Emergency workers finished digging through the building’s rubble after more than a day, Zelenskyy said on X.

The cruise missile hit the nine-story corner block during what the Ukrainian air force said was Russia’s biggest barrage of the country since its all-out invasion.

The assault mostly targeted the Ukrainian capital, where 48 people were wounded, including two children, Zelenskyy said.

Russia hammered Ukraine with large-scale aerial attacks in the days following a May 9-11 ceasefire that U.S. President Donald Trump said he asked Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to observe. Fighting went on over those 72 hours, although reportedly on a lesser scale.

This week’s attacks ran counter to recent suggestions from Trump and Putin that the war, now in its fifth year, is close to ending.

Zelenskyy said Thursday that Moscow had launched more than 1,560 drones against Ukrainian population centers since Wednesday. In all, some 180 sites across the country were damaged, including more than 50 residential buildings, he said.

Previously, the biggest Russian drone attack was from the evening of March 23 to the evening of March 24 when Moscow’s forces fired nearly 1,000 drones and missiles at Ukraine.

Ukraine has also built up significant long-range capabilities, and Russia’s Defense Ministry said Friday that air defenses downed 355 drones overnight in one of the largest Ukrainian drone attacks of the war.

Several airports suspended flights overnight because of the attacks.

Also, a Ukrainian drone attack on Ryazan, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Moscow, killed four people, including a child, Ryazan Gov. Pavel Malkov said.

After the attack, massive plumes of black smoke spewed from a fire at a local oil refinery. Ukraine has targeted Russian oil facilities in an effort to deny vital export revenue for Moscow and rattle the Kremlin.

Ukrainian officials made no immediate comment about the Ryazan strike.

The Ukrainian capital observed an official day of mourning Friday in remembrance of those killed Thursday, and Zelenskyy visited the site.

The cruise missile that hit the apartment building was built in the second quarter of this year, Zelenskyy said, apparently after Ukrainian experts analyzed the wreckage.

“This means Russia is still importing the components, resources and equipment necessary for missile production in circumvention of global sanctions,” Zelenskyy said in another post on X late Thursday.

“Stopping Russia’s sanctions evasion schemes must be a genuine priority for all our partners,” he said.

Russia and Ukraine have continued to occasionally swap prisoners of war, and 205 from each country returned home Friday.

Zelenskyy said it was the first phase of a planned 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap. Some of the Ukrainians released had been held in Russian captivity since 2022, he said, and had fought in some of the war’s fiercest battles.

Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed the exchange and thanked the United Arab Emirates for helping broker it.

___

Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

___

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

The aircraft are currently parked in a storage field following the shutdown of operations involving the planes. Industry experts say the jets were not owned directly by Spirit Airlines, but instead leased through outside companies that quickly moved to reclaim the aircraft.

• Spirit Airlines shuts down: What passengers can do about refunds — and what workers should know next

One aviation contractor involved in the process said crews had only a matter of hours to coordinate the recovery effort and relocate the planes.

That process included hiring former Spirit pilots who had suddenly found themselves out of work to help ferry the aircraft to storage facilities in Arizona.

“The reason I’m empathetic to all this is because I’ve been in the same situation four or five times,” one aviation worker said. “I was with airlines that closed their doors overnight. I woke up the next morning not having a job. I’m worried about how I’m going to make my mortgage, how I can pay for health care. I have little kids.”

Officials say the future of the aircraft remains uncertain. Depending on what the leasing companies decide, the planes could eventually return to service with another airline, be dismantled for parts, or scrapped altogether.

Spirit Airlines has not announced whether the aircraft could return to operations.

Several parents accused the district of failing to properly communicate the proposal and leaving families “in the dark” about changes that could significantly impact students who rely on stable routines and specialized support services.

The proposal would reassign some students currently enrolled in self-contained special education classrooms to different campuses beginning next school year. HISD officials say the changes are aimed at improving staffing levels, reducing class sizes, and expanding access to specialized educational services across the district.

But many families say they were blindsided by the plan.

At times, tensions escalated inside the meeting room, with some parents reportedly being escorted out after refusing to stop speaking during public comments.

Among those speaking out was Cristian Garcia, whose 11-year-old daughter Avril has autism. Garcia said families are deeply concerned about the emotional and educational impact the changes could have on students with disabilities.

“We didn’t expect this,” Garcia said during the meeting, expressing fears that disrupting established routines and support systems could make students’ lives “more hard.”

The controversy has also drawn federal attention. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights recently opened an investigation into whether the proposed changes could violate disability discrimination laws.

Parents and advocates argued district leaders moved forward without enough family input and warned the transition could undo years of progress for some students.

HISD maintains that students’ Individualized Education Plans, commonly known as IEPs, will continue to be honored under the proposed system.

The district has not announced when a final decision on the proposal will be made.

According to the district, more than 90 elementary students have either missed school or been sent home sick since Thursday. School officials said the closure is being implemented out of concern for student and staff health.

District leaders noted that the school calendar is designed with emergency closure days in mind to help accommodate situations such as widespread illness outbreaks.

During Friday’s closure, classrooms and campus facilities will undergo thorough sanitization and cleaning. Ganado ISD plans to resume normal operations on Monday, May 18.

The district also apologized to parents for the short notice and encouraged families to stay safe and healthy.

The Republican Senate contest between Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton, as it turns out, is almost as expensive. 

Years later, Perot is part of a constellation of donors who have powered a GOP primary with a record-setting price tag. Over $120 million has been spent on advertising across the two rounds of the contest, including $21 million in the runoff, according to media tracking firm AdImpact. A network of campaigns, PACs and dark money groups have been spending for nearly a year to ensure their preferred candidate wins.

The Cornyn-Paxton race, set to conclude in a May 26 runoff election, has been shaped not only by intense vitriol between the two candidates, but also the eye-popping amounts of money that have put that acrimony on display to voters via millions worth of attack ads. Even before the runoff, the contest set a record for the most expensive primary in the country’s history.

Donors range from Wall Street billionaires to Texas CEOs to Washington insiders to small-dollar grassroots funders. Taken together, they have enabled both sides — particularly Cornyn — to inundate Texans’ television screens, social media feeds, radio stations and mailboxes with ads both promoting their preferred candidate and savaging the other.

Cornyn, who has an extensive donor network and relationships throughout Texas and Washington, has maintained a dominant financial position over Paxton. Last summer, pro-Cornyn groups spent mightily to reintroduce the senior senator to voters, boasting of his 99% voting record in line with President Donald Trump and his endorsements from law enforcement. 

The primary also has featured an onslaught of dark money — funds spent by tax-exempt nonprofits that are not required to disclose their donors. And even some PACs, which do need to share who’s funding them, were funded exclusively or largely by dark money groups, making the source of millions of dollars’ worth of spending untraceable. 

In the runoff, which has seen spending ramp up in the final weeks, the Cornyn faction has continued to outspend Paxton’s camp — though both have gone up with ample negative ads bashing their opponent. 

Amid the spending barrage, The Texas Tribune has laid out the nexus of outside groups and key donors powering both sides’ efforts to tilt the election in their favor. The topline fundraising and spending numbers come from Federal Election Commission records, most of which cover activity through May 6. To provide a nearly up-to-the-minute view of the spending, including future ad reservations, we included data from AdImpact, a media tracking firm that tallies political spending on TV, radio and digital advertising. 

The pro-Cornyn groups

Cornyn’s campaign

• Texans for Senator John Cornyn Inc. (main campaign account)
• Cornyn Lonestar Victory Fund (joint fundraising committee)
• Cornyn Victory Committee (joint fundraising committee)

Campaign finance:

• Amount r aised this cycle, per FEC records: $26.5M
• Amount spent this cycle , per FEC records : $23.4M
• Total ad spending, per AdImpact: $24.1M
• Runoff-only ad spending, per AdImpact: $6.4M

Most of Cornyn’s spending has come from his joint fundraising committees, a relatively novel strategy that seizes on new rules allowing JFCs to buy ad time at the cheaper rates reserved for candidates. Through three vehicles — his campaign account, and two committees that raise jointly with groups including the National Republican Senatorial Committee — he has far outraised Paxton in hard dollars.

Donors are capped at giving up to $3,500 per election, per candidate, to these accounts. Dozens of donors have maxed out at the same amount, so we’re highlighting some notable ones here.

Notable donors

Former President George W. Bush
Cornyn served as Texas attorney general during the tailend of Bush’s tenure as governor, with each having flipped the offices from Democratic control. Cornyn was then elected to the Senate in 2002, during Bush’s presidency. The former president has been relatively mum about Republican politics, in Texas or otherwise, since leaving office, though he notably left his ballot blank in the 2016 presidential race. His $5,000 donation to Cornyn was his first political donation to a federal candidate in Texas since the 2022 cycle. That year, he also donated $125,000 to his nephew, George P. Bush, who challenged Paxton in the attorney general primary and lost in a runoff.

Rupert Murdoch
A right-wing media mogul and longtime chairman of the News Corp and Fox Corp empires, Murdoch gave Cornyn $200,000 on New Year’s Eve. Murdoch is a frequent donor to Republican candidates. Cornyn has appeared regularly on Fox News programming over the course of his career.

Ross Jr. and Sarah Perot
The Perots have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Cornyn’s various campaign committees. Perot Jr., the son of billionaire and third-party presidential candidate Ross Perot, chairs the Perot Companies and is an active donor in Dallas and national Republican circles. He initially supported Nikki Haley in the 2024 presidential primary, but pivoted to Trump, ultimately giving pro-Trump PACs hundreds of thousands in donations. Perot was named board chair of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce last year.

Texans for a Conservative Majority

Super PAC

Campaign finance:

• Raised, per FEC: $35.6M
• Spent, per FEC: $32.8M
• Ad spending, per AdImpact: $32.9M
• Runoff-only ad spending, per AdImpact: $9.5M

The top pro-Cornyn super PAC has been the biggest spender in the Republican contest this cycle. Texans for a Conservative Majority has close ties to Trump’s inner circle through Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser who was a top aide on Trump’s 2024 campaign. The PAC has made multiple seven-figure ad buys and hammered Paxton in recent ads over his ethical baggage and tenure as attorney general.

Top donors

Ohio Works Inc. + America Works Fund Inc.: $8.6M
Ohio Works is a 501(c)(4) group — better known as a dark money group — which does not have to disclose its donors. It is also one of the biggest mysteries of the cycle. The group spent millions in the 2024 cycle opposing an Ohio ballot measure that would have had a citizen commission draw the state’s redistricting maps. It also spent in the presidential race on behalf of Trump and against Democrat Kamala Harris. The group had to disclose donors in 2024 under Ohio law, revealing that it was funded at the time by oil and gas-linked groups, Republican leaders in Washington and one Texan — Dallas billionaire Kenneth Fisher. In late 2025, Ohio Works amended its name to America Works Fund. Registered at the same address, America Works made a $3 million donation to the pro-Cornyn super PAC in May.

John Nau III: $7.9M
The Houstonian Nau was the longtime chairman and CEO of Silver Eagle Beverages, a beer distributor. A prolific donor to Texas Republicans, Nau has served as the treasurer of Gov. Greg Abbott’s gubernatorial campaigns. He has tended to bankroll establishment Texas Republicans over the years in primaries against hardline primary opponents.

Stephen Schwarzman: $1.5M
Schwarzman is the billionaire CEO of Blackstone, a private equity firm that is the world’s biggest asset manager. He has been a megadonor to Republican candidates for decades, including in 2024, when he was one of the largest donors in Republican politics. He provided strategic economic advice to Trump as part of a business council during his first term.

Other notable donors

Jim and Robson Walton: $1M
The Walton brothers, Arkansas billionaire heirs to the Walmart fortune, each gave $500,000 to the PAC. This donation is Rob Walton’s largest of the cycle so far.

Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Nebraska: $300,000
Ricketts is facing his own reelection bid, likely against independent Dan Osborne, in Nebraska. But the self-funded senator, whose father founded TD Ameritrade and whose family owns the Chicago Cubs, has helped his colleague out with six-figure donations. Ricketts’ father, Joe, kicked in another $100,000.

Harlan Crow: $100,000
A Dallas real estate developer, Crow is a cofounder of the conservative Club for Growth and major donor to Republicans. He’s come under scrutiny in recent years for the pricey gifts he’s given Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. In 2023, Cornyn walked out of a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting in which Democrats sought to subpoena Crow for records related to his relationship with Thomas, calling it an “outrageous attempt to target private citizens.”

The Pro-Paxton groups

Paxton’s campaign

• Ken Paxton for Senate (main campaign account)
• Ken Paxton Victory Fund (joint fundraising committee )

Campaign finance:

• Raised, per FEC: $8.1M
• Spent, per FEC: $5.3M
• Ad spending, per AdImpact: $4.8M
• Runoff-only ad spending, per AdImpact: $2.5M

In the lead-up to his Senate campaign launch last year, Paxton said he thought he could beat Cornyn if he raised $20 million. The attorney general is well short of that goal, even after opening a joint fundraising committee to raise funds concurrently with the PAC that supports him. Paxton’s fundraising highlights the challenge of transitioning from state elections in Texas, where there are no campaign contribution limits, to federal ones where there are hard limits.

Notable donors

Michael Rydin
The retired Houston software developer, a major funder for right-wing movements, gave Paxton $17,000. Rydin helped seed the Conservative Partnership Institute, a hub for right-wing organizing that regularly hosts the House Freedom Caucus at its headquarters. He has given over $1 million to the Freedom Caucus Fund, the caucus’ political arm, this cycle.

Darwin and Doug Deason
Darwin, the late information technology billionaire, and his son, Doug, have been massive Republican donors and contributors to Paxton over the years. Darwin, who died in December 2025, gave the maximum of $7,000 to Paxton’s campaign earlier in the year, as did Doug. The pair have a long history of donating to Texas Republicans, including Perry and Sen. Ted Cruz. Both have given to the pro-Paxton super PAC this cycle too.

Phillip Huffines
Huffines, a Dallas developer and brother of GOP comptroller nominee Don Huffines, gave Paxton $7,000. Phillip Huffines previously lost his 2018 bid for a state Senate seat against Paxton’s wife, Angela Paxton, who continues to serve in the upper chamber.

Lone Star Liberty PAC

Super PAC

Campaign finance:

• Raised, per FEC: $8.2M
• Spent, per FEC: $6.2M
• Ad spending, per AdImpact: $4.2M
• Runoff-only ad spending, per AdImpact: $2.1M

Lone Star Liberty PAC is the main super PAC supporting Paxton. The group has spent on ads in both Texas and in South Florida to attempt to target Trump. And it hosted rallies and events that Paxton spoke at shortly before the March primary.

Top donors

Jonathan Knutz: $1.1M
Knutz is the CEO of a medical device company in Houston. This election cycle, he has also donated to Aaron Reitz, Paxton’s former top aide who he unsuccessfully endorsed to replace him as attorney general, and Senate District 9 Republican candidate Leigh Wambsganss, who lost a special election in January. Knutz has donated to more MAGA-aligned members of Congress, including Texas GOP Reps. Lance Gooden, Brandon Gill and Ronny Jackson.

Preserve Texas Inc.: $950,000
This Virginia-based dark money group was formed shortly after Paxton launched his Senate bid.

Douglas Scharbauer: $750,000
Scharbauer, a Midland oilman, comes from a prominent horse breeding and racing family in North Texas. He’s a longtime supporter of Paxton, having previously donated six-figure sums to the attorney general on multiple occasions. This cycle, Scharbauer has also given small sums to Hellfire PAC — Hunt’s leadership PAC — and maxed out to Cornyn’s campaign account with a $7,000 donation.

Other notable donors

Gary Heavin: $500,000
Heavin is a Waco area-based businessman and founder of the Curves fitness chain. An anti-abortion advocate, Heavin is a significant donor to conservative and Christian causes. Heavin was Paxton’s top donor in his first fundraising report after his 2023 impeachment, giving the attorney general $500,000 at the time.

Chelsey Milton: $500,000
Milton, an Arizona homemaker, is a Trump donor whose husband was pardoned last year by the president. Trevor Milton, who gave Paxton an additional $100,000, was previously the CEO of an electric vehicle manufacturing company. In 2022, he was found guilty of securities fraud and wire fraud in federal court and sentenced to four years in prison. The couple donated more than $1.8 million to a pro-Trump group; Trump pardoned Trevor Milton in early 2025.

Two Toads LLC / SSC Inc. / Baloney Feathers LTD: $300,000
These mysterious groups each gave $100,000 to the PAC on March 17. Each is registered to the same PO Box address in Lubbock, and none have made any political contributions beyond Lone Star Liberty PAC. SSC Inc. has registered oil and gas leases. The PO Box is also the address of a company owned by Johnny McDonald, who has donated $13,500 to Paxton’s campaign and $100,000 to Lone Star Liberty PAC.

Robert Marling: $225,000
Marling, a banking CEO in Montgomery County, has already had success ousting a Republican incumbent this cycle after he seeded a super PAC backing state Rep. Steve Toth’s victorious primary campaign against U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw. Marling is a longtime Cruz donor as well.

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

The land the federal government wants to take sits at the bottom of Mount Cristo Rey, a 720-foot-tall mountain with a 29-foot-tall statue of Jesus Christ at its summit, that overlooks Ciudad Juárez, El Paso and Sunland Park, N.M.

Last week, lawyers for the Trump administration filed a lawsuit in a federal court in New Mexico against the diocese of Las Cruces, which is resisting the government’s attempt to take the land. The lawsuit argues that the federal government needs the land to install barriers and other technology “designed to help secure the United States-Mexico border.”

The administration said in court documents that it has offered the church $183,000 for the land.

The church said in court documents the Trump administration’s efforts violate its First Amendment right to religious expression.

“The erection of a border wall through or along this holy site could irreparably damage its religious and cultural sanctity, obstruct pilgrimage routes, and transfer sacred space into a symbol of division,” the diocese said. “Any federal action to seize this land, construct physical barriers, or impede access to Mount Cristo Rey would constitute a significant infringement on religious freedom and the rights of worship.”

Every fall, up to 40,000 people make a pilgrimage to the top of the mountain, where the Diocese of Las Cruces and El Paso host a mass. Traditionally, the event is held on the last Sunday of October, but in recent years the pilgrimage has moved to the feast day of Christ the King in November.

Some do the five-mile journey barefoot, others have crawled to the summit on their knees.

“Mt. Cristo Rey’s cultural and religious significance is central to our region. Seizing this community asset in order to build a border wall is consistent with the Trump administration’s blatant disregard for what communities like ours value,” U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, said in a statement. “There are a number of other ways to provide border security. Instead, the Trump administration prefers to destroy this sacred site.”

The Trump administration has said the area is a high-traffic route for human smuggling and it wants to close the gap to stop illegal immigration. The area has also been the site of a record number of migrant deaths since the state and federal government has increased military surveillance in this part of Texas, even as the number of immigrants crossing has plummeted.

Ruben Escandon, Jr., a spokesperson for the Mount Cristo Rey Restoration Committee, a volunteer group not affiliated with the church that maintains the site, said he supports adding additional barriers in the area because he wants to make sure the public is safe from any illegal activity. He said that barrier construction will not prevent visitors from accessing the top of the mountain.

“Finishing that wall, for us, will help maintain the religious, cultural and artistic aspect,” he said.

Ray Aguilar, a conservationist in Ciudad Juárez, said efforts to construct more barriers in the area not only negatively affect the local biodiversity but hurt cultural ties on both sides of the border. Cristo Rey serves as a corridor for animals that cross between La Sierra de Juárez in Mexico and El Paso’s Franklin Mountains.

“Plants and animals don’t recognize boundaries, so when factors of this magnitude occur it only puts at risk biodiversity that is already at risk of going extinct,” he said.

Last summer, the Trump administration announced that it was erecting border barriers in the area and started construction for 1.32 miles of border barrier south of the mountain in Sunland Park.

SLSCO, a Galveston-based company, won a $95 million contract to erect the 30-foot-tall steel barriers with concrete reinforcement. Crews started the work earlier this year.

It’s the latest effort by the Trump administration to use eminent domain laws to take land, including religious and cultural sites, for border barriers.

The administration had revealed plans for border barriers in Big Bend National Park, but both Republican and Democratic state and local leaders, along with residents, environmentalists and advocates, publicly condemned the efforts.

Recently, the commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the government won’t build barriers in the national park, but has continued with plans to install surveillance technology, which many in the area oppose because of the damage construction crews inflict on the desert landscape. The government also continues to seize private property in areas near the park to erect a border wall.

In Arizona, construction crews damaged a rare Native American archaeological site that is believed to be at least 1,000 years old.

By Friday, the items were back on the store shelves, and are flying off them once again as customers rush to stock up while they still can, said Leroy Sims, a cashier at the East Austin smoke shop.

“My boss is really big on keeping us all informed because he’s aware of the fact that Texas can’t really make its mind up,” Sims said. “We just put stuff in a box until they can make a decision because we can’t send it anywhere else to sell.”

Some of the most profitable products at smoke shops around Texas have been forced off store shelves, then allowed back on, then forced off again, then allowed to return — all within a 45-day span — amid a dizzying slew of court actions centered on the state’s ban on smokeable hemp products. This ping-ponging regulatory landscape in recent months has injected economic uncertainty into and bled revenue for an industry that employs more than 30,000 people around the state.

“This is what we call the ‘Texas whiplash,’” said David Sergi, an attorney for the hemp industry. “These poor guys don’t know what is going to happen one day to the next. All they want is certainty and to sell their products.”

While the percentage varied at each shop that spoke to The Texas Tribune, managers and cashiers said smokeable hemp products make up a sizable portion of their total profits. The uncertainty surrounding a potential ban on their sales is already leading to employees losing their jobs, hours being cut back and plans being made to close store locations. The ultimate fear is that customers will soon start losing access to some of their favorite products even before the courts permanently rule on the ban.

Austin Vape & Smoke is eyeing closing its less popular location near the University of Texas at Austin campus, leaving a handful of employees out of work, and cutting back on hours at their South Austin location, said Zaquiri Hensen, a manager at the South Austin store. About 43% of the company’s sales are smokeable hemp products.

“It … sucks,” Hensen said, using an expletive to emphasize his frustration with the recent uncertainty. “We’re lucky that we don’t really have any turnover, so a lot of our guys have been working here for a long, long time. I’m very close with them.”

Texas smoke shops have had the opportunity to plan for a ban because it has already happened twice in recent months as the Texas Department of State Health Services’ efforts to further regulate the consumable hemp industry is challenged in state courts.

A statewide ban on the sale of smokeable hemp went into effect on March 31 under rules imposed by the public health agency. Smoke shops briefly pulled the products from their shelves until a Travis County district judge on April 10 temporarily lifted the ban until May 1 as a lawsuit by the hemp industry challenged the ban played out in court.

Earlier this month, a judge ruled to extend the ban until the next hearing in the district courts, scheduled for July 27, but because the 15th Court of Appeals agreed to considering the state’s appeal, the ban was back in effect last Thursday. That ban only lasted for some hours — briefly forcing the products off store shelves again — until the appeals court last Thursday allowed the sale of the smokeable flower.

The next ruling on whether or not the injunction will stand is expected in the coming weeks. If the appeals court blocks the injunction, the ban will remain in effect at least until the district court’s July 27 hearing.

The regulatory effort to ban smokeable hemp began last fall after an effort to completely ban consumable hemp products failed in the Legislature. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other conservative legislators leading the effort argued the products are dangerous to Texans and must be banned.

Rather than keep the Legislature in Austin for a special session on the topic, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered DSHS and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to create stricter regulations on the products, which culminated with the state health agency’s ban of smokeable hemp.

Abbott referred a request to comment to DSHS, which referred a request for comment to Abbott’s fall executive order. Patrick did not respond to a request for comment.

Businesses are working to comply with changing state laws and regulations, all while enforcement raids of smoke shops have picked up in recent years. But following the recent flurry of court actions has proved challenging.

“I wasn’t even aware it was illegal because the last I had heard we were good to sell it until July 27,” Anthony Vazquez, owner of Dooby’s Smoking Depot in south-central Austin, said of last week’s hours-long ban. “I didn’t get any messages saying that it was gone. It wasn’t brought to my attention until Friday when I went to my distribution company and they were pulling the stuff back out on roller carts again.”

Other smoke shops have been following the court proceedings in group chats with thousands of members created by the state’s largest trade association for the industry and one of the plaintiffs in the case, the Texas Hemp Business Council. Others said they are closely following updates in the news and pass the updates on to their customers.

More than half of the sales at Dream Planet are smokeable hemp, Sims said, and the company’s three locations may work to transition away from the products regardless of the court rulings because of the ongoing uncertainty.

Sam Mafza, a cashier at La Casa Smoke Shop in East Austin, said 50% of the sales at his store are smokeable hemp, and they have already cut back on hours. Mafza said he has a friend at a different smoke shop who recently lost his job due to the uncertainty.

“Everybody is watching this,” Mafza said. “You can’t just abandon a product everybody uses.”

The Texas Hemp Business Council, Hemp Industry & Farmers of America, and several Texas-based dispensaries and manufacturers have been fighting the state’s new testing requirements that create a 0.3% total THC threshold that would effectively bar the sale of natural smokeable hemp products. The state also created a 3,000% increase in licensing fees for hemp retailers.

During a three-day hearing before the district court on the injunction, attorneys for the state argued that Texas law requires the health agency to prioritize Texans’ well-being in rulemaking, allowing them to implement new hemp regulations.

Lawyers for the hemp industry argued that the state’s public health agency overstepped its constitutional authority by rewriting the legal definitions of hemp to make it different from what lawmakers passed in 2019, and the ban would put stores out of business.

Cynthia Cabrera, president of the Texas Hemp Business Council, said the effects of a ban go far beyond smoke shops, harming farmers that grow hemp, suppliers that manufacture the products, packaging companies, transportation and consumers.

Beau Whitney, the founder and chief economist at Whitney Economics, a cannabis economic research firm, told the district court that the new rules and regulations will have a $7.2 billion negative impact on the Texas economy due to job losses and reduced tax revenue from hemp retail closures.

“The ripple effects are far, wide and deep,” Cabrera said.

In the meantime, the business council is simply trying to keep its members informed of the fast-moving legal landscape, Cabrera said. While smoke shops await clarity from the courts, many stores are trying to diversify their merchandise, such as hemp edibles and drinks, that will not be banned under the new rules, she said.

Many are also trying to move their products through their stores as quickly as possible, offering promotions like buy two get one free for joints and other discounts on smokeable flower buds.

If a full ban goes into effect, “I just have to take a loss on everything,” Vazquez said. “I’d rather have cash than be stuck with a bunch of weed.”

On Friday they walked the grounds of Zhongnanhai, Xi's official residence, and had a working tea and lunch. During a series of meetings and events Thursday, the two discussed divisive issues such as the Iran war, trade, technology and Taiwan.

China has shown little public interest in getting more involved in solving the war in Iran. Xi also suggested differences over Taiwan could put his country and the U.S. on the path toward conflict. Threats of each side imposing steep tariffs also still loom.

Trump said Xi told him China wants to help negotiate an end to the war and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. China is the largest buyer of Iranian oil and Trump hopes Xi will use that leverage to prod Iran into a deal on U.S. terms. Trump also said Xi assured him that China wouldn’t provide Iran with military equipment.

Trump has taken a decidedly rosy outlook on the U.S.-China relationship during this trip. But that has collided with some difficult truths about the thorniest issues between the two superpowers including Taiwan, the Iran war and trade.

In a summit marked by fanfare and flattery, Xi warned Trump that differences over Taiwan, a self-governed island claimed by Beijing as its own territory, could bring the U.S. and China into clashes or conflict. Trump authorized an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan in December, but has not moved forward with delivery. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned later on Thursday it would be “a terrible mistake” for China to take Taiwan by force.

Trump also focused on trade and deals for China to buy more agricultural products and passenger planes, setting up a board to address their differences and avoid a repeat of the trade war ignited last year after Trump’s tariff hikes.

Here is the latest:

Elon Musk replies to well-known Chinese dissident account on X

Elon Musk said his son is learning Chinese. The message in a public post on X Thursday quickly drew attention on Chinese social media and began to trend.

But what the state media outlets omitted was who Elon Musk responding to. He replied to Teacher Li, or Li Ying, whose X account posts news and videos submitted from users about uncensored news in China and has some two million followers.

Li himself noted the irony that Musk’s response to him was now trending on Weibo, which is managed by censors. He shared on Friday that many of the accounts that originally wrote up Musk’s comments have now deleted the posts.

A search on Weibo and local media showed that while the topic was still searchable, some websites had indeed deleted their coverage.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang takes food tour of Beijing

Jensen Huang is trying all of Beijing’s delicacies, the good and others which may be more of an acquired taste.

Huang was spotted by the public and local media at No. 69 Fangzhuanchang Noodles, for a bowl of “zhiangmian” -- a Beijing specialty that features noodles covered in a thick soybean-paste sauce mixed with vegetables and meat.

“It’s so good,” he said, as he dug into the bowl.

But it’s the “douzhi’er,” a fermented soybean drink that’s slightly sour and gray-green in color, that made the Nvidia CEO wince. Videos of his reaction were trending on Weibo Friday afternoon. Huang then quickly reached for a sweet drink from Chinese beverage chain Mixue Bingcheng.

Xi played up a new relationship status: ‘managed stability’

China said the two leaders agreed to a new vision for dealing with their relationship issues: “a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the framework would shape ties for at least three years — the rest of Trump’s term — and would focus on cooperation, competition within proper limits, and managing differences.

The idea is “to keep the relationship on an even keel,” said Helena Legarda of the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin.

George Chen, a partner at The Asia Group consultancy, said it can be seen as progress from the Biden era, which framed the relationship as a strategic competition.

Exuberant airport send-off for Trump at end of China visit

Schoolchildren dressed in some of Air Force One’s light blue and white colors waved American and Chinese flags in a coordinated movement as the U.S. president arrived to board the plane.

“Farewell, farewell,” they chanted. “Warm farewell!”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi saw a smiling Trump off at the airport.

Trump turned at the top of the stairs and pumped his fist and waved before entering the aircraft.

He didn’t speak again before departing for home.

Trump and Xi wrap up summit

Trump has boarded Air Force One for his flight out of China.

Trump and Xi both said they made progress in stabilizing U.S.-China relations. But deep differences persist.

The leaders spent a lot of time together the past two days.

They met for about two hours at the Great Hall of the People, toured the Temple of Heaven and attended a banquet on Thursday. On Friday they walked the grounds of Zhongnanhai and had a working tea and lunch.

China has nonetheless shown little public interest in getting more involved in solving the war in Iran.

Xi also suggested differences over Taiwan could put his country and the U.S. on the path toward conflict.

Threats of each side imposing steep tariffs also still loom.

Xi says ‘landmark’ visit deepened mutual trust

While little has been announced about any potential deals as Trump and Xi held a closed-door lunch in Zhongnanhai on Friday, Xi spoke of a positive turn between the two countries.

“This visit is a historic and landmark visit. Together, we affirmed the new position of a constructive, strategic and stable China-U.S. relationship,” the Chinese president said, according to a readout from CCTV.

“The visit is also beneficial to promoting mutual understanding, deepening trust in each other, and increasing the well-being of the people of both countries,” Xi said.

The Chinese leader said both countries should carry out the “important consensus” reached during Trump’s visit and keep the relationship on the right track.

Xi hosts Trump in venues with agricultural symbolism

Trump and Xi feasted on Chinese delicacies in the Chun’ou Zhai building in Xi’s presidential Zhongnanhai compound Friday.

The name of the historic building translates to “Spring Lotus Roots” and the structure carries farm-related significance: Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century would go there to admire the ancient Chinese “Five Cattle” painting every year after the imperial sacrifice to the god of agriculture.

The two leaders on Thursday also visited the Temple of Heaven, another venue with deep agrarian symbolism

as the imperial site for rituals for agricultural prosperity.

Trump has been expected to announce business deals with China in areas such as agricultural purchases, beef exports and aviation but no concrete announcements have been made yet.

Taiwan thanks US for ‘continued support’

Taiwan Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung thanked the U.S. on Friday for the support expressed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio the previous day.

Lin thanked the U.S. for “its continued support and valuing of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

Rubio told NBC News on Thursday that U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged and it would be a “terrible mistake” for China to take Taiwan by force.

The U.S. is Taiwan’s biggest unofficial supporter and main supplier of arms for the island’s defense.

“As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities,” Lin said.

Trump and Xi dine on a menu including stir-fried lobster balls

While folks outside their closed lunch chowed down on McDonalds, the menu for Trump and Xi was far more formal.

The two leaders had minced codfish in seafood soup, crispy and stir-fried lobster balls and pan-seared beef fillet stuffed with morel mushrooms, according to the White House.

They also ate kung pao chicken and scallops, braised seasonal greens, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and beans, as well as stewed beef in a bun and steamed pork and shrimp dumplings.

Dessert was chocolate brownies and fruits and ice cream. Coffee and tea also was served.

After lunch, Trump is not expected to make any more public appearances before heading to the airport to fly back to Washington.

Xi highlights centuries-old trees in Zhongnanhai garden tour

Before their closed-door lunch, Xi gave Trump a tour of Zhongnanhai, the former imperial gardens and now the seat of power.

“Zhongnanhai is where the CPC Central Committee and the State Council work, and it is also where I work and live,” Xi said. “After the founding of New China, Chinese leaders including Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and others all lived here.”

In the highly manicured garden, the two men walked with their interpreters as they admired the greenery.

“All these trees are 200 to 300 years old. There’s a big one that’s about 400 years old,” Xi said as he pointed out specific trees to Trump, who expressed his admiration.

“There’s even one that’s 1,000 years old. It’s somewhere else,” Xi said.

Xi said he invited Trump to the quarters in response to the hospitality Trump showed by inviting him to Mar-A-Lago in 2017.

Mc-Beijing: While Trump eats fancy lunch, everyone else gets his favorite fast food

As Trump ate lunch inside Xi’s residence, the folks outside chowed down on McDonald’s.

The fast-food restaurant with the golden arches is one of Trump’s favorites. His White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, recently said he eats McDonald’s every day.

Trump did a stint working out of a McDonald’s drive-thru window during his 2024 reelection campaign and more recently had a McDonald’s order delivered to the door of the Oval Office during an event contrived to highlight the elimination of taxes on tips to service industry workers.

Outside Xi’s residence, U.S. Embassy and White House staff ate their McDonald’s lunches in the parking lot.

Bags of McDonald’s food also were delivered to members of the White House press pool as they waited in vans for Trump to depart for the airport and the long trip back to Washington.

Reporters ask questions in China but Trump doesn’t take the bait

The U.S. president did something highly unusual for him over days of meetings with Xi: he held his tongue in front of the media.

Trump relishes taking reporters’ questions, often doing so nearly every day back home.

But Xi, like most members of senior Chinese leadership, refrains from press conferences.

In what might have been deference to Xi, Trump didn’t answer questions when reporters asked them while the pair toured the Temple of Heaven on Thursday.

And he didn’t do so again on Friday while walking with Xi at Zhongnanhai.

Trump’s relative silence even extended to posting on his social media site, where he was not as active as usual during his three-day Beijing swing.

Trump says ‘fantastic trade deals’ struck during ‘incredible’ visit

The White House so far hasn’t released details of any deals struck during Trump’s summit with Xi in Beijing.

Trump told Fox News about soybeans, airplanes and oil in an interview that followed his two-hour sit-down with Xi on Thursday.

Meeting with Xi again on Friday, Trump praised the visit as “incredible.”

He said “a lot of good has come of it,” including “some fantastic trade deals” that are “great for both countries.”

Trump says he and Xi discussed Iran

“We feel very similar about (how) we want it to end,” the president said of the U.S. and Israel’s war in Iran. “We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump added of both sides and the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed, “We want the straits open.”

He said of the conflict in Iran, “We want them to get it ended because it’s a crazy thing there. A little bit crazy. And it’s no good, it can’t happen.”

Trump and China’s leader had a working tea before heading into a closed-door lunch.

Xi promises to send rose seeds to Trump

Trump and Xi spent about 10 minutes walking Zhongnanhai’s gardens.

“These are the most beautiful roses anyone has ever seen,” Trump remarked while walking past green columns and archways.

Trump said the pair had struck “fantastic trade deals” without providing details.

Xi said he would send rose seeds to Trump.

Trump tore up the lawn around the White House Rose Garden last year to make room for a patio space reminiscent of his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

Trump also has said he would like more roses there, recently complaining that the White House’s garden “didn’t have too many roses.”

Trump and top aides have tea and lunch with Xi and his team

The White House shared the list of participants for the meetings.

Trump is joined by David Purdue, the U.S. ambassador to China; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Xi is joined by Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to the United States; Cai Qi, a director of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China; Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi; Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ma Zhaoxu and He Lifeng, vice premier of the State Council.

China calls again for reopening the Strait of Hormuz

China reiterated a call to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in a bilateral meeting with the U.S. and called for a diplomatic solution to the Iran war.

“Now that the door for dialogue has been opened, then it shouldn’t be shut again,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday, adding that the solution should “take into account the concerns of all parties on the Iran nuclear issue.”

“Shipping routes should be reopened as soon as possible,” the ministry said.

Trump has demanded a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program as a condition to end the war.

The ministry did not say if China would help negotiate an end to the war, as Trump told Sean Hannity of Fox News in an interview.

Instead, the ministry promoted a four-point peace proposal from Xi, which is light on specifics but mentions upholding national sovereignty and international law.

Trump’s visit has deepened trust, China says

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Trump’s meetings with Xi during his visit have promoted mutual understanding, deepened trust, advanced cooperation and injected “stability” into the world, according to Chinese state media.

“The two heads of state also reached important consensus on properly handling each other’s concerns and agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional issues,” the spokesperson said.

Xi and Trump agreed on a new framework of “constructive, strategic stability” for their countries, the spokesperson added, referring to a diplomatic framework described previously as focused on managing differences and limiting competition with an eye toward maintaining stability and peace.

Trump says China could buy US oil as Iran war drags on

Trump suggested there could be a deal for China to buy oil from the United States after talks in Beijing.

Xi “said he likes the idea,” Trump said in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News. “I think it will happen.”

“They’ve agreed they want to buy oil from the United States. They’re going to go to Texas. We’re going to start sending Chinese ships to Texas and to Louisiana and to Alaska,” Trump said.

There were no immediate details of the deals.

Beijing limited U.S. energy imports to a “bare minimum” after Trump imposed significant trade tariffs in 2025 and U.S. crude exports to China effectively halted more than a year ago, according to trade data and analytics platform Kpler.

Despite the global energy shock from the Iran war, China’s ample oil stockpile has so far been able to cushion it from bigger economic impacts. Russia has been a major source for crude imports for China.

China was the biggest buyer of Iranian oil before the Iran war began.

Trump and Xi meet in garden at Zhongnanhai

Photos showed the leaders shaking hands on a road alongside a waterway.

Xi also was seen talking to Trump, who admired the garden.

The walled gardens feature winding paths, roses in pink, yellow and red, manicured lawns and carefully tended trees.

A clock chimed 11 as Trump arrived.

Trump heads to more meetings with Xi

The president’s motorcade is on the way to Zhongnanhai, the Chinese central leadership compound next to the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Its gardens will host Trump and Xi when they pose for an official photo marking Trump’s trip, then head into a working tea.

The pair also are expected to have a closed-door lunch before Trump leaves to return to Washington on Friday afternoon.

Trump says it would be ‘very insulting’ for US to turn away Chinese students

The Trump administration announced last year it would start revoking the visas of some Chinese students, including those with ties to the Communist Party or studying in critical fields.

Asked about the issue during the Fox News interview, Trump said, “I frankly think that it’s good that people come from other countries and they learn our culture, and many of them want to stay here.”

Nearly a quarter of all foreign students in U.S. colleges and universities in the 2023-2024 school year, about 270,000, were from China.

Trump cited a figure of 500,000 Chinese students in the interview and said, “if you want to see a university system die, take a half a million people out of it.”

“It’s something I’m always looking at. But it’s a very insulting thing to tell a country, we don’t want your people in our schools,” he said.

Trump and Xi will talk at Zhongnanhai

Next to Beijing’s Forbidden City lies a secretive compound wrapped around two human-made lakes built for the pleasure of emperors.

Today, Zhongnanhai, or “middle and southern seas,” is synonymous with China’s seat of power as the primary residence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the headquarters of the central government.

Zhongnanhai is often compared to the White House, the Kremlin or South Korea’s Blue House. But unlike the other presidential residences, Zhongnanhai does not serve as the main venue for diplomatic visits.

China’s top leaders reserve the highly secure grounds for only their closest allies and carefully selected dignitaries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Xi has called his closest friend, was received at Zhongnanhai at least twice, in 2024 and 2025.

Xi also welcomed former U.S. President Barack Obama to Zhongnanhai in 2014. The two leaders took an evening stroll and had dinner.

Tiger bag worn by Musk’s son goes viral in China

Elon Musk’s 6-year-old son showed up Thursday at the Great Hall of the People decked in Chinese-style clothing and wearing a tiger bag that has since gone viral in China.

The tiny, tiger-head crossbody bag is produced by artisanal brand YASTEE, which works with embroiderers in south China to make handcrafted goods.

A bag like the one worn by Musk’s son takes several days to make and decorate by hand, according to local media.

The bag went viral on Chinese social media and sold out in hours on the company’s online stores.

Trump says some US business leaders met Xi for the first time

The president said in the interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News that he asked them to join his meeting with Xi at the Great Hall of the People even though their participation wasn’t scheduled.

Trump said the American business executives were nearby in the building “and I said I think I can get them in five minutes.”

Trump wouldn’t identify which executives participated but said they introduced themselves and said a few words, and seemed to impress Xi. He said most of them had never met the president of China.

