Ukraine. He was 71.

A place of honor to ‘say our final goodbyes’

The morning service in the Capitol Rotunda provides a place of tribute where former presidents and military leaders and other prominent Americans have been memorialized. In recognition of his service in the Air Force, an Armed Forces Body Bearer Team will carry Graham's remains into the Capitol. Vice President JD Vance is expected to speak.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said earlier it was only fitting to give Graham a special Capitol honor “as we say our final goodbyes."

“For so many of us in the Senate and the House, myself included, Lindsey was more than a colleague, he was a friend,” Thune said.

First elected to Congress in the 1994 Republican revolt that swept the GOP to power, Graham was part of a new era of conservatives to take their seats in the House — and among the first Republicans from his Southern state since Reconstruction.

He quickly rose to prominence as a manager in Bill Clinton's presidential impeachment, and was elected to the Senate in the 2002 election. There, he formed alliance with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., in what would become the “three amigos” globetrotting the world focused on national security issues.

For decades, Graham had been at the center of the action — a member of virtually every bipartisan gang in Congress — with a relentless ability to shapeshift and adapt to political realities, particularly when it came to Trump.

The ‘Trump whisperer’ had one last mission: Russia sanctions

Perhaps nowhere was Graham's political dexterity on display as when he navigated his on-again, off-again relationship with Trump.

Graham had denounced Trump as a “kook” who was “unfit for office” when the two were early rivals during the 2016 presidential primary campaign.

Once Trump was elected, Graham gradually situated himself alongside the new president — until Trump sparked the mob who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, trying to overturn Joe Biden's election.

“Count me out. Enough is enough,” Graham said that night in a fiery floor speech.

Weeks later, Trump invited Graham to the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, rekindling their alliance. The senator had said he wanted the president to be successful, and as Trump won a second term in 2024, Graham also wanted to remain relevant.

Graham had become what Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., called the “Trump whisperer,” someone other senators — and even world leaders — relied on to understand the president's thinking.

Days before his death, Graham had won Trump's support for a long-fought bipartisan proposal to impose sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, one of the strongest U.S. efforts yet to hamper Russian President Vladimir Putin's ability to prolong the conflict.

Senators said as a tribute to Graham they should quickly approve the Russian sanctions package, and they were scheduled later Tuesday to take a first procedural vote. Zelenskyy is expected to be on hand and meeting with senators in the evening.

Graham's champions and potential successors

At the Washington cathedral, a roster of socially conservative and anti-abortion leaders are expected to participate in the services, including Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Marjorie Jones Dannenfelser of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and the Reverend William Franklin Graham III.

Graham never married, but he helped support his younger sister, Darline Graham, who is now a potential successor in the Senate.

She has been appointed by the state's governor to fill the remainder of his term in the Senate, and is running in a potentially crowded primary field for the fall election. The filing period for the special primary election closes Tuesday, with voting set for Aug. 11.

While Graham was at college, his mother died of Hodgkin lymphoma. Months later, his father died and Graham started his first semester of law school. He became the guardian for his sister, who was then 13, and later in life often extolled the benefits of Social Security that helped keep them financially afloat.

Graham went on to serve as a judge advocate general in the Air Force, and remained a reserve or National Guard member for decades. In the Senate, Graham briefly switched back to active status to help advise the Air Force during the Iraq War. He was awarded the Bronze Star medal for service in 2014 before formally retiring as a colonel in 2015.

Bellinger was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday, a day after he got hurt running the bases during a 3-1 win at Philadelphia. He had more tests on Monday in New York that revealed the extent of the injury.

“So the good thing is he’s obviously able to move around right now,” manager Aaron Boone said before Monday night's 9-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox. “So we’ll continue to do that and just allow this thing to heal and get him right.”

The loss of Bellinger is another major injury for a New York team already playing without reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge, who has been out since May 31 because of a fractured rib. Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton has been sidelined since April 24 because of a strained right calf.

The Yankees trail AL East-leading Tampa Bay by 2 1/2 games after topping the White Sox in the opener of a four-game series.

“We’ve had some tough injuries to some really important people,” Boone said. “But again, that is part of it. As I say, the season waits for no one.”

Max Schuemann started in left field on Monday night. Spencer Jones, who was brought up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when Bellinger was placed on the IL, was in center, and Jasson Domínguez was in right.

Schuemann was checked on by Boone and a trainer after he slipped on the warning track while going after Braden Montgomery's RBI triple in the first inning. But he stayed in the game.

The MLB trade deadline is next week, but Boone downplayed the effect of Bellinger's injury on the strategy for general manager Brian Cashman and the team's front office.

“I get the sense that they have been working on this in different ways, shape and form for the last several weeks, getting ready for trade deadline stuff,” Boone said. “I expect them to try and do all they can to improve our team, but again, you never know how that’s going to shake out.”

Bellinger, 31, felt tightness in his hamstring while rounding first on a double in the eighth inning on Saturday night. He is batting .259 with 11 homers and 53 RBIs in 102 games this season.

Bellinger re-signed with the Yankees last winter for $162.5 million over five years. He was the MVP of the All-Star Game on July 14 in Philadelphia.

Judge and Stanton are with the team in Chicago, and Boone said Stanton is continuing with his running progression.

“The strength stuff, explosive stuff he’s doing in the weight room has been very good,” Boone said. “So we just got to get him up to a level obviously on the running side of things to be able to go out there.”

Left-hander Carlos Rodón and right-hander Clarke Schmidt are both expected to throw again this week, Boone said. Rodón is coming back from elbow inflammation, and Schmidt had Tommy John surgery a year ago.

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Police Chief John Stringer announced the investigations in a video message and Facebook post, saying the department is taking the allegations seriously and has requested outside assistance to ensure transparency.

• Pasadena council discusses KPRC 2 reporting on police sergeant, alleged Flock camera misuse

According to the chief, he has authorized an internal affairs investigation into potential policy violations, as well as a separate criminal investigation into whether any laws were broken.

“In the interest of objectivity and transparency, I’ve requested the assistance of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office throughout the entirety of the criminal investigation,” Stringer said.

• ‘Y’all are playing games’: Discussion over Harris County’s Flock camera contract renewal turns tense

The department has not identified the officer involved or disclosed the specific allegations, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.

In the Facebook post, the department said transparency and accountability are essential to maintaining public trust but acknowledged that it is limited in what it can release while the investigation remains active.

• PREVIOUS: Pasadena police sergeant resigns while under internal investigation; council member cites alleged misuse of Flock camera

Stringer acknowledged community concerns surrounding privacy and the use of license plate reader technology, emphasizing that any misconduct would be addressed.

“The executive staff of the Baytown Police Department and I recognize our community’s concerns for the protection and respect of individual privacy, as well as for police accountability,” Stringer said. “If these allegations are sustained, then the employee involved will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law and policy.”

The chief also said maintaining the public’s trust remains a priority for the department.

• Pasadena police sergeant resigns while under internal investigation; council member cites alleged misuse of Flock camera

“The Baytown Police Department has worked very hard to build trust and establish strong relationships in our community,” Stringer said. “We hold fast to the standards and trust that our community has given to us and that they expect from us.”

The department has not provided a timeline for the investigations or shared when additional information may be released.

KPRC 2 reached out to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office about the investigation into the Baytown officer. The office said it doesn’t disclose if someone is under investigation but did confirm it received a referral.

In a court filing Monday, David Hearn's attorneys requested an order for the government to turn over a complete transcript of all grand jury proceedings. They also want prosecutors to disclose the legal instructions they gave to grand jurors about the elements of Hearn's alleged crime.

Hearn pleaded not guilty earlier this month to one felony count of property destruction and has a trial scheduled to start Sept. 28 in D.C. Superior Court. The charge, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years upon conviction, accuses Hearn of causing at least $1,000 in damage to the pool.

But his lawyers question whether prosecutors properly presented the grand jury with adequate evidence to support the amount of damage alleged in Hearn's indictment. A National Park Service official testified that the pool already was damaged before Hearn allegedly touched it, couldn't quantify any damage attributable to Hearn and said the same repairs would have been required regardless of his conduct, defense attorneys said.

“The witness’s testimony established that the pool had substantial preexisting damage requiring repair before any alleged conduct by Mr. Hearn," his lawyers wrote. “According to the witness, the pool was leaking more than one million gallons of water per week; its expansion joints had exceeded their service life; and the liner already contained a rip."

Hearn's attorneys are basing those arguments on their limited review of grand jury testimony. They want court-ordered access to all the proceedings.

A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office in Washington didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Hearn's arguments.

Hearn previously asked the court to dismiss the case, which stems from the troubled multimillion-dollar renovation project championed by President Donald Trump. His attorneys argued the government has failed to properly preserve important physical evidence from the Reflecting Pool.

Trump, a Republican, has claimed that vandals have damaged the pool, but administration critics attribute the problems to shoddy repair work. During a speech Monday at General Motors in Michigan, Trump claimed a “sick” person cut the liner in the pool but said the attraction is receiving treatment.

“It’s in the hospital now, but it’s going to get better very soon,” Trump said. “It’s almost ready to open.”

Hearn and his supporters claim his prosecution is a politically motivated attempt by the Trump administration to deflect blame and scapegoat others.

Hearn told The Associated Press he was detained by National Guard troops and U.S. Park Police for five hours after stopping by the pool during a bike ride on June 19. He said he reached in to examine the pool’s newly peeled coating and briefly touched a chunk attached to the side of the pool, but said he obeyed a park worker who told him to let go of it.

Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, competed in three Summer Olympics, earning his best finish, ninth, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee says on its website.

At least three other people have been charged in the same court with misdemeanors for allegedly removing pieces of paint from the pool.

___ Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

Phillies closer Jhoan Duran (1-4) entered with a 7-5 lead before loading the bases with no outs and allowing a tying two-run single by Heriberto Hernández, who scored the winning run.

Hernández and Conine homered against Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. Jakob Marsee had a run-scoring double and Otto Lopez added an RBI triple for the Marlins, who hadn't won a game since July 9. The Phillies have struggled since the All-Star break, losing seven of 10.

The Marlins built a 5-2 cushion in the first two innings against Wheeler before blowing it in the sixth and rallying in the ninth on Conine's first career walk-off hit and Miami's fifth walk-off win of the season.

Bryce Harper drew a leadoff walk against reliever Cade Gibson and scored on Alec Bohm’s single to make it 5-3 in the sixth. J.T. Realmuto then hit a fly ball against Tyler Zuber that bounced over the right field wall for a double that pulled the Phillies within one. Justin Crawford singled in Bryson Stott before Realmuto was awarded the go-ahead run on a throwing error by Hernández.

Harper gave Philadelphia an early lead with his 22nd homer of the season — a 419-foot, two-run drive off starter Tyler Phillips in the first.

Wheeler was lifted after giving up six hits with six strikeouts in three innings. Manager Don Mattingly said Wheeler might have been feeling nauseous, but there appeared to be no injury concern with the veteran.

Phillips allowed three hits and two runs while walking two and striking out five. He was lifted after five innings and 76 pitches. Calvin Faucher (5-5) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.

Up next

Philadelphia RHP Aaron Nola (3-8, 5.82) will start the second game of the series against Miami RHP Sandy Alcantara (10-6, 4.01).

___

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

The surprise move during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine followed U.S. opposition to giving U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk another four-year term. The reappointment on Friday got overwhelming support, including from France.

The U.S. walkout reflects not only the more strained relations between President Donald Trump and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, but also wider tensions between the U.S. and Europe. These include questions over Trump's commitment to NATO, possible changes to U.S. troop deployments in Europe, and Trump’s desire to control Greenland, which belongs to NATO member Denmark.

Trump has complained that Europeans, who weren't consulted, did not help the U.S. during the Iran war. Amid the tensions, Macron has taken a lead in trying to build up Europe's military and ensure a nuclear umbrella as one of the continent's two nuclear powers, along with Britain.

After Monday’s brief walkout, deputy U.S. ambassador Dan Negrea accused France of feigning “moral outrage” and pretending to lecture the world about every topic, including human rights.

The United States has stood by France in every conflict where its "freedom has been imperiled” and tolerated its grandstanding “out of a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect,” he said, but no more.

What sparked the walkout was a social media post Friday from France’s U.N. Mission in Geneva criticizing U.S. opposition to a second term for the U.N. rights chief. The General Assembly voted 144-10 with 13 abstentions in support of Türk, with the U.S. among the “no” votes.

“The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore. Today, it stands alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated. And the world no longer listens to it,” the French Mission tweeted.

Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., in responding on X, accused France of coddling ”some of the worst human rights abusers” and voting “for someone who has been lecturing, free, sovereign democracies like the United States, the UK, and Israel, while cozying up to the world’s worst oppressors.”

Türk’s job as the U.N. rights chief, by its nature, is tricky: It requires speaking out against rights violations by the governments of the countries that make up the membership of the world body.

For instance, Türk has sharply criticized Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s war in Gaza as well as having urged a “massive rethink” of U.S. immigration policy before the World Cup, citing issues around “racial profiling, surveillance and immigration enforcement.”

At Monday’s meeting, Negrea drilled in on France.

“Today, I remind them that it is the United States that remains the beacon of liberty for the world,” he said. “As such, we will not be affording them the benefit of listening to their politicized drivel until they renounce their condescending and disrespectful rhetoric and behave in a manner commensurate with their seat on this council.”

France’s U.N. Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont never mentioned the walkout when asked to take the floor at the end of the council meeting to respond.

Instead, he noted that France — which helped the United States gain its independence — took part in the July 4 celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

“The United Nations was created with the goal of working towards international peace and security, human rights and development,” he said. “All of that forms the spirit in which France works within the United Nations … to preserve this institution, its independence, its ability to act in service of the charter and act to serve human rights and peace.”

Paul Harris, who represents Wu, told The Associated Press early Tuesday that immigration authorities had sent a letter to his attorneys saying Wu, the former chairman of Hong Kong's once-biggest pro-democracy party, was being granted permission to remain as a visitor for six months. Wu’s family resides in the U.K.

The British authorities' decision came after Wu's entry on a seven-day immigration bail last week raised widespread concerns from rights groups and Hong Kongers living in the U.K. and the Chinese territory.

Wu was one of 47 activists charged in 2021 in Hong Kong’s biggest case under a Beijing-imposed security law that crushed a previously thriving democracy movement. He was sentenced in 2024 to four years and five months in prison for conspiracy to commit subversion over his role in an unofficial primary election.

Wu said in an AP interview Sunday that he was only allowed to stay in Britain until Wednesday as U.K. border authorities believed he might have other goals beyond just visiting, including seeking long-term residency. He worried that would cut short his plans to spend time with his family after years of separation. He also feared the immigration record could affect his future visits to his family in the U.K. again.

Wu said in a video published by online media outlet Green Bean that his heart was heavy over the past few days and he was happy that he eventually was allowed to spend more time with his family.

“I hope all Hong Kongers can live well and cherish their loved ones,” he said.

The Home Office confirmed Monday local time that Wu will not be removed on Wednesday and that he has permission to enter the U.K.

___

Associated Press writer Brian Melley in London contributed to this report.

The award, given annually to the top female college athlete, was celebrating its 50th annivesary Monday. The best player in every sport is invited to the ceremony each year.

“When you're a young college athlete, you don’t understand the importance of it,” said Meyers Drysdale, who starred in basketball at UCLA and won the award in its second year in 1978. “There’s so many basketball players, which is, you know, pretty exciting. But just the great athletes from all the different sports, I think that’s what I’m appreciative of the Honda Awards, that they recognize so many athletes from so many different sports.”

Out of all the individual sport winners, an overall Athlete of the Year is chosen to receive the Honda Cup. In addition to athletic performance, the award honors college athletes for their leadership, academics and community service.

“It’s great that it honors more than just what is done on the court or field,” said Jen Rizzotti, who won the award in 1996 after a successful basketball career at UConn. “They make sure that they’re well-rounded and have a balanced portfolio. They give back in the community, they’re great in the classroom.”

Delta State basketball great Lusia Harris won the first Honda Cup in 1977. UCLA's Lauren Betts became the 20th basketball player crowned as the top athlete Monday night. That's more than any other sport.

“To receive an honor like this — the highest award you could possibly receive — is pretty unbelievable," Betts said. "All the women that have come through and won this award is incredible.”

The Bruins have the most Honda Cup champions with seven.

“That's crazy when you say that,” Betts said of UCLA's success winning the award. “I think I'm representing something bigger than myself.”

Bruins’ softball star Rachel Garcia won it twice. That's only been three other times with Maya Moore, Caitlin Clark and Florida swimmer Tracy Caulkins.

“I think it’s pretty unbelievable. To receive an honor is, like, the highest award you could possibly receive. I mean, the legacy that it’s left throughout the years. I mean, it goes back 50 years now, which is pretty unbelievable,” Betts said. “And, you know, all the alumni have come through and won these awards. I mean, I just I can’t even describe how amazing it is. I’m just super grateful.”

Tennessee star Chamique Holdsclaw won the award in 1998. She loved the chance to get to know so many athletes from other sports.

“It exposed me to different things and to people playing different sports,” Holdsclaw said. “I was learning about things like women's lacrosse and growing up in New York City and playing at Tennessee we didn't have that. I think it was great that the award recognized greatness in every sport.”

The award ceremony has come a long way from the first in 1977. Missy Marlowe won the Honda Cup in 1992 after a successful gymnastics career at Utah. That came after competing in the Olympics in 1988. Marlowe remembered receiving the Honda Cup at an NCAA convention back in the day.

After a 12-year run in Los Angeles, the award ceremony moved to New York in 2024 and has been there ever since.

“It’s inspiring. It’s a really neat break from reality to remember what we used to do a long time ago,” Marlowe said. “To see this this tradition continue for 50 years is incredible because it’s easy to start something and have it go for a while and then kind of die off. So the determination and the work that’s gone into keeping this so prevalent for 50 years, and in fact, gain in importance, is amazing.”

Julie Shea was the first non-basketball winner of the Honda Cup after a stellar track career at N.C. State. She was honored to be back and see all the positive changes for women’s athletics with many players making money for their name, image and likeness.

“I sold programs and popcorn and peanuts at the football games,” Shea recalled. “I’m happy for them. But I’m like, hey, you know, I just was born in the wrong era.”

Shea was one of 20 former winners who took part in the ceremony in New York on Monday.

“That’s what’s great about the Honda Cup and what college women’s sports is all about is bringing people together,” Joyner said. “Being able to see some of the people winning and them seeing us, not even born when we were doing what we were doing.”

Joyner-Kersee won the award in 1985. She was an inspiration to Stanford volleyball player Ogonna Nnamani (2005). Nnamani, who suffered from asthma when she was an athlete, saw Joyner-Kersee succeed in the Olympics while also being afflicted with the same thing. Nnamani said that if Joyner-Kersee could do it she could too.

“I got to tell her that she inspired me because of what she was able to do,” said Nnamani, who is a doctor now.

On a visit to a coordination center for the massive firefighting effort in southwest France, Macron heard how the blaze raging since last week has been wildly unpredictable, transforming at times into a self-feeding fire storm as it burned through an area four times the size of Paris and forced 220,000 people to flee their homes.

“We're facing a completely unprecedented fire,” Macron said, describing the situation as France's worst fire-related crisis since World War II.

He praised firefighting teams who stopped the inferno's progression Monday after days of spreading flames that edged toward the wine region city of Bordeaux. But with woodlands still smoldering, he and other government officials cautioned that the battle isn’t yet won, with forests turned tinder-dry by successive heat waves this year and another forecast for this week.

“The weeks ahead will be hard. We must hold firm,” Macron said.

Fire crews racing against feared next heat wave

With thousands of firefighters on the ground and rotations of water- and retardant-dropping aircraft, it became a race against time Monday to contain the blaze before temperatures soar, with national weather service forecasts of 35 C (95 F) and above in southwest France from Tuesday.

Authorities also are working to feed, shelter and care for evacuees who fled in staggering numbers: 250,000 in the southwest, driven away by two fires.

Macron spoke of displaced people “traumatized” by the upheaval and “who sometimes have lost everything.”

No new evacuations were announced Monday. But with France about to enter its peak August tourist season, authorities for the Gironde region around Bordeaux worked to keep vacationers away, banning holiday camps for children and for people with disabilities. Government ministers also urged people not to travel to the region that is popular for its Atlantic beaches, famous wines and some of France's largest expanses of forests.

Crews using earth movers tore up strips of forest and scrubland to create barren spaces, intended to block the flames that officials said had come within 15 kilometers (10 miles) of Bordeaux's outskirts. Farmers kept fire crews supplied with water, transporting it to them in tanks.

Briefing Macron, the Gironde region's fire chief explained how crews had wrestled with the blaze unlike any they'd previously tackled, extraordinarily virulent and capricious, “a fire that's going everywhere” and which generated electrical storms that sparked more flare-ups.

“The last 24 hours went well, thanks to your work” Macron told firefighters. “Doubtless, tomorrow will be more complicated than today.”

Spain is also battling fires

Around a dozen countries have provided planes, helicopters, firefighters and other assistance to both France and Spain, which is also fighting unprecedented blazes. All told, fires in the two countries have forced more than 330,000 people to flee.

In Spain, wildfires have burned out of control around Madrid and in the Valencia region. Authorities evacuated 79,000 people and confined 30,000 others to their homes.

In both Spain and France, the exceptional scale of the fires — fueled by heat waves that hit especially hard and early this year, making forests and scrubland tinder-dry — are driving calls for stronger action against climate change.

“What we are experiencing is not a series of isolated incidents. It is the consequence of a climate emergency that is making wildfires even more violent, heat waves more frequent,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.

A fire raging in hilly, rural terrain in Ávila, west of Madrid, has become Spain’s largest on record, scorching 500 square kilometers (193 square miles), the government said. That's five times the size of Barcelona.

“Look at how the valley is burned. Look at the houses, the people," said David Gonzalez, a 48-year-old gardener who used his van to run supplies to firefighters in Ávila.

"We are feeling lot of anger and helplessness. It’s something inhuman,” he said.

Fires have burned 1,530 square kilometers (590 square miles) this year in Spain — six times the area scorched by blazes in the first half of 2025, said Sara Aagesen, the ecology minister.

The minister said that another heat wave forecast from Tuesday — which would be Spain’s fourth so far this year — could ratchet up the fire danger. Spain’s weather agency forecast temperatures above 40 C (104 F).

Water-dropping planes combat fire in Italy

A wildfire driven by strong winds broke out on Sunday afternoon near Peschici, in Italy’s southern Puglia region, burning pine forest and scrub and forcing the evacuation of about 300 tourists from beaches and campgrounds, authorities said.

The Coast Guard evacuated tourists by sea to nearby Vieste, where authorities opened temporary shelters.

Three Canadair water-bombing planes and fire crews on the ground continued Monday to battle the blaze, which revived memories of devastating wildfires that hit the same coastal area in 2007.

___

Leicester reported from Paris. Associated Press writers Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Iain Sullivan in El Tiemblo, Spain, and Giada Zampano in Rome contributed.

Saudi Arabia said it had shot down drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq that had targeted its petroleum facilities. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen meanwhile claimed to have attacked Saudi oil facilities as part of a separate but related conflict. It was unclear if they referred to the same attack.

Neither the U.S. nor Iran reported carrying out any attacks for three days — a respite after about two weeks of sustained bombardments that led to increasing fears of a return to all-out war.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran had asked for more discussions, reaching out directly “because we’ve been hitting them very hard.” Iran has said there are no direct talks underway.

“We’re having good talks, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters Monday on Air Force One. “I think there’s a good chance that something could happen. And if it does, good. if it doesn’t, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago.”

The two regional officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks, said mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan were working to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran to return to an interim ceasefire deal that had collapsed after exchanges of fire.

No strikes over the weekend

In addition to the attack on Saudi Arabia, two drone attacks were reported against a Kurdish Iranian dissident group in Iraq on Monday, and Jordan said it had shot down two drones, without saying where they originated. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

Iran and Ukraine, meanwhile, have been publicly feuding since Ukraine fired on at least one Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea over the weekend. Iran, which said a sailor had been killed in the attack, is an important ally of Russia in its war against Ukraine and helped Moscow build up its drone expertise.

The U.S. paused attacks after targeting Iranian coastal areas and infrastructure in a nearly two-week escalation sparked by Iran’s firing at ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global oil shipments. Iran had responded to the strikes with missile and drone attacks on countries hosting U.S. troops, killing at least three service members at a base in Jordan and one in Iraq.

Iran halted its attacks following the American pause, Tehran’s army spokesperson told Iranian state TV on Sunday.

Questions about US munitions stockpile

The Iran war has drawn down the U.S. stockpile of key weapons systems like missiles and interceptors, analysts say.

Asked if the U.S. munitions stockpile was running low, Trump said both that it was “in very good shape,” and “I’d like to have more, to be honest.” Experts have questioned how long both the U.S. and Iran can afford to keep up attacks.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has told Trump that the state of the country’s stockpile could have an impact on military operations in Iran, a U.S. official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations, said this message was delivered as part of Caine’s regular duties of providing military advice and options to Trump.

Caine told lawmakers at a hearing last week that “airpower has its limits” in achieving military objectives. The U.S. military has employed airstrikes almost exclusively against Iran.

Regional officials cite progress in talks

One of the regional officials who spoke to AP on Monday described the progress made in mediation efforts as “significant.” He said mediators were working with Iran and Oman on a mechanism for managing vessels’ transit through the Strait of Hormuz, the flashpoint for the latest strikes and counterstrikes.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said during a news conference in Tehran on Monday that “mediators may convey messages to us from the American side” but that there were no direct negotiations.

He said Iran and Oman, which lies on the other side of the Strait of Hormuz, talked Friday and Saturday on how to manage ship traffic through the waterway.

Their aim is to “develop mechanisms to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz while respecting the sovereign rights and sovereignty of both coastal states, as well as Iran’s security and national interests” Baghaei said. He stressed that the waterway remains closed.

Tehran has asserted that the interim deal with the U.S. allows it to manage shipping on the waterway and potentially charge fees, and it has objected to U.S. efforts to support an alternative route that passes close to Oman. The strait was open to all without fees before the war.

The U.S. military on Monday said its recently reimposed naval blockade against Iran continued, with 17 commercial ships redirected, two disabled and two boarded.

The 60-day period established by the interim deal in mid-June is now well into its second half, and major issues that were meant to be negotiated — notably Iran’s nuclear program at the heart of tensions — have been set aside as mediators try to keep both sides talking.

Shipping traffic on the strait is at a 3-week low

Concerns have grown about shipping through another crucial waterway in the region, the Bab al-Mandeb strait to the Red Sea. The Houthis last week threatened a blockade of Saudi shipping there, and fired on at least one Saudi tanker.

Global energy supplies and the economy remain in the balance as gasoline prices have risen again.

Commercial shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was at a three-week low, a maritime body overseen by the U.S. Navy said Sunday, adding that no new attacks had been confirmed in the past 72 hours. It said traffic remained steady through Bab el-Mandeb.

Netanyahu says he ‘fully’ backs Trump’s efforts

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to meet with Trump in Washington on Tuesday. They last met in Washington in February, weeks before they launched the war that killed Iran's senior leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon fired at Israel two days after the war began, and Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion.

The U.S. State Department said Monday that the next round of talks between Israel and Lebanon will take place next week in Rome with a focus on expanding “pilot zones” in which Israeli forces will withdraw and turn over security to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Talks between the two countries have been going on for months in an effort to eliminate the Hezbollah movement as a force in Lebanon.

___

Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press reporters Matthew Lee, Konstantin Toropin, Darlene Superville and Ben Finley in Washington; Jill Lawless and Emma Burrows in London; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego must be released from detention within 48 hours of the order, which was issued Monday evening. Authorities must release Rojas Pliego in a public space and give his attorneys notice at least three hours beforehand, according to the order.

Roja Pliego, a Mexican citizen, was one of three men who were passengers in Salgado Araujo’s van when Immigrations and Custom Enforcement officers began following the group and ultimately shot the longtime Houston resident. Rojas Pliego has lived in the United States since 1998, has several children and stepchildren who are U.S. citizens and has no criminal record, according to the order. 

Because the officers who stopped the men had no body cameras or dashcams, Rojas Pliego and the other men are the only known witnesses to the shooting. He and another passenger have countered federal officials’ recollection of events, asserting that agents rammed Salgado Araujo’s van with their vehicles prior to shooting him. Federal officials have maintained Salgado Araujo attempted to ram an agent’s vehicle before he was shot.

U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison’s order for Rojas Pliego’s release comes less than a week after he issued a separate order blocking Rojas Pliego’s deportation, and he noted in Monday’s order that Rojas Pliego’s request is “one of hundreds of similar petitions” amid the Trump administration’s application of immigration detention protocol.

Ellison’s order states that the government is not permitted to detain noncitizens without “individualized justification” only because they did not enter the country lawfully. It also stipulates that DHS must seek a pre-detention hearing before it seeks to re-detain Rojas Pliego. 

DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the order. 

The agency and the Trump administration have provided little detail about the circumstances leading up to Salgado Araujo’s death beyond their initial statement. More than a dozen attorneys and law enforcement officers who The Texas Tribune asked to review available footage of ICE agents’ pursuit of Salgado Araujo said it raised red flags and possibly violated the law. 

The relative speed of the federal judge’s decision, coming a week after the petition was filed, is the latest in a series of unusual circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting that experts have said raise further questions about whether it was justified.

