But the DiIorio family story goes back even further.

In 1902, the family made the journey from Ricca, Italy to America, eventually settling in the Hempstead area. What began as a farming operation grew over the decades, with the support of a community that continued to return to the family’s roadside market.

Brian DiIorio says that support helped shape the farm into what it is today.

“We just farmers in the beginning. And when we popped up a roadside market they supported us and and when they supported us and kept coming back. They just kept coming back. They just changed our lives.” DiIorio said.

Now, as DiIorio Farms celebrates its 70th year in business, the family is looking back at the people and stories that helped build its legacy while also finding new ways to preserve them for future generations.

One of those projects is a series of interviews featuring the family’s matriarch, Mrs. Angelina DiIorio. Her great-grandchildren sat down with her to hear stories about her past and how the farm became what it is today.

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The interviews have resonated with the community, with customers and former employees sharing their own memories of the farm online.

DiIorio also created a new book, “Cody’s Watermelon Summer,” as part of the anniversary celebration. The children’s book draws from his own childhood memories growing up on the farm, his nephew Walker and his first Australian Shepherd, Koda.

Buy Cody’s Watermelon Summer HERE.

The book is another way for DiIorio to add to the family’s story and share a piece of farm life with a new generation.

And while the family is celebrating its history, the farm continues to look toward the future. DiIorio Farms grows seasonal Texas produce throughout the year, including corn and tomatoes in the summer, pumpkins in the fall and greens, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts during the winter with watermelons being their biggest crop.

After seven decades, the DiIorio family says the goal is simple: keep growing, keep serving the community and continue the legacy for the next 70 years.

Conviventia has launched a Colombia Earthquake Emergency Response fund, giving people in the Houston area and across the country a way to financially support relief efforts.

The organization works with vulnerable communities throughout Colombia and says it already has relationships and community networks in some of the areas affected by the earthquake, including the department of Chocó.

The announcement comes as rescue and recovery efforts continue in Colombia following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake.

What Conviventia is doing

Conviventia says donations collected through its emergency response campaign will go toward immediate needs in affected communities.

According to information provided to KPRC 2, donations will support:

• Medical care for communities affected by the earthquake
• Emergency supplies and essential items
• Psychosocial and trauma-informed care for children, adults and families
• Support for people participating in emergency response efforts
• Training and equipment for first responders and community leaders
• Deployment of humanitarian workers and health professionals
• Transportation and local coordination
• Partnerships with churches and community networks

Those church and community partnerships are expected to continue supporting families after the immediate emergency response ends.

Why Conviventia already has connections in affected areas

Conviventia says its previous work in Colombia gives the organization direct knowledge of several communities affected by the earthquake.

That includes Chocó, where the nonprofit says it has developed relationships and networks with local communities.

• RELATED: As search for thousands of missing pushes on, Colombia earthquake tests new president

Those existing connections are important as organizations work to determine what individual communities need and how to get resources to them.

“Conviventia has experience and direct knowledge of several of the regions that have been affected, especially in the department of Chocó, where we have developed relationships and networks with local communities,” the organization told KPRC 2.

The organization says those relationships help its teams understand existing needs and work closely with people dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake.

Could Houston see a physical donation drive?

Conviventia says it is exploring the possibility of accepting food and other nonperishable items to supplement its response.

For now, the organization is directing people who want to help toward its online earthquake response fund.

Details surrounding a physical collection have not been finalized.

• RELATED: Magnitude 7.4 quake rocks western Colombia

Conviventia says additional information will be shared once collection and distribution plans are established.

That means Houstonians interested in donating physical items should wait for additional instructions from the organization before gathering or dropping off supplies.

How Houstonians can help right now

Conviventia has established an online fund specifically for its Colombia earthquake response.

Money raised will help the organization respond to urgent needs, including medical assistance, emergency supplies, transportation, local coordination and the deployment of humanitarian workers and health professionals.

The organization says contributions of any size will support its humanitarian response.

People interested in helping can donate through Conviventia’s Colombia Earthquake Emergency Response campaign.

Know of another Houston organization helping Colombia?

KPRC 2 is continuing to look for Houston-area organizations, churches, businesses and community groups assisting people impacted by the earthquake.

If your organization is collecting donations, preparing supplies or coordinating assistance for Colombia, let KPRC 2 know about your efforts.

Prompted by an Iranian assassination threat, Trump secretly flew out of last month’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on an alternate military aircraft while the White House made it appear he was with the press pool on Air Force One, according to a report published by The Washington Post.

Russia has released American military veteran Robert Gilman who spent more than four years in prison on disputed charges under abusive conditions and was said to be gravely ill and at risk of dying, a group advocating for him said Tuesday. Gilman was on his way to a U.S. military hospital in Texas, where he will be medically and psychologically assessed and treated.

The president’s media company has tried a half-dozen businesses to lift its stock, but nothing has worked. Now it’s getting back to its roots, telling investors Monday that Truth Social will focus on selling early high-speed access to his administration’s announcements on social media, a move raising ethical questions.

The Latest:

More women than ever running for the House

That’s according to Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, which showed 590 women have filed to run for House seats in the 206 midterm elections, besting the record of 583 set in 2020.

The boost was largely driven by the number of Democratic women candidates, the center said. Women make up just over one-third of all Democratic candidates for the House, and 19.1% of Republicans.

Overall, 27% of all House candidates in 2026 are women, which is about on par with their representation in Congress this cycle, the center said.

Democrats announce investment to defeat GOP’s Rep. Max Miller

Democratic candidate Brian Poindexter was added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program the party signals an intensifying push to oust the Ohio congressman in its effort to wrest control of the House from Republicans.

The move comes after Miller brushed past Monday’s deadline for Republicans to replace him on the ballot, and those within his party urging him to step aside as he faced domestic abuse allegations from his ex-wife.

He has pledged to invest his own money to win.

Trump heads off to Patriot Games to watch teen athletes compete

The president has departed Washington to attend the Patriot Games in Geneva, Ohio.

The games that are part the America’s sesquicentennial celebration and feature high school athletes from across the country that Trump has billed as a chance to display “the best of American skill, sportsmanship, and competitive spirit.”

Trump is arriving on the final day of the competition, in which the student athletes are competing for a slice of a $250,000 scholarship pool.

Kennedy Center ordered to pay legal fees to musician who cancelled show over Trump name change

A judge has ordered the Kennedy Center to pay more than $250,000 in legal fees and costs to a musician who was sued by the performing arts venue for cancelling a Christmas Eve performance last year, an act of protest against adding President Donald Trump’s name to the building.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Tanya Jones Bosier on Monday ordered the center to pay the musician, Chuck Redd, approximately $252,000 within 45 days. The same judge had dismissed the center’s lawsuit against Redd in June.

Lisa Banks, an attorney for Redd, described the center’s lawsuit as a “meritless” attempt to silence opposition to the name change.

Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player, had presided over holiday “Jazz Jams” at the Kennedy Center for 20 years.

A Kennedy Center spokesperson said the center intends to appeal the judge’s ruling.

US military says it has fired on a ship in Gulf of Oman to enforce its blockade of Iranian ports

The U.S. military said Tuesday that its forces fired on a Panamanian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade the American blockade on Iranian ports, a move that comes as President Donald Trump tries to keep economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.

U.S. Central Command said the vessel had ignored warnings to stop, prompting an American helicopter to fire missiles into the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova, disabling the ship. U.S. Central Command’s statement does not say whether the ship’s crew suffered any casualties.

Central Command said it has redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade, disabled three non-compliant vessels and boarded two. The U.S. Navy currently has more than 15 warships, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault ship, stationed in the waters of the Arabian Sea.

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Democratic Rep. Raskin launches inquiry into failed prosecution of constituent in Reflecting Pool case

Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, is launching an investigation into the Trump administration’s prosecution of former Olympian David Hearn over damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Prosecutor Jeanine Pirro dropped the case after acknowledging damage to the pool was caused by a botched installation rather than vandalism. Trump then publicly rebuked Pirro, saying she “folded like an umbrella.”

In letters Tuesday, Raskin seeks records from the Justice and Interior departments on the decision to prosecute Hearn, a Maryland resident who lives in Raskin’s district. Raskin also seeks communications with the White House and evidence presented to the grand jury.

“At a minimum,” he wrote, “it appears that members of the Trump Administration were ready and willing to imprison an innocent American for a decade in a desperate effort to soothe an ex-landlord’s wounded ego about a terrible paint job and wasteful contract.”

Emails seeking comment were left Tuesday with Pirro’s office and the Interior Department.

Trump administration says more oil is flowing through Strait of Hormuz

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on social media that nearly 9 million barrels of oil a day are getting shipped through the Strait of Hormuz — as the administration is suggesting that the supply pressures tied to the Iran war are easing.