“He actually said that was very good. That was a good idea,” Trump said of Xi. “But it was very different from what the schedule had.”

Trump says he talked to Xi about U.S. credit card companies’ access to China

Trump, whose delegation for the trip included the CEOs of Mastercard and Visa, said he also raised with Xi expanding access to the China market for U.S.-based credit card companies.

“I said, ‘What about using Visa in China?’” Trump said in his Fox News interview. “For some reason they were blackballed and maybe that’ll come off.”

China allows foreign cards to be linked to instant pay apps such as Alipay and WeChat Pay. But physical card usage is limited mainly to international hotels, high-end shopping malls, and some upscale restaurants.

Visa and Mastercard have been long pushing for inroads to Chinese consumers and businesses in the world’s second largest economy.

Trump raised issue of Jimmy Lai’s release with Xi

Trump asked about the release of Jimmy Lai, the 78-year old former newspaper publisher and pro-democracy activist who is serving a 20-year sentence in Hong Kong, in his meeting with Xi, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with NBC News Thursday.

“We would like to see him released. We would be open to any arrangement that would work for them, as long as he’s given his freedom,” said Rubio.

Lai was the publisher of Apple Daily, a tabloid that was critical of Chinese and Hong Kong government authorities.

Trump describes Xi as ‘warm’ but not prone to small talk

“He’s all business,” Trump told Sean Hannity of Fox News in a taped interview that followed Thursday’s meeting with the Chinese leader. “There’s no games. There’s no talking about how nice the weather is.”

Trump said Xi is a “very smart person” and that they have a “good relationship.”

“He’s all about China,” Trump said.

Trump says Iran has gone back and forth on US extraction of ‘nuclear dust’

The president suggested during the Fox News interview that Irian officials at first “said very strongly” that the U.S. could send it teams to collect hundreds of pounds of enriched uranium believed to be buried under nuclear sites badly damaged by U.S. military strikes last year.

But then, he said, Iran reneged.

“They agreed to it. They take it back. They agree, you know it’s back and forth,” he said.

Whether Iran would be willing to relinquish enriched uranium is a key point in negotiations to end the war.

Trump has long insisted Tehran is willing to do so, but Iran has largely rejected such assertions.

Trump added during the interview that Iran says only the U.S. and China had sufficient technology to remove the enriched uranium, given that its buried deep underground.

Trump describes Xi as ‘warm’ but not prone to small talk

“He’s all business,” Trump told Sean Hannity of Fox News in a taped interview that followed Thursday’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. “There’s no games. There’s no talking about how nice the weather is.”

Trump said Xi is a “very smart person” and they have a “good relationship.”

“He’s all about China,” Trump said.

Trump is wrapping up his whirlwind Beijing visit

Trump and Xi are scheduled to hold more talks Friday.

They are set to spend time together at Xi’s official residence in Beijing before Trump flies back to Washington.

Trump has taken a decidedly rosy outlook on the U.S.-China relationship during this trip. But that is colliding with some difficult truths about the thorniest issues between the two superpowers including Taiwan, the Iran war and trade issues.

US farmers hope Trump can negotiate more soybean purchases

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC that “there’s going to be some agricultural purchases” made as a result of this trip.

U.S. soybean farmers were hit especially hard by Trump’s trade war with China and have urged him to persuade Beijing to buy more of their crop.

China is on track to fulfill its commitment to buy 12 million metric tons (13.2 million tons) of U.S. soybeans this year, although that is well below the 25 million to 30 million metric tons (27.5 million to 33 million tons) purchased in past years.

China, the biggest foreign buyer of U.S. soybeans, stopped buying them altogether last year after Trump hiked tariffs on all Chinese goods. After Trump met with Xi in October, the White House said China agreed to purchase 12 million metric tons.

The American Soybean Association hopes Trump can secure a deal for an additional 8 million metric tons (8.8 million tons) by Aug. 31.

The deaths and suspected cases have been recorded mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, the Africa Centres for Disease Control ​and Prevention said in a statement.

The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but severe and often fatal.

“Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases. Suspected cases have also been reported in Bunia, pending confirmation,” the agency said, referring to the capital of Ituri province, near the border with Uganda.

It said preliminary laboratory results have detected the Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples tested.

The latest outbreak comes around five months after Congo’s last Ebola outbreak was declared over after 43 deaths.

Ituri is in a remote eastern part of Congo characterized by poor road networks, and is more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the nation’s capital of Kinshasa.

Africa CDC said it is concerned about the risk of further spread due to intense population movement, mining-related mobility in Mongwalu, insecurity in affected areas, gaps in contact listing and control challenges.

The proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan also raises concerns, it said.

The agency said it is convening an urgent high-level coordination meeting Friday with health authorities from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, together with key partners including U.N. agencies and other countries.

“The meeting will focus on immediate response priorities, cross-border coordination, surveillance, laboratory support, infection prevention and control, risk communication, safe and dignified burials, and resource mobilization,” it said.

Congo has seen more than a dozen Ebola outbreaks

This is the 17th outbreak in Congo since the disease first emerged in the country in 1976. An Ebola outbreak from 2018 to 2020 in eastern Congo killed more than 1,000 people.

An earlier outbreak that swept across West Africa from 2014 to 2016 also killed more than 11,000 people.

The new outbreak will create more worry for the Central African country, which has been battling various armed groups in the east, including the M23 rebel group, which launched a rapid assault in January last year and has since occupied key cities.

Ituri in particular is also battling violence from the Allied Democratic Force, an Islamic State-linked militant group which has killed dozens there and in other parts of the east.

Congo, Africa's second-largest country by land area, often faces logistical challenges in responding to disease outbreaks. During last year's outbreak, which lasted three months, the World Health Organization initially faced significant challenges in delivering vaccines due to limited access and scarce funds.

U.S. futures were down after Wall Street reached fresh records.

In early European trading, Britain's FTSE 100 traded 1.2% lower at 24,092.41. France's CAC 40 also fell 1.2% to 7,987.27, while Germany's DAX dropped 1.5% to 24,092.41.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 2% to 61,409.29 after rising briefly earlier in the day. South Korea’s Kospi lost 6.1% to 7,493.18 on investors' profit-taking, after crossing the 8,000 mark for the first time and reaching 8,046.78, in part powered by excitement around the artificial intelligence boom.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 1.6% to 25,962.73, while the Shanghai Composite index fell 1% to 4,135.39.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.1% to 8,630.80.

Taiwan’s Taiex was 1.4% lower while India’s Sensex was up 0.1%.

Trump wrapped up his China visit on Friday after a series of meetings with Xi that touched on issues including U.S.-China trade, further economic cooperation and Taiwan. Investors are monitoring trade deal updates on areas such as American soybeans, beef and airplanes as Xi warned Trump that differences over Taiwan could lead to clashes and conflict.

While there is some optimism over U.S.-China relations, some analysts suggest any deals should be looked at with a sense of caution.

They recalled how a number of the promised projects and investments that came out of U.S.-China deals from Trump’s last China visit in 2017 did not end up materializing, as tensions between Washington and Beijing rose in the following years.

“Headline deals should be looked at with a healthy degree of skepticism,” wrote Leah Fahy and Julian Evans-Pritchard, China economists at Capital Economics, in a Friday note.

Trump also said in an interview that China could buy U.S. oil, more than a year after China effectively stopped buying crude oil from the United States following Trump’s imposition of hefty trade tariffs last year. Trump said Xi told him China “would like to be of help” in brokering an end to the Iran war.

Oil prices climbed more than 3% early Friday, as U.S.-Iran talks on permanently ending the Iran war stalled, and after a ship anchored off the United Arab Emirates was seized and another cargo ship near Oman was attacked.

Brent crude, the international standard, was 3.2% higher at $109.11 per barrel. It was trading at around $70 a barrel before the war in Iran started in late February.

Benchmark U.S. crude was up 3.7% to $104.94 per barrel.

Global energy flow has remained constrained with the Strait of Hormuz, crucial for global oil and gas transit, still largely closed and as the U.S. imposed a sea blockade on Iranian ports since last month. The White House said on Thursday after a bilateral meeting between Trump and Xi that both sides agreed the Strait of Hormuz must remain open.

On Thursday, Wall Street shares gained with the benchmark S&P 500 rising 0.8% to 7,501.24 and hitting an all-time high for a second consecutive day.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up more than 0.7% at 50,063.46, the first time it closed at above the 50,000 level since the Iran war. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite climbed 0.9% to 26,635.22.

Shares of technology giant Cisco Systems jumped 13.4% following better-than-reported results and after the company said it was cutting fewer than 4,000 jobs. Nvidia rose 4.4% as investors’ hopes grew over updates on sales of its advanced H200 chips to Chinese firms as CEO Jensen Huang visited Beijing with Trump.

In other dealings, the U.S. dollar rose to 158.54 Japanese yen from 158.37 yen. The euro was trading at $1.1622, down from $1.1669.

___

AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed to this report.

Now, as Powell steps down from the post after eight tumultuous years, the U.S. economy is transformed: Inflation soared after the pandemic and has remained above the Fed's 2% target for more than five years, angering voters and making rents, cars, and groceries harder to afford. The Fed's key short-term rate rose to a two-decade high in 2023, even as unemployment fell to a half-century low.

Along the way, Powell shrugged off relentless personal attacks from President Donald Trump that began just months after his appointment. But in January, he pushed back against an unprecedented legal investigation by the Justice Department, becoming one of the few top officials in Washington to stand up to the Trump White House.

Powell said he will continue serving on the governing board until he is confident the Fed’s independence is truly restored. His success at protecting the central bank from day-to-day politics will be a key part of his legacy.

“It is not an unblemished record, but in an extremely challenging context, he’s performed exceedingly well," said David Wilcox, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and director of research at Bloomberg Economics. “And my overall assessment is that the country has been lucky indeed to have him as chair.”

Unlike many of his predecessors, Powell, 73, is not a trained economist, but a lawyer who also worked in finance before joining the Fed's board of governors in 2012. Unassuming in public and private, Powell often introduces himself as “Jay” and would display his guitar-playing skills, honed as a student busking through Europe, at the Fed's holiday parties.

‘Transitory’ inflation proved persistent

An inescapable part of Powell's legacy will be the post-pandemic inflation surge, when consumer prices rose by a four-decade high of 9.1% in June 2022.

Overall prices are now 27% higher than just before the pandemic six years ago, a staggering change for a country that had experienced little inflation for generations. Prices rose just 10% in the six years before the pandemic. Groceries are 30% more expensive than six years ago, after they rose just 3.6% in the six years preceding COVID.

Powell and other Fed officials — and indeed most economists — initially said the inflationary surge was “transitory,” a result of supply chain snarls brought about by the pandemic, as COVID shut down factories and slowed ports around the world.

Their immediate priority was supporting the economy in a crisis.

In two moves in March 2020, they slashed their benchmark interest rate by 1.5 percentage points to near zero. The Fed also bought large amounts of Treasury debt and government-backed mortgage securities to reduce longer-term interest rates and took other steps to pour money into the financial system to keep credit markets functioning during pandemic chaos.

In April 2020, Powell said that the Fed would "continue to use these powers forcefully, proactively, and aggressively until we are confident that we are solidly on the road to recovery.''

Even as inflation zoomed past the Fed's 2% target in 2021, the central bank kept its key interest rate near zero until March 2022, when inflation hit 6.9%, according to the Fed's preferred measure.

The Fed's delay in raising rates was largely informed by a traditional economic view that inflation, stemming from a supply shock, would be temporary and if a central bank cranked up borrowing costs to fight it, the higher rates would just harm the economy and lift unemployment even as the supply crunch faded.

Misreading tea leaves

Meanwhile, the Trump and Biden administrations pumped about $5 trillion in government spending into the economy, in the form of multiple stimulus checks, support for small businesses, and other aid. The flow of dollars fueled a spending spike just as supply chains were unable to deliver on the demand.

By keeping its key rate near zero for so long, Powell's critics charge, the Fed contributed to that excess spending and worsened inflation.

“Even though there was all the evidence there in the data that aggregate demand was going through the roof, they still said it was a transitory supply shock,” said Mickey Levy, a former top economist at Bank of America and a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution. “The Fed contributed to that inflation and completely misread the tea leaves.”

As inflation began to spread into items such as apartment rents and surveys showed Americans increasingly worried it would last, Powell pivoted and oversaw the sharpest increase in interest rates since the early 1980s to combat the price spike.

Still, many leading economists, including former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, worried that defeating inflation would require a recession and a sharp increase in unemployment. Instead, inflation dropped to 2.3% by September 2024, according to the Fed's preferred measure, nearly reaching its 2% target.

By reducing inflation without a sharp economic downturn, Powell largely achieved an elusive “soft landing." Inflation then moved higher after Trump imposed sweeping tariffs last April.

Focusing on unemployment

Fighting inflation was a sharp shift for a Fed chair that began his term more focused on the Fed's mandate to pursue maximum employment. Before the pandemic, Powell often lauded the benefits of a strong job market for disadvantaged workers, winning plaudits from many progressive economists.

Yet some economists argue the Fed's focus on employment contributed to its delayed response to post-COVID inflation. In an August 2021 speech, Powell said the then-elevated unemployment rate of 5.4% was a reason to avoid hiking rates too early.

Still, many analysts defend Powell's support for the maximum employment mandate. Julia Coronado, president of MacroPolicy Perspectives and a former Fed economist, said Powell was right to keep rates low before the pandemic, even as unemployment steadily declined, because there were no signs inflation was worsening.

“If you can actually push a little harder for a little longer with no consequences for inflation, then you should damn well do it,” she said. “He was absolutely right about that. He’s still right about that.”

For his part, Powell said in late April that “overweighting the employment market” had nothing to do with the inflation spike.

“It was a global shock that happened essentially very, very similarly all over the world,” he said.

Fighting for Fed independence

Last July, in an image that will likely prove the most enduring of his time as Fed chair, Powell and Trump stood before cameras in hard hats at the site of the Fed's extensive $2.5 billion building renovation, which Trump had criticized as excessive.

Trump claimed the project would cost even more -- $3.1 billion — and showed Powell a paper listing the costs. Powell took out his reading glasses and corrected the president, on camera, by noting that he had included a third building that had already been renovated.

It was emblematic of Powell's willingness to push back against Trump's unprecedented attacks. Economists have long supported an independent Fed because it allows the central bank to take difficult steps — such as sharply raising interest rates to combat inflation — that politicians often oppose because they can be painful.

Powell benefited from strong relationship-building with Congress. Research by University of Maryland economist Thomas Drechsel has found that Powell met with senators more than twice as often as his two predecessors, with the meetings evenly split between both parties.

During one visit, Powell even endeared himself to North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis' dog, a move that paid huge dividends. Tillis essentially blocked Senate approval of Kevin Warsh, Trump's pick to replace Powell, until the investigation of the building project was dropped. The Justice Department eventually gave up on its probe.

Even those who fault Powell on some policy decisions credit him for defending the Fed.

“The big plus is the way he has protected central bank independence,” said Don Kohn, a former vice chair of the Fed. “That is the most important thing for the future of the Federal Reserve and for protecting the public interest in having an independent central bank.”

Powell hasn't said when he may leave the Fed, though he could remain on the governing board until January 2028.

“You want people to ... set interest rates to benefit the general public," Powell said at his last news conference, "and focus only on that and ignore political considerations. This isn’t bipartisan, this is nonpartisan.”

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AP Economics Writer Paul Wiseman in Washington contributed to this story.

It wasn't immediately clear who was behind these incidents, but they happened as a senior Iranian official reiterated his country’s claim of control over the waterway and another said it had a right to seize oil tankers connected to the U.S.

The turmoil in the strait, which a fifth of the world’s oil passed through before the war, has been a sticking point for weeks in talks between the U.S. and Iran to end the conflict. Iran's grip on the vital waterway has jolted the world economy and spiked fuel prices far beyond the Middle East.

The ongoing instability in the region came as U.S. President Donald Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. The White House said both sides had agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open.

Just last week, tensions flared in the strait when U.S. forces fired on and disabled Iranian oil tankers that they said were trying to breach its blockade of Iran’s ports.

Seizures and attacks in Hormuz ongoing

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said it received reports that the ship seized Thursday was taken by unauthorized personnel while anchored 38 nautical miles (70 kilometers, 44 miles) northeast of the UAE port of Fujairah, an important oil export terminal that has been repeatedly attacked during the war with Iran.

The U.K. maritime center did not name the ship seized Thursday and said it is investigating. The British military said the vessel is heading toward Iranian waters.

Indian authorities said Thursday that an Indian-flagged cargo ship sank off the coast of Oman after an attack sparked a fire aboard the vessel while it was en route from Somalia to Sharjah, another UAE port. They did not say who attacked the ship.

The attack on the Indian-flagged cargo ship Haji Ali occurred Wednesday, according to Mukesh Mangal, a senior official in India’s shipping ministry. He said all 14 Indian crew members were rescued by Oman’s coast guard and were safe.

India’s foreign ministry called the incident “unacceptable” and condemned continued attacks on commercial shipping and civilian mariners. The ministry did not identify who carried out the attack.

Seizures come at tense diplomatic moment

Iranian semiofficial news agencies reported that Chinese ships began passing through the strait Wednesday night under new Iranian protocols. According to the reports, Tehran agreed to facilitate the passage of several Chinese vessels after requests from China’s foreign minister and Beijing’s ambassador to Iran. The ships began their passage as Trump arrived in China.

The seizure of a ship off the coast of the UAE happened hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had quietly visited the country during the Israeli-U.S. war with Iran, though the UAE swiftly denied it.

The Gulf nation normalized relations with Israel in 2020. Iran has criticized that agreement and has repeatedly suggested over the years that Israel maintained a military and intelligence presence in the UAE.

Netanyahu’s decision to go public with the sensitive meeting was likely an effort to drum up support for his flagging party ahead of Israeli elections, said Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at the Institute of National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

“It’s amazing, it’s the deepest cooperation we’ve ever had … that during a war, Israel is defending an Arab state against Iran. It shows how complicated the Middle East is,” he said.

The UAE is trying to highlight its cooperation with Israel but not with Netanyahu and his government, Guzansky said, because many in the UAE are against Israel’s policies in Gaza.

“They’re trying to differentiate between security cooperation and cooperating with this government,” said Guzansky, who previously worked for the national security council within the Israeli prime minister's office.

Iran sets demands for new talks

Iran said it will not enter more talks with the United States unless five conditions are met, including paying reparations for the war and accepting Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency reported, citing an informed source.

The White House is again unlikely to accept those demands, which would essentially formalize Iran's control over a waterway that was open to international traffic before the war.

Iran’s senior vice president, Mohammadreza Aref, said Thursday that the strait belongs to Iran and that Tehran would not give it up “at any price,” state TV reported. “It has always been our property,” Aref said.

Iran defends right to seize ships

Iran’s judiciary spokesperson told the state-owned Iran Daily newspaper on Thursday that Iran has the legal and judicial right to seize oil tankers in the strait that are connected to the U.S. because the U.S. has violated international maritime laws and committed piracy. The spokesperson, Asghar Jahangir, did not explicitly refer to the tanker seized on Thursday.

Iran seized a number of ships, including a tanker identified as the Ocean Koi, last week, saying it was attempting to disrupt oil exports and Iranian interests, according to the official IRNA news agency. It said the tanker was seized in the Gulf of Oman and carrying Iranian oil when it was taken to Iran’s southern coast.

The U.S. sanctioned the Ocean Koi in February as part of a “shadow fleet” transporting Iranian oil.

Top US military leader says Iran's threats impact shipping

The top U.S. commander in the Middle East said Thursday he believes Iran’s military capabilities have been “dramatically degraded,” but its leaders are impacting shipping in the strait with rhetoric alone.

“Their voice is very loud, and the threats are clearly heard by the merchant industry and the insurance industry,” Adm. Brad Cooper told lawmakers in Congress.

He said the U.S. has the military power to permanently reopen the strait and escort ships. But he deferred to policymakers about the best path forward amid a “time of sensitive negotiations.”

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Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report.

In New Delhi, gasoline prices rose to 97.77 rupees ($1.17) a liter, while diesel climbed to 90.67 rupees ($1.09) a liter.

India imports about 90% of its oil and has been hit hard by rising energy prices and supply disruptions linked to the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. It had until now avoided raising retail fuel prices despite sharp increases in energy costs, making it one of the last major economies to pass higher crude prices on to consumers.

The price increases came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to adopt voluntary austerity measures.

Modi on Sunday called on people to work from home where possible, limit foreign travel and reduce purchases of gold. He described fuel conservation and saving foreign exchange as an act of “patriotism,” and encouraged greater use of public transportation, carpooling and lower fertilizer consumption.

Opposition leaders said Modi’s appeal came only after a key round of state elections had concluded, noting that fuel prices were kept unchanged during the campaign.

Manoj Kumar, a 48-year-old taxi driver in New Delhi, said the rise in fuel prices was adding to the strain on working-class people.

“For common people like us, even one rupee has great value. People work so hard from morning till evening just to make ends meet. The government is not seeing this," he said.

Earlier this week, India also raised import duties on gold and silver to 15% in an effort to curb demand for imports that drain foreign exchange reserves.

The Indian rupee has fallen to record lows in recent weeks as higher oil prices increased pressure on imports and foreign exchange reserves.

Meanwhile, India’s capital has become the first state to roll out austerity measures.

Authorities in New Delhi on Thursday announced fuel-saving measures, including mandatory work-from-home days for some government employees. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the 90-day campaign aims to reduce official fuel use and encourage people in the capital to rely more on public transportation instead of private vehicles.

Under the plan, employees whose work can be done remotely will work from home two days a week, while private companies are being encouraged to adopt similar measures voluntarily.

India has also accelerated ethanol blending in gasoline as part of its push to cut crude oil imports.

Most fuel stations across the country now sell gasoline blended with 20% ethanol, and the government has proposed expanding the use of fuels containing 85% — or even 100% — ethanol in compatible vehicles.

Energy experts said blending biofuel can help shield from global energy shocks but can lead to further stressing already depleting groundwater resources, encroach on land meant for food crops and impact older vehicles’ engines.

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AP journalists Sibi Arasu in Bengaluru, India and Shonal Ganguly in New Delhi contributed to this report.

Xi welcomed Trump at his official residence, Zhongnanhai, on Friday for their final engagement of the summit before the U.S. leader’s return to Washington. The leaders took a short walk through the grounds that feature ancient trees and Chinese roses, and strolled through a covered passageway with green columns and archways painted with birds and traditional Chinese mountain scenes.

Over tea and lunch, Trump and Xi — with top aides and translators in tow — huddled for nearly three hours of talks before the U.S. leader completed his three-day visit to China.

“It’s been really a great couple of days,” Trump told reporters.

Xi, for his part, called it a “milestone” visit. “We have established a new bilateral relationship, or rather a constructive, strategic, stable relationship,” he said.

But the optimistic outlook collides with some difficult truths about the thorniest issues between the two superpowers.

Beijing has shown little public interest in U.S. entreaties to get more involved in solving the conflict in Iran, even though Trump said in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that Xi had in their conversations offered to help. In recent weeks, the U.S. State Department has accused Chinese firms of providing satellite imagery to the Iranian government and the Treasury Department has moved to target Chinese oil refineries accused of buying oil from Tehran, as well as shippers of the oil.

And the White House believes China can still do more to stem the flow of Chinese-made precursor chemicals into Mexico used to make illicit fentanyl that has wreaked havoc on many U.S. communities.

Xi, meanwhile, warned Trump during private talks that their differences on the self-ruled island of Taiwan, if handled poorly, could hurtle the world's dominant powers toward “clashes and even conflicts,” according to Chinese government officials.

Trump appeared impressed by the bucolic grounds, remarking the roses were the most beautiful he had ever seen. Xi promised to send him some rose seeds.

The compound is wrapped around two artificial lakes that had been built for the pleasure of emperors. Zhongnanhai is often compared to the White House, the Kremlin or South Korea’s Blue House. But unlike the other presidential residences, Zhongnanhai does not serve as the main venue for diplomatic visits. The invitation appeared to be an attempt by Xi to extend a personal touch to a U.S. leader who appreciates big gestures.

“I think he’s a warm person, actually. But he’s all business,” Trump said of Xi in the Fox News interview. “There’s no games.”

The Chinese government also bid farewell to Trump with great pomp.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi saw a smiling Trump off at the airport. And schoolchildren dressed in Air Force One's light blue and white colors waved American and Chinese flags in a coordinated movement as the U.S. president arrived to board the plane.

Taiwan remains the most important issue for China

Xi's sharp language on Taiwan loomed large over the visit, with Chinese government officials amplifying that differences on the self-ruled island pose the biggest risk to U.S.-Chinese relations.

But Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News that U.S. policy toward Taiwan was “unchanged” and cautioned that it would be “a terrible mistake” for China to try to take Taiwan by force. He also framed Xi's comments as standard practice.

“They always raise it on their side. We always make clear our position, and we move on to the other topics,” said Rubio, who was among senior aides to join Trump for the talks.

China in recent weeks has sought to put more focus on its view that Taiwan sits at the “core” of its interests and is key to ensuring a stable relationship with the U.S. Trump at moments has shown ambivalence toward Taiwan, raising speculation that he could be open to loosening ties with Taipei.

Trump has demanded Taiwan increase defense spending, and in December, the White House announced an $11 billion weapons package for Taiwan, the largest ever to the island democracy.

But the U.S. has yet to begin fulfilling the arms sales, and Trump had said he expected to discuss the matter with Xi in Beijing. He’s also groused that Taiwan “stole” America’s semiconductor business and called on Taiwan to pay the U.S. for protection.

China wants the Strait of Hormuz opened

The leaders agreed that the Strait of Hormuz — effectively closed since the start of the Iran conflict — needs to be reopened to support global energy demands About 20% of the world’s oil flowed through the strait before the war started on Feb. 28.

“We feel very similar about (how) we want it to end,” the president said with Xi at this side. “We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon.”

White House officials say Xi was also opposed to any implementation of tolls on vessels crossing the strait and expressed interest in China potentially purchasing U.S. oil to reduce Chinese dependence on Gulf oil in the future.

Trump earlier this week had downplayed the importance of talks with Xi on the 11-week-old Iran war that has led to surging energy prices and threatens to plunge the global economy into recession if the conflict does not conclude soon.

But before Air Force One could land in Beijing, Rubio said administration officials would make the case to the Chinese officials about why they should be invested in prodding Iran to come to terms to end the war.

Indeed, the Chinese, who have been critical of the U.S. and Israeli bombardment of Iran, hold unique leverage as Iran’s biggest trading partner. The Chinese government has managed to weather the economic damage caused by the war with the help of its strategic oil reserves, but that backstop is not limitless. Economists say the Iran conflict could still have a big impact on China’s export-driven economy.

Will Trump announce any major business deals?

The White House, ahead of the visit, insisted that Trump wouldn’t be making the trip without an eye toward securing results before he leaves, suggesting there could be announcements coming on trade.

Trump says some “fantastic trade deals” had been struck during the visit, but did not offer further details

The U.S. side had been hoping to nail down Chinese commitments to buy U.S. soybeans and beef. Trump told Fox News that Xi had indicated a commitment for China to buy 200 Boeing jets from the U.S.

The leaders on Thursday discussed increasing U.S. agricultural purchases by the Chinese and opportunities for both sides to expand investment into each other's markets, according to the White House. Trump administration officials also want to work toward establishing a Board of Trade with China to address commercial differences between the countries.

Trump, whose delegation for the trip included the CEOs of Mastercard and Visa, said he also raised with Xi expanding access to the China market for the U.S.-based credit card companies.

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Mistreanu reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Huizhong Wu in Bangkok, Darlene Superville and Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.

The Gulfstream long-range business jet carrying them from the Netherlands landed at RAAF Base Pearce outside the Western Australia state capital, Perth. The passengers, crew and a doctor who accompanied them were taken by bus to the nearby Bullsbrook quarantine facility.

Australian Health Minister Mark Butler said the government would implement one of world's strongest quarantine responses to the outbreak.

He said passengers of the cruise ship MV Hondius who returned to the United States and most European countries would spend a few days in a quarantine center before they were sent home.

"We have taken the decision to take a stronger approach to quarantine arrangements than that because we are determined to ensure there is no risk at all of any transmission of this virus into the Australian community,” Butler told reporters in his hometown of Adelaide.

The five Australians and one New Zealand citizen will spend the three-week quarantine period in the facility that had remained largely unused since it was built in 2022 is response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A decision had yet to be made on what precautions should be taken for the remainder of the 42-day period of potential incubation that the World Health Organization had identified, Butler said.

The six passengers all tested negative for the virus before they left the Netherlands, had been assessed by a doctor during the flight and would undergo more detailed health assessments at Bullsbrook, Butler said.

The MV Hondius ship was on a cruise from Argentina to the Antarctic and then to several isolated islands in the South Atlantic Ocean when the hantavirus outbreak was identified. Three people among the 11 cases from the ship have died.

With the evacuation of all passengers and many crew members completed, the MV Hondius is now sailing back to the Netherlands, where it will be cleaned and disinfected.

Brett Howden scored his third short-handed goal of the playoffs and Shea Theodore got a power-play goal during a 3-0 first period for the Golden Knights, who reached the third round of the NHL postseason for the first time since they won their lone Stanley Cup championship in 2023 — and for the fifth time in this charmed expansion franchise’s nine seasons of existence.

“You go into it and you want to score first, especially being on the road,” said Theodore, an original member of the Knights after Anaheim traded him to Vegas in 2017. “I thought we responded well. We played great the first 15 minutes, and that's what we had to do. ... Just a veteran group. We had the right mindset coming in, and it was good to see the results.”

Marner played a role in all three of Vegas' first-period goals while raising his NHL-leading playoff point total to 18, and Game 5 overtime goal-scorer Dorofeyev put the game away with a huge third period. Carter Hart made 31 saves as the veteran-laden Golden Knights ended the upstart Ducks' first playoff appearance since 2018.

“It obviously feels great,” said Marner, who got labeled a playoff underachiever while his Toronto Maple Leafs never reached a conference final. “We worked extremely hard for all these little goals that we set throughout the year, and another one (is) achieved. But obviously the work just keeps getting harder and harder.”

Vegas will face an exponentially bigger challenge in the Colorado Avalanche, who won the Presidents' Trophy and then improved to 8-1 in the postseason on Wednesday by ousting Minnesota in five games.

Mikael Granlund scored a power-play goal for the Ducks, whose return from a seven-year playoff drought ended when their young roster was unable to match the veteran Knights’ playoff poise in three losses over the final four games.

Lukas Dostal stopped 16 shots for Anaheim, which couldn't overcome another poor first period in Game 6, ending their encouraging first season under coach Joel Quenneville.

“Vegas got better every single game,” Quenneville said. “They played well. They checked well. They deserved to win. Tonight was kind of what happened too many times this year, where we give up a couple of quick ones early, and it's a tough comeback against a team that knows how to play hockey.”

The Knights are 15-4-1 since John Tortorella replaced Cup-winning coach Bruce Cassidy on March 29, surging past the Ducks to claim the Pacific Division title before beating Utah and Anaheim in the first two playoff rounds.

The 67-year-old Tortorella refused to speak to the media after the game.

Marner set the tone for Game 6 very early: The Anaheim crowd hadn’t calmed down from the pregame festivities before William Karlsson found Marner behind the defense at the blue line. Marner fought off Jackson LaCombe while driving the net and somehow got turned around, only to flip a shot between his legs and past Dostal for his seventh goal of the postseason and fifth of the series.

“I just tried to make a move," Marner said. “Dostal had me covered, I thought, on the backhand, so I tried to do that move, and luckily it worked out.”

Eight minutes after Marner's opening goal, he found an unmarked Howden for his eighth goal and the Knights' NHL-best fourth short-handed goal of the postseason.

Theodore then got a long shot through Marner's screen and over Dostal's shoulder just 5 seconds into a power play, silencing Honda Center.

Troy Terry found Granlund for the Finn's fifth goal of the playoffs, in the second period, but Dorofeyev got his eighth goal of the postseason early in the third after John Carlson's giveaway. Dorofeyev added another with 6:28 to play, fooling Dostal with a sneaky shot and giving him five goals in the past four games.

Vegas played without suspended defenseman Brayden McNabb, whose illegal hit on Ryan Poehling in Game 5 injured and sidelined the Ducks’ penalty-killing forward indefinitely.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

The village, al-Joura, was demolished by the Israeli military at the time. It has since vanished under neighborhoods of the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon and the grounds of a national park.

The neighborhood where Abu Hamam’s family ended up — and where he spent most of his life — now lies also largely in ruins. Buildings in the Shati Camp in the northern Gaza Strip have been razed and wrecked by Israeli bombardment and demolitions during the past 2½ years of war.

On Friday, Abu Hamam and millions of Palestinians mark the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, Arabic for “catastrophe,” referring to the mass expulsion and flight of some 750,000 Palestinians from what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation. It’s the third commemoration of the Nakba since the war in Gaza began.

The 78-year-old Abu Hamam, one of a dwindling number of Nakba survivors, says the current war is an even greater catastrophe.

More than six months after an October ceasefire, he and the rest of Gaza’s more than 2 million people are now crammed into less than half of the 25-mile-long strip along the Mediterranean coast, surrounded by an Israeli-controlled zone encompassing the rest of the territory.

“There is no country left,” Abu Hamam said, speaking next to his home, which was heavily damaged by Israeli shelling earlier in the war. “A square kilometer and a half extending from the sea, this is what we are living in … It’s indescribable, unbearable.”

What was the Nakba?

For Palestinians, the Nakba meant the loss of most of their homeland. Some 80% of the Palestinians who lived in the area that became Israel were driven from their homes by forces of the nascent state before and during the war. The fighting began when Arab armies attacked following Israel’s establishment as a home for Jews in the wake of the Holocaust. Palestinians who remained behind hold Israeli citizenship.

After the war, Israel refused to allow Palestinian refugees to return to ensure a Jewish majority within its borders. Palestinians became a seemingly permanent refugee community that now numbers some 6 million, with most living in refugee camps in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Gaza.

Around 530 Palestinian villages in what became Israel were destroyed, according to the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics.

Abu Hamam’s birth village was one of them. Al-Joura was seized by the Israeli military as it advanced against Egyptian forces in November 1948. Soldiers were ordered to destroy every home in al-Joura and neighboring villages to ensure their Palestinian populations couldn’t come back, according to military archives cited by Israeli historian Benny Morris.

Refugees swelled the population of the tiny patch of territory along the southern coast that became the Gaza Strip. They stayed in tent camps, run by a newly created U.N. agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, which provided aid and schooling. Those camps, like Abu Hamam’s Shati Camp, grew into dense urban neighborhoods over the decades, before many were flattened during the latest Gaza war by Israeli bombardment.

In Gaza, Palestinians live a new Nakba

The ancestors of Ne’man Abu Jarad and his wife, Majida, were already living in what would become the Gaza Strip in 1948. They both recall stories from their families about refugees streaming in by foot from areas further north, like the village Abu Hamam came from.

Though they avoided the original Nakba, there was no escaping from what Majida now calls “our Nakba.”

Their hometown has been wiped off the map. Over the past year, Israeli bulldozers and controlled detonations have razed nearly every building in the northern Gaza towns of Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun. A new Israeli military base stands about 700 meters (765 yards) from where the Abu Jarads’ house once stood, according to satellite photos.

Also gone is the southern Gaza city of Rafah, once home to a quarter million people, and other villages and neighborhoods located in the Israeli-held half of the Gaza Strip. The military says it is destroying positions used by Hamas and preparing the area for reconstruction. Satellite photos show nearly every structure reduced to rubble.

Over the last 31 months of war, the Abu Jarads and their six daughters have been displaced more than a dozen times as they fled Israeli bombardment and offensives. They currently live in a camp in the southern city of Khan Younis. Their tent offers little shelter from biting winter winds or summer heat, Majida said.

Their daughters have been out of school for over two years now.

“The Nakba of ’48, I don’t think it can be compared to our Nakba,” Majida said. “In ’48, they say people were displaced once and settled in one place, and they are still there until now. But our Nakba, honestly, is more severe because our displacement has happened multiple times. There is no stability.”

Around 90% of Gaza’s more than 2 million people have lost their homes, according to U.N. estimates, with most of them now sheltering in huge tent camps with rat infestations and pools of sewage. They are dependent on aid to survive.

Israel’s offensive has killed over 72,700 Palestinians, according to local health officials. It was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people. Militants also abducted 251 hostages.

In the northern West Bank, tens of thousands of Palestinians are entering their 15th month of displacement, after the Israeli military ordered them out of their refugee camps as it launched an operation it said was targeting militant groups.

Since then, troops have demolished or heavily damaged at least 850 structures across the refugee camps of Nur Shams, Jenin and Tulkarem, according to an analysis of satellite imagery by Human Rights Watch released in December.

Saving what was lost, again and again

The 1948 Nakba also brought the loss of Palestinians’ history, as those fleeing struggled to keep hold of the documents and possessions tying them to their homes.

One of the largest archives of Palestinian documents dating back to the Nakba belongs to UNRWA.

UNRWA staff members, who fled their offices in Gaza after Israel ordered the north evacuated, had to leave behind the agency’s extensive archive.

The staff then launched a mission to rescue the most crucial documents — birth, death and marriage certificates and refugee registration cards, according to Juliette Touma, a former senior UNRWA official.

Without those documents, Palestinians could lose their rights and refugee status. Staffers crammed their personal suitcases full of papers and carried them through checkpoints and out of the territory, Touma said.

The current war has cost Palestinians in Gaza what little remained of their personal histories. Majida’s parents’ home in Beit Hanoun was destroyed, and with it family photos.

“There is nothing left,” she said.

Abu Hamam, too, says everything has been lost.

“When this war came, it devoured trees, stones and people,” he said. “Entire families were erased from the civil registry. Hundreds of families are still buried under the rubble.”

“That one was,” the coach said, “something.”

Something, indeed.

The Avalanche advanced to the Western Conference final for the eighth time since relocating to Denver courtesy of a Brett Kulak goal in a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 5. It's just the second time in the last nine playoff appearances the Avalanche have made it past the second round.

On the other occasion, in 2022, the team went on to capture the Stanley Cup championship.

With a team led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, it's always a Cup-or-bust scenario. This team especially, given a regular season with captain Gabriel Landeskog on the ice, their depth — the Avalanche had 16 different players score in the Wild series — and the play of their stars.

Stanley Cup favorite

Among the preseason favorites, they led the NHL most of the regular season in capturing their fourth Presidents’ Trophy, which goes to the team with the best record.

Like Carolina, the Avalanche are rolling into the conference finals. The Hurricanes advanced with a pair of sweeps while the Avalanche required nine games, including a first-round sweep of the Los Angeles Kings. As of Thursday, Colorado is a slight favorite over the Hurricanes to win the Cup.

Next up for Colorado is Vegas, with Game 1 on Wednesday night in Denver. Colorado was 2-0-1 against the Golden Knights in the regular season.

Bednar understands the lofty expectations year in and out, given his talented roster. Criticism comes with the territory.

“It's hard to win,” Bednar said. "But I wouldn't want it any other way. I don't think our players would want it any other way.

“People are going to get on you because you didn't win the Cup. I'd still rather be fighting for that, having earned that type of reputation because of the way you play through the regular season and the group that you put together as an organization and the high expectations, rather than, “Let’s just try and make the playoffs.'”

Not much rattles the Avalanche these days. Not even a three-goal hole, which set up a frantic finish and the overtime winner from Kulak, who took a pinpoint pass from Martin Necas and lined it into the net to send the capacity crowd into a frenzy.

It was Kulak's first goal since Jan. 19 when he was with Pittsburgh before being traded to Colorado the following month. It was also the first time the Avalanche won a series on home ice since 2008, when they beat the Wild in Game 6 of the conference quarterfinals.

“In an environment like this, where the building felt like it was going to start shaking at any moment, it was exciting," said Landeskog, who played in his first regular season since 2022 after being sidelined with a knee injury. “Now, it’s kind of a sigh of relief.”

Banged-up Avalanche have chance to heal

The Avalanche have a few days to heal. They were without forward Artturi Lehkonen and defenseman Sam Malinski the last two games of the Wild series due to upper-body injuries. Makar momentarily left Wednesday's game after a collision, but returned.

“The playoffs are a long grind and you want to keep your focus narrow," said Kulak, who made the Stanley Cup Final with Edmonton last season. “We can get some rest.”

Colorado is 3-4 in the conference finals since arriving in town before the 1995-96 season. All three times the team has advanced, though, a banner has followed — 1996, 2001 and 2022.

“They’re a really good team,” Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes said.

Depth on display

A strength of Colorado has been its depth. The 16 different players to score in the second round is tied for the most in a singles series, according to NHL Stats.

“The depth is what's going to win, coming down the stretch here in the playoffs,” Landeskog said. “Guys are stepping up all over the place.”

In net, too, even if a goalie dilemma may now be a storyline.

Scott Wedgewood took over in the second period after Mackenzie Blackwood surrendered three first-period goals. Wedgewood stopped all seven shots he faced in the second and third periods (he saw none in OT).

“Just proud,” Wedgewood said of making the conference final. "Proud of our group ending it and finding a way to do that because we knew going into the series, it wasn’t going to be an easy out. There’s a long road ahead, a lot of stories to write and just preparing for that.”

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

Just six months earlier, thousands of miles away, this same young man was pulling all-nighters to play Madden NFL on his Xbox at his home near Minneapolis. Sometimes he'd pause to snack on pizza rolls and Diet Coke, or check his texts for the next hangout at TopGolf or Buffalo Wild Wings.

Two separate worlds. Both are home to Jalue Dorje.