In addition to the lack of footage of the shooting, federal officials sought and subsequently unsealed a search warrant that claimed there may have been methamphetamine in Salgado Araujo’s van. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare and U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, said on Friday that the substance was tested and found not to be an illicit substance.

Teare’s office has also said that federal investigators have withheld evidence — including the name of the agent who shot Salgado Araujo — preventing local authorities from conducting their own investigation.

Raed Gonzalez, one of Rojas Pliego’s attorneys, said that Rojas Pliego himself was not yet aware of the release order. He also said the judge’s ruling for an immediate release was indicative of the strength of Rojas Pliego’s petition.

“He could have ordered a bond hearing to be taken in immigration court,” Gonzalez said. “That’s what … sometimes some of the judges have done. Thankfully, this one knew what he was doing.”

Gonzalez said it was still too early to tell whether similar orders would be issued for the other two witnesses, Daniel Tirado Pantoja and Salgado Araujo’s brother, Victor Hugo Salgado Araujo. The two have submitted similar petitions to be released from immigration detention.

Lomi Kriel contributed to this story.

The Fox Fire forced the closure of Interstate 84 for some 70 miles (113 kilometers) between Baker City and Ontario near the Idaho state line before reopening later in the day, the Oregon Department of Transportation said. I-84 is a key thoroughfare, running from Portland in the west through the Columbia River Gorge and into eastern Oregon before crossing the Snake River eastward through Boise.

The transportation department said the wildfire remains active in the area and that intermittent closures were still possible.

Challenging wildfires have burned across the Western U.S. this summer, following months of dry weather, a record lack of snow in some areas, hot spells and erratic winds. Federal authorities announced Saturday that a fourth firefighter died of his injuries after he and several colleagues were overcome last month by a fast-moving wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border.

The Fox Fire was burning near the Oregon-Idaho state line about 12 miles (19 kilometers) northeast of the small town of Huntington, which was under a Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation order, meaning its roughly 500 residents have been told to leave immediately.

Fueled by hot, dry and breezy conditions, the fire has scorched nearly 72 square miles (186 square kilometers) and was 0% contained as of Monday.

Huntington Mayor Chuck Guerri said the fire flared up early Monday morning near the east side of town, estimating it got within 250 feet (76 meters) of the nearest home before firefighters got a handle on that portion of the blaze. The smoke was so thick you could taste it, he said.

“We did send the alarm and went around knocking on doors on the east end of town to try to get people out of here, because it was coming in pretty quick,” he said. “But we had some good crews here, and they got it knocked down pretty quickly."

The town's fire chief injured his head and back over the weekend while responding to the blaze after the fire truck he was driving rolled over, Guerri said, adding that he was airlifted to receive medical treatment.

Officials are continuing to keep a close eye on the fire beyond town, which is surrounded by grassy rangeland, he said.

“We want to make sure that they can keep that contained out there and not turn into something else,” Guerri said.

With aircraft potentially grounded due to limited visibility from the smoke, firefighters were building bulldozer lines around Huntington near a railroad that also runs through the area to protect critical infrastructure, authorities said.

Elsewhere in eastern Oregon, the state transportation department's website showed a rural stretch of U.S. Route 20 was also closed Monday due to wildfire for nearly 70 miles, between the small cities of Burns and Vale.

In central Oregon, the Akawa Butte Fire was deemed a top priority for firefighting in recent days due to its proximity — about 5 miles (8 kilometers) — to Sisters, a small city of about 3,000 people. While authorities said Sunday that fire activity had decreased across much of the blaze, part of the town is still under an evacuation notice, with residents told to be prepared to leave if necessary.

There were no reports of fatalities or injuries as of Monday evening, but emergency officials were still searching, said Gordon Hintz, Winnebago County’s top elected official.

The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in Winnebago County, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Milwaukee. Damage was reported in cities including Appleton and Menasha, where Police Chief Matt Albrecht said some homes and businesses were “severely impacted.”

The twister was spun off by a large storm system that moved through the Great Lakes, fueled by a buildup of heat and humidity, National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Berschback said.

Hintz said it could be several days before power in the stricken area is restored.

Heather Schroeder said she heard cracking and popping all around her as the tornado tore apart a laundromat, a bakery and a neighborhood tavern that were clustered around a street corner in Menasha, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Green Bay.

Rescue workers pulled someone out of one of the buildings, said Schroeder, who works nearby. She said it wasn’t clear if the person had survived. Cars were turned upside-down, and there was a gas leak at the laundromat, she said.

“There’s nothing left,” Schroeder said.

The twister ripped roofs off homes and flipped vehicles in one neighborhood in Menasha, just blocks from the shores of Lake Winnebago. Video showed a trail of destruction, with some homes reduced to their outer walls.

Greg Van Driest was working in downtown Appleton when the sky got as dark as night.

“The word we all were using was ‘ominous,’” he said. “It’s like, ‘Whoa, look at that.’ ... You looked outside and you thought it was three in the morning, it was that dark.”

No reports of deaths or injuries, but searches continue

Hintz said he’s received multiple reports of buildings destroyed and vehicles overturned. All storm warnings that could be made ahead of time to get people to safety were activated, he said.

“Obviously when you look at the damage, Mother Nature doesn’t really care,” he said.

Weather service meteorologist Holley Kamba said the agency was receiving reports of damage in southern Outagamie County and eastern Winnebago County,

“We have been receiving calls of damage with a lot of trees down, power lines down,” Kamba said. “We’ve been searching for some pictures of the structural damage.”

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said the state “is ready to assist communities however we can.”

Weather service meteorologists in Green Bay issued a tornado warning at 11:59 a.m. for the Fox Cities region, which includes Appleton, Menasha and Neenah. It warned of flying and dangerous debris, damage to mobile homes, vehicles and trees, while warning people to seek shelter.

The area had already been under a severe thunderstorm warning for about 45 minutes, and meteorologists indicated the storm was capable of producing winds up to 60 mph (97 kph).

Extensive damage and an entire city without power

Images on social media showed extensive damage in Appleton, including homes stripped of roofs, a car tossed onto a lawn, and streets littered with tree limbs.

The Appleton Police Department said on social media that it was aware of “several downed trees and large tree limbs throughout the city." Traffic signals were out and some roads were “heavily backed up,” the department said.

Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson said he didn't have any confirmation of fatalities or injuries in the county, which includes Appleton. But he said there was “extensive and severe damage” in Menasha and Fox Crossing.

“All indications are that this was a devastating system that has caused extensive damage,” Nelson said.

In Menasha, the electric utility said the entire city of about 18,000 people was believed without power. Authorities were opening a shelter at a church.

The storm hit Menasha and the east side of neighboring Fox Crossing at around 12:20 p.m., Albrecht said.

“At this point, we are unaware, unsure of how bad the damage is because many roads in those same areas are impassable,” Albrecht said, adding emergency crews were seeking to enter the affected area to “look for injuries, look for victims” and clear the roads.

He urged people to stay away from the hard-hit areas: “Right now, there are many downed power lines, downed trees, multiple hazardous situations. Please stay out.”

Later Monday the storm was clearing out of Wisconsin and moving south of Milwaukee through the Chicago area as it began to dissipate, he said.

__

Mayes-Osterman reported from Chicago and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Arkansas; Sophie Bates in Jackson, Mississippi; Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City; and Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this report.

The Justice Department asked the justices to halt for now lower court decisions blocking the sweeping changes in nearly half the country.

The request comes shortly after Trump delivered a primetime address elevating his yearslong push to raise doubts about the legitimacy of elections, and could be one of several voting-related challenges before the court ahead of the high-stakes midterm contest.

Trump ordered the government in March to create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters and deliver mail ballots only to people on that list.

Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia sued, saying the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, not the president. Their attorneys have said Trump's proposed changes are ripe for abuse and could cause chaos.

A judge in Massachusetts blocked the executive order for the plaintiff states, and a divided 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel left her ruling in place over the weekend.

The executive order calls for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the commissioner of the Social Security Administration to send state officials federal citizenship lists to determine eligible voters. It tells the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on the lists.

The order also calls for ballots to have secure envelopes with unique barcodes for tracking. Federal funding could be withheld from states and localities that don’t comply.

The appeal argues that Trump's order lays out “general policy guidance” and doesn’t directly dictate how states run their elections. Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the high court to freeze the judge's order as lawsuits play out, calling it indefensible.

“And the injunction is especially indefensible because the agencies are still deliberating over how (if at all) to implement the Order, yet the district court preemptively decided that whatever the agencies may choose to do will necessarily be unlawful,” Sauer wrote.

He urged the high court to move quickly, arguing that any new policies would have to be in place as soon as August to be effective for the November elections. A response to the appeal is due Aug. 3.

Mail balloting has long been a favorite target for Trump, even as he has used the method to cast his own votes. He has blamed it for his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 and has claimed without evidence that it opens the door to fraud. He returned to that theme Monday during an appearance at a General Motors facility in Michigan as he was making an appeal for Congress to pass his voter ID and proof-of-citizenship bill.

“And hopefully there will be no mail-in ballots,” he said, calling them 'inherently corrupt."

Using mail ballots has become increasingly popular with voters of both parties, with about 30% of all ballots cast that way during the 2024 presidential election, according to federal data. The process also is secure. A 2025 Brookings Institution study found only about four cases of fraud out of every 10 million mail ballots cast.

The Supreme Court has ruled against the Trump administration before on mail-in ballots, finding in June that states can count ballots that arrive after Election Day.

Trump has promoted the proposed changes in his executive order as safeguards to keep non-U.S. citizens from voting. He's also repeatedly pressed for the passage of the legislation that requires proof of citizenship to vote.

Noncitizen voting has been shown to be rare, and is a felony that can be punishable by deportation.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani in Boston, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, agreed in June to halt implementation for the Nov. 3 elections.

Her ruling differed from that of another federal judge based in Washington. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed by Trump, found in May that it was too early to block the order because it had not yet been implemented.

The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the lawsuit for the states, did not immediately comment on the Trump administration’s appeal. New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office declined to comment.

The Postal Service also would not discuss its plans regarding implementing Trump’s order or its rule, citing the ongoing litigation. In Kansas, Republican Secretary of State Scott Schwab’s office said it has not heard from the Postal Service about plans going forward.

___

Associated Press writer John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to this story.

The Harris County Pct. 4 Constable’s Office says the shooting happened in the 14600 block of Ella Blvd.

Details are limited at this time, but authorities say the man has been pronounced dead at the scene by EMS.

“The investigation remains active, and a law enforcement presence will continue in the area. Please avoid the area and expect delays while deputies process the scene,” the constable’s office said.

The inside of the mound was tightly stacked with beech wood which smolders for weeks until it's been turned into charcoal — a craft that's been practiced in the Harz mountain region in eastern Germany for hundreds of years.

“We are making charcoal in traditional earthen kilns, just as it was done here in the Harz Mountains over 1,000 years ago,” Feldmer told The Associated Press in a recent interview as he stood between the mounds in the middle of the Harz forest near the small town of Hasselfelde.

Feldmer and his brother Sascha took over the Harzköhlerei Stemberghaus business of producing charcoal from their father. They also have a handful of workers as the smoldering wood inside the mounds needs to be attended to and carefully watched day and night so it won't start catching fire and burn down to useless ashes.

Once covered in earth, the beech wood — which is known for its high density and the high temperatures it creates once it's been turned into charcoal — burns from top to bottom with the help of air holes. The charcoal is then swept clean of soil, and when it has cooled down, it's packed into 10-kilogram (22-pound) bags for sale.

Charcoal production was essential for mining ore in the Harz Mountains. To extract valuable metals such as silver, lead, copper, and zinc from the hard rock, the ore was crushed and then smelted in a furnace using intense heat. The extremely high temperatures required could only be achieved using charcoal.

Over the centuries, hundreds of families in the Harz region earned their living as charcoal burners. These days ore is no longer mined there and only a few coal burners are left in Germany. The Feldmers mostly sell their charcoal to people using it for barbecues at home.

“Our charcoal is, first and foremost, made from pure beech wood,” Feldmer said, adding that most of the charcoal sold at hardware stores in the country is imported and made of “mixed woods, scrap wood, and waste wood so it can be produced cheaply.”

As Feldmer and his brother would not be able to live from the coal burning business alone — they produce around 40 tons annually — they've also opened a museum about the history of coal burning, a small store and a restaurant where guests can get local specialties including steaks grilled over homemade birch charcoal.

Though the craft of char burning has essentially died out in Germany, Feldmer hopes that his family will keep the tradition alive.

“Of course, we hope ... that our business here will be taken over by our children, that it will continue to operate, and that the traditional craft of charcoal burning will be preserved here," he said.

The Rice University Police Department issued a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) alert late Sunday night for Rabe’e Ata Juma’a Alqaq, 25, who was last seen around midnight between Saturday and Sunday on the Rice University campus.

• Driver killed, woman hospitalized after suspected drunk-driving crash in northeast Houston

Authorities said Alqaq told his coach and teammates he was going for a walk but never returned to his room.

Rice University Police confirmed to KPRC 2’s Bryce Newberry that the agency requested the FBI’s assistance to get access to the social media accounts for Alqaq.

Surveillance video shared with KPRC 2 News shows Alqaq walking around the Rice University campus. He appears to be looking down on a phone while walking one direction, before turning around and walking the other way.

It’s unclear which direction he went from there, police said.

The Jordanian team of about 20-25 athletes is staying at Rice University’s Martel College, and Alqaq was reported missing after he did not return overnight and missed breakfast Sunday morning.

Alqaq has cerebral palsy and only speaks Arabic, Lt. Frank Fernandez said.

“He has mobility so he is able to walk. I don’t want people to think that he is in a wheelchair or that he walking around with a cane or anything. So he’s going to be very mobile. He’s also able to communicate,” Fernandez said.

Police said Alqaq was last seen wearing:

• A light blue T-shirt
• Black pants

“We don’t believe that he has a data plan here. So he was using WiFi and we’re not able to connect. We’re trying to possibly ping his phone so we can track him that way,” Fernandez said.

• U.S. will begin limited imports of Mexican cattle as screwworm outbreak continues

The Genuine Cup is an international soccer tournament for athletes with intellectual disabilities and is being hosted at Rice University.

Organizers said athletes are free to enter and exit the dorms while staying at Rice, and there was no lapse in security procedure.

“I know from the coaches that he has cerebral palsy, however, quite mobile in terms of walking, perhaps just on the right side with his arm, but I do know that from the coach that he does like to explore when he’s in a new city,” Genuine Cup volunteer Kathleen Sledge said.

Alqaq has been known to explore cities in the past without issue, according to the team’s coach.

“Our first hope is that he’s safe and the second hope that he is back as soon as possible with us,” Genuine Cup founder Ignacio Torras said.

Fernandez noted that tournament organizers are “stepping it up” to make sure everyone on each team is accounted for, using their rosters, daily schedules, and room checks.

Anyone who sees Alqaq or has information about his whereabouts is urged to contact the Rice University Police Department at 713-348-6000 immediately.

Along Hillcroft Avenue, crews are installing new utility poles to strengthen the power grid ahead of hurricane season. But for one foreman, keeping his team safe in the brutal heat is the top priority.

“We don’t want anyone to pass out or we don’t want anyone to get heat exhaustion,” said Darius Dotson, a foreman with Safe Route.

“We have a cooler in the back, so essentially I get about 2 or 3 bags of ice, I keep it full of water, and I keep electrolytes just in case there’s a lot of sweat,” Dotson said.

Hydration is survival, not just a suggestion

Keeping their bodies cool and hydrated isn’t just a recommendation — it’s survival for these workers.

“We take a break, we rotate every 10 minutes,” Dotson said.

The timing couldn’t be more critical. KPRC 2 meteorologist Caroline Brown said this week will be the most intense stretch of heat so far this summer.

“This week it is actually going to be by far the hottest. We are expecting 100 degrees — 5 consecutive days in a row. We didn’t even have that last year,” Brown said.

‘Hottest time of the year,’ says landscaper

Hugo Escobar, a landscaper working in the Houston heat, says the job demands more than just water to get through the day. During an on-camera exchange with KPRC 2 reporter Sandy Torres, Escobar listed his go-to hydration: water, lemonade, tea, Powerade and electrolytes. He said he’s been doing this work for several years and confirmed this is, without question, the hottest time of year.

Workers of color, immigrant workers hit hardest

The AFL-CIO, a national labor union, reports that workers of color and immigrant workers are disproportionately impacted by heat-related dangers on the job.

Dotson said foremen must know the warning signs before a worker’s condition becomes life-threatening.

“When you notice someone is not sweating at all, as much as they did in the beginning — that is an automatic indication that they are getting overheated. They need to get water, and we need to cool their bodies off as fast as possible,” Dotson said.

Texas law limits local heat protections

In 2023, a Texas law eliminated local rules requiring water breaks for outdoor workers, meaning Houston cannot force employers to schedule them. The AFL-CIO reports dozens of workers die and thousands more become ill from heat exposure every year.

The KPRC 2 weather team says the heat is not letting up.

Medical officials recommend pre-hydrating, dressing in light clothing and looking out for the people around you.

Chilean police on Saturday arrested a retired military colonel who had been a fugitive for three years after being convicted of kidnapping and murdering Jara during Chile’s military dictatorship and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Despite the arrest, the musician's family says they are not completely satisfied.

“We learned that retired Colonel Nelson Haase Mazzei, who had been a fugitive from justice since 2023, was found and imprisoned. We appreciate this news,” said Jara's daughter, Amanda Jara, in a letter published Sunday night. However, she added, “it is difficult to consider this justice.”

The prominent military figure had been sentenced to 25 years and two days in prison for the kidnapping and murder of Jara and then-Director General of Prisons Littré Quiroga Carvajal.

Haase Mazzei, 80, was convicted in 2018 and his sentence was increased in 2023, along with those of six other military officers. The crimes are considered to be among the most emblematic examples of the brutality that marked the 17-year dictatorship of late Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

The former official fled before beginning his prison term. He was finally located and arrested this weekend — three years later — with Judge Paola Plaza of the Santiago Court of Appeals ordering his “immediate imprisonment,” the Judiciary said in a statement. The institution added that Haase Mazzei was the last of those convicted to begin serving his sentence.

One of the symbols of the so-called New Chilean Song, a musical and social movement born in the 1960s, Jara was murdered on Sept. 16, 1973, just five days after the coup that overthrew former President Salvador Allende.

Jara, then a 40-year-old member of the Communist Party of Chile who also worked as a professor at the State Technical University, was arrested on campus and taken to Chile Stadium, now renamed Víctor Jara Stadium. There, he was separated from the nearly 5,000 other prisoners and taken to a private area. Along with Quiroga, he was tortured, violently assaulted and finally executed. The singer suffered multiple fractures and his body had 44 bullet wounds, according to the findings of an investigation into his death and other crimes of the period.

In 1991, months after Pinochet’s downfall and the restoration of democracy, an official report by the National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation found that Jara was the victim of a political execution and classified his killing as a grave human rights violation. It also found that, in just three months, 890 people were killed as a direct consequence of the military coup.

In recent decades, Chile has established a series of truth commissions to investigate and determine responsibility for the violations committed between 1973 and 1990, ranging from murders and torture to forced disappearances and the illegal adoption of children.

Official documents estimate that during its 17 years, the military dictatorship left some 40,000 victims, including more than 2,000 people who were executed, 1,469 victims of enforced disappearance and thousands more tortured. The courts have convicted hundreds of state agents and civilians for the crimes committed during the darkest period of Chile's modern history. However, there are no single, consolidated institutional figures that include all those sentenced.

Since 2024, the country has also promoted the so-called National Search Plan aimed at unifying the figures and outlining a road map for the search of disappeared detainees whose whereabouts remain unknown — a task that for years has largely fallen to the families of victims who to this date are still trying to figure out what happened with their loved ones.

“We hope that the police will manage to find all those who fled for crimes against humanity,” Amanda Jara concluded in her letter. She now heads the Víctor Jara Foundation.

Judge John P. Cronan said that although a federal law requires that advisory commissions have a balance of viewpoints, it didn't specify how this should be done. The New York judge said Trump has wide discretion in picking members.

The lawsuit was filed by several plaintiffs, including the progressive Interfaith Alliance as well as Hindu, Muslim and Sikh groups. They argued that the commission was imbalanced because it consisted almost entirely of conservative Christians, along with one Orthodox Jewish rabbi, and that several commissioners were on record questioning church-state separation and supporting the idea of America as a Judeo-Christian country.

Critics of the the commission said such fears were borne out when it issued a draft report in June that challenged the understanding of a separation of church and state in recent generations, calling instead for “bridges” between the two.

But Cronan said the lawsuit, which sought a more ideologically and religious diverse commission, failed to meet legal criteria to proceed.

He also wrote that the commission is diverse in other ways, such as including both clergy and lay people. And he said the commission has “adherents of at least five different religions” — by citing the one Jewish member and then members of various Christian denominations and identities.

The Interfaith Alliance argued that the commission lacked balance because members believed “the law should protect the exercise of religious beliefs over the civil rights of minority groups.” But Cronan wrote that because Trump's executive order creating the commission rejected the idea of “religious liberty as inconsistent with civil rights,” he wasn't obligated to appoint someone who disagreed with that founding premise.

The Interfaith Alliance has been vocal in criticizing the commission, saying its recent draft report failed to address crucial issues such as anti-Muslim attacks and saying it supports policies privileging some religious groups over others.

“Today’s dismissal wrongly ignored that the Commission privileges one narrow religious and ideological view,” the Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance, said in a statement. "Interfaith Alliance and our multifaith partners will keep standing up to Christian nationalism wherever it threatens our democracy. Our fight for true religious freedom continues.”

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Nineteen days after she was discharged, she strangled her three children at their Massachusetts home.

A jury heard opening statements Monday in Clancy’s murder trial, featuring dueling views about her mental state. Both sides agree she killed her children. They disagree over whether she should be held criminally responsible for their deaths.

The first witness was her former husband, who found the children's bodies after returning home on the day of the killings in January 2023. He has said in interviews that he forgives his wife, who he viewed as ill, not evil.

___

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

___

Patrick Clancy testified that a month before the killings, his wife began to describe intrusive thoughts of harming the children and of suicide. He said the situation was “very confusing” because moments later, she would be making the children lunch or playing with them.

“I never saw Lindsay harm the kids,” he told jurors.

Despite months of psychiatric care, changing medications and new providers, her condition worsened, he said. She became more depressed and lost weight.

The trial will hinge on Clancy’s mental state

Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, said she had postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth. He said she also had bipolar disorder and that antidepressants prescribed after the birth of her third child worsened her condition.

“She loved those children right up to the time of their death,” Reddington told jurors.

Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham argued Clancy “acted intentionally, rationally and swiftly” and bears full responsibility for the deaths.

“This was not a woman in the throes of psychosis,” Buckingham said. “This is not a public debate about women’s mental health and how the medical system treats women. This case is about this defendant, Lindsay Clancy.”

If convicted of murder, Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

A grieving father testified about their last days as a family

Patrick Clancy breathed heavily as photos of his children were projected for the jury.

Cora, 5, was shown in one image wearing a red bow and skirt. Her dad said she loved princesses. Dawson, 3, loved fire trucks and “Paw Patrol.” Eight-month-old Callan “was just a happy baby,” his father said.

Clancy worked as a labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Patrick testified that her anxiety about being separated from her children increased as she got closer to the end of her maternity leave.

Patrick Clancy testified that after his wife was discharged from the psychiatric hospital, the family tried to carry on with everyday life. They celebrated Cora’s birthday and visited the Museum of Science and a water park, where jurors saw video of Lindsay Clancy playing with the children. Patrick said she had returned to the gym and her mood appeared steadier.

“I was hopeful,” Patrick Clancy told the jury. “She seemed much better.”

On the day of the killings, Lindsay Clancy took Cora to a doctor’s appointment while he stayed home with Dawson and Callan. The couple exchanged photos of the children by text — Dawson had just dressed himself for the first time and Cora was behind a mask in the doctors office. Later, Lindsay Clancy built a snowman with her children and worked on art projects.

“She was having one of her best days," Patrick Clancy said.

Then, after he left the house to run errands, Lindsay Clancy strangled her children with exercise bands and tried to end her own life. She remains paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from a second-story window.

That day, Clancy said she heard voices telling her, “This is your last chance. Kill the children so you can kill yourself,” according to her lawyer.

Seated in a wheelchair, Clancy wiped her eyes with a tissue at times as lawyers discussed her children.

Postpartum psychosis is a rare diagnosis

Elyse Hershon, a Boston criminal defense attorney and legal analyst, said the verdict will likely depend on how the jury views Clancy’s “intent and mental capacity.”

“Whenever there are deaths of children, it rattles emotions,” Hershon said. “Some people naturally will identify and sympathize with Clancy and her postpartum depression, and others will not be able to understand how one could end their children’s lives, and demand responsibility.”

While postpartum depression is fairly common among women who have given birth, postpartum psychosis affects an estimated 1 to 2 women per 1,000 births and can include hallucinations, delusions and paranoia. Most women with the condition do not harm their children.

Similar cases have led to insanity verdicts

Possibly the best-known is Andrea Yates, who drowned her five children in a bathtub in Texas in 2001. Her attorneys said she suffered from postpartum psychosis and believed killing her children would save them from hell.

Her initial murder conviction was overturned, and in a retrial she was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a state mental hospital.

Dr. Nicole Cirino of Baylor College of Medicine said women in the grip of postpartum psychosis often believe they are helping their children.

In their own minds, “they may be saving their children from damnation,” Cirino said.

Awareness of postpartum psychosis has grown since the Yates case, but Cirino and other maternal mental health advocates said it's rarely considered in criminal prosecutions. Illinois is the only state with a law allowing for undiagnosed or untreated postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis to be a mitigating factor in sentencing.

__

Willingham reported from Boston.