Wright said that along with additional oil flowing through pipelines total oil flows from the region are averaging roughly 15 million barrels a day.

U.S. oil futures prices remain above the pre-war levels, with a barrel trading on Tuesday afternoon at $83. The Trump administration has tapped the strategic petroleum reserve to steady the market and that reserve last week fell below 300 million barrels, down by more than 100 million barrels since the start of 2026.

Wright is setting expectations that oil will keep going through the strait.

Trump announces release of American detained in Russia, says no prisoner swap took place

The U.S. president said Tuesday that Robert Gilman, a Marine veteran who was detained in 2022, is being released on a “humanitarian basis” after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return — No exchange took place,” Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday.

Gilman is scheduled to land at Andrews Air Force Base just outside of Washington, D.C. on Tuesday night, Trump said. He is being accompanied on the plane back to the U.S. by his mother, Nancy.

“I just spoke to him, and he had one request — A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands,” Trump said in his post. “I will take care of that!”

Sen. Ed Markey: Gilman’s return was long overdue

“It is a tragedy that it took Robert’s near-death condition for his case to receive the attention that it required for his release to be negotiated,” Markey said in the statement from Global Reach.

“Throughout his detention, Robert was subjected to physical torture, forced medication, and provocations by Russian authorities. There is no doubt that his treatment by Russian authorities is the reason Robert is in this precarious state today.”

State Department: Other Americans should be released as well

The State Department said that Gilman had been determined recently to have been wrongfully detained, and was released on humanitarian grounds.

This “was not part of an exchange, and no other concessions were provided,” the department said. It called Gilman’s release “a welcome step that we hope leads to the release of Americans unjustly held in Russia, such as wrongful detainee Stephen Hubbard.”

Gilman’s sister: ‘Why did they do this to such a wonderful person?’

Gilman’s sister, Lexie Hudson, credited President Donald Trump and Sen. Ed Markey for the former Marine’s release.

“There is no other reason that Robert is alive today other than that President Trump heard about the case and took action,” said Hudson, who thanked Markey in the statement from Global Reach “for leading our advocacy efforts in Congress.”

“The Russians treated my brother so badly,” Hudson said. “They hurt him for no reason, other than that he was both an American and a Marine. What did they get out of this? Why did they do this to such a wonderful person?”

Released American’s family flew to Texas to meet him, advocates say

Robert Gilman’s mother had been in Russia, attempting to see him there. Gilman had been in “a dissociative stupor” for 47 days due to the abuse he has suffered in prison, and was moved to a civilian hospital, where he was hooked up to a feeding tube and handcuffed to a bed, aid Eric ‌Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach.

Now he’ll be medically and psychologically assessed and treated at a U.S. military hospital, Lebson said.

The 32-year-old teacher was convicted of beating a police officer after being taken off a train for causing a disturbance, and his sentence was extended last year to 10 years after he was found guilty of assaulting prison guards.

Sen. Edward Markey had called on Russia and the U.S. to work together to release the Massachusetts resident, one of at least 8 Americans who remained in Russian custody after a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges.

Former US Marine held in Russia for over 4 years has been released after group warned he was gravely ill

A former U.S. Marine who has been held in Russia for more than four years on disputed charges has been released, his advocates said Tuesday, days after warning he was gravely ill and at risk of dying.

Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old teacher detained since 2022, was on his way to a U.S. military hospital in Texas, according to Eric ‌Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach, a group that’s been working to free him and other American detainees abroad.

Russian attacks kill 10 in Ukraine as Zelenskyy says Moscow is getting more North Korean missiles

Russia attacked Ukrainian cities with missiles, drones and glide bombs Tuesday, killing at least 10 civilians, officials said, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow is getting more North Korean help to extend its 4-year invasion.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces used ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea in the overnight attack, and is preparing to deploy more North Korean troops to Russia. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un already sent thousands of troops and huge supplies of weapons to support Putin’s invasion.

Now Ukraine says Russia aims to exploit Kyiv’s critical shortage of Patriot air defense interceptors, which worsened after U.S. diplomacy to end the war fizzled and Washington turned its attention to the Iran war.

“Every step Russia takes — increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilization — all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation,” Zelenskyy said on social media.

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Trump told Ukraine it had no cards. Then Kyiv took the war to Russia

When Trump told the Ukrainian president in the Oval Office last year that he had “no cards” in the fight against Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy already had a bold plan to take the fight deep inside Russian territory.

While Trump was warmly welcoming President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and encouraging Ukraine to accept an unfavorable peace deal, Ukraine was smuggling drones for an attack that destroyed Russian bombers worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

And since then, Kyiv’s campaign of longer-range strikes has targeted Russian air defenses, oil infrastructure and military suppliers, embarrassing Putin and impressing Trump. When Trump and Zelenskyy met at a NATO summit in July, the American president said the Ukrainian leader had “been very effective” in the war.

An Associated Press analysis shows how Ukraine has shifted the narrative about the war in Washington, but it’s still not clear if it will be able to push Putin toward the negotiating table.

▶ Read more

Houthi rebels attack vessel in Bab el-Mandeb, killing four

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels fired missiles on a vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Tuesday and killed four people, Yemeni authorities said.

The transportation ministry of Yemen’s internationally recognized government said the dead included three Pakistani nationals and an Indonesian.

The ministry statement said the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles on the Yemeni commercial vessel, and then fired another missile that targeted rescue teams, wounding a Yemeni rescuer.

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut down by Iran, there has been a renewed focus on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait at Yemen’s southern tip, which is an alternate route for Saudi Arabia to ship its oil.

Congressional Democrats probe alleged coordination between ICE and Iran to deport detainees

Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Adam Schiff are requesting access to all potential communications between two private immigration detention centers and Iranian diplomats, according to two letters shared with The Associated Press.

Iranian asylum seekers sued last month, alleging that the Department of Homeland Security endangered them by sharing details of their application records with the Iranian government.

The applicants said they were forced to meet with Iranian Interests Section officials who had confidential information about their claims of persecution in Iran for converting to Christianity, for their sexuality or for participating in the Women, Life, Freedom protests against the Iranian government, according to court filings.

“These allegations that ICE shared asylum application records with the Iranian government are FALSE,” a DHS statement said.

In rejecting Trump’s Gaza plan, Netanyahu reprises a balancing act he has mastered

It’s possibly the most important job of any Israeli prime minister: maintain good relations with the United States while pushing back on demands seen as undermining Israel’s security.

No one has managed the balancing act longer than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader.

But with the Iran war at a stalemate, and U.S. President Donald Trump looking to advance peace efforts elsewhere, Netanyahu’s task is getting harder less than three months away from Israeli elections.

On Sunday, Netanyahu rejected Trump’s latest plan to advance the stalled ceasefire in Gaza, saying Israel will not withdraw from any of the roughly 60% of the territory it controls until Hamas has been completely disarmed — something the militant group controlling the other 40% has long resisted.

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Houthis hit Red Sea port city, threatening regional shipping

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels renewed attacks Tuesday on government-controlled areas in Yemen as the violence threatened to reignite civil war and raised fears over new threats to regional shipping lanes.

Yemen’s military said the rebels targeted the government-held port city of Mokha and the central province of Marib with missiles and drones but did not provide further details. The Houthis also hit Mokha with missiles and drones over the weekend and killed at least seven people, it said.

The escalation by the Houthis against government forces in Yemen and oil facilities in neighboring Saudi Arabia aims to threaten the kingdom’s alternative route for shipping its oil. The attacks could reignite Yemen’s civil war following a 2022 truce, and open a new front in the Middle East war.

Iran and Germany’s foreign ministers describe their call

Iran’s Abbas Araghchi said on his Telegram channel that in a call with Germany’s Johann Wadephul late Monday, he had “emphasized that making the Strait of Hormuz secure requires an end to the United States’ aggressive actions and unlawful interventions, including the naval blockade and other violations of U.S. obligations.”

Wadephul said on X that he had emphasized “the Strait of Hormuz needs to be opened unconditionally ensuring free and safe navigation for all.”

Iranian foreign minister underlines Tehran’s demands

Iran’s foreign minister says Tehran is insisting that the Strait of Hormuz won’t be reopened until the U.S. meets its conditions, after Trump said he wants compensation from Iran “for all of the people that they have killed” in the past.

Abbas Araghchi told reporters that Iran has “astonished the whole world” in the war against the United States and Israel, proving “that it is a tough and invincible power.”

Iran effectively closed the strait by threatening shipping after Israel and the U.S. attacked the country on Feb. 28.

Oil prices jumped, gasoline over $4 after Trump’s latest Iran war comments

Oil prices are settling in a state of uncertainty about when the Strait of Hormuz will reopen to global energy supplies, after jumping about 7.5% since Trump scoffed at Iranian demands for compensation for war damage.