A typical American teen, he grew up loving rap music, video games and football. He is also an aspiring spiritual leader who, from an early age, was recognized by the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist leaders as a reincarnated lama.

Now he’s 19. He graduated from high school last year and moved to northern India to join the Mindrolling Monastery, about 7,200 miles (11,500 kilometers) from his home in Columbia Heights. Recently, he came to Nepal to meet his parents, who flew from Minneapolis, and attended sacred rituals and teachings conducted by the abbot of Shechen Monastery.

Maroon and golden monastic robes had replaced his usual hoodies and sweatpants. But he still quoted from Drake (the rapper) and Shantideva (the 8th-century Indian monastic). And beneath his robes, he wore white Crocs decorated with Jibbitz charms of “The Simpsons.” He wore them often at Shechen Monastery, near the 1,500-year-old Boudhanath stupa, one of Tibetan Buddhism’s most sacred sites.

Each morning, he’d awake at dawn. After prayers, he walked from his hotel through crowded Kathmandu streets lined with fruits, incense and spices, dodging mopeds near the soaring white dome and spire of Boudhanath with its colorful Tibetan prayer flags and the painted, ever-watching eyes of the Buddha.

On a recent day, he strode to the monastery and took off his Crocs before entering a prayer hall reserved for monks with doctorates and lamas like himself. Incense wafted. The sound of ancient instruments — cymbals, bells and drums — punctuated the monastic chants.

Standing before three huge gold statues of the Buddha, Dorje bowed to Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, the monastery’s spiritual head, and presented him with a golden plate that symbolizes the entire universe, and a “khata” — a white Tibetan ceremonial scarf.

It was the first mandala, or offering, Dorje had made since his long journey to follow his predestined spiritual path. It was a moment, he says, when he realized how far he’d come.

“This is the real one, you know? We’re here and this is really happening,” he says. “I’m doing what the prophecy fulfilled.”

A reincarnation cycle dating to 1655

Since the Dalai Lama recognized him at age 2, Dorje had spent much of his life training to become a monk, memorizing sacred scriptures, practicing calligraphy, learning the Buddha’s teachings.

The process of identifying a lama is based on spiritual signs and visions. Dorje was four months old when he was identified by Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, a venerated master of Tibetan Buddhism. He was later confirmed by several lamas as the eighth Terchen Taksham Rinpoche — the first was born in 1655.

Jalue Dorje’s parents took him to meet the Dalai Lama in 2010 when Tibetan Buddhism's spiritual leader visited Wisconsin. The Dalai Lama cut a lock of Dorje’s hair in a ceremony. He advised the parents to let their son stay in the U.S. to perfect his English and then send him to a monastery.

“From my parents’ end, educating me was a really big one,” Dorje says. “They followed the words of his holiness; he laid the foundation, and they took that gamble.”

As a child, he often wondered why he couldn’t sleep later on weekends and watch cartoons like other kids. One day, it would pay off, his dad would tell him, “like planting a seed that one day would sprout.”

He remembered the early mornings of recitation and memorization. He recalled people who posted messages online doubting that he was a reincarnated lama, and how that troubled his parents. And how they both worked hard cleaning hotel rooms and doing laundry at hospitals while raising him.

“It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns every day,” Dorje says. “We overcame a lot.”

Fluent in English and Tibetan, Dorje excelled in public school. Although he was officially enthroned as a lama in a 2019 ceremony in India, his parents let him stay in the U.S. until graduation.

Growing up, he kept a photo of the Dalai Lama in his room above DVD collections of “The Simpsons,” “South Park,” and “Family Guy,” next to the manga graphic novel series ″Buddha.”

On his bedside table, he kept a journal where he diagramed plays he’d like to try as a left guard with his school football team. On a wall in his living room he hung a poster with his senior year photo wearing sunglasses and his football uniform, touching thumb tips to index fingers in a meditation gesture.

He had a deal with his father, who would give him Pokémon cards in return for memorizing Buddhist scriptures. He collected hundreds, sometimes sneaking them in his robes at ceremonies. “I remember,” he says, “when I first learned my Tibetan ABCs, when I was able to recite it all by memory, my dad was so happy.”

A love of sports

The days were long. Every morning he awoke to recite sacred texts. Then school, followed by football practice. He returned home for tutoring on Tibetan history and Buddhism. At night, he practiced calligraphy or listened to rappers. When he got his license, he drove around listening to Taylor Swift.

What would he have been if not a spiritual leader? “Sports journalist would have been cool,” he says. He loves to write. An avid fan, he roots for the Atlanta Hawks in basketball, Real Madrid in soccer, and the Atlanta Falcons in football.

His favorite athlete is U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu: “She brings so much swagger, but it doesn’t overshadow the sports.” In high school, he wrote an award-winning story about Tibet for the student newspaper.

On the football field, his teammates praised his positivity; he reminded them to have fun and keep losses in perspective. But in the final game of his senior season, he shed tears, realizing it would likely be his last game ever.

He often helped with events representing the local Tibetan community. For his 18th birthday, more than 1,000 people gathered at the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota for the last party before joining the monastery in India.

Finding his groove

On the long plane ride, his mind wandered.

“I was like, ‘Dang! I’m missing the first week of NFL!’” He packed light: headphones, laptop, a fantasy football magazine and a book on Guru Rinpoche, the Indian Buddhist master who brought Tantric Buddhism to Tibet.

His parents flew with him to New Delhi and then drove north to Dehradun, near the Himalayan foothills, in the equivalent of a college dropoff. They bought him a larger bed. They painted his monastic room and erected a shrine where he could pray at dawn and dusk.

He is an only child, and his parents cried when saying goodbye. The farthest and longest that he'd gone from home on his own previously was a three-day camping trip in northern Minnesota.

“Everything leading up to this point in the history of all your lifetimes — the billions and billions of lifetimes you accumulated — leads to your family,” Dorje says. “To have such great parents is a result of a great past life’s merit. But not only past life merit, but the connection of karma — and love.”

Early on, his mother, Dechen Wangmo, worried about her then-toddler son during long prayer sessions.

“Would he be hungry? What if he fell asleep?” she recalled thinking. She kept worrying about him as a teenager: “He’s a tulku,” she says, using the Tibetan term for a reincarnated lama, “but he’s my son.”

To her relief, he thrived. While his friends attended history, science and literature classes in U.S. colleges, he took lessons on Buddhist philosophy, and practiced his calligraphy and chanting in India.

“He’s kind of found his groove at the monastery,” says Kate Thomas, one of his tutors in Minneapolis.

Becoming a ‘leader of peace’

Despite the 10-hour time difference, he kept in contact with friends back home through texts and WhatsApp. On time off, he built Legos, walked to an arcade to play the FIFA soccer video game and watched Marvel superhero films and NBA and NFL games on his laptop. He was especially psyched about the halftime Super Bowl show: “That was an incredible performance by Bad Bunny — I can ’t lie!”

It was his first time experiencing a life of asceticism, eating a daily ration of rice and lentils and washing his own clothes by hand. But he adjusted, getting along with monks from all over Asia, discussing spirituality, popular culture and sports.

“Dudes are dudes!” he says.

It was the first time that he was hanging out with other “tulkus' — reincarnated spiritual masters around his own age. Among them was Trulshik Yangsi Rinpoche, 13. He's believed to be the reincarnation of Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche — the Tibetan Buddhist master who first recognized Dorje as a tulku at four months old.

At the monastery, they bonded over their love of Tintin comics. Dorje became his English teacher.

“I think of him as my spiritual teacher,” Dorje said after sharing a meal with the younger lama. “I’m profoundly grateful that I get to repay my debt to the one who found me and improving his English.”

Yangsi Rinpoche smiled, then reflected: “He’s my best friend.”

Just hours after Dorje blessed thousands — including his parents — on the last day of the 12-day rituals, the family awoke before dawn to visit the ancient Maratika or Halesi Mahadev Caves, 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Mount Everest. They drove for eight hours on dirt roads, crossing mountains and valleys, for a pilgrimage to caves sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists.

After exploring the caves in awe, Dorje sat cross-legged on the rocky ground next to his father, Dorje Tsegyal. They prayed together, as they had done almost daily since his childhood.

Following several years of contemplation and asceticism, Dorje hopes to return to the United States to teach in Minnesota’s Buddhist community at the Nyingmapa Taksham Buddhist Center. His goal: become “a leader of peace,” following the example of the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Gandhi.

It’s a long path that began soon after his birth. He feels ready. “This,” he says, “is just the beginning.”

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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.

That’s the mantra of a multiracial group of civil rights leaders and activists organizing opposition to a mostly white conservative alliance dismantling the Voting Rights Act and political districts that allowed Black and other nonwhite voters to choose more of their elected leaders for the last half-century.

“We have to respond as quickly as possible,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in an interview. “The real question,” Johnson told The Associated Press, “is how do we as a country really address the effort to shrink us backwards into a 1950s reality?”

Johnson’s 117-year-old association, which was at the forefront of legal and legislative fights for Black political rights in the 20th century, is among scores of groups coming together Saturday in Alabama for a rally and tribute to the Civil Rights Movement that helped bring about the 1965 Voting Rights Act. They plan events in Selma, where voting rights advocates were attacked by white law enforcement officers on Bloody Sunday, and Montgomery, where a rescheduled march concluded two weeks later.

Unlike 61 years ago, the Alabama events are not the pinnacle of a protracted movement. Instead, civil rights activists hope they serve as a catalyst for a renewed crusade after the U.S. Supreme Court, two weeks ago, further weakened the VRA by no longer allowing race to be considered in how congressional and other districts are drawn.

They acknowledge difficulty in countering a white-dominated conservative network entrenched in the White House, Capitol Hill, federal courts and many state legislatures of the Old Confederacy, where a majority of Black Americans still live.

The VRA “was the foundational nucleus of the Civil Rights Movement,” said Jared Evans of the Louisiana-based Power Coalition for Equity and Justice. “They’ve taken that from us,” he said, with the recent Louisiana v. Callais decision on congressional districts and the earlier Shelby v. Holder decision in 2013 that rolled back federal oversight of election procedures in states and localities with a history of discrimination.

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, who is senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached, said from his pulpit that the result is “Jim Crow in new clothes.”

Warnock pointed to King and the last voting rights movement. “We need political power. We need economic power. We need personal power,” he said, assuring parishioners that “your adversaries know that your voice matters” because they're “bending over backwards” to diminish it.

Evans reached further back into history to say what must happen next.

“Our response must be and will be a second Reconstruction period,” Evans said.

Some Democrats want an answer from Congress

The ultimate goal, organizers said, is to win more elections, sway policy fights and protect diverse political representation at all levels.

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, a Black lawmaker who represents Selma, Alabama, said an immediate priority is to “reform and reintroduce” Democrats' flagship voting bill, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Sewell, whose seat ultimately could be threatened under redistricting, said Democrats want to “completely” eliminate partisan gerrymandering.

She also said the legislation would “bring back pre-clearance,” the requirement for certain federal approvals that the court struck down in Shelby.

“We need to come up with a modern-day formula for showing just how egregious the behavior of these state actors is,” Sewell said.

The Supreme Court ruled in Callais that states do not have to draw majority nonwhite districts under the Voting Rights Act and, in fact, should not consider race at all when drawing boundaries. By arguing that the law's remedies to combat discrimination had themselves become racist, the decision allows states to redraw heavily Black districts that have historically elected Democrats while arguing that the designs are based on party interests, not race.

President Donald Trump praised the decision as “a BIG WIN for Equal Protection under the Law, as it returns the Voting Rights Act to its Original Intent, which was to protect against intentional Racial Discrimination.”

Groups mobilized for redistricting sessions

Many of the same groups who’ll be in Alabama on Saturday have already gone to Southern statehouses, where white Republican lawmakers moved swiftly to redraw congressional districts after Callais.

Alabama and Louisiana lawmakers reverted to a single majority-Black district, each scrapping a second district that had been ordered by lower federal courts under now-reversed VRA interpretations. Tennessee lawmakers gutted a majority Black district by splitting greater Memphis into three different sprawling districts — itself an obvious racial gerrymander the court had previously forbidden, Evans said.

Anticipating the Callais outcome, Florida and Texas proceeded with redistricting before it came down. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a term-limited Republican, has called a June session to redraw congressional lines for the 2028 cycle. Mississippi and South Carolina have delayed the matter for now.

South Carolina state Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey was among the few white Republicans who pushed back against GOP redistricting plans. He said that not even pressure from Trump could sell him on disenfranchising Black South Carolinians instead of doing what's best for his state.

Other white conservatives are still talking openly about ousting Reps. Jim Clyburn and Bennie Thompson, the only Black U.S. House members from South Carolina and Mississippi, respectively.

Evans, the Louisiana activist, predicted the fight ahead won't just be about congressional representation.

“Look for them to go after state house and state senate seats — and then it will be the local level,” he said, adding that “it’s going to be an entire erasure of Black representation.”

The issue is more than a partisan Washington fight

Heavily minority districts drawn under the VRA before Callais nearly always elect Democrats. Black Americans have overwhelmingly aligned with the party since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act, sparking a decades-long migration of most white Southern politicians to the Republicans. Latino and Hispanic voters still lean Democratic in most places as well.

The immediate fight shapes the midterm campaign scramble for control of the U.S. House during the final years of Trump’s presidency. Trump initially pushed Republican-run states to redistrict to protect the party's fragile House majority.

But Johnson, the NAACP leader, said all voters should see more than partisan warfare or a regional battle over race.

Beyond party allegiance, Johnson argued, white conservatives want to curtail a range of rights “depending on how you pray, depending on who you love,” while also pushing economic policies that punish workers across racial and ethnic lines. From legislation to the confirmation of federal judges who decide constitutional questions, those policy outcomes start with election results.

“It’s not a Black problem,” Johnson said. “That’s an American problem.”

There is no singular movement or leader yet

Evans, Johnson and others acknowledged the complexity in harnessing disparate organizations and galvanizing voters on issues like redistricting and gerrymandering. But they insist the brazen nature of Republicans' course has spurred engagement.

Johnson said he was on an organizing call in Mississippi this week that had 8,000 participants. Evans pointed to packed hallways in the state Capitols in Baton Rouge and Nashville, respectively.

The NAACP and allies have challenged new maps in multiple states, despite Callais. Many groups want to spur midterm turnout among Black voters, and others are disenchanted with white conservatives’ maneuvers in racially diverse places.

Johnson stressed the need for perseverance.

The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision was seismic, with a unanimous court declaring segregated public schools unconstitutional and reversing 19th-century precedents denying Black Americans' fundamental rights.

But it took 17 years — and many more court battles — for it to be implemented in most Southern school districts. Fights over mandated student busing continued beyond the South. It was a decade after Brown before Congress and Johnson enacted the movement’s seminal laws.

There's no clear leader of a modern movement.

Johnson said it’s worth remembering that even with King at the helm before his assassination, “there was tension around strategy” in the 1950s and 1960s.

But even “through that tension, through many episodes, we were able to get directly in the right place.”

Grabbing viewers’ attention as one of 25 acts competing in quick succession in Saturday’s grand final in Vienna means pulling out all the stops, both musically and visually.

In the case of this year’s favorites to win, the Finnish duo of pop singer Pete Parkkonen and classical violinist Linda Lampenius, that involves jets of flame, a valuable 18th-century violin and a team of “ninjas” working to avert disaster.

The pair’s song “Liekinheitin,” or “Flamethrower,” is a favorite with both fans and betting markets with its melding of pop and classical influences — and its spectacular staging.

Here’s what it takes to create the eye-catching performance.

Permission to play

Parkkonen and Lampenius dub their sound “new pop with a classical touch." Their song of burning love is an explosion of energy in which Parkkonen’s passionate vocals act as counterpoint to Lampenius’ frenetic fiddling.

The Finnish delegation had to secure special permission for Lampenius to play live. Eurovision rules state that lead vocals must be performed live, but instruments are prerecorded, to help speed changeovers between songs.

Lampenius says “Flamethrower” was “written as a duet,” and both performers need to be live for it to work.

“It’s a woman and a man, it’s a female voice and a male voice. So I do all my lyrics through my violin, by playing, and you (Parkkonen) are singing it with words. But we are talking. We are (equally) as important, both of us.”

The pair were not certain when they arrived in Vienna that Eurovision organizers would allow the request. They were only given final approval after performing in front of an audience in a live rehearsal.

The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, said contest rules allow that “live audio capture of instruments may exceptionally be permitted where artistically justified.”

Lampenius had brought two violins just in case – a treasured Gagliano made in 1781 so live performance would “sound perfect,” and a cheaper instrument to use if she had to rely on playback. That would remove any risk to the Gagliano from the slightly hazardous staging.

Practice makes perfect

Lampenius and Parkkonen say they have been rehearsing for this moment since November. They won Finland’s national selection contest for Eurovision in February and say by now they have performed the song hundreds of times.

It is crucial to get it right. The performance builds to a climax that sees jets of flame spurt from a stage on which Lampenius, fanned by a leaf blower and wearing a flowing dress, is playing her precious violin.

Lampenius concedes it's “a bit scary when you think of it."

But she says she is secure in the knowledge she has black-clad stagehands who call themselves “ninjas” on hand to keep her dress away from the flames – an essential piece of the performance that goes unseen by viewers watching at home.

“They’re running with me – first one guy carrying my dress when I’m running, then the other one catching me during my run,” she said. “And he helps me also when I jump up on the stage and do the pirouette.”

For the striking final pose in which Lampenius perches atop chairs in high heels, violin aloft, Parkkonen combines singing with his role as a security spotter, there to catch her if she topples over.

“That’s my work,” the singer said.

Lawsuits filed on behalf of voters ask a state judge to block the districts from being used in the midterm elections. The move would create a significant wrinkle in President Donald Trump's attempt to hold on to a narrow House majority by redrawing voting districts to the GOP's advantage.

Republicans already hold 20 of Florida’s 28 U.S. House seats. New voting districts signed into law by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis after a swift two-day special legislative session could improve the GOP’s chances to win four additional seats in the November elections.

Florida’s Legislature approved the new House map on April 29 — the same day the U.S. Supreme Court weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minorities while striking down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana. Since then, several Southern states have taken steps to try to eliminate minority districts that have elected Democrats.

Congressional districts typically are redrawn once a decade, after each census, to rebalance populations. But since Trump urged mid-decade redistricting last year, Republicans think they could gain as many as 15 seats from new House maps in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee and Alabama. Democrats, meanwhile, think they could gain six seats from new maps in California and Utah.

Democrats had counted on winning up to four additional seats in Virginia. But the Virginia Supreme Court last week struck down a Democratic redistricting plan approved by voters, ruling the legislature violated procedural requirements when placing it on the ballot.

Florida bans partisan map-making

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that it has no authority to decide whether partisan gerrymandering goes too far. But it said partisan gerrymandering claims could continue to be decided in state courts under their own constitutions and laws.

Florida voters approved a state constitutional amendment in 2010 that prohibits U.S. House districts from being drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent. The amendment bars districts from diminishing the ability of racial or language minorities to elect the representatives of their choice. It also requires districts to be compact and, where feasible, use existing political and geographic boundaries.

Lawsuits filed on behalf of voters seek a temporary injunction against the new U.S. House map for violating that amendment. The suits focus heavily on political favoritism.

“The plan takes the state’s partisan skew to an unprecedented extreme,” said one of three lawsuits filed in Leon County.

A legal brief filed on behalf of the Florida Senate argues that partisan intent has not been proven and a temporary injunction against the new districts is not appropriate in advance of a fully developed trial.

Though DeSantis called lawmakers into session before the Supreme Court's ruling in the Louisiana case, he anticipated an eventual outcome weakening Voting Rights Act protections for minority districts. Among other changes, Florida's new map reshapes a southeastern Florida district that DeSantis’ office said was created to help elect a Black representative in an attempt to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act.

DeSantis' office said no racial data was used to prepare the new map he presented to the Legislature. In a memo to lawmakers, DeSantis’ General Counsel David Axelman asserted that Florida's constitutional provision about racial redistricting violates the U.S. Constitution. If one element is invalid, Axelman wrote, then the entire 2010 amendment is void, including provisions barring partisan gerrymandering.

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Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri, and Schneider from Orlando, Florida.

Within weeks, the neighborhood was a ghost town and the playground was empty.

What prompted the mass exodus was a bungled message from the housing authority in Port Isabel, a South Texas community of 5,000 people, many of whom are immigrants working at hotels and restaurants on the beaches of nearby South Padre Island. The Port Isabel Housing Authority indicated a Trump administration proposal was about to take effect that would end housing assistance to families with at least one member in the country illegally. The events that followed provided a glimpse of what could happen in communities across the U.S. if the proposed rule is actually finalized.

“The impact was not limited to undocumented immigrants, but really to immigrants who are here legally as well as people within their families who are citizens,” Marie Claire Tran-Leung, senior staff attorney at National Housing Law Project, said.

For decades, families with at least one legal or eligible resident have been allowed to live in public housing provided those who are here illegally or are otherwise ineligible due to their immigration status pay a full, unsubsidized share of rent. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Department wants to reverse that.

Advocates estimate up to 80,000 people would be kicked out of their homes nationwide under the measure that is part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. They include U.S. citizens, many of them children born in this country but whose parents were not.

A message from the Port Isabel Housing Authority

On Feb. 3, the Port Isabel Housing Authority sent residents a letter saying that the Trump administration wanted every household member to prove legal status within 30 days or face eviction. Three weeks later, the agency sent a note of “clarification” that no such proof was required.

It was already too late.

Half of residents living in Port Isabel public housing left within a month of receiving the first letter. The occupancy rate plunged from 91% in January to 43% in May, far below the national average of 94%.

The proposed rule from HUD still has not taken effect.

The housing authority gave no explanation for the initial misunderstanding and officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Rumors and panic

Fears about eviction and rumors that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement might get involved prompted panic among some residents.

“My kids and I spoke and wondered what we were going to do, but then we said it’s better to leave and avoid any retaliation,” a single mother from Mexico raising two teenagers who are U.S. citizens told The Associated Press. She, like other former residents, spoke on condition of anonymity due to fears of being deported.

She turned to legal service organizations that told her and others they could stay in public housing. But she and her children decided it was too risky and left their home of nearly a decade, finding an apartment within the same school district that costs about $500 more per month.

The move also added about 10 minutes to the commute to the island, where both the mother and her daughter work. The 18-year-old gets home from school at 4:30 p.m. and grabs a quick dinner before her mom drives her to a job that starts at 5 p.m. The daughter is a top student in her senior class and plans to go to college in the fall with help from scholarship offers, but she worries how her family will make ends meet. Her brother was laid off, and their mom underwent cancer treatment last year, depleting her energy and straining their finances.

Other families face even greater challenges.

A mother of three said she moved her family into a one-bedroom trailer home illegally parked between two other trailer homes. Her oldest son sleeps in the living room.

Another family of three sold beds and other furniture so they could squeeze into a small trailer home, only to find out the landlord wouldn't let them use the mailing address, affecting her children’s school and health insurance.

“Since we got the letter, everything changed from one day to the next. It wasn’t the same anymore. Before the letter, the kids were happy, playing outside,” the mother of two said.

A preview of a Trump administration proposal

The Trump administration proposed in February that any household with one ineligible resident would disqualify an entire family, estimating that 24,000 recipients were ineligible in 20,000 households.

“We have zero tolerance for pushing aside hardworking U.S. citizens while enabling others to exploit decades-old loopholes,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner said at the time.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which advocates for low-income families, estimates that 79,600 people could be forced to leave their homes, with a disproportionate impact on children and Latinos.

The rule drew more than 16,000 public comments, many of them critical, including from city leaders across the U.S.

For example, the New York City Council told HUD that an estimated 12% of city of households have at least one member who lacks legal status. Some 240,000 children are in those homes.

“This proposed rule will unequivocally lead to increased displacement, homelessness, poverty, and decreased educational and health outcomes,” the council wrote.

HUD is expected to publish a final version of the rule after considering public comments.

It is almost certain to face legal challenges.

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Associated Press writers Michael Casey in Boston and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this story.

Suzuki and Jake Evans capped a three-goal second period surge by scoring 68 seconds apart in a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, giving the Canadiens a 3-2 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Montreal didn't lead until Evans swept a loose puck over the goal line behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to put the Canadiens up 4-3 with 3:45 remaining in the second period. Ivan Demidov set up the goal when his shot glanced off Luukkonen’s glove and then dribbled behind him.

Suzuki then scored 10 seconds into a power-play opportunity by converting Juraj Slafkovsky’s one-handed pass from the end boards and beating Luukkonen through the legs with a shot from the lower right circle.

“The power-play goal was huge, felt like it gave us a little bit of breathing room,” Suzuki said. “Just kept trying to put the foot on the gas a little bit, too.”

Demidov, Cole Caufield, Josh Anderson and Alexandre Texier also scored for Montreal, which will host Game 6 on Saturday night.

Dobes allowed three goals on the first four shots he faced before stopping the final 32. The rookie goalie was pleased with coach Martin St. Louis' decision to keep him in the game, especially after Dobes acknowledged he sagged after rookie Konsta Helenius beat him through the legs to put Buffalo up 3-2.

“I told him thank you for leaving me and trying to prove myself,” Dobes said. “I’m really proud of myself too for not giving up and keep making saves.”

Josh Doan and Jason Zucker also scored for the Atlantic Division champions, who are facing elimination for the first time this postseason.

Luukkonen allowed five goals on 23 shots, and was pulled after two periods -- the second time he’s been yanked this postseason. Alex Lyon mopped up, allowing a goal on three shots. Lyon is potentially in line to regain the starting duties after losing the job following a 6-2 loss in Game 3.

“It’s not good enough. Not good enough,” Sabres forward Alex Tuch said. “I thought we had a pretty good start actually, too. We should have locked it down better and played better defensively. It’s frustrating.”

The Sabres have dropped two of three at home in the series, and are 2-4 overall in the playoffs. On the bright side, they’re 4-1 on the road, including a 3-2 win at Montreal on Tuesday.

Montreal finally got much-needed production from its top line, with Suzuki (goal, two assists), Slafkovsky (three assists) and Caufield getting on the scoresheet. The trio had combined for four goals and five assists in the first four games of the series.

Most encouraging was Caufield’s goal being the line’s first in a five-on-five situation in the series.

“Very good for the confidence,” said Slafkovsky. “We stuck with it, and it’s good for confidence. But it doesn’t matter. In two days, we got to do it again and play our best game of the season.”

Montreal is one win from advancing to the semifinal round of the playoffs for the first time since the Covid pandemic altered 2021 playoffs. The Canadiens eventually reached the Stanley Cup Final and lost to Tampa Bay in five games.

Buffalo and Montreal combined for five goals in the first 10:15, including Doan and Texier scoring nine seconds apart.

The five goals were scored in a span of 8:15, which ranks 11th on the playoff list of fastest between two teams.

Buffalo’s deficiencies continue being exposed. After allowing 12 goals in six games of their first-round series against Boston, the Sabres have allowed 21 already to Montreal — and 19 in the past four.

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

Braxton’s calm demeanor was an example for his teammates as Head Coach David Rogers told us, “Braxton is the ultimate teammate, he’s a sophomore but everybody from the senior class down loves being around him.”

At one point during the meeting, two parents were escorted out after going over their allotted speaking time.

The emotional meeting centered around HISD’s proposal to centralize some special education services for roughly 5,000 students with higher needs at designated campuses across the district.

• RELATED: TEA investigating complaints tied to HISD special education changes

This includes students in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), Skills for Living and Learning (SLL), Structured Learning Classroom–Alternate (SLC‑ALT), Structured Learning Classroom–Standard (SLC‑STD), and Behavior Support Classroom (BSC) for 50% or more of their instructional day.

Deputy Superintendent Kristen Hole said 16,000 other special education students are not impacted by the changes.

District leaders say the changes are designed to provide more specialized support and resources for students in self-contained classrooms.

But many parents say the proposal is moving too fast — and could uproot children who rely heavily on routine, stability and familiar environments.

One of the parents escorted out of the meeting was Cristian Garcia, whose 11-year-old daughter Avril has autism.

• RELATED: ‘I wasn’t part of the decision’: HISD parents react to proposed special education changes

Garcia said he got a letter stating Avril would be moved from Meyerland Middle School to Welch Middle School under the school’s new plan.

“I got very upset,” Garcia told KPRC 2 after the meeting. “Because you only have a minute to explain a whole lifetime. They’re not in your shoes.”

Garcia said the potential move has already caused emotional distress for his daughter.

“She’s been crying nonstop,” Garcia said. “She knows something big is coming.”

Garcia said the proposed transfer would significantly change his family’s daily routine.

He says Welch Middle School is much farther from the family’s home than his daughter’s current campus and would require a separate transportation routine from his son, who also attends Meyerland Middle School.

• RELATED: ‘Don’t move kids’: HISD parents push back against proposed special education overhaul

Families say they were blindsided after receiving letters last week informing them their children could be transferred to different schools next year.

Dina Kushaliyeva said her daughter currently attends Sinclair Elementary School in a self-contained learning classroom for students with significant disabilities.

She said district officials have assured parents students’ individualized education plans, or IEPs, would remain in place. But when families contacted schools for details about staffing, training and support services, she says many campuses could not answer their questions.

“What reassurance do we have? We don’t,” Kusaliyeva said. “What clarity do we have? There is no plan.”

She fears transferring to a new campus without proper preparation could create serious setbacks.

“Is she going to be able to go to the bathroom?” Kusaliyeva said. “Is she going to go hungry again?”

Parents say children thrive on routine

Another parent, Noemy Torres, said her autistic son has finally begun thriving at his current school after years of adjustment.

“He’s talking. He’s feeling comfortable,” Torres said. “Now he has to lose that.”

“My son does not react well with changes,” said Torres. “Especially children do not act well with changes.”

Torres said she worries about whether a new campus would understand her son’s medical and behavioral needs, including food restrictions and ADHD medication routines.

“What happens in an emergency?” said Torres. “They don’t think about that.”

Superintendent Mike Miles said during Thursday’s board meeting that most of the community has responded positively to the new plans.

Federal and state investigations underway

The backlash comes as the U.S. Department of Education investigates disability discrimination complaints involving Houston Independent School District.

The Texas Education Agency has also confirmed it is reviewing complaints tied to the district’s proposed changes.

FIFA announced Thursday that, for the first time, the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 will include a Super Bowl-style concert.

Soccer's governing body said the show would support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising $100 million to help children access education and soccer.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said it would bring together “music and football on the biggest stage in sport for a very special cause.”

“When you have a position of responsibility, you want to do everything you can to have a real impact,” Infantino said at the Global Citizen NOW conference in New York on Thursday. “Not everyone can become a world champion, but everyone can become a little bit better by having the right education. So we embrace that.”

The show will be curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin, who came up with the idea four years ago while watching the previous World Cup, said Hugh Evans, CEO of the nonprofit Global Citizen, which has partnered with FIFA on the halftime show and the education fund.

Shakira said at the conference that she’s spent her entire adult life “making songs and building schools,” referring to the work of her nonprofit, Barefoot Foundation.

“Finally, during this World Cup, those two paths meet,” said the “Hips Don't Lie” superstar, who added she is hoping for her homeland of Colombia to make it to the World Cup final.

The Super Bowl is famed for its halftime show, attracting the world's biggest stars for spectacular performances. This year featured Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny. Previous headliners included Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Prince, Bruce Springsteen and Rihanna.

But halftime shows are not commonplace in soccer, with events such as the Champions League final featuring a prematch concert. On May 30, the Killers will headline a concert before European club soccer's biggest game between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in Budapest.

Evans told The Associated Press in an interview that everyone involved in the halftime show are huge soccer fans who wanted to ensure the performances would be “significantly shorter than the 15-minute mark,” which is the traditional interval in a match. “Soccer fans around the world can be rest assured knowing that we’re very respectful of the game," Evans said.

Hamish Hamilton, who directed the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony and most Super Bowl halftime shows in recent memory, will direct the World Cup halftime show, said Evans.

The World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and runs through June and July.

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

Now, the Texans’ absolutely loaded defense will begin the season with a home game against Allen and the Bills on Sept. 13 at Reliant Stadium after sacking him eight times last November in a 23-19 win that was part of their nine-game winning streak.

The Texans have made major investments in their roster, especially on defense (Will Anderson Jr., three years, $150 million as the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history along with Danielle Hunter, one year, $40.1 million extension, Azeez Al-Shaair, three years, $54 million contract), across the offensive line (Wyatt Teller, two years, $23 million, Braden Smith, two years $25 million, Ed Ingram, three years, $37.5 million, drafting Keylan Rutledge in the first round) and at running back by trading for David Montgomery and signing him to a two-year, $16.5 million extension. The Texans also signed former Philadelphia Eagles safety and team captain Reed Blankenship to a three-year, $24.75 million free agent deal.

Now, they’re looking for immediate dividends. They’re chasing a Super Bowl after losing three consecutive AFC divisional round playoff games under coach DeMeco Ryans and are 0-7 all-time at that stage of the postseason.

“We get paid to do this, it’s our job,” Anderson said. “I think everybody comes in with the right mindset, the right mentality. I think everybody in that locker room knows we have the guys to get it done. So, I don’t think it’s ever a question of like, ‘I got to do this again.’

“It’s like, we get to do this again. I get to go out with the same group of guys again that we had so much success last year. I know we’re going to have even more success this year. We have a great bunch of people in the building that want to see this place succeed, that want to take this place somewhere that it’s never been.”

The Texans are hoping for a resurgent season from quarterback C.J. Stroud, a former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year who struggled in two playoff games last season with a combined five interceptions and five fumbles, including a career-high four interceptions in a divisional round loss to the New England Patriots.

Stroud is noticeably leaner and has drawn praise from Ryans, ownership and teammates.

“He’s been doing a tremendous job,” running back Woody Marks told KPRC 2 last Sunday. “I’d say he got bigger and stronger. His times when we were running outside, he’s getting faster. I’d say he should be using his leg a lot this year, too.”

The Texans need to get off to faster start than last year when they began the season 0-3 before finishing 12-5 behind a strong finish. Six of their final 10 games are on the road.

The Texans have a lot of travel cumulatively with 28,400 miles for their games, ranking third overall, primarily due to the London game.

That includes likely cold-weather games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, an AFC wild-card playoff rematch on Dec. 6 on NBC on Sunday Night Football, the Washington Commanders on Dec. 13, the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 24 in a Thursday Amazon Prime game and at the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 4 on Monday Night Football on ESPN.

The Eagles’ game on Christmas Eve is particularly high profile against a team that has been to two of the past four Super Bowls and won it all two seasons ago.

The Texans’ schedule, which includes an international game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 18 at historic Wembley Stadium, is ranked 26th out of 32 teams in terms of difficulty. Their opponents this season had a combined record of .474 with six returning playoff squads: the Bills, AFC South defending champion Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Steelers, Eagles and Packers.

The Texans have a well-timed bye in the eighth week of the 17-week regular season.

They face several top quarterbacks. That starts with Allen and continues in the second week of the regular season at home against the Cincinnati Bengals and star quarterback Joe Burrow.

They also host the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott on Oct. 4 and his receiving tandem of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.

Other accomplished quarterbacks on the schedule include Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, a former NFL Most Valuable Player, on Nov. 29 at Reliant Stadium, potentially Aaron Rodgers against the Steelers, Jayden Daniels at the Commanders, the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, a Channelview graduate, the Packers’ Jordan Love, plus two games against the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence.

“We just seen it on our first team meeting back, trying to be the first team to put a bull on the ring,” Marks said. “Really believe that, we really want that to come true this year.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com

They also are extremely competitive when it comes to their investment in their undrafted class.

Iowa State offensive lineman James Neal, a two-year starter for the Cyclones, signed a four-year, $3.13 million contract that includes one of the larger guarantees among all NFL rookies: $277,500. That includes a $30,000 signing bonus and a $247,500 guarantee of his base salary.

The Texans reached a three-year, $3.12 million deal with Oregon running back Noah Whittington. That includes $267,500 total guaranteed with a $20,000 signing bonus and $247,500 of his base salary guaranteed.

He was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten Conference selection. The Western Kentucky transfer rushed for 829 yards last season and six touchdowns. He averaged 6.4 yards per play. He finished his college career with 2,950 rushing yards and 21 touchdown runs.

Whittington participated in the Texans’ rookie minicamp despite undergoing offseason toe surgery. He is a few weeks out from being 100 percent, per a league source.

Stanford corner Collin Wright joined the Texans after the Missouri City native worked out for them at their local prospect day. The Manvel graduate was a three-time all-state and all-district selection who has 156 tackles and 13 interceptions in high school.

He signed a three-year, $3.125 million contract that includes $262,500 guaranteed with a $20,000 signing bonus and $242,500 of his base salary guaranteed.

At Stanford, Wright (6-foot, 195) was a defensive captain who had 33 tackles and one interception last season. He returned it for a touchdown against Boston College. He was an all-academic selection.

Incarnate Word wide receiver Jalen Walthall, a Manvel graduate, joins the Texans after piling up over 2,000 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns in the past two seasons with 155 total catches. His undrafted deal includes $220,000 total guaranteed with a $20,000 signing bonus and $200,000 of his base salary guaranteed.

Former South Dakota State offensive lineman Sam Hagen’s three-year, $3.12 million deal includes $195,000 total guaranteed with a $20,000 signing bonus.

Missouri corner Stephen Hall signed an undrafted deal that includes $190,000 total guaranteed with a $15,000 signing bonus, per a league source. He recorded 96 career tackles and an interception.

North Carolina State defensive end Sabastian Harsh joined the Texans on an undrafted deal that includes $165,000 total guaranteed with a $15,000 signing bonus and $150,000 of his base salary guaranteed. A transfer from Wyoming, Harsh recorded 25 career tackles for losses and seven sacks with 138 tackles. He had 7 1/2 tackles for losses and 2 1/2 sacks last season.

The Texans signed University of Tennessee defensive tackle Dom Bailey to an undrafted deal that includes $150,000 of his base salary guaranteed, plus a $10,000 signing bonus.

Bailey had 77 career tackles, eight sacks, 12 1/2 tackles for losses, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles for the Vols.

Illinois State wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz had 1,141 yards and 18 touchdown catches for the Red Birds as they reached the FCS national championship game. He is now a Texan on an undrafted deal that includes $110,000 total guaranteed, including a $10,000 signing bonus and $100,000 of his base salary guaranteed.

The Texans signed Syracuse punter Jack Stonehouse after special teams coordinator Frank Ross met with him virtually before the draft. He will compete with former New Orleans Saints punter Kai Kroeger, who was acquired in an offseason trade. His deal includes $75,000 guaranteed, with a $15,000 signing bonus.

Stonehouse was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and the third-highest graded punter in the nation last seaon. His father and cousin both played in the NFL. He averaged a school-record 47.1 yards per punt with a long of 64 yards, six touchbacks, 25 fair catches. He set a school career record with 45.8 yards per punt average.

Stonehouse went to the NFL scouting combine and East-West Shrine Bowl. He participated in the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers’ local prospect days and met privately with the San Francisco 49ers. A Missouri transfer, his average hang time was 4.29 seconds, fourth in the nation.

The Texans added Ivy League Player of the Year running back Josh Pitsenberger from Yale. Pitsenberger, a team captain, rushed for 1,571 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. His deal includes $62,000 guaranteed with a $12,000 signing bonus

Colgate wide receiver Treyvhon Saunders, who had over 200 catches and 12 touchdowns for his career, agreed to terms on a three-year, $3.105 million deal that includes $10,000 total guaranteed.

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com

Edward Busby Jr. was pronounced dead at 8:11 p.m. following a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, hours after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a stay over his disabilities claims. The execution capped a series of last-minute legal efforts by Busby's attorneys seeking to spare his life.

Busby was condemned for the suffocation death of Laura Lee Crane, a retired professor from Texas Christian University. Prosecutors said she was abducted from a grocery store parking lot in January 2004 and left to suffocate in the trunk of her car with duct tape wrapped heavily around her face, covering her mouth and nose.

The execution was the 600th in Texas since it resumed carrying out the death penalty in 1982. Busby also was the fourth person executed this year in Texas and the 12th nationwide. Earlier Thursday, Oklahoma executed Raymond Johnson for killing his ex-girlfriend and her 7-month-old daughter nearly 20 years ago.

When asked by the warden if he had a final statement, Busby repeatedly apologized and asked for forgiveness.

“I am so sorry for what happened,” he said while strapped to the death chamber gurney. “Miss Crane was a lovely woman. I never meant anything bad to happen to her.” He said he wished he could “take it all back” and added he had “no right to get in that car.”

“I’ll take the blame if that helps."

He said he had surrendered his life to God and urged a sister, who was praying and watching through a window a short distance away, to find a church and “pick up your cross.”

"I’m here because this is the will of God,” he said before the injection got underway.

As the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began flowing, he took a sharp breath, closed his eyes and gasped. Then he made snoring sounds that got progressively quieter. Within 40 seconds, all movement and sounds ceased. He was pronounced dead 38 minutes afterward.

Busby’s execution had been in doubt after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week issued a stay of execution to further review his claims of intellectual disability. But the Supreme Court overturned the stay Thursday at the request of the Texas Attorney General’s Office. The attorney general’s office had argued that similar appeals were previously rejected and were “meritless” and based on “conflicting evidence.”

Busby’s lawyers quickly sought another stay but it was denied by a lower court.

The Supreme Court in 2002 had barred the execution of intellectually disabled people. But it has given states some discretion to decide how to determine such disabilities.

Busby's attorneys had argued against putting him to death because a defense expert as well as one hired by the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted the case, both found he was intellectually disabled.

The district attorney’s office had previously recommended Busby’s sentence be reduced to life in prison. But the trial judge in Busby’s case disagreed with the findings of intellectual disability and in 2023 upheld the death sentence.