Monday, July 27

• Back-to-school safety: What kids should know and what parents should watch for in case of a school emergency
• • CPR and Safety Lady Gail Gould
  • Back to School Safety Webinar with CPR and Safety Lady Gail Gould
• Gabe Saglie The Travel Guy
• Allied Outdoor Solutions
• Houston students turn thousands of plastic bags into an award-winning business
• • Plastic Free July
  • Next Use

Friday, July 24

• Houston celebrates Art House Theater Day with a “Car Wash” screening and preshow party
• • Houston Art House Theater Day
• The best tacos in Texas arrive in Houston this weekend + Texas Monthly Taco Editor‘s spicy gig getting paid to eat tacos
• • 2026 Texas Monthly Taco Fest South
  • Huncho’s Tacos
• BISSELL Pet Foundation Empty the Shelters
• Rosenberg Animal Control and Shelter

Thursday, July 23

• Meet the Houston Rig Hands: The city’s pro 3-on-3 basketball team 🏀🏀
• • Follow Houston Rig Hands on Instagram
  • BIG3 Playing at Toyota Center Tickets
• Houston City College’s Coleman Campus: Training the next generation of health care workers
• • Houston City College
• Vic Mignogna on Anime Matsuri, Star Trek & life with Dominique Sachse
• • Follow Vic Mignogna on Instagram
  • Anime Matsuri

Wednesday, July 22

• 16th annual Mayor’s Back 2 School & Health Fair brings free supplies, screenings to Houston families
• • Mayor’s Back to School & Health Fair
• Tips for Planning the Perfect Summer Getaway
• • Travel Expert, Jeanenne Tornatore | The Outside Insider
  • Marriott Bonvoy
  • Official Guide to Breckenridge
• Celebrate National Tequila Day at Zanti Cucina Italiana in River Oaks
• • Zanti Cucina Italiana
• Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman heading to Houston for blues experience
• • Performing Arts Houston Presents "Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience"

Tuesday, July 21

• How CenterPoint Energy says they’re building a stronger, more resilient electric grid
• • CenterPoint Energy Action Center
• NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior”
• Ox St. Kitchen
• Ivan Chavez Chavos BBQ
• The world’s fragrance community comes together at FRAGCON in Houston
• • Global Fragrance Convention

Monday, July 20

• Houston’s Girl Gone Grilling shares her buffalo chicken stuffed garlic bread
• • Katherine Salom “Girl Gone Grilling”
• Powerhouse performer Christina Wells, now in a wheelchair, is still lighting up Houston stages
• • Christina Wells
• When a smile needs more than veneers: one Houston patient’s transformation
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, July 17

• Hidden Omakase serves up a Summer favorite while continuing its comeback story
• • Hidden Omakase
• East Houston Medical Center works to improve access to health care in the community
• • East Houston Medical Center
• “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
• 13th Annual Ohana Surf Dogs Competition

Thursday, July 16

• 93Q’s Cowboys & Angels Concert Brings Country Stars to Houston
• • 93Q’s Cowboys & Angels
• Here’s Blue Willow Bookshop’s summer reading picks you need to add to your TBR
• • Blue Willow Bookshop
• UniverSoul Circus brings big top thrills to Houston Life
• • UniverSoul Circus

Wednesday, July 15

• Llamas, haunted houses, and mermaids?! Houston realtor Noel Collier talks HGTV’S ‘Extreme Buyers Club’
• • HGTV’s ‘Extreme Buyers Club’
  • Noel Collier Group
• Protect Yourself After a Crash: What to Do If You’re Illegally Solicited
• • The Miller Law Firm, home of The Texas Bulldog
• Skip the oven and beat the summer heat with this no-bake chocolate raspberry tart
• • Florence Jackson
• Raising Cane’s and the Norris family to honor Chuck Norris’ legacy on National Chicken Finger Day
• • Raising Canes

Tuesday, July 14

• Casa de Cultura turns a Houston gallery into a living archive one family story at a time
• • Photographer Violeta Álvarez
  • FreshArts
• The late Chuck Norris continues to empower kids through Kickstart Kids martial arts program
• • Kickstart Kids
  • Raising Canes
• Protein-Packed Plates: Casa do Brasil, Los Tios and a High Protein Bowl with Tanji Patton of Goodtaste TV
• • Goodtaste for the Soul with Tanji Patton

Monday, July 13

• Remembering the iconic artist David Adickes on his 99th birthday and his lasting legacy in Houston
• • David Adickes Art
• Spend the Summer at Moody Gardens: Animal encounters, weekly themes, and how to register
• • Moody Gardens
• There’s a story behind every building: Take a tour of Downtown Houston with Preservation Houston
• • Preservation Houston
• Celebrate 713 Day with Houston Rap Legend Lil’ Keke
• • Follow Lil Keke on Instagram
• Best places and deals around Houston to celebrate 713 Day

Friday, July 10

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Houston Hula Academy brings the spirit of Polynesia to Houston Life
• • Houston Hula Academy
  • Drums of the Pacific
• A car lover’s dream! Where to see life-size Hot Wheels cars in the Houston area
• • Hot Wheels Legends Tour
• Fire Up The Grill: Easy Grilling for a Crowd
• • III Catering
• Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Thursday, July 9

• Meet the Houston 6-year-old golfer makes national tournament history
• • Ascend Golf Academy
• Fort Bend County Fair Celebrates 90 Years with Pat Green, Sawyer Brown and a Star-Studded 2026 Lineup
• • Fort Bend County Fair
• Houston City College: College that fits your schedule
• • Houston City College
• Goode Company Seafood celebrates 40 years
• Goode Company Seafood x Texas Parks and Wildlife

Wednesday, July 8

• Fort Bend County Fair
• Fung’s Kitchen
• East Houston Medical Center hosts free FIFA World Cup 2026™ watch parties and a chance to win a free trip to the final
• • East Houston Medical Center
• Houston’s Ensemble Theatre marks 50th anniversary with premieres, revivals and, honoring the past
• • The Ensemble Theatre
• Stars of Netflix’s ‘Little House on the Prairie’ chat reimagining the iconic story
• • Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie

Tuesday, July 7

• KPRC 2 Insider
• Inside the New Era of Fitness: How 24 Hour Fitness Is Rethinking the Modern Gym
• • 24 Hour Fitness
• Cosmic Ice Cream and Trill Burgers teaming up for National Ice Cream day
• • Cosmic Ice Cream
  • Trill Burgers
• Houston Ballet’s Dance 2 Thrive program brings movement, music and wellness to the Community
• • Houston Ballet
  • Dance 2 Thrive registration form

Monday, July 6

• Why Trae Tha Truth Keeps Turning His Birthday Into Houston’s Biggest Give-Back
• • Traeday 2026
• PopUp Bagels lands in Houston — grip, rip and dip your way to a viral bagel
• • PopUp Bagels
• When a smile needs more than veneers: one Houston patient’s transformation
• • Texas Dental Implant Center
• Your Bucket List Guide
• Flora Houston
• Make this at home! The Two-Ingredient Cocktail Popping Up Around Houston During the FIFA World Cup 26™
• • Bucanita by Buchanan’s

Thursday, July 2

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• These women athletes from Afghanistan escaped Taliban rule. Now the players of Houston Shine FC find joy in soccer again
• • Houston Shine FC
• ‘Read With Jenna’ debuts cozy Book Nook aboard MSC Seascape sailing from Galveston
• • ‘Read with Jenna’
• Keep Kids Safe Around Water: Expert Guidance on Supervision and Drowning Prevention
• • Bivona Law Firm
• New Sprouts in Kingwood Is Here | And Yes, You Can Sample Just About Anything
• • Sprouts Farmers Market

Wednesday, July 1

• Celebrate America’s 250th with Houston Life’s special Fourth of July Show
• • Houston Christian University’s Independence Hall
  • Baytown’s Fourth of July Festivities
  • PBS’s Annual A Capitol Fourth celebration
  • Houston Zoo
  • Blue Bell Creameries
• LIST: Fourth of July fireworks, parades, celebrations across Greater Houston

Tuesday, June 30

• This Thai-inspired hot dog brings new flavor to your Fourth of July cookout
• • MaKiin Concepts Hospitality Group
• Firework Safety | Cy-Fair Fire Department, TX
• United Against Human Trafficking
• Houston native shares how being stranded at sea during COVID inspired a documentary, memoir and mission to help others
• • Angela Harger Productions
• 5 Things Houston Homeowners Should Know Before the Next Power Outage
• • GenPro.com

Monday, June 29

• Meet the cast of ‘Young Washington’ ahead of the film’s July 3rd release
• • ‘Young Washington’
• From Houston to American homes: Good Ranchers celebrates America’s 250th with homegrown meat
• • Good Ranchers
• New Zealand by train: Scenic journeys, culture and food
• • Gabe Saglie The Travel Guy
• Gexa Energy gives back: Make-A-Wish reveal brings joy to local child
• • Gexa Energy
• Hands-on training at Houston City College prepares students for high-demand careers
• • Houston City College

Friday, June 26

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Best Friends Animal Society hosts a free pet adoption event this Saturday
• • RSVP to Best Friends “Bring Love Home” Adoption Event
• Houston’s own Tyce Green stars in Disney’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’
• • Houston Broadway Theatre’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
• Stay connected with reliable internet during hurricane season
• • Ezee Fiber
• Better STAAR scores, bigger goals: Here’s why Good Reason Houston focuses on a path to a living wage
• • Good Reason Houston
• Baytown Is Going Big for the Fourth of July
• • Visit Baytown
• Rodney Atkins

Thursday, June 25

• Best Friends Animal Society hosts a free pet adoption event this Saturday
• • RSVP to Best Friends “Bring Love Home” Adoption Event
  • Best Friends Houston
• A New Sprouts Farmers Market Has Opened in Webster—Here’s What You’ll Find Inside
• • Sprouts Farmers Market
• Why this financial expert says small business success starts with financial organization
• • Aragon Tax Return Services
• Mattress expert links poor sleep to serious health risks
• • Texas Mattress Makers

Wednesday, June 24

• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo announces historic agriculture complex benefitting Texas youth
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Vegan recipes to add to your summer cookout menu
• • Dr. Chinwe Orabuchi
• Could your roof be hiding storm damage: What Houston homeowners should know
• • Adams Roofing
• Companion Energy brings ‘Energy that Cares’ to the Houston Humane Society
• • Companion Energy
• Travel Mom Emily Kaufman says now’s the time to book Australia
• • Travel Mom
  • Visit Sydney
  • Visit South Wales

Tuesday, June 23

• Houston Life goes LIVE from new IKEA Webster ahead of Grand Opening
• • KPRC 2 Insiders, Enter for a chance to win IKEA gift cards!
  • IKEA
  • IKEA Webster: Friends and Family Shopping Event

Monday, June 22

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Family-owned restaurant Foreign Grill shares Uzbek flavors ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ match
• • Follow Foreign Grill on Instagram
• Prime Day Picks to upgrade your home
• • Home Improvement Expert, Kathryn Emery | Be The Best Home
• Meet the Houston skincare brand embracing beef tallow with no frills and all the beneficial ingredients
• • NutréLux Beauty
• Future-Proof Careers: Celebrating the HVAC Technicians Who Keep Houston Cool
• • Fortis College
• Why cruises are the hottest ticket this summer - expert tips & where to go
• • Carnival Cruises
  • Travel Expert, Jeanenne Tornatore | The Outside Insider

Thursday, June 18

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to win a $250 Kroger gift card!
• • Kroger
• The South Dakota Road Trip You Didn’t Know You Needed
• • Your Bucket List Guide
  • Travel South Dakota
• Hands-on training at Houston City College Southeast prepares students for high-demand careers
• • Houston City College
• Stay connected with reliable internet during hurricane season
• • Ezee Fiber

Wednesday, June 17

• WANTED: An audience ready to laugh at the Texas Outlaw Comics tonight at Houston Improv
• • Texas Outlaw Comics
• The cast of Netflix’s ‘I Will Find You’ talks bringing the bestselling thriller to life
• • Netflix’s Harlan Coben’s "I Will Find You"
• Saunawelt opens Houston’s first public European sauna house
• • Saunawelt
• Village Plumbing, Air & Electric shares summer safety tips as company celebrates 80 Years of servicing Houston
• • Village Plumbing

Tuesday, June 16

• ‘Heart & Hustle: Houston’ Star Muneera Page opens up about fame, friendship and season two
• • OWN’s “Heart & Hustle: Houston”
• Looking for a Father’s Day activity? See more than 100 exotic cars at Velocité in Houston
• • Velocité – A Father’s Day Tradition in Motion
• AEW Star Thunder Rosa balances two wrestling worlds while inspiring fans to chase their dreams
• • All Elite Wrestling at Smart Financial Centre
  • Follow Thunder Rosa on Instagram
• Transform your outdoor space with Carvestone - Plus, a chance to win $5,000 in outdoor furniture
• • Allied Outdoor Solutions

Monday, June 15

• Local 17-year-old filmmaker makes her mark with movie focusing on men’s mental health
• • “Used to Be” tickets
• WWE star Braun Strowman chats season 2 of ‘Everything On The Menu’
• • USA Network’s “Everything on the Menu With Braun Strowman”
• How Houston Habitat for Humanity is helping families build generational wealth
• • KPRC 2 Habitat for Humanity
  • Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Houston’s own Cris Sosa competes on NBC’s ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 21
• • Comedian Cris Sosa
  • NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”

Friday, June 12

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Why the Rothko Chapel may be Houston’s most transformative space
• • Rothko Chapel
• Keep your home cool and save on energy with these tips from Champion & Nash
• • Champion and Nash
• Marco’s Pizza brings New York-style pizza to your neighborhood
• • Marco’s Pizza
• Meet Yassine Cheuko, personal bodyguard to soccer superstar Lionel Messi

Thursday, June 11

• FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston

Wednesday, June 10

• Houston physician and educator Dr. Tim Garson makes history approachable and relatable to modern life in new book
• • Dr. Arthur “Tim” Garson
  • Book: “Five Thousand Years of Controversies: A Family’s Journey Through World History”
• Ishida Dance Company presents ‘Waiting/Rex’ at Asia Society Texas
• • Ishida Dance Company Tickets
• Father’s Day finds and summer-ready home upgrades
• • Kathryn Emery
• Peptides and functional health: How Antiage Institute helps Houstonians age better
• • Antiage Institute

Tuesday, June 9

• How a community effort saved Houston’s printmaking legacy
• How custom coasters are made by hand at Red Bird Press studio
• • Red Bird Press
• A 34-Day soccer watch party in Houston with Diplo, wagyu burgers and VIP lounges?
• • The Ranch Presents Pitch Live
• Find the right mattress with expert help in Texas
• • Texas Mattress Makers

Monday, June 8

• Meet Saxboy Billy, the man behind the viral “Puerto Rico Song”
• • Follow Saxboy Billy on Instagram
• Celebrate Culture through music and movement with Tx2 Dance Company
• • T2 Dance Company
• NBC’s ‘American Ninja Warrior’ Season 18: What Lauren Kelly learned from the Hosts
• • NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior”
• Replace an entire arch, not just a tooth: How ONEARCH changes lives
• • Texas Dental Implant Center
• Visit San Antonio

Friday, June 5

• The music collective behind the Houston remix for FIFA World Cup 2026™
• • Bombón
  • Official FIFA World Cup 26™ Houston Sonic ID
• Why Alley Theatre’s “Misery” is leaving Houston audiences gasping
• • Misery at Alley Theatre
• Young Houstonians will learn how to train like a pro at the Simple Truth Will Anderson Jr. ProCamp
• • Will Anderson Jr. Football ProCamp

Thursday, June 4

• Magician Michael Carbonaro is ready to wow fans in Houston with his new show ‘WONDERBOY’
• • Michael Carbonaro at Houston of Blues
• HCC Southwest ramps up hands-on training in AI, robotics and cybersecurity
• • Houston City College
• The Travel Mom’s tips for planning and booking a breathtaking Alaskan cruise
• • The Travel Mom
  • Holland America Cruises
• Spice Routes: Cardamom Challenge a culinary passport awaits at Houston’s stunning Ismaili Center
• • Ismaili Center

Wednesday, June 3

• Celebrate Freedom Festival returns to Emancipation Park this Saturday
• • Juneteenth Houston
• Why this red velvet cornbread recipe belongs on your Juneteenth table
• • Chef Cassi
• Houston Rockets Skills Camp returns to various locations this summer
• • Houston Rockets Youth Skills Camp
• KPRC 2’s 2026 Hurricane & Flood Survival Guide
• IMDB “Masters of the Universe”

Tuesday, June 2

• CPR and AED basics: Simple skills that can help save a life
• • Register for FREE CPR webinar on June 3
  • Gail Gould
• Meet the local break dancers uplifting women and youth through hip-hop, culture, and the arts
• • BGirl City Worldwide
• Cool Treats in the Heights: Where to find Hawaiian shaved ice and frozen cocktails
• • Happy Go Lucky

Monday, June 1

• Houston Author Jenny Block drops new book about finding authenticity, success and joy in life
• • Follow Jenny Block on Instagram
• The laughs keep coming in season 2 of Netflix’s ‘The Four Seasons’
• • Netflix’s “The Four Seasons”
• Discovery Green celebrating summer with free family fun and soccer-inspired events
• • Discovery Green
• Why natural looking dental implants are the new luxury in facial rejuvenation
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, May 29

• Texas Teen Pageant Queens use their platforms to empower foster kids, fight bullying, and inspire future farmers
• • Kyleigh’s Kidz
• Immersive Gamebox is launching ‘Soccer Arcade,’ the world’s first immersive soccer experience
• • Immersive Gamebox
• Tanji Patton reveals what’s next after 11 seasons of Goodtaste TV
• Sweet, Savory & Spicy: Creative cantaloupe recipes worth trying this Summer
• • Goodtaste with Tanji Patton

Thursday, May 28

• Game day skin care tips for FIFA World Cup 2026™ watch parties and summer heat
• • Board-Certified Dermatologist Dr. Sherry Ingraham
• A Quick Drive From Houston, This Louisiana Resort Delivers Vegas-Style Luxury Without the Flight
• • Coushatta Casino Resort
• Licasa Treatment Center Opens in Conroe to expand compassionate mental health and addiction care
• • Licasa Treatment Center

Wednesday, May 27

•  Powering Houston’s future: Electrical apprentices showcase skills at annual Wire-Off Competition 
• • IEC Texas Gulf Coast
• Los Souldees is the local band bringing the sounds you love from the past with a fresh Houston twist
• • Los Souldees

Tuesday, May 26

• Lone Star College
• A Houston little boy’s toughest battle led to a monster surprise!
• • Gexa Energy
• Captain MC’s Seafood
• The Window Source Houston

Friday, May 22

• Get your bike ready for summer rides with these simple safety tips
• • Sun & Ski Sports
• This easy road trip from Houston comes with luxury suites, gaming, and a powerful legacy
• • Coushatta Powwow
  • Coushatta Casino Resort
• Hear the hits - ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ in Houston
• • “The Carole King Musical” at Theatre Under the Stars
• Support local veterans while having fun at the Patriots Charity Classic
• • Patriots Charity Classic Event

Thursday, May 21

• The World comes to Houston! Here’s what to expect ahead of the FIFA Fan Festival™ kicking off in EaDo
• • FIFA Fan Festival™
• This easy road trip from Houston comes with luxury suites, gaming, and a powerful legacy
• • Coushatta Casino Resort - New Legacy Tower
• SUMMER SWEEPSTAKES: Enter to win 3 weeks of free airport parking from The Parking Spot
• • The Parking Spot
• Train for Houston’s in demand jobs at HCC Northeast - Public Safety, Automotive, & more
• • HCC Northeast
• Schlotzsky’s Deli launches new stacked subs in Houston - Try three bold flavors
• • Schlotzsky’s Deli

Wednesday, May 20

• Schlotzsky’s Deli launches new stacked subs in Houston - Try three bold flavors
• • Schlotzsky’s Deli
• Swap, shop, sustain: Houston’s eco-friendly clothing event returns this Sunday
• • The Houston Clothing Shop
• A Houston little boy’s toughest battle led to a monster surprise!
• • Gexa Energy
• Early detection, AI tools, personalized care redefine preventive health
• • Fountain Life Houston Clinic
• Get your backyard summer ready with pest control, pool upgrades, trampolines and whole home backup power
• • Kathryn Emery
• Need summer plans? This easy Galveston getaway has dinosaurs, beaches & lazy rivers
• • Moody Gardens

Tuesday, May 19

• In the Kitchen with Kroger: Memorial Day hosting doesn’t have to start from scratch
• • KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to win a $250 Kroger gift card!
  • Kroger
• Moody Gardens
• Houston Ballet closes 2025-2026 season with two standout productions
• • Houston Ballet
• From award-winning tv to action-packed films, Bob Odenkirk chats ‘Normal’
• • Follow Bob Odenkirk on Instagram

Monday, May 18

• Celebrate World Ocean Day in Galveston with art, music & ocean fun for free 🌊 🌊
• • Artist Boat
• A collector’s dream: U.S. Coins & Jewelry opens brand new showroom for buying and selling
• • U.S. Coins and Jewelry
• Mental Health Awareness Month: How to spot the signs when stress becomes something more
• • The Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
• Spring couple transforms builder-grade patio into beautiful backyard with Allied Outdoor Solutions
• • Allied Outdoor Solutions
• Why natural looking dental implants are the new luxury in facial rejuvenation
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, May 15

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• At Houston’s Alley Theatre, “Dear Alien” explores the beautiful weirdness of being human
• • “Dear Alien at Alley Theatre
• Gear up inside the newly renovated and relocated Sun & Ski Sports Memorial City
• • Sun & Ski Sports Memorial City
• The Travel Mom on the perks of RV life on the road
• • The Travel Mom
  • Go RVing

Thursday, May 14

• Musaafer Houston Beekeeper cocktail program highlights honey from local neighborhoods
• • Musaafer
• Help us save lives at the KPRC 2 Community Blood Drive with Gulf Coast Blood
• • Schedule an appointment
• Port Aransas
• Children’s Museum Houston

Wednesday, May 13

• Why one Fulshear homeowner calls his generator “The Easy Button”
• • GenPro.com
• Family fun meets coastal charm in Port Aransas, Texas’ premier Gulf Coast getaway
• • Port Aransas
  • Red Dragon Pirate Cruises
• Local chef turns pandemic setback into a thriving Filipino food pop-up business
• • Aleng Nina’s
  • Chef Nina’s Pop-up Event at Third Place

Tuesday, May 12

• Rob Riggle among authors featured in ‘A Celebration of Reading’ 2026
• • Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation
• Texas’ legendary 1877 tall ship ELISSA joins Sail250 voyage to New York Harbor
• • The Official Official Tall Ship of Texas
  • Galveston 250 Kickoff Party Tickets
• The Future of noninvasive wellness is in Sugar Land
• • Oasis Aesthetics & Wellness and Oasis Dry Eye Center
• Chef Jose Hernandez on his roots, restaurants, and fresh pasta
• • Savoir Restaurant
  • Patton

Monday, May 11

• Texas breweries shine at World Beer Cup as American Craft Beer Week kicks off
• • What’s on Tap Radio
• Could Retirement Living Actually Feel Like a Resort? Inside Life at Eagle’s Trace
• • Eagles’ Trace by Erickson Senior Living
• Empty Bowls Houston returns for its 20th anniversary
• • Empty Bowls Houston
  • Houston Food Bank

Friday, May 8

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Children’s Museum Houston and Houston Life present a first look inside the ‘Gallery of Wonder’ on KPRC 2
• Easy at-home kitchen STEM activities to spark curiosity with Children’s Museum Houston
• • Children’s Museum Houston
• Rung Film Festival returns to Houston, highlighting Pakistani storytellers on the big screen
• • Rung Film Festival
• Scammed out of $90,000: Houston woman shares warning for seniors
• • AARP Houston
• KPRC 2’s “Eat Like a Local”

Thursday, May 7

• Celebrate National Hamburger Month with OMG! Burger
• • OMG! Burger
• How Houston City College Is Building the City’s Workforce
• • Houston City College
• The Insperity Invitational presented by United Healthcare happening in The Woodlands this weekend
• • Insperity Invitational
• Bridge the Gaps

Wednesday, May 6

• From local finds to feel-good vibes, ‘Shop Fulshear First’ family-friendly night market
• • “Shop Fulshear First”
• Why you keep repeating the same unhealthy relationship patterns and how to change them
• • Jenn Pinkerton
• Houston Grand Opera

Tuesday, May 5

• Bun B announces “UGK Been Ridin’ Dirty,” Celebrating 30 Years of a Southern Hip-Hop Classic
• • Bun B Presents “Been Ridin’ Dirty” Tickets
• From classroom to center stage: The Tommy Tune Awards showcase Houston’s rising theatre talent
• • Tommy Tune Awards Finalists List
• Houston Life co-hosts learn calligraphy with live event artist Jenny Blaschke
• • Jenny Blaschke

Monday, May 4

• “Houston’s Enchilada Queen” Sylvia Casares serving up big flavor & family tradition
• • Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen
• This Houston program uses comedy to build confidence and change lives
• • Comedy Unlocked
  • The Opportunity Center
• Hot products: Summer grillin’ and chillin’ with Lifestyle and Home Improvement expert Kathryn Emery
• • Kathryn Emery
• New Smile: AI-driven design at Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, May 1

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Teatro Indigo
• Teatro Indigo at Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
• Mahjong for a Cause
• Sam Houston Race Park

Thursday, April 30

• St‑Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• National Pet Month is here! Houston SPCA offers tips for responsible pet ownership
• • Houston SPCA
• From Knee Replacement to the Boston Marathon: A Story of Movement, Medicine, and Meaning
• • Dr. Richard A. Berger Outpatient Hip and Knee Surgery
• Tyler Henry “The Hollywood Medium” heading to Houston for unforgettable live show
• • Tyler Henry Live at Smart Financial Center
  • Connect with Tyler Henry

Wednesday, April 29

• In the Kitchen with Kroger: Celebrate Mother’s Day with Kroger, the world’s largest florist
• • KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to win a $250 Kroger gift card!
• Sail into Alaska with Princess Cruises - tips from The Travel Mom, Emily Kaufman
• • The Travel Mom
  • Princess Cruises
• How wearing denim became an international symbol of supporting assault survivors and victims
• • National Denim Day
  • Fort Bend Women’s Center
• Country superstar Parker McCollum surprises nurses ahead of National Nurses Week

Tuesday, April 28

• Inside Golden Roastery: A popular Middle Eastern shop serving traditional desserts and coffee
• How to make a popular Arab dessert Kunafa
• • Golden Roastery (Walk-in offer only; get 20% off Kunafa items from now to May 10)
• Help us save lives at the KPRC 2 Community Blood Drive with Gulf Coast Blood
• • Community Blood Drive at KPRC 2
• Cedric The Entertainer brings the laughs in new Netflix animated film ‘Swapped’
• • Netflix’s ‘Swapped’

Monday, April 27

• Summer safety for kids: what parents need to know
• • Bivona Law Firm
• From Blueprint to Backyard Oasis: A Missouri City Transformation Designed for Real Life
• • Allied Outdoor Solutions
• First annual AAPI Fest coming to Alief
• • AAPI Fest
  • Kaminari Taiko of Houston,
• The story behind Agnes and Sherman where Asian flavors meet American comfort food
• • Agnes and Sherman
  • AAPI Restaurant Weeks
• Hosts Mike “The Miz” Mizanin and Rocsi Diaz chat reboot of ‘American Gladiators’
• • American Gladiators

Friday, April 24

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Step inside August Wilson’s “Fences” at Houston’s Alley Theatre - A timeless story of love, legacy, and second chances
• • August Wilson’s “Fences” at Alley Theatre
• Prime Video’s ‘Cocaine Quarterback’ Owen Hanson visits Houston, shares incredible comeback story
• • “Cocaine Quarterback” on Prime Video
• National Bucket List Day: A Trafalgar River Cruise with The Travel Mom
• • The Travel Mom
  • Trafalgar

Thursday, April 23

• Silambam Houston highlights the beauty of Indian classical dance at the Hobby Center
• • Silambam Houston
• A preview of Great Age on the Green, Houston’s new festival celebrating aging boldly
• • Great Age on the Green
• Kids learn money the fun way with Financial Fortunes card game
• • Financial Fortunes Card Game
• Teeing off for the LPGA’s first major of the season - The Chevron Championship
• • The Chevron Championship

Wednesday, April 22

• Houston is driving the Biotech future - starting with students
• • Texas Medical Center BioPath Program
• From ‘Dance Moms’ to the stage and page: Nia Sioux’s next act
• • Follow Nia Sioux on Instagram
• From ‘Dance Moms’ to the stage and page: Nia Sioux’s next act
• • Nia Sioux’s Memoir “Bottom of the Pyramid”
• Wildflowers, western heritage, and a Mother’s Day to remember at The George Ranch
• The George Ranch

Tuesday, April 21

• Orchid care 101: Simple tricks to keep your orchids blooming longer
• • Ace Berry
  • Flora & More
• Affordable luxury: New upholstered bed collection unveiled at Texas Mattress Makers
• • Texas Mattress Makers
• Music, food and rodeo fun for all at the Galveston County Fair & Rodeo
• • Galveston County Fair & Rodeo
• Texas Dental Implant Center

Monday, April 20

• Robins Landing Neighborhood Floor Plans - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Homeownership Process - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Volunteering - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• ReStore - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Third Ward - Houston Habitat for Humanity

Friday, April 17

• ‘Houston Life’ is live today at the Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market Spring
• • Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market® SPRING
  • Dog Collar World
  • Linked by Stevi
  • The Hive
  • Big Creek Farms
  • EK The Boutique
  • House of Cottonwood
  • ParkerJoe

Thursday, April 16

• TUTS presents ‘Monty Python’s Spamalot’ rides into the Hobby Center
• • Monty Python’s Spamalot at TUTS Tickets
• One ticket, endless fun at the Galveston County Fair and Rodeo
• • Galveston County Fair and Rodeo
• Carpet Giant celebrates 50 years of proudly serving generations of Houstonians
• • Carpet Giant Website (mention Houston Life to get $150 off your purchase of $1,000)
• Faith ‘One Arm Wonder’ Malton and Zack ‘Pitbull’ Ruhl rappel 30 stories for non-profit Camp For All
• • Camp For All
  • Faith Malton

Wednesday, April 15

• Brush up on your makeup routine at Blushington River Oaks
• • Houston Life Deals (Get 20% off beauty services at Blushington River Oaks)
  • Blushington River Oaks
• The King himself shares how to save 20% on tickets to the Texas Renaissance Festival
• • Texas Renaissance Festival
• Ethan’s Ohana
• Cube Against Cancer 2026 Houston
• Cube Against Cancer
• Fortis College

Tuesday, April 14

• Former Texans WR Steven Sims Jr. to host FREE youth football camp
• • Must See Foundation
• Why it’s not just the generator - it’s the company behind it
• • Gen Pro
• How the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce helps local companies grow
• • Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Step Onward Foundation uses music to fight homelessness in Texas
• • Step Onward Foundation
  • Sunday Funday Community Celebration

Monday, April 13

• Robins Landing Neighborhood Floor Plans - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Homeownership Process - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Volunteering - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• ReStore - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Third Ward - Houston Habitat for Humanity

Friday, April 10

• Your guide to the Houston Barbecue Festival this weekend: Top pitmasters, unlimited BBQ samples, and more
• • Houston BBQ Festival
• Texas CASA’s partner agencies train volunteers to be a voice and a lifeline for children in the foster care system
• • Become a CASA
• ‘Grow the Game’ Initiative expands soccer access in Houston ahead of the World Cup with Guinness World Records attempt
• • Airbnb GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™
• Houston’s Garden Theatre celebrates 5 years with Stephen Sondheim’s “Company”
• • The Garden Theatre
• Father daughter duo Steve Zahn and Audrey Zahn chat new film ‘She Dances’

Thursday, April 9

• The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary kicks off 22nd annual ‘Chic Boutique’
• • Chic Boutique
• Aramie Payton brings Broadway pedigree to Alley Theatre’s revival of “Fences”
• • Alley Theatre
• Layoff leads Houston creator to viral small business mission
• • Follow David on Instagram
• At just 19, Jalyn Hall is stepping into his moment
• • NBC’s “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins”
• KPRC 2’s “Eat Like a Local”

Wednesday, April 8

• Houston Underwater Film Festival returns this weekend with stunning ocean films 🌊🌊
• • School, college and scuba students: claim a free ticket by emailing huff@hups.org
  • Houston Underwater Film Festival Tickets
• Celebrate Earth Month by sipping sustainably!
• • Wine and Travel Contributor Daniela Garrido
• Shred Day Houston: Safely destroy documents and fight hunger on April 18
• • Comerica Shred Day Houston
• Trade-show-tested home picks: Coffee, Water, Bidets and Moving Gear
• • Kathryn Emery Home Improvement & Lifestyle Expert
• A kid’s guide to top play picks to cut screen time and spark creativity
• • Kid-trepreneur Dylan Emery