Motor club AAA says the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline ticked up overnight to $4.01.

Brent crude oil was trading at about $87.61 a barrel early Tuesday, and U.S. benchmark crude at $82.19. Shares of major U.S. oil companies — including Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips — were close to unchanged after jumping 4.5% on Monday.

Higher oil prices mean consumers pay more for all manner of products as companies pay more for fuel to produce and transport goods. Accordingly, the main event for Wall Street this week will be Wednesday’s update on U.S. inflation.

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The S&P 500 fell 0.3% for a second modest drop since setting its all-time high on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 184 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 0.6%.

The action was stronger in the oil market, where the price for a barrel of Brent crude briefly jumped above $90 in the morning before falling back below $87. It eventually settled at $88.91, up 1.4% from Monday.

Such erratic moves have become typical since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February, which led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and kept much of the world’s oil pent up in the Middle East. Last month alone, Brent’s price veered between $72 and $102 per barrel.

Higher oil prices make inflation worse, and they’ve sent the average cost for a gallon of regular gasoline to $4.01, according to AAA. That’s up from less than $3.14 a year ago, though it’s down from last week’s nearly $4.09.

That has Wall Street’s attention focused on Wednesday, when the U.S. government will release the latest monthly reading on inflation. Economists expect it to show inflation remains high but that it decelerated to 3.4% in July from 3.5% in June.

That could help the Federal Reserve, whose members are notably split on whether they should be raising the country’s interest rates to keep a lid on inflation. While higher rates could help slow the increases of prices on store shelves, they would also slow the overall U.S. economy by making it more expensive for U.S. households and businesses to borrow money. They would also undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

Traders are betting on a coin flip’s chance that the Fed will raise its main interest rate at its next meeting in September, according to data from CME Group. If it does, that would be the first increase in more than three years. It also could anger President Donald Trump, who has been lobbying for lower interest rates.

Treasury yields have jumped since the war with Iran because of higher oil prices and worries about inflation, sending long-term mortgage rates to their highest levels in a year.

The 10-year Treasury yield eased back Tuesday, falling to 4.69% from 4.72% late Monday. But it remains well above its 3.97% level from before the war with Iran.

On Wall Street, On Holding dropped 20.3% even though the Swiss sneaker company reported a better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It gave a forecast for upcoming revenue that fell short of analysts’ expectations, while saying it does not want to slash prices to drum up more sales.

Companies broadly have been blowing past analysts’ forecasts, which Wall Street loves because stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate profits over the long term. Earnings per share for S&P 500 companies are on track to be 50% higher than a year earlier, according to FactSet, and that’s a big reason U.S. stocks have been setting records recently despite worries about expensive oil, high inflation and other challenges.

Aramark, the food company and facilities manager, rallied 8.5% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Cardinal Health added 1.3% after topping analysts’ profit expectations for the spring.

All told, the S&P 500 fell 24.91 points to 7,728.20. The Dow Jones Industrial dropped 184.13 to 53,791.85, and the Nasdaq composite sank 159.91 to 26,445.45.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe and Asia. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.1% for one of the world’s bigger moves.

___

AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

But look skyward anyway Wednesday and, if you’re far enough north in the U.S. and Canada, you might savor a partial eclipse as the moon nibbles away at the sun.

Totality will begin near the North Pole, then streak southward across Greenland, Iceland, Spain and a patch of Portugal. Daytime darkness won’t last more than a couple minutes at best — shrimpy compared with North America’s epic 2024 eclipse — but it is continental Europe's first encounter with totality since 1999. Spain gets a much longer shot at totality next August, along with North Africa and the Middle East.

For the U.S., the Great American Eclipse of 2017 kicked off the sun-vanishing mania with more than two minutes of totality from Oregon to South Carolina. The amount of totality almost doubled in 2024, racing diagonally from Mexico's Pacific coast all the way past Newfoundland.

America's next coast-to-coast total solar eclipse isn't until 2045. So catch a partial now if you can, but don't forget to protect your eyes with certified eclipse glasses.

Here's a list of some U.S. and Canadian cities in position to see a partial solar eclipse on Wednesday if skies are clear, in alphabetical order, with local times and the amount of sun coverage provided by NASA:

—Anchorage, Alaska, with 28% coverage. Begins at 7:36 a.m. and ends at 9:09 a.m., peaking at 8:21 a.m.

—Bangor, Maine, with 24% coverage. Begins at 12:54 p.m. and ends at 2:49 p.m., peaking at 1:53 p.m.

—Detroit with 3% coverage. Begins at 1:03 p.m. and ends at 2:08 p.m., peaking at 1:36 p.m.

—Montreal, Quebec, with 18% coverage. Begins at 12:50 p.m. and ends at 2:38 p.m., peaking at 1:45 p.m.

—New York City with 9% coverage. Begins at 1:07 p.m. and ends at 2:38 p.m., peaking at 1:54 p.m.

—Philadelphia with 7% coverage. Begins at 1:11 p.m. and ends at 2:35 p.m., peaking at 1:53 p.m.

—St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, with 53% coverage. Begins at 2:28 p.m. and ends at 4:37 p.m., peaking at 3:35 p.m.

—Toronto, Ontario, with 8% coverage. Begins at 12:55 p.m. and ends at 2:23 p.m., peaking at 1:40 p.m.

—Washington, D.C., with 4% coverage. Begins at 1:17 p.m. and ends at 2:27 p.m., peaking at 1:53 p.m.

—Winnipeg, Manitoba, with 5% coverage. Begins at 11:25 a.m. and ends at 12:40 p.m., peaking at 12:02 p.m.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

KPRC 2 meteorologist Caroline Brown and her husband, Jack, have welcomed their second baby boy, George David Chadderdon.

George was born Aug. 5, and Brown shared the exciting news on social media, writing, “Our hearts have doubled in size and we couldn’t be more in love.”

View this post on Instagram

💙🩵

George’s arrival means the couple’s first son, JJ, has officially been promoted to big brother!

Brown and Jack announced they were expecting their second child last fall, sharing that their boys would be about 18 months apart.

• Baby on the way: KPRC 2 meteorologist Caroline Brown expecting baby No. 2 in August 💙

At the time, Brown said the close age gap held a special place in her heart because she grew up as the youngest of four children.

“I’m the youngest of four, and my parents had all of us close in age. We grew up as best friends, and that has been one of the greatest gifts of my life,” Brown previously shared.

She also revealed that her sister Maddie is 18 months older than her, while another sister, Ashley, is just 20 months older than Maddie.

“JJ and his little brother will also be about 18 months apart, and it makes my heart so happy knowing he’ll have that same built-in best friend,” Brown said.

• KPRC 2’s meteorologist Caroline Brown makes baby announcement!

Now, that little built-in best friend has arrived!

The family had previously been asking for baby boy name suggestions, but it looks like they found the perfect one: George David Chadderdon.

Please join us in sending lots of love and congratulations to Caroline, Jack, JJ and baby George! 💙🩵

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit western Colombia on Monday wreaked havoc, collapsing buildings, buckling roads, crushing cars and leaving devastated residents to console each other among the wreckage of their homes. Excavators and heavy machinery cleared heavy chunks of concrete, while buckets of rubble were passed hand-to-hand along a line of volunteers.

Rescue crews and volunteers picked through flattened concrete buildings in affected cities, searching for signs of life. They raised their hands to call for silence when they thought they heard someone beneath the piles of debris. At least one woman was retrieved — alive — from the rubble.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said the earthquake killed at least 181 people and left 2,595 more injured. He said at least 195 remained missing, but civilian-run databases suggest that number could be closer to 4,000.

Crews race to find survivors

Authorities said the deaths were concentrated in the cities of Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Quibdo, but local leaders and families worried about casualties and damage in rural areas, from where very little information has emerged. Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours crucial for retrieving people alive, though that threshold can be extended if they have access to food and water.

De la Espriella said more than 1,000 homes were destroyed and yet more damaged.

Standing near the remains of his brother’s collapsed apartment building in Pereira, Jairo Vargas said he made the 220-kilometer (135-mile) drive from Medellin, hoping to find him alive.

“I’m absolutely certain he’s here. Absolutely certain,” Vargas said, adding that his brother’s car was still parked outside. But he fears his sibling did not survive.

“The debris surrounding my brother is soft,” he said, as heavy machinery rumbled nearby. “It’s possible that it’s protecting him, but we can’t hear any noises anymore. I don’t know. I have little hope.”

Colombia's new president faces his first serious challenge

The earthquake presents the first major test for first-time officeholder de la Espriella, who entered office just days before the natural disaster. The leader, who split the country in recent elections, now seeks to unite Colombia in its disaster response.