In a statement Wednesday, the district attorney's office said it requested Thursday's execution date because it believed that under current law Busy was not intellectually disabled.

Two other prior execution dates for Busby had been delayed by courts.

Prosecutors have said Busby and his co-defendant, Kathleen Latimer, abducted Crane in her car from a Fort Worth grocery store parking lot and later put in her vehicle’s trunk as they drove around. Prosecutors said she died in the trunk after suffocating from having 23 feet (7 meters) of duct tape wrapped over her entire face.

Busby was subsequently arrested in Oklahoma City driving Crane’s car and led authorities to her body in Oklahoma just north of the state line with Texas.

Latimer is in prison serving a life sentence for murder.

Bryan Mark Rigg, an author and historian who represented the Crane family as a witness to the execution, said they “neither support or oppose the death penalty. However, they are united in their respect for the rule of law.”

Rigg said as a child he was a student of Crane, who for decades helped children overcome learning disabilities and “was discarded in a field like a piece of trash.” He said the execution was not about vengeance but “accountability under the law and about remembering the life of an extraordinary educator.”

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Lozano reported from Houston. Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://x.com/juanlozano70

The Reggio Approach, used in public daycare centers and preschools in the northern city of Reggio Emilia, values a child’s inherent curiosity and potential, with teachers acting as facilitators, not instructors, and parents and the surrounding community actively involved. And Princess Catherine, who has made early development her signature cause, is spending two days seeing it up close.

“I love that you put children and childhood at the heart of the community, and I’m really fascinated to learn more about it,” she said as she arrived at one of the town’s preschools on Wednesday.

Reggio partially grew out of the Montessori philosophy and both Italian approaches have spread around the world, standing as counterpoints to models in places like the U.S. and Britain that emphasize standardization and testing for children so young they haven’t begun to read.

Reggio appeals to some Italian parents who themselves received education with rote learning — but only to a point, according to Kathryn Ramsay, a longtime early-childhood educator who runs a Reggio-inspired project north of Rome.

“When the children are 3 or 4, they’re totally fine with it,” Ramsay said. “And then when they hit 5, they (the parents) start getting a little twitchy because they’re thinking about Grade 1,” when children have to sit still for longer periods and learn to read and write.

A postwar approach to childcare

The Reggio Approach was born as Italy began to rebuild after World War II and a group of mothers in hard-hit Reggio Emilia, a center of anti-Fascist resistance, banded together.

“They sold the metal from a German tank for funds and they hand-carried stones from the river to reconstruct a place for the children to be cared for while the rest of the village went about the business of putting life back together,” said Margie Cooper of the North America Reggio Emilia Alliance.

An innovative pedagogical expert, Loris Malaguzzi, built on Montessori and other educational reform movements to help articulate Reggio’s child-centered approach, which covers children aged 0-6.

His poem exploring how young children communicate and make sense of their world through drawing, painting, dancing and singing served as something of a manifesto. Valuing the capacities and experiences of children was unheard of at the time.

“The child was only an adult in formation and didn’t have things to say or competencies already realized,” said Roberta Cardarello, senior professor of didactical and special pedagogy at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

The Reggio Approach spread to other towns, especially in the north’s left-leaning municipalities. But Italy’s central government in Rome — headed by conservative Christian Democrats until the 1990s — resisted promoting it widely, perhaps because of its association with Reggio Emilia’s communist history.

Today, that red scare is gone, but the model’s adoption often depends on whether cash-strapped local administrations invest in training or teachers have trained independently, according to Elisabetta Nigris, professor of didactic programs and evaluation at the University of Studies Milan-Bicocca.

How Reggio works and what are its outcomes

Reggio employs features common in high-quality programs, including a focus on adults and children in relationship that promotes social and emotional well-being, according to Sylvi Kuperman, senior researcher at the Center for the Economics of Human Development at the University of Chicago. Her 2017 study on Reggio in Italy found greater high school graduation and employment outcomes compared to kids who didn’t receive formal childcare.

Children typically spend multiple years with the same teacher, she said. They participate in meal preparation. Classrooms feature windows and natural materials, like wood. Gardens and artwork are a staple.

On Thursday, Catherine visited the “Salvatore Allende” daycare and preschool in Reggio Emilia, playing with children in the garden, using a magnifying glass to look in the grass and at one point letting a slimy newt crawl in her hand.

“In London, we have newts like this too,” she said.

Catherine’s visit is significant for Britain, since the Reggio Approach isn’t recognized in its national educational policy, and most early childhood programs are run by private organizations for profit, said Peter Moss, emeritus professor at the University College London’s Institute of Education.

But he stressed that Reggio developed in a very particular time and context that is hard to replicate.

“Reggio Emilia is a reaction to 20 years of authoritarian rule under Mussolini and, after that fell, of course a lot of places in Italy were asking the question ’How do we make sure that never happens again?’”

A Reggio-inspired center called Wild Joy

At Ramsay’s Reggio-inspired, bilingual project north of Rome, there is a large grassy garden but no typical playground equipment or bright decorative posters lining the schoolhouse walls. Rather, the tiny log cabin with a covered porch is spare and neutral-toned. Most learning takes place outside: the “mud kitchen,” where kids play at a table with dishes, a digging pitch, a big rock to climb up and slide down in the dirt. Called “Wild Gioia” (Wild Joy), it currently has five children enrolled, aged 3-6.

Ramsay points to evidence suggesting that the best preparation for reading and writing is play, because it teaches children to concentrate.

“They don’t learn to concentrate by being told what to concentrate on,” she said. “They’re learning to concentrate by having the freedom to be able to follow their own interests.”

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Winfield reported from Rome. Hollingsworth reported from Kansas City, Missouri.

Leo’s speech at Rome’s La Sapienza University marked the first time a pope has visited the campus since Pope Benedict XVI called off a planned speech there in 2008 in the face of protests from faculty and students.

The American pope was warmly welcomed on Thursday, including by some of Sapienza’s newest students: Young Palestinians who arrived in Italy this week on a “humanitarian corridor” from Gaza to continue their studies at the university. The Italian government, working with Catholic organizations, has brought hundreds of Palestinians to study and receive medical care in Italy since the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza began in 2023.

Leo met some of the Gaza students during a brief greeting at the campus chapel, and again after his speech in the main lecture hall of the university, which was founded by Pope Boniface VIII in 1303.

In his speech, Leo denounced how military spending had increased dramatically this year, especially in Europe, at the expense of education and healthcare, while “enriching elites who care nothing for the common good.”

He called for better monitoring of how AI was being developed and used in military and civilian contexts “so that it does not absolve humans of responsibility for their choices and does not exacerbate the tragedy of conflicts.”

“What is happening in Ukraine, in Gaza and the Palestinian territories, in Lebanon, and in Iran illustrates the inhuman evolution of the relationship between war and new technologies in a spiral of annihilation,” he said.

The pope said education and research must move instead in the opposite direction that values life “the lives of peoples who cry out for peace and justice!”

Leo has identified AI as one of the most critical matters facing humanity, especially its application in warfare and everyday life. They are themes he’s expected to explore more fully in his first encyclical, due to be released in the coming weeks.

Nada Rahim Jouda, 19, was one of the Gazans who met Leo, just two days after she arrived in Italy. She was still marveling at her new life studying business science in Rome, a city that she said was “like heaven for me.”

“Everything here is green and it’s not gray and troubles everywhere and miserable people in the streets,” she said.

But Jouda remains concerned for the family she left behind: her mother, recovering from leukemia, and younger sisters aged 17 and 13. Over the course of the war in Gaza, the family was forced to move four times, and her mother was unable to receive care or check-ups for her cancer.

“They all rely on me. I’m the only hope that they have,” she said.

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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.

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

Ratcliffe was there "to personally deliver President Donald Trump’s message that the United States is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes,'' the CIA official said.

An official statement from Cuba's government noted that Thursday's meeting "took place ... against a backdrop of complex bilateral relations.”

While the U.S. stressed that Cuba cannot continue to be a “safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere,” the Cuban delegation insisted that the island presents no threat to U.S. security. Cuban officials also took issue with the nation's continued inclusion on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Rodríguez Castro previously secretly met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of a Caribbean Community summit in St. Kitts in February. While he’s never occupied a government post, he served as his grandfather’s bodyguard and later as head of Cuba’s equivalent of the Secret Service.

U.S. and Cuban officials also met earlier this year i n Cuba. The ongoing meetings between U.S. and Cuban officials mark the first U.S. government flights to land in Cuba other than at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay since 2016.

Thursday's meeting comes weeks after the Cuban government confirmed that it had recently met with U.S. officials on the island as tensions between the two sides remain high over the U.S. energy blockade of the Caribbean country and as Cuba’s power grid has collapsed and energy to its eastern provinces has been cut. The U.S. blockade of fuel to the island has heightened its economic woes, with reduced work hours and food spoilage as refrigerators stop working.

Earlier this week, the U.S. State Department reiterated that the U.S. will provide Cuba with $100 million in humanitarian assistance and support for satellite internet “if the Cuban regime will permit it.”

In late January, Trump threatened tariffs on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba. Though Trump also has threatened to intervene in the country, and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said recently that his country was prepared to fight if that should happen, sources told the AP earlier this month that military action is not imminent.

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

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Tucker reported from Washington, D.C.

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This version is corrected to show that the U.S. aid offer is $100 million.

Her resignation came after Latvia’s Defense Minister Andris Spruds, from the Progressives Party, was forced to resign last week over the government’s handling of multiple incidents involving stray drones suspected to be from Ukraine crossing into Latvian territory. Silina said at the time Spruds had lost her trust and that of the public.

The drones incidents "clearly demonstrated that the political leadership of the defense sector has failed to fulfill its promise of safe skies over our country,” Silina said on Sunday, explaining Spruds' resignation.

On May 7, two suspected Ukrainian drones entered Latvia, one of them crashing at a fuel storage facility. Spruds said they were likely Ukrainian drones targeting Russia, which ended up in Latvia by mistake.

Multiple Ukrainian drones headed for Russia had hit the territories of the three countries in the Baltic region since March. Critics say the incidents have shown weaknesses in Latvia's ability to respond to military threats.

The Latvian governing tripartite coalition, which also included an agrarian party, had been under strain for months over multiple issues.

Silina's resignation comes just months ahead of general elections due in October.

“My priority has always been, and remains, the well-being and security of Latvia’s people,” Silina wrote on X on Thursday. “Parties and coalitions change, but Latvia endures. And my responsibility to society comes above all else.”

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, tasked with appointing a new head of government, is set to meet with representatives of all parliamentary parties on Friday.

On Sunday, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the incidents in Latvia were “the result of Russian electronic warfare deliberately diverting Ukrainian drones from their targets in Russia.” He offered Ukraine's help to the Baltic states and Finland to prevent such incidents in the future.

They also made sure to poke plenty of fun at upcoming opponents, themselves and offseason flubs.

The Indianapolis Colts pointed the finger at themselves in their Simpsons’ cartoon. First, they referenced the long drought since their last win in Jacksonville along with Homer Simpson disappearing into the hedge for the team’s road game against the Jaguars.

The video also had Bart Simpson writing repeatedly on the chalkboard: “We will not include Tyreek Hill in these videos.”

The New York Jets went with a “ football is ART (craft blend)” approach mixing uniquely named daubs of paint colors to mix and draw out their opponents by the date.

Their season opener against the Titans features colors “Dolly Denim” and “Bachelorette Blush” for a team in a town known for Dolly Parton and bachelorette parties. Playing the Dolphins uses spray tan, del boca vista, major key and finkle — a reference to the Ray Finkle character in the 1994 movie “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" — and raspberry beret and minnetonka blue for the Vikings.

New Orleans used a “season forecast” approach that included people such Jim Cantore from The Weather Channel. The Los Angeles Rams tapped the movie “Napoleon Dynamite” for “A Dynamite schedule” reveal.

The Buccaneers went with a nod to the TV show “Baywatch" protecting Tampa Bay, while Las Vegas used Kirk Cousins and rookie Fernando Mendoza in the Raiders' take on the 2008 movie “Step Brothers.”

Pittsburgh went long with a video lasting more than 4 minutes, 36 seconds that leaned into local style, customs, food and “Pittsburghese” with “Ready to yinzify your DNA, n'at?" Actor Billy Gardell, a Pittsburgh native, walks a new security guard through it all with the schedule buried at the end.

Video game style

The Los Angeles Chargers went even longer using Halo Infinite for a reveal video lasting 6:12 and they opened with a post asking if they should make their schedule release video with the game spelling out “NO” with the words “yes.”

The Chargers reminded Baltimore of the Ravens backing out of their trade with the Raiders for Maxx Crosby.

They also made an apparent reference to Patriots coach Mike Vrabel's offseason in the headlines with a mention of "Next Photo Dump 1 Mile.”

Smells like a champion

The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks had actor Josh Lucas introducing the schedule in the form of a cologne commercial, with opponents having their own signature scents such as “Substation” for the San Francisco 49ers.

Short but sweet

Jacksonville took advantage of perhaps the most famous offseason haircut with quarterback Trevor Lawrence getting his long locks cut short on camera after introducing the Jaguars' schedule that then plays out on the screen edited down to less than 2 minutes.

Fan assistance

The Tennessee Titans went back to the streets quizzing random people in their schedule reveal in a twist to the team's 2023 schedule reveal. This time, the Titans went with “You never know who you'll see on the street” set to the Who song “Who Are You” asking random people if they were a big name with a specific opponent.

Artistic reveal tease

The Atlanta Falcons tapped the approach used by the social media account (at)ArtButMakeItSports to preview their schedule release. The Falcons had a thread Thursday morning using “Art but make it our 2026 opponents” featuring paintings for each team.

For the actual release, Atlanta went with a Falcons style “This is SportsCenter” series of commercials.

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

As dawn broke on a clear day in Kyiv, a scene of devastation came into focus in the capital’s leafy Darnytsia neighborhood, located between a suburban forest and the Dnieper River.

Wisps of smoke rose from the collapsed nine-story apartment block, where emergency workers dug under concrete slabs and took people away on stretchers. The building's entrance was smashed in the strike, preventing residents from escaping.

All 18 apartments in the building were destroyed, officials said. Among the dead was a 12-year-old girl, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Nine people were killed, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration. About 20 were people believed to be missing.

Klitschko declared Friday to be a day of mourning for the victims.

Ukrainian officials noted that the attack coincided with U.S. President Donald Trump’s trip to China. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have sufficient leverage to compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his 4-year-old invasion of Ukraine.

“At the very time when leaders of the most powerful countries are meeting in Beijing, and the world hopes for peace, predictability and cooperation, Putin launched hundreds of drones, ballistic and cruise missiles at the capital of Ukraine,” Sybiha wrote on X.

“Only pressure on Moscow can make him stop,” Sybiha said of Putin.

Massive aerial assaults on Ukraine this week

Russia fired ballistic and cruise missiles in the attack, Zelenskyy said, adding that Moscow had launched more than 1,560 drones against Ukrainian population centers since Wednesday. In all, some 180 sites across the country were damaged, including more than 50 residential buildings, he said.

British Defense Secretary John Healey called Thursday's attack “shocking” and said he had accelerated U.K. deliveries of air defenses.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said the military aimed at Ukraine’s military-industrial complex, including air bases and fuel and transport facilities, claiming it hit all its targets. Among the weapons deployed, it said, were Kinzhal missiles, which Moscow says can fly 10 times the speed of sound.

Russia has hammered Ukraine with large-scale aerial attacks following a May 9-11 ceasefire that Trump said he asked Zelenskyy and Putin to heed. Fighting continued over those 72 hours, although reportedly at a reduced intensity.

The attacks undercut recent suggestions from Trump and Putin that the war, which began with Moscow's all-out invasion of its neighbor in 2022, is nearing its end.

Residents describe '

a terrible night’

More than 30 people were injured in the apartment building collapse, while emergency workers rescued 28 residents, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.

Lyudmila Hlushko, 78, said she heard explosions and the sound of rockets about 3 a.m. “Then the house shook violently and there was a loud bang, breaking the glass in my house,” she told The Associated Press.

The blast shattered windows throughout the neighborhood.

“It was a terrible night,” said another resident, Nadiia Lobanova. “We’re used to this. Well, it’s impossible to get used to this, but somehow we held on.”

Damage was reported in six districts of the capital, Tkachenko said.

The Kyiv office of defense contractor Skyeton, specializing in reconnaissance drones, was destroyed in the overnight attack, although the company said it had anticipated such a development and had relocated its production.

Russian drones also struck a vehicle carrying U.N. staff who were delivering aid to residents of Kherson in southern Ukraine, Sybiha said. The vehicle was marked and was attacked twice, in two different locations, but nobody was hurt, he said.

Russia's biggest attacks since its full-scale invasion

The Ukrainian cities of Kremenchuk, Bila Tserkva, Kharkiv, Sumy and Odesa also were bombarded, officials said.

“We are now experiencing the largest strikes since the start of the full-scale invasion,” air force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne.

Ukraine’s air defense forces are under severe strain, he said. Even so, the interception rate of drones and missiles was over 93%, Zelenskyy said.

Air defenses shot down or jammed 693 Russian targets overnight, including 41 missiles and 652 drones of various types nationwide, the air force said.

Fifteen missiles and 23 drones scored direct hits across 24 locations, it said. Debris from downed drones fell in another 18 locations.

Strikes on energy infrastructure left customers in Kyiv and 11 other regions temporarily without power, national grid operator Ukrenergo said.

On Wednesday, a rare daytime attack on Kyiv killed at least six people, Zelenskyy said. That assault, which involved 800 drones, struck about 20 regions and was among the longest such attacks of the war.

In other developments Thursday:

— The Hungarian government summoned the Russian ambassador over a drone attack near Hungary’s border with Ukraine. The step marked a stark shift in tone by new Prime Minister Péter Magyar toward Moscow after years of cozy relations with the Kremlin under former leader Viktor Orbán.

— Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina resigned after her government’s coalition partner withdrew its support and left her without a majority. The government has been under pressure over its handling of multiple incidents involving stray drones suspected to be from Ukraine crossing into Latvian territory.

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Associated Press journalists Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed.

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

Florida is a distant second, having executed 131 people since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.

Busby, convicted in 2005 in the deadly robbery and kidnapping of 78-year-old Laura Crane, had been granted a stay of execution last week when a federal appeals court cited concerns about his eligibility for capital punishment because of intellectual disability.

The U.S. Supreme Court lifted the stay Thursday afternoon over the objections of the court’s three liberal justices, and Busby was escorted into the death chamber in Huntsville later that evening.

Busby was declared dead at 8:11 p.m., 43 years and 5 months after Texas executed its first inmate in the modern era — Charlie Brooks Jr, who was also the first person in the U.S. to be put to death by lethal injection. Brooks’ sentence set Texas on a path toward becoming the nation’s leader in applying the death penalty, putting more inmates to death than the next four states combined.

Most of Texas’ 600 executions occurred in a span of about a decade around the turn of the century, when the state was executing upwards of 40 people a year. And while the state’s use of capital punishment has dwindled in recent years, certain trends continue, including a pronounced geographical tilt.

Roughly half of the inmates executed in Texas were sentenced to death in four of its 254 counties: Harris, Dallas, Tarrant and Bexar. Harris County alone has seen 138 of its death sentences carried out, more than any of the 49 states not named Texas.

Kristin Houle Cuellar, executive director of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, has described the phenomena as a “lethal lottery” in determining which of the state’s capital murder cases receive a death sentence.

“Zip code is essentially the number one determining factor [of] whether the death penalty is going to be sought in an individual case,” Cuellar said. “That trend is persistent throughout Texas’ 44-year history of the death penalty in its current iteration, but it’s even more pronounced now.”

Like Brooks almost 44 years ago, Busby was convicted in Tarrant County, the No. 3 Texas county for executions and No. 2 in the number of inmates on death row, said Burke Butler, executive director of the Texas Defender Service, an advocacy organization that helps represent those with capital convictions.

“When we look at the death penalty in Texas, we’re increasingly looking at the story not of a state that is a voracious seeker of the death penalty, but a handful, a tiny handful of counties that are voraciously seeking this punishment,” Butler said. “Tarrant County is truly one of the leaders when it comes to that.”

Tarrant County surpassed Bexar County in March with the execution of Cedric Ricks, convicted in 2014 for stabbing his wife and her 8-year-old son to death. Tarrant County has sought more death sentences at trial than any other since 2020, according to the Texas Defender Service.

Death penalty opponents also say executions are disproportionately applied against defendants of color, particularly Black men, who accounted for almost 36% of Texas’ executions since 1982. Black Texans represent roughly 12% of the state population, according to the Texas Demographic Center.

Three of the four defendants executed in Texas this year so far, including Busby, were Black men.

Anthony Graves, one of 18 men who have been exonerated after spending time on Texas’ death row, said he believed racism contributed to his wrongful conviction and death sentence. Graves spent 16 years on death row and two more in prison after being convicted of killing a family in Somerville and setting fire to their home. During his trial, then-Burleson County District Attorney Charles Sebesta withheld an admission from Graves’ co-defendant, Robert Carter, that he had committed the murders alone.

Sebesta also falsely stated in court that Graves’ girlfriend, who was expected to present an alibi for Graves, was a suspect in the case. She refused to testify after the statement was made. Sebesta was later disbarred for prosecutorial misconduct related to Graves’ case.

In an interview, Graves said he felt the prosecutor’s misconduct “ran [him] through the system” because he is Black. But while he believed his trial was influenced by racism, the dehumanization became universal once he and others arrived on death row.

“They took a piece of cloth, and cut out a case, and attached me to it and tried to murder me. That was race,” said Graves, who now runs the Peer Navigator Project, which trains attorneys and inmates on how to navigate appeals.

“I know it was race, but behind those walls has nothing to do with race. You see Black people, you see white people, you see Hispanic people, and everybody’s down there to be murdered,” he said.

A May report from Texas Defender Services and researchers from the University of Houston found that Black men accounted for 69% of Tarrant County’s death penalty cases since 2012.

The report also found that 10% of the 431 people charged with capital murder in Tarrant County served no jail time, as a grand jury did not indict them, charges were dropped or they were sentenced to probation. Two-thirds of those who did not serve jail time after being charged with capital murder were Black, according to the report.

The Tarrant County district attorney’s office did not respond to questions about the report but provided a statement from District Attorney Phil Sorrells defending Busby’s death sentence.

“My job is to seek justice, give a voice to the victims of these horrific crimes, and hold defendants accountable,” Sorrells said. “The death penalty is reserved for the worst crimes. This is one of them. My thoughts and sympathy are with the family and friends of Laura Lee Crane.”

Over the past two decades, new laws and legal precedents have whittled away at Texas’ use of the death penalty, rendering some death row inmates ineligible for execution and providing alternative avenues beyond the ultimate punishment.

A major change came in 2005, when a new state law gave prosecutors the option of seeking a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for capital murder. In addition, juries asked to impose a death sentence were given the option to instead choose life without parole. That year marked the first in decades the number of new death sentences fell below 20 in the state.

Another milestone came in 2013 when state lawmakers passed the Michael Morton Act, which requires prosecutors to disclose all evidence — including favorable evidence and police reports — to defense lawyers. Morton served almost 25 years in prison for murdering his wife before DNA evidence revealed another man was the killer. After Morton was freed in 2011, his lawyers discovered Williamson County prosecutors had withheld evidence that could have challenged his guilt.

The Morton Act went into effect in January 2014, and by the end of 2015, new death sentences for the first time dropped into the single digits.

The two new laws laid the groundwork for the declining use of the death penalty, said Chandler Raine, Harris County’s first assistant district attorney.

“I mean, especially post-Michael Morton, we went through a reckoning that needed to be gone through,” Raine said in a February interview regarding how Harris County handles its death penalty cases. “I’m so proud to be a part of a profession that’s constantly willing to change and to evolve and to move forward with our community, and look at things like the death penalty, and make sure that we are being as judicious as we possibly can with the ultimate penalty.”

Precedent-setting decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court have also limited who is eligible to be put to death.

A major ruling in 2002 found executing people with intellectual disabilities was unconstitutional, with two subsequent decisions tightening Texas standards to ensure those protections are sufficient.

In 2017 and 2019 rulings striking down the death sentence of Bobby Moore, the Supreme Court required Texas’ highest criminal court to use updated medical standards to determine whether a convicted inmate was intellectually disabled. Moore was convicted for shooting a 73-year-old clerk during a Houston robbery in 1980, but was determined by a court in 2014 to be intellectually disabled under current medical standards.

Since 2017, 20 people have been removed from Texas’ death row based on intellectual disability, the latest being Clarence Curtis Jordan in early April. Jordan had been on death row for 47 years for the murder of a Houston grocer.

The court rulings offer new avenues for justice, but they also cast a shadow over previous executions that would have been blocked under modern legal standards — including minors, Cuellar said. A 2005 Supreme Court ruling barred executing people under age 18, removing 28 Texans from death row who were juveniles at the time of their crimes.

Between 1982 and the Supreme Court ruling, Texas had executed 13 people who committed their crimes as minors, the most in the country, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

“You have this whole population of people whose death sentences would no longer be considered constitutional these days,” Cuellar said.

There are 166 people currently on death row, with convictions dating as far back as 1977 and most in some phase of the appellate process.

The next executions are scheduled for a week apart in mid-September for Ramey Ker’sean Olajuwa and LeJames Norman, who were both sentenced to death in Jackson County for shooting three people in their own apartment during a robbery.

Two other executions are scheduled for later this year.

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

Housing Alliance HTX announced this week it will seek approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to relocate all residents and demolish the public housing complex. The move comes after draft maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency placed about 85% of the property in the 100-year floodplain.

The decision effectively ends redevelopment plans tied to the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, which aimed to transform the aging complex.

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Housing Alliance HTX CEO Jamie Bryant said the agency could not responsibly move forward with rebuilding on a site facing that level of flood risk.

“Our priority is the safety of Irvinton Village residents,” Bryant said. “The flood risk at this site is too serious to ignore long-term.”

Under the plan, the agency will apply through HUD’s Section 18 process, which allows for the demolition of public housing deemed no longer viable while providing protections for residents. Those protections include housing vouchers, relocation assistance, moving expenses and help securing new housing.

The approval process is expected to continue through the end of 2026. If approved, relocations would begin in early 2027 and continue into the summer, giving families with school-aged children time to finish the school year.

While the decision is rooted in flood safety concerns, some residents say they are ready to leave for other reasons as well.

During a visit by KPRC 2, visible police activity — including a helicopter and a high-speed chase — underscored ongoing safety concerns at the complex.

“There’s been a lot of shootings going on,” one resident said.

Several residents described a constant sense of unease and said they were hesitant to speak openly, agreeing to interviews only if their identities were concealed.

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“I only been here like four months, and every day it’s a lot of activity — it’s never a dull moment,” another resident said.

Others said the relocation plan could provide a fresh start.

“Are you happy to be moving out of this?” KPRC 2’s Deven Clarke asked.

“Yes, sir,” the resident replied.

Housing vouchers included in the plan would allow families to choose where they relocate, along with short-term financial support for deposits and moving costs.

Housing Alliance HTX said it will continue working with residents throughout the process and keep them informed as plans move forward.

After demolition, the agency plans to work with local partners to determine future uses for the site, including possible flood mitigation projects, green space or other community-focused improvements.

Officials added that while redevelopment at Irvinton Village is no longer feasible, the broader planning work completed through the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative could still help guide future investment in the Near Northside.

For many residents, the focus now is on what comes next — and the hope that wherever they land will be safer than where they are now.

“We can disagree on all sorts of things, but we’ve got to have something in common or we don’t have a country,” Thomas said at a judicial conference near Miami. “These documents, our founding documents, our founding history, whether we think it’s perfect or it shouldn’t be amended, or we might disagree about how far it goes, but we can say this is something that we all treasure.”

Thomas' remarks came in response to an interview with one of his former Supreme Court clerks, Kasdin Mitchell, who was nominated this month by President Donald Trump to serve on the federal bench in Dallas.

Thomas — who recently became the second longest-serving justice in Supreme Court history — looked back on his upbringing in the segregated South and his more than three decades on the high court.

But he gave no indication that, at age 77, he is looking to retire anytime soon and give President Trump the opportunity to further cement his influence on the Supreme Court and nominate his fourth justice, the most of any president in almost a century.

“Justice Marshall said you take a job for life, you do it for life,” referring to Thurgood Marshall, the Supreme Court's first African American justice, who Thomas replaced on the high court.

But he said his long tenure had given him a unique perspective on the cynicism that pervades so much of society and contributes to Americans' distrust in government.

He spoke about the example set by his grandfather, the son of a freed slave with barely any formal education, who nonetheless believed in America's promise of a more perfect union, to describe his judicial philosophy in a limited form of government.

“One of the rods in this society versus so many of the others where the rights are parceled down by a government is that we were taught from the cradle that we were equal in God’s eyes, that was self-evident," said Thomas. "If you look at Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King or Abraham Lincoln, they all speak in terms of these transcendent rights beyond the ability of man to take away even though man had the power to infringe upon them.”

The court’s order allows women seeking abortions to continue obtaining the drug, mifepristone, at pharmacies or through the mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor. Access is likely to remain uninterrupted at least until into next year as the case plays out, including a potential appeal to the high court.

The justices granted emergency requests from makers of mifepristone, who are appealing a federal appeals court ruling that would require women to see a doctor in person and halt delivery of mifepristone through the mail. The federal Food and Drug Administration, which first approved mifepristone for use in abortion in 2000, stopped requiring in-person visits five years ago.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented, with Thomas writing that the two companies, Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, are not entitled to the court's action to spare them “lost profits from their criminal enterprise.”

Anti-abortion groups, frustrated with President Donald Trump’s administration, are pushing the FDA to move faster with a review that they hope will result in restrictions on mifepristone, including blocking its prescribing via telehealth platforms. The Republican administration says the work takes time.

Earlier this week, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned after months of criticism from Trump’s political allies, including abortion opponents.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and similarly aligned groups had called on Trump to fire Makary over the slow pace of the mifepristone review.

The court is dealing with its latest abortion controversy four years after its conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright.

The case before the court stems from a lawsuit Louisiana filed to roll back the Food and Drug Administration’s rules on how mifepristone can be prescribed. The state claims that the policy undermines the ban there, and it questions the safety of the drug, which has repeatedly been deemed safe and effective by FDA scientists.

Alito, who wrote the opinion overturning Roe, agreed that the state's efforts have been thwarted by medical providers and private organizations that mail the pills to women in Louisiana, despite the abortion ban. Danco and GenBioPro “are obviously aware of what is going on yet nevertheless supply the drug and reap profits from its felonious use in Louisiana,” he wrote.

Thomas said those who mail the pills are in violation of the Comstock Act, a 19th-century law that has long gone unenforced and bans mailing any “article, instrument, substance, drug, medicine, or thing which is advertised or described in a manner calculated to lead another to use or apply it for producing abortion.”

Lower courts concluded that Louisiana is likely to prevail, and a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that mail access and telehealth visits should be suspended while the case plays out.

The drug is most often used for abortion in combination with another drug, misoprostol. Medication abortions accounted for nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. in 2023, the last year for which statistics are available.

Telehealth prescribers were prepared to switch to sending abortion patients a regimen that uses only misoprostol.

While Thursday’s ruling keeps the status quo in place for now, abortion-rights advocates warn that the case isn’t settled forever.

“We are relieved that access to mifepristone remains protected for now, but this should never have been on the table in the first place,” Serra Sippel, executive director of The Brigid Alliance, which helps coordinate and fund travel and other logistics to assist women traveling for abortion, said in a statement. “Patients and providers should not be forced to wait on court rulings to know whether people can access critical health care.”

The decision is “extremely disappointing” but not a defeat, said Gavin Oxley, a spokesperson for the anti-abortion advocacy group Americans United for Life. “The Supreme Court still has the opportunity to hear the case in full and bring justice to Louisiana,” he said.

The current dispute is similar to one that reached the court three years ago, when the justices blocked a 5th Circuit ruling in a suit filed by anti-abortion doctors and kept mifepristone widely available, over dissents from Alito and Thomas.

Then, in 2024, the high court unanimously dismissed the doctors’ suit, reasoning they did not have the legal right, or standing, to sue.

In the current dispute, mainstream medical groups, the pharmaceutical industry and Democratic members of Congress have weighed in cautioning the court against limiting access to the drug. Pharmaceutical companies said a ruling for abortion opponents would upend the drug approval process.

Debate over the safety of mifepristone has churned for more than 25 years. The FDA has eased a number of restrictions initially placed on the drug, including who can prescribe it, how it is dispensed and what kinds of safety complications must be reported.

Despite those determinations, anti-abortion groups have filed a series of petitions and lawsuits against the agency, generally alleging that it violated federal law by overlooking safety issues with the pill.

Trump’s administration has been unusually quiet at the Supreme Court. It declined to file a written brief recommending what the court should do, even though federal regulations are at issue.

The case puts the administration in a difficult place. Trump has relied on the political support of anti-abortion groups but has also seen ballot question and poll results that show Americans generally support abortion rights.

Both sides took the administration’s silence as an implicit endorsement of the appellate ruling.

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Associated Press writer Ali Swenson contributed to this report from New York. Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, N.J.

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

The case has drawn attention to Becerra in his bid for California governor, with voting underway and concluding June 2. Several of Becerra's rivals blasted him over the scandal at a televised debate Thursday night, trying to make him appear unfit for office. Becerra punched back, noting he hasn't been implicated.

“Accept the facts,” he said.

Dana Williamson entered the plea in court in Sacramento. In the agreement, she admits to three of the 23 counts of which she was initially charged. Williamson is a former top campaign adviser to Becerra and formerly served as Gov. Gavin Newsom's chief of staff. Newsom hasn't been implicated.

The plea deal says the maximum sentence for the bank fraud charge is 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. But Williamson’s defense attorney, McGregor Scott, said he expected it to be no more than three years based on federal sentencing guidelines. He plans to argue for even less.

The federal indictment alleged that Williamson developed a plan with co-conspirators including Sean McCluskie, a longtime Becerra aide. The scheme was to siphon money from one of Becerra's dormant state campaign accounts to give to McCluskie to pad his salary after he accepted a job as Becerra's chief of staff in Washington.

McCluskie signed a plea agreement Oct. 30 in which he admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, according to court filings. He agreed to pay back the $225,000 he took from the account.

Scott said McCluskie dreamed up the theft scheme because he was facing financial difficulties and Williamson joined because she wanted to help him out of a tough spot.

“She was simply trying to help a friend in a pinch as best she could,” Scott told reporters.

Becerra is a former member of Congress who was appointed California attorney general in 2017 to fill a vacancy and reelected in 2018 with Williamson running his campaign. Former President Joe Biden later appointed him as secretary of Health and Human Services.

Becerra hasn't commented on Williamson's plea deal. In November, he said the “accusations of impropriety by a long-serving trusted adviser are a gut punch.”

Williamson is a longtime Democratic power player in Sacramento known for her savvy and aggressive style, often unafraid to spar publicly and privately with those who disagree with her. She was a Cabinet secretary for former Gov. Jerry Brown before opening her own political affairs firm and later rejoining state government as Newsom’s chief of staff.

The indictment accused Williamson of filing fraudulent tax forms for her business from 2021 to 2023 claiming more than $1 million in business deductions for personal expenses, including luxury handbags and jewelry; private jet travel; vacations in Mexico; installation of a home HVAC system; and several hundred thousand dollars paid to various relatives for fake jobs.

Aronimink waited 64 years to host another PGA Championship and made up for lost time in a big way Thursday, including the biggest logjam in a major championship since 1969.

When the long day was over, most predictable was seeing Scheffler's name atop the leaderboard at 3-under 67, along with six other players. Another surprise: It's the first time the world's No. 1 player has at least a share of the lead after 18 holes of a major.

Scheffler wasn't buying it.

“Is it a really a lead when you're tied with like six guys?” he told ESPN with a laugh.

Scheffler took advantage of two long birdie putts and one big break on the 17th hole for his lowest start to a tournament since January. He was tied with six others — former PGA champion Martin Kaymer perhaps the most surprising — on a tough day in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Joining them at 67 were Aldrich Potgieter, Stephan Jaeger, Min Woo Lee, Ryo Hisatsune and Alex Smalley. The seven-way tie was the largest since nine players shared the lead in the 1969 PGA Championship at NCR Country Club in Dayton, Ohio.

“At this moment, it’s anybody’s tournament,” Scheffler said. Indeed, 48 players were within three shots of the lead. The difference between missing the cut and being part of the lead was six shots.

And to think it could have been eight players. Higgo had a 69, which included a two-shot penalty before he even hit a shot for being 10 seconds late to the tee for his group's starting time.

Masters champion Rory McIlroy bogeyed his last four holes for a 74 that sent him to the practice range for most of the afternoon.

Not since Oakland Hills in 2008 — Jeev Milkha Singh and Robert Karlsson at 2-under 68 — has the low score to par after the first round of the PGA Championship been worse than 3 under. Aronimink with its severely sloped greens, fast fairways and plenty of wind that shooed away morning clouds was every bit a major challenge.

Scheffler has struggled with opening rounds for most of the year since opening with a 63 in his season debut at The American Express, his only victory. But this was quality work. He missed only one fairway, which cost him one of his two bogeys on the day.

“Definitely the best start I’ve gotten off to this year, maybe besides American Express,” Scheffler said. “Your scores are definitely going to be lower if you hit the ball on the fairway, but it’s still really, really difficult to make birdies.”

He made one from just inside 40 feet on the par-4 seventh, and another birdie from just inside 30 feet on the par-4 10th. And even the No. 1 player in the world needed a little help.

Scheffler was in the thick collar of rough to the right of the par-3 17th, facing a chip over a ridge and down toward the hole. But his golf ball was close enough to a sprinkler cap that he was given free relief, dropped on the fringe and putted it to close range for a par.

Kaymer won the PGA Championship in 2010 at Whistling Straits, giving him a lifetime exemption. Kaymer joined LIV Golf in 2022 and has yet to finish in the top 10 in the few European tour events he has played since then. He is No. 1,160 in the world ranking. He hasn't been in the top 10 after one round of any major since the 2020 PGA Championship.

During the champions dinner on Tuesday, he said one PGA of America officer asked the German if he planned to play this week.

“I said, ‘Yeah, that’s why I’m here. I’m not flying from Europe to here to have a New York strip with you guys, you know?’ Of course, I'm playing. And that really motivated me.”

Patrick Reed was the only player who made it around Aronimink without a bogey, his two birdies giving him a 68 and in the large group with Xander Schauffele and Shane Lowry, who played the two par 5s in 3 under.

Jordan Spieth, lacking only the PGA Championship for the career Grand Slam, bogeyed two of his last three holes — and did not birdie the par-5 ninth, the easiest hole at Aronimink — to join the group at 69 that included Brooks Koepka, Rahm and Justin Thomas.

“Just didn’t quite finish the way I wanted to the last three holes, but under par was a good score,” Spieth said. “It was blowing really hard, and it was cold this morning. The course played very, very difficult. It was a good start. I’m going to need to improve on it, I think, each day.”

Rahm was headed for another rough start in a major until he holed out for eagle from the 11th fairway, chipped in for birdie on the tough par-3 eighth and shot 69. He was told some people thought scoring would be better in the morning. This surprised him.

“People thought it would be lower?” he replied. “Have you been out there? Have you seen this course?”

McIlroy had the toughest finish. He struggled out of the damp, dense rough. He struggled on the greens. He closed with four straight bogeys and described his round in one word that translates loosely to doo-doo.

No one struggled quite like Bryson DeChambeau, who didn’t make a birdie until he ended on the par-5 ninth. That kept him from matching his highest score in the PGA Championship. He shot 76 and now has to work toward avoiding a second straight missed cut in a major.

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

Senate Bill 4, passed in 2023, makes the illegal crossings of the Mexico-Texas border a state crime. It also requires state magistrate judges to order those arrested for illegal entry to leave the country for Mexico if they are convicted, or in lieu of prosecution. 

Civil rights groups brought a lawsuit earlier this month, arguing that the sections involving the state’s judicial system are unconstitutional because they encroach on the federal government’s sole authority over immigration laws. It also challenged the state crime provision, saying that the law provides no defense for people who had federal permission to enter the country or those who might have pending immigration status, such as a green card.   

U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra granted the preliminary injunction against these sections of the law on Thursday. The Reagan appointee had signaled during a Wednesday hearing that he considered them unconstitutional.

“Indeed, it is implausible to imagine each of the fifty United States having their own state immigration policy superseding the powers inherent in the United States as a Nation,” Ezra reiterated in his written ruling. 

The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas and the Texas Civil Rights Project said his decision reaffirmed that immigration laws are not up to the states, while adding that SB 4 would cause widespread racial profiling. 

“Texas cannot override the U.S. Constitution and should stop wasting time attempting to do so,” the groups said in a joint statement to The Texas Tribune. 

Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office didn’t immediately respond to a comment request. 

This lawsuit came after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tossed a previous legal challenge against SB 4, which was brought by immigrants and organizations that work with migrants. But instead of ruling on the constitutionality of the law, the appeals court dismissed that case last month after finding that the plaintiffs did not have standing to sue. 

Texas leaders, which cheered the appeals court’s dismissal as a win for public safety, have insisted that SB 4 is valid because it mirrors federal immigration law. 

In addition, they have argued that Texas has a sovereign right to defend its borders. In 2023 when the law was being proposed, there were record-high illegal border crossings, which officials said amounted to an invasion. Those figures have since dropped drastically. 

During the Wednesday hearing, David Bryant with the attorney general’s office didn’t say the state was abandoning the invasion argument despite acknowledging the slower pace of illegal border crossings. Bryant did argue that the case should be dismissed because SB 4 had not taken effect and that Department of Public Safety Director Freeman Martin, the only named defendant in the lawsuit, had not decided how state police would enforce the law. 