Tuesday, April 7

• Grand Marshals Kam Franklin & Brian Ching preview the 39th annual Art Car Parade
• • Houston Art Car Parade
• This Texas artist is turning Titanic artifacts into art
• • Souls of the Titanic
• In Houston, Your Windows May Not Last as Long—Here’s What to Know (and What to Do About It)
• • Pella Windows and Doors
• Houston’s Trillest Chef bringing bold flavors of H-Town the national stage
• • Follow Chef Machete on Instagram
• Texas Dental Implant Center

Monday, April 6

• Houston’s Garden Theatre celebrates 5 years with Stephen Sondheim’s “Company”
• • The Garden Theatre
• Sysco’s World Cup-themed food show is a preview of how Houston plans to feed the world
• • Sysco World Cup-themed food show
• The Houston Art Car Parade

Friday, April 3

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• WWE Wrestler Je’Von Evans
• WWE Monday Night Raw at Toyota Center Tickets
• IBEW Local 66
• KPRC 2’s “Eat Like a Local”

Thursday, April 2

• Disney on Ice
• The Chevron Championship
• Maxine Sharf brings ‘Maxi’s Kitchen’ to Houston Life with her mom
• • Follow Maxine Sharf on Instagram
  • "Maxi’s Kitchen: Easy Go-To Recipes to Make Again and Again"
• Father daughter duo Steve Zahn and Audrey Zahn chat new film ‘She Dances’

Wednesday, April 1

• Spring gets sweeter with two easy recipes: Carrot cupcake and blueberry crumble bun
• • Follow Cookbook Author Florence Jackson on Instagram
• This Houston Restaurant Hasn’t Raised Prices Since Its Food Truck Days
• • Black Restaurant Week
  • Chitalian Pizzeria
• Tarot, the Fool card and finding meaning on Derrick’s birthday (April Fool’s Day)
• • Tarot Card Reader Amber Ambrose
• Theatre Under the Stars presents ‘Back to the Future: The Musical’ through April 5th
• • TUTS “Back to the Future: The Musical”

Tuesday, March 31

• Send Well Wishes to Tessa on her last day
• • Tessa Barrera announces she’s leaving ‘Houston Life’
• Calling all book lovers: Houston indie bookstore crawl returns for its third year of literary adventure
• • 2026 Houston Bookstore Crawl
• Preview the 13th annual Insperity Invitational presented by United Healthcare
• • Insperity Invitational
• Texas roots and coastal growth, how the Oyster Bros in Palacios are redefining the gulf oyster
• • Oyster Bros
• Goodtaste with Tanji Patton

Monday, March 30

• How Autism Moms of Houston became a lifeline for families raising children who are neurodivergent
• • Autism Moms of Houston
  • Autism Awareness Festival
• An offer fit for a new you! Grab the Alloy Personal Training Houston Life Deal
• • Alloy Personal Training Houston
  • Houston Life Deals
• Who’s responsible when a child is hurt at daycare?
• • Bivona Law
• At just 19, Jalyn Hall is stepping into his moment
• • NBC’s “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins”

Friday, March 27

• Family fun, charity, & of course golf shine at Texas Children’s Houston Open ⛳
• • Texas Children’s Houston Open
  • TCHO Cleats for Kids

Wednesday, March 25

• Tessa Barrera announces she’s leaving ‘Houston Life’
• Plan aims to turn Garden Oaks Theater into an arts hub before it’s too late
• • Save the Garden Oaks Theater
• Fore! Preview the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open
• • Texas Children’s Houston Open
• Women, Wealth, and breaking ‘The Success Lie’
• • Chantell Preston
  • “The Success Lie” by Chantell Preston
• McGovern Allergy & Asthma Clinic
• Gexa Energy

Tuesday, March 24

• From puppy playtime to pesky nipping, helpful springtime tips for dog owners
• • Stephanie Bennett’s Believe in Dog Training
• How one Houston program is helping kids discover confidence—and their future
• • Sam Houston Area Council Boy Scouts of America
• Houston Ballet’s Busy Spring: Nutcracker Market, Sons de L’âme & YAGP Finals
• • Houston Ballet
• Breaking barriers and popping corks with CEO and Master Sommelier June Rodil
• • Master Sommelier June Rodil
  • Goodnight Hospitality

Monday, March 23

• Blooming Wonders at ARTECHOUSE
• • Spring arrives at ARTECHOUSE Houston with ‘Blooming Wonders’
• Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Trusted Dental Implant Care in Houston — Board-Certified Periodontist Helps Complex Cases
• Disability Attorney Marc Whitehead
• • Expert tax advice: Are your Social Security and Disability benefits taxable?
• Allied Outdoor Solutions
• • From basic to beautiful: See this stunning backyard transformation in Weston Lakes

Thursday, March 19

• Springtime fun at the Houston Zoo
• • Zoo Bloom
  • All you can Zoo
  • Saving the Galápagos Islands

Wednesday, March 18

• Houston Latino Film Festival celebrates 10 Years with Cheech Marin
• • Houston Latino Film Festival
• Find the good vibes every weekend for Jazzy Sundays in the Parks
• • Jazzy Sundays in the Parks
• Get to know Dash rising star, Avery Patterson
• • Houston Dash
• Kevin Williamson makes fans SCREAM all over again in latest franchise installation
• • Kevin Williamson
• Self Employed? Tax Filing Moves That Help You Qualify for a Mortgage
• • Habayit Home Loans
  • Mortgage Expert Rich Bonn’s Upcoming Webinar

Tuesday, March 17

• Houston’s Mezclada Dance Company blends hip hop, Latin and contemporary dance forms into high-energy performances
• • Performing Arts Houston New/Now featuring Mezclada Dance Company
• METRO rolls out systemwide changes: A first look at the new technology to help streamline your ride
• • Metro Houston
• Houston Life Deals: Fun & savings for the entire family
• • HoustonLifeDeals.com
• Frontier Utilities teams with Kids’ Meals Houston to pack thousands of meals
• • Frontier Utilities

Monday, March 16

• Affordable rodeo-ready outfits you can find at Target this season
• • Target.com
• Houston’s growing need for linemen: Why the trade pays and how to start
• • IBEW Local 66
• ET hosts Nischelle Turner and Kevin Frazier share highlights from the 98th Academy Awards
• • Entertainment Tonight Oscars Coverage
• Houston Ballet principal dancer Karina González brings Frida Kahlo to life in Broken Wings
• • “Broken Wings” at Houston Ballet Tickets
• The Largest Indoor Waterpark in the U.S.? It’s Just a Road Trip from Houston
• • Kalahari Resorts and Conventions

Friday, March 13

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Houston Life Deals: Fun & savings for the entire family
• Outriding the Devil: Angela Ganter’s incredible rodeo comeback
• • Outriding the Devil premieres at River Oaks Theatre
• ‘Aliens’ 40th anniversary cast reunion and more at Pop Culture Con 2026
• • Pop Culture Con
• Alley Theatre brings Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” to Houston with a fresh twist
• • “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Alley Theatre Tickets
• Bounce your way to better fitness: trampoline workouts in West U
• • Motiv Fitness at West University
• Moon 2 Mars Festival returns to Space Center Houston with out-of-this-world fun and concerts this spring break
• • Space Center Houston

Thursday, March 12

• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to see Tim McGraw at RODEOHOUSTON
• The Birthday Joy Program helps kids in foster care, shelters and group homes celebrate their special day
• • the Birthday Joy Program Website
• Inside “The Feminine Universe” Houston’s new all-women immersive art experience
• • The Feminine Universe Art Show Tickets
• Bring the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo home with these sips and bites
• • Entertaining Expert Paul Zahn
• Spring is in full swing at CITYCENTRE Houston
• • CITYCENTRE
• Kalahari Resorts and Conventions

Tuesday, March 10

• Enjoy Spring Break at the Houston Museum of Natural Science
• • Houston Museum of Natural Science
• Honoring the fallen & recognizing community heroes
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
  • BP America
• Houston author Margie Seaman proves it is never too late to chase a dream
• • Margie Seaman
  • “Someday Is Our Horizon” by Margie Seaman on Amazon

Monday, March 9

• NestFest beach cleanup invites volunteers to protect nesting sea turtles on the Galveston Coast
• From bumper boats to STEAM activities, enjoy a FUNonmenal spring break at Discovery Green
• • FUNomenal Spring Break at Discovery Green
• This veteran-owned business is helping Houstonians keep the heat the out and the savings in with new windows
• • The Window Source
• You’ve been diagnosed with cancer, now what? Non-profit CanCare pairs you with survivors who can help
• • CanCare
• Spring Break Staycation: Why The Travel Mom says Houston families love Great Wolf Lodge
• • The Travel Mom
  • Great Wolf Lodge

Friday, March 6

• Houston Life Deals
• Pickle vs. anime: Largest pickle festival in Texas comes to Rosenberg with anime-inspired food
• • In A Pickle Festival
• Expedia’s 2026 Air Hacks: Best days to book, when to fly and top savings
• • Expedia Air Hacks Report
• The Parking Spot making airport parking a breeze
• • The Parking Spot
• A rustic dream venue just outside Houston
• • Country Oaks Venue
• Rare Texas artifacts step out ‘From the Vault’ at The Bryan Museum
• • The Bryan Museum
• Rhythm Energy Question of the Week

Thursday, March 5

• Gold Buckle Foodie Awards at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Houston Life Deals
• Avoiding vacation headaches: New Vrbo survey on group travel reveals common pet peeves
• • Vrbo
• Houston wellness trend: A local body sculpting technique focused on lymphatic health
• • The Tox
• Catching up with Russell Dickerson ahead of debut RODEOHOUSTON performance
• • RODEOHOUSTON

Wednesday, March 4

• Houston Life Deals
• Moon 2 Mars Festival returns to Space Center Houston with out-of-this-world fun and concerts this spring break
• • Space Center Houston
• What to Wear to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: Your Ultimate Style Guide 
• • Boot Barn
• Destin-Fort Walton Beach, more than beaches: reefs, fishing, little adventures
• • Visit Destin-Fort Walton Beach
• Baz Luhrmann’s ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’ gives fans a front-row seat to The King
• • “EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert” Film

Tuesday, March 3

• Diana Ross coming to Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
• Learn about the untold history of Black baseball
• • Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy
• Houston Life Deals
• Modern dental implants give Houston patients natural, comfortable smiles
• • Texas Dental Implant Center
• Houston native Kyrie McAlpin Talks ‘The Burbs’, Keke Palmer & a very Seth MacFarlane Christmas party

Monday, March 2

• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• • Houston Life kicks off opening day at 2026 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Suits & Boot Injury Lawyers

Friday, February 27

• Gabriel Basso takes us behind the scenes of Netflix’s ‘The Night Agent’
• • Netflix’s “The Night Agent”
• Mudbug Mania: Tanji Patton celebrates crawfish season in Houston
• • Goodtaste with Tanji Patton
  • Crawfish Shack
  • Crawfish Hideaway
• Theatre Under The Stars reveals 2026-27 season with Broadway tours & local shows
• • Theatre Under the Stars
• Boot Barn
• What to see and do in Malta — beaches, history and booking tips from The Travel Mom
• • The Travel Mom

Thursday, February 26

• Diana Ross at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for a chance to see Creed perform at RodeoHouston
• Get a peek inside RodeoHouston’s World Championship BBQ Cookoff
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Soulful river cruises that connect Black travelers to heritage and culture
• • AmaWaterways Soulful Experience River Cruise
• Houston Life Deals
• Allied Outdoor Solutions
• HCC Southeast College

Wednesday, February 25

• Behind the scenes of TUTS’ ‘Million Dollar Quartet’
• • Tickets to ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ at Theatre Under the Stars
• Houston influencers share their best thrifting tips for Rodeo
• • Find your nearest Goodwill store
• Plan the ultimate spring break getaway for everyone at Moody Gardens
• • Moody Gardens
• Ride along: METRO Police Chief explains new safety measures for Houston transit
• • Metro Houston

Tuesday, February 24

• Spring Break, but make it San Antonio
• • Visit San Antonio
• Alley Theatre’s ‘English’ explores identity, belonging, and the weight of learning a new language
• • Tickets to ‘English’ at Alley Theatre
• Looking for a Career Change? Here’s How You Could Be Job-Ready in 10 Months
• • Learn more about programs at United Education Institute Houston

Monday, February 23 (WE ARE BACK!!!)

• Indian Film Festival of Houston celebrates France with film, food and culture
• • Indian Film Festival of Houston Website
• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for a chance to see Riley Green perform at RodeoHouston
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Chris Hemsworth will keep you on the edge of your seat in ‘Crime 101’
• • “Crime 101” Movie Times
• Modern dental implants give Houston patients natural, comfortable smiles
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

February 6 - 20

• Houston is off air due to the Winter Olympics, but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop entertaining you. Be sure to follow us on social media to see all the HL fun. We’ll be back Feb. 23.
• • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Thursday, February 5

• Papa Johns Pizza
• The Cody Stephens Foundation saves lives with free heart screenings for young athletes
• • Cody Stephens Foundation
• Get ready for the return of the one and only Monster Jam in Houston
• • Tickets to Monster Jam at NRG Stadium
• Getting your best night’s sleep: How the latest materials and technology can help you sleep better
• • Texas Mattress Makers
• What is an “Orphan Generator”? And why it could put Houston homes at risk during an outage
• • GenPro.com
• Follow Mersha the Mini Panther on Instagram (Use MERSHA20 to get a discount at PrettyLitter)

Wednesday, February 4

• Simon & Garfunkel Story at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• Behind the scenes of ‘Real Women Have Curves’ on stage at Alley Theatre
• • Tickets to ‘Real Women Have Curves’ at Alley Theatre
• Decoding body language: How to spot liars, read subtle signals, and communicate with confidence
• • Jan Hargrave
• In the Kitchen with Kroger: Why they are your one stop shop for the Big Game and Valentine’s Day
• • Kroger

Tuesday, February 3

• MFAH’s new exhibit explores Frida Kahlo’s lasting legacy
• • ‘Frida: The Making of an Icon’ at MFAH
• United Way of Greater Houston’s 211: Help is one call away
• • United Way of Greater Houston’s 211 Helpline
• After the freeze - now what? How to care for perennials and shrubs in Houston
• • Gardening with Skip
  • Houston Home and Garden Show
• Go back in time at Popfancy Dessert Bar’s new retro 80’s sci-fi arcade cafe
• • Popfancy Fan Cafe

Monday, February 2

• Kenny G at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• The relationship advice that helps couples feel closer — even during hard conversations
• • Connection Expert Jenn Pinkerton
  • Connectin Cards Couples Edition on Amazon
• Paris Hilton’s “Infinite Icon”
• Arandas Bakery
• Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, January 30

• Monster Energy Supercross heads into Houston featuring the world’s fastest racers
• • Monster Energy Supercross at NRG Stadium This Weekend
• From Trinidad and Tobago to Top Chef: Tristen Epps’ journey is rooted in culture
• • Chef Tristen Epps
  • A Classically Black Dinner - Vibrant + Modern + African
• Few physicians leave a legacy like this: Houston honors cancer pioneer Dr. Philip Salem
• • Salem Oncology Center
• The Travel Mom: Family-Friendly Wave-Season Deals from Princess
• • The Travel Mom
  • Princess Cruises

Thursday, January 29

• The Simon & Garfunkel Story at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• Former KPRC 2 reporter shares ‘With Love From Harlem’: The story behind America’s First Black power couple
• • ReShonda Tate’s new book ‘With Love from Harlem’
• American Home Buyer
• How personalized aesthetics - Botox, fillers & lasers - can help you age better
• • Anti Age Institute
• The cast of ‘Bridgerton’ takes us behind-the-scenes of the ton for season 4
• • Netflix’s Bridgerton Season 4

Wednesday, January 28

• KPRC 2’s new evening anchor Stephania Jimenez makes her Houston debut with passion and purpose
• • Follow Stephania on her KPRC 2 Instagram Account
• Cars, boats and more: What to know about this year’s Houston AutoBoative Show 2026
• • Houston Autoboative Show (Save $20 with Family Four Pack Option)
• Get a taste of Old Town Katy with Tanji Patton of Goodtaste TV
• • Goodtaste with Tanji Patton
  • Peanut Butter Pie from Southern Dough
  • Southern Dough Baking Co.
  • Humble Grounds Coffeehouse
  • Harvest Kitchen & Bakery
• A Family Business Built on Trust: Luke’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning Serves Houston for Over 30 Years
• • Luke’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning

Tuesday, January 27

• Remembering the iconic artist David Adickes on his 99th birthday and his lasting legacy in Houston
• • David Adickes Art Website
  • Follow ‘Adickes Art’ on Instagram
• Plan a Vacation Day: Experts share 2026 travel trends and how to protect your trip
• • The Travel Mom
  • Follow The Travel Mom Emily Kaufman on Instagram
  • Travel Guard Insurance
• Texans Serving Texans: Gexa Energy gives back
• • Gexa Energy
• Bill Skarsgård steps beyond horror roots in new film, ‘Dead Man’s Wire’

Monday, January 26

• Houston relationship and intimacy expert dishes on the small relationship habits that make love last
• • Houston Relationship Therapy
  • VIVID Relationships app
• Crawfish & Noodles gearing up for a busy crawfish season
• • Crawfish & Noodles
• Traveling smarter in 2026: What travel experts say to book now
• • Travel Expert Jeanenne Tornatore
  • Follow the Outside Insider on Instagram

Friday, January 23

• Discover why Sam Houston Race Park is a top spot for family outings with “Houston Life”
• • Sam Houston Race Park
  • Corgi Races
  • Shannon Jewelers Presents Diamond Dig
  • Wiener Dog Races

Thursday, January 22

• WEIGH IN: What are your must have products during a freeze?
• Cars, boats and more: What to know about this year’s Houston AutoBoative Show 2026
• • Houston Autoboative Show (Save $20 with Family Four Pack Option)
• Honoring Dr. Philip A. Salem for innovations in cancer care and research
• • Salem Oncology Center
• Bert Kreischer talks fatherhood, fame, and his new scripted comedy series, “Free Bert”
• • Netflix’s “Free Bert”
• Last chance to enjoy the Green Mountain Energy Ice at Discovery Green
• • Ice at Discovery Green

Wednesday, January 21

• Seth Rogen, Ike Barinholtz & Chase Sui Wonders chat comedy series ‘The Studio’
• • Apple Tv+’s ‘The Studio’
• Allied Outdoor Solutions
• Living Designs Furniture
• The Women’s Resource empowers women and girls through free financial and career coaching services
• • The Women’s Resource
• Houston woman helps bring Black cowboy history to PBS
• • Alma’s Way on PBS Kids
  • Black Cowboy Coalition

Friday, January 16

• School Makes You Super: KPRC-TV reporter and mom Haley Hernandez debuts first children’s book to ease school anxiety
• • Buy ‘School Makes You Super" here
• Children’s Museum Houston celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• • MLK Day Celebration at Children’s Museum Houston
• Two experts explain why Key Largo, Florida should be on your 2026 travel list
• • The Travel Mom
• The man known as “the human lie detector” works to keep serial killers behind bars
• • Killer Confessions

Thursday, January 15

• Young voices, lasting legacy: Houston students honor Dr. King in 30th Annual Oratory Competition
• • Foley MLK Jr. Oratory Competition
• Breaking through the plateau with Dr. Ian Smith’s ‘The Last 15′
• • Follow Dr. Ian Smith on Instagram
  • Purchase “The Last 15″ on Amazon
• Mindful eating tips and a pesto vinaigrette recipe to kickstart a healthier new year
• • Leaf & Grain
• Stay powered and protected with GenPro.com, Houston’s premier generator specialists
• • Call or log on to book an estimate and receive a functional mini generator worth $50 for FREE

Wednesday, January 14

• Check out the fun, food and giveaways for Houston Rockets fans this week
• • Houston Rockets Game Day Tickets
• A Kroger pharmacist’s guide to everyday wellness in 2026
• • Enter for a chance to win a Kroger gift card
  • Kroger
• Mix-MATCH Festival returns with over 20 performances celebrating Houston’s creative spirit
• • Tickets to 3rd Annual Mix-MATCH Festival
  • Daisies & Pancakes

Tuesday, January 13

• Kick off the new year with magic: Magician Curt Miller returns with his show “The Conjurer”
• • Curt Miller
  • Tickets to The Conjurer: An Intimate Magical Experience with Curt Miller
• Brad Meltzer Book Signing
• • Follow Brad Meltzer on Instagram
• Innovative Lasers of Houston

Monday, January 12

• Turn to tea this year to slow down, reset, and satisfy without regrets
• • Tea Please
• The Travel Mom: Family fun at Knott’s Berry Farm - a California getaway everyone will love
• • The Travel Mom
  • Visit Buena Park
  • Knott’s Berry Farm
• Pet adoption events for the new year at Fort Bend County Animal Services
• • Fort Bend County Animal Services
• New Year, New Smile: AI-driven smile design at Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, January 9

• Shop The Sale Houston with proceeds benefitting childhood cancer research
• • The Sale Houston
• A new chapter begins: Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones chat about their new pairing
• • TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle
• Former radio personality, Sarah Pepper returns to Texas to emcee 2026 Chevron Houston Marathon
• • Follow Sarah Pepper on Instagram

Thursday, January 8

• Belle comes to Houston - Kyra Belle Johnson stars in Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ now at the Hobby Center
• • Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” Tickets at Hobby Center
• Mathew Knowles launches new Destiny’s Child nationwide tribute tour; Houston is first stop
• • Destiny’s Child: Iconic Reimagined Tribute Tickets
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Wednesday, January 7

• The story behind Luke’s Plumbing and Air Conditioning serving Houstonians since 1991
• • Luke’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning
• Where karaoke meets claw machines: Welcome to Klaw‑Oke Kingdom in Pearland
• • Klaw-Oke Kingdom
• Brace yourself, the 1993 Oilers vs. Bills game is featured in new docuseries ‘Don’t Call it a Comeback’
• • VICE TV’s “Don’t Call It A Comeback”
• New Year, Strong Start: EōS Fitness Experts Share Tips to Crush 2026 Goals
• • EōS Fitness

Tuesday, January 6

• Houston bagel pros talk schmear, slices and specials ahead of National Bagel Day
• • Bagel Shop Bakery
• Comedian Chinedu Ogu takes H-Town-rooted comedy on a national tour
• • Chinedu at Punch Line Houston
• Start your new year weight loss journey at Health Solutions and Weightloss
• • Health Solutions and Weightloss
• Enroll Now: Key deadlines and tips for 2026 Marketplace coverage
• • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Monday, January 5

• Rosca de Reyes Season is here - and this Houston bakery is busy
• • Arandas Bakery
• Damp or Dry January? These non-alcoholic wines actually taste like wine
• • Daniela Garrido | Wine and Travel Expert
• New Year, New Smile: AI-driven smile design at Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Texas Dental Implant Center
• Freeze Miser

Friday, January 2

• Tough but fair: NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas visits Houston Life
• • NBC Nightly News
  • Tom Llamas
• Tarot Card Reader Amber Ambrose
• Opening weekend kicks off at Sam Houston Race Park TODAY!
• • Sam Houston Race Park

Thursday, January 1

• New Year’s fitness made simple: Tips and a low-impact workout for beginners
• • Hoodfit
• Chantell Preston
• HiFi at The Finn

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The U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles filed a motion Monday to dismiss its case against David Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union California, which has more than 750,000 members including janitors, security officers and other workers. The government will seek to have the case permanently withdrawn within weeks if Huerta continues to comply with the terms of his pretrial release and stays out of trouble, prosecutors said.

Huerta said in a statement that he was tackled, pepper-sprayed and detained for exercising his constitutional rights to protest and cast the case against him as part of a broader “weaponization of the judicial system.”

“There was never a real case, only an attempt to punish and silence me for exercising my constitutional rights,” he said in a statement. “I will keep exercising my constitutional rights and protest every abuse this administration commits, and I will keep working to build a country that treats immigrant families and all workers with the dignity they deserve.”

The case will be dismissed by the end of August if compliance continues

The Justice Department had earlier reduced the felony obstruction charge to a misdemeanor, and in moving to dismiss it entirely, is now backing away entirely from a prosecution that had been announced with fanfare on social media after Huerta's arrest more than a year ago. It's the latest courtroom setback for a department that has struggled, in offices across the country, in its prosecutions of people accused of assaulting or hindering federal officers while protesting President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

The U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles signaled in its own statement that law enforcement was justified in arresting Huerta, noting that he was charged with interfering with a judicial search warrant and asserting that the Justice Department does not arrest people for simply peacefully protesting. The office also said that Huerta has complied with the terms of his bond for more than a year and was prepared to dismiss the case if he continues to do so.

“Pursuant to an agreement entered into with our office, if Mr. Huerta continues to comply with his pretrial release terms, we expect the criminal case against him to be fully dismissed by the end of next month,” the statement said.

Huerta was arrested in June 2025 while protesting outside a business in Los Angeles where federal agents were investigating suspected immigration violations. The incident occurred amid widespread protests over the federal immigration crackdown that drove Trump to take the extraordinary move of deploying the National Guard to the nation’s second-largest city.

Authorities said Huerta sat down in front of a vehicular gate and encouraged others to walk in circles to try to prevent law enforcement from going in or out, and he pushed back when an officer told him to leave and put his hands on Huerta to move him out of the way of a vehicle.

According to a copy of a letter laying out the terms of Huerta’s diversion agreement, Huerta and the government agreed to a stipulated set of facts, including that he arrived at the search warrant location, positioned himself in the driveway outside the front gate “to oppose the policies and tactics of the enforcement activity he observed and encouraged others to do the same” and that, as a result, “at least one federal agent” who participated in the search warrant “credibly believed he was unable to enter the front gate.”

Huerta’s arrest brought pushback from advocates and senators

Union leaders and immigrant advocates rallied in cities across the country demanding Huerta's release, and he became the face of the pushback against the Republican president's effort to drive up immigration arrests. Top Democrats also fired back. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and California’s two Democratic senators wrote a letter to federal officials demanding answers regarding Huerta’s arrest. California Sen. Adam Schiff attended Huerta’s bond hearing.

“It is deeply troubling that a U.S. citizen, union leader, and upstanding member of the Los Angeles community continues to be detained by the federal government for exercising his rights to observe immigration enforcement,” the senators wrote.

Federal prosecutors initially charged Huerta with felony obstruction, with Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, saying that it didn't matter who was protesting "if you impede federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted.” In October, prosecutors reduced the charge against Huerta to a misdemeanor.

Huerta’s lawyers, Abbe Lowell and Marilyn Bednarski, said in a statement that the case against their client had no legal basis.

“This case, like others, sought to silence criticism of the administration’s improper immigration actions. Today’s filing is proof that David and other critics will not be silenced,” the lawyers said.

Trump has repeatedly urged Thune to scrap the legislative filibuster, which effectively sets a 60-vote threshold for most legislation in the 100-member Senate, or find another workaround to pass the voting bill, known as the SAVE America Act. But Republicans hold only a 53-47 majority, and Thune has consistently said they don’t have the votes to pass the bill or change the rules to get around the filibuster.

“John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to ‘leave town’ until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER,” Trump wrote on social media.

He later insisted to reporters Monday that he has a good relationship with the Senate majority leader but said Thune has “got to get his job done.”

It's the latest escalation in a monthslong pressure campaign by Trump and others in the GOP base to pass the SAVE Act ahead of the midterms. A small but vocal group of Republican senators has also increasingly pressed Thune to find a way forward.

Thune responded Monday afternoon, telling reporters he would be supportive of cancelling the break if there was a path forward on the legislation.

“We voted on it one, two, three, four, five times already,” said Thune, who counted each number on his hand for reporters. “Show me how this ends. What’s the picture of victory at the end?”

House Republicans have also attempted to create another path for the legislation through the budget reconciliation process, which would allow grant money associated with voting rules to pass the Senate with a simple majority.

The House last week approved a budget framework that included $10 billion for voting-related changes aligned with the SAVE America Act. But Thune has said Republicans don’t currently have the votes for that approach, either.

Trump's pressure comes during an important period

The fight threatens to complicate the Senate's final legislative sprint before the August break, when Thune had hoped to focus on a long list of priorities that includes government funding, cryptocurrency legislation and sanctions on Russia. The August break, scheduled to start on Aug. 7, is a pivotal stretch for senators to return home and campaign ahead of the midterm elections.

Several Republican senators are facing competitive races, including Maine Sen. Susan Collins, Ohio Sen. Jon Husted and Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority. Republicans are confronting broader political headwinds as well, including an unpopular war in Iran, surging gas prices and costs that remain high for voters.

Thune has enjoyed broad support from his GOP conference all year as he’s pushed back on Trump’s demands. He previously kept the SAVE Act on the Senate floor for weeks in an effort to build additional support, but was unable to secure the votes needed to advance it.

“You can stay here until the cows come home and it’s not going to change anything,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican who lost a primary earlier this year to a Trump-backed candidate. “We keep overpromising and underdelivering, which is not a recipe for voter morale or high voter participation in the midterm elections.”

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he believes Thune’s position on SAVE is reflective of the majority of the GOP conference.