That challenge was particularly notable in Choco, the region at the quake’s epicenter. It is one of Colombia's poorest and most neglected regions, often beset by warring armed groups. Much of Choco is accessible only by boat, through the jungle or by airplane.

Sterling Palacios, a religious and environmental leader in the region, said Choco's capital and smaller communities along the Atrato River were devastated. Homes were reduced to rubble and aftershocks continued to rumble, terrifying residents who slept in the streets overnight.

The Colombian Geological Service said it has documented more than 100 less powerful aftershocks since the initial quake.

“There are towns where people have lost everything, where people have died, where homes have been destroyed,” he said. “We don’t have a full panorama of the damage, but we know it’s been massive.”

De la Espriella traveled to Quibdo in Choco on Monday night where he announced he was mobilizing “the entire military and police apparatus,” as well as deploying engineers, rescue workers and search dogs.

“Choco will never again be the ‘land of the forgotten,’” he said.

Palacios said the government's response has so far been “concentrated in the capital,” and that authorities were flying the wounded from Quibdo to hospitals in the city of Medellín.

The biggest challenge, he said, remains towns in rural areas only reachable by boat — journeys that can take hours or days. That response is also complicated by a toxic slate of armed groups warring for control who, during the COVID-19 pandemic, blocked healthcare workers from traveling to remote areas.

“It's a risk and it's very difficult to predict” what could happen, he said, adding it could take weeks to fully assess the devastation.

Desperate residents seek news of their loved ones

Families posted information about missing loved ones on citizen-run websites.

Dana Carolina Zamora posted an image of her missing 60-year-old uncle, Miguel Ángel Zamora, cradling his dog. The farmer was living in a rural area of El Cairo, not far from the quake's epicenter in San Jose Del Palmar.

Local authorities said 80% of El Cairo, a town of about 7,000 people, was damaged. Zamora said her uncle lived in a traditional house of sticks and mud.

“We are afraid. We hope that is not the case, that he is all right and that it is only a communication failure. But we haven’t heard anything from him,” Zamora said.

The earthquake left many people unnerved after back-to-back quakes devastated neighboring Venezuela in late June, destroying hundreds of buildings and killing more than 6,300 people.

Mónica Sánchez, who lives in Pereira, one of the worst-hit cities, said when the quake happened a wall collapsed inside her clothing factory. Sánchez and her 12 employees escaped just in time.

“It was shocking — the city fell down around us,” she said.

On Tuesday, rescue workers pulled a woman alive from the rubble. Diana Troncoso lay on a stretcher, dusty and scraped up, with her eyes closed. Observers burst into applause as she emerged, but search teams raised their hand to call for quiet so they could continue their search for survivors.

Pereira and Cali enforced curfews Monday night to prevent looting, and private vehicles were banned from the roads of Pereira so ambulances, police and rescue workers were able to navigate what's left of the roads.

The U.S. State Department has announced it would provide $15.5 million for emergency shelter, food and other aid. Governments across Latin America have also lined up to help.

“This has been a tragedy for the whole city, for thousands of families,” Pereira Mayor Mauricio Salazar told local media, his voice quavering. “But here we are, and we will continue forward with the hand of God.”

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Suarez reported from Bogota, Colombia, and Janetsky reported from Mexico City. Associated Press reporter Manuel Rueda in Bogota contributed.

Tornado warning sirens howled as the skies darkened. All flights were temporarily stopped at Chicago’s two major airports, and officials warned about delays as the backlog was cleared. In Ohio, power outages swept the state capital region, and at least one death was reported there.

Photos from the Chicago area that were posted on social media showed flooded roads, trees tangled in power lines and homes with gashes in the roof.

“No power. It was very scary. We were down in the basement,” Javid Jenkins in Homewood, a Chicago suburb, said. “We’re built for snow. We’re built for cold. We’re not built for this.”

Jenkins, 54, said he was driving around for gas to fire up a generator to preserve food in his refrigerator.

There were numerous reports of wind gusts of 80 mph (128 kph) or more at personal weather stations.

“Total devastation. No roof,” said Kerry Hourigan, standing outside her home of 25 years in the Chicago suburb of Tinley Park, Illinois. “Stupid thing but my focus was I just bought a new barbecue grill, and I have no idea where that is. It’s disappeared."

The National Weather Service bluntly warned earlier in the day: “These are dangerous storms!”

More than 600,000 customers lost electricity in Illinois and Indiana, according to poweroutage.us. Lake and Porter counties in Indiana and Will County, Illinois, south of Chicago, were especially hit hard. Farther east in Ohio, more than 270,000 customers were without power.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said a resident of Roseville died during a health emergency when first responders faced with flooded roads couldn't get there. He warned that flooding dangers would persist.

“This is not something that will end tonight," DeWine said of severe weather.

The fifth day of the 10-day Lake County Fair was canceled, disappointing fans who were hoping to see a professional wrestling event involving people under 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall.

Nearby in LaPorte County, Indiana, there is a “tremendous amount of tree damage,” Commissioner Joe Haney said.

Officials in Columbus, Ohio, sent local government workers home early ahead of another round of storms. The library in Westerville, Ohio, closed after rain poured into the atrium.

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White reported from Detroit. Associated Press writers Jennifer Garske in Washington and Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta contributed.

It turned out to be an ultra rare collection of 97 “absolutely pristine” copies of Super Mario Brothers Duck Hunt, a popular Nintendo game that had been released in 1988, Ganos said.

After some initial research, Ganos found that the cartridges he held were not only a new variant of the game, but also the last known production date of it.

Most of the cartridges will go up for sale Friday in an online auction that will run until Sept. 9.

“I still don’t quite believe that any of this is happening,” Ganos said. “I just think it’s kind of serendipitous that this happened. It’s just still very bizarre to me.”

Ganos, a hard-core fan covered in Nintendo tattoos and who has operated Nintendo Wire, a news service for Nintendo announcements and nostalgia for over 10 years, said he would not venture to guess how much the games are worth.

But when he saw the box, he immediately knew it was special.

“It’s like pulling out like a Holy Grail,” Ganos said, later adding, “they're gorgeous.”

The discovery came after the owner, Kevin Braun, of One Stop Wonders in Waukesha, outside Milwaukee, asked Ganos to help him sell some stuff, including common Nintendo games and Pokémon cards.

Braun mentioned the box of Mario cartridges that had been sitting in storage for years. He recalled buying them from a customer whose family had kept them for metal scraps but thought they were not worth much.

The cartridges of Super Mario Brothers Duck Hunt he had were made in 1993, long after the company discontinued the bundle in 1991. Braun and Ganos still aren’t sure why the copies they possess were made but assume they were either warranty replacements or part of a bundle with a box retailer that never panned out.

Knowing the potential significance of the possession, Ganos booked a flight immediately.

“I flew down to California with 97 carts in my carry-on luggage, sweating bullets going through TSA, like why do you have 97 little circuit boards in your carry-on?” Ganos recalled thinking nervously.

He anxiously made it through airport security to meet with video game experts to have the cartridges verified and graded, giving them a perceived value.

There had never been a cartridge rated a perfect 10, on a .01 scaling basis at Professional Sports Authenticator video games, Ganos said.

Five of the 97 Ganos possessed received a perfect score.

“I think there’s going to be historic significance to the tens,” Ganos said when talking about how much the games may sell at the auction. “Like number one, it’s so many people’s childhoods, and number two, there’s never been a 10 in an NES cart before.”

Ultra rare video game cartridges, especially ones with unique production history, can be sold for six- to seven-figure prices in the collector’s market. Ganos said the 97 carts are also unique because of their perfect condition, which, much like comic books or sports cards, often makes them sell for higher prices.

Ganos can't estimate the ultimate worth of the cartridges because they are incomparable to other video game collectibles he has seen before. They could be worth hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands, he said.

Ganos and Braun are only auctioning off three of the perfect 10 scored cartridges at Golden Pop’s Culture Auction beginning Friday. They are both keeping one copy with a score of a 10, and a few others rated in the higher 9’s.

The games can be played if the buyer wants. But because they are pristine, Ganos hopes to keep them that way.

“Finding uncirculated stuff for me is just like super exciting,” Ganos said. “This game was the first video game I’ve ever played. Mario Duck Hunt was just such a big part of my life growing up.”

Braun and Ganos also plan to do a charity auction after they are finished with the current one.

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Wilder is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Common Worries by Age

Back-to-school worries can look different depending on a child’s age. Younger students may struggle with separation, new teachers or routines, while middle and high school students may face social pressure, academic expectations and concerns about the future. College students can experience stress related to independence, finances, academics and being away from home.

Signs of More Than Typical Back-to-School Nerves

Some anxiety during a major transition is normal. Parents should pay attention when changes are persistent or begin interfering with daily life.