In the meantime, DPS and many law enforcement agencies across Texas have already partnered with federal immigration agents through the 287(g) program, including under the task force model that allows officers to question individuals about their immigration status during routine policing work.

Glossip wore a gray short-sleeved shirt and jeans as he walked out of the jail hand-in-hand with his wife, Lea Glossip.

“I'm just thankful for my wife and my attorneys. Just thankful,” he said. "It's overwhelming, but it’s amazing at the same time.”

Earlier Thursday, Judge Natalie Mai issued an order setting bond at $500,000. Glossip must wear an electronic monitoring device and will not be allowed to travel outside Oklahoma. He also must not contact any witnesses in the case, or consume any drugs or alcohol.

His attorney Donald Knight had suggested Glossip was counting on contributions to raise the money.

“Mr. Glossip has many supporters and we are hopeful those supporters can afford the bail,” Knight said.

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out his conviction, and his longstanding claims of innocence have drawn support from Kim Kardashian and other prominent figures.

Glossip had been sentenced to death over the 1997 killing in Oklahoma City of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese, who was beaten with a baseball bat in what prosecutors have alleged was a murder-for-hire scheme.

The Supreme Court ruled last year that prosecutors’ decision to allow a key witness to give testimony they knew to be false violated Glossip’s constitutional right to a fair trial.

Glossip has remained behind bars after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced the state would seek to retry him on a murder charge but not pursue the death penalty again.

“The court fully expects that the state will rigorously prosecute its case going forward and the defense will provide robust representation for Glossip,” the judge wrote in the order. “The court hopes that a new trial, free of error, will provided all interested parties and the citizens of Oklahoma, the closure they deserve.”

During his time on death row, courts in Oklahoma set nine different execution dates for Glossip, and he came so close to being put to death that he ate three separate last meals. In 2015, he was even held in a cell next to Oklahoma’s execution chamber, waiting to be strapped to a gurney and die by lethal injection.

But the scheduled time for his execution came and went. Behind the walls of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, prison officials were scrambling after learning one of the lethal drugs they received to carry out the procedure didn’t match the execution protocols. The drug mix-up ultimately led to a nearly seven-year moratorium on executions in Oklahoma.

“Mr. Glossip now has the chance to taste freedom while his defense team continues to pursue justice on his behalf against a system that the United States Supreme Court has found to be guilty of serious misconduct by state prosecutors,” Knight said.

Van Treese’s family had asked the Supreme Court to leave Glossip’s conviction and sentence intact. Attorneys for the family did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

Glossip’s case attracted international attention after actress Susan Sarandon — who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of death penalty opponent Sister Helen Prejean’s fight to save a man on Louisiana’s death row in the 1995 movie “Dead Man Walking” — took up his cause in real life. Glossip’s case also was featured in the 2017 documentary film titled “Killing Richard Glossip.”

“Both Richard and I are grateful for the court’s decision,” Glossip’s wife, Lea, said in a text to The Associated Press. “We have been praying for this day.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting became the first senior minister to quit Thursday in what was seen as a precursor to challenging Starmer's leadership. He said he had lost confidence in Starmer, who should not serve out the rest of his term.

“You have shown courage and statesmanship on the world stage — not least in keeping Britain out of the war in Iran,” Streeting wrote in an excoriating resignation letter. “But where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift.”

But Streeting stopped short of saying he was the best candidate to lead the party at the next election due by 2029, suggesting Starmer should step aside to allow a “broad” field of candidates to debate the future of the party.

Starmer is under growing pressure to step down after disastrous results for his Labour Party last week in local and regional elections. The election drubbing cemented doubts among many party members about Starmer’s judgment, vision and leadership ability — a brutal indictment on a leader who returned Labour to power in July 2024 after 14 years in opposition.

Starmer responded in a generous letter to Streeting, saying he was “truly sorry” to see him leave the government and praised his stewardship of the state-run National Health Service.

Making no reference to Streeting's criticisms, Starmer laid out his hope the two “can work together to show that Labour in power can address the problems our opponents exploit, can install hope where they want despair, and can bring people together where they want division.”

Starmer moved quickly to replace Streeting, appointing James Murray, formerly a Treasury minister, to the health portfolio.

If Starmer doesn't step down, any challenger would need support from a fifth of Labour lawmakers, or 81, to trigger a leadership contest.

For days, Streeting had been expected to launch a bid Thursday, but the wording of his statement stoked speculation he doesn't have enough votes yet, or that he is giving Starmer a chance to announce his resignation on his own terms.

Another likely challenger, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, said Thursday that she had reached an agreement with authorities to clear up questions about her taxes that forced her to leave the Cabinet last September. Rayner told the Guardian newspaper that Starmer should “reflect on” his position, adding that she was ready to “play my part” in any leadership election if Streeting triggered a contest.

A third rival, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, is ineligible for the leadership because he doesn't have a seat in Parliament, but on Thursday afternoon a Labour lawmaker said he would step aside to make room and Burnham said he would seek permission from party to enter a special election. He could then mount a leadership challenge if elected.

“I grew up in this area and have lived here for 25 years,” Burnham said on X. “I care deeply about it and its people. I know they have been let down by national politics.”

Race to unseat Starmer heats up

Pressure for Starmer to step aside has intensified since Labour suffered heavy losses in local and regional elections last week, underscoring voter frustration with a government that has failed to deliver on pledges to boost economic growth and improve living standards for working people.

A stagnant economy and stubbornly high inflation have made it difficult for Starmer’s government to deliver on the promises it made when winning a landslide election victory less than two years ago.

Starmer has vowed to remain in office, warning lawmakers that any leadership contest would destabilize the government when it should be focused on issues like the cost of living crisis and war in the Middle East.

The leadership wrangles overshadowed some positive news for the government.

Official figures showed the British economy grew 0.6% in the first three months of the year — more than had been anticipated and larger than the previous quarter, despite the negative impact from the Iran war. More growth means more tax revenues to fund Labour’s priorities and potentially lower borrowing.

Treasury chief Rachel Reeves said the figures showed her policies were working and the party shouldn't put hard-won economic stability at risk “by plunging the country in chaos at a time when there is conflict in the world.”

Streeting himself hailed figures showing that waiting lines for NHS appointments — one of his signature priorities — fell for the fifth straight month, an achievement he is likely to point to if he runs for leader.

Streeting comes from a faction of the left-leaning Labour Party that sees itself as the modernizing wing, as does Starmer. Rayner is a favorite of members who think the party has strayed too far from its working-class roots and those who want the party to do more to boost the minimum wage and raise taxes on the rich.

Efforts to depose a Labour leader are relatively rare

Unlike the Conservative Party, Labour has never ousted a prime minister in midterm.

“They don’t do ruthless on their leader,’’ said Jonathan Tonge, a professor of politics at the University of Liverpool. “They don’t tend to depose their leader. The Conservatives, they readily do ruthless.’’

Even if Starmer survives this current bout of jitters, he will likely face another challenge in a few months given the level of fragmentation in British politics, he added.

“He’s got a huge parliamentary majority, he’s got more than 400 MPs, and yet his prime ministership may be on the brink of disintegration,” Tonge said.

Legislation passed unanimously by the Senate on Thursday would allow Capitol Police officers to apply to extend their service until age 62, while a bill passed by the House earlier this year would allow them to serve until age 65. That would raise the current age from 60 for officers who apply for waivers to work beyond the legal forced retirement age of 57 or after 20 years of service, whichever comes later.

Raising the age could help the Capitol Police force stem personnel shortages, which Chief Michael Sullivan told Congress earlier this year “span all operational units.”

“We have 300 officers right now that could say I’m done, I’m ready to walk away,” Sullivan told House, appropriators in March, as officers hit their age limit or 20 years of service. “That would be catastrophic for us.”

California Sen. Alex Padilla, the top Democrat on the Senate Rules Committee, authored the bipartisan bill with Senate Rules Committee Chairman Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Padilla said the legislation is a modest step as increased security measures are put in place to address the rise in threats.

By keeping older officers on the force, Padilla said, “we’re talking about officers who have served for a long, long time and have a tremendous amount of institutional memory, experience and expertise."

“After bicameral and bipartisan discussions, I hope to see this measure signed into law,” Padilla said.

Nearly 60 sworn officers are already working on a retirement waiver, according to the House Administration Committee, more than double the size of a typical USCP recruitment class.

“No officer should be forced to retire when they can still do the job,” said Republican Rep. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, the chairman of that panel.

Capitol Police has struggled to maintain officers

The Capitol Police has made improvements across the board since widespread security failures on Jan. 6, 2021, when the force was overwhelmed by thousands of President Donald Trump’s supporters who swarmed the grounds and broke into the building as they violently protested his defeat. Many officers left the department afterward, and retention and budget struggles remain.

The department’s budget request this year topped $1 billion for the first time as department leaders look to hire more officers and better protect members. Sullivan told lawmakers that the department has around 1,250 uniformed officers and needs 150 more to staff every post without paying overtime.

“I’m concerned with the overtime that we put on our folks every single day,” Sullivan said in the March oversight hearing. “There’s drafts on a consistent basis and it pushes the men and women that we have to the limit.”

Funding for the department’s protective intelligence, which protects members, is “very slim,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said a number of officers have left the force for other federal agencies that have better benefits.

“There’s nothing keeping folks here,” he said.

Huge spike in lawmaker threats taxes police force

Part of the reason for the shortages is the increased need for member protection. Threats against lawmakers have more than doubled in the last five years.

According to the department, almost 15,000 threats were investigated against members of Congress in 2025, a 58 percent increase from 2024. Sullivan said that the number of threats in 2026 is on track to be even higher.

The department has overhauled its security measures for members, boosting security for lawmakers and their families in districts around the country, and is working with local police departments that it reimburses. A January report said the force has seen an increase in reporting after a new center was launched two years ago to receive and process threat reports.

Lawmakers in both parties receive a “wide range of threats,” the report said.

All of that requires more personnel and experience, Sullivan said.

“While we focus on those individuals at the beginning of their career, we also need to focus on that experience that’s at the end of their career,” he told lawmakers.

The lawsuit represents a direct challenge to the authority of the office that enforces ethics standards for attorneys in the nation’s capital, where several high-profile investigations of Trump-allied lawyers are playing out.

“The D.C. Bar will no longer be permitted to probe sensitive executive branch deliberations and target executive branch officials with whom they happen to politically disagree, and federal attorneys will once again be free to share their candid legal advice with their bosses and colleagues,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, a top Justice Department official, said in a statement.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in federal court in Washington. An email seeking comment to the D.C. Bar's Board on Professional Responsibility, among the defendants named in the complaint, did not receive an immediate response.

The complaint chiefly concerns the ethics case against Jeffrey Clark, a senior lawyer in the first Trump administration Justice Department who was deeply engaged in legal efforts to undo the results of the 2020 election that President Donald Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

A disciplinary panel has recommended that Clark be stripped of his law license, but the lawsuit seeks to bring an end to those proceedings, calling them “unlawful” and tainted by politicization.

Clark, who has denied any wrongdoing, applauded the lawsuit on X on Wednesday evening, saying, “This is an important step to vindicate the separation of powers.”

In an attempt to bolster its claims of bias in the disciplinary process, the Justice Department asserted that bar authorities had treated Clark more harshly than a former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, who pleaded guilty to doctoring an email during the investigation into ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign.

The lawsuit also backs Ed Martin, an ardent Trump loyalist who now serves as the Justice Department's pardon attorney. The Office of Disciplinary Counsel accused Martin in March of professional misconduct for a threatening letter that he sent to Georgetown Law School’s dean last year, when Martin was the top federal prosecutor for Washington.

Martin was the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia when he warned the Georgetown dean that his office wouldn’t hire the private school’s students if it didn’t eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

“The Office of Disciplinary Counsel and the Board on Professional Responsibility, as D.C. institutions, have no authority to decide whether a federal government attorney — no less the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia — is upholding his oath of office or whether his official acts comport with the Constitution," the lawsuit states.

The Justice Department last week filed what's known as a statement of interest in support of Martin, who had earlier complained about “uneven behavior” by the disciplinary counsel that filed the ethics charges against him.

The top-ranked Sinner landed shots on the lines repeatedly in a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over No. 14 Andrey Rublev to reach the semifinals Thursday and move past Novak Djokovic with a record 32nd consecutive victory in Masters 1000 events — the biggest tournaments outside the Grand Slams.

“I don’t play for records. I play just for my own story. And obviously at the same time it means a lot to me,” Sinner said.

The last Italian man to raise the singles trophy on the red clay of the Foro Italico was Adriano Panatta in 1976. Panatta will present the title to this year’s champion on Sunday, with Italian President Sergio Mattarella also slated to attend the final.

“It’s a special tournament for me,” Sinner said.

Sinner’s semifinal opponent will be 2023 Rome champion Daniil Medvedev, who came back to beat Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.

The other semifinal will feature Casper Ruud of Norway against Luciano Darderi, an Argentine-born Italian.

Huge partisan support

With nearly everyone inside the 10,500-seat Campo Centrale cheering for Sinner, many supporters wore hats and T-shirts in orange — his theme color.

One group of fans held up a sign that said, “Sinner, Facce Sogna” — “Sinner, Make us dream.”

Sinner lost last year’s final in Rome to Carlos Alcaraz, who is now sidelined due to a right wrist injury, while Jasmine Paolini in 2025 became the first Italian woman to raise the trophy in 40 years.

Sinner broke serve in the opening game for a third straight match and never lost control against Rublev, who was once ranked as high as No. 5.

Rublev noticed there were “many points where he played really well or close to the line or in a line. But he’s No. 1 and it’s normal. You need to force him to miss and it takes a lot of focus to be able to play at that level.”

Sinner had only one brief lapse when Rublev broke him late in the second set.

“It was a bit breezy, a bit windy, so it was very tough conditions,” Sinner said. “I felt we both didn’t play at our best today.”

Sinner said he felt fatigued toward the end.

“I’m going to be all right. It’s normal that one day in the tournament you are slightly tired,” he said. “It has been very long days for me.”

Unbeaten since October

Sinner hasn’t been beaten in a Masters event since he retired with cramps in extreme heat against Tallon Griekspoor in Shanghai in October.

Djokovic won 31 straight Masters matches in 2011.

Including all tournaments, Sinner’s winning streak reached 27 matches. He was last beaten by Jakub Mensik in the Qatar Open quarterfinals on Feb. 19 — and he hasn't even dropped a set since his opening match of his previous tournament, the Madrid Open.

Sinner is also aiming to become the second man after Djokovic to triumph at all nine Masters events. Djokovic has won each event at least twice.

The Italian Open is the only Masters event that Sinner hasn’t won.

Coco Gauff back in final

In the women’s tournament, Coco Gauff beat 36-year-old Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3 to reach the final for a second straight year.

Gauff will face two-time Rome champion Elina Svitolina in the final after the Ukrainian beat three-time champion Iga Swiatek 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

Gauff saved a match point in a three-set victory over Iva Jovic in the fourth round and then came back from a set down to defeat Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals.

Against Cirstea, Gauff got 78% of her first serves in and had only one double fault.

“I'm just happy to be through in straight sets today," Gauff said. "It's been a marathon week.”

Gauff was beaten by Paolini in the 2025 Rome final, then went on to win the French Open.

Svitolina won Rome in 2017 and 2018.

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

Mike Macdonald, Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks will face off against Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye and the New England Patriots after raising their championship banner on Sept. 9 in the first of the NFL’s 272 games.

The Seahawks dominated the Patriots in a 29-13 victory in February that secured the franchise’s second NFL title.

The game will mark just the third time that the teams that played in the Super Bowl face off again in Week 1. The last time came in 2016, when the Broncos beat the Panthers. Overall, the Super Bowl opponents have met 11 times the following season, including each of the last three years. The defending champions are 8-3 in those games.

The Eagles followed up a Super Bowl victory with another win over the Chiefs in Week 2 last year.

"Yes, it was definitely a key data point for us,” NFL executive Hans Schroeder said. “We saw what a big draw that was and so we just thought it was really fun. I think it’s been a decade since we did Denver and Carolina in Super Bowl 50 and came back in Week 1 the next year. We thought it was a fun way to start the season again with New England in Seattle, coming off that Super Bowl, certainly a ton to play for. Let our fans see if they play again.”

The NFL season will be opening on a Wednesday for just the second time in league history — the Giants hosted the Cowboys on Sept. 5, 2012.

The opener will be Vrabel’s first game since the reigning AP Coach of the Year missed Day 3 of the NFL draft to seek counseling following the publication of photos of him and longtime football reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort. The photos led to Russini’s resignation from The Athletic less than a week later.

The Seahawks will play at least six other stand-alone games, including Christmas night at home against the Los Angeles Rams. The Patriots have five other stand-alone games.

Week 1

Other opening week highlights were announced before the full schedule release on Thursday night.

The San Francisco 49ers will face the Rams in Melbourne on Sept. 10 in the first of a record nine international games. The Cowboys and Giants meet in the first Sunday night game of the season while the Broncos and Chiefs go head to head in the first Monday night game.

Raiders fans get to see No. 1-overall pick Fernando Mendoza — probably on the sideline watching Kirk Cousins start — in Week 1 when Las Vegas hosts Miami.

Thanksgiving weekend

Josh Allen and the Bills host Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Thanksgiving night to complete a tripleheader. The Bears-Lions and Eagles-Cowboys matchups were previously released.

Aaron Rodgers — maybe — and the Steelers host the Broncos on Black Friday.

The Packers and Rams are playing on Thanksgiving Eve.

Christmas week

Santa Claus has to go through Philadelphia on Christmas Eve when the Eagles host the Texans on “Thursday Night Football.”

The Christmas Day tripleheader features the Packers-Bears, Bills-Broncos and Rams-Seahawks.

The two games on Saturday, Dec. 26, haven’t been determined.

International games

The league will play across four continents, starting with the Week 1 game in Australia. Sixteen of the league’s 32 teams will play at least one of their 17 regular-season games outside the United States.

The 49ers and Jacksonville each have two international games. San Francisco also faces Minnesota in Mexico City in Week 11. The Jaguars have consecutive games in London in Weeks 5 and 6 against the Eagles and Texans. The Colts and Commanders also face off in London in Week 4.

The Steelers play the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 25 in Paris in the NFL’s first regular-season matchup in France.

The Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens go head to head in Rio de Janeiro in Week 3. The Bengals and Falcons are in Madrid in Week 8 and the Patriots and Lions play in Munich in Week 9.

Spotlight teams

Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Eagles lead the way with eight stand-alone games. The Cowboys, Bills, Packers and Rams are tied with the Seahawks with seven. Teams could add or lose prime-time games depending on flex scheduling.

Familiar foes

Micah Parsons and the Packers will host the Cowboys this time around on Sunday night, Oct. 18. The two teams played to a 40-40 tie in Dallas in Week 4 last season, a month after Parsons was traded from Dallas to Green Bay.

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AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow and AP Sports Writer Joseph Reedy contributed.

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

Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, made arrangements to surrender in the Seattle area on Wednesday as special agents with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were seeking to arrest him, Assistant U.S. Attorney Aislinn Affinito in Honolulu said.

He is charged with harassing and attempting to harass a protected animal.

Lytvynchuk, who lives in Covington, Washington, was in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Thursday. A judge ordered him released pending another court appearance in Honolulu on May 27.

Greg Geist, a federal public defender who represented Lytvynchuk at the hearing, said Lytvynchuk hired an attorney in Hawaii, whose name was not immediately listed in the case docket. After the hearing, Geist declined to acknowledge questions from an Associated Press reporter or identify the attorney Lytvynchuk hired.

Two supporters who attended the hearing declined to comment.

The video drew widespread condemnation and demands for prosecution in Hawaii, including from Maui’s mayor.

A state Department of Land and Natural Resources officer last week investigated a report of Hawaiian monk seal harassment in Lahaina, the community that was largely destroyed by a deadly wildfire in 2023. A witness showed the officer video of the seal swimming in shallow water while a man watched from shore.

“In the cellphone video, the man can be seen holding a large rock with one hand, aiming, and throwing it directly at the monk seal," prosecutors said in a criminal complaint. The rock, described by a witness as the size of a coconut, narrowly missed the seal's head, but caused the “animal to abruptly alter its behavior,” the complaint said.

When a witness confronted the man, he said "he did not care and was ‘rich’ enough to pay any fines," according to the complaint.

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said the charges send a clear message that cruelty toward protected wildlife won't be tolerated. He identified the seal as “Lani,” a known and beloved character along Lahaina's waterfront, whose return after the wildfires brought a sense of healing and hope during a difficult time.

But the state natural resources department said in an email that it likely was not Lani, as it lacked certain markings.

“Humanity and the instinct to protect what is vulnerable are still values people can unite around," Bissen said in an emailed statement.

The mayor said he called the U.S. attorney in Honolulu to advocate for prosecution.

Lytvynchuk is charged with violations of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Hawaiian monk seals are a critically endangered species. Only 1,600 remain in the wild.

If convicted, Lytvynchuk faces up to one year in prison for each charge. He also faces a fine of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and a fine of up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

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Kelleher reported from Honolulu. Associated Press writer Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed to this report.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa ’s exit from the heavily guarded Senate came after volleys of gunshots were fired Wednesday night by the building's security personnel during an argument with government agents positioned in an adjacent building, sparking chaos that apparently helped the senator to slip out.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made a late-night TV statement to ask the public to remain calm. A police investigation was underway, including into suspicions that the incident was instigated to provide dela Rosa a cover to escape.

“There is no obstruction of justice,” Senate President Alan Cayetano said of dela Rosa’s escape while in the Senate’s protective custody.

He told a news briefing that he did not see any ICC warrant of arrest against dela Rosa and the senator was free to leave the premises.

Critics, however, said Cayetano and the Senate's security chief should be held responsible for dela Rosa's escape.

Dela Rosa, 64, served as the former national police chief of Rodrigo Duterte, who was president from 2016 to 2022. Duterte was arrested in March last year on a ICC warrant for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with deadly anti-drugs crackdowns he launched and for which he is now facing a trial in The Hague.

A warrant unsealed Monday by the ICC charges dela Rosa with the crime against humanity of murder of “no less than 32 persons” between July 2016 and the end of April 2018, when he led the national police force under Duterte and enforced his bloody crackdowns.

Dela Rosa has questioned the ICC warrant's legality and asked the Supreme Court to immediately stop the Philippine government from enforcing it. The court asked dela Rosa and government officials Wednesday to provide more details in 72 hours.

Dela Rosa and Duterte have separately denied authorizing extrajudicial killings although the former president has openly threatened drug suspects with death while he was in office.

Dela Rosa’s legal predicament came as political disputes escalated between the Duterte family and Marcos. Vice President Sara Duterte, the former president’s daughter, has blamed Marcos for what she said was the “kidnapping” of her father and handover to a foreign court.

The disputes reflect the deep divisions that have long plagued the rambunctious Asian democracy.

On Monday, Sara Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives, which is dominated by Marcos’ allies, over alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of state funds and a public threat to have Marcos, his wife and the House speaker assassinated if she herself was killed in their intensifying conflict.

She has denied any wrongdoing but has refused to answer specific allegations in detail.

The Senate will convene into an impeachment court on Monday at the earliest to prepare for the trial of the vice president, Cayetano said.

Cayetano, a key ally of Rodrigo Duterte, wrested the presidency of the Senate Monday after he got the support of 13 of 24 senators. He gained the majority after dela Rosa, who has been absent for months due to fears of his possible arrest, suddenly showed up in the Senate Monday, arriving in Cayetano’s car.

National Bureau of Investigation agents tried to serve the ICC arrest warrant, but dela Rosa darted toward a narrow stairway into the Senate plenary hall and sought the help of allied senators, who took him into protective custody.

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Associated Press journalist Joeal Calupitan contributed to this report.

Newsom is eager to safeguard programs that have defined his tenure as the leader of the nation’s most populous state and one of the world’s largest economies. As he gears up for a possible presidential run in 2028, the Democrat is promoting the budget as fiscally responsible, saying it protects California's values but also builds up the state's rainy day funds — a pointed rebuke to critics who say the state spends more than it has.

The state’s spending has grown more than $100 billion since 2020, according to legislative budget analysts.

“We’re cutting deficits. But we’re not cutting corners,” Newsom said.

Newsom can’t seek a third term and will leave office in January.

Revenues, driven mostly by the booming stock market and the artificial intelligence industry, are $16.5 billion higher than projections in January. That will help the state avoid a $2.9 billion deficit projected in January, guarantee no budget hole next year and cut the shortfall the following year in half, his office said. Newsom also wants to set aside $9.7 billion in a holding account to help balance future budgets.

California faced tens of billions of dollars in budget deficits several years in a row, forcing painful cuts last year such as a rollback on a promise to provide free healthcare to low-income immigrants without legal status. Nonpartisan budget analysts previously projected the state will see budget holes upward of $20 billion each year in the next few years. Newsom and the analysts sometimes differ in their estimations.

Still, Democrats are bracing for federal funding cuts in healthcare and the impacts of high costs on everything from gas to energy because of the war in Iran. State officials repeatedly have said California can't backfill all the federal dollars.

Republican lawmakers said Newsom's plan didn't go far enough to address future budget problems. Republicans are largely excluded from budget negotiations because Democrats have supermajorities in both chambers.

“Governor Newsom appears to define fiscal success narrowly: if the budget doesn’t collapse on his watch, it’s a balanced one,” Assemblymember David Tangipa said in a statement.

Newsom also blasted President Donald Trump and his policies, including in his budget presentation a photo depicting the president and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as characters in the movie “Dumb and Dumber.” Trump “doesn’t particularly give a damn about the financial situation of the average American," Newsom said.

The budget proposal will officially kick off the final stretch of negotiations between Newsom and Democrats in the Legislature, who have to pass a budget by the end of June.

State lawmakers this year are considering several proposals to increase taxes on corporations to help with budget problems. Newsom has largely avoided raising taxes to boost revenues in past years. Now, he wants to cut fees for new small businesses, limit some tax credits starting in 2027 and impose a sales tax on some digital software and cloud-based services.

The two tax measures could generate more than $1 billion the first year of implementation, according to the governor's estimation. Newsom is against a ballot initiative for a one-time tax on billionaires that will likely go before voters in November.

He also proposed to increase the monthly premiums for adult patients without legal status in the state-funded healthcare program, up to $50 from $30. The premiums were part of last year's budget and are set to take effect in July for adults under 60 years old. Democrats in the Senate already signaled they will fight the plan.

California has a progressive tax system that relies on rich people, meaning it gets about half its revenues from just 1% of the population. When the economy is good, rich people pay more in taxes and revenues can soar quickly. When the economy is bad, they pay less and revenues can drop just as fast.

The state could also see a revenue boost from expected upcoming initial public offerings by several major artificial intelligence companies, which are expected to be the largest IPOs in history. But legislative budget experts warned of a potential AI bubble that could worsen the state's finances.

Newsom’s Thursday proposal also includes a $300 million plan to backfill some of the loss of government-sponsored health subsidies, a $5 billion education grant for teacher training and $100 million to help Los Angeles-area homeowners rebuild after the devastating wildfires last year.

The governor announced the task force will now expand into the Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin metropolitan areas after what state leaders are calling a successful rollout in Houston.

Greg Abbott expands task force targeting repeat offenders from Houston to other large cities

According to the state, the operation has led to 728 repeat offender arrests, including 455 high-threat offenders.

But before calling the task force a success, KPRC 2 reviewed Houston Police Department crime data to answer a key question: Did crime actually go down in Houston after the task force launched?

HPD data shows violent crime was already falling before October launch

The task force officially launched in the greater Houston area on Oct. 1, 2025.

However, HPD data from April 2025 — months before the task force began — shows violent crime in Houston was already trending downward compared to the same time in 2024.

According to HPD’s Year-to-Date April 2025 crime report:

• Violent crime dropped 14.3%
• Non-violent crime dropped 8.5%
• Total crime dropped 9.7%

The report showed violent crime fell from 8,814 incidents in 2024 to 7,556 incidents in 2025.

Some of the largest decreases involved crimes the task force says it specifically targets.

Which crimes dropped the most in Houston?

HPD data showed:

• Robbery dropped 16.9%
• Aggravated assault dropped 14.5%
• Auto theft dropped 26.8%
• Burglary dropped 11.1%

Murders were the only major category that increased slightly, rising 6.3% from 95 cases to 101 cases through April 2025.

Violent crime not evenly spread across Houston neighborhoods

While crime impacts every part of Houston, the data shows violent crime varies significantly depending on the area of the city.

District B reported highest violent crime total

District B — which includes parts of northeast Houston, Kashmere Gardens and the Fifth Ward area — recorded the highest violent crime total citywide in 2025 with more than 1,100 incidents.

According to HPD data, the district reported:

• 787 aggravated assaults
• 223 robberies
• 13 murders
• 63 sexual assaults
• 23 kidnappings
• 2 human trafficking cases

District E reported lowest violent crime total

District E — which includes Kingwood and the Lake Houston area — reported the lowest violent crime total citywide with 276 incidents.

That district reported:

• 197 aggravated assaults
• 50 robberies
• 2 murders
• 20 sexual assaults
• 7 kidnappings
• 0 human trafficking cases

Questions remain about Houston task force impact

There are still several unanswered questions surrounding the task force and its direct impact on crime in Houston.

KPRC 2 asked DPS and the Governor’s Office:

• How many arrests are specifically tied to Houston and Harris County?
• How many officers are assigned locally?
• Whether violent crime dropped further after the task force launched on Oct. 1?
• Which neighborhoods saw the biggest impact?

DPS directed KPRC 2 to file a public information request for additional details. That request has been submitted.

KPRC 2 will continue following the response and any additional crime data tied to the task force.

The new U.S. House districts, which still need House approval, would be used for primary elections poised to be postponed from Saturday until November.

The high court's ruling has led to a flurry of redistricting efforts in Southern states as Republicans seek to capitalize on a weakened federal Voting Rights Act. While most of those efforts are voluntary, Louisiana must redraw its U.S. House map in response to the ruling that it had illegally used race to gerrymander a majority-Black district.

The debate over the shape of Louisiana's new districts is playing out as South Carolina's governor ramps up pressure on lawmakers to also redistrict ahead of the midterms. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster on Thursday called a special session on redistricting to start Friday.

President Donald Trump has encouraged numerous Republican-led states to redraw House voting districts to their advantage in a bid to hold on to control of the closely divided chamber in November.

Republicans think they could win as many as 15 additional House seats in seven states that already have adopted new voting districts. Democrats think they could gain up to six seats from two other states because of new House districts. But there's no guarantee those seats will turn out as expected. Litigation is continuing in some states, and voters will have the ultimate say on who wins.

Democrats had hoped to win up to four additional seats from new House districts in Virginia. But Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s office confirmed Thursday that the state will hold this year’s elections under the current districts as it appeals last week’s Virginia Supreme Court ruling invalidating a voter-approved amendment authorizing the new districts.

Louisiana map scraps snaking district

Legislation in Louisiana seeks to address the Supreme Court ruling by scrapping a district that snakes over 200 miles (321 kilometers) northwest from the capital, Baton Rouge, to Shreveport, creating a voting bloc with a majority of Black residents. Democratic U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields represents the current 6th District.

Under the new plan, that district would instead be clustered around predominantly white communities in the Baton Rouge area and southern Louisiana.

The new plan keeps a New Orleans-based, majority-Black district represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Troy Carter while also adding a portion of Baton Rouge to it.

Fields, a Baton Rouge resident, said he won’t decide whether to seek reelection until the maps are finalized. But he said he won’t challenge Carter in a primary.

The newly proposed House map is similar to one used in 2022 that resulted in five Republicans and one Democrat winning election. Republican state Sen. Jay Morris said the new map packs Democrats into the 2nd District held by Carter to allow Republicans to prevail elsewhere.

“These maps are drawn to maximize Republican advantage for the incumbent Republicans that we have in Congress,” Morris said.

Democratic state Sen. Sam Jenkins suggested Republicans are “using partisanship as cover for discriminatory practices against a group of people, particularly Black voters and Democrats.”

“If it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck,” Jenkins said.

“It’s not quacking,” Morris said.

“It’s quacking pretty loud, it’s quacking all over the state,” Jenkins replied.

Republican senators defeated an alternative from Democrats that would have kept two Democratic-leaning districts. Republicans opted not to pursue a 6-0 Republican map because it was infeasible, said Louisiana Senate President Cameron Henry, a Republican.

A federal judge struck down Louisiana's 2022 map for violating the Voting Rights Act. Then in 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Alabama had to create its own second largely Black congressional district. In light of the Alabama ruling, the Louisiana Legislature passed a revised map, creating a second majority-Black district that was used in the 2024 elections. That map also was challenged, leading to an April 29 Supreme Court ruling that Louisiana’s districts relied too heavily on race.

Louisiana House primary could shift to November

After the Supreme Court ruling, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry postponed Louisiana’s U.S. House primaries, which were scheduled for Saturday.

A bill given final approval Wednesday by the Legislature would shift the election to an open primary on Nov. 3. All U.S. House candidates, regardless of their party affiliation, would be on the ballot for voters in their district. If no one wins a majority outright, the top two vote-getters would enter a run-off on Dec. 12.

A new qualifying period for House candidates would run from Aug. 5-7.

The system is similar to how Louisiana's congressional elections previously occurred. Landry pushed the Legislature to end the state’s unique jungle primary system in 2024. Closed party primaries went into effect this year, and more than 250,000 votes already had been cast, according to the Louisiana secretary of state. The canceled congressional votes would be shielded from public records law.

Rep. Beau Beaullieu, the bill’s Republican sponsor, said that with congressional redistricting, there would not be sufficient time for closed primaries and a primary run-off before the Nov. 3 general election.

A closed primary remains in place for Louisiana's U.S. Senate race, which has not been suspended and pits incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy against Trump-backed challenger U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow.

South Carolina to work overtime on redistricting

South Carolina's regular legislative session ended Thursday, but McMaster quickly called lawmakers back into session Friday to continue working on redistricting and other matters.

It could be next week before the House can finish the redistricting bill, which would also move congressional primaries to August, Republican House Majority Leader Davey Hiott said. All primaries are currently scheduled for June 9. Early voting begins May 26, and that’s likely the deadline to finish redistricting, he said.

The redistricting work “will be long. It will be boring. It will be confrontational,” Hiott told reporters.

If the proposal passes the House, it then heads to a more skeptical Senate, where Republican Judiciary Committee Chairman Luke Rankin has said he will “demand the process” without elaborating. During the last regular redistricting at the start of the decade, Rankin’s committee held a month of meetings across the state and encouraged the public to submit its own maps.

Only one of South Carolina's seven U.S. House seats currently is held by a Democrat — longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn. Some Republicans worry it is impossible to guarantee seven GOP districts in a state where the Democratic presidential candidate has gotten more than 40% of the vote every election this century. There are also concerns about holding two statewide elections in a little over two months. South Carolina’s elections leader said it may require employees to work 24 hours a day.

___

Brook reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Collins from Columbia, South Carolina; and Lieb from Jefferson City, Missouri. Associated Press reporter Safiyah Riddle contributed from Montgomery, Alabama.

They’ve won two AFC South division titles during that span, winning three wild-card playoff games and going 0-3 in the divisional round.

And they’ve built a combined record of 32-19 in the regular season since Ryans was hired, including a 12-5 record last year. They won nine consecutive games after an 0-3 start last year.

Now, the Texans have high expectations again as a returning playoff squad.

Here are the KPRC 2 Sports staff predictions for the Texans’ regular season and how it might unfold:

Sports Director Randy McIlvoy predicts an 11-6 overall regular-season record with the following wins and losses:

Outcome Opponent Date

Win Buffalo Bills Sept. 13

Win Cincinnati Bengals Sept. 20

Loss at Indianapolis Colts Sept. 27

Win Dallas Cowboys Oct. 4

Win at Tennessee Titans Oct. 11

Loss at Jacksonville Jaguars Oct 18

Win New York Giants Oct. 25

Loss at Los Angeles Chargers Nov. 8

Win at Cleveland Browns Nov. 15

Win Indianapolis Colts Nov. 19

Win Baltimore Ravens Nov. 29

Win at Pittsburgh Steelers Dec. 6

Loss at Washington Commanders Dec. 13

Win Jacksonville Jaguars Dec. 20

Loss at Philadelphia Eagles Dec. 24

Loss at Green Bay Packers Jan. 4

Win Tennessee Titans TBD

Sports Anchor/Reporter Nick Mantas predicts a 10-7 regular-season record with the following wins and losses:

Outcome Opponent Date

Win Buffalo Bills Sept. 13

Loss Cincinnati Bengals Sept. 20

Loss at Indianapolis Colts Sept. 27

Win Dallas Cowboys Oct. 4

Win at Tennessee Titans Oct. 11

Loss at Jacksonville Jaguars Oct 18

Win New York Giants Oct. 25

Loss at Los Angeles Chargers Nov. 8

Win at Cleveland Browns Nov. 15

Win Indianapolis Colts Nov. 19

Loss Baltimore Ravens Nov. 29

Win at Pittsburgh Steelers Dec. 6

Loss at Washington Commanders Dec. 13

Win Jacksonville Jaguars Dec. 20

Loss at Philadelphia Eagles Dec. 24

Win at Green Bay Packers Jan. 4

Win Tennessee Titans TBD

Texans and NFL reporter Aaron Wilson predicts a 12-5 regular-season record with the following wins and losses:

Outcome Opponent Date

Win Buffalo Bills Sept. 13

Win Cincinnati Bengals Sept. 20

Loss at Indianapolis Colts Sept. 27

Win Dallas Cowboys Oct. 4

Win at Tennessee Titans Oct. 11

Loss at Jacksonville Jaguars Oct 18

Win New York Giants Oct. 25

Loss at Los Angeles Chargers Nov. 8

Win at Cleveland Browns Nov. 15

Win Indianapolis Colts Nov. 19

Loss Baltimore Ravens Nov. 29

Win at Pittsburgh Steelers Dec. 6

Win at Washington Commanders Dec. 13

Win Jacksonville Jaguars Dec. 20

Loss at Philadelphia Eagles Dec. 24

Win at Green Bay Packers Jan. 4

Win Tennessee Titans TBD

Please drop your season predictions in the comments section below.

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com

In announcing the partnership, the kingdom's public investment fund (PIF) said sport was a “priority sector” and soccer was crucial to the “ongoing transformation of Saudi Arabia.”

PIF announced this month that it was pulling the plug on future funding for LIV Golf, the breakaway tour that it has poured billions of dollars into, raising questions about its long-term plans for other sports after its enormous spending in recent years.

While the value of the World Cup deal, which covers North America and Asia, was not disclosed, it further strengthens ties between Saudi Arabia and world soccer's governing body FIFA.

2034 host and TV

The oil-rich kingdom has won the rights to host the 2034 edition of the World Cup and PIF was a commercial partner for last year's Club World Cup.

The PIF-owned SURJ Sports Investment also owns a stake online streamer DAZN, which broadcast the Club World Cup.

According to FIFA accounts, television broadcasting rights had contributed “the lion’s share” of its annual revenue in 2025, worth more than $1 billion.

Soccer has been a major focus for Saudi Arabia as it looks to move away from its heavy reliance on oil and explore other revenue-generating sectors.

That has included enticing some of the sport's biggest stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema to its domestic league and buying Premier League club Newcastle. Winning the right to host the World Cup is its standout achievement so far.

F1 and boxing, tennis

Investment in other sports includes hosting a number of world championship boxing matches, Formula One racing and tennis.

Critics have accused the kingdom of “sportswashing” — using sports to rebrand its public image in the face of its human rights record and the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

The launch of the contentious LIV Golf tour in 2022 was a major disruptor for the sport, luring top players like Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson away from the PGA. LIV Golf's spending is expected to exceed $6 billion by the end of the year.

While there has been a slowdown of top soccer players heading to the Saudi league after its earlier aggressive recruitment drive, PIF outlined its ongoing commitment to the world's most popular sport.

“PIF continues to expand its global footprint in sport, with football at the heart of this growth," head of corporate brand Mohamed AlSayyad said.

___

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

___

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

Houston police arrested Christopher Lee Bowden, who records show is homeless, on Wednesday.

A Harris County District Court judge set his bond at $1 million on Thursday.

ALSO READ: Catalytic converter theft suspect caught after wild chase by car, scooter and swim through Houston bayou

The victim, identified by police as 54-year-old Chun Chen, was found dead in the kitchen area at the bar in the 10500 block of Bellaire Boulevard on May 8 by coworkers who hadn’t heard from him.

Captured on surveillance video, Bowden allegedly came into the back of the business last Thursday night and approached Chen behind the bar counter before repeatedly hitting him with a hammer, according to a law enforcement source, who said Chen fell to the ground and Bowden appeared to continue hitting him with the hammer.

After setting the hammer down, Bowden allegedly started taking money from the cash drawer, the source said. Other employees later told detectives the drawer usually had about $100 in it, but all the money except for coins appeared to be gone during the investigation.

While Chen remain laying on the ground, the source said Bowden allegedly poured hot oil from the fryer all over him, and detectives found Chen’s cell phone and credit card melted and deformed near him when they responded to the business the next day.

• Former Katy ISD paraprofessional accused of sexually assaulting 13-year-old student

Surveillance video shared with KPRC 2 News appeared to show Bowden leaving the business after the attack in Chen’s minivan, which the law enforcement source said police later recovered near the business.

Police got called to the restaurant after colleagues said they hadn’t heard from Chen and found him with an injury to his head at the business. The front door was also locked, investigators said, after finding the back door unlocked.