“The president has to look at the reality: The majority of Republican members support John Thune,” Tillis said. “I don’t even think it’s close."

Trump allies challenge Thune’s approach

Utah Sen. Mike Lee, who has led the push for the bill in the Senate, escalated his pressure late last week, warning that how Republicans handle the SAVE America Act “could impact not only the November midterm elections, but also the Senate GOP leadership elections.”

“Leaders must lead. And if they don’t, they’re not leaders,” Lee wrote on social media Friday.

Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said he believes Thune is “being a bit too cautious right now.”

“At some point, you have to vote,” Kennedy said.

Frustrated by the pressure when he doesn’t have a route to pass the bill, Thune has urged Trump, Lee and others to help him find the votes. Trump on Friday said he'd “certainly be willing” to help call senators.

Asked last week if Trump is frustrated with Thune, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that "his patience is running out.” But Trump told reporters on Air Force Once Monday while traveling to an event in Michigan, that he hasn’t “even thought” about potential replacements for Thune.

The late-summer dispute echoes a similar fight before last year’s August recess, when Trump pressed Thune to keep senators in Washington to clear a backlog of his nominees. The Senate ultimately left town without a deal after negotiations with Democrats collapsed.

The SAVE America Act would create new national rules

The SAVE America Act, which stands for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, would require Americans to prove they are citizens when they register to vote, mostly through a valid U.S. passport or birth certificate. It would also require a valid photo identification before voters can cast ballots, which some states already demand.

Voting experts have said the bill could disenfranchise some 20 million American voters who don’t have birth certificates or other documents readily available.

Trump has made it his legislative priority in 2026, saying it would “guarantee the midterms" and falsely claimed that election cheating is “rampant.” He previously declined to sign any other legislation until it was passed.

According to Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman, deputies responded Sunday to the 15000 block of Darby Retreat Lane after receiving a request for a welfare check.

When deputies arrived, they found evidence indicating someone had been held captive inside the home and had escaped, Herman said. Investigators later located the victim nearby and transported her to a hospital for medical treatment.

Investigators with the constable’s Special Victims Unit identified the suspect as Warren Brown, who was already being held in the Harris County Jail on unrelated warrants.

Brown has now been charged with aggravated kidnapping. Court records show his bond was denied.

Previous family violence case involved same victim, records show

Court records show Brown also faces a felony charge of assault of a family or household member with a previous conviction involving the same woman identified as the kidnapping victim.

According to charging documents, the alleged assault happened June 23 in the parking lot of a business in the 1100 block of West Road.

Investigators said the woman had arranged for an Uber ride after meeting Brown to pick up their 1-year-old son.

The Uber driver told investigators he saw the woman running away from Brown while carrying the child’s car seat. He said Brown grabbed and attacked her, prompting him to intervene.

The driver told investigators Brown punched him multiple times in the face and body and threatened to kill him before stopping the assault when he saw the woman leaving with her child. Brown then ran toward the vehicle carrying the woman and child, according to court records.

The Uber driver suffered injuries, and Brown was charged with misdemeanor assault causing bodily injury.

Brown gave investigators a different account

According to court records, Brown told investigators he saw the woman remove their son from his vehicle and run toward another vehicle.

Brown said he wrapped his arms around the woman while holding onto the child’s car seat before the Uber driver tackled him, causing everyone to fall to the ground.

He admitted striking the Uber driver an unknown number of times.

Woman told investigators she was pregnant

Charging documents state the woman told investigators Brown entered his vehicle after she got inside to retrieve their child and repeatedly struck her in the head and back.

She told investigators she was eight weeks pregnant at the time and was taken to Willowbrook Methodist Hospital because of an elevated heart rate.

According to court records, the woman initially told investigators she did not wish to pursue criminal charges.

Neighbors describe large law enforcement presence

Neighbors told KPRC 2 they noticed a heavy law enforcement presence at the home Sunday as deputies investigated.

“I’ve been in Cypress for about 20 years now. I’ve raised my kids here, but my youngest is in college now. This is just not something that we’re used to, and it is a bit on the frightening side,” one neighbor said.

Authorities have not released additional details about how long the victim was allegedly held or the circumstances surrounding her escape.

The investigation remains ongoing.

The video released Monday is the latest public plea from the journalist about 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie since her disappearance on Feb. 1 from her home just outside Tucson, Arizona. Savannah Guthrie said her family will never stop looking for her.

“The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and I know that you have tried to do things the right way,” she said. “So I’m asking you, begging you, to do the right thing now. Make the right choice. Help us find her. Tell us where to look for her. I truly believe it is never too late to do the right thing.”

Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will on Feb. 1. They found blood near the front doorstep of her home just outside Tucson, and the FBI later released surveillance videos showing a masked man on the porch that night.

Volunteers and search teams scoured the nearby desert terrain filled with cactuses, bushes and boulders in the weeks after she vanished. A volunteer group recently searched for her body near the Arizona-Mexico border. Authorities have not said how many purported ransom demands were made after Guthrie’s disappearance, though three news organizations reported receiving such notes and turned them over to investigators.

The FBI has discounted some of the ransom notes as nothing more than extortion attempts, but said it’s still evaluating others that might be legitimate. The federal agency hasn’t specified which ransom notes might be genuine.

Savannah Guthrie has previously made a series of social media postings about her mother after she went missing. In the days after the disappearance, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings acknowledged they were aware of media reports of a supposed ransom letter and were ready to talk and listen, but wanted proof their mother was alive. Weeks later, Savannah Guthrie said her family was offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of her mother. She also acknowledged for the first time that her mother might not be alive, but added that there was still hope.

Incoming seniors Emmanuel Wieczorek, Ananya Menon, Antonio Psyllos and Haasini Yatagiri of The Village School created Next Use a student-run business that transforms donated plastic grocery bags into handcrafted tote bags and pouches.

Inspired by the growing problem of plastic pollution, the team has collected more than 3,500 plastic bags from the community. They layer and heat-press the bags into a durable material before sewing them into reusable products.

Their innovative business recently earned national recognition at Junior Achievement’s Future Bound National Competition, where they received the Johnson & Johnson STEM Innovation Award.

The students say their mission goes beyond making bags. They hope to expand plastic bag collection sites, continue growing their business and eventually donate 10% of their profits to environmental causes that protect marine life.

As Plastic Free July shines a spotlight on reducing single-use plastics, the founders of Next Use hope their business inspires others to see how small changes can make a big impact.

Trump visited a sprawling General Motors facility in the Detroit suburb of Milford that is a testing ground for its vehicles. He pumped a fist after watching a trio of drag races that involved muscle cars and luxury vehicles like the Corvette Z06, Cadillac Escalade V, and EV Hummer — events the announcer promised were “all America First power.”

It was the kind of thundering speed the president is expecting at an IndyCar race in Washington next month, which is part of America’s 250th birthday celebrations.

In a subsequent speech inside a design facility, the president cheered GM's plans to expand production domestically in coming years and declared himself a president who was standing up for auto workers “at long last.”

“I’ve done more for you than your parents, OK?" he joked.

Michigan was one of the 2024 battlegrounds Trump flipped after it backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. But the state has seen parts of its economy affected by the president’s tariffs, including on imported cars and auto parts. Automakers have long said tariffs increase the cost of doing business, which leads to higher prices for consumers.

Company officials led Trump on a tour where he saw various GM models, including the latest versions of the Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado — the production of which he argued had been boosted by tariffs.

At one point, POTUS grabbed a pen and signed the hood of a white Corvette that was made specifically for America's 250th birthday.

“They’ve come a long way,” he said to reporters about the Detroit-based automaker during the tour. “It’s amazing what tariffs are doing for GM.” Trump said he’s been good to the company but he declined to say more.

“The rest of the world doesn’t love me, but that’s OK,” he said, alluding to tariffs. “It’s called ‘America first.’”

Trump's visit previews Michigan's Aug. 4 primary

The president’s speech lasted more than an hour and was wide ranging — hitting on the economy, the war in Iran and the U.S. military operation that toppled the leader of Venezuela.

He also touched on communism, crime rates, his administration's efforts to transform the nation's capital and even how carefully he treads to keep from tripping while on stage or deplaning from Air Force One.

With early primary voting already underway, Trump called on stage Republican Reps. Lisa McClain, Tom Barrett and Tim Walberg, as well as gubernatorial candidate John James and Senate candidate Mike Rogers.

Rogers is unopposed in the Senate primary, but the GOP gubernatorial contest pits James, who is backed by Trump, against Perry Johnson, a businessman turned politician who has launched unsuccessful campaigns before, including for president in 2024.

Trump's new Canada tariffs could hurt Michigan

A new round of steep import levies is taking effect on dozens of U.S. trading partners. Yet Trump has singled out Canada with tariffs as high as 50% on a wide array of its products, including cars.

The GM facility he toured is in Oakland County, which encompasses much of Detroit's northern suburbs. Once a Republican stronghold, it has increasingly leaned Democratic, backing Biden against Trump in 2020 and Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump four years later.

GM says its facility is the oldest dedicated vehicle testing operation in the United States, where 4,200 employees work to refine nearly every vehicle the company makes before they reach consumers. It has more than 150 miles of test roads and the early innovations perfected on site include the first mass-produced automatic transmission, known as the "Hydra-Matic.”

Michigan's economy relies heavily on Canada, meaning the new tariffs — coupled with inflation still running high and gas prices rising again as the already unpopular war in Iran escalates — have created additional economic concerns statewide. Some advocacy groups citing import and tariff data, says tariffs have cost Michigan businesses billions of dollars just since last spring.

The latest tariffs come at a time when voters across the country were already increasingly dissatisfied with Trump's handling of the economy.

Jason Roe, a former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party who tried unsuccessfully to distance it from Trump's “Make America Great Again” movement in 2021, said that more than coinciding with his new round of tariffs, Trump's visit is a function of Michigan's relatively late primary and is meant to ensure that James secures the nomination.

But Roe also said it was a risk for the president to tie himself too closely to top Republicans before the general election, calling it “kryptonite to November voters.”

Trump, who won the White House on a promise to lower the cost of living, also has seen his approval ratings sag, meaning kitchen table issues could be a liability for Republicans trying to hold control of Congress in the Nov. 3 elections.

“We’re happy to have the president here, campaigning with Republicans. We think it highlights the fact that the only thing they care about is Donald Trump and refuse to stand up to him," said Curtis Hertel, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party. "It’s good for us every time the president is here because he’s incredibly unpopular.”

The US and Canada have squabbled over a new border bridge

The Supreme Court struck down many of Trump’s sweeping tariffs, but his administration has tried to find ways around that, including by arguing that he can impose them on Canada because that country is discriminating against American exports of products including automobiles.

But Trump’s latest round of tariffs came after he voiced frustration with Canada for having retaliated and imposed its own levies on U.S. imports in response to Trump’s initial tariffs last year. Trump launched the first round after alleging Canada should do more to stop fentanyl smuggling.

In January, he visited a Ford plant in Dearborn and addressed the Detroit Economic Club, offering a defense of tariffs even as auto industry leaders blamed them for increasing the cost of doing business. The president marked his second term's first 100 days with a rally in Warren, where he mostly mentioned grievances left over from the 2024 campaign,

Monday's visit coincided with the opening of a new bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, that was beset by tensions between the U.S. and Canadian governments.

Canada canceled a planned joint celebration for the $4.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge and instead held its own event after Trump announced the new Canadian tariffs.

___

Superville reported from Washington.

Cracker Barrel said Monday that CEO Julie Masino will step down next month but remain with the company until Oct. 9 in an advisory capacity.

David Deno will succeed Masino on Aug. 10 as CEO. Deno served as the CEO of Bloomin' Brands, which owns Outback Steakhouse and other chains, from 2019 until he retired in 2024. He has also held executive roles as Best Buy and Yum Brands, which is the parent company of KFC and Taco Bell.

Lebanon, Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel hired Masino, a longtime Taco Bell and Starbucks executive, in July 2023. She was chosen for her record as an innovator with the hope that she would attract new customers to Cracker Barrel, which operates nearly 660 restaurants in 43 states.

Masino introduced updated menu items, like Hashbrown Casserole Shepherd’s Pie, to increase Cracker Barrel’s dinnertime traffic. She also started remodeling the company’s dark, antique-filled restaurants, lightening the walls and installing more comfortable seating.

Then, last August, Cracker Barrel announced plans to ditch its longtime logo, which features an older, overall-clad man leaning on a barrel as well as the words “Old Country Store.” The company said it would continue to honor Uncle Herschel — the man in its logo, who represents the uncle of Cracker Barrel’s founder — on its menu and on items sold in its stores. But the new logo would be simpler and easier to read on road signs and in phone apps.

The backlash was immediate. Fans didn’t like the new logo and also rebelled against the store redesigns. Even President Donald Trump weighed in, saying in a Truth Social post that Cracker Barrel “should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before.”

Masino reversed course within a few days, but the damage was done. Cracker Barrel's same-store restaurant sales plunged 5% last fall and 7% in the quarter ending Jan. 30, 2026. Same-store sales at the retail stores connected to its restaurants dropped even further.

Still, the company's shareholders voted in November to keep Masino in place as CEO, and sales trends had begun to improve in recent months. In the quarter ending May 1, same-store restaurant sales were down 2.6% and the company raised its full-year revenue and profit forecast.

Masino also helped sharpen the company's focus on the Cracker Barrel brand with the sale of the company's Maple Street Biscuit Co. stores. Cracker Barrel acquired Maple Street in 2019 and operated 50 locations around the country.

Citi analyst Jon Tower said in a research note Monday that the news of Masino's departure was surprising given those recent improvements.

Cracker Barrel shares fell 2.7% in early afternoon trading.

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From thousands of new homes in master-planned communities like Towne Lake and Bridgeland to the steady growth of shopping centers, restaurants and the future Toro District – the Houston Texans’ training facility – development around Cypress has seemed to come from everywhere.

• Houston Texans’ new Toro District project raises big questions about public money and traffic

But while the community continues to expand, many residents say one thing has struggled to keep pace: the roads.

For Cypress residents who drive roads like Fry Road and Barker Cypress Road, congestion has become part of the daily commute.

So we went to TxDOT and Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom S. Ramsey’s office to see how officials plan to address the congestion and help relieve some of that pressure.

Long-awaited road connection breaks ground

One of the largest road projects promised for years is now underway.

Construction began during the second week of July on a new connection between Skinner Road and Greenhouse Road. Once complete, the roadway will create another north-south route through Cypress. The road will also connect Towne Lake — one of the largest neighborhoods in Cypress — directly to U.S. 290.

According to TxDOT, the approximately $74 million project will build a six-lane underpass beneath U.S. 290. The project will also include sidewalks and bikeways aimed at improving safety and connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists.

Rather than waiting at a railroad crossing, as drivers do on Fry Road, traffic will travel beneath both the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and U.S. 290 through the new underpass.

The project is expected to take approximately four years to complete.

Residents should also expect some growing pains during construction.

TxDOT says residents should expect periodic disruptions as construction continues. Eastbound and westbound lanes of U.S. 290 will be affected at various points, and crews will implement traffic shifts while building the support structures for the underpass.

More projects on the horizon

The Skinner Road-Greenhouse Road project is the only major project currently under construction, but it is not the only one planned. Harris County Precinct 3 is also studying improvements along Fry Road.

According to Precinct 3 officials, a current study is examining Fry Road from House Hahl Road – where it becomes Mound Road – north to Cypress Walk Lane, where Fry Road transitions into Cypress Rosehill Road.

The goal is to identify improvements that can help reduce congestion along the heavily traveled corridor. Precinct 3 officials expect the design phase to be completed by next summer.

Another future project would extend Mason Road beneath U.S. 290, allowing traffic to pass under both the highway and the railroad tracks and providing another connection to the south side of Cypress.

Officials say the project would function similarly to the planned Skinner Road-Greenhouse Road connection.

Precinct 3 estimates that the project would also take approximately four years to complete, although officials have not yet released additional design details.

While several major improvements are planned, many are still years away. In the meantime, many residents remain concerned about whether TxDOT and Precinct 3 will deliver on their promises and ease congestion that affects drivers today.

Colt Gray, 16, pleaded guilty Friday to 55 counts, including murder, in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting that also left several others wounded at the school about 45 miles (73 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta.

He entered the plea without having reached a plea deal with prosecutors. Murder carries a minimum sentence of life in prison, and it is up to Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm to decide whether he will have the possibility of parole after hearing testimony and considering evidence. The sentencing hearing started Friday, continued Monday and was set to resume Tuesday.

Teachers Richard “Ricky” Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, died in the shooting. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, seven of them hit by gunfire.

Psychologist says Colt Gray had a ‘chaotic’ childhood

A forensic psychologist who evaluated Gray after the shooting at the request of an attorney for the teen testified that during their first meeting in May 2025, Gray asked if he could pull his arms inside his sweatshirt to wrap them around himself.

“I thought he was kind of an odd kid," Kevin Richards said. The psychologist said he did four interviews with Gray for a total of about 15 hours and also spoke to Gray's mother twice for a total of about three hours.

“It was pretty chaotic,” the psychologist said of Gray's upbringing, noting that the family had financial problems and moved around a lot, so he wasn’t enrolled in school for long stretches. His parents used drugs and fought a lot, and Gray had a lonely and neglected childhood, Richards testified.

Colt Gray discussed school shootings online

Gray talked about fearing that teachers were plotting against him, and that people in public were whispering about him. Richards said that while he believes Gray experienced paranoia and anxiety, he doubts that motivated the attack.

“I don’t think he was driven by hallucinations or delusions to do what he did. I think he planned it out,” Richards said.

Most of the teen's social life was online, Richards said. He was a gamer but also became immersed in a community of young true crime enthusiasts who were particularly fascinated by mass shootings. Initially, Gray focused on Adam Lanza, who killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, as well as James Holmes, who killed 12 people in a Colorado movie theater. Richards said Gray was particularly interested in Nikolas Cruz, the shooter in the 2018 massacre at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

“He had just kind of disappeared into Discord and disappeared into the true crime community,” Richards said.

District Attorney Brad Smith showed Richards some of Gray's online conversations on Discord, an online communication platform. They established that Gray would sometimes lie about his own mental health symptoms when talking to people online to establish common ground with them and get attention.

When asked by Smith if Gray studied and emulated school shooters, Richards responded that Gray was “kind of obsessed” with them.

In interviews with investigators, Gray lied about having called a suicide hotline right before the shooting, which Holmes had done, Smith said. He also told investigators he had damaged his computer the morning of the shooting and left it in the middle of his room, as Lanza had done. Smith called these “easter eggs” that Gray was planting to “gain fame and status” within the online community that fetishized those killings.

In an online conversation just days before the shooting, Gray mentioned Sept. 4. When the person he was chatting with asked what was happening that day, he wrote, “something i have for nik!” — an apparent reference to the Parkland shooter's first name. He also noted that day was a Wednesday, just like the Parkland shooting.

Gray had more than 2,000 photos of Cruz saved on his phone and had 16 photos of Cruz printed and posted on his bedroom wall, Ashley Gilleland, an investigator with the district attorney’s office, testified. He shared photos of that “shrine” with another Discord user in the days before the shooting.

Similarly, he saved photos of other mass shooters and searched for details of those shootings, Gilleland said.

In phone calls with his mother while he was in custody just over a month after the shooting, Gray had her search online for mentions of his name within the “true crime community” and got excited when she found “fan art” drawings of him, Gilleland said. It appears his mother printed out some of the images she found to bring to her son, Gilleland said.

The judge also heard from victims and the lead investigator

After Gray entered his plea Friday, the judge heard from family members of those killed and victims of the shooting. Most asked the judge to sentence Gray to life without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors also played recordings of two interviews the lead investigator did with Gray, one that took place less than an hour after the shooting at the school and another that was done several hours later at the sheriff's office. Though the teenager seemed hysterical, repeatedly apologized and described what had happened as “horrible” during the interview at the school, Barrow County Sheriff's Office Investigator Jason Smith said Monday that he believed "a majority of that interview to be performative.”

A jury in March convicted his father, Colin Gray, on charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. He is scheduled to be sentenced later this week. Prosecutors said he gave his son the assault-style rifle used to open fire at the school.

On Monday, there was a preliminary hearing for singer D4vd in Los Angeles; Andrew and Tristan Tate were fighting extradition in Miami; and a woman who killed her three kids was on trial in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

On Tuesday, attorneys for the man accused of murder in the 1996 death of Tupac Shakur are scheduled to appear in court in Las Vegas and a convicted school shooter could be sentenced in Winder, Georgia.

Also this week, a trial over the man accused of stabbing author Salman Rushdie continues in Buffalo, New York.

Here's a look at the cases, what's happening this week and what's at stake:

A judge ruled there was enough evidence to put D4vd on trial

Prosecutors say the singer, whose legal name is David Burke, killed a 14-year-old girl after she threatened to reveal their sexual relationship. Burke has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers have said they will vigorously defend him.

The indie-pop musician's online presence has brought him a huge following. His breakthrough single in 2022 was called “Romantic Homicide,” one of several of his songs with more than a billion plays on Spotify.

Los Angeles Judge Charlaine Olmedo decided Monday the evidence prosecutors presented at a preliminary hearing that spanned five days provided probable cause for a trial on charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.

Andrew and Tristan Tate fight extradition

The social media influencers are accused of rape and sex trafficking in the United Kingdom, but are currently in the United States.

On Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis set a detention hearing for Aug. 13 to determine whether the Tates should stay in jail or be released during what could be a monthslong extradition process.

The Tates promote their wealth, male dominance and misogyny through a social media empire that's made them some of the world’s most polarizing internet personalities. The former professional kickboxers, who have dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship, have millions of social media followers and are vocal supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The man who stabbed author Salman Rushdie is on trial

Prosecutors have charged Hadi Matar with terrorism. Matar was previously convicted of a state-level attempted murder charge in the 2022 attack at a cultural institution where Rushdie was poised to speak about threats to writers and artists.

Rushdie testified against him last week in federal court in Buffalo, New York. Matar's attorneys have said their client may testify.

Trial begins for Massachusetts woman who killed her 3 kids

Lindsay Clancy strangled her 8-month-old, 3-year-old and 5-year-old children on Jan. 24, 2023 at her Massachusetts home. Prosecutors have charged her with murder.

The case casts a spotlight on postpartum mental health. Clancy’s attorneys say she sought help for postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth. Prosecutors say she carefully planned the killings.

If convicted of murder, Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

Jurors on Monday heard opening statements and testimony from Clancy's former husband, Patrick Clancy. The trial is expected to last several weeks.

Georgia school shooter to be sentenced to life in prison

Colt Gray, 16, pleaded guilty Friday to 55 counts, including murder, in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at a high school north of Atlanta that left two students and two teachers dead. A judge must now decide whether he will have the possibility of parole.

A forensic psychologist who evaluated Gray after the shooting at the request of the teen’s attorney said Monday that Gray had a chaotic, lonely upbringing.

A jury in March convicted his father, Colin Gray, on charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors said he gave his son the assault-style rifle used to open fire at the school.

Judge to consider evidence in the killing of Tupac

Duane “Keffe D” Davis is set to go on trial in August over the killing of the rap icon. He's accused of orchestrating the killing.

His attorneys are scheduled to ask a judge on Tuesday to exclude an interview he conducted with police in 2008.

Shakur’s death is considered one of the most notorious unsolved murders in the United States. The case had gone cold until Davis began making public statements about it, including in a book he co-wrote in which he said he provided the weapon used to shoot Shakur.

Carter Camacho, 18, of Smyrna, Georgia, told police officers who apprehended him outside the Capitol on Feb. 17 that he intended to confront members of Congress and “scare them into speaking the truth,” according to federal prosecutors. But he didn't make it into the building, and nobody was injured.

Camacho is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 8 by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C. He has remained jailed since his arrest.

Camacho pleaded guilty to two counts: illegal possession of a firearm on Capitol grounds and receipt or distribution of child pornography. The latter charge stems from a search of his phone after his arrest.

Surveillance video captured Camacho exiting a parked car and running toward the west side of the Capitol with the shotgun in his hands. He complied with Capitol Police officers' commands to stop and get down on the ground.

Camacho told police that he purchased the shotgun for “home defense” less than a week before he drove from Georgia to the Capitol, prosecutors said. He also said he had left pepper spray and other tactical gear in his car “just in case I don’t want to shoot anyone,” according to prosecutors.

“He further indicated that he considered using the shotgun to breach a door to be able to enter the Capitol,” they wrote.

Descendants of Gordie Howe, the hockey legend whose name is on the bridge, were among the first to cross over the Detroit River, which separates the Motor City from Windsor, Ontario. U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., rode a motorcycle, while Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer drove a Ford Mustang with the top down.

The six-lane span, which was built by Canada at a cost of $6.4 billion Canadian, now becomes a less-expensive alternative to the privately owned Ambassador Bridge, which had a monopoly on big trucks carrying goods worth billions between the two countries, especially in service to the auto industry.

“There are thousands of trucks that go over” daily, said Kevin Ketels, a business professor who teaches supply chain management at Wayne State University.

Jim Pereira, who was hauling auto parts for Ontario-based Onfreight Logistics, was recognized as the first trucker to arrive in Detroit. He blasted his air horn a few times and stepped down from the wheel to take selfies with customs officers and exchange high-fives.

Pereira, 58, said he anticipates faster travel times on both sides as trucks approach the wide bridge.

“It's just a beautiful piece of architecture,” he said.

Canada’s minister of infrastructure noted that the bridge resembles the curve of a hockey stick blade. Steel cables, stretching from towers to the deck, look like giant music harps.

Freddie Garrett, 81, said he regularly watched construction “ever since they put the foundation in” back in 2018. So naturally he showed up at Delray Park in Detroit to see the first vehicles moving overhead.

“It was amazing to see how they did it,” Garrett said. “They put up one section at a time and then they met together in the middle. I'm sure it will be there longer than I'll be around.”

Last week, Canada celebrated the Gordie Howe International Bridge with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Windsor. U.S. and Michigan representatives were uninvited after President Donald Trump suddenly announced 50% tariffs on Canadian goods entering America.

More than 70% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S., making America its largest trade partner, and Detroit is the No. 1 port for truck traffic on the U.S.-Canada border, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Animosity between the governments of the two countries “has been very challenging for us in this region,” Ketels said. “Many feel it's unneeded and unnecessary.”

The span is 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) long and rises 151 feet (46 meters) above the river at its highest point. Pedestrians and bicyclists will be able to cross it for free, starting Aug. 5.

Howe is a Canadian icon known as “Mr. Hockey” who wore No. 9 while playing for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. He died in 2016.

A recent agreement between Canada and the Trump administration says Canada will share some toll revenue with the U.S. government for 15 years. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in 2012 separately negotiated a share for the state, but it won't be paid until Canada’s costs are recovered, likely decades from now.

Friend of “Houston Life,” CPR and Safety Lady Gail Gould, stopped by the studio to share her advice on what parents, school officials — and even students should keep an eye out for.

What kids should know before the first bell

While children may not need to know everything, they can practice basic steps that can help in a critical moment.

• How to spot a real emergency: Teach kids to take action if someone is unconscious, not breathing normally, choking and can’t talk, having a severe allergic reaction, having a seizure that won’t stop, or bleeding heavily.
• How to get help fast: Kids should know to find an adult immediately and not assume someone else has already called for help.
• How to call 911 and give clear info: Practice what to say, including their full name, where they are, and what they’re seeing.
• Key personal info to memorize: Home address, parent/guardian name, and a phone number — plus a reminder to stay calm and speak slowly.

What parents should look out for

Heat illness in Houston

With practices and outdoor activities starting during the hottest months, parents should watch for early signs of heat exhaustion, such as heavy sweating, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, muscle cramps, and cool or clammy skin.

Heatstroke is more serious and can include confusion, collapse, seizures, unusual behavior, or very high body temperature. If heatstroke is suspected, call 911 and begin cooling the person right away.

Severe allergic reactions

Parents of kids with serious allergies should review the action plan with the school and with their child. Signs of anaphylaxis can include trouble breathing, swelling of the tongue or throat, wheezing, widespread hives, vomiting, dizziness, or collapse. Epinephrine is the first-line treatment and it needs to be used quickly according to the child’s plan.

Asthma flare-ups

For students with asthma, parents should confirm how the school handles rescue inhalers — where they’re kept, who can access them and what the student is allowed to carry. The goal is simple: the medication should be reachable when it’s needed.

Concussions and “shake it off” pressure

Gould reminds families that a concussion can come from a hit to the head or a forceful impact to the body, and a student does not have to lose consciousness. Warning signs can include headache, dizziness, confusion, balance problems, nausea, sensitivity to light or noise, slowed responses, memory issues, mood changes or unusual sleepiness.

If a concussion is suspected, the student should be removed from play and evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional before returning to sports.

When an athlete collapses

While it’s rare, sudden cardiac arrest can happen in young people, often without obvious warning signs. Gould says parents should talk to a medical provider if a child has symptoms such as fainting during exercise, unexplained chest pain, unusual shortness of breath or a racing heartbeat — especially with a family history of sudden unexplained death.

Questions to ask your child’s school

Gould encourages parents to check on the basics before the year begins:

• Does the school have a written emergency action plan?
• Who is CPR/first-aid trained on campus — and during after-school activities?
• Where are the AEDs, and can one reach the gym, fields, and playground quickly?
• How often are AEDs inspected and maintained?
• How are student medical needs (allergies, asthma, seizures) communicated to the right staff?
• What’s the plan when the nurse or primary responder isn’t on campus?