Signs can include:

For older students, parents should also take seriously signs of hopelessness, significant isolation or statements suggesting they don’t want to be here.

Tips for Managing Back-to-School Stress

Psychologists recommend creating predictability and routine during the first few weeks of school. Consistent sleep schedules, regular meals, homework routines and reasonable limits on screen time can help students adjust.

Parents should also make time for conversations that go beyond grades. Instead of simply asking, “How was school?” try questions like, “What was the best part of your day?” or “What was the hardest part?”

If a child doesn’t want to talk, don’t force the conversation. Let them know you’re there when they’re ready, and look for low-pressure opportunities to connect — such as during a car ride, walk or family activity.

When to Ask for Help

Parents don’t have to wait for a crisis. If emotional or behavioral changes persist, worsen or interfere with school, home or social life, consider reaching out to a teacher, school counselor, school psychologist, pediatrician or qualified mental-health professional.

The biggest takeaway: You don’t have to know exactly what’s wrong before asking for help. Recognizing that something has changed is an important first step.

Houston Theater Week Presented by Huntington Bank returns Aug. 24-30, giving audiences the chance to buy one ticket and get one free for hundreds of live performances across the city.

With nearly 400 performances to choose from and 21 participating organizations, the weeklong celebration offers an easy way to experience everything from theater and dance to music and more. The lineup includes some of Houston’s biggest arts organizations, including Alley Theatre, Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Symphony and Apollo Chamber Players.

According to organizers, Houston Theater Week is about making the performing arts more accessible while encouraging Houstonians to discover something new. The discounted tickets can also be a chance to revisit a favorite venue or plan a night out with family and friends.

The program has already made a significant impact on Houston’s arts community. Since 2022, more than 118,000 tickets have been sold through Houston Theater Week, generating nearly $5 million for local performing arts organizations.

Performing Arts Houston President and CEO and Houston Theater District chair Meg Booth says the program helps lower the financial barrier to experiencing the arts while highlighting the incredible talent and performances available right here in Houston.

With performances scheduled throughout the upcoming 2026-2027 season, the deals can be a great opportunity to plan ahead, whether it’s a date night, a family outing or a chance to finally check a show off your list.

The Buy One, Get One Free offers go on sale Aug. 24. Audiences can browse participating performances and ticket information through Houston Theater Week’s website.

The Houston Theater Week promotional code is HTW26. You must enter that code during check out in order to receive the discount.

Elias Moreno Perez was last seen on Monday around 4 p.m. leaving a home on Northwood Drive.

Police say Elias is non-verbal and has been diagnosed with dementia. Because of these circumstances, police are concerned for his safety and are asking anyone who may see him to contact them.

Elias is believed to be wearing a red hat and either a blue pajama top with blue pajama bottoms or a red-and-white striped shirt with blue jeans. He may be carrying a black-and-red medicine bag/lunch kit.

Description

• Height: 5′05″
• Weight: 125 lbs.
• Hair: Bald with gray facial hair
• Eyes: Brown
• Build: Thin
• Complexion: Light
• Tattoo: “Virgin Mary” on left forearm

If you have seen Elias or know of his whereabouts, please contact the Baytown Police Department at 281-422-8371 or the Baytown Criminal Investigation Division at 281-420-6646. Any information may be crucial to his safety.

Rebecca Jollotta, a psychiatric nurse practitioner at South Shore Health Perinatal Behavior Health Program, testified at trial Tuesday that she exchanged messages with Clancy regularly on a patient portal throughout in late November and December 2022. Much of their conversations revolved around Clancy reporting trouble sleeping, depressive symptoms and her search for the right mix of medications to treat her symptoms. They also had in-person and virtual visits.

Several times Clancy indicated to Jollotta either that she had not taken the full dose of a prescribed medication or that she wanted to reduce a dosage or change her prescription based on what she felt were intolerable side effects. Clancy also worried about being addicted to some medications like Ativan, but Jollotta said she was not.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

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Struggle to find the right medications

“I really don’t like the way I feel on the Remeron and I know that I can’t stick with taking it,” Clancy said in a December message asking to switch from the antidepressant, which also is used to treat anxiety and insomnia, to a previous prescription mix. “I started having very intrusive thoughts that I never had before.”

Jollotta tried to assure Clancy that having intrusive thoughts is common with someone diagnosed with postpartum depression and anxiety and encouraged her to give the Remeron more time to work since she had only been on it a few days.

“This could be some postpartum anxiety. And I wanted to familiarize her with the symptoms, so that she had them written down and she could report them to me,” Jollotta said.

Jollotta, who is among several providers that Lindsay and Patrick Clancy have sued over her care, repeatedly came up with alternative treatment plans for Clancy including suggesting behavior therapy, support groups and meditation. But she acknowledged that it was up to Clancy whether she chose to follow them.

“I’m only making recommendations based on my education experience, training and what I’m seeing in terms of symptoms,” Jollotta said. “The patient has the autonomy.”

During their virtual and in-person visits, Jollotta said, Clancy never talked of having a plan to harm herself or her children. She also never showed signs of psychosis or mania.

But Jollotta acknowledged that Clancy did report having thoughts of suicide. She also suggested that Clancy might have underlying bipolar disorder — due to her days of going without sleep. But Patrick Clancy denied that was the case.

Suicidal thoughts

In mid-December, Jollotta had a call with the couple and was told Clancy had her “worst day” and was “having persistent, intrusive thoughts of suicide.” Jollotta suggested she consider a higher level of care such as that offered by Massachusetts General Hospital. She settled on a Rhode Island program but was soon discharged — with advice to get go one of her antipsychotic medication.

Jollotta, who was going on vacation, said she was concerned that Clancy had been discharged from the hospital, telling her in a message that she could “could benefit from the groups and added support separate even from medication changes.”

She was also concerned that Clancy wanted to go off Seroquel, the antipsychotic medications. Clancy was advised this could lead to “worsening of mood, worsening of sleep,” but she insisted on going off the medication. Jollotta agreed to slowly reduce the dosage.

Killer, or someone who was mentally ill

Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the deaths of Callan, Dawson and Cora Clancy, who ranged from 8 months to 5 years old. They were found in the basement of the family’s home in coastal Duxbury, Massachusetts, where their mother was lying in the yard. She had jumped from a second-story window, and she remains paralyzed from the waist down.

Prosecutors argue that the former labor and delivery nurse was an intentional killer who contrived to get her husband out of the house and then strangled the children with exercise bands on Jan. 24, 2023. Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham has urged jurors not to view the trial as “a public debate about women’s mental health and how the medical system treats women.”

Clancy’s attorneys do not dispute that she killed the children. But they say she should not be held criminally responsible because she was mentally ill, believing she heard voices ordering her to take their lives and her own.

The defense says she was in the grip of bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis, a rare postpregnancy condition that can alter a woman’s sense of reality. A forensic psychiatrist diagnosed Clancy with those conditions after the killings.

Minnesota voters will settle a moderate-versus-progressive Democratic U.S. Senate primary between centrist U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. In the race for governor, Mike Lindell, known as the MyPillow Guy, leads a crowded Republican primary with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, while Sen. Amy Klobuchar faces minimal opposition for the Democratic nomination.

The Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor is another high-profile clash between the party’s establishment and progressive wings, as democratic socialist Francesca Hong tries to rise above establishment candidate David Crowley. In a Republican primary for U.S. House, Trump-backed candidate Michael Alfonso, the 26-year-old son-in-law of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, is seeking to win Duffy’s former district.

And Republicans in South Carolina are casting ballots in a special primary election to replace the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham on the state’s general election ballot. The crowded race has attracted top party members, including two congressmen and a former governor — but Trump has endorsed Graham’s sister, Sen. Darline Graham, a political unknown appointed to serve out the final months of her late brother's current term.

Here's the latest:

Who is Sen. Darline Graham, the late Lindsey Graham’s sister?

Until her brother’s death, not much was known about Darline Graham, aside from their close relationship and hardscrabble upbringing.

Darline Graham was often at her brother’s side for big political moments, like the launch of his 2016 presidential campaign. The late senator often spoke of their difficulties early in life, and how the death of both parents in swift succession, when Darline was still a teen, bonded them together more tightly.

But Darline Graham has otherwise led a relatively quiet life with her husband and daughters in Lexington, South Carolina. She served in state government for years, working with people with disabilities and as agency head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.

Special Senate primary field features some of South Carolina’s top GOP names

A dozen hopefuls initially filed their paperwork, but not everyone was certified by the South Carolina Republican Party due to new party rules.