In 2021, Bowden pled guilty to two criminal mischief charges, and court records show he has previous arrests for trespassing, burglary, and driving while intoxicated.

Bowden now has a court-appointed defense attorney and isn’t due back in court until late June.

“Lamine Yamal chose to incite hate against Israel while our soldiers combat the terrorist organization Hamas, an organization that massacred, raped and burned Jewish children, women and the elderly on Oct. 7, (2023)” minister Israel Katz wrote on X on Thursday.

The 18-year-old Yamal waved a large Palestinian flag from an open-top bus during a victory parade by Barcelona’s team through the city on Monday. The parade drew some 750,000 people to celebrate the league title clinched the previous day, local authorities said.

Yamal, who is Muslim, posted pictures of him holding the flag on his Instagram account.

Spain’s government and a large part of its population have been highly critical of Israel’s military operations that killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza in response to the 2023 Hamas surprise attack.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has previously called for Israel to be banned from sports events over its actions in Gaza, defended Yamal on social media.

“Those who consider waving a state’s flag to be ‘inciting hatred’ have either lost their minds or been blinded by their own ignominy,” Sanchez wrote on X. “Lamine has simply expressed the solidarity with Palestine that millions of Spaniards feel. Yet another reason to be proud of him.”

There has been a global backlash against Israel over the humanitarian toll of the war in Gaza, which has spread to sport and culture. Protests have been seen in soccer, cycling and basketball. Last year's Spanish Vuelta was repeatedly disrupted by protesters angry with the participation of an Israeli-backed cycling team.

Spain is also one of five countries boycotting this year’s Eurovision Song Contest to protest Israel’s inclusion.

Yamal is set to star for Spain at next month’s World Cup to be played in North America.

___

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

SIGN UP HERE: Schedule an appointment

Help save up to three lives with your blood donation by scheduling your appointment at one of the links below. All successful blood donors will receive a “Lone Star Life Saver” t-shirt (in April) or a beach towel (in May) as a thank you gift while supplies last. Donors will also receive a free A1C test to screen their blood for prediabetes.

Tuesday, April 28

Houston Christian University (Donor Coach in front of Brown Administrative Complex) - 7502 Fondren Rd., Houston, TX 77074 | 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Thank you to all who donated!

Thursday, May 14

KPRC 2 (Donor Coach) - 8181 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77074 | 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Schedule an appointment

If you cannot make it to the blood drives at KPRC 2’s studios or HCU, you can donate at your Neighborhood Donor Center. There’s a critical need for blood donations in our community, especially with donations typically slowing down over the summer months. Your support now is critical in helping patients in the Greater Houston area.

Do you know your blood type? If not, you’ll find out when you donate blood. According to the Gulf Coast Blood, blood type O- is considered to be the universal red cell donor for all patients. To learn more, visit Gulf Coast Blood’s website at giveblood.org. Gulf Coast Blood is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Blood recipients and their families share the impact your blood donation can make:

The KPRC 2 Community Blood Drive is one of our spotlight initiatives in partnership with Energy Transfer and Houston Christian University. KPRC 2 would like to thank our partners at Energy Transfer for hosting a blood drive for their employees in May, too!

Thank you again to HCU for hosting the KPRC 2 Community Blood Drive on campus!

During his nearly 30 years behind bars, Glossip came so close to execution multiple times that he was served “last meals” on three separate occasions in 2015. He has long insisted he is innocent in the murder of his former boss, Oklahoma motel owner Barry Van Treese. The U.S. Supreme Court threw out his conviction and death sentence last year.

Here is a look at key events in Glossip's case and appeals.

Jan. 7, 1997: Barry Van Treese is beaten to death at an Oklahoma City motel that he owned. Two of his employees, Justin Sneed and Richard Glossip, are soon arrested in connection with the killing.

Aug. 14, 1998: Glossip is convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Prosecutors argue at his trial that Van Treese was killed in a murder-for-hire scheme. Motel handyman Sneed testified that he killed their boss after Glossip promised to pay him $10,000.

July 17, 2001: The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals throws out Glossip's murder conviction and orders him a new trial.

Aug. 27, 2004: Glossip is sentenced to death again after second trial ends with a new murder conviction.

April 29, 2014: Oklahoma uses the surgical sedative midazolam for the first time during the execution of Clayton Lockett, who writhes and groans on the gurney. The execution process gets halted, but Lockett dies 43 minutes later. The state later blames an improperly placed intravenous line, not the new drug mix.

Nov. 20, 2014: Glossip’s scheduled execution is delayed to allow Oklahoma to obtain drugs and train staff on a new protocol.

Jan. 28, 2015: After Glossip has been served what is supposed to be his final meal, the U.S. Supreme Court halts his execution and those of two other Oklahoma prisoners while considering their legal challenge to the state's use of midazolam in executions.

June 29, 2015: A divided U.S. Supreme Court upholds Oklahoma’s use of midazolam during executions.

Sept. 15, 2015: For the second time, Glossip is served what is supposed to be his last meal: chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and a dinner roll, fish and chips, a bacon cheeseburger and a strawberry malt.

Sept. 16, 2015: Hours before Glossip is scheduled for execution, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals grants him a two-week reprieve to review claims of new evidence supporting his innocence.

Sept. 29, 2015: For the third time, Glossip is served what is supposed to be his final meal: a medium pizza, two orders of fish and chips, a bacon cheeseburger and a strawberry malt.

Sept. 30, 2015: Prison officials are preparing to execute Glossip when Oklahoma's governor stays the procedure because one of the lethal drugs being used didn't match the state's execution protocol.

Oct. 2, 2015: The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, at the request of the state's attorney general, puts all executions on indefinite hold as officials review Oklahoma's execution procedures.

Feb. 13, 2020: Oklahoma announces plans to resume executions using a three-drug lethal injection protocol.

May 5, 2023: The U.S. Supreme Court again halts Glossip's execution, set for May 18, at the urging of Oklahoma's Republican attorney general, who has concluded Glossip's trial was “unfair and unreliable.”

Feb. 25, 2025: The U.S. Supreme Court throws out Glossip's murder conviction and death sentence, ruling prosecutors violated his right to a fair trial by allowing Sneed, their key witness, to give testimony they knew was false.

June 9, 2025: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond says he plans to try Glossip again for murder. While agreeing his previous trial was unfair, Drummond says he doesn't believe Glossip is innocent.

May 14, 2026: An Oklahoma judge orders a $500,000 bond for Glossip, granting him a chance to leave jail while awaiting trial. Hours later, Glossip walks out of an Oklahoma City jail.

___

Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.

In a letter to a lawyer for Yale, Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights, said a DOJ investigation found that Black and Hispanic students have a much higher chance of admission to the medical school than white or Asian students, despite having lower grade-point averages and lower test scores.

“Yale has continued its race-based admissions program despite the Supreme Court and the public’s clear mandate for reform,” Dhillon said in a statement. “This Department will continue to shed light on these illegal practices, and demand that institutions of higher education comply with federal law.”

The university replied in a statement that its School of Medicine “is confident in the rigorous admissions process we follow,” and it will review the Justice Department letter.

“The students admitted to Yale School of Medicine demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and personal commitment; its program of medical education encourages curiosity and critical thinking, and its graduates go on to become leaders in clinical care, research, and public service,” the school said.

Since President Donald Trump returned to office last year, his administration has been putting pressure on universities to stop using race as a basis for admission, which conservatives view as illegal discrimination. And a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2023 banned the use of affirmative action in college admissions, in cases involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina.

Last week, the Justice Department notified the University of California, Los Angeles, that its medical school illegally considered race in admissions.

In the letter to Yale, Dhillon alleged the New Haven, Connecticut, school was violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination and said the DOJ is seeking to enter into a voluntary resolution agreement with the university. She also noted in the letter that the agency has the authority to take the school to court to enforce Title VI if it cannot obtain compliance through voluntary means.

The DOJ cited differences in grade-point averages and standardized test scores as evidence of racial preferences in the incoming classes of 2023, 2024 and 2025. In Yale’s most recent class, Black students had a median GPA of 3.88 and a median MCAT score in the 95th percentile, compared to Asian students who had a median GPA of 3.98 and white students with a 3.97 median GPA. Both Asian and white students of that class had median MCAT scores in the 100th percentile.

“Based on our preliminary review of the applicant-level data, Yale’s use of race resulted in a Black applicant being as much as 29 times higher odds of getting an interview for admission than an equally strong Asian applicant with similar academic credentials,” Dhillon's letter said.

The Justice Department also described Yale’s use of a holistic admissions process as a means for the school to consider race.

The letter also cited Yale’s amicus brief in the Student for Fair Admissions lawsuit that led to the 2023 Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, where the school said it would not be able to maintain diverse classes without explicit consideration of race. The department said the fact that Yale was able to maintain similarly diverse classes despite that brief as evidence that the school had engaged in race discrimination.

Dhillon wrote that the lack of any change in Yale's admissions outcomes after the Supreme Court ruling showed "a willful failure to comply with that decision.”

In March, a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration policy that requires higher education institutions to collect data showing they aren’t considering race in admissions.

____

Associated Press writer Annie Ma in Washington contributed to this report.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols didn’t rule from the bench on the plaintiffs’ request for an order blocking officials from implementing Trump’s March 31 order, his second related to elections since winning his second term in the White House. The case is one of multiple lawsuits filed to block the order on the grounds that only states and Congress, and not the president, are given power under the Constitution to decide how elections are run.

Trump's initial executive order to revamp elections by requiring documentary proof of citizenship, issued last year, was largely halted by multiplefederal judges on similar grounds. He issued his latest order only after the voting bill he backed stalled in Congress. The current legal fight comes as the country is in the midst of primary elections and election officials are preparing for the intricacies of holding the fall's midterm elections.

“I understand the time pressure here,” said Nichols, who questioned both sides but gave no clear indication of which way he's leaning.

The president can’t rewrite election rules to give himself and the Republican Party a partisan advantage, the plaintiffs’ attorneys said. They argued that the executive order’s requirements are illegal and designed to coerce states into limiting voter registration and ballot access.

“It is harming our clients every day in the middle of an election season,” said Orion Nevers, an attorney representing the NAACP.

Democrats are more likely to vote by mail. Since even before his 2020 loss, Trump has falsely implied there is mass fraud involved in the practice and fought to curtail it, even after his baseless claims led to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and were repeatedly debunked by audits and reviews, including some run by Republicans.

Since returning to office, Trump has said he wants Republicans to “take over” elections in Democratic areas and launched investigations of the 2020 vote.

His latest executive order calls on the Department of Homeland Security to make a list of eligible voters in each state and seeks to prohibit the U.S. Postal Service from sending absentee ballots to those not on each state’s approved list.

The administration is asking the judge to dismiss the plaintiffs’ claims. Justice Department attorney Stephen Pezzi on Thursday suggested that the litigation is premature, calling it “shadowboxing” for the plaintiffs to challenge a list that hasn’t yet been created.

“It’s a little hard to address these questions in the abstract,” Pezzi said.

Nichols, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, asked Pezzi why it would be lawful to disseminate the list to states.

“I think it would be the plaintiffs’ burden to explain why it’s unlawful,” Pezzi replied. “I don’t mean to be cute with that answer.”

Trump’s executive order requires federal agencies to compile a list of adults the U.S. government has purportedly “confirmed” to be U.S. citizens and to share it with each state at least 60 days before each federal election.

“There isn’t a way to lawfully compile it,” said Lalitha Madduri, an attorney for Democratic Party plaintiffs.

Danielle Lang, who represents the League of United Latin American Citizens, said the executive order is aimed at creating “the maximum amount of chaos and confusion” for local election officials.

“They need clear direction,” Lang said.

___

Riccardi reported from Denver.

The court’s brief order comes almost a week after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals halted Busby’s execution after defense lawyers argued that Busby is intellectually disabled, making him ineligible for capital punishment.

The court’s three liberal justices opposed the order, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson submitting a two-page dissenting opinion admonishing the court for being “unable to tolerate even a brief delay.” 

“In capital cases, we rarely intervene to preserve life,” Jackson wrote in the dissent joined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. “I cannot understand the Court’s rush to extinguish it, much less in the circumstances of this case.”

Justice Elena Kagan also would have upheld the stay of execution, the order said.

Busby was sentenced to death in 2005 in the deadly robbery and kidnapping of 78-year-old Laura Crane, suffocating her by wrapping her face with tape. His execution had been halted twice before: in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and again in 2021 by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to review a separate intellectual disability claim.

Busby’s execution would be Texas’ 600th since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstituted the death penalty in 1976. Texas accounts for roughly 36% of the country’s executions in the time since, more than the next four states combined, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

According to federal officials, Santos Guerrero, 42, pleaded guilty to violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act after authorities say he shot the bird on Oct. 11, 2024.

Investigators responded after receiving reports about the shooting and reviewed video footage that allegedly showed the eagle being shot before falling from a tree.

• Catalytic converter theft suspect caught after wild chase by car, scooter and swim through Houston bayou

Authorities later went to Guerrero’s residence, where they matched the tree seen in the video and located the injured eagle still alive.

The bird was transported to an animal hospital but had to be euthanized because of the severity of its injuries.

A necropsy found the eagle suffered major trauma, including severe wing damage caused by the bullet. Officials said the fall also resulted in liver fractures, internal bleeding and a broken leg.

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act makes it illegal to kill, possess, sell or transport bald or golden eagles — including their nests, eggs or body parts — without a permit.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray accepted Guerrero’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for July 30. He faces up to one year in federal prison and a maximum fine of $100,000.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling, stemming from a Louisiana lawsuit, would block a 2023 Food and Drug Administration rule allowing mifepristone to be delivered by mail — a provision commonly used to get around Texas’ abortion ban.

The Supreme Court issued a potentially monthslong pause on the 5th Circuit’s ruling on Thursday, granting telehealth access to mifepristone until the 5th Circuit hears full arguments in the Louisiana case, extending access for at least several months. The court’s pending ruling means the future of Texans’ long-term access to mifepristone is still uncertain.

Abortion advocates celebrated the Supreme Court’s extended stay while condemning the appellate court’s initial ruling as a gateway into a national abortion ban. Anti-abortion groups heralded the 5th Circuit’s decision as a first step in the right direction.

Here’s what to know about the drug, court ruling and more.

Are abortion pills illegal in Texas?

Mifepristone and misoprostol, pills commonly taken to end a pregnancy, are not illegal in Texas and often prescribed to manage miscarriages, but it is illegal to supply them for elective abortions because of Texas’ ban on abortions.

Providing abortion pills in violation of the state’s abortion ban can result in criminal charges. Over the summer, a North Texas man was charged with capital murder after slipping mifepristone into his girlfriend’s food and she miscarried. That case is still pending.

Additionally, state law allows private citizens to sue virtually anyone who assists in providing abortion, including medical professionals, companies that facilitate the movement of abortion pills into the state and family or friends who purchase pills for a pregnant person. Any individual can file the suit to seek up to $100,000, a provision commonly referred to as a “bounty hunter” law.

Women who seek out abortions or take abortion pills are exempt from criminal charges or lawsuits under Texas’ abortion restrictions.

Despite Texas laws that penalize the supply of abortion pills, thousands enter Texas from 22 other states with “shield laws.” Texas has sued medical providers in New York, Delaware and California who have sent abortion pills over alleged violations of Texas’ abortion restrictions, but those states’ shield laws provide civil and criminal protections over their healthcare providers against Texas’ legal actions. These providers continue to provide prescriptions, often through telehealth appointments, to people in states like Texas that have abortion bans.

Roughly 25% of abortions nationwide are done through telehealth, an estimate that is “likely an undercount” because it may not include those having abortions illegally, University of California Davis Law professor Mary Ziegler, said.

What would the ruling restrict and why?

The 5th Circuit’s ruling on May 1 only restricts mail access to mifepristone, one of two drugs commonly used in medication abortions, including in managing miscarriages. With the Supreme Court stay in place, telehealth access to mifepristone is still permitted.

The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000, and also approved two generic versions of the drug in 2019 and 2025. Multiple studies have shown the drug to be a safe and effective means of ending a pregnancy.

In 2023, the FDA established a rule allowing doctors to prescribe mifepristone remotely and for the drug to be mailed to patients, including those in Texas from other states where abortion is legal. The May 1 ruling overturned that rule, arguing it was put in place without proper FDA review of the drug’s effects.

If the 5th Circuit’s full ruling causes the 2023 rule to go away, people will not be charged with a crime for possessing or using mifepristone and the drug would still be available for in-person prescription. Mifepristone is solely used in ending pregnancies, unlike the second drug it is commonly paired with, misoprostol, which is used to treat ulcers but prescribed off-label to end pregnancies.

Pairing mifepristone and misoprostol helps the body to safely speed up the passing of pregnancy-related tissue, which is particularly important during miscarriages to avoid complications like increased bleeding, infection, scarring of the uterus and future invasive procedures.

The Supreme Court initially blocked the 5th Circuit’s ruling on May 4 and restored medical providers’ ability to provide the drug through mail after a brief pause. The court extended an initial order allowing for telehealth mifepristone access before granting the potentially monthslong stay. On May 7, Texas joined 22 other states in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court asking them to let the 5th Circuit’s ruling stand.

Rachel Rebouche, a University of Texas at Austin law professor, said the Supreme Court’s order was unsurprising and likely designed to offset disruption in medical care caused by mifepristone’s sudden unavailability. The court’s one-page order did not provide an explanation for the block.

“It’s really hard to have a legal status for a drug that thousands and thousands of people use flicker,” Rebouche said. “Just maintaining the status quo is a way to damp down the confusion that occurs when something changes overnight.”

Will out-of-state organizations that mail abortion pills stop sending them to Texas?

While mailing of mifepristone is expected to stop if the 2023 FDA rule goes away, abortion pills will still be mailed into the state. That’s because providers will likely switch to misoprostol-only prescriptions, Ziegler and Rebouche said.

Studies have shown misoprostol-only abortions to also be safe, and the prescription is commonly used around the world, Ziegler said, but may come with additional side effects and potential for complications.

Shield laws would not protect the continued mailing of mifepristone under the 5th Circuit’s ruling and the 2023 FDA rule’s withdrawal because mailing the drug would violate federal regulations and result in penalties. But, the switch to exclusively sending misoprostol would likely make that moot, Ziegler and Rebouche said.

What are anti-abortion advocates saying about pulling the 2023 FDA rule?

Texas Right to Life president John Seago described the ruling as a restoration of a “common sense safeguard,” but stopped short of calling the ruling a full win, as he and other anti-abortion groups have urged the federal government to get more involved in halting abortion access.

“This is not an ultimate victory by any stretch of the imagination,” Seago said.

Seago said that the FDA could pause distribution of abortion pills nationally, and suggested that President Donald Trump could enforce a 150-year-old federal law called the Comstock Act to ban mail access to mifepristone and misoprostol. Texas joined Florida in filing a lawsuit in December seeking to challenge the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, arguing the agency did not properly evaluate the drug and also citing the Comstock Act.

“The rhetorical point we’ve been making is, we expect more and have higher expectations of the federal government, [and] for the FDA there’s a couple of things immediately they can do,” Seago said.

Rebouche said the FDA or Trump administration can’t simply “snap their fingers” and suspend availability of the two drugs, both because the FDA has not shown an immediate harm from the drugs and because any changes would likely be immediately sued and enjoined by a court.

“Somewhere, a court will do that, because there isn’t credible evidence that mifepristone is in any way dangerous or not effective,” Rebouche said.

What are abortion advocates saying about the latest ruling?

Groups that support and help assist access to abortion nationwide called the 5th Circuit’s ruling and subsequent stay from the Supreme Court “chaos” as access to mifepristone was limited and subsequently restored over the course of a few days. They say the latest court actions further chills people from trying to obtain the drug because they think it’s illegal, even though the drug itself is not.

“Today’s stay gives patients and providers only a brief moment to breathe as the dust settles on the most severe blow to abortion access since Dobbs,” Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju said on May 4 when the Supreme Court issued its temporary block.

In states where abortion is still legal, advocacy groups have pushed for legislators to pass and bolster shield laws allowing residents in states like Texas to maintain access in part through telehealth prescriptions. The courts’ rulings underscore the unpredictable nature of the courts and need for federal abortion protections, Timmaraju said in her statement.

“Blocking the baseless in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone from going into effect for a week may help to offset some disruptions to care following the Fifth Circuit ruling last week — but the underlying threat to access remains just as dire as it was before,” said Kelly Baden, vice president for public policy at the Guttmacher Institute in a statement.

When will a permanent decision be made about mifepristone?

It is currently unclear when the 5th Circuit or the Supreme Court may rule more definitively on the 2023 FDA rule, as the blocking of the 2023 rule came “very quick on the draw” in the appellate court case, Ziegler said.

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

Flanked by several Republican state lawmakers, the governor rolled out his agenda at a campaign event at the Austin Police Association’s headquarters. Topping his wish list was denying bail to all unauthorized migrants accused of certain felonies. He also will champion creating a statewide prosecutor and the ability to impeach what he characterized as rogue district attorneys.

It could prove difficult for lawmakers to pass Abbott’s agenda, as some would entail a constitutional amendment, which requires supermajority support in the Legislature.

“When these strategies get passed, we will achieve our goal to make sure as a state, we are protecting our communities,” Abbott said.

Much of the event’s focus was on Travis County District Attorney José Garza, who has faced intense criticism from the police union and conservative state leaders as soft on crime. He was also scrutinized for failing to indict some felony suspects within the 90-day deadline, leading some to be released and others to remain in jail longer than they should have.

Garza defended his record after Abbott’s event, telling The Texas Tribune that there is a “disconnect” between the reality of prosecution work and the political rhetoric. He also said his office has worked to eliminate the backlog of unindicted cases.

“What happened today was a political stunt and a distraction from the governor’s litany of failures over the last several years,” he said.

But for Abbott, who started floating the idea of a statewide prosecutor on social media last year, the role could help fix the problem of “rogue” district attorneys.

He said a statewide prosecutor — appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate — would monitor cases to prevent failures by local prosecutors. For instance, referencing Garza’s failures to bring timely charges, the governor noted that a statewide prosecutor would have had the option to step in on the 90th day and bring indictments instead.

In an interview with KVUE, Abbott said the Legislature has the “full constitutional authority” to create a new district attorney and define their jurisdiction as encompassing the entire state. He pointed to the establishment of the 15th Court of Appeals in 2023 as further evidence of this power.

“There’s really no doubt at all about the constitutionality of it,” he said.

Abbott also is pushing for a new law that would allow district attorneys to be impeached.

According to the Texas District & County Attorneys Association, locally elected prosecutors currently could be removed from office by a district court judge following a jury trial. They could also face accountability through state bar discipline, a criminal investigation, a court of inquiry or at the ballot box.

Following a 2023 law passed in an effort to rein in left-leaning prosecutors, the courts could also remove district attorneys for misconduct if they decline to pursue certain types of crimes. At least two petitions have been brought by residents against Garza under this law, though they failed.

“It’s a cumbersome tool that basically is ineffectual,” Abbott said about the petitions. “We just want to make sure that we add more tools to the toolkit to make sure that there is accountability for DAs across the entire state of Texas.”

The governor will again push for legislation that would deny bail to any unauthorized immigrant accused of certain felonies, such as murder, kidnapping, sexual assault and indecency with a child.

The bail and impeachment provisions would require a constitutional amendment. The bail proposal related to immigrants last year failed to clear the 100-vote mark in the Texas House, where there were 62 Democrats, although the Legislature passed an extensive package of other bail restrictions.

Abbott said lawmakers who opposed the bail proposal will have to answer to voters for failing to support a measure that would protect communities. He is also taking his bully pulpit on the road, with his campaign announcing that he will promote his public safety agenda Friday in San Antonio.

Besides the legislative wish list, the governor also touted the success of a task force targeting violent repeat offenders, which has led to 728 arrests, including 455 individuals considered to be a high threat. The Texas Department of Public Safety launched the task force in Houston in October and recently expanded its operation to the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio metro areas.

It is the latest step that President Donald Trump's administration has taken to pull back regulations on coal mining and coal-fired power and empower fossil fuels as a primary energy source to feed the rapid growth of artificial intelligence data centers.

In its proposed rule, the EPA said a 2024 rule under President Joe Biden misjudged the effectiveness and cost of the regulation, and had the effect of shutting down coal-fired power plants at a time when energy demand is spiking.

Changing the rule is critical to making electricity more affordable and reliable, while advancing the economy, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement.

“The AI and data center revolution is creating an electricity and baseload power demand that cannot be met under the overly restrictive policies of past administrations,” Zeldin said. “The Trump EPA will continue doing its part to address these burdensome regulations on the coal-fired power plant sector that hold American communities back from the new opportunities presented by this new 21st century energy reality.”

In 2024, the EPA strengthened wastewater rules over coal-fired power plants that keep coal ash — a byproduct of burning coal — in unlined, uncovered dumps that leach toxic heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic and selenium into groundwater.

In the rule, the EPA required plant owners to report whether the groundwater was contaminated and, if so, pump and treat the contaminated groundwater before discharging it into streams and rivers, Thom Cmar, an attorney for environmental advocacy group Earthjustice, said.

The EPA initially had given power plant owners until Dec. 31, 2029, to meet the new limits.

The EPA said the rule proposed Thursday, if finalized, would reduce power generation costs by as much as $1.1 billion a year. Coal and power industry trade associations cheered the EPA's move. Environmental groups slammed it as a public health danger and giveaway to the coal-power industry.

Earthjustice said the lakes, rivers and other waterways that will see more pollution as a result of the EPA’s proposal are often sources of drinking water that tens of millions of people rely on. Coal-fired power plants are by far one of the largest sources of toxic pollutants in America’s rivers, lakes and streams, Earthjustice said.

“This plan would eliminate safeguards on hundreds of millions of pounds of wastewater with neurotoxins and cancer-causing contaminants. It would allow coal power plants to avoid cleaning up contamination that threatens our drinking water sources," Cmar said.

The proposal unveiled Thursday would exempt contaminated groundwater seeping into waterways from the mandatory treatment requirements, Earthjustice said. Power plant owners would only be required to treat the contaminated groundwater if they were already complying with the 2024 rule to pump it to the surface to treat it, Earthjustice said.

States could, however, still investigate whether power plants are polluting the groundwater and, if they are, try to force owners to treat the polluted groundwater under federal clean water laws, Cmar said.

“The problem is, at the state level, many states are reluctant to use that tool that they all have to hold up the permitting process and force the companies to do an adequate job of documenting and limiting the pollution,” Cmar said.

The EPA said dozens of coal-fired power plants — likely up to 104 — are polluting groundwater through the uncontrolled runoff. It found seven plants were complying with the rule to pump and treat the groundwater, it said.

The EPA had estimated in 2024 that its new rule that year would reduce pollutant discharges by 660 to 672 million pounds per year, provide $3.2 billion in public health benefits each year and especially benefit “low-income communities and communities of color that are disproportionately impacted by pollution from coal-fired power plants.”

It had projected that electricity bills for the average residential household would increase by less than $3.50 per year.

___

Follow Marc Levy at http://twitter.com/timelywriter

Texas bans drivers from reading, writing, or sending electronic messages while operating a vehicle, and that includes while sitting in traffic or waiting at a stoplight.

What is illegal in Texas?

Under Texas law, drivers cannot:

• Text while driving
• Read or send emails
• Use messaging apps or social media behind the wheel
• Hold or use a handheld device in a school zone
• Use handheld devices at all if under 18 years old

TxDOT says distracted driving remains a major problem statewide. In 2025 alone, distracted driving was linked to more than 86,000 crashes in Texas, killing 299 people and seriously injuring thousands more.

So… does a red light count as “driving”?

Texas law focuses on whether you are operating a vehicle on a roadway, not whether your car is moving at that exact second.

That means if you’re sitting at a red light, stopped in traffic, or creeping through congestion, officers can still cite you for texting or messaging on your phone.

Unlike some states with strict “hands-free” laws, Texas does not completely ban holding a phone while driving statewide. However, texting, emailing, and similar electronic messaging are illegal.

What about GPS or music apps?

Texas law does allow some phone use behind the wheel, including:

• Using GPS navigation
• Playing music
• Reporting an emergency or crime
• Hands-free calls in many areas

But officers may still stop drivers if they believe the phone use is distracting or unsafe.

How much is the fine?

Drivers caught violating Texas’ texting law can face:

• Up to $99 for a first offense
• Up to $200 for repeat offenses

Some Texas cities also have stricter local ordinances that limit handheld phone use even more.

TxDOT’s advice: Pull over first

TxDOT recommends drivers completely pull off the road and stop in a safe place before using their phones for calls or texts.

The agency’s message is simple: “Phones down, eyes up, Texas.”

On Iran, Trump said Xi told him that China wants to help negotiate an end to the war and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. China is the largest buyer of Iranian oil — and Trump has hoped Xi would use that leverage to prod Iran into a deal on U.S. terms. Trump also said Xi assured him that China wouldn’t provide Iran with military equipment.

In a closed-door meeting, Xi warned Trump that differences over Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing claims as its own territory, could bring the U.S. and China into clashes or conflict. In December, Trump authorized an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, but has not yet moved forward with delivery. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later warned that it would be “a terrible mistake” for China to take Taiwan by force.

Trump also hopes to focus talks on trade and deals for China to buy more agricultural products and passenger planes, setting up a board to address their differences and avoid a repeat of the trade war ignited last year after Trump’s tariff hikes.

Meanwhile, Adm. Brad Cooper, a top U.S. military leader in the Middle East, is testifying before the Senate for the first time since the Iran war began.

Here's the latest:

Trump says Xi wasn’t talking about him when he called the US a ‘declining nation’

Trump started his last day in Beijing with a defensive social media post, claiming that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was not talking about him when he “very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation.”

The U.S. president, who did not explain the origin of those remarks, said they referred to former President Joe Biden.

The U.S. president said that Xi had only been complimentary about Trump’s own actions after returning to the White House last year.

“In fact, President Xi congratulated me on so many tremendous successes in such a short period of time,” Trump posted.

Trump administration uses X. Lawsuit plaintiffs use court

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s X posting Thursday in which he released images of design plans for one of Washington’s historic golf courses has begat a court filing by the lawyers in a civil case against those plans.

Lawyers representing the DC Preservation League filed a plaintiff’s notice of factual development to alert the court that members of the Trump administration continue talking about design plans for one of the city’s most popular and historic golf courses even though the legality of its plans is tied up in court.

“As with every other public development since Plaintiffs filed this case, this announcement further confirms that Defendants ‘will’ be converting East Potomac into championship-style course at the expense of numerous existing features of East Potomac Park,” lawyers for the DC Preservation League wrote.

US Supreme Court preserves access to abortion pill mifepristone, while lawsuit plays out

The Supreme Court on Thursday preserved access to a drug used in the most common method of abortion, rejecting lower-court restrictions while a lawsuit continues.

The court’s order allows women seeking abortions to continue obtaining mifepristone at pharmacies or through the mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor. Access is likely to remain uninterrupted at least into next year as the case plays out, including a potential appeal to the high court.

The justices granted emergency requests from makers of mifepristone, who are appealing a federal appeals court ruling that would require women to see a doctor in person and halt delivery of mifepristone through the mail.

The federal Food and Drug Administration, which first approved mifepristone for use in abortion in 2000, stopped requiring in-person visits five years ago.

CIA director meets with officials in Havana, Cuban government says

The Cuban government says CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Thursday with counterparts from the

Caribbean country ’s Ministry of the Interior during a high-level visit to the island.

According to official reports, the meeting served as a platform for Cuba to present evidence asserting that the nation poses no threat to U.S. national security.

An official statement noted that the meeting took place “against a backdrop of complex bilateral relations.”

Thursday’s meeting comes weeks after the Cuban government confirmed that it had recently met with U.S. officials on the island as tensions between the two countries remain high over the U.S. energy blockade of Cuba.

House Republicans barely defeat legislation to halt Iran war

A Democratic effort to pass legislation that would have put a check on Trump’s ability to launch further attacks against Iran barely failed to pass the House in a tie vote.

The war powers resolution failed on a 212-212 vote tally. Three Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Tom Barrett of Michigan, joined with Democrats to vote in favor of the resolution. Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine voted against it.

It was the first time the House has voted on the war since the close of a 60-day window in which presidents must gain congressional approval for such a conflict.

The House vote — and a close Senate vote the day before — showed how a small but potentially crucial number of Republicans are now standing in opposition to Trump continuing the war without congressional approval.

Justice Department accuses Yale medical school of illegally using race in admissions

The Department of Justice is accusing Yale University of illegally considering race in its medical school admissions. This is the second such DOJ allegation against a medical school this month.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in a letter to Yale dated Thursday that data show Black and Hispanic students have a higher chance of admission to the medical school than white or Asian students, despite slightly lower grades and test scores. Last week, the DOJ notified the University of California, Los Angeles, of similar allegations.

The DOJ seeks a voluntary resolution with Yale but says it may take legal action if compliance isn’t achieved voluntarily. Yale officials haven’t commented yet.

▶ Read more

Trump administration aims to relax limits on toxic wastewater from coal-fired power plants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants to relax limits that require coal-fired power plants to prevent the release of toxic heavy metals into streams and rivers.

The EPA said Thursday that a 3-year-old rule was unduly costly for the energy industry at a time when energy demand is spiking, and that its new rule will lower the cost of power generation.

It’s the latest step that President Donald Trump’s administration has taken to pull back regulations on coal mining and coal-fired power. Coal and power industry trade associations cheered the EPA’s proposal.

Environmental groups slammed it as a public health danger and giveaway to the coal-power industry.

“This is another example of the Trump administration endangering the health of Americans as a favor to corporate polluters,” Thom Cmar, an attorney for environmental advocacy group Earthjustice, said in a statement.

▶ Read more

In new lawsuit, Justice Department challenges efforts to sanction Trump administration lawyers

The Justice Department is challenging efforts to sanction attorneys from the first and second Trump administrations, asserting in a lawsuit that the District of Columbia Bar is unfairly playing politics with the legal disciplinary process.

The lawsuit represents a direct challenge to the authority of the office that enforces ethics standards for attorneys in the nation’s capital where several high-profile investigations of Trump-allied lawyers are playing out.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in federal court in Washington. The D.C. Bar’s Board on Professional Responsibility did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

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House Democrats call for Lutnick to resign as commerce secretary

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are telling Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to resign following the release of his interview transcript in the House’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

Lutnick was neighbors with Epstein for years in New York City. The commerce secretary has insisted he barely knew Epstein, a wealthy financier who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges.

But discrepancies have emerged between an interview that Lutnick gave on a podcast in 2025 and his later admissions that he had actually met up with Epstein twice after a 2005 tour of Epstein’s townhouse that disturbed Lutnick and his wife.

Demanding his resignation, Democratic lawmakers told Lutnick in a letter, “You lied to the American people and attempted to conceal your relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in your public statements.”

Emails show FBI Director Kash Patel’s Hawaii trip included ‘VIP snorkel’ at a Pearl Harbor memorial

Government emails obtained by The Associated Press show that FBI Director Kash Patel went on a “VIP snorkel” session last summer at the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor.

The FBI didn’t publicize the excursion or Patel’s return to Hawaii after official visits to Australia and New Zealand.

With few exceptions, snorkeling and diving are off-limits around the USS Arizona. The sunken battleship is now a military cemetery reachable only by boat. It has stood as one of the nation’s most hallowed sites since Japan bombed and sank the ship in 1941. It entombs more than 900 sailors and Marines at Pearl Harbor.

A Navy spokesperson confirms the outing but says the service wasn’t able to track down who initiated it.

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US Border Patrol chief announces his resignation in a Fox News interview

The head of the federal agency that patrols the borders of the United States says he’s resigning.

Michael Banks of the U.S. Border Patrol told Fox News on Thursday that his resignation was effective immediately, saying, “It’s just time.”

In the interview, Banks said he believes he’s improved border security significantly.

“I feel like I got the ship back on course from the least secure, disastrous, chaotic border to the most secure border this country has ever seen,” he said.

The Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection had no immediate comment.

▶ Read more

US announces additional $1.8 billion in funding for UN humanitarian aid

By EDITH M. LEDERER

Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, made the announcement at a press conference Thursday, saying the money will be earmarked for life-saving aid to victims of natural disasters, famine and “people who are truly in critical need.”

The $1.8 billion, to be allocated over the coming year, is in addition to the $2 billion the Trump administration announced in December.

President Donald Trump shut down the international aid agency USAID, throwing global humanitarian efforts into turmoil.

U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called his agency “overstretched, under-resourced and literally under attack” and reiterated its 2026 plan to reach 87 million of the world’s most needy at a cost of $23 billion — even though 300 million people need humanitarian help.

Before Waltz’s announcement, he said, the U.N. had raised about $7.4 billion. He said the U.S. is now “the single largest national donor” to the United Nations.

Top Democrat on Senate Foreign Relations Committee criticizes Trump’s China summit

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Trump’s visit to China has so far demonstrated a “lack of a coherent foreign policy” and that the U.S. is in a weakened position as a result of the war with Iran.

Shaheen told reporters that she had wished Trump had taken a stronger stance at his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, especially regarding Taiwan.

Trump in December authorized an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan — the largest weapons sale ever to the island — but has not yet moved forward with delivery.

Shaheen, who led a bipartisan group of senators on a visit to Taiwan in March, said the American president has “missed the fact that strong deterrence is the best way to have a stable relationship with China.”

Interior Secretary releases plans for historic DC golf course

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced the design plans for one of Washington’s historic golf courses.

In a posting on the social platform X, Burgum promised local golfers in the National Capital Region would enjoy “championship-quality golf at affordable, highly discounted rates.”

Commenters were overwhelmingly critical, suggesting better uses for taxpayer dollars.

The golf course is the subject of a lawsuit by the nonprofit DC Preservation League. It is challenging the Republican administration’s takeover of the golf course and its use as a dumping ground for debris from the demolition of the East Wing of the White House. Democracy Forward, a national legal organization that is co-representing the league, did not respond to a call for comment.

The suit is one of several legal battles challenging Trump’s efforts to remake public spaces in the city, including plans to build a 250-foot-tall (76-meter-tall) triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial. Preliminary site work began there this week.

Vance talks up Sen. Susan Collins during Maine appearance

Vice President JD Vance used part of a speech in Bangor, Maine, to promote the state’s Republican candidates.

Sen. Susan Collins is in a tough reelection fight this year with progressive activist Graham Platner as the likely Democratic opponent. Vance praised Collins for her independence and lack of partisanship.

“Sometimes I get frustrated with Susan Collins. I almost wish she was more partisan,” Vance said. “If she was as partisan as I wish she was she would not be a good fit for the people of Maine.”

Vance also encouraged attendants to vote for former Gov. Paul LePage, who is seeking election to a congressional seat held by Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, who is leaving office.

Senate hearing on Middle East ends with thoughts on disarming Hezbollah

The Senate Armed Services Committee hearing with the top U.S. military leader in the Middle East ended with a focus on the challenge of disarming Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group.

Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the committee’s Republican chair, noted how Hezbollah has continually fired rockets into Israel, while Israel had launched a ground offensive into southern Lebanon focused on Hezbollah, displacing a million people.

Wicker asked Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads U.S. Central Command, if the offensive was necessary.

“It is an option among options, of which there are few to deal with the Hezbollah problem,” Cooper said.

Wicker later said, “It would be a tremendous achievement” for Israel, Lebanon and the United States “if Hezbollah could be eliminated.”

Senators approve withholding their own pay during government shutdowns

Senators have unanimously approved a resolution to withhold their pay during government shutdowns. Lawmakers said the measure approved Thursday would discourage future funding standoffs after a series of record-breaking shutdowns.

The proposal requires the secretary of the Senate to hold senators’ salaries during shutdowns and release the money once funding resumes. It’ll take effect the day after the Nov. 3 general election.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy, the bill’s sponsor, says the measure ensures lawmakers share the burden faced by unpaid federal workers.

“This is about putting our money where our mouth is,” said Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, in a floor speech Wednesday.

Two shutdowns in the past year created significant financial hardship for tens of thousands of federal workers, particularly at the Department of Homeland Security. The department reopened last month after a 76-day partial shutdown and a 43-day full government shutdown last year.

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Trump says Xi told him China would not give Iran ‘military equipment’

The U.S. president said that Chinese leader Xi Jinping assured him in their conversations that China would not provide weapons to Iran.

“He said he’s not going to give military equipment. That’s a big statement,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “He said that today. That’s a big statement.”

Trump has previously said that Xi has offered him this same assurance on weapon sales.

But the statement sidestepped questions about China providing Iran with intelligence, electronic components or revenues from the purchase of oil.

Trump said that Xi said China would like to continue buying petroleum from Iran.

“But at the same time, he said, you know, they buy a lot of their oil there and they’d like to keep doing that,” the president said.

Trump says Xi offered to help broker peace with Iran

President Donald Trump said that Chinese leader Xi Jinping told him in meetings that his country “would like to be of help” in negotiating an end to the Iran war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to oil shipments.

“But he said, ‘I would love to be a help, if I can be of any help whatsoever,’” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “He’d like to see the Hormuz strait open. He said, ‘If I can be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help.’”

Before leaving for the state visit in Beijing, Trump said the U.S. did not need China’s assistance on resolving the conflict.

US commander says reducing civilian deaths is a passion, but admits to job cuts

Adm. Brad Cooper, the top U.S. military leader in the Middle East, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that reducing civilian casualties is a particular passion of his. But he admitted that an office in U.S. Central Command focused on civilian-harm reduction was cut from 10 employees to one.

Cooper said those people are still focused on reducing civilian casualties but are “integrated into other capacities.” The admiral added that dozens if not hundreds of people are focused on reducing civilian deaths.