Free virtual safety webinar

Gould is hosting a free virtual Back-to-School Safety Webinar for parents and teachers on Tuesday, August 4, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Click here for registration details.

One of the men charged, 29-year-old Marquez Christopher Pinder, works in the Secret Service's Miami field office and is described in an arrest warrant as a “dean of pledges” for a Miami chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

The Secret Service said it’s cooperating with investigators and has placed Pinder on administrative leave. He was released from jail after posting a $75,000 bond Monday and faces arraignment before a judge Sept. 24.

The three men were charged last week after police uncovered evidence of “alleged hazing incidents involving prolonged and repeated beatings with canes and paddles,” the Miami-Dade County state attorney's office said in a news release.

Police said in court documents that a University of Miami graduate student and another young man had injuries that could have been fatal had they not been treated. One required skin grafts to his backside and suffered kidney damage, the documents said, while the other had a tube placed in his windpipe to help him breathe.

Accused agent has worked for Secret Service since 2023

Charges against the three men include felony counts of hazing with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with great bodily harm and attempted manslaughter.

“In Florida, hazing is abuse and it is a crime,” Katherine Fernandez Rundle, state attorney for Miami-Dade County, said in a statement Sunday. “Its victims too often lie in their graves and in hospital beds.”

An attorney for Pinder, Justin Beckham, did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment Monday. Court and jail records did not list attorneys for the other two men.

Pinder has worked as a Secret Service agent since 2023, agency spokesman Matt Fagiana confirmed Monday.

"Any misconduct will be addressed swiftly and appropriately upon completion of the investigative and judicial process,” Michael Townsend, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Miami field office, said in a statement.

A spokesman for Kappa Alpha Psi did not immediately return a phone message left at the fraternity's Philadelphia headquarters.

Arrest warrant describes bloody paddling, emergency medical care

According to Pinder's arrest warrant, the graduate student told police that he and another young man had their backsides beaten by Pinder and the other defendants during four nights in early April at an apartment and a home off-campus. The paddling started when the victims failed to correctly answer questions about the fraternity and its history, a police investigator said in an arrest warrant filed in court.

The warrant did not name either victim.

The beatings stopped on the fourth night when one of the victims had blood seeping through the seat of his pants, according to the warrant. It said fraternity leaders ordered both victims to strip off their clothes and place them in garbage bags before going home.

One of the victims suffered vomiting, fevers and intense pain before being admitted to a hospital, where he required skin grafts on his buttocks and treatment for kidney damage, according to police.

Without emergency medical treatment, the warrant said, “his injuries would have resulted in renal failure leading to death.”

The second victim told police he knew the other victim from the fraternity. He denied being paddled, the warrant said, but acknowledged receiving emergency medical care in April.

That person's medical records showed he had been hospitalized with injuries to his backside and “was intubated during his stay in the hospital to prevent further physical deterioration and death,” the arrest warrant said.

Florida lawmakers in 2005 made hazing a felony punishable by up to five years in prison if it results in serious injury or death. The law was spurred by the 2001 death of Chad Meredith, a University of Miami freshman who drowned after drinking alcohol and then attempting to swim across a lake at the urging of campus fraternity leaders.

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Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.

The ruling over the weekend rejected the Trump administration’s effort to move forward with the mail-in voting restrictions in 23 U.S. states that sued ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Also, the Trump administration has acknowledged in court documents that it canceled $7.6 billion in grants for hundreds of clean energy projects “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state” — in this case, 16 states that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

Here's the latest:

Trump talks up tariffs as he claims to have saved the American auto industry

Speaking to workers at a GM facility in Milford, Michigan, Trump touted steep tariffs that he says have protected the U.S. auto industry and revived production in the United States.

He pointed to a 25% tariff his administration placed on foreign cars, “something that no other president had the courage to ever do.”

Speaking on stage alongside a blue muscle car, Trump told workers that the industry was in peril until he took office and removed regulations passed by Democrats.

“I’ve done more for you than your parents. OK?” Trump said. “Your parents are good. I’m not going to knock your parents. But I have been better to you than your parents.”

Trump administration urges Supreme Court to allow order targeting mail-in voting before midterms

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to clear the way for an executive order from President Donald Trump that could dramatically change mail-in voting.

The emergency appeal comes after an appeals court upheld a ruling blocking the president’s order in nearly half the country ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to allow the proposed changes to move ahead while lawsuits play out.

Trump ordered the government in March to create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters and deliver mail ballots only to people on that list.

Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia sued, saying the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, not the president. Attorneys have said Trump’s proposed changes are ripe for abuse and could cause chaos.

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Thune responds to Trump’s escalated calls to pass the SAVE Act: ‘Show me how this ends’

Senate Majority Leader John Thune responded to Trump’s escalating calls to cancel the August recess until the Senate passes a proof-of-citizenship voting bill by again challenging the president and other supporters to show him a path to passage.

“If I thought there was a path to getting a result, I’m all for it,” Thune said.

“We voted on it one, two, three, four, five times already,” Thune added, counting each number on his hand for reporters. “Show me how this ends. What’s the picture of victory at the end?”

Thune said he plans to “have some conversations” with senators in the coming days about a possible path forward. He said he would be open to keeping the Senate in Washington if there was a path forward, but also noted that some senators need to return home to campaign.

Caine noted impact of munitions availability in advice to Trump

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has told Trump that the state of the country’s munitions stockpile could have an impact on military operations in Iran, a U.S. official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations, said this message was delivered as part of Caine’s regular duties of providing military advice and options to Trump.

The Associated Press has reported that Trump met Friday with top national security aides to discuss the situation with Iran. After nearly two weeks of strikes, the U.S. military has not attacked targets in Iran for three nights.

The Iran war has drawn down the U.S. stockpile of key weapons systems like missiles and interceptors, analysts say.

Caine told lawmakers at a hearing last week that “airpower has its limits” in achieving military objectives.

The U.S. military has employed airstrikes almost exclusively against Iran.

—- Konstantin Toropin

Trump claims his tariffs have helped General Motors

Trump was led on a tour of General Motors vehicles from different era. He was accompanied by CEO Marry Barra and other GM executives and sat behind the wheel of some of the automobiles.

“They’ve come a long way,” he said to reporters about the Detroit-based automaker. “It’s amazing what tariffs are doing for GM.”

Trump said he’s been good to the company but declined to say more.

“The rest of the world doesn’t love me, but that’s OK,” he said, alluding to the tariffs. “It’s called ‘America first.’”

New rule aims to speed up asylum decisions

A new rule going into effect Tuesday gives asylum officers discretion to send cases of immigrants seeking asylum directly to a judge for a final decision without doing an interview.

Historically, immigrants can ask for asylum either through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or from a judge in immigration courts, depending on their immigration status.

USCIS asylum officers would interview everyone who applied with their agency. If they think someone doesn’t qualify for asylum, the case goes to an immigration judge who ultimately decides.

Now, USCIS says asylum officers can look at the person’s file, decide they don’t qualify and send the case directly to a judge, without an interview.

The agency says this shortens the time it takes to decide asylum cases.

Groups that advocate for immigrants say it’s part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to dismantle the asylum system.

“The impact of this rule could be disastrous for people in need of safety.” said Beth Oppenheim, President & CEO of HIAS.

Trump says no one tells him what the US should be selling

Trump hasn’t ruled out selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, which is not a friend of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump are meeting at the White House on Tuesday, and the prime minister has made clear he does not want Turkey to get the American-made jets.

Trump was asked about such a sale to Turkey as he flew to Michigan and said, in an apparent rebuff of Netanyahu, that “nobody tells me what we should be selling.”

“Turkey’s been a great ally for me,” he said of the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “I think he’s done a very good job, did a good job with Syria. He’s a friend of mine,”

Asked if he and Netanyahu are on the same page when it comes to the war against Iran, Trump replied, “We have a little difference but pretty close, yeah.”

Trump says US and Iran are having ‘good talks’ but keeps strikes on the table

The president insisted that new meetings were requested directly by Iranian officials, saying they reached out directly “because we’ve been hitting them very hard.”

“We’re having good talks, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters Monday on Air Force One. “I think there’s a good chance that something could happen. And if it does, good. if it doesn’t, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago.”

Trump rejected a suggestion that his patience with negotiations could be wearing thin.

“I have plenty of time,” he said.

Trump continues to needle Thune

The president insisted that he has a good relationship with the Senate majority leader — but that he’s just “got to get his job done.”

Trump has been escalating pressure on Thune to pass his voting restrictions bill before senators leave Washington for the August recess.

“The SAVE Act has to be done,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “They shouldn’t leave town.”

Trump also insisted that he hasn’t “even thought” about potential replacements for Thune.

US walks out of UN meeting when France is speaking to protest its criticism of US human rights

The United States has stood by France in every conflict where “their freedom has been imperiled,” U.S. deputy ambassador Dan Negrea told the U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine after the brief U.S. walkout Monday, accusing France of “disingenuous grandstanding.”

He was apparently responding to a post from France’s U.N. Mission in Geneva on Friday criticizing U.S. opposition to a second four-year term for U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk. The General Assembly voted 144-10 with 13 abstentions to extend his term with the U.S. voting “no.”

The French Mission said: “The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore. Today, it stands alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated. And the world no longer listens to it.”

Negrea shot back, calling the U.S. “the beacon of liberty for the world” and dismissing France’s ”political drivel.”

Trump says US stockpile is in ‘very good shape’ but he wants more

Asked about suggestions that the U.S. munitions are running low, Trump said stockpiles are in good shape and production needs to ramp up.

“We have a lot. I’d like to have more, to be honest,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

He blamed former President Joe Biden for giving U.S. technology to Ukraine. Trump said some more “sophisticated” weapons have been in shorter supply but he added that production has been accelerating.

“Every one of our contractors is building four to five plans right now, and we’re in very good shape,” he said.

Trump dismisses Russian efforts to help Iran in war

Ahead of his visit to Washington, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted that Russia has been offering satellite images of U.S. bases in the Gulf region to Iran.

Asked about that Monday, Trump downplayed the impact of that assistance, saying the Russian help hasn’t had much impact.

“They may be giving, but if they are, it hasn’t worked out,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, en route to Michigan.

Trump also said he would ask Russian President Vladimir Putin about it. Zelenskyy is set to meet with Trump on Tuesday.

A large crowd of supporters waits for Trump speech

The president was set to address a crowd of more than 1,000 at a General Motors proving ground in suburban Detroit, where the company tests vehicles before they are sold.

Some GM employees joined larger groups of Trump supporters, many wearing red “Make America Great Again” caps or t-shirts celebrating the president.

Behind the stage where Trump will speak later hung blue and white banners reading “American Cars. American Jobs.” Various models of cars and SUVs were parked nearby.

GM says the proving ground in Milford Township has more than 150 miles of test roads and was opened in 1924. That makes it the world’s oldest dedicated vehicle testing facility.

Trump’s new Canada tariffs could hurt Michigan

Michigan was one of the 2024 battlegrounds Trump flipped after it backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. But the state has also seen parts of its economy affected by the president’s tariffs, including on imported cars and auto parts.

A new round of steep import levies is taking effect on dozens of U.S. trading partners. But Trump has singled out Canada with tariffs as high as 50% on a wide array of its products, including cars.

The president is visiting Oakland County, which encompasses much of Detroit’s northern suburbs. Once a Republican stronghold, it has increasingly leaned Democratic, backing Biden against Trump in 2020 and Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump four years later.

Stocks open higher on Wall Street and crude oil prices drop 5% as Mideast tensions cool

The S&P 500 rose 0.6%. The index is coming off two weekly losses in a row. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 518 points, or 1%, as of 9:55 a.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.7%.

Oil prices reversed course from a week ago, when a sharp escalation in fighting between the U.S. and Iran worsened worries about global oil supplies. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, dropped 5.4% to $86.74 a barrel for October delivery. Prices surged to over $100 a barrel last week before easing.

The war between the U.S. and Iran has sharply curtailed, and at a times halted, traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz. That has had a ripple effect throughout the world’s economy.

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Mediators see progress in efforts to halt Iran war as drone attacks rattle region

Mediators have achieved progress in getting the United States and Iran back to negotiations, regional officials said Monday, after both sides paused attacks following a period of rapidly escalating tensions. But scattered attacks by armed groups across the region underscored the lingering tensions.

Saudi Arabia said it had shot down drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq that had targeted its petroleum facilities.

Two drone attacks were reported against a Kurdish Iranian dissident group in Iraq, and Jordan said it had shot down two drones, without saying where they originated. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

Neither the U.S. nor Iran reported carrying out any attacks for three days — a respite after about two weeks of sustained bombardments that had led to increasing fears of a return to all-out war.

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Trump is set to defend his economic policies in Michigan, where new Canadian tariffs may sting

President Trump plans to tout his handling of the economy during a visit to suburban Detroit on Monday, defending sweeping tariffs in a swing state where their effects have hurt many businesses as midterm election season heats up.

Trump is visiting a General Motors facility in Milford, home to tracks and proving grounds for new models and vehicles. Early voting is underway for Michigan’s Aug. 4 primary, which features fierce nomination fights in both major political parties.

Republican Mike Rogers is unopposed in the Senate primary, but the GOP gubernatorial contest pits Trump-backed Rep. John James against Perry Johnson, a businessman turned politician who’s launched unsuccessful campaigns before, including for president in 2024.

Johnson is now trying to style himself in the president’s mold — despite missing out on his endorsement. He’s even holding a “Trump Tailgate” outside the president’s GM event.

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Pentagon’s official Iran war death toll no longer lists 4 troops killed during renewed fighting

The four American troops killed during renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran in recent weeks are no longer listed as part of the Iran war death toll in the Pentagon’s official casualty count but have been placed in a new, separate category.

It's raising questions about properly counting the impact to U.S. service members as the Trump administration has escalated strikes on Iran in a bid to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while providing little indication of how it intends to wind down a conflict that's unpopular with many Americans.

The Defense Casualty Analysis System, which Pentagon officials have repeatedly pointed to as the definitive source on the numbers of dead and wounded from the conflict, removed the four fallen soldiers as well as dozens of wounded troops from its Iran war tally last week.

On Sunday, a new category called “Overseas Operations” emerged on the system’s website, listing the four Army deaths by name as well as 207 wounded. It was unclear if all of the wounded were injured in the Iran conflict.

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Trump administration admits grants for clean energy were canceled based on politics

The Trump administration has acknowledged in court documents that it canceled $7.6 billion in grants for hundreds of clean energy projects “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state” — in this case, 16 states that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

The statement contradicts repeated assertions by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other officials that the projects were canceled because they did not adequately advance the nation’s energy needs or had other problems that made them a poor investment of taxpayer dollars.

Democrats and environmental groups seized on the court filing Friday, saying the administration had “weaponized” the federal government to kill good jobs and punish working families because of their political views.

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US appeals court upholds injunction that blocks Trump’s order to create a federal voter list

A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that halted Trump’s executive order to create a federal list of eligible voters and limit delivery of mail ballots only to people on that list.

The ruling Saturday by judges of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s effort to move forward with the mail-in voting restrictions in 23 U.S. states that sued ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Trump issued an executive order in March for the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the commissioner of the Social Security Administration to create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters. It also ordered the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on that list.

While Trump touted the proposed changes as safeguards to keep non-U.S. citizens from voting, state election officials argued they were ripe for abuse and could cause chaos.

▶ Read more

The S&P 500 rose less than 0.1% after spending much of the day bouncing between small gains and losses. The benchmark index was coming off two weekly losses in a row. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.2%, its fourth straight loss.

The three major stock indexes are on pace to close out this month in the red. It would be the second straight monthly loss for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.

Oil prices reversed course from a week ago, when a sharp escalation in fighting between the U.S. and Iran worsened worries about global oil supplies. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, dropped 6.3% to settle at $85.87 a barrel for October delivery. Prices surged to over $100 a barrel last week before easing.

U.S. crude oil for September delivery fell 7.5% to settle at $82.61 a barrel.

The war between the U.S. and Iran has sharply curtailed, and at a times halted, traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz. That has had a ripple effect throughout the world’s economy. Gasoline prices have surged and shipping costs for most goods are rising, with businesses typically passing those costs along to households.

Markets closed higher in Europe and Asia.

Bond yields fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.65% from 4.69% late Friday.

Technology companies were behind much of the shifts in the market, with gains and declines for a mix of big companies resulting in uncertain trading.

Nvidia fell 5% and Micron Technology slumped 2.3%. At the same time, Microsoft rose 1.9% and Apple rose 1.2%. They are all among the most valuable companies in the world, and those huge valuations give them more influence over the direction of the broader market.

The mix of gains and losses from a variety of those companies had more impact in pushing and pulling the market, even as the majority of companies in the S&P 500 gained ground.

Communications company stocks were among the gainers Monday. Google parent Alphabet rose 2.1%, while Charter Communications jumped 6.7% and Comcast rose 2.3%.

Credit card issuers and payment processors also notched gains. American Express climbed 2.8%, Capital One Financial added 2.1%, Visa rose 1.9% and rival Mastercard gained 2.2%.

In Asia, Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT soared in its debut in Shanghai. The company jumped to become China’s most valuable listed company with an estimated market capitalization of 3.3 trillion yuan (nearly $490 billion).

All told, the S&P 500 added 1.20 points to 7,413.18. The Dow gained 262.83 points to 52,210.08, and the Nasdaq dropped 43.74 points to 24,932.08.

Wall Street has a busy week ahead with several potentially mark-moving updates on the economy and company earnings. Reports are due out on consumer confidence Tuesday and inflation on Thursday.

“This is a week with more than its fair share of potential surprises, good and bad," said Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley.

The big focus will be on the Federal Reserve, which will give an update Wednesday on its interest rate policy. The central bank has been grappling with the impact from rising inflation because of the ongoing U.S. war with Iran. It also has to contend with a fresh round of U.S.-imposed tariffs globally, which could further worsen inflation.

Wall Street anticipates a nearly 36% chance that the Fed will raise interest rates at its meeting this week. Higher rates can help cool inflation by making borrowing more expensive and slowing economic growth.

The central bank has been holding rates steady throughout the year as it monitors inflation’s direction and impact, but Wall Street expects at least one rate hike by the end of the year.

Stubbornly high inflation has been squeezing households and fuel costs have hit budgets and spending particularly hard. Gasoline costs are taking a bigger chunk out of household budgets, and that could mean tighter spending on other things like clothing and travel.

Investors are monitoring the latest round of corporate earnings for signs of consumer stress along with whether the yearlong jump in stock values throughout Wall Street is justified by profits and forecasts for profit growth.

Investors also have a heavy round of corporate earnings to review this week. Many of those reports could provide more clues into the health of different areas of the economy. Paint and coatings maker Sherwin-Williams, aircraft maker Boeing and payments processor Visa will report their latest results on Tuesday.

Starbucks and Chipotle will report results on Wednesday.

Technology companies are being watched especially closely because their sharp gains throughout the year have been behind Wall Street's record run. Microsoft will report results Wednesday. Amazon, with its growing cloud services business and AI focus, will report results on Thursday, along with Apple.

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AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

The Czech capital has a movie theater that's among the few dozen in the world equipped with the coveted 70 mm IMAX screen to watch the first feature made entirely with IMAX film cameras.

“It completely changed my experience about the movie," said Nicolas Walak from Poland, who also saw the movie before on a normal screen before viewing it in Prague. "Everything was great. It was a great movie.”

Czech cinema adapts to meet demand for rare IMAX format

There are only 41 70 mm IMAX screens worldwide, with most in North America. Montpellier in France and the Belgian capital, Brussels, are the only other two in the European Union countries. Britain has another three.

To meet massive demand, the Czech branch of the Cinema City offers four to five screenings a day, one starting after midnight, and the majority are sold out.

Film fans from about 15 European countries, from Scandinavia to Spain, have been coming to watch “The Odyssey” in Prague, Cinema City said. Their number reached 22,000 by Monday, it said.

The 70 mm IMAX film presentation is Nolan's preferred format. The Oscar-winning filmmaker calls it the “best possible experience.”

Moviegoers travel up to three days to Prague

Daniel Jung drove with his two teenage sons, Felix and Leo, for three days from Norway through Denmark and Germany "just to see this movie. Tomorrow, we’re going back.”

Leo was in touch with Cinema City by email half a year before the July 16 premiere and followed the cinema operator on Instagram. He managed to book the tickets immediately after they became available.

“We were in the 11th row, right in the middle. We had the very best seats,” Leo said, calling the effort “absolutely worth it.”

“It’s just so big. We come from Norway, the screens we have are much smaller,” he said. “Now, we watched it in this huge format. I will always remember this experience.”

Felix said they had a good time on the way, visiting some places in Germany, but it would be worth it even if they just drove straight there.

Few IMAX left because of costs and other challenges

Due to the cost and other challenges, productions made using large format film are rare. The IMAX cameras are heavy and new versions with reduced noise had to be developed to be usable for making “The Odyssey.”

The film print sent to theaters is so big — weighing some 300 kilograms (661 pounds) and 18 kilometers (11 miles) long — that it has to be delivered to theaters in parts. The movie and the projector have to be in a climatized room and the projectionists need to be approved by IMAX for the job.

As movie theaters around the globe were acquiring digital IMAX equipment around 2008, the Cinema City decided not to get rid of the original analog projector in Prague. It was placed in a corner for three years until 2012 to screen Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.”

It was used to show several others, including Nolan's “Interstellar” in 2014 and “Oppenheimer” three years ago.

“We’re really grateful to him for that,” projectionist Tomáš Vyšinský said about his predecessor who saved the equipment.

“The same way that you want to season a steak or a pork chop, you want to add multiple layers. And I think spice does that if you do it the right way,” says Turner Greaves, bartender at New York’s Sip and Guzzle.

He makes a tequila highball called Doctor Green, which he describes as “super-herbaceous, vegetal, a little bitter. It’s got tomatillo, green apple, shiso, horseradish, and then you can make it spicier with a little serrano pepper on the side.”

Customers get to add more spice with a little spice dropper delivered with their serving.

Cocktail tastes are changing from sweet to savory

James Stevenson, co-founder of Brutes of Mayfair cocktail bar in London, says drinks were very sweet when he started out 20 years ago, and now consumers’ tastes have shifted.

“I think there’s a real movement toward savory cocktails,” he says. “Every drink we put on the menu that is more savory or has a pickled element or spice element tends to be our bestseller.”

Stevenson makes a mezcal-based Bagheera, which he describes as a turbo-spiced margarita.

“We juice (blend) rather than shaking the drink, with fresh chile and coriander,” he says. They make a fresh syrup, adding tequila and freshly squeezed lime, and finish off the drink with a house-made Tajin salt rim.

Agave spirits are a good match for spicy and savory

It’s no coincidence both bartenders picked agave-based spirits — tequila and mezcal — for their spicy offerings.

Stevenson explains that a lot of the flavor profiles you get from agaves are fresher, more vegetal than other spirits. “They’re just very akin to chiles,” he says. Noting that tequila pairs well with salt, he adds, “Spice and savory flavors are just a natural kinship.”

Alex Lyoness, bar manager at London’s FlipDog, makes his Late Night cocktail with a hint of an after-hours kebab and pickles. He uses a white tequila and a raicilla (an agave similar to mezcal). Soy sauce brings a deep flavor, he says, and a homemade chile tincture spices things up.

He then adds an onion and olive brine “like the ultimate dirty martini,” and garnishes with a bright pink pickled turnip.

Looking for a tingly feeling

But chiles aren’t the only way to add spice. Lyoness says you’re looking to create a “mouthfeel.” He uses Sichuan peppercorns and the Timur berry, which he says has a cool, numbing quality. “What you’re looking for is that tingling across the palate,” he says.

Greaves recommends bringing a little classic cooking into your drinks.

“You can add ginger, you can add garlic cloves, and star anise and fennel into these drinks, and it adds so many different elements of pepper, of spice. Go home and then throw cayenne into a margarita,” he says.

How hot is too hot?

To judge the heat, try to read it on your palate, says Greaves: “If it starts creeping all the way down to your esophagus, I think that’s definitely a spice level that you can loosen up a bit.”

A good spicy drink should “give you the itches on the sides of your mouth” but not overwhelm, he says.

And don’t forget that no two chiles are the same.

“It’s all about tasting, trying and tweaking,” Anderson says.

Adding a spicy rim to your glass is an easy way to get extra kick

For a spicy rim, mix any spices from your cupboard with a good rock salt, says Anderson. (You can freshly grind the spices for a more aromatic and vibrant mix.)

He recommends coriander seed for a more citrusy mix, and black pepper or cardamom powder for a savory feel. You can even try adding fruit powders.

“Something like a freeze-dried strawberry, freeze-dried raspberry, with a little bit of spice. It’s great,” Anderson says.

Then, simply run a lemon or lime wedge along the rim of your glass and gently roll it in a shallow plate of the salt mix.

Recipes

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Late Night, from FlipDog, London

Ingredients

1 oz. Tapatio blanco (tequila)

0.4 oz. La Venenosa Costa Raicilla

0.4 oz. Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Fino (dry sherry)

0.7 oz. brine mix (onion, olive, sivri pepper)

2 drops chile tincture

Directions

Stir together all the ingredients with ice. Serve in a chilled martini glass. Add a pickled turnip to garnish.

CHILE TINCTURE

Submerge chiles in a sealed jar with a high-proof neutral alcohol like vodka (approx. 1-2 small chiles per 3.5 oz. of alcohol) and leave to steep for up to two weeks, shaking the jar occasionally. Then strain and transfer the contents into an eyedropper bottle.

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Bagheera, from Brutes of Mayfair, London

Ingredients

1.75 oz. Lost Explorer mezcal

0.75 oz. fresh lime juice

.67 oz. Bagheera syrup

Small pinch of salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over cracked ice. Rim the glass with Tajin.

BAGHEERA SYRUP

Ingredients

275 grams simple sugar syrup (roughly 7.5 fl. oz.)

½ supermarket bunch of fresh cilantro, including stalks

1 small Thai green chile

3 jalapeno chiles

¼ teaspoon of ascorbic acid (vitamin C powder), to stop the cilantro from turning brown

½ teaspoon green cardamom powder

1 thumb-size piece of peeled fresh ginger

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a large container or blender. Blend until the coriander and chiles have completely broken down and the mixture is well combined. Strain through a fine mesh strainer bag or muslin cloth. Transfer to a clean container and refrigerate.

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Doctor Green, from Sip & Guzzle, New York

Servings: 20

Ingredients

34 oz. green apple juice

34 oz. tomatillo juice

24 oz. green tequila

6 oz. Sauternes

Directions

Juice tomatillo and green apple and whisk in 2 grams ascorbic powder and 4 grams pectinase powder per liter of juice until dissolved.

Rest at room temperature or in the fridge for at least one to two hours until the juice splits into clear liquid and sediment layers. Combine all ingredients and strain through a fine mesh strainer until clear. Carbonate using a specialist drinks carbonator.

GREEN TEQUILA

3.4 oz. Patron tequila

0.25 oz. shiso

0.25 oz. fennel

0.25 oz. horseradish

2 pieces star anise

Directions: Combine the ingredients and allow to infuse at room temperature for 24 hours.

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5 songs to drink spicy cocktails to:

“Hot Stuff,” Donna Summer

“Hot in Herre,” Nelly

“Spice Up Your Life,” The Spice Girls

“Feeling Hot Hot Hot,” The Merrymen

“Drop It Like It’s Hot,” Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell Williams

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This story was first published on July 22, 2026. It was updated on July 27, 2026 to correct erroneous measurements in the drinks recipes.

U.S. Magistrate Lauren Louis set a detention hearing for Aug. 13 to determine whether the Tates should stay in jail or be released during what could be a monthslong extradition process.

The brothers weren’t in court Monday or required to be there and have remained in jail since making a brief court appearance two days after their July 18 arrest.

The Tates have become among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities with their promotion of wealth, male dominance and misogyny through their social media empire. The new allegations are the latest in a long-running international legal saga involving the Tates that has spanned the U.S., Britain and Romania. The brothers have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

Attorneys for the brothers said Monday that they want the U.S. government to turn over documents that U.K. officials submitted to secure their arrest.

“They don't have anything but the accusations,” attorney Joseph McBride said after the hearing. “It’s just their word against our word right now.”

The U.K. has until mid-September to turn over all of its materials to the State Department, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra López said in court.

The brothers have long claimed that their violent and misogynistic statements have been taken out of context or were intended as jokes.

Jackie Perczek, another one of their attorneys, said the Tates have shown they are not a flight risk by returning to Romania every month after they were accused there of luring women for sexual exploitation.

“For three years they have not fled,” she said. “They've traveled the world and every month they return to Romania.”

The former professional kickboxers, who have dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship, have millions of social media followers and are vocal supporters of President Donald Trump. The White House has said the brothers shouldn't expect any help from the president.

McBride said shortly after the Tates were arrested that "they’ve never done nothing wrong. They shouldn’t be extradited for crimes they did not commit," he said.

McBride said the extradition attempt was politically motivated, though he provided no details.

Prosecutors in Britain said the new charges relate to four new accusers and were brought after authorities received evidence from police in Bedfordshire, in southeastern England. The allegations, which span from 2010 to 2017, include rape, assault, trafficking and offenses relating to “indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.”