Here’s a look at the names that made it onto Tuesday’s ballots:

— U.S. Russell Fry, a two-term House member and Trump ally

— Sen. Darline Graham, sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham and appointed interim senator

— Mark Lynch, a businessman who ran against Lindsey Graham in the initial June primary

— U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus

— Mark Sanford, a former governor who also served two stints in the U.S. House

Other candidates include Walterboro attorney Duke Buckner, Central farmer Danny Ford II, former Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride, retired Air Force officer Glenda Gail Parker, and biomedical engineer and entrepreneur Sam Shepherd.

Trump’s immigration surge shapes Minnesota’s Democratic Senate primary

The immigration enforcement surge in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area this year has added another schism in the primary between establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, which otherwise echoed many of the other left vs. center divides in the Democratic Party this year.

Flanagan has attacked Craig for voting for tighter enforcement soon after Trump returned to office last year. Craig later expressed regret for her decision after the Republican president sent a surge of immigration enforcement officers into Minneapolis.

Craig says her experience winning tough races in Minnesota and fighting in Washington makes her the best person to take on Trump over immigration.

Voter who backed Mark Sanford as governor picks Graham in Senate race

Former Gov. Mark Sanford has been angling for a political comeback.

But Scott Brown said the Senate wasn’t the right move for Sanford, who became the subject of political jokes in 2009 when he went missing for days.

Staffers said Sanford had been on the Appalachian Trail. But he was actually in Argentina with a woman he was having an affair with, and Sanford spent his remaining months in office apologizing to the state.

“I voted for him when he was governor. I might even vote for him as a governor again,” Brown said when asked if Sanford had been a factor in the Senate primary. “I hate it for him.”

Frank Bohn felt more strongly about denying Sanford another chance at serving South Carolina.

“He was terrible as a governor, and he would be terrible as a senator,” said Bohn, who — like Brown — voted for Sen. Darline Graham in Tuesday’s primary.

Voters split over heft of Trump’s endorsement in South Carolina Senate primary

President Donald Trump endorsed Sen. Darline Graham’s candidacy even before she said she was running in South Carolina’s special GOP Senate primary. But voters who said they were voting for her seemed split over whether the president’s buy-in mattered.

“He’s the greatest president ever as far as I’m concerned,” Frank Bohn said after casting his ballot early last week for Graham. “President Trump means a lot.”

But for fellow early voter Scott Brown, who also said he was a Trump supporter, Graham’s debate performance won his support and meant more than the president’s endorsement.

“It never does,” Brown said when asked if Trump’s endorsement swayed him toward Graham.

Sometimes, a Wisconsin voter says, you can’t ‘vote your heart’

Standing in the afternoon heat outside the western Wisconsin fire hall where she’d voted, Sarah Atkins Hoggatt said she wished she could have voted for Hong.

“I embrace her ideology,” she said, ticking off issues like reproductive rights and “Medicare for All.” “I would have wanted to vote for her.”

But she also believes that Hong’s deeply progressive politics, combined with concerns among some voters with democratic socialist candidates, make a November victory much harder for her.

“I voted for someone who I think has a better chance” to beat Tiffany, said Atkins Hoggatt, 61, who sells construction material and drain systems. She voted for Crowley.

“I didn’t vote my heart,” she said.

Democrat Rebecca Cooke looks for a rematch against Rep. Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin

A former Democratic fundraiser and small business owner is vying to face the Republican representative for a second time in a competitive Wisconsin congressional district.

Rebecca Cooke faces a primary challenge from former Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge. Berge has run an underdog, insurgent campaign against Cooke, who is more well-known and better financed.

Cooke narrowly lost to Van Orden in 2024. She also ran in 2022 but lost in the Democratic primary.

Van Orden is one of President Donald Trump’s biggest supporters but will face a tough reelection bid in the narrowly divided 3rd Congressional District and in a year where the president's approval ratings are low in Wisconsin.

Personal connection, Lindsey Graham’s record helped sway voters toward Darline Graham

Frank Bohn said an interaction with Sen. Darline Graham in a parking lot was part of what tilted the scales in her favor in terms of his vote in South Carolina’s special Senate primary, when he cast his vote early last week in Horry County.

“She’s not a politician, but she was kin to probably one of the greatest senators ever,” Bohn said, reflecting on his impression of the political newcomer and the service of her brother, the late

Sen. Lindsey Graham. “Being not a politician, and just being able to follow the path of her brother … she could do no harm.”

Susan Bohn said her husband’s recollection helped make up her mind to vote for Darline Graham, too.

“I was going to vote for somebody else, but I changed my mind,” said Susan Bohn, who had been considering U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman.

Lindsey Graham’s Senate service helped tip one voter toward his sister

Debra Dowd said she was deciding between two candidates in the South Carolina Senate primary, U.S. Rep. Russell Fry and Sen. Darline Graham, but ended up going with the latter in part because she admired the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s service.

“I just think her brother did a wonderful job for all the time he’s been in the Senate, so I went for her,” Dowd said after casting her ballot for the late senator’s sister in Conway during early voting last week.

It wasn’t all about Lindsey Graham’s service, though. Dowd said she considered President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Darline Graham, as well as her performance earlier this month, in which the candidate voiced strong support for the president’s agenda.

“Watching the debate, I liked her answers,” Dowd said. “Her debate performance was really good.”

Special GOP primary to replace late Sen. Lindsey Graham is taking place just a month after his death

The longtime South Carolina Republican lawmaker had been seeking a fifth term when he died suddenly a month ago, and the campaign to pick a new GOP nominee has been a whirlwind.

State law sets out the timeline that officials must follow for a special election when a seat becomes vacant. Candidates had about two weeks to file for the contest, then two weeks to campaign.

Graham’s sister was swiftly appointed to serve out the remaining months of his current term. In a move that surprised many political watchers in the state, Darline Graham also launched a primary bid, something she said came at the urging of President Donald Trump, with whom her late brother had been closely aligned.

Preliminary medical findings note Lindsey Graham died from an aortic tear.

Voter says Fry's experience won his vote in the South Carolina Senate primary

After casting his ballot during early voting in Conway last week, George Mitford said he picked U.S. Rep. Russell Fry in the special Senate GOP primary because he favored the two-term congressman’s experience over current Sen. Darline Graham, appointed last month to serve the rest of her late brother’s current term.

“I just thought he’d probably had more experience in this than she would have had,” Mitford said, adding that he had supported Sen. Lindsey Graham’s tenure in the Senate.

“I’m a conservative and a Republican, and I just think he was the best choice,” said Mitford, who lives in Fry’s district along South Carolina’s northern coastal area.

Vermont Democrats pick a challenger to long-serving Republican Gov. Phil Scott

The Democratic primary features a race between economist Amanda Janoo and Aly Richards, a former child advocacy organization CEO.

Richards, 40, grew up in Newbury, Vermont, and has received endorsements from former Vermont governors Howard Dean and Madeleine Kunin. She previously worked for former Gov. Peter Shumlin and on former President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign.

Janoo, 38, was born on a farm in Strafford, Vermont. She began her career working with the United Nations and international development organizations.

Scott, who has served five terms and is one term away from becoming the state’s longest-serving governor, is running unopposed.

Vermont is one of two states, along with neighboring New Hampshire, that hold a gubernatorial election every two years.

Incumbent plans fight to retain redrawn US House seat in Alabama

Republicans redrew Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District after the U.S. Supreme Court severely weakened the Voting Rights Act earlier this year.

The redraw added a Republican-leaning seat to the state’s congressional map by shifting the boundaries of one represented by a Black Democrat.

The seat is now held by Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures, who was unopposed in his primary and has said he plans to aggressively defend the seat.

Six Republicans are competing in the special congressional primary for the chance to challenge Figures in November.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has placed Figures on its list of “frontline” candidates for extra support in what they consider the most pivotal districts. The National Republican Congressional Committee has similarly put the district on its list of targets for 2026.

‘She feels like one of us,’ Hong supporter says

In the Wisconsin governor’s race, software engineer Cody Chandler said he didn’t worry about electability when he cast his ballot for Hong.

“In the past I’d think about who could win,” said Chandler. “But this time I’m voting for who I want to win.”

He’s thrilled by Hong and the progressive movement around her.

“She’s probably the most exciting candidate I’ve seen,” said Chandler, 35, who voted in the town of Hudson. He sees himself as a progressive, someone inspired a decade ago by Sen. Bernie Sanders, and volunteered for Hong’s campaign.

“She seems to be like a real working-class person. Sure, she stumbles over her words sometimes — but so do I,” he said, laughing. “She feels like one of us.”

In Wisconsin, a Republican votes Democratic — and for the candidate she thinks can win

Linda Biles believes Hong’s politics will frighten voters like her — a Republican in a largely rural area who votes Democratic because she dislikes Trump and politicians who back him.

“I think just the word ‘socialism’ is turning off Republicans,” said Biles, a 71-year-old retired home economics teacher, after casting her ballot in the western Wisconsin town of Hudson. “It scares them away.”