Under questioning from Democratic lawmakers, he declined to estimate civilians casualties in the Iran war. He said the bombing of a school at the beginning of the war is still under investigation. He said there’s no evidence that corroborates reporting that several schools and hospitals were also bombed.

Elon Musk’s young son accompanies him in Beijing

His 6-year-old son was spotted in a Chinese-style outfit as he walked with his father in the Great Hall of the People, where Trump and Xi met in a high-stakes summit.

Musk is part of the U.S. business delegation that met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday in the same venue.

In a video posted by China’s state media, the boy is seen wearing a blue Chinese-style vest with golden-colored knot buttons on the side, drawing praise on Chinese social media.

Musk posted on his social media site X that the boy is learning Mandarin Chinese.

US commander says Iran can still strike targets in the region

The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East conceded that Iran still maintains a “very moderate if not small capability to continue strikes” in the region amid questions from lawmakers Thursday.

In response to questions from Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Cooper also said the U.S. has the military power to permanently reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

However, when Slotkin pressed on why Cooper hasn’t done so, especially amid rising gas prices rising for Americans, Cooper deferred to policymakers amid ongoing peace negotiations.

American forces battling Iran are adopting tactics from Ukrainians, US commander says

Adm. Brad Cooper told the Senate Armed Services Committee that American forces have learned a lot from the Ukrainian military, which is battle-hardened from its war with Russia.

“We adopted a large number of tactics, techniques and procedures that the Ukrainians have passed us that have helped us defend Americans,” Cooper said.

Ukraine has passed on expertise to the U.S. specifically regarding anti-drone warfare. Iran had launched swarms of drones against U.S. and allied forces, killing some Americans.

A report from SmartAsset found Texas is the No. 33 state in the country for reported fraud incidents involving people age 60 and older.

The study analyzed Federal Trade Commission data and measured how often seniors reported being targeted by fraud and scams.

Key findings for Texas

• Texas recorded 4.3 reported fraud incidents for every 1,000 residents age 60 and older.
• About 6% of all reported fraud cases in Texas involved seniors.
• The most common scams targeting older Texans were business imposter scams, where criminals pretend to represent trusted companies such as banks or credit card providers.

Researchers say business imposter scams often involve fake calls, texts, or emails claiming there is suspicious account activity or urgent payment issues.

States with the highest rates

According to the study, the states with the highest rates of senior fraud reports were:

1. Florida
2. Delaware
3. Nevada
4. Georgia
5. Maryland

Why experts say seniors are often targeted

Fraud experts say scammers frequently target older adults because many have retirement savings, own homes, and may be more likely to answer phone calls or respond to messages appearing to come from trusted businesses.

The report comes as consumer protection agencies nationwide continue warning about rising scam activity involving AI-generated voices, spoofed phone numbers, and fake customer service agents.

Click here for the full SmartAsset study.

New Mexico produces more oil than any other state besides Texas, and the state's revenue from taxes, royalties and lease sales helps cover the cost of college tuition, all school meals, health insurance and a new initiative for free universal child care.

Now that oil prices are surging from the conflict with Iran, money is flooding into the state treasury and creating an uncomfortable situation for Democrats who oppose the war and would rather reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

“It’s hard for people to think about, ‘Oh great, we have this windfall,’ and children are getting killed on the other side of the world,” said Deb Haaland, the former U.S. Interior Department secretary running for governor.

Haaland is one of two Democrats running to succeed Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is wrapping up her second term in office. A former congresswoman and state party chair, Haaland worked to limit unfettered oil and gas exploration while serving in President Joe Biden's Cabinet.

Now she wants to use money amid the energy boom to increase New Mexico's child tax credit and boost the refundable working families tax credit, payouts that would most benefit people with low incomes.

“We have obligations to try to have a better world overall," said Haaland, a member of Laguna Pueblo who could become the first female Native American governor in the U.S. “I think we can do that.”

Her rival for the Democratic nomination, Albuquerque-based District Attorney Sam Bregman, said he wants to offset inflation with one-time $500 checks from the state to residents making less than $200,000 a year. He also wants to waive personal income taxes on residents 65 and older.

“It is the resources of the people that’s generating that revenue,” he said. “We ought to give it back to the people."

For every $1 fluctuation in the average annual price of oil, New Mexico sees a roughly $59 million swing in state government income.

That means the state is likely to see a $850 million surge in annual state government income for the budget year ending in June alone based on war-time price changes — equivalent to 12% of annual general fund spending, according to the state Legislature’s budget and accountability office.

New Mexico sends much of its relatively heavy crude oil from its patch of the Permian Basin to Texas distribution hubs and refineries along the Gulf Coast. Prices could remain high with no end in sight for the war despite a fragile ceasefire.

A nest egg that moderates dependence on oil

In New Mexico, surges in oil income automatically flow into a series of trust accounts designed to gradually reduce the state’s reliance on fossil fuels, helping the state generate investment income to underwrite Medicaid, early childhood education, infrastructure projects and an expansion of mental healthcare.

The strategy has tempered discomfort among many Democrats with dependence on oil income, in a state with entrenched swaths of extreme poverty and the nation’s highest enrollment rate in Medicaid.

“For New Mexico and New Mexicans and especially the progressive left — which sort of controls the state — it’s always something they really don’t want to admit or talk about or get angry about,” said Lonna Atkeson, a political science professor who has analyzed voting behavior in New Mexico and directs the LeRoy Collins Institute at Florida State University. “Like, ‘We should not be funding our stuff with that money.’ I’ve heard those arguments."

The winner of this year's governor's race will take the helm of a state investment council overseeing a roughly $68 billion state nest egg, including investments that defray costs for K-12 public education.

New Mexico is not alone in reaping the financial benefits of the war. In Alaska, the state forecast an additional $1.05 billion for the current fiscal year and the one beginning July 1.

“It really is this small group of energy-reliant states like North Dakota, Alaska, New Mexico and Wyoming that are going be affected most directly,” said Justin Theal, who researches state fiscal trends as a senior officer for The Pew Charitable Trusts. He described the situation as “a double-edged sword.”

“It raises costs for households and businesses which can potentially dampen consumer spending and reduce sales taxes that almost every state relies on as well,” Theal said.

Wartime oil prices hold silver lining for New Mexico

Three contenders for the Republican nomination are advocating for even more aggressive tax relief while oil prices are riding high.

“Republicans are using the ‘e-word' — eliminate income taxes,” said Albuquerque-based pollster Brian Sanderoff, president of Research and Polling Inc. A Republican last won election to statewide office in 2016.

At the same time, they're questioning whether universal childcare will be financially sustainable.

The program is coming under direct fire in a lawsuit from cannabis entrepreneur and Republican candidate for governor Duke Rodriguez. He previously served as human service secretary under former Gov. Gary Johnson, a crusader for limited government who unsuccessfully ran for president as a Libertarian.

The lawsuit alleges the childcare program was implemented in November by Lujan Grisham without required authorization from the Legislature — though supporting legislation was passed this year. A court has ordered the administration to respond within 30 days.

Reflecting on the state’s oil income, Rodriguez says, “We don’t have a resource problem, what we have is a real results problem. We just spend and spend and spend with no accountability.”

Republican businessman Doug Turner describes wartime oil prices as an opportunity to overhaul the state tax code and wants means testing for childcare benefits. He lost the 2010 Republican primary to then-district attorney Susana Martinez, who went on to serve two terms as governor.

Gregg Hull, a former three-term mayor of Rio Rancho on the outskirts of Albuquerque, wants New Mexico to join the ranks of states with no personal income tax like Texas and Wyoming. Personal income taxes account for about $2.2 billion in annual state government income, offsetting about a fifth of annual general fund obligations.

Hull said he wants to double down on the oil economy by funneling budget surpluses to infrastructure projects in the state's main oil-production zone.

“This morning, when I was looking at a price of a barrel of oil, I said, ‘Well, that’s not great for consumers, but it’s awesome for New Mexico,'” Hull said.

___

Associated Press writer Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, contributed to this report.

Musk, the world's richest man, was a co-founder of OpenAI, which started in 2015 and went on to create ChatGPT. His lawsuit filed in 2024 accuses OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his top deputy of betraying a plan to keep it as a nonprofit and shifting into a moneymaking mode behind his back.

The trial’s outcome could sway the balance of power in AI — breakthrough technology that increasingly has raised fears about its potential impacts on the economy, society and even humanity's survival. Scrutiny of Altman’s leadership comes at a crucial time for the company and its competitors, Musk’s own AI firm and Anthropic, formed by a group of seven ex-OpenAI leaders.

All three firms are moving toward planned initial public offerings that are expected to be among the largest ever. Musk is seeking damages and changes to OpenAI’s business structure, as well as Altman’s ouster from company leadership. If Musk wins, it could derail OpenAI’s IPO plans.

Timing of lawsuit is key question

One of the jury’s tasks is to decide if Musk filed his lawsuit in time. Much of the testimony has centered on OpenAI’s early years after its founding, but there’s a relatively short timeline to allege the claims Musk is making of breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment.

OpenAI has argued that Musk waited too long and cannot claim harms that occurred before August 2021.

The judge wrote in a court filing last month that “if the jury finds that Musk failed to file his action within the statute of limitations, it is highly likely” that she will “accept that finding and direct verdict to the defendants.”

If the jury decides the lawsuit was filed in time, it then has to decide if OpenAI had a “charitable trust” that was broken by OpenAI and its executives. Musk's other claim means jurors must determine whether Altman, Greg Brockman — co-founder and president — and OpenAI unjustly enriched themselves at Musk's expense.

For Microsoft, a co-defendant in the trial, the jury has to decide whether the company aided and abetted that breach. Musk invested $38 million in OpenAI during its first years, and Microsoft became OpenAI's biggest investor after Musk's departure.

Musk lawyer focuses on Altman's credibility

Altman and Brockman were in the courtroom Thursday, while Musk was in China with President Donald Trump and other prominent tech executives.

Musk’s attorney, Steven Molo, told jurors the Tesla CEO was “sorry he could not be here.”

In his closing arguments, Molo doubled down on claims of Altman's untrustworthiness, pointing to testimony from witnesses who called the OpenAI CEO a “liar.”

"I confronted Sam Altman with the fact that five witnesses in this trial, all people that he’s known for years and worked with, called him a liar under oath. Liar’s a very powerful word in a courtroom,” Molo said.

Those five people were Musk and another co-founder Ilya Sutskever, who was OpenAI’s chief scientist, as well as OpenAI’s former chief technology officer Mira Murati and two ex-board members, Helen Toner and Tasha McCauley.

“Sam Altman’s credibility is directly at issue in this case. He’s the defendants' main witness. The defendants absolutely need you to believe Sam Altman. If you cannot trust him, if you don’t believe him, they cannot win. It’s that simple,” Molo said.

Because Musk, Altman and Brockman never signed a contract that could show they had a charitable trust that OpenAI then broke, Musk's side has made the case that jurors should consider emails and other communication between them — along with everything from OpenAI's website to press interviews — as constituting such a trust.

A question of money

In a terse exchange while jurors were out of the room, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers sharply criticized Musk’s attorney for suggesting to jurors Thursday that Musk wasn’t seeking any money in the lawsuit.

While Musk, before the trial, abandoned a bid for damages for himself, he is still seeking an unspecified amount of money to be paid to fund the altruistic efforts of OpenAI’s charitable arm.

Musk is seeking “billions of dollars of disgorgement,” the judge said, ordering Molo to either retract his statement or “drop your claim for billions of dollars.” They later agreed that the judge would correct the statement to jurors.

OpenAI says Musk has no evidence

Sarah Eddy, a lawyer for OpenAI, said it was Musk who has misrepresented details surrounding OpenAI's nonprofit founding and his subsequent falling out with the other co-founders.

“Mr. Molo says that Sam Altman can’t be trusted,” she said. “Mr. Musk is the one whose testimony is contradicted by every other witness.”

As OpenAI has argued throughout the trial, Eddy said Musk knew of and supported plans for OpenAI to form a for-profit company that would still support its mission to benefit humanity.

“Mr. Musk, he has tried to persuade you that his years-ago donations to OpenAI came with specific strings attached, that these strings were strong enough to last forever to tie OpenAI up in knots as it tries to pursue its mission, and that these strings gave Mr. Musk perpetual rights over OpenAI,” Eddy said. "But Mr. Musk has come nowhere close to making that case.”

She brought up testimony that Musk had discussed his children inheriting control of OpenAI.

“He wanted dominion over AGI,” she said, referring to artificial general intelligence, a term for advanced AI technology that surpasses humans at many tasks. “That’s why this was such a high stakes conversation. Mr. Musk wanted total control. Maybe, maybe he’d give it up over time, or maybe not. But it was up to him and that was the problem.”

Protesters outside court bash both sides

Outside the courthouse, more than a dozen protesters bashed both parties as billionaires who were eroding the environment, workforce and people’s mental health and whose industry would wipe out humanity.

There were signs that read “Stop replacing healthcare workers with chatboxes!” and “No future for workers in Musk-Altman fascist world.”

It doesn’t matter which side wins in court, said Saru Jayaraman, who is part of a campaign to push a $30 hourly wage on election ballots this fall.

“The thing is, we’re all losing, that’s the main point. Who’s really winning? The two of them,” she said, referring to Altman and Musk.

Phoebe Thomas Sorgen, a peace activist from nearby Berkeley, said there needs to be a global ban on artificial intelligence and used a slang term to say everyone is awful here, except for the jurors and activists.

“Both parties in this trial are completely hypocritical. They both claim that they’re developing AI for the benefit of humanity and that’s a lie. They’re developing it for greed.”

___

Associated Press Writer Janie Har contributed to this story. O'Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

High pressure aloft and plenty of sunshine is creating an air quality issue for most of metro Houston today, and likely for the remainder of the week.

Staying hot and sunny Thursday evening

Heating Up:

Friday morning waking up in the upper 60s to low 70s, the heat continue to build fast. By the afternoon highs reach the low 90s.

The heat will start to feel different as a stronger pull off of the Gulf for the remainder of the week, so expect to see temps moving back up to near 90.

Your 10 Day Forecast:

Next week high pressure gets shoved out as multiple disturbances move through. This will increase rain chances next week.

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

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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Lebanese officials are hoping that the two-day negotiations will yield a new ceasefire deal and pave the way for tackling a series of thorny issues, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah.

A U.S. State Department official described the full day of discussions on Thursday as “productive and positive” and said the U.S. looks forward to day two on Friday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the closed-door session and did not offer additional details.

The Trump administration has been pushing for a breakthrough between the two neighbors that have been officially in a state of war since Israel was created in 1948.

Hezbollah, however, is not part of those talks and has been vocally opposed to Lebanon engaging in direct negotiations with Israel.

Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group have continued to trade near-constant fire across the border despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on April 17. Initially a 10-day truce, it was then extended for another three weeks.

Talks move to a higher level

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who attended the first Israel-Lebanon meetings in Washington in April, was with President Donald Trump on a visit to China and did not attend Thursday's session.

The current round of talks represents a step toward more serious negotiations, with higher-level envoys from Lebanon and Israel taking part after the initial preparatory sessions were headed by the ambassadors of the two countries to Washington.

Lebanon's envoy heading up Thursday's talks, Simon Karam, is an attorney and well-connected former Lebanese ambassador to the U.S. who recently represented Lebanon in indirect talks with Israel over implementation of the ceasefire that preceded the latest outbreak of war between Israel and Hezbollah. On the Israeli side, Deputy National Security Adviser Yossi Draznin was set to attend.

There are still large gaps in what the two sides want from the direct talks. Israeli officials have focused on disarming Hezbollah and described the negotiations as a precursor to a potential normalization of diplomatic relations. Lebanese officials have said they are seeking a security agreement or armistice that would stop short of normalization.

Trump has publicly called for a meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while Aoun has declined to meet or speak directly with Netanyahu at this stage — a move that would likely generate blowback in Lebanon.

Lebanon hopes for ceasefire

A senior Lebanese official familiar with the negotiations in Washington said Thursday Lebanon wants a complete ceasefire first and then would negotiate withdrawal of Israeli forces. The issue of Hezbollah’s weapons would be dealt with politically in Lebanon after that, he said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to speak frankly about the talks.

He said Lebanon is “relying heavily on the U.S. administration” to provide it with leverage in the negotiations with Israel and believes that Trump is “sincere” in his desire to help Lebanon.

The official said that when Trump and Aoun spoke recently, Trump did not pressure Aoun to meet or speak with Netanyahu and was understanding when Aoun explained his reasons for declining. According to the official, Aoun told Trump that if he went to Washington and shook hands with Netanyahu and the talks later fell apart, it could have internal repercussions in Lebanon and discredit Trump.

Aoun told Trump that if the two countries are able to reach a security deal, he would come to the White House and “inaugurate” it and Trump responded by saying “I like that,” the official said.

If Israel agrees to a ceasefire and withdraws from the territory it is occupying in southern Lebanon, the official said, he believes Hezbollah would agree to an arrangement under which it would hand over its weapons to the Lebanese army, which could keep some of them and destroy others. Under this plan, Lebanon could consider allowing individual Hezbollah fighters to join the Lebanese army if they meet eligibility requirements, he said.

Meanwhile, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter in an interview with Israeli news site Walla News Thursday said Israel aims “to negotiate for full peace as if Hezbollah does not exist — borders, embassies, visas, tourism, everything.” Despite Lebanese officials’ assertions that diplomatic normalization is not currently on the table, he said he believes “it is possible to reach such an agreement within a few months.” But, he added, “it would be conditioned on the success of the second track — dismantling Hezbollah.”

Hezbollah and Israel trade fire

Thursday’s talks opened hours after a Hezbollah drone exploded inside Israel, injuring three civilians, two of them severely, according to the Israeli military and hospitals. It was the first instance of civilians injured by Hezbollah projectiles since the ceasefire, according to reports from Israel’s rescue service, Magen David Adom.

Israel has struggled to halt frequent Hezbollah drone attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and over the border in northern Israel.

Israel has also continued to carry out strikes in Lebanon. On Wednesday, Israel struck seven vehicles in Lebanon — three of them on the main highway just south of Beirut — killing 12 people including a woman and her two children, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. Later strikes in southern Lebanon killed another 10 people, including six children, the ministry said.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry says that since the war began on March 2, 2,896 people have been killed — including around 400 since the nominal ceasefire was implemented — and 8,824 wounded. Eighteen Israeli soldiers, two Israeli civilians inside Israel and a defense contractor working in southern Lebanon have been killed on the Israeli side.

U.N. peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon have also been caught in the crossfire and six have been killed.

___

Associated Press writers Joseph Federman in Jerusalem and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.8% to set an all-time high for a second straight day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 370 points, or 0.7%, and finished above the 50,000 level for the first time since the war with Iran began, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.9% to its own record.

Cisco helped lead the market after reporting better profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The tech giant’s stock leaped 13.4% for its best day in nearly 15 years, and CEO Chuck Robbins said it saw “very strong, broad-based demand for our products.”

Big Tech behemoths in particular are pouring cash into artificial-intelligence technology, and Cisco gave a forecast for profit in the current quarter that easily topped analysts’ expectations.

Such voracious demand for AI, and the big profits it’s producing, have been major reasons the U.S. stock market has set records throughout this year. Cerebras Systems, an AI processor company, raised $5.55 billion after selling its stock in an initial public offering, and its shares surged 68.1% in their debut on the Nasdaq Thursday.

Corporate earnings reported so far this season have “reinforced that this is still an AI-led market, but one where the impact is broadening quickly,” according to Gargi Pal Chaudhuri, chief investment and portfolio strategist at BlackRock.

“What started with a handful of companies is now driving earnings growth across semiconductors, infrastructure, and even parts of the industrial economy,” she said.

Outside of AI, other stocks rallying after delivering better-than-expected profit reports included StubHub Holdings, up 13.7%, Viking Holdings, up 5.5% and Yeti Holdings, up 6.2%.

All three companies sell products that aren’t day-to-day essentials, such as concert tickets, river cruises and insulated water bottles. Strong results from them could be an indicator that customers are still willing to spend even though U.S. consumers have been telling surveys they’re feeling discouraged about the economy.

Whether U.S. households will keep spending and support the economy is a big question because pressure has been bearing down on them due to high oil prices and inflation created by the Iran war. A report released Thursday said that shoppers overall spent less at U.S. retailers last month than economists expected. But the deceleration after factoring out gasoline and automobile sales wasn’t quite as bad as economists thought it would be.

A separate report, meanwhile, said more U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits last week, which could be an indication of more layoffs. The number, though, remains relatively low compared with history.

Treasury yields flitted up and down in the bond market immediately after the reports, but they largely remained steady. The yield on the 10-year ticked up to 4.47% from 4.46% late Wednesday.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 56.99 points to 7,501.24. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 370.26 to 50,063.46, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 232.88 to 26,635.22.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose in Europe following a mixed finish in Asia. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1%, while South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.8% to another record thanks to gains for AI-related stocks.

Stocks were virtually flat in Hong Kong and down 1.5% in Shanghai as Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing.

Some investors hope Trump could encourage Xi to use China’s close economic ties with Iran to get it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The strait’s closure because of the war has kept oil tankers pent up in the Persian Gulf instead of delivering crude to customers worldwide, which has driven up prices.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, rose 0.1% to settle at $105.72 Thursday, and it remains well above its price of roughly $70 from before the war.

___

AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

The money will be allocated over the coming year and adds to the $2 billion that the Trump administration pledged in December. Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said at a press conference that the new funding is just “the latest step.”

The new contribution brings total U.S. support for U.N. humanitarian programs to $3.8 billion across 21 countries, according to the State Department, which said the money would be prioritized for locally run projects that help the most vulnerable populations.

The department said the initial contribution delivered "life-saving assistance to 21.1 million people more quickly, more efficiently, and with greater focus on those facing the most acute humanitarian needs in less than four months.”

Still, the money is a fraction of what the U.S. has contributed in the past and reflects what President Donald Trump’s administration believes is still a generous amount that will maintain America’s status as the world’s largest humanitarian donor.

The Trump administration has cut billions in U.S. foreign aid, prompting U.N. agencies to slash spending, aid projects and thousands of jobs. Other traditional U.N. donors like Britain, France, Germany and Japan also have reduced aid allocations.

U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called his agency “overstretched, under-resourced and literally under attack” and reiterated its 2026 plan to reach 87 million of the world’s most needy at a cost of $23 billion — even though 300 million people need humanitarian help.

Before Waltz’s announcement, he said, the U.N. had raised about $7.4 billion. He welcomed the new U.S. contribution and called the United States “the single largest national donor” to the United Nations.

Fletcher urged donors to reach the $23 billion goal this year, but also to provide more funding to help some of the 200 million-plus people worldwide not expected to get aid this year because of the financial crisis.

Waltz pointed to significant changes in U.N. humanitarian operations that the U.S. has pushed for to cut costs, including pooling warehouses, vehicle fleets and back-office operations among U.N. agencies.

He slammed what he called a narrative in the media that the U.S. has walked away from helping people in need, saying it’s “absolutely false.”

Under Trump, the U.S. has been taking an à la carte approach to paying dues to the United Nations, picking which operations and agencies it believes align with Trump’s agenda and avoiding those that no longer serve U.S. interests. The State Department has said that “individual U.N. agencies will need to adapt, shrink, or die.”

Critics say the Western aid cutbacks have been shortsighted, driven millions toward hunger, displacement or disease, and harmed U.S. soft power around the world.

The United Nations says the U.S. owes $2.2 billion to its regular operating budget and $1.8 billion to a separate budget for its far-flung peacekeeping operations, though the Trump administration insists it owes less.

In February, the administration paid about $160 million to the regular budget. Waltz said Thursday that “we will have an additional substantial tranche towards the regular budget coming soon.”

According to the district, they became aware of the allegation and referred the matter to the Cleveland ISD Police Department.

District officials said the employee is no longer on campus or in contact with students. Cleveland ISD stated that established safety protocols remain in place to help ensure a secure learning environment for students and staff.

• Former Katy ISD paraprofessional accused of sexually assaulting 13-year-old student

“Student safety remains our highest priority,” Superintendent Dr. Glenn Barnes said in a statement. “The district acted immediately upon receiving this information and continues to fully cooperate with law enforcement and all appropriate authorities.”

The district said it is limited in the amount of information that can be publicly released at this time, citing privacy laws

• Man arrested, charged in stabbing, robbery of Houston Methodist employee in TMC parking garage

The district is also encouraging parents and guardians to maintain open, age-appropriate conversations with their children and to report any concerns to campus administration or district officials.

No additional details about the employee or the investigation have been released.

The Michelin-starred restaurant is known for its innovative flavors and its approach to cultural storytelling, extending beyond food and into its beverage program. At the bar, ingredients are treated with the same level of detail and creativity as the kitchen, resulting in cocktails that highlight both technique and local sourcing.

Launched in late 2024, the “Beekeeper” cocktail program transforms locally sourced honey into a menu of drinks inspired by Houston neighborhoods. Each cocktail is named after the area where its honey is collected, including Montrose, Bellaire, West University, Meyerland, Third Ward and Gulfton. The concept connects each drink to a specific part of the city.

The restaurant works with beekeepers located within about 6.5 miles of the restaurant to source honey used in the program. That hyperlocal approach is designed to support sustainable practices while emphasizing the role of pollinators and seasonal sourcing.

Ahead of World Bee Day, observed by the United Nations to raise awareness about bees and biodiversity, head bartender and 2026 Truffle Masters Cocktail Competition winner Aniket Bhingare joins “Houston Life” to share three signature cocktails from the menu.

See how he makes the drinks in the video above.

The featured drinks include:

• Montrose: Pisco, rhubarb blend, cherry bitters and Montrose honey
• Bellaire: Casamigos Reposado, peach and grapefruit bitters and Bellaire honey
• University West: Brugal 1888 rum, black walnut bitters and West U honey

To learn more about Musaafer’s Beekeeper cocktail program and seasonal menu, visit www.musaaferhouston.com.

Tyler Brown, 46, who appeared in Cambridge District Court via video from a hospital bed, did not speak and appeared to have his eyes closed for most of the brief hearing. He nodded when the judge said not guilty pleas had been entered on his behalf to charges of armed assault with intent to murder and six other charges, including possessing a gun without a license.

Judge David Frank ordered him to remain in custody, either at the hospital or in jail, pending a hearing on May 21. Brown's attorney, Carolyn McGowan, declined to speak at the hearing other than answering the judge's questions about scheduling matters. The Committee for Public Counsel Services/Public Defender Division, where she is listed as a senior trial counsel, did not respond to a request for comment.

Brown is accused of opening fire Monday afternoon on a heavily traveled road along the Charles River in Cambridge. Panicked drivers abandoned their vehicles or hid under them seeking cover.

One man, who was struck in the back of the head, has since been released from the hospital, while another driver who was shot four times in the leg remains hospitalized, Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Nicole Allain said.

About an hour before the shootings, Brown connected with his parole officer via video conference. Armed with a gun, he said on video that he had relapsed and wanted to end his life. The parole officer called police, who began searching for Brown and, using phone records, found him in Cambridge.

The complaint describes what led up to the shootings. According to investigators, Brown had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression and had been released Friday from a psychiatric hospital.

According to the complaint, Brown is on parole and probation for offenses including armed assault to murder and other gun-related convictions. His parole was set to end this week, though his probation continued.

Meghan Kelly, a spokesperson for the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, said Brown was not licensed to carry a firearm.

Allain described Brown’s criminal history going back to 1994, when he was convicted of armed robbery in Michigan. He also was convicted of escape in Michigan in 1997 and drug offenses in New Hampshire in 2007.

In Massachusetts, he has been convicted of multiple assault and gun-related charges, most recently in 2021, when he was convicted of firing at officers.

Prosecutors said then that he should serve at least 10 years in prison, due to the “level of brazen violence” and because he was on probation for a 2014 conviction on assault and witness intimidation charges. A judge instead ordered Brown to serve five to six years in state prison and three years of probation with credit for nearly 18 months spent in custody.

At the time, the judge’s decision sparked outrage and criticism among local officials concerned that violent offenders were not being held accountable — concerns that have resurfaced. “Talk about a ball drop,” said the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association in a statement on social media.

During a 2021 sentencing hearing, a police officer who Brown shot at called him "a very dangerous individual who doesn't care who he hurts," according to an audio recording of the proceedings. A probation officer expressed concern that the incident he was on probation for and the one he was being sentenced for were similar and he was a “danger to the community due to his random acts of violence.”

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders told the court then that she considers factors like psychiatric issues and childhood trauma Brown endured in imposing a sentence. But Sanders seemed especially moved by the support expressed in letters from Brown's family and the community, including city officials, who were impressed with “his commitment to turn his life around.”

“Mr. Brown, I do realize I’m kind of taking a chance on you,” the judge told him. “When experienced officers, experienced probation officers tell me this guy is a danger to the community, I hear that. I can't look into a crystal ball and figure out what is going to happening once you get out. But I do understand I am taking a risk here. I just pray that you know my intuitions are right.”

___

An earlier version of this report misattributed information about the suspect's background to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. It actually came from Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Nicole Allain.

This comes after Paxton’s investigation of over 1,000 Texas cities to ensure none are unlawfully raising taxes, in violation of SB 1851, a law passed during the 2025 legislative session that bars cities from raising property taxes above the no-new-revenue rate if they do not meet Texas’s financial statement audit and transparency requirements.

The 130 cities named failed to comply with the statutory requirements for the new fiscal year, according to Paxton’s office.

• RELATED: 1,000 cities in Texas, including Houston and Galveston, under Paxton investigation

Now, Attorney General Paxton has notified those cities that they are subject to the enforcement provisions and penalties established under SB 1851 and may not adopt property tax increases above the no-new-revenue rate.

These letters are addressed to an initial list of non-compliant cities, and the investigation remains ongoing.

The OAG will continue to take additional action and make further determinations as more cities are found to be out-of-compliance with audit requirements.

“I will not allow cities to unlawfully raise taxes on hardworking Texans. That is why I took aggressive action against over 130 Texas cities to hold them accountable and ensure they comply with state law,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Cities cannot fail to abide by state audit requirements without consequences. My office will continue to aggressively enforce Texas law to protect taxpayers across the state.”

The following list of cities have been sent violation determination letters

Alpine, Aspermont, Baird, Balch Springs, Balmorhea, Bedias, Berryville, Big Spring, Bishop, Blooming Grove, Blue Mound, Briarcliff, Brookside Village, Buffalo Gap, Calvert, Cameron, Campbell, Centerville, Chico, Chireno, Clarksville, Clear Lake Shores, Combine, Corrigan, Crane, Cross Timber, Crowell, Crystal City, Cuero, Dalhart, Danbury, De Leon, Eagle Lake, Elkhart, Eureka, Eustace, Fairfield, Farwell, Flatonia, Franklin, Fritch, Fulton, Gordon, Grandfalls, Gregory, Groesbeck, Groom, Hale Center, Hamilton, Hearne, Hempstead, Higgins, Hillcrest Village, Horizon City, Howardwick, Howe, Huntington, Industry, Ingleside On the Bay, Jewett, Jonestown, Keene, Kemah, Kenedy, Kerens, Kermit, Lamesa, Livingston, Lott, Lumberton, Manvel, Marquez, McCamey, Megargel, Menard, Mertzon, Mexia, Miami, Midway, Miles, Mount Enterprise, Natalia, New Home, New Waverly, Newcastle, Oyster Creek, Paducah, Panorama Village, Pelican Bay, Pleak Village, Plum Grove, Port Lavaca, Quanah, Red Lick, Redwater, Rockdale, Rocksprings, Roma, Rusk, San Elizario, San Felipe, San Perlita, Seabrook, Shepherd, Smiley, Snyder, Somerville, Southmayd, Spring Branch, Spur, Sterling City, Stinnett, Sunray, Surfside Beach, Taft, Tehuacana, Texas City, Texline, Three Rivers, Tiki Island, Tom Bean, Tool, Turkey, Valley Mills, Valley View, Victoria, Weslaco, Weston Lakes, Wharton, Wickett, Wimberley, Wolfe City, Woodloch, Yantis, and Yoakum.

Of those cities, these are the cities in Southeast Texas and the Houston area

Bedias, Brookside Village, Clear Lake Shores, Danbury, Hempstead, Kemah, Livingston, Manvel, New Waverly, Oyster Creek, Panorama Village, Plum Grove, Seabrook, Shepherd, Surfside Beach, Texas City, Tiki Island, Wharton, Weston Lakes, Woodloch.

It happened in front of Clute Intermediate School. Police were called at 7:20 a.m.

Police say the girl was riding her bike to the school when she collided with a GMC Sierra pickup truck exiting the school parking lot.

• Man arrested, charged in stabbing, robbery of Houston Methodist employee in TMC parking garage

The driver immediately stopped and attempted to render aid, but police say the girl succumbed to her injuries at the scene.

Multiple agencies investigated the accident, including the Clute Police Department, Lake Jackson Police Department, Lake Jackson Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Brazosport ISD Police Department.

The push is part of an ongoing effort by Paxton to make sure cities aren’t unduly raising property taxes under Senate Bill 1851, which passed last year. That law is part of a GOP-led push to rein in the state’s high property taxes. It bars cities from raising more in property taxes than they did the previous year if they don’t conduct an annual financial audit and release an annual financial statement based on that audit.

“I will not allow cities to unlawfully raise taxes on hardworking Texans,” Paxton said in a statement. “That is why I took aggressive action against over 130 Texas cities to hold them accountable and ensure they comply with state law. Cities cannot fail to abide by state audit requirements without consequences.”

Last year, Paxton requested financial documents and other information from a majority of the state’s 1,200 cities to determine whether they’re following the law. His office said some 135 cities “failed to comply” with the law but did not say how.

Among those cities were Alpine, Balch Springs, Victoria and Wimberley. Paxton’s office said those cities comprised “an initial list of non-compliant cities, and the investigation remains ongoing.”

Small cities told lawmakers that the bill’s provisions would disproportionately impact them because they do not have the manpower or time to produce audits within the 180-day requirement. The penalties that bar them from collecting some taxes would hurt their already paltry budgets.

The Texas Tribune reached out to several cities Paxton notified, but they have not immediately responded to questions.

Larger cities like Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and Corpus Christi were among the cities first subject to Paxton’s tax probe. Those cities were absent from the list of towns Paxton ordered not to raise their taxes.

So was Odessa. Paxton put the city on notice last year after officials adopted a tax hike, but has not responded to city officials after they supplied his office with documents justifying the increase.

He struggled mightily off the tee, a recipe for trouble at Aronimink. He was tentative over his putts, with three misses from the 7-foot range that could have made him feel a lot better.

The result was a 4-over 74 that left McIlroy chasing the wrong kind of history as the Masters champion goes for the second leg of the calendar Grand Slam. Not since the late Payne Stewart in 1989 has a player started the PGA Championship with a 74 and gone on to win.

The question by a PGA of America moderator when it was over sounded innocuous: “How would you describe your opening round?” The response was one word. A four-letter stinky word.

McIlroy had said earlier this week at Aronimink that “strategy off the tee is pretty nonexistent. It's basically bash driver down there and then figure it out from there."

He never quite figured it out Thursday.

McIlroy was hanging around par for so much of the day, right there with Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm in his group, not bad golf given the testing conditions at Aronimink.

But he started missing fairways — a lot of them.

His lone bogey on his front nine came on the opening hole from the right rough — he managed to only get that scooting down the fairway. But the miss to the right on the par-4 fourth (his 13th of the day) cost him another bogey. He holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-3 fifth. All was well.

And then it wasn't.

“I missed the fairway right on 4, the fairway right on 6, the fairway right on 7, fairway right on 9,” he said. "From there, it’s hard. I didn’t have great angles, either. Then obviously you start missing it just off the edges of these greens, it gets tricky.

“I just got on that bogey train at the end.”

McIlroy also opened with a 74 at Quail Hollow in the PGA Championship last year, his first round as the Masters champion. The frustrations were different. A year ago, he was irritated about learning the face of his driver had become too thin to conform to regulations (and then even more irritated when the news was leaked to the media without context).

This was simply a weakness in his game he thought he had corrected.

“I’m just not driving the ball well enough. It’s been a problem all year for the most part,” McIlroy said. “I miss it right, and then I want to try to correct it. And then I’ll overdo it, and I’ll miss it left. It’s a little bit of back and forth that way. So that’s pretty frustrating, especially when I pride myself on driving the ball well.”

He hit only five of the 14 fairways. He was in the short grass on No. 1 after making the turn. He played from the rough the rest of the round. McIlroy was in the hay right of the seventh hole and could only manage to hack that across the fairway into more rough on the left, leaving him 15 feet for par that he didn't convert.

His final hole was the par-5 ninth, another drive that sailed right. From there, he put it in the worst spot — a bunker 67 yards from the pin — and barely got that onto the green, leaving him 70 feet a way for birdie. He ran that 8 feet by and missed it coming back.

As for that blister causing problems, McIlroy offered another one-word answer: “No.”

This was about his driver, mainly, which McIlroy felt good about after his final round Sunday in the Truist Championship, and the 12 holes of practice at Aronimink he played this week.

“I honestly thought I’d figured it out,” he said. “Just once I get under the gun, it just seems like it starts to go a little bit wayward on me.”

___

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

Weinstein, who's 74 and has a history of heart trouble and other health woes, looked pale but alert as he was brought into court in the wheelchair he has used for years. He said he felt “good, fine.”

The ex-studio boss was in a courthouse holding area Wednesday when jurors, after a few hours of deliberating, sent a note asking to rehear some of accuser Jessica Mann ’s testimony and to review a lengthy prosecution timeline of emails and other evidence.

After defense lawyers, prosecutors and Judge Curtis Farber convened in court to decide how to respond, Weinstein attorney Marc Agnifilo said court officers had told him Weinstein was experiencing chest pains.

Weinstein wasn't brought into court at that point, and Farber ultimately sent jurors home Wednesday a bit earlier than planned, telling them there were “unforeseen reasons” for the early dismissal.

Jurors got the requested information Thursday, revisiting testimony that Agnifilo had highlighted in his closing argument: a moment when Mann said she was “spacing out” as a defense lawyer asked why she didn’t want a friend to know that anything sexual had happened between her and Weinstein. The defense was trying to suggest that she was worried about her reputation, not an alleged rape that Weinstein says never happened.

Jurors returned to their closed-door discussions. Over the ensuing hours, the jury asked to rehear Mann's testimony about the alleged rape and the lead-up to it, and to go over the judge's instructions on reasonable doubt. That's the legal bar that evidence must clear to justify a conviction.

Jurors ultimately went home for the night without reaching a verdict. Deliberations are to resume Friday.

Mann, 40, has testified that she willingly had some sexual interludes with the then-married producer, but that he subjected her to unwanted sex in a Manhattan hotel room in March 2013 after she repeatedly said no.

Weinstein's lawyers maintain that the encounter was consensual. They have emphasized that Mann subsequently continued seeing Weinstein and expressing warmth toward him. Mann has said she was mired in complicated feelings about him, herself and what had happened.

Her viewpoint changed in 2017, when a series of sexual misconduct allegations against the Oscar-winning Weinstein propelled the #MeToo campaign to hold people — especially powerful men — accountable for sexual misbehavior. Weinstein has said he “acted wrongly” but never assaulted anyone.

Some of those accusations generated criminal convictions against Weinstein in New York and California.

An appeals court overturned his 2020 New York conviction on charges that involved Mann and another accuser. At a retrial last year, jurors failed to reach a verdict on Mann's portion of the case, leading to this retrial. Weinstein is charged with one count of rape in the third degree.

The current jury heard nearly three weeks of testimony, five days of it from Mann. Weinstein did not testify.

The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted. Mann, however, has agreed to be named.

Vance, dubbed the “fraud czar” by President Donald Trump, made an appearance in the state's politically competitive 2nd Congressional District to stump for former Gov. Paul LePage, a Trump ally who is vying to flip the U.S. House seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Jared Golden.

He compared LePage to the current governor, Democrat Janet Mills, who has sparred with the Trump administration over the issue of transgender athletes in high school sports. Mills is prevented by term limit laws from running again and recently dropped out of a heated Democratic primary race for the Senate seat held by Republican Susan Collins, one of the most vulnerable candidates in the chamber.

“Let’s kick Janet Mills to the curb and let’s send Paul LePage to Washington to help us fight the fraudsters and protect all of you,” Vance told the crowd of a few hundred people at Bangor International Airport.

While Vance has mentioned the anti-fraud efforts in his stops around the country in recent weeks on behalf of Republican candidates, Thursday’s visit was the first expressly billed as a stop to talk about the fraud-fighting efforts rather than the economic-focused message he’s delivered in other visits.

The event showcased how the vice president is leveraging his high-profile role leading Trump's anti-fraud task force for Republicans as they face crucial midterm elections this year, especially as the administration’s economic message has been clouded by rising costs from the Iran war. Early voting is already underway in Maine for the state’s June 9 primary elections for offices including governor, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House.

The state has supported Democratic presidential candidates in consecutive elections going back to 1992, though Trump carried Maine's 2nd Congressional District in the last three elections, capturing one of the state's four electoral votes.

Vance could make fraud a centerpiece of a 2028 run

Vance’s message also provided a preview of how the vice president, seen as a likely 2028 GOP presidential candidate, could use the fraud crackdown as a central piece of his own political message in a future campaign.

“You are the first victim of fraud,” Vance told attendees as signs hung nearby that read “PROTECTING TAXPAYER DOLLARS” and “FIGHTING FRAUDSTERS.”

Vance went on and added a few minutes later, “My friends, this has gone on for far too long. You have been fleeced by your own government for far too long, and we are stopping it every single day.”

Mills said in a statement that Vance’s attacks were an attempt to distract from surging costs and the unpopular Iran war.