The brothers are already charged with rape, bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain relating to three other accusers in the U.K. between 2012 and 2015.

The brothers moved to Romania in 2016 and were arrested there in 2022, accused of participating in schemes to lure women for sexual exploitation. They denied those allegations, and the Romanian case hasn't gone forward because of legal and procedural problems.

Andrew Tate, 39, became known a decade ago when he was a contestant on the U.K. reality television show “Big Brother.” He was booted from the show when a video appeared to show him assaulting a woman.

He has amassed over 10 million followers on X but has been banned from other platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, for violating hate speech guidelines. He has made widely condemned comments, such as saying women who are sexually assaulted should bear some responsibility for the attacks and sharing graphic descriptions of how he might attack women.

Infantino praised FIFA for “delivering the best show in the world” and spoke of the World Cup bringing “joy and togetherness,” in a 900-word statement published across a 15-page post on his Instagram account and on FIFA’s website late Sunday.

“Sorry that you were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all,” the FIFA leader wrote, addressing his comments to “those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumors.”

FIFA and Infantino faced criticism during the World Cup for Iran team officials, a Somali referee and fans being denied entry to the United States; alleged political influence by U.S. President Donald Trump in letting Folarin Balogun avoid a ban for a red card; unprecedented high ticket prices and commercialized breaks in play midway through each half of all 104 games.

“Every city was packed with fans from all around the globe,” Infantino wrote. “While they celebrated, you were busy planting seeds of hate.”

“While you hide, we are exploring the streets of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, talking with fans, engaging with people, and ensuring everyone’s safety.”

Testy media relations

Infantino has an increasingly testy relationship with media during the 11th year of his presidency. His eve-of-tournament news conference in Mexico City was his first with a full gathering of international media since March 2023.

The previous such news conference in Rwanda, after his reelection by acclaim from FIFA member federations, saw Infantino ask his audience: “Why are you so mean?”

In Mexico City last month, Infantino suggested critics should “chill, relax.”

And he's coming under scrutiny from some in the U.S. Congress. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent Infantino a letter on Sunday seeking documents detailing ties between FIFA and the Trump administration. A representative for FIFA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.

FIFA uniting the U.S. and Iran

Iran’s ability to play at least three games in the U.S. was a key pretournament issue, and the squad made a late switch to a training camp in Tijuana, Mexico instead of Tucson, Arizona.

“Iran entered the United States without incident or conflict,” Infantino noted in his statement. “While you spread hatred, we worked tirelessly to unite two countries at war.”

Fans denied visas to enter the U.S. included Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, the celebrated statue supporter of Congo which was dealing with an Ebola virus outbreak. He attended one game in Mexico.

“You mentioned the few people denied visas and overlooked the millions who were approved, from all parts of the world,” Infantino wrote. “Countries facing serious health issues or other challenges were granted visas.”

Infantino defends Balogun decision

On fallout from the red card for U.S. forward Balogun, Infantino claimed “subsequent decisions not to ban players in certain situations are routine.”

FIFA did not overturn Balogun’s red card, which does occur in domestic club competitions, but instead took the more unusual step of deferring the one-game ban for a probationary period. FIFA has yet to publish the written verdict of its disciplinary judge.

“To those spending their time and energy hating us, please take a moment to reflect, meditate, pray, or watch a football match and truly observe the faces, the eyes, the emotions,” Infantino wrote.

He signed off his statement: “Much love to all.”

___

Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report.

___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage

Comey's lawyers argue the government cannot prove the Instagram photo of seashells in the numerical arrangement of “86 47" constituted a “true threat" against the Republican president, who fired Comey in 2017 and has publicly called for his prosecution. The slogan — which has long meant to "get rid of" or “eject" — has been featured on thousands of items sold online and regularly displayed at protests, defense lawyers wrote in court papers.

"But the government now singles out Mr. Comey to prosecute one of the President’s most prominent critics for publishing another person’s statement of political opposition," his attorney's wrote. “That attempt to suppress core political speech contravenes both the statutes at issue and the First Amendment.”

The seashells case against Comey was the second in months targeting the ex-FBI director, a long-running Trump foe whom the president over the years has called a “corrupt piece of garbage” and other pejorative names.

An earlier case in Virginia accusing Comey of lying to Congress was dismissed last November after a judge concluded that the prosecutor who charged him and another Trump adversary, New York Attorney General Letitia James, was illegally appointed to the job.

More broadly, the case is part of a retribution campaign by the Trump administration Justice Department, which has initiated investigations across the country into individuals the president does not like. Comey has long drawn Trump's ire for his role overseeing the early months of an investigation into whether Trump’s 2016 campaign had coordinated with Russia to sway the outcome of that year’s election.

The two-count indictment charges Comey with “knowingly and willfully” making a threat to “take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon” Trump and with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. It does not provide evidence that Comey knowingly threatened Trump, especially since Comey has said the opposite, but suggested a “reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret” the message as a threat.

Comey was interviewed by the Secret Service last year over the post after Trump administration officials asserted that he was advocating the assassination of Trump, the 47th president. Comey deleted the post shortly after it was made, writing: “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence” and “I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”

“Even if ‘86 47’ could implausibly be read to suggest violence, a reasonable observer would still understand Mr. Comey’s post as mere political hyperbole, not a true threat,” Comey's lawyers wrote. “The Supreme Court has rejected threats prosecutions based on speech far more directly threatening than Mr. Comey’s seashells post here.”

The Justice Department has not elaborated on any evidence of intent the government has. But acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said earlier this year that prosecutors in every case prove intent with “witnesses, with documents, with the defendant himself to the extent it’s appropriate.”

“And that’s how we’ll prove intent in this case,” Blanche said in April, shortly after he was elevated to lead the department after Pam Bondi's firing.

Trump, in a Fox News Channel interview last year, accused Comey of knowing “exactly what that meant.”

“A child knows what that meant,” Trump said. “If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination. And it says it loud and clear.”

Lopes Cabral’s curling shot into the far top corner of the Argentina net was a standout moment at the World Cup where the unheralded African team made a stellar debut.

His goal tied defending champion Argentina at 2-2 in extra time of their thrilling round of 32 game in Miami Gardens. Cape Verde would eventually lose 3-2.

Lopes Cabral’s goal was voted best of the 308 goals scored at the tournament, ahead of Eldor Shomurodov's delicate lob for Uzbekistan against Congo and Wilson Isidor of Haiti scoring with a powerful rising shot against Morocco.

FIFA drew up a shortlist of 12 goals for public voting that closed Monday.

Lopes Cabral’s celebration also entered World Cup lore as he broke free of teammates reaching to grab him before climbing into the tribune to hug his girlfriend and look for his mother.

“Before the game, I’d told my mom and my girlfriend that if I scored, I’d run over to them,” he said. “When I got there, I saw my mom crying. She hadn’t even realized I was right there. Everyone was busy tending to her because she had fainted when I scored.”

Cape Verde defied both World Cup finalists in its four games, after goalkeeper Vozinha’s standout display saw his team open with a 0-0 draw to stun eventual champion Spain.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage

Although the Democratic Socialists of America’s Workers Deserve More platform doesn’t necessarily line up exactly with the candidates’ own agendas, prominent Republicans over the weekend decried it. The DSA platform proposes drafting "a new constitution” with significant changes to the structure of the U.S. government, including abolishing the Senate, replacing the president and the Supreme Court with leaders picked by Congress and allowing all permanent U.S. residents to vote. Alongside those changes, the platform, published earlier this month, calls for a number of social reforms.

“The barbarians are inside the gate — and Democrats are WELCOMING them in,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote on X. “Communism is no longer a far fetched threat. It is here on our SHORES!”

The Wall Street Journal’s conservative-leaning editorial board also warned about the agenda, calling it radical and writing that the job of Republicans and willing Democrats is to educate the country about it. But it cautioned Republicans to avoid communism attack lines, saying they wouldn't resonate with younger generations.

Progressive and DSA-backed candidates running in Democratic primaries across the country don’t all subscribe to the group’s full agenda. The left is also split between progressive and moderate wings that have different ideas about the best policies to carry the Democratic Party forward. But the DSA platform has created an opening for Republicans to attack Democrats with a broad brush as they look for an edge in races that will determine which party has a majority in Congress next year.

President Donald Trump this year has returned to an old habit of calling Democrats communists, saying they want to “destroy the traditional American way of life.” Other Republicans have followed suit, turning to more comfortable territory after months spent defending their party as disgruntled Americans fume about foreign wars and the high cost of living.

DSA agenda calls for dramatic overhaul of government and society

The DSA’s vision for the country laid out in mid-July proposes major changes that the group says can in part be achieved under the current system but ultimately would require “building a new society from the ground up.”

Among the suggested changes are expanding voting rights, publicly financing all elections, replacing the two-party system with a multi-party democracy, establishing public ownership of large corporations and expanding rights for immigrants while ending Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions and deportations.

In a recent appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” the group’s co-chair Megan Romer confirmed various aspects of the agenda while acknowledging that some of the proposals, like abolishing borders and prisons, would be considered parts of a long-term plan.

The Republican National Committee over the weekend called attention to the platform in a post that several GOP lawmakers seized on to raise alarm.

“These people are insane,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz replied on X.

“Watch this clip closely,” wrote Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican. “These ideas could be coming to your community sooner than you think.”

Progressive candidates have succeeded in recent races

The DSA's agenda comes as aligned candidates have triumphed in several recent Democratic primaries. They’ve capitalized on voter anger at the party establishment and rising skepticism of the U.S. alliance with Israel to edge out moderates in House races in New York and Colorado.

Democratic socialist candidates also have succeeded in mayoral elections in major U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C., New York and Seattle. An upcoming Missouri primary pitting a DSA-backed former congresswoman against the moderate Democratic incumbent will further test the movement’s momentum.

In other elections, progressive candidates have outlined where they differ from the DSA's agenda. In an upcoming Michigan Senate primary, for example, progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed has distanced himself from socialism, saying that he believes in capitalism but that it needs to be regulated.

Meanwhile, establishment Democrats including former Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison have forcefully pushed back against DSA candidates who run in the party’s primaries while criticizing the way the party is going.

“I say this with no ill will or animosity: if you hate the Democratic Party, then please don’t run for our nomination,” Harrison wrote in a social media post in June. “Don’t use our resources. Don’t rely on our volunteers. Don’t use our infrastructure. Don’t ask Democrats to invest their time, money, and energy in your campaign. Focus on building the party you actually support.”

• Police arrest 1 person and search for another after Seattle festival shooting that killed 3

The crash was reported on the westbound lanes of SH-99 at Cypress Rosehill, causing delays for hours in the area.

Traffic alert: SH-99 Grand Parkway North, WB at Cypress Rosehill, major crash involving an overturned 18 wheeler. Lifeflight is responding. First responders along with Hazmat is on scene. Find an alternate route or expect delays. @HCSOTexas @SheriffEd_HCSO @TxDOTHouston… pic.twitter.com/znhDURRV5C

— Terry Garza, LT (@HCSO_TerryGarza) July 27, 2026

Officials said the crash involved a single concrete truck, and Life Flight responded to the scene.

• U.S. will begin limited imports of Mexican cattle as screwworm outbreak continues

Hazmat crews and other first responders also arrived at the scene, where crews began cleanup.

Drivers were urged to avoid the area and find an alternate route until lanes were reopened.

A new study from SmartAsset found that reports of employment scams in Texas increased 25% year over year, placing the state No. 29 nationwide for the largest increase in reported job scams.

According to the study, there were 370 reported job scams per 1 million Texans in 2025, the most recent full year of data available.

While fraud schemes often target older adults, the report found that job scams are now the most commonly reported type of fraud among people ages 18 to 34.

Texas sees rise in job scam reports

SmartAsset analyzed data from the Federal Trade Commission to compare employment scam reports across the country.

The study found:

• Texas ranked No. 29 for the largest year-over-year increase in reported job scams.
• Reports of job scams increased 25% from 2024 to 2025.
• Texas recorded 370 reported job scams per 1 million residents in 2025.
• Employment scams were the most commonly reported fraud category among adults ages 18 to 34.

Which states saw the biggest increases?

South Dakota topped the list, with an 84.8% increase in reported job scams between 2024 and 2025.

The top 10 states with the largest increases were:

1. South Dakota (84.8%)
2. Maine (71.0%)
3. Alaska (65.0%)
4. North Dakota (55.6%)
5. New Hampshire (53.0%)
6. Alabama (45.0%)
7. New Mexico (44.0%)
8. Oklahoma (42.7%)
9. Kentucky (41.7%)
10. Arkansas (41.4%)

How to avoid job scams

Employment scams often involve fake recruiters, fraudulent job postings or offers that promise high pay for little work. Scammers may also ask applicants to send money for training, equipment or background checks, or request sensitive personal or banking information before a legitimate hiring process begins.

Job seekers can help protect themselves by:

• Researching companies before applying or accepting an offer.
• Being cautious of unsolicited job offers received by text or email.
• Never paying upfront fees for employment opportunities.
• Avoiding sharing sensitive personal or financial information until an employer’s identity has been verified.
• Watching for offers that promise unusually high pay or immediate hiring with little or no interview process.

According to SmartAsset, younger adults are increasingly being targeted by these schemes, making it especially important for first-time job seekers and those searching online to verify employers before responding to job offers.

Terms of the settlement were not made public.

“The recent resolution of this matter allows everyone to move forward, and I welcome that opportunity,” Agugua-Hamilton said in a statement provided to The Associated Press on Monday. "I am proud of my career, grateful to every player and coach whose path has crossed mine, and excited for what is to come next. My passion for coaching has always been less about wins and losses and more about making a positive difference in the lives of young people. That passion remains as strong as ever.”

Agugua-Hamilton was fired on April 4, a week after she led the Cavaliers to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2000. She went 70-58, including a 29-42 mark in ACC play. Virginia became the first double-digit seed to reach the regional semifinals since 2022 and pulled off the upset of the tournament, knocking off No. 2 seed Iowa on the road in double overtime in the second round.

They became the first First Four team to advance that far before falling to TCU.

“It was a privilege to coach the remarkable young women who wore the Virginia jersey," Agugua-Hamilton said. "Thank you for your commitment, your resilience, and allowing me to be a part of your journey. The relationships we built and the memories we created will always hold a special place in my heart.”

The school declined to comment on the matter.

Before coaching at Virginia, Agugua-Hamilton led Missouri State to a 74-15 record from 2020-22, which featured two NCAA Tournament appearances.

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Zelenskyy’s visit was the first by a foreign leader since Burnham took office a week ago, and the prime minister said it signaled the U.K.'s “unwavering” support for Kyiv to defend itself against Russia's 4-year-old, full-scale invasion.

His predecessor, Keir Starmer, was in the Ukrainian capital less than two weeks ago in his last overseas trip before leaving office, and Burnham said he planned to visit soon.

Burnham is the fifth British prime minister Zelenskyy has dealt with since Russia launched the war in 2022.

"You are the first leader I have welcomed in person since taking office, and that is no accident,” Burnham told Zelenskyy. “It is intended to send a very clear message: we are with Ukraine 100%, I am personally with you 100%, and I will honor every commitment this country has made to Ukraine in full.”

Zelenskyy said the two countries' relationship was “stronger than ever.”

The meeting, aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth docked at Portsmouth on England’s south coast, came a day before Zelenskyy is expected to visit U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.

Burnham said they had “talked at length” about Kyiv's need for more interceptors to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles, “particularly in terms of Ukraine protecting critical national infrastructure during the winters.”

“We’ve taken away some things that we will now follow up with our partners,” Burnham said after the meeting.

Russia has intensified strikes on gas stations, power facilities and other infrastructure this year in a broad campaign to strain Ukraine’s logistics and energy networks.

Zelenskyy said on X that the leaders also discussed “joint defense production.” Britain and Ukraine already have a deal to work together on new drones, and Zelenskyy told Sky News beforehand that he hoped to build a “big, big factory” in Britain.

They also met more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel who have spent three weeks in Britain for an exercise aimed at strengthening their fighting capabilities and measures to counter mines in the Black Sea, the U.K. government said.

Burnham announced that the U.K. will give Ukraine the intellectual property behind its new “Stone Cloak” electronic warfare system, which is capable of jamming Russian air defenses to stop drones from being detected.

Ukraine has expanded its campaign of frequent drone attacks deep inside Russia that have targeted oil facilities, military factories and, most recently, logistical centers, bringing the war home to millions of Russians and raising pressure on President Vladimir Putin.

The raids have shattered Putin’s narrative of the conflict as something that doesn’t affect the lives of ordinary people in his country. But he has remained undeterred and Russia has ramped up its aerial campaign, regularly bombarding Ukraine with missiles and drones.

Russia and Ukraine trade drone attacks

Russia again attacked Ukraine overnight with 147 long-range drones, according to Ukraine's air force, which said it intercepted or jammed 123 of them.

In Zaporizhzhia, one person was killed and two injured in attacks on the city that damaged a residential high-rise and several private homes overnight, according to regional administration head Ivan Fedorov.

A Russian strike on the town of Balakliia in the Kharkiv region killed one person and wounded eight, according to Vitalii Karabanov, head of the city military administration.

In the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian strikes damaged a kindergarten, residential buildings and infrastructure, injuring a woman and a 6-year-old boy, according to administration head Oleksandr Hanzha.

In the eastern Kharkiv region, regional council member Oleksandr Skoryk said Russian forces destroyed every gas station along the highway between Kharkiv and Poltava, a distance of about 150 kilometers (93 miles). The highway is a key supply route linking Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city and a regional hub close to the Russian border, with central Ukraine.

Romania’s Ministry of National Defense said a drone briefly entered its airspace before crossing the river border into Ukraine, where explosions were subsequently reported. It said two F-16 fighter jets were deployed to monitor airspace.

The drone’s incursion into Romanian airspace marked the fourth such incident in as many days. The three previous drones were all shot down by the NATO member.

In Moscow, Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 276 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Rostov regional Gov. Yuri Slyusar said five people, including a child, were killed when a Ukrainian drone hit an apartment building in Rostov-on-Don. Ukraine’s military General Staff said Ukrainian forces struck an export terminal in Rostov-on-Don, setting it ablaze.

The Ukrainian military said other strikes in the Moscow-held part of the Kherson region targeted a ground relay station used to control drones and a bridge over the Henichesk Strait that Russia uses for military logistics. Russian fuel and supply depots were also hit.

In the city of Belgorod in southwestern Russia near the border with Ukraine, a Ukrainian drone attack injured 12, including two children, according to regional emergency officials.

Iran vows retaliation after Ukrainian attack on a ship

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Ukraine struck an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, killing a sailor.

In a statement on X on Sunday, Araghchi denounced the attack as a “blatant U.N. Charter violation done at Israel’s behest to drag Europe into its war.” He said he made it clear in calls with the European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that the attack “can't go unanswered.”

Zelenskyy said on X that Ukrainian long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea over the weekend achieved “very good results,” adding the targets included “vessels involved in transporting military cargo linked to Iran, as well as a warship.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha rejected Iran’s threats of retaliation as unjustified and groundless, saying Tehran's weapons supplies to Russia have made it a direct accomplice to Moscow's aggression. “Iran has no standing to pretend to be a victim,” he posted on X, and called its references to the U.N. Charter “absurd.”

Sybiha said Iran’s statements were an attempt to divert attention from Russia’s attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea, which would be a focus of an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting Monday.

___

Hanna Arhirova and Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Stephen McGrath in Bucharest, Romania, contributed.

According to the Office of the Attorney General, the investigations will examine whether companies misled consumers about the safety and chemical makeup of products, including lip balms, lipsticks and feminine hygiene products.

The investigations focus on potential violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which prohibits deceptive or misleading business practices.

Which brands are being investigated?

As part of the investigation into feminine care products, the attorney general’s office said it has issued Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) to:

• Tampax
• Kotex
• L.
• LOLA

A CID is a legal tool that allows investigators to request documents and information before deciding whether further legal action is warranted. The announcement does not allege wrongdoing by the companies.

Why is Paxton investigating?

The attorney general’s office cited reports and studies raising concerns about chemicals found in certain consumer products.

For lip products, the office pointed to reports suggesting some products may contain ingredients such as titanium dioxide, petroleum-based compounds, microplastics and synthetic dyes. The office said these products are often marketed for frequent daily use and, in some cases, to children.

The office also referenced a 2024 study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, which detected measurable concentrations of 16 heavy metals, including lead, cadmium and arsenic, in more than 30 tampon products representing 14 brands.

The attorney general’s office noted that public health authorities have long said there is no known safe level of lead exposure. It also said some companies market products as “clean” or “non-toxic,” but whether those claims are accurate has not been independently verified through the state’s investigation.

Paxton’s statement

“I will continue to work tirelessly to help Make America Healthy Again by stopping companies that illegally put toxic heavy metals and dangerous chemicals in their products,” Paxton said in a statement.

“Many corporations have neglected the health of women by using harmful ingredients in their everyday products, but my office will fight to defend Texas women and their health. No corporation should mislead women about the safety of its products, and my office will thoroughly investigate any company that harms the health of Texans.”

The Office of the Attorney General said investigators will determine whether manufacturers or sellers violated Texas consumer protection laws by misleading customers about the safety, quality or chemical composition of their products.

At this stage, the investigations are ongoing, and the attorney general’s office has not announced any lawsuits or enforcement actions against the companies named.

FIFA shared the numbers behind what made this sporting event one for the record books.

FIFA World Cup 2026 logistics:

• 39 days event
• Event stretched across three countries in North America
• 16 host cities
• 48 team base camps
• 645 official sites
• Nearly 300,000 accredited personnel
• 1,248 players
• Cumulative stadium attendance of more than 6.8 million fans

FIFA World Cup 2026 workforce:

• More than 43,000 volunteers
• 73,700 accredited security personnel
• Workforce representing 104 different nationalities
• Security operations alone involved more than one million shifts, while accreditation systems processed over five million scans across tournament sites

FIFA World Cup 2026 technology and media:

• International Broadcast Center in Dallas accommodated thousands of personnel and supporting coverage of every match
• Throughout tournament, production teams deployed 5,000 cameras
• More than 24,000 content items produced

FIFA World Cup 2026 food statistics:

• Across the 39-day competition, nearly 675,000 hot dogs were sold inside stadiums
• More than 4.6 million soft drinks and bottled waters consumed by fans
• Over 5.5 million beers consumed

FIFA Fan Festival statistics:

• More than 9 million visitors welcomed at Fan Festivals across North America
• FIFA’s Know Before You Go communications program distributed more than 2,300 WhatsApp messages and 7.7 million emails

Every major index lost ground overall for the week amid increasing pressure from a sharp escalation in the U.S. war with Iran. Investors are also contending with new tariffs from the Trump administration and worries about the economy suffering under the weight of stubborn inflation.

The S&P 500 barely budged in a day of uneventful trading. It rose 3.68 points, or less than 0.1%, to 7,411.98. The index notched its second consecutive losing week, which hasn't happened since March.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 235.60 points, or 0.5%, to 51,947.25.

The Nasdaq fell 161.87 points, or 0.6%, to 24,975.82. It was weighed down by sharp losses from several big tech stocks.

Micron Technology fell 7% and Broadcom fell 2.7%. Both companies have large market values that tend to weigh more heavily on the market. They were big reasons for the technology-heavy Nasdaq lagging the market, and also why the market's gains were kept in check despite more stocks rising than falling within the S&P 500.

Heavy fighting in the Middle East throughout the week again threatened to slow the global flow of oil and gas. It has been an ongoing concern for Wall Street, and now many of the buffers in the energy market from earlier in the year, including strategic reserves in the U.S., have been weakened.

“If escalation continues and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, the impact will land on an energy market with far less resilience than in the spring,” wrote Theodore Bunzel, head of geopolitical advisory at Lazard, in a report.

Brent crude, the international standard, fell 3.9% to $96.78. It rose the first four days of the week and moved back above $100 on Thursday. Before the Iran war began in late February it was trading around $72 per barrel.

Bond yields also eased and relieved some of the pressure on stocks. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.68% from 4.71% late Thursday.

Markets in Europe gained ground, while Asian markets closed lower.

The U.S. is also ramping up its global trade war with a fresh round of tariffs on dozens of nations. The new round of tariffs impacts nearly all U.S. imports and they are paid by companies importing those goods, who then typically pass the added costs along to consumers. That move came just as the clock was running out Friday on stopgap levies the president imposed after a stinging defeat for other tariffs at the Supreme Court.

Rising energy prices and fresh tariffs could result in hotter inflation, which has been squeezing consumers and looming over the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy.

The Fed meets next week and has been closely monitoring prices and their impact. Rising inflation dashed hopes earlier this year for an interest rate cut. Wall Street has since leaned more toward a potential rate increase, which the central bank can use to help cool inflation.

Wall Street is anticipating at least one rate hike by the end of the year, with a nearly 38% chance that could happen at the upcoming meeting next week, according to CME FedWatch.

Higher energy costs threaten to take a bigger chunk out of household budgets, which means a shift in spending toward more basic needs, like gasoline. Nationally, a gallon of gasoline costs $4.10 per gallon, according to AAA. That’s still lower than this spring as the conflict in Iran expanded, but it’s almost a dollar higher than last year at this time.

Investors are worried about the impact to companies profits. Those profits and expectations for more growth are what typically justifies a stock's value. The latest round of corporate earnings showed that companies are still notching growth, but concerns are growing.

American Express fell 4.3% despite reporting a jump in profit during its most recent quarter. AmEx maintained its profit forecast for the year and has been spending more heavily to keep wealthy individuals amid more competition.

Worries about the sustainability of broader profits are on top of lingering concerns about AI-focused tech companies. Companies like Alphabet and Nvidia have been spending heavily on AI technology. Investors are increasingly questioning whether those investments will produce profits to justify the large stock values that have been steering the broader market higher throughout the year.

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AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

The moon officially reaches its fullest phase at 9:35 a.m. Wednesday, July 29. Since that happens during daylight hours in Houston, the best opportunity to see it will come Wednesday evening as the nearly perfectly illuminated moon climbs into the night sky.

When to see the Buck Moon in Houston

The moon will rise shortly after sunset Wednesday. Look low toward the east-southeast as it begins to appear above the horizon.

It may look especially large and golden while it is still low in the sky. No telescope or special equipment is needed.

An open location with a clear view of the southeastern horizon will provide the best view. Passing clouds could occasionally block the moon, but there should still be opportunities to see it.

Why is it called the Buck Moon?

July’s full moon is called the Buck Moon because young male deer typically begin growing new antlers around this time of year.

The antlers are initially covered in a soft layer of velvet before hardening later in the season.

Other traditional names for July’s full moon include the Thunder Moon and Hay Moon.

Will it look different?

Despite its name, the Buck Moon will not appear dramatically different from a typical full moon. It is also not a supermoon.

It may briefly look yellow, orange or reddish near the horizon. That happens because its light travels through more of Earth’s atmosphere.

The moon will also appear nearly full Tuesday and Thursday nights, giving skywatchers more than one chance to see it.

If you see the full buck moon and take photos we’d love to see it! You can send your photos in to Click2Pins.

According to the personal finance website, Texas ranked 48th overall, with only three states scoring lower. The report evaluated states using 44 metrics, including insurance coverage, the number of doctors and hospital beds available, and health outcomes.

WalletHub said Americans now spend an average of nearly $15,500 per year on healthcare, making affordability and access increasingly important when comparing healthcare systems.

Where Texas ranked

Among the categories highlighted in the report, Texas ranked:

• 25th for hospital beds per capita
• 46th for physicians per capita
• 43rd for dentists per capita
• 51st (last) for the percentage of insured adults
• 51st (last) for the percentage of insured children
• 34th for the percentage of at-risk adults who had not seen a doctor for a routine visit in the past two years
• 49th for the percentage of adults who had not visited a dentist in the past year

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the best healthcare systems balance affordability with quality and accessibility.

“The best health care in the nation isn’t helpful if it bankrupts the people who try to get it, and cheap health care isn’t worth paying for if it provides subpar or ineffective treatment,” Lupo said.

Which states ranked highest?

According to the report, the top five states for healthcare in 2026 were:

• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island
• Minnesota
• Iowa
• Massachusetts

WalletHub’s rankings were based on three main categories:

• Healthcare costs
• Access to care
• Health outcomes

Researchers analyzed data from a variety of sources to score each state before calculating an overall ranking.

The school announced the move with a statement Monday morning, coming days before the Tar Heels open preseason camp. The school didn't provide details as to the reason, noting that employees and athletes aren't permitted to address the topic “as is standard procedure with personnel matters.”

Lombardi joined Bill Belichick in making the NFL-to-college move when the school hired the former New England Patriots coach in December 2024. Lombardi's career as an NFL executive had included being the GM of the Cleveland Browns in 2013, and he was an immediate hire by the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach in Chapel Hill.

The school had hired Belichick to jolt a football program that had largely been an Atlantic Coast Conference also-ran while making periodic but unsustained climbs into national relevance.

A few months into Belichick's tenure, Lombardi said the goal was running a college program in a way similar to the NFL, saying the Tar Heels “consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team” due to the staff connections to the pros.

The Tar Heels went just 4-8 in Belichick's first season. They open his second against TCU in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 29.