Crowley, she said, was an obvious choice: “He’s got more of a chance of beating Tiffany,” she said.

A former NFL broadcaster votes for herself in Minnesota

Michele Tafoya is seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

She strode into a suburban Minneapolis church with a phalanx of reporters and photographers watching. She checked in with poll workers, filled out her ballot and fed it into the counter.

“How are you?” she asked the top election official on site.

“I’ll be glad when you’re done,” the stressed-out official responded with a laugh.

In the parking lot out front, she argued that this will be the year voters end a 20-year losing streak for Republicans running statewide in Minnesota. Voters, she said, are fed up after widespread reports of fraud in public assistance programs.

“Minnesotans are ready. We’ve had a crisis of leadership here,” Tafoya said. “We’ve seen what career politicians have done in this state. They’ve brought us to a place of national embarrassment, and this state is ready for change.”

Other charges were dropped. After entering the plea by video, Haddish was placed on 12 months' probation and told to avoid drugs and alcohol and complete a substance abuse evaluation. She was credited for the brief time she spent in jail following her arrest.

Haddish’s films include the comedy “Girls Trip,” “Night School,” “Like a Boss” and “The Kitchen.” She wrote the New York Times bestseller “The Last Black Unicorn,” which earned a Grammy nomination for a subsequent audiobook she narrated. In 2018, she won an Emmy for her appearance on “Saturday Night Live” and a Grammy in 2021 for her special “Black Mitzvah.”

At around 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 14, 2022, someone called 911 to report seeing a person who appeared to be asleep in the driver's seat of a white Ford Explorer with their foot on the brake in Peachtree City, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Atlanta, according to a court filing. An officer spotted an SUV that matched the description given by the caller and stopped Haddish as she pulled into a neighborhood, according to a police report.

Haddish's lawyers in May asked a judge to dismiss the case, arguing that waiting more than four years for the case to be resolved had caused personal and professional difficulties and violated her right to a speedy trial. Fayette County State Court Judge Jason Thompson rejected her arguments.

The judge found that Haddish and her attorneys had requested some of the delays, including a request for a delay so she could attend a fashion show in Morocco and a request to leave a hearing early to catch a flight. He wrote that she also did not show any evidence of having missed specific performing opportunities or of actual financial harm because of the delay.

Haddish also was arrested in November 2023 in Beverly Hills, California, on suspicion of driving under the influence after police received a call and said Haddish appeared to be slumped over the wheel of a vehicle while the engine was still running.

Haddish reached a plea deal with prosecutors in that case in February 2024, pleading no contest to a vehicle code violation, and the two misdemeanor DUI charges against her were dropped, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Investigators say the suspect, Oscar Vasquez, ran from the scene before deputies arrived. then was spotted in a nearby bayou. Vasquez took off again, jumping fences in an attempt to escape. Deputies and the Constable Canine Unit caught the man a short time later.

Investigators determined Vasquez allegedly injured a juvenile during the original disturbance. They also say Vasquez has open warrants for criminal mischief and harassment.

CANINE UNIT TRACKS DOWN SUSPECT CHARGED WITH INJURY TO A CHILD!

Follow us at https://t.co/EzyDHKl8Js, Instagram @ConstablePct4, and download our C4 NOW mobile app to receive live feeds on crime, arrests, safety tips, and traffic accidents in your area. pic.twitter.com/w7wIiRaanP

— Mark Herman, Harris County Constable Precinct 4 (@Pct4Constable) August 11, 2026

“Those who harm children and attempt to flee from law enforcement will be pursued and held accountable,” Constable Mark Herman said in a statement.

Oscar Vasquez was booked into the Harris County Jail on the outstanding warrants and charged with Injury to a Child. His bond is set at $30,000.

About 100 firefighters from Mexico were on the way to help fight the blaze that's destroyed homes and other properties near Okanagan Lake in British Columbia. The fire has killed an 80-year-old woman and burned toward Summerland, a community of about 12,000 people roughly 300 kilometers (185 miles) east of Vancouver.

The fire showed “quite significant growth” in some areas overnight even without strong winds, said Cliff Chapman, director of provincial operations for the British Columbia Wildfire Service. He added crews were working around the clock to establish control lines and make it safe for evacuated residents to return home.

“We recognized and we heard even last night that people obviously would like to go home. They would like to see the extent of the damage,” Chapman said.

Provincial officials ramp up evacuations

Kevin Dunbar, British Columbia’s executive director for emergency response and recovery operations, called it one of the largest evacuations in recent British Columbia history.

British Columbia officials said they had secured 1,600 hotel rooms and 1,000 group-lodging spaces for evacuees in Okanagan after some residents faced delays getting emergency assistance during the weekend evacuation.

Beyond those already forced to flee, another 10,000 people have been told to be ready to leave on short notice. More than 100 wildfires were burning across the province, and officials warned that dry lightning could spark new fires in the Central Interior and Okanagan. The province also asked the federal government for help expanding lodging for evacuees.

RCMP are investigating whether criminal activity played a role in the fire. Chapman said about 4% of wildfires in British Columbia over the past decade were suspected of having been deliberately set, but officials have not said the Bald Range fire was intentionally started.

Evacuated residents recount emotional experience

Lucille and Gordon Beach of Summerland were in Vancouver for the weekend wedding of a granddaughter when they heard the fire had started. “We didn't feel too celebratory,” Lucille Beach said Tuesday.

The couple, staying for now in West Kelowna with their dog, haven't seen their home since leaving Friday but believed it was OK. It took a few days to adjust to the reality of what was happening, Lucille Beach said.

Carmen Bodzasy evacuated from Summerland, where she and her husband moved recently. She had to navigate evacuating on unfamiliar roads while he was away for work.

Before leaving, “I cried my eyes out for a minute, and I thought, you know what, if I had to restart over, what would I take with me?” She took photos of her parents' wedding, of her children's families and of her and her husband. “I thought if I didn’t have walls to go home to, at least I have memories to put up on my new one,” she said.

Holding her small dog Tuesday, she was not sure of the status of their home but said whatever happens, she intends to stay in Summerland, a place where people wave at passing motorists and stop to ask how you're doing.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help that town rebuild because everybody’s so kind there,” she said.

Other fires burning in the West

In the U.S., firefighters in California on Tuesday were fighting a blaze that’s burned roughly 3 square miles (8 square kilometers) in the Big Sur region of the state’s rugged central coast. Area state parks have closed and evacuation orders have been issued, including for a roughly 7-mile (11-kilometer) stretch of Highway 1, the state’s iconic coastal route. The highway was open as of Tuesday morning, California Highway Patrol spokesperson Ryan Moore said.

The Timber Fire has held east of the highway, authorities said.

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Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Claire Rush contributed from Portland, Oregon.

Set in the rugged beauty of the Texas Hill Country, Ransom Canyon follows the lives of three ranching families whose stories are intertwined by love, loss, long-held secrets and the fight to protect their land and legacy.

Season two picks up with even higher stakes as relationships are tested, new challenges emerge and unexpected twists keep viewers guessing.

At the center of it all are Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly, whose characters continue to navigate complicated relationships, personal struggles and the ever-changing dynamics of life in Ransom Canyon, all while trying to hold on to the people and places they love most.

Catch season two of Ransom Canyon now streaming now on Netflix.

Watch as Lauren Kelly chats with Josh and Minka all about the new episodes, and why the show coined the nick name, ‘Handsome’ Canyon. 😜

The complaint — filed in the Southern District of New York — says that President Donald Trump's executive order last year targeting the Hague-based criminal court and the U.S. sanctions issued against a U.N. human rights expert and three Palestinian rights groups represent a “blatantly illegal attack on international justice and should be struck down," according to a press release.

The lawsuit is the latest example of organizations pushing back on what they call the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine international law and prevent efforts to combat impunity by governments around the world.

“The fact that so many leading human rights and humanitarian organizations have come together to challenge Trump’s unlawful executive order demonstrates the widespread harm it is causing across civil society groups dedicated to bringing those responsible for grave crimes to justice,” said Andrew Loewenstein of Foley Hoag LLP, the lead counsel representing the plaintiffs.

The groups assert that the financial and legal penalties against the ICC have forced them to “curtail a wide range of human rights and legal work in violation of their First and Fifth Amendment rights under the US Constitution and under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”

Other organizations joining the lawsuit are the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Open Society Institute.

The U.S. and Israel are not among the ICC’s member states, and neither nation recognizes the court’s authority. A White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing litigation, dismissed the lawsuit Tuesday, saying that the ICC’s actions have infringed on the sovereignty and national security of the U.S. and its closest ally, Israel. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Efforts to retain the global tribunal's power come as the ICC faces enormous pressure, both internally and from its more than 120 member states. Among those sanctioned by the U.S. last year was Karim Khan, who was the ICC’s chief prosecutor until he was removed from the post last month, nearly two years after sexual misconduct allegations against him first emerged, as detailed in stories by The Associated Press.