“Maine people deserved to hear about how the Trump Administration is making their lives better by lowering costs, improving health care, building housing, and fixing child care — but we got none of that because the President and Vice President don’t actually care about these issues or the hardships they are causing our state and people,” Mills said.

The visit to Maine came after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said earlier in the year that he was calling for corrective action on alleged fraud in government health programs in Maine, a request characterized by Mills as a “political attack.”

Mills recently dropped out of the Democratic primary race to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins, effectively ceding the nomination to progressive activist and oyster farmer Graham Platner. The seat is critical to Democratic hopes of reclaiming control of the chamber in this year's midterms.

Vance, however, didn't mention Platner and instead focused much of his attention on Mills and LePage, the sole Republican vying for the nomination in Maine's 2nd Congressional District.

Republicans are bullish about their chances of the seat, which encompasses Bangor and which backed Trump for president in the last three elections even as the state itself supported the Democratic presidential candidate.

Vance portrayed LePage as a partner-in-arms with his anti-fraud effort and told the crowd Thursday: “Fraud has festered in Maine because this guy is no longer the governor of Maine.”

Collins draws praise from Vance for her independence

While Collins is not always a reliable vote for the Trump administration, Vance took pains to praise the longtime senator for her independence and lack of partisanship.

“Sometimes I get frustrated with Susan Collins. I almost wish she was more partisan,” Vance said. “If she was as partisan as I wish she was, she would not be a good fit for the people of Maine.”

Collins was in Washington on Thursday and not among the candidates who joined Vance for the trip.

Before Vance arrived, LePage told the crowd that if elected to represent Maine's 2nd Congressional District, he would work with the Trump administration to crack down on fraud in social safety programs, which he characterized as rampant in his state.

“The American people are done being taken for a ride. It’s time for the Maine people and the Maine taxpayer to be put front and center,” he told the crowd.

Maine Center for Economic Policy, a left-leaning policy group that advocates for low- and middle-income residents, said in a statement that the Trump administration's characterizations of fraud and social programs in the state were inaccurate.

“Fraud should always be investigated and stopped. But Mainers deserve facts, not political fearmongering designed to undermine health care for hundreds of thousands of people,” the statement said.

In the governor's race, seven Republicans, five Democrats and sevreal independents are vying to replace Mills. Vance noted that some of the candidates were in attendance at the rally but declined to endorse any of them when a reporter asked whether he would.

A few dozen demonstrators stood across the street from the airport holding signs denouncing Vance and the Trump administration. One held a giant caricature of the vice president’s head that has become a popular meme.

Nirav Shah, the former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention director who is running for governor, said in an email to supporters and the media that Vance is visiting Maine as the costs of necessities such as heating oil and gas surge in the state.

“That is the record JD Vance is bringing to Maine on Thursday. That is the record the Maine Republicans hosting him are ‘honored’ to celebrate,” Shah said.

___

Price reported from Washington.

Soto exited a 3-2, 10-inning win over the Tigers in the seventh inning on Wednesday night, four innings after he fouled a ball off his right foot. X-rays were negative and Soto batted third as the designated hitter in Thursday’s matinee.

“I wasn’t concerned, I’ve done it before,” Soto said Thursday. “It was getting swollen big time, so I just tried to make a smart move. I know how to handle it.”

Manager Carlos Mendoza said Lindor, who was injured April 22 while scoring from first on a double hit by Francisco Alvarez, underwent an MRI Wednesday that showed “signs of healing,” though the All-Star shortstop is nowhere near a return.

Mendoza said Lindor has been cleared to do more work in the weight room before beginning a running program.

“Positive sign,” Mendoza said. “We’ve just got to let it heal.”

Mendoza said there was no timetable for Lindor to begin baseball activities. Lindor has been sidelined for the Mets’ last 18 games — four more than he missed the previous four seasons combined.

Alvarez, who suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee while fouling off a pitch in Tuesday’s 10-2 win over the Tigers, underwent surgery Thursday morning. Mendoza said the Mets expect Alvarez to miss up to eight weeks.

Alvarez is the Mets’ 12th player currently on the injured list, joining Lindor as well as right-handers Reed Garrett (Tommy John surgery), Justin Hagenman (fractured rib), Tylor Megill (sprained right elbow), Dedniel Núñez (Tommy John surgery) and Kodai Senga (lumbar spine inflammation); left-hander A.J. Minter (left lat surgery); infielders Ronny Mauricio (broken left thumb), Jorge Polanco (bruised right wrist) and Jared Young (torn left meniscus); and outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (lumbar spine disk herniation).

In addition, Soto missed 15 games last month because of a strained right calf.

___

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

According to Houston Police Department, officers from multiple different branches of the department worked together to track down the suspect Thursday.

Downtown, Central, Patrol Support, K9 and Fox have a catalytic converter/ evading suspect in custody. Suspect fled in a vehicle, on an electric scooter, ran on foot and swam in Little White Oak Bayou. Team work resulted in suspects apprehension. 202 pic.twitter.com/mP6A77Z3JO

— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) May 14, 2026

Authorities said the suspect initially fled in a vehicle before abandoning it and attempting to escape on an electric scooter.

The chase continued on foot before the suspect jumped into Little White Oak Bayou in an apparent attempt to evade officers.

Despite the unusual escape efforts, police said coordinated teamwork between ground units, K9 officers and aerial support ultimately led to the suspect’s arrest.

Authorities have not yet released the suspect’s identity or the charges they may face.

The incident remains under investigation.

The 41-year-old man slipped unnoticed past motion detectors in a remote corner of Denver International Airport, which sprawls across open plains and covers an area twice the size of Manhattan. He quickly scaled an 8-foot perimeter fence topped with barbed wire, then walked unobstructed onto the runway where he was fatally struck by a Frontier Airlines jet as it attempted to take off late Friday night.

Surveillance video showed the man getting pulled into an aircraft engine that instantly burst into flames, forcing the pilot to abort the takeoff and evacuate the 224 passengers and seven crew members. Twelve people had minor injuries.

Aviation and risk experts said the Denver runway collision represents a clear security failure. They noted it could have been far worse if the pilot didn't safely stop the aircraft that was traveling 150 miles per hour (241 kph).

“People ought to be concerned. This was really an unprecedented risk. But now there is precedent,” said Eric Chaffee a law professor at Case Western Reserve University and an expert on risk, including in the aviation industry.

“The individual ended up with a bad result. But having somebody basically damage a plane is really quite concerning because of all those lives aboard any given aircraft,” Chaffee added. “There ought to be new measures put into place to prevent this type of tragedy."

15 seconds to scale the fence

Some aviation experts disagreed that new regulations were needed. They said installing blanket surveillance or impregnable defenses around airports was cost prohibitive, given the relative rarity of dangerous events like Friday's collision.

The Denver medical examiner ruled the intruder's death a suicide.

Officials from the city-owned airport promised a review of their protocols and defended their perimeter security program. During a Tuesday news conference, Denver airport CEO Phillip Washington said the airport received “perfect scores” following federal inspections of airfield safety and perimeter integrity.

Airport officials said in response to questions from The Associated Press that annual inspections by the Federal Aviation Administration found two discrepancies over the past decade, both from 2019. One was a response vehicle that got delayed 20 seconds during an aircraft rescue firefighting drill, and the other was a problem with driver training records.

The airport did not answer questions about inspections of the perimeter fence and whether any problems have been found. Those fences are under oversight from a separate federal agency, the Transportation Security Administration.

The FAA referred questions about the perimeter security to TSA. The AP sent emails to TSA seeking comment on Denver’s inspection results and documents detailing its security protocols.

“Safety is something we take very, very seriously,” Washington told reporters Tuesday. He added that making the perimeter fence taller or topping it with razor wire wouldn’t necessarily have made a difference, because someone who was motivated could still find a way in.

During Friday's breach, an alarm from a ground detection sensor was triggered shortly before the intruder entered the airport along its eastern boundary, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the terminal. An airport worker watching video surveillance cameras attributed the alarm to a herd of deer — and missed the intruder.

It took the man about 15 seconds to scale the fence and two minutes more to reach the runway, Washington said. Airport officials didn't know he was on the runway until the pilot notified the control tower that the plane hit somebody.

Airport perimeter breaches are a regular problem, with perhaps dozens annually nationwide, said security expert Jeff Price, who managed security at the Denver airport in the 1990s. Denver International Airport is surrounded by about 36 miles (58 kilometers) of fence, which officials say is patrolled by security workers and continuously inspected.

The vast majority of airport trespassers don’t pose a real threat to others, according to Price and other experts. A man died at the Austin airport in 2020 after a Southwest Airlines jet struck him on a runway. Police later ruled it was a suicide.

Worries about copycats

Two law firms notified Denver officials Tuesday that they are preparing to sue on behalf of Frontier passengers, seeking in excess of $10 million in damages. The firms alleged “multiple failures” in the airport perimeter security system, without providing specifics, and said their eight clients suffered mental and physical injuries.

Steven Wallace, former director of accidents investigations at the Federal Aviation Administration, described the Denver fatality as a “one-off event” that would not justify costly improvements to airport perimeter security programs nationwide.

Wallace acknowledged that some perimeter fences can easily be breached. There are no set rules for their construction, and their primary role is to keep out wildlife that could interfere with flight operations, he said.

“I just don’t see how you’re going to think of and deal with every possible way a human could get into an airport,” he said.

Jim Hall, a former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, suggested there is now a higher likelihood for a repeat of Friday's collision given the potential for copycats. Hall said Denver should consider adding more personnel and surveillance to properly monitor its fence.

“With the amount of cameras and technology that is available, they need to address the problem,” he said. “They've had a failure, and they don’t need to have another one."

Samuel Perez, 25, was arrested last week.

Harris County court records show he posted a $75,000 bond this morning.

ALSO READ: HCSO investigating Klein HS head football coach for alleged inappropriate relationship with Tomball HS student years ago

According to a search warrant affidavit, the investigation began last November after the 13-year-old student reported she had been sexually assaulted by a former paraprofessional later identified as Perez.

The student said Perez messaged her through Instagram and TikTok, and would send her nude pictures of himself, according to the affidavit.

Investigators said they reviewed messages exchanged between Perez and the student from June through July 2025.

Some of those messages include:

• “You can always share with me if you are feeling lonely [wink face]”
• “Are you ever home alone?”

Between August and September of 2025, the student also reported having sex with Perez at least five times inside of a classroom, the affidavit states.

The court document further states Perez discussed sexual acts, asked the student for nude photos, and referenced wanting to “run away” with her.

Authorities said the IP address was tied to the Katy home searched under the warrant. Employment records and Perez’s driver’s license also linked him to the address, according to investigators.

The warrant allowed investigators to seize computers, phones, cameras, internet records, digital storage devices, and materials tied to the alleged sexual abuse or exploitation of children.

The warrant was signed May 7 and executed May 8 at the home in Katy.

Katy ISD provided KPRC 2 with the following statement:

In coordination with local law enforcement agencies, District police investigated allegations involving inappropriate solicitation between a staff member and a student. The District takes all allegations of this nature extremely seriously and is fully cooperating with law enforcement and relevant agencies.

Following the investigation, former staff member Samuel Perez was arrested and charged with a felony. Mr. Perez has not been present on District property for most of the current school year and is no longer employed by Katy ISD.

The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority, and we are committed to responding promptly and appropriately whenever concerns arise.

Authorities identified the woman as Kaitlyn Graves.

Deputies with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded to the apartment complex at 905 Cypress Station Drive near Hollow Tree Lane around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday for a welfare check.

Sgt. Jason Brown with the sheriff’s office homicide division said family members had contacted the apartment management after they had not been able to reach Graves for several days.

“Deputies came to the location after management made entry into the apartment and discovered a deceased female inside the apartment,” Brown said.

• RELATED: Woman found dead inside Harris County apartment after family reports not being able to reach her for several days

Brown said Graves had suffered “pretty severe trauma” and investigators are treating the case as a homicide.

Investigators said there were no signs of forced entry into the apartment. Brown said detectives are reviewing surveillance video from inside and outside the complex and speaking with neighbors.

Brown said investigators do not have any obvious suspects at this time. He said detectives are still speaking with family members to learn more about who Graves had been in contact with.

Graves’ mother, Laronda Angelo, declined a recorded interview but told KPRC 2 over the phone that her daughter was a kind person who collected water bottles and umbrellas every week to give to people experiencing homelessness.

A neighbor, Rondell Woodson, said he had interacted with Graves at least once before.

“She was out there feeding cats,” Woodson said.

Woodson said he was shocked to learn Graves had been killed.

“Life is short and I guess you gotta watch out for people,” he said.

Woodson said he was in the process of moving out of the complex because of what he described as rising crime in the area.

“It got worse,” Woodson said. “It’s a lot of crimes.”

In February 2025, KPRC 2 reported a shooting in the same area at another apartment complex that left a woman and a man dead.

“I think we need more security over here, because we only got one security, and he got to patrol other complex,” Woodson said.

Woodson said the fact that no suspect has been announced is concerning.

“There’s a lot of eyes, a lot of cameras,” Woodson said.

Anyone with information in Graves’ death is asked to call the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit at 713-274-9100 or contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

Laredo Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez Jr. confirmed in a Thursday news conference that they were being smuggled, and that the Union Pacific train originally departed from Long Beach, California.

Webb County Medical Examiner Corinne Stern said two of the deceased individuals found inside a shipping container at the Union Pacific Railyard on Sunday were from Honduras: a 14-year-old male and a 24-year-old man. Three others were from Mexico: A 29-year-old woman and two men, 45 and 56 years old.

The age of the remaining male, who is Honduran, has not been determined, according to the medical examiner.

Stern determined that the woman died due to hyperthermia, or overheating. Hyperthermia is also suspected to have caused the death of the other five individuals, though formal examinations are still pending, according to a news release issued by the county.

Stern found identification cards and cellphones that indicated the individuals were from Mexico and Honduras, according to the Associated Press. Their fingerprints were also shared with the U.S. Border Patrol to help confirm their identities and nationalities through the Missing Alien Program.

The medical examiner’s office is also working with the Mexican Consulate to confirm the identities of individuals, notify their families, and repatriate their remains.

Laredo Mayor Victor D. Treviño issued a statement lamenting the deaths, which he called a “tragedy.”

“In our close-knit binational community, every loss is felt deeply,” Treviño said. “Our hearts are with the families and loved ones affected, and we thank our first responders for their efforts during this difficult time. Our community stands united in prayer and compassion.”

The six people were discovered at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Sunday in a Union Pacific train boxcar. The train left Long Beach last Thursday and arrived in Del Rio on Saturday, Laredo officials said Thursday. Rodriguez said according to a preliminary investigation, the six people who died boarded the train in Del Rio. From there, they went to Bexar County and then Laredo.

On Monday, a man was found dead on a rural road in Bexar County, and county Sheriff Javier Salazar later that day linked the individual to the six found dead in Laredo. Salazar said the man was found with a Mexican voter ID, but his nationality or age had not been confirmed.

Union Pacific did not respond to questions but issued a statement saying the company “is saddened by this incident and is working closely with law enforcement to investigate.”

Migration to the U.S. continues to be a high-risk endeavor.

Immigrant deaths are a common occurrence for the Webb County Medical Examiner’s office, which serves 11 counties on the South Texas border, Stern told the AP.

“This spring has been busier than it was this time last year,” she said.

In 2025, at least 131 people died along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the International Organization for Migration. About 15% of those cases were due to extreme environmental conditions and lack of access to water, food, and shelter.

In 2022, 53 people from Mexico and Central America died after being transported in a sweltering tractor trailer the driver abandoned in Southwest San Antonio.

In that case, considered by officials to be the deadliest migrant smuggling case in U.S. history, 64 migrants were packed into the trailer without water or air conditioning, on a June day that reached 100 degrees.

Federal prosecutors indicted two Texas men over the deaths. Both of them pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

Alex Nguyen and Colleen DeGuzman contributed to this story.

Michael Banks' decision, announced in a Fox News interview and later confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security, is the latest leadership shake-up of officials implementing President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and comes as the Republican administration appears to be recalibrating its approach to its centerpiece policy of mass deportations.

“It’s just time,” Banks was quoted as saying in a report on the Fox News website, which said the resignation was effective immediately. “I feel like I got the ship back on course," he said, referring to what he described as previous chaos at the southern border. Banks said it was “time to enjoy the family and life."

In a statement, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner, Rodney Scott, thanked Banks for his service “during one of the most challenging periods for border security.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It was not clear who will replace Banks. He led an agency at the forefront of Trump's high-profile immigration enforcement efforts but kept a lower profile than some other officials such as Gregory Bovino, a now-retired commander who became a public face of the immigration crackdown.

Border Patrol participated in immigration enforcement operation in US cities

CBP is one of the federal agencies that participated since last year in a series of immigration enforcement operations, carried out primarily in cities governed by Democrats — an effort that triggered a spike in arrests and led to the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis this year at the hands of federal immigration officers.

Banks' resignation takes place two months after Markwayne Mullin, a former Republican senator from Oklahoma, became homeland security secretary. DHS oversees CBP and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE.

Banks is stepping down at the same time that ICE is also going through a leadership transition. Todd Lyons, the acting ICE director, is leaving later this month and will be replaced by David Venturella, who worked for years for private contractors before returning to government service.

CBP was established in 2003 and handles customs, immigration, and agricultural regulations to secure U.S. borders. It has a workforce of over 20,000 agents assigned to patrol the more than 6,000 miles of land borders, and an operating budget of $1.4 billion, according to information from its website.

As head of CBP, Banks became a pivotal figure in the Trump administration’s hardline policy to reconfigure immigration law enforcement in the United States. He oversaw the expansion of prosecutions for illegal border crossings, intensified coordination between the Border Patrol and ICE, and supervised the implementation of broader internal enforcement operations within the country’s borders.

Banks had a long career at Border Patrol

Banks returned to the Border Patrol last year after a long agency career that had never landed him in its senior ranks. His star had risen as border czar to Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, during a period when illegal crossings reached record highs and the state launched a multibillion-dollar enforcement surge that led to turf battles with the Biden administration.

Banks kept a relatively low public profile as arrests for illegal crossings that have plunged to their lowest levels since the mid-1960s, a trend that began toward the end of that Democratic administration.

Banks did not appear publicly at the Border Security Expo this month in Phoenix, an annual conference at which government officials update contractors on the state of the border. Scott, who was Banks’ supervisor, is a close ally of Trump border czar Tom Homan and has acted more as the agency’s public face.

Banks, who grew up in a small town in Warner Robins, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta, Georgia, has said his first job was picking peaches at an orchard when he was 14 years old. He worked with migrant farm workers and learned “compassion and humility,” he said, in an interview published last year on the CBP website.

Banks, in the interview, said he was “honored” to have returned to the agency.

“The United States Border Patrol will be unapologetic in its enforcement of our nation’s laws,” he said.

——-

Elliot Spagat in San Diego, California contributed to this report.

The former University of Michigan team captain Marlin Klein follows him being selected 59th overall after being projected later in the draft by most analysts.

Klein has run the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds with a 36-inch vertical leap and a 9-9 broad jump.

“They’re going to get a fast and physical football player that’s willing to do whatever,” Klein said. “I don’t care if I have to play running back, wide receiver, defensive end, safety, special teams. I don’t care what I have to play. I just want to play and help the team win.”

A 6-foot-6, 248-pound native of Germany, Klein moved to the United States to attend a boarding school in Rabun Gap, Georgia to start playing American football.

This was done through the assistance of Gridiron Imports Foundation, a registered United States nonprofit organization. He attended the Rabun Gap-Nacooche School. Klein grew up playing soccer and basketball.

Bjorn Werner, a former Florida State and Indianapolis Colts first-round draft pick, runs the nonprofit and connected with Klein.

“He gave me the opportunity to change my life,” Klein said. “I moved to Georgia all by myself to boarding school at just 15 years old. I didn’t speak any English. I didn’t really know what football was about. They just told me to run fast towards the end zone and they were gonna throw the ball up.”

A three-time academic All-Big Ten Conference selection, Klein caught a career-high six passes for 93 yards and one touchdown against New Mexico last season.

At Michigan, he won a national championship. He caught 24 passes for 248 yards and one touchdown last season and was named honorable-mention All-Big Ten Conference.

The Texans had options to trade back, but opted to stick at 59 and make the Klein selection.

“We had multiple discussions,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “We were kind of potentially trading a pick, moving it, had a few deals in place. Then, those fell apart. We had a couple of guys we were talking about picking and then Marlin was one of them.

“Marlin was kind of a no-brainer. It’s a player we really liked. His story is really impressive. Good size, runs well. I would say his best football is probably right in front of him. The type of player that has the right mentality, the right mindset, good work ethic, really smart.”

The Texans drafted Klein after Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq was the only tight end to go in the first round, selected by the New York Jets.

In the second round, the Philadephia Eagles drafted Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers five picks before Klein. Two picks later, the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Texas A&M tight endnate Boerkircher.

The Los Angeles Rams drafted Ohio State tight end Max Klare two picks after Klein. Klare visited the Texans.

In the third round, the Chicago Bears selected Stanford tight end Sam Roush, the Miami Dolphins drafted Ohio State tight end Will Kacmarek, who visited the Texans, the New Orleans Saints drafted Georgia tight end Oscar Delp, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds and met virtually with the Texans, and the New England Patriots drafted Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon

“The beauty of all this is everybody has their own board,” Caserio said. “So, you have your grades. You’re probably not all grading players the same way. When you go through this third round, the reality is they were basically coming out of the woodwork. There’s a lot of players that got drafted where you’re looking up there going, ‘Okay, I probably wouldn’t have drafted that player.’”

Klein met formally with the Texans at the NFL scouting combine, and he made a strong impression.

The Texans were sold on him as a person right away.

“Really after the combine we were done with him as far as the person because there really wasn’t much more there that we needed to talk about,” Caserio said. “We liked him from the beginning of the process until drafting him.”

Klein texted Texans new tight ends coach James Ferentz on Friday: “Let’s work, bring me home.”

“I wanted to come to Houston from the beginning,” Klein said. “My fiancee can tell you that. My family can tell you that. It’s a tough, physical football team. That’s the kind of place I would love to be a part of.”

Two seasons ago, Klein caught 13 passes for 108 yards.

He finished his career with 38 career catches for 364 yards and one score.

He played behind Chicago Bears standout tight end Colston Loveland and Dallas Cowboys tight end Luke Schoonmaker and A.J. Barner in Ann Arbor initially.

“I chose Michigan because I knew these guys were going to be in the room,” Klein said. “Being around that caliber of players has taught me so much. They showed me the daily grind, the work that you have to put in every single day to make things happen and be successful.”

Klein has been to Houston before, winning a national championship at Reliant Stadium.

“I remember standing on the field, FaceTiming my best friend, just taking in the moment,” Klein said. “One of the most memorable days in my life.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com

The league has scheduled a record nine international games across four continents and seven nations this season as a wave of global football games has emerged as a key initiative for the NFL.

Beyond the Texans’ Oct. 18 road game against the Jaguars, marking the second time they’ve faced Jacksonville in England, the NFL has inaugural games in Melbourne, Australia between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams in the first week of the regular season. Paris, at Stade de France, is the site of a game between the New Orleans Saints versus the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 25.

“We are proud to return to London and the iconic Wembley Stadium this season,” Texans chair and CEO Cal McNair said in a statement. “We look forward to competing against the Jaguars and contributing to the continued global growth of the NFL. As we celebrate 25 seasons of Houston Texans football, this marks another significant moment for our organization and for Texans fans in Houston and around the world.”

Pack your bags, WE'RE CROSSING THE POND 🇬🇧

Full schedule release Thursday, May 14 at 7pm CT on NFL Network pic.twitter.com/OhjtwnxcUP

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) May 13, 2026

The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens play in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the third week of the season. And the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons have a game in Madrid, Spain in the ninth week of the regular season.

The Jaguars host consecutive games in London, partially because of their ongoing stadium renovations. The Detroit Lions have a November game in Munich, Germany against the New England Patriots.

“It’s the ambition we have to be a global sport, but it’s also the demand we’re having,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said this offseason. “We’re hearing from cities all over the world that want to host these games and that really want to get more American football. That’s one of the things we’re really focused on.”

That focus on international strategy is underscored by the rapid increase of Mexico and Brazil as two of the largest international markets for the NFL with nearly 40 million fans in each nation.

The league is embracing Latino culture, including having Bad Bunny as the featured headliner for the annual Super Bowl halftime show.

The NFL has celebrated Latino Heritage Month through its Por La Cultura campaign highlighting Latino football players.

Bad Bunny’s featured role at the Super Bowl displays the NFL’s commitment to international growth and Latin America as they seek to leverage his global influencer status to provide a significant bump in engagement and buzz.

Popularity and cultural connections sells.

The ultimate goal for the league: having all 32 teams playing at least one overseas game annually. This is all part of a longer play by the league.

“I’ve said many times 16 games, so that every team is playing a regular season game every season,” Goodell said. “I think that’s an important mark for us to go for. I think we’re well on our way, with the desire we have from our side, but also the desire for people to have this in their communities, and some of the greatest cities in the world are asking to do this.”

The Texans previously played internationally in Mexico and London, falling to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2016 in Mexico City and beating the Jaguars, 26-3, at Wembley Stadium in 2019.

The Texans hadn’t previously confirmed their inclusion in the international series necessarily this season, but had expressed interest in future games.

“Yeah, we’re open to it,” Texans team president Mike Tomon said during the NFL annual meetings in March at the Arizona Biltmore. “We want to make sure it makes sense for football. So, we have to really think through those things. We also want to be able to promote the city on that global stage. And, so, those are all things that we’re open to.

“I think one of the things that we’re very supportive of is this international growth. And we think we’ll play a key role in that at some point. At some point is probably the thing you put in quotations right now. So, we’ll see when that is.”

Peter Reilly, the NFL executive vice president of club business, international and major events, has led the shift from occasional international showcase games to a permanent annual global sports program.

In 2024, the NFL hosted five international games. In 2025, the league had seven international games.

Reilly’s vision is for the aggregate pool of international games as something of a ‘33rd franchise’ to boost commercial revenue.

The NFL footprint, which expanded to South America two years ago and this year in Spain and Melbourne, is conducting due diligence regarding other markets across the world. That includes Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Greece and the United Arab Emirates under the NFL global markets program. Teams are awarded marketing, fan engagement and commercial rights to build their fan bases outside the United States.

The Texans’ designated global market is Mexico.

And the league is using flag football as an onboarding global tool, heavily lobbying for flag football to be included in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 to capitalize on 20 million participants across 100 countries.

“The 2026 NFL season will feature our most expansive and ambitious international slate yet, with regular-season games spanning Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, London, Paris, Madrid, Munich and Mexico City,” O’Reilly said. “This year’s record-breaking schedule will see a host of world-class NFL franchises and star athletes play in some of the most iconic sporting venues in the world, underlying the league’s global growth vision and bringing our fans internationally closer to the game than ever before.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com

Flash forward and Fisher is an NFL linebacker as the Texans’ seventh-round draft pick.

How that happened is a testament to his talent and work ethic.

Fisher was recruited by Curt Cignetti to transfer to Indiana when the coach was hired. He emerged as the leader of the national champion Hoosiers’ defense, earning All-American and All-Big Ten Conference honors.

Now, Fisher is off to a strong start with the Texans.

The Texans see upside with Fisher, who was the green dot for the Hoosiers as their designated defensive signal caller in communication with the coaching staff.

“What I liked about Aiden Fisher, you put on the tape and you instantly see a guy who’s a great communicator,” said Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, a former Pro Bowl linebacker. “You see him pointing, talking, directing traffic. That’s something you don’t see a lot in college football.

“You can see a guy who’s very sharp. He understands the entire defense of how the puzzle fits together. So, a really smart football player, made a ton of plays there in Indiana to lead them to a national championship. I’m excited to add another tough, smart, dependable football player to our team.”

A two-time All-American and a two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection, Fisher recorded four tackles and a sack in the Hoosiers’ national championship win over Miami.

The Texans have signed seventh-round linebacker Aiden Fisher, an All-American and All-Big Ten Conference selection for the national champion Indiana Hoosiers, to a four-year, $4.507 million deal that includes a $127,568 signing bonus.

“He’s a reactive and instinctive player that plays fast,” Cignetti said. “Very dependable, smart player and he’s in the right place. He’s where he’s supposed to be, which is what playing football is all about.”

Fisher has run the 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds with 37 1/2 inch vertical leap, a 10-3 broad jump and bench pressed 225 pounds 18 times.

The approach to football from Fisher is simple, and blue-collar.

“Very hungry,” he said. “I’m just trying to prove something. I’m going to work my butt off. I’m going to be the hardest worker in the room. Whatever role you give me, I’m going to embrace it and I’m going to run with it. And I’m going to do my best to be the best at it.”

And that’s what Fisher did at both of his college stints. He recorded 113 tackles, six for losses and an interception before entering the NCAA transfer portal.

At Indiana, he was on the Butkus Award watch list.

His experience with Cignett, at JMU and Indiana, was life-changing.

“The amount of things I’ve learned from coach Cignetti and that entire staff, what I’ve learned from my teammates, it’s changed me for the better,” Fisher said. “Being able to take away different things in football, but in life is more important to me. I’ve learned how to be a better teammate.

“I’ve learned how to be a better leader. And that’s why I’m here today. I’ve been able to try to elevate other people’s games while also improving mine. Unbelievable journey. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Although Fisher isn’t the biggest or fastest linebacker at 6-foot-1, 232 pounds, he plays the game with intelligence and toughness.

“That’s kind of the story of my life,” Fisher said. “Nothing’s been given to me easy. I’ve worked for everything that I’ve had. I’ve worked harder than anybody. I put more time in than anybody. I’m ready to do it again.

“I have no doubt in my mind I’ll be successful at it, to be able to put my head down and be as humble as possible and just hungry to learn, to work, and impact the football team to win some football games.”

Fisher had an informal meeting with the Texans at the NFL scouting combine before follow-up calls with them on Zoom.

Playing for a former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and the leader of the NFL’s top-ranked defense is something Fisher is embracing.

“I’m pumped up,” Fisher said. “I cannot wait to get to work with DeMeco Ryans. Unbelievable player, I remember watching him growing up, and then being able to play for him is one thing. When you have a defensive coach that is always innovating the defense and kind of has a hand in it, it’s going to be an unbelievable experience.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com

Aliyah said she has difficulty focusing, and she finds it hard to concentrate when she’s learning from a screen. She’ll watch Netflix in class on her school laptop, hiding her earbuds behind her long, curly hair.

“It’s very hard to get into the mindset of being in school,” Aliyah said.

Aliyah’s mother saw her grades were falling and asked the school to take away her laptop. But she was told that wasn’t possible.

Across the country, parents are voicing concerns about excessive screen time in schools and lobbying educators to go back to pencil and paper. In places like Lower Merion Township, where Aliyah goes to high school, some are taking it even further. Over 600 people in the affluent Philadelphia suburb have signed a petition asking to preserve parents' ability to opt their children out of using digital devices during the school day. The public school district has pushed back, saying it’s not feasible to let hundreds of students opt out of technology that is essential to the curriculum.

Disagreement over how tech is used in the classroom

At a meeting Monday night, school board members said they were considering many ways to respond to parental concerns about technology, but allowing opt-outs was not one of them.

“There is not an option for us to not have technology in schools,” said Lower Merion School Board member Anna Shurak.

The board was meeting to discuss updates to the district’s technology policies, including repealing a policy that allows opt outs. Over 100 people showed up to protest, many wearing buttons that said “Screens Down, Pencils Up.”

Many emphasized they’re not anti-tech — in fact, most parents agree that learning how to responsibly use computers is an essential life skill. They just don’t want tech to dominate the classroom.

“Teaching how to use technology is not the same thing as using technology to teach everything else,” said Sara Sullivan, a parent.

Technology has become inescapable at schools

The debate in Lower Merion raises the question of whether technology has become so intertwined with learning that it’s impossible to opt out. Kids use devices to play educational games, submit their homework, access online resources and write essays — but parents are questioning the value of gamified edtech software.

Subashini Subramanian said the software her second-grade daughter uses for math, DreamBox, incentivizes rushing through levels to gain points. When she encouraged her daughter to think through the problems methodically, the 8-year-old said, “If I go through all the steps, it’s slowing me down. I have to click, click, click.”

At the school board meeting, many parents said they were exhausted from battling their kids over screen time. Adam Washington says his son struggles with screen addiction, so sometimes he takes away his phone or TV — only to find him watching YouTube on the school laptop instead.

“The screen is killing him. It is killing me, and him, together with our relationship,” Washington said.

Another parent at the meeting questioned what students would do instead of using their computers.

“Opting out is not a solution. It’s avoiding the hard work of finding a solution,” Seth Ruderman said.

Parental pushback on edtech has led to change

The pushback on technology in the classroom has gained steam around the country. At least 14 states have proposed laws to limit screen time in schools, according to Ballotpedia, with four states — Alabama, Tennessee, Utah and Iowa — passing such legislation.

In Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest school district said it will ban screens until second grade, require daily caps for screen time per grade, ban YouTube and require an audit of all education technology contracts.

In Vermont, proposed legislation would allow not just parents but also teachers to decline to use classroom tech. Democratic State Rep. Angela Arsenault, a bill co-sponsor, said she’s responding to parents' worries about edtech.

“Parents in many districts and states just aren’t being listened to or not being heard when they ask that their students not be forced to use these products,” Arsenault said.

The Lower Merion school district said it’s listening to community concerns and has already made changes, including blocking some problematic websites flagged by parents.

“We have wonderful teachers who have continuously prioritized human interaction and relationships,” Superintendent Frank Ranelli wrote in a letter to parents. He declined to comment to the AP for this story.

The district said it is looking into possible changes, including stronger cellphone restrictions, not allowing the youngest students to take devices home and installing software to monitor students in class.

However, surveillance software can bring its own problems and poses risks to student privacy. In 2010, the Lower Merion School District paid $610,000 to settle lawsuits by two students who alleged the district had spied on them via the webcam on their school-issued laptops.

Kids want ways to hold themselves accountable

High school student Mia Tatar, 16, raised concerns at the board meeting that there’s been an unintended consequence to the anti-tech backlash. The internet filters on school computers are now so strict, she said she’s been blocked while doing research on appropriate topics for school, like breast cancer.

Mia said students need to learn how to responsibly use technology, and adding filters or getting rid of laptops won’t do that.

“It doesn’t teach kids how to hold themselves accountable and how to be responsible for regulating their own screen time once they’re in the world,” Mia said in an interview.

Her friend Elliot Campbell, 15, said there should be strict limits on screen use in the youngest grades, but students should get more freedom as they get older.

“If we lose our laptops or if we lose the partial freedom we have on them, it’s not going to prepare us for college,” Elliot told board members at the hearing.

Fellow high schooler Joaquin Imaizumi takes a different view. He said it’s “completely unfair” to expect children to regulate their usage of devices that even adults find addictive.

“This isn’t about learning to constrain yourself,” he said in an interview. “We don’t give someone drugs and say, ‘OK, now learn how to deal with this.’”

His biggest concern is that devices make it far too tempting to access AI tools like ChatGPT, which he sees eroding his classmates' ability to think for themselves.

“I’ve seen the atrophy of my peers’ thinking, which is existentially concerning,” Joaquin said.

The influence of AI starts early. A second-grader named Lillian Keshet, who got up to speak at the board meeting, said Google Docs will give her “suggestions” about what to write in class.

“I’m a pretty good writer by myself,” Lillian said. “I don’t need your suggestions, Google!”

___

Associated Press writer Jocelyn Gecker contributed to this report from San Francisco.

___

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

HPD says the technology can instantly interpret nearly 200 languages using handheld devices and dispatch systems, helping officers, 911 operators, victims, witnesses, and tourists communicate more clearly when every second counts.

Why HPD says this matters

Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the country, with residents and visitors speaking dozens of languages every day.

Police leaders say misunderstandings caused by language barriers can delay emergency response, escalate tense situations, or leave families confused during crises.

With the World Cup expected to bring a global audience to Houston, HPD says the system is part of a larger effort to improve safety and communication citywide.

What the technology will be used for

HPD plans to use the translation system in several real-world scenarios, including:

• Traffic stops
• 911 emergency calls
• Crowd control at major events
• Conversations with victims and witnesses
• Assisting tourists unfamiliar with English

The department says officers and dispatchers will receive training on when and how to use the technology.

Questions the community wants answered

Community advocates say the technology could help build trust, but they also want accountability and proof the system works under pressure.

Key concerns include:

• How accurate translations are in noisy environments
• Whether dialects and slang are interpreted correctly
• What happens if the technology fails
• Whether conversations are recorded or stored
• How quickly officers can access translations during emergencies

Immigrant advocates, neighborhood leaders, and international visitors are also expected to weigh in on whether the system improves confidence in public safety.

A safety upgrade before Houston takes the global stage

HPD says the goal is simple: help officers and residents understand each other faster and more clearly during high-stress situations.

As Houston prepares for one of the world’s biggest sporting events, city leaders say communication could become just as important as security.

Edward Harold King, who left the bench at the end of last year, and Yechiel “Sam” Sprei, a politically connected real estate developer, were arrested by IRS Criminal Investigation agents on wire fraud conspiracy charges after federal prosecutors say they duped a pair of investors into forking over $6.5 million for a bogus property bid and then failed to return all but a fraction of the money.

The allegations are similar to claims made against King in civil lawsuits and in complaints to the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, whose investigation precipitated his resignation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Wang told a judge at the men’s initial court appearance on Wednesday that the transaction described in the criminal case was “one of several schemes that the government has been investigating." Discussing Sprei's finances, the prosecutor said “it’s safe to say many, many millions of dollars” have moved through his bank accounts in the last few years.

King, 72, and Sprei, 37, were released on bail and are scheduled to return to Brooklyn federal court on Monday to finalize their bond arrangements. King and his lawyer, Michael Vitaliano, declined to comment as they left the courthouse. The former judge cut through trees in a nearby park to avoid reporters and photographers. Sprei's lawyer, Ezra Lent, declined to comment.

In court, Wang said that during Sprei’s arrest, the developer lied to federal agents that he had no electronic devices on him other than his cellphone. Agents executing a search warrant seized the phone and then found a second phone while patting Sprei down, Wang said.

If convicted, King and Sprei could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

“As alleged, the defendants stole millions of dollars from investors by cynically leveraging King’s position as a sitting judge to lend false legitimacy to supposed investment opportunities,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement.

King resigned on Dec. 31, 2025, just three years after becoming a judge, after the Commission on Judicial Conduct informed him that it was investigating complaints mirrored in his criminal case.

Among the complaints, the commission said, were that King was involved in a scheme to defraud real estate investors and that he continued to act as a lawyer — including by accepting funds into his own attorney escrow accounts — despite rules barring full-time judges from practicing law, acting as fiduciaries or engaging in business activities. King denied the allegations.

According to federal prosecutors, King and Sprei pitched investors on fictitious investment opportunities with false promises that their money would be kept safe in attorney escrow accounts and returned on demand if the investors decided to end their involvement.

In November 2024, prosecutors said, Sprei and King offered two investors an opportunity to buy commercial real estate in Freehold, New Jersey, through a bankruptcy auction. In order to proceed, Sprei told them, all bidders first needed to show “proof of liquidity” and that they could do so by depositing $6.5 million in King’s escrow account, prosecutors said. Sprei told the investors that King was both an independent escrow agent and a judge, according to prosecutors.

The investors wired the money to King's account, where they were told it would be left untouched and not spent or transferred without their permission, prosecutors said. Within days, prosecutors said, King and Sprei transferred several million dollars to a bank account in Sprei’s name.

Later, when the investors exercised their right to have the money back, King offered up excuses and alternatives, at one point saying he would have his lawyer deposit the funds with an unspecified court, prosecutors said. King and Sprei eventually returned $1.5 million to the investors, but have yet to cough up the rest, prosecutors said.

King became a judge in 2023. He won a seat on the New York City Civil Court in Brooklyn and was appointed to the state’s main trial court in June 2024.

Prior to that he was in private practice and, according to news articles about his campaign, was appointed by courts to manage assets in real estate disputes. He also served as an administrative law judge for the city's Parking Violations Bureau and as legal counsel to the state assembly.

When the state commission accepted King's resignation, its administrator Robert Tembeckjian called the allegations "so egregious as to warrant his permanent departure from the bench.”

Records show Judge Chad D. Bradshaw imposed sanctions against attorney Micheal Phillips after finding he used “a racial slur numerous times in court in a derisive manner.”

The court sentenced Phillips to three days in jail and issued a $500 fine, but both punishments were suspended on the condition that he file a written apology to the court and a separate written apology to attorney Brenda DeRouen by June 30, 2026.

• RELATED: Brazoria County attorney held in contempt after repeating racial slur during custody trial

The contempt finding comes from a custody modification trial held earlier this month in Brazoria County Family Court.

Previous court records stated that, outside the presence of the jury and while arguments were being made on the record, Phillips “repeated a racial slur several times,” prompting the judge to find him in direct contempt of court.

The courtroom exchange drew strong reactions from attorneys involved in the case.

DeRouen previously described the conduct as “deeply disturbing,” saying the repeated use of the slur “had no legitimate evidentiary purpose” and appeared “demeaning” and “taunting rather than advocacy.”

“As a Black woman attorney practicing in Texas family courts, attorneys should be able to advocate fiercely for their clients without being subjected to racially charged conduct that undermines professionalism and dignity in the courtroom,” DeRouen said in an earlier statement to KPRC 2 News.

Phillips disputes accusations that he used the slur in a derogatory way. In a previous statement, he said the comments happened during an evidentiary argument outside the jury’s presence while objecting to testimony and language he said had repeatedly been introduced during trial proceedings.

Phillips also said he apologized immediately after the exchange.