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

The Loudon County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded late Sunday to a shooting in Ashburn, Virginia, where the couple still had a home from Bieniemy's time coaching the Washington Commanders. They found the 57-year-old Mia Bieniemy with multiple gunshot wounds, and she was transported to a hospital where she was in stable condition Monday.

Elijah Zion Bieniemy, the 27-year-old son of the couple, was arrested early Monday in connection with the shooting. He has been charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling, and is being held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

The sheriff's office said the investigation was ongoing.

Eric Bieniemy was with the Chiefs at training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, earlier Sunday. He was not present for Monday's workout involving rookies, quarterbacks and a few veterans, which was closed to the public.

“Our hearts go out to Eric Bieniemy and his family. Thoughts and prayers with them,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said afterward. “I can't get into details on it, but things happen sometimes, and Eric will work through it. He has a great support group here, as does his family, as needed, and we'll just let time take care of it from there. But Mia is stable, which is a plus.

“She's a saint, we all know that, those of you that know her. One of God's great blessings,” Reid added. “But things happen. And you have to work through it. That's where we're at right now. Time will have to be involved in this to help heal."

Reid did not know how long Bieniemy would be away from the team. Pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier and offensive line coach Andy Heck will take over his duties as the Chiefs continue with offensive installations during training camp.

“On these things, real life. So you take care of that,” Reid said. “We'll be able to keep it moving here, but the most important thing is EB has an opportunity to spend some time there are take care of that business."

Eric Bieniemy was part of Reid's initial staff in Kansas City in 2013, and spent five seasons as the running backs coach before he was promoted to offensive coordinator. Over the next five seasons, the demanding but popular Bieniemy helped the Chiefs to reach three Super Bowls and win two of them while directing one of the NFL's best offenses.

He interviewed for several head-coaching jobs but was continually skipped over, so Bieniemy went to the Commanders in 2023 in hopes of burnishing his resume. But the team struggled and coach Ron Rivera's staff was let go, and Bieniemy spent one season as the offensive coordinator at UCLA before spending last season as the running backs coach with the Bears.

Bieniemy returned to the Chiefs this season to replace Matt Nagy as the offensive coordinator. He was present for offseason workouts in Kansas City over the summer, and he was with the team when it began to report to training camp last week.

The Chiefs are off Tuesday. The first full-squad workout at Missouri Western State University is Wednesday.

“It's great to have (Bieniemy) back in the building,” Reid said last week. “He always brings great energy. I've told you, he's one of the more phenomenal guys I have been around at being a leader of men. He is doing that. He's in there cranking — works his tail off, and I appreciate that. Doesn't let anything slide by. Does a good job with that.”

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

“So many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing. The truth is, I’ve been learning how to live with Parkinson’s disease,” Simon’s statement on Monday read.

The singer, 83, had been experiencing arthritis in one of her hips and both her knees, resulting in replacement surgeries for those three joints. But her mobility continued to decline. At times, she said, she could not walk without “considerable help.”

“My family and I knew that something more was going on. After an extensive evaluation at the Mayo Clinic, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s,” she said.

“It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it, and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly,” she explained. “Parkinson’s is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable. Some days I’m so tired I can’t get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself.”

Parkinson’s is a neurologic disease that robs people of control over their movements. It typically starts with tremors and is characterized by slow movement, a shuffling gait, stiff limbs, balance problems and slurred speech.

About 1 million Americans are living with Parkinson’s, and 10 million people worldwide, the Parkinson’s Foundation estimates. It usually appears after age 60, though it sometimes develops before age 50.

The exact cause isn’t known, but Parkinson’s develops when cells that produce one of the brain’s chemical messengers — dopamine — begin to deteriorate and die.

There is no cure, but there are treatments including medications that affect dopamine levels and a surgically implanted tremor-blocking device. Patients also can benefit from physical and occupational therapy.

“I began treatment, including taking medication to help with stiffness and other symptoms,” Simon said. “There is no tidy or predictable schedule to the illness. It does not consult my calendar before deciding what kind of day I am going to have.”

She also shared that she was treated for basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer, on her face at the same time. She had surgery, and the cancer was removed, “but the surgery affected my appearance and made me more self-conscious about being seen in public,” she said.

She said music has been a salve, and on Aug. 14, she will release “Comes in Waves,” her first album of original songs since 2008.

“Working on the music gave shape to days that did not always have much shape. It gave me somewhere to go without having to leave the room,” she continued. “It reminded me that illness can change your life without becoming the whole of your life.”

From the 1.6 million dozen shell egg recall and the Cyclospora-related iceberg lettuce concerns, below is a quick, easy-to-scan roundup of the food and dietary supplement recalls posted by the FDA in the last two weeks that specifically list Texas in distribution or availability, plus what to look for to see if you have an affected product.

Shell eggs (multiple brands) — Salmonella risk

• Posted: 07/22/2026 | Company: Midwest Poultry Services, L.P.
• Texas connection: Produced/distributed from Texas; shipped to TX (also OK, LA). Sold at Kroger (TX); Brookshire Grocery footprint includes TX.
• ID: Carton codes P-1950 or 0840962 + Julian Date 157–184.

Peter Rabbit Organics fruit puree pouches (4 oz) — possible soft plastic

• Posted: 07/21/2026 | Company: PT Organics Limited
• Texas connection: Sold nationwide at Kroger, Meijer, and Target (includes Texas stores) between 03/06/2026–07/13/2026.
• ID: Barcode 8 15367 01078 0; lane number “4” on the rear right-hand seam; Best-Before-Date 01/19/2027, 01/20/2027, 03/17/2027, 03/18/2027, 05/14/2027, or 05/15/2027.

Zen Principle moringa capsules (180 count) — possible Salmonella

• Posted: 07/19/2026 | Company: Relay Peak Research LLC (Zen Principle Naturals)
• Texas connection: Sold nationwide online (incl. TX) via Amazon and zenprinciple.com .
• ID: Lot A6FF4 | Best By 11/2028.

Iceberg lettuce (multiple SKUs/brands) — Cyclospora concern

• Posted: 07/18/2026 | Company: Taylor Farms de Mexico / Taylor Fresh Foods
• Texas connection: Distribution list includes TX.
• Where it may show up: Select Walmart (Marketside) items; Taco Bell locations that received recalled lettuce.

Ola-Ola pounded yam (2–10 lb) — undeclared milk

• Posted: 07/17/2026 | Company: Fayus Inc. (Yusol International Foods)
• Texas connection: Distributed in U.S. states including TX (African/Caribbean market outlets).
• ID: Affected exp. dates Nov 2028–May 2029; packaging that does not declare milk (sodium caseinate).

Khong Guan glutinous rice balls (14.1 oz bags) — undeclared peanuts

• Posted: 07/15 & 07/16/2026 | Company: Khong Guan Corporation
• Texas connection: Distributed online + retail in states including TX.
• ID:
• • Black sesame filling: UPC 6908791000053 | Use By 9/22/2027 or 10/19/2027
  • Black & white (black sesame): UPC 6908791000084 | Use By 10/19/2027

CFBPA executive director Jason Stahl said the goal is for other Atlantic Coast Conference schools join Stanford in forming chapters. That would create momentum for unionization and the ability for players to bargain with conferences over working conditions.

Stanford players elected offensive lineman Fisher Anderson and linebacker Ernest Cooper as their representatives.

“Stanford has been a pioneer and innovator not just in football but as a school in general,” Cooper said “This first-ever current player-led chapter at Stanford is just another example of this innovation. We want to be leaders in college football and show other schools how they can create a chapter on their campus because we believe this is the future of college football.”

Anderson said the CFBPA will play a role in giving players a voice in all aspects of governing college football.

“Over the past five years, college football has been rocked back and forth by the waves,” he said. “When a CFBPA chapter becomes a reality on every college football team, it would put down an anchor where there isn't one right now for the sport. The chapters can then become the building blocks for conference-wide collective bargaining agreements, which would bring sustainability, transparency and player protections to a sport in need of all three.”

The NCAA and conferences have been working with federal legislators on a Senate bill that would grant the NCAA an antitrust exemption to be able to enforce rules such as a salary cap and transfer restrictions. Some athletic directors have suggested collective bargaining as an alternative if federal legislation is not passed, but a number of obstacles related to giving college athletes employee status would have to be cleared.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Water heading downstream from hard-hit areas of Texas is expected to continue arriving in area reservoirs, potentially easing water-use restrictions for city residents and giving Corpus Christi added time and breathing room to strengthen its water system.

“This is really, really good news for the community, and it gives us time to bring on our water supply projects without the stress of heading into a Level 1 water emergency,” City Manager Peter Zanoni said at a morning water briefing.

Corpus Christi, Texas’ eighth-largest city, has been racing to avoid a water emergency in which demand outpaces available water supplies. For months the city has been under pressure to find new sources of water for 500,000 people served across seven counties, along with one of the nation’s largest petrochemical corridors and the Port of Corpus Christi, the country’s top port for crude oil exports. Officials have asked residents and businesses to cut their water use.

Earlier this year, city projections showed that “day zero” — the point when water demand is projected to be six months from exceeding supply — could arrive as early as May, triggering a Level 1 emergency declaration.

Spring rains pushed that estimate back to September 2027, but not before drawing statewide and national attention as the city appeared to be the first major U.S. city on track to run short of water.

The new Level 1 water emergency date is forecasted to be September 2028.

For months, local leaders said the region needed either steady rain or a hurricane to replenish largely empty reservoirs. City officials said they continue to monitor inflows to see if the rains coming downstream will push the new date back even further.

More than 95% of the city’s water supply comes from surface water, primarily lakes and reservoirs, according to the state’s water plan.

Five years of drought had depleted the city’s two main reservoirs: Choke Canyon, fed by the Frio River, and Lake Corpus Christi, fed by the Nueces River. The capacity of Choke Canyon is three times that of Lake Corpus Christi.

As of Monday, the biggest gain from floodwater has been at Choke Canyon Reservoir, the city’s largest water resource. The lake climbed in the past week from 7.9% of capacity to 24%. The reservoir was last consistently full in the early 2000s and has been below 50% full since 2013.

The combined level of Choke Canyon and Lake Corpus Christi is 26.2%, Zanoni said. The city is currently in Stage 3 drought restrictions, which bars outdoor irrigation. City modelers show the lakes could get to 30% combined capacity by this weekend, which would allow the city to move to Stage 2 restrictions, allowing residents to water the lawns and irrigate once every other week.

Industrial demand accounts for more than half of the region’s water use. Companies threatened to leave the city if something was not done.

The latest projection “is tremendous,” Zanoni said, buying Corpus Christi an additional year to find new water sources — but city leaders warned that it’s not time to slow down. Zanoni said the city has about $1 billion in water supply projects moving forward. 

Just a few months ago, the region’s outlook was far more dire as the major regional reservoirs reached historic lows in April. Choke Canyon dropped to 7.4% of capacity while Lake Corpus Christi fell to 8.5%. That same month, at least six small cities and towns in the Coastal Bend region issued disaster declarations amid the water crisis.

Last year the city began drilling groundwater wells in a field in Nueces County to meet demand, sparking backlash from rural residents who feared their wells would be impacted. Zanoni said the approximately 13 million gallons of brackish water from the wells, which is treated, helped delay the Level 1 water emergency and will continue to support the city’s water system long-term.

The city is debating a seawater desalination plant — a drought-proof way to turn millions of gallons of seawater into fresh water — and is expected to make a decision on the nearly billion-dollar project on Sept. 1. The City Council previously voted to halt the project amid criticism from environmental groups and local leaders over its ballooning price tag and concern that its discharge could harm Corpus Christi Bay’s ecosystem, but the water department resurrected the idea after trimming its cost.

Corpus Christi Water, the utility that supplies water for municipal and industrial use, said average water use is 95 million gallons per day, according to its website. The city is also working on a project to recycle and reuse wastewater.

Lake Corpus Christi sits at 32% capacity. The lake has yet to see increases from the floodwater, but Zanoni said the water could begin arriving this weekend.

The third reservoir the city uses, Lake Texana, rebounded from nearly 50% capacity in April to 100% in June, although it is known for filling up and depleting quickly.

If a Level 1 emergency is declared, all customers of the city’s regional water system would be required to cut use by 25%. It also would trigger landscape watering bans and vehicle washing restrictions, like washing cars and boats out of a 5-gallon bucket, and filling pools only to maintain structural integrity.

Residents’ monthly baseline use was calculated at 8,000 gallons per household, limiting them to 6,000 gallons if an emergency is triggered. Every 1,000 gallons used after that would cost an additional $4. Beyond 8,000 gallons, every 1,000 gallons would cost another $8.

The FA said Wednesday that Eckert had been charged for three incidents that came to light during the end of season playoffs.

Southampton was expelled from the Championship playoff final in May after admitting to spying on other teams, including semifinal opponent Middlesbrough.

The FA said it was alleged Eckert acted in an “improper manner and/or brought the game into disrepute” by authorizing the observation of opponents’ training sessions.

Southampton was charged by the English Football League with the unauthorized filming of Middlesbrough’s practice sessions ahead of their two-legged semifinal, which it went on to win and go within one game of promotion to the Premier League.

It was expelled from the final after admitting to spying on Oxford United and Ipswich earlier in the season. The EFL also imposed a four-point deduction for next season, while Middlesbrough was reinstated to the final, which it lost 1-0 to Hull City.

An arbitration panel laid bare the influence of Eckert in the scandal, saying it was “a contrived and determined plan from top down to gain a competitive advantage” and analysts who carried out the unauthorized filming “felt pressurised to do the observations that Mr. Eckert and the senior coaches wished them to do.”

Expulsion from the playoffs deprived Southampton of the chance of promotion to the top flight and a guaranteed windfall of at least $270 million in future earnings.

Despite the controversy Southampton said it was sticking by its coach.

“As a board, we are fully behind him,” owner Dragan Šolak said in June, “and together we only have one objective — we want promotion back to (the) Premier League.”

Eckert also said in June that he had “made a mistake” and took “full responsibility.”

Eckert has until July 28 to respond to the FA charges.

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

The new tariffs announced in recent days take effect just as temporary 10% worldwide tariffs expired, and critics say they are less about cracking down on forced labor than they are a way to replace those tariffs. The expired tariffs were themselves a temporary replacement for worldwide tariffs the Supreme Court struck down in February.

The tariffs were levied on countries that the U.S. says either don’t have or don’t effectively enforce a forced-labor import ban. The affected countries, which account for 99% of U.S. imports, were quick to protest, calling the Trump administration’s claims unfounded and arbitrary, as nations with vastly different records on forced labor received the same tariff level. The U.S. spent four months investigating but gave few details on how it arrived at the tariff rates, which are either 10% or 12.5%.

Sidestepping Congress

The tariffs were levied under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 on countries that the U.S. determined had failed “to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor.”

During President Donald Trump ‘s first term, he cited Section 301 to impose sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports amid a dispute over the sharp-elbowed tactics Beijing was using to challenge America’s technological dominance. The U.S. is also using 301 powers to counter what it calls unfair Chinese practices in the shipbuilding industry.

“The 301s allow a permanent tariff without going to Congress to settle the dispute,” said Barry Appleton, a law professor and co-director of New York Law School’s Center for International Law. “That’s what all of this is about. The president doesn’t want to knock on the front door of Congress, so he’s trying every side door and every unlatched window to get in.”

Little evidence that countries failed to enforce import bans

The office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) said it consulted with all 60 economies under investigation and held two rounds of public hearings, elicited more than 2,100 public comments, and had “engagement” with its trading partners about what they were doing to combat forced labor bans.

It didn’t detail its talks with the countries, saying those were confidential. Experts say it is fairly straightforward to investigate whether a country has a ban or not, but it is difficult to determine the government’s exact rationale for each country’s failure to enforce import bans.

“There’s not a lot of hard evidence there,” said Scott Lincicome, vice president for general economics and trade policy at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. “It’s pretty laughable on its face to think that a country like the ones in Europe or in Norway or Switzerland aren’t doing enough to police forced labor.”

And even if countries do enact and enforce the forced-labor import bans the U.S. wants, they would still need to prove that they’re enforcing them to Washington’s satisfaction before the tariffs would be removed, said lawyer Patrick Childress, a partner at Holland & Knight and a former U.S. trade official.

“This suggests that no short-term path for countrywide relief from the new Section 301 tariffs will be available,” he said.

Countries and industries reject the forced labor argument

Many countries have pushed back against the Trump administration’s findings.

Brazil, which faces a 12.5% forced-labor tariff, called the U.S. move “arbitrary and unjustified.” The U.S. “chose to manipulate an issue of great importance to human rights and the struggles of workers worldwide in order to accuse 59 countries and the European Union of unfair practices,” it said in a statement.

Australia also questioned the justification for its 12.5% tariff.

“We believe that amongst all of the countries in the world, Australia does take the issue of slavery, modern slavery, seriously, and will continue to do that,” Trade Minister Don Farrell told reporters in Adelaide.

Carve-outs have riled some industries. The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), which describes itself as the voice of the American textile industry, protested a mechanism that exempts the Section 301 tariffs for textile and apparel imports from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia based on those countries’ imports of U.S. cotton and textiles.

“No other industry has been more disadvantaged by forced labor than the U.S. textile industry, which employs 453,000 workers and has lost 41 plants over the past two plus years,” NCTO chief executive Kim Glas said in a statement. “We remain strongly concerned that USTR’s textile mechanism will harm the very domestic manufacturers the administration seeks to help.”

US forced-labor bans don’t always work

The U.S. has two major pieces of legislation related to forced-labor import bans. The Tariff Act of 1930 gave Customs and Border Protection the authority to seize shipments where forced labor was suspected and to block further imports. But it had a big carve-out: If there was “consumptive demand,” meaning there wasn’t sufficient supply to meet domestic demand, imports were allowed regardless of how they were produced. The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act that took effect in 2016 eliminated that loophole.

In 2021, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act was passed. It blocks imports from China’s Xinjiang region unless businesses can prove the items were made without forced labor.

But goods made with forced labor can still make it into the U.S. In 2015, an Associated Press investigation found that slave labor was used in the fishing industry in Southeast Asia. The seafood they caught made its way to supermarkets and pet food providers across the U.S.

An investigation by The Associated Press in 2020 into the $65 billion palm oil industry found labor abuses among an invisible workforce consisting of millions of men, women and children in Asia. The fruit they harvested made its way into the supply chains of major companies, including Unilever, L’Oreal, Nestle and Procter & Gamble.

Calls for a more comprehensive approach to combat forced labor

During hearings on the tariffs this month, National Retail Federation vice president Jonathan Gold, who was representing the business coalition the Joint Association Forced Labor Working Group at the hearing, said that in order for the import bans to work, they would have to be much more extensive.

He said there need to be “clear, measurable benchmarks” tied to tariffs for countries to hit, and that the U.S. should help countries build enforcement programs.

Kenya Davis, a partner at the Boies Schiller Flexner law firm, said an effective ban needs a “comprehensive approach” that provides transparency about what the investigations consisted of, along with programs that provide countries aid in enforcing bans.

The foundation’s first new initiative in more than a decade, the Clinton Policy Institute has already begun convening political leaders from both parties, research experts, and Americans affected by the issues being studied to create new approaches to long-existing problems.

“Rising costs, economic uncertainty, rapid technological change, and growing pressures on our public institutions are making it harder for families to get ahead,” former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a statement to The Associated Press. “We created CPI because we believe there are still practical, evidence-based solutions that can improve people’s lives.”

CPI is building on its work with New York state in banning cellphones from schools in the past academic year. Though the institute did not technically exist last year when it teamed with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration on creating distraction-free schools in the state, the Clinton Foundation saw promise in its approach and decided to expand it before publicly announcing CPI’s creation. It’s a strategy that the foundation, also led by former President Bill Clinton and public health expert Chelsea Clinton, used when it launched the Clinton Health Access Initiative in 2004.

Zayn Siddique, former principal deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council, will serve as CPI’s chief executive officer. Jennifer Klein, who was director of the White House Gender Policy Council under former President Joe Biden, will be CPI’s chair.

In New York, CPI helped create the Teen Tech Council so that students could help make the phone-ban program more effective. The result, according to Hochul’s office, was that educators found a marked improvement in classroom behavior and engagement.

“CPI is bringing together policymakers, researchers, business leaders, and community organizations to identify what works, build stronger policy networks, and help turn those ideas into policy,” Hillary Clinton said. “We’re taking a particular focus on states and local communities, where so much innovation is happening.”

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly praises CPI's nonpartisan approach

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said a CPI conference on improving the lives of children earlier this month was “the best roundtable I’ve been involved with since becoming governor.”

Kelly, who will leave office in January due to term limits after serving two consecutive terms, said she was inspired by CPI’s nonpartisan approach to solving problems affecting children.

“I am a Democrat governor in what is considered a very red state,” Kelly told The Associated Press in an interview. “It became very clear to me that if I wanted to accomplish anything in my political life, I was going to need to do it in a bipartisan way.”

Kelly believes that, despite political polarization, CPI can succeed in finding nonpartisan solutions – especially to issues involving children and healthcare – and giving state leaders the research and other support to implement them.

“Every once in a while, you get people from both sides of the aisle who come together and crafted, maybe not sexy legislation, but something that really needed to be done,” Kelly said. “And they get it through.”

Dr. Jerome Adams, former U.S. Surgeon General in President Donald Trump’s first administration, agrees that nonpartisan solutions are possible to find. But he says the nonpartisan nature of the solutions has to be intentional.

“Health is inherently political,” said Adams. “When you talk about access to healthcare coverage, when you talk women’s health issues, particularly around the issue of abortion and contraception, when you talk about drug policy and whether you’re in favor of harm reduction, when you talk of firearm safety -- all of these are inherently political issues.”

Former Surgeon General Adams sees broad support for children's issues

That is complicated further, Adams said, because “we live in a country that is very binary, so every issue, no matter how nuanced, is, for purposes of elections, turned into black/white, yes/no, all or none.”

However, Adams said CPI has already found a way to get bipartisan buy-in for some of its solutions to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). In 2020, the state of California launched the ACEs Aware initiative to begin screening for ACEs – which include abuse, neglect and household challenges – and treating them early to reduce the impact and the cost to the state later.

Through CPI, Adams was asked to become the co-chair of the National Leadership Council for the ACE Resource Network in June in an effort to bring California’s work treating ACEs to other states.

“I’m very interested in work that has proven and practical solutions,” he said. “We bring in states and say, ‘Hey, let’s look at the best evidence in terms of what works around adverse childhood experiences and state level policy and then try to implement it in your state’.”

That strategy has led Republican-led states like Utah and Georgia to consider parts of Democrat-led California’s work on the issue, Adams said.

He said it’s a sign that CPI’s approach works and can be expanded to other areas.

The Clinton Foundation hopes that will be the case.

“Too many people have lost faith that progress is possible,” Hillary Clinton said. “But across the country, leaders are developing innovative policies that are strengthening families and communities. Those ideas deserve to be shared and scaled.”

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

Put another way, that means the inferno was no longer simply being propelled by the weather. It was making its own. The thundercloud also produced violent, erratic winds capable of driving the flames in new directions.

The phenomenon, called a pyrocumulonimbus, or pyroCb, is rare in Europe and more commonly documented in North America and Australia, where it occurs only over some of the most extreme fires. France’s national firefighters federation said it had never before recorded one in the country.

The blaze erupted near Saumos on July 22 and has since burned more than 420 square kilometers (162 square miles) of forests and scrubland, damaged or destroyed more than 240 homes and forced 220,000 people to evacuate in Gironde.

At about 6:20 p.m. Friday, two days after the fire began, the departmental fire and rescue service said it had generated a pyrocumulonimbus. The cloud weakened overnight as humidity rose, then formed again several times.

An electrified black thundercloud

Repeatedly, heat and smoke have surged upward into a vast black thundercloud, electrified and lit from within.

“Imagine a campfire so large and hot that the smoke rising off it turns into a storm-like cloud,” said Theodore M. Giannaros, a fire meteorologist at the National Observatory of Athens.

“That is a pyroCb — a storm cloud born from the intense heat that a wildfire produces.”

It takes more than a big fire.

There is no set temperature at which one forms, Giannaros said; what is needed is the kind of atmosphere that breeds dry thunderstorms — very hot, very dry air near the ground, with cooler and moister air above it.

Hot air loaded with smoke and moisture then rises rapidly from the flames. As it climbs and cools, water vapor condenses around particles of ash.

Above the freezing level, droplets become ice crystals whose collisions separate electrical charges, as in an ordinary thunderstorm.

Lightning and more destruction follow

Beneath this storm lies a landscape already primed to burn. The cloud then amplifies the disaster that created it.

Rising air pulls powerful winds toward the fire, while downdrafts punch gusts back to the surface.

Those shifts can turn the flames, divide them into several fronts or send them racing in a new direction.

“It’s a feedback loop, not a one-way effect,” Giannaros said. “Once it forms, the cloud becomes its own weather system, sitting on top of the fire and making it harder to predict.”

The systems can also spin up whirling columns of flame — usually a fire whirl, which Giannaros describes as a dust devil made of fire and heat instead of dust.

True tornadoes are rarer, though one struck Redding, California, during the 2018 Carr Fire with winds equivalent to an EF-3, killing a fire inspector.

For firefighters, escape routes can close without warning as fresh outbreaks appear beyond their crews and equipment.

Direct attack may become impossible, forcing crews to retreat and defend communities.

The danger, Giannaros said, is fire moving faster than evacuations can be organized.

Until now, pyroCbs have been essentially an Australian and North American phenomenon. Canada alone produced a record 142 of them in 2023.

In Europe, pyroCbs have been rare

Portugal recorded one during its deadly 2017 fire season. France has now joined the list.

The continent is heating faster than any other on Earth — at roughly twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization — with heat waves growing more frequent and severe and drought spreading across the south, curing forests into fuel.

Hotter and drier conditions give extreme fires more opportunity to form them, Giannaros said, but scientists still lack enough long-term data to establish a trend.

The European research project ROSETTA aims to close that gap.

The most common misunderstanding, he said, is that the cloud is merely a side effect. As long as it hangs above the flames, it is helping decide where the fire goes next.

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On domestic issues, Marcos disclosed that a special anti-graft prosecutor would soon file charges against former House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez, who has been implicated in a corruption scandal that the president exposed in his state of the nation speech last year.

Marcos highlighted China after media editorial he called racist

Marcos did not mention China by name or elaborate on his criticism of Beijing, which was applauded by many lawmakers. He said that “of late, our very humanity has been called into question” and reminded detractors that “Filipinos are a noble … and a great race. We are not greedy. We are not racists. We are not liars.”

Marcos summoned Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan to his office in Manila last week after the China Daily, a Chinese state-owned media outlet, depicted Filipinos as monkeys in an editorial video and cartoons. The animations centered on Beijing’s rejection of the arbitration ruling that invalidated China’s claims in the South China Sea.

The Philippine government strongly condemned the AI-generated images as “racist and dehumanizing” and demanded that they be taken down.

In Beijing, however, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said last week that the video “does not represent the official position and I have no comment on it.”

He said, however, that China viewed the South China Sea arbitration as “a political farce disguised as a legal proceeding.” He added that “the so-called award is illegal, null and void and has no binding force,” reiterating China’s longstanding position.

Marcos said the ruling, which he said was final and binding, was a “definitive benchmark for the interpretation and application” of the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which was the basis of the decision. The Philippines initiated the arbitration in 2013 after a tense standoff between Chinese and Philippine ships in a disputed shoal, but China refused to participate and rejected the decision as a sham.

“Your government will do all that is necessary to continue upholding this award, utilizing every peaceful and legal means available to the republic against any attempt, foreign or domestic, to undermine this achievement,” Marcos said, adding that Filipinos “do not yield.”

Territorial confrontations in the disputed waters have become more prevalent in recent years, particularly among Chinese, Philippine and Vietnamese forces and fishing fleets. The long-simmering disputes in the strategic waterway, a key global trade route, also involve Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Marcos says being family won't protect his cousin and ally

Marcos did not identify Romualdez, his cousin and key political ally, by name but was obviously referring to him when speaking about the corruption charges to be filed.

“This is painful to me, but we have to do the right thing,” Marcos said. “I’m not a president for my family. I’m not a president for my friend.”

Romualdez, who resigned as House speaker last year but remains as a member of Congress, reiterated in a statement that he did not violate the law and he was ready to prove it.

Romualdez, along with several House members and senators, was accused of pocketing huge kickbacks from flood control projects in government and congressional investigations. Others have been charged and detained for large-scale corruption, including an incumbent and a former senator, a former public works secretary, who served under Marcos, and several government engineers and construction company executives, but to date not Romualdez.

Nearly 25 billion pesos' ($410 million) worth of cash and properties belonging to some of the suspects have been recovered or frozen by the government and some have been returned to the national treasury, Marcos said.

Marcos suggested Philippines should now reconsider nuclear power

Marcos also spoke at length about his administration’s efforts to cushion the impact of fuel price hikes caused by the war in Iran for ordinary Filipinos. In a bid to boost energy security, Marcos said that “perhaps it is time for us to revisit nuclear energy production.”

“We will make sure it’s safe,” Marcos said, without elaborating. “We will also make sure that we can explain well to the public the good benefits of nuclear power.”

The Philippines built its first and only nuclear power plant in Bataan, a coastal province in an earthquake-prone region about 120 kilometers (75 miles) northwest of Manila, in the 1970s but it was left idle due to safety concerns and corruption.