The Trump administration had issued those sanctions against Khan and a dozen other ICC staff in retaliation for warrants the court has issued for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the war in Gaza and investigations into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.

“The Trump administration seeks a get out of jail free card for whomever it chooses. And with this case, we say no,” Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said during a press conference Tuesday.

Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the U.S. was launching a “sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to U.S. sovereignty.”

In a video message, Rubio said the U.S. would pressure member states to withdraw from the institution, sanction organizations that work with the court and ban staff from traveling to the United States. Countries that “enjoy the benefits of the U.S. security umbrella” will be called upon to reject the court’s jurisdiction over U.S. citizens, he added.

Several countries, including U.S.-allied Venezuela, announced they would withdraw from the court shortly after Rubio's statements and Khan's removal.

British driver Andy Green reached 406.320 mph (653.908 kph) in a car powered by two hydrogen internal combustion engines with a combined 1,600 horsepower, setting the record for that vehicle category, according to the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the international governing body of motor sports.

The 64-year-old retired Royal Air Force pilot rocketed across the crystalline crust at Utah’s famous Bonneville Salt Flats in a 32-foot (9.75-meter) car engineered by British construction equipment manufacturer JCB. The engines, adapted from those used in the company’s heavy machinery, mix pressurized hydrogen gas with air and ignite it to create bursts of power.

“It’s magic to be able to showcase this technology and to showcase how good the engineering is on the best racing surface in the world, Bonneville Salt Flats,” Green said after the run.

To be clear, Tuesday’s feat didn’t come close to approaching the overall land-speed record, which Green set with jet power in 1997. That year, he climbed into the Thrust SSC, a black needle sandwiched between two cartoonishly large jet engines, and drove it to an outright record of 763.035 mph (1,227.985 kph), breaking the sound barrier and achieving a feat no one has come close to matching. His runs in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert produced sonic booms that shook the nearby town of Gerlach.

In 2006, Green also set the land-speed record for a diesel-powered car — 350.092 mph (563.4 kph) — at the Bonneville Salt Flats. He returned there Tuesday with the goal of beating that mark using hydrogen power, which he has called the “fuel of the future.”

In targeting his diesel speed, Green easily topped the previous hydrogen combustion world record of 185.5 mph (298.5 kph). He had a 10-mile (16-kilometer) straightaway to build speed. A few dozen JCB staff members and reporters watched from a distance through cameras and binoculars.

Green said the inside of the car he used on Tuesday was “probably a little hotter” than in the jet-powered vehicle from 1997, with temperatures routinely above 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius).

“But I have been training four months for that, both training in the gym and actually just getting used to it with hot baths,” he said.

A remnant of a prehistoric lake bed, the Bonneville Salt Flats are about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Salt Lake City and sit atop a shallow aquifer that cools the tires. The low-friction surface and dry desert air are conducive to speed and have beckoned drivers since the first race there in 1914.

“It looks like snow, and it behaves a bit like packed snow — it is surprisingly slippery,” Green said.

Green was no stranger to speed when he took his first racing job. He had been flying supersonic military jets when he spotted a 1994 British newspaper ad seeking a high-speed driver to break the sound barrier.

Green did not approach supersonic speeds on Tuesday, but JCB engineers hope his feat with hydrogen power will shake up the clean-energy industry.

The company's chairman has argued that hydrogen can better handle the demands of heavy industries than electric power.

Hydrogen is only as clean as its source, and the vast majority is currently produced from fossil fuels. JCB signed a deal to buy green hydrogen, which is created using renewable energy but makes up a tiny fraction of global hydrogen production.

The concept and development of such technology has been around for decades, but has had a resurgence over the past several years, said Greg Keoleian, a professor of sustainable systems at the University of Michigan and co-director of the school’s MI Hydrogen initiative.

Many of the large automakers have already developed hydrogen internal combustion engines or hydrogen cell technology, but the higher cost of hydrogen production compared to gas and diesel is a barrier to wider usage, Keoleian said.

“It represents an important energy carrier for decarbonizing areas of the economy,” he said. “As far as its deployment, it’s influenced heavily by the cost.”

An emerging focus, he said, is extracting hydrogen from natural deposits instead of separating it from water, a prospect that could significantly reduce costs.

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Associated Press reporter Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut contributed to this report.

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

4 crew members and 2 allied fighters killed, Yemen says

Six people were killed Tuesday by Houthis firing missiles on a vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, Yemeni authorities said.

Yemen's coast guard said the dead included four crew members and two members of the government-allied National Resistance Forces. Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at the Yemeni commercial vessel, according to the Transportation Ministry of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

They are the first known deaths from Houthi attacks on shipping off Yemen in the latest bout of fighting in the Arab country.

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut down by Iran, there has been a renewed focus on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb strait at Yemen’s southern tip, which is an alternate route for Saudi Arabia to ship its oil.

The deadly vessel strike came amid Houthi attacks on the government-held port city of Mokha on the Red Sea and other areas of the country. Dozens of government troops and civilians have been killed in attacks since last week, according to the Yemeni military.

The strikes are part of an escalation by the Houthis against government forces in Yemen and oil facilities in neighboring Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government, and the kingdom’s shipping in the Red Sea.

The Houthi attacks could reignite Yemen’s civil war following a 2022 truce, and open a new front in the Middle East war.

Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator and spokesperson, accused Saudi Arabia in a social media post of exploiting the ceasefire to tighten an air and sea blockade it imposed in 2015.

He said the Houthis are open for negotiations but any settlement must include lifting the blockade.

US fires on ship it said was trying to break blockade of Iran

The U.S. military said Tuesday that its forces fired on a Panamanian-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade the American blockade on Iranian ports. The move came as President Donald Trump tries to keep economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.

U.S. Central Command said the vessel had ignored warnings to stop, prompting an American helicopter to fire missiles into the engine room of the M/V Vela Nova, disabling the ship. The statement did not say whether the ship’s crew suffered any casualties.

Central Command said it has redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade, disabled three non-compliant vessels and boarded two. The U.S. Navy currently has more than 15 warships, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault ship, stationed in the waters of the Arabian Sea.

Iran has kept up its attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, largely shutting it off. It has refused to back down on demands that the U.S. end its blockade of Iranian ports, lift sanctions on the Islamic Republic and fulfill other conditions.

Iran effectively closed the strait after Israel and the U.S. attacked the country on Feb. 28. Attacks on the key waterway — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil supplies passed before the war — and uncertainty around its future have kept energy prices a major focus of U.S. politics ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Pakistani official returns to Iran hoping to ease tensions with US

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled Tuesday to Tehran for meetings with Iran's foreign minister and other officials.

Naqvi's visit aimed to encourage Iran to resume negotiations with the United States under an interim peace deal brokered by Pakistan in June, two officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted photos from his meeting with Naqvi on his private Telegram channel.

It is Naqvi's sixth trip to Iran as part of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Iran and the U.S.

—Munir Ahmed in Islamabad

Israel criticized at UN meeting over West Bank violence

Five European nations on the Security Council called a meeting Tuesday as Britain’s new U.N. Ambassador Sarah MacIntosh condemned escalating violence across the West Bank, calling settler attacks on Palestinian villages, some alongside Israeli soldiers, “appalling.”

Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour said Israeli annexation of Palestinian territory is already “underway -- brutally and relentlessly.” He urged international action to chart a path for Palestinian self-determination and “freedom.”

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon responded by saying: “Israel condemns all violence against Israelis and Palestinians” and ”does not tolerate extremism – we confront it.”

Danon said “extremist attacks" by Israelis are declining and accused council members of ignoring “rising” attacks by Palestinians.

Former Syrian President Assad sentenced to death in absentia

In Syria, a court sentenced former President Bashar Assad along with his younger brother to death for crimes against humanity and war crimes during Syria’s 14-year conflict that left about half a million people dead.

Assad and his brother Maher, who fled to Russia after insurgents marched into Damascus in December 2024, were sentenced in absentia at the Fourth Criminal Court in the Syrian capital.

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This story has been corrected to state that Bashar and Maher Assad fled to Russia in 2024, not 2014.

The Texas Workforce Commission Tuesday voted to cut 9.5% of the state’s child care scholarships, which represents approximately 14,000 seats for children.

For some regions that need to meet lower scholarship numbers in 2027, those cuts will begin by the fourth quarter of 2026, which begins in September.

Child care scholarships are a federal funding program administered by each state, similar to SNAP or Medicaid, meant to provide child care for low-income working families.

In 2025, Texas lawmakers allocated an unprecedented one-time investment of $100 million to the scholarship program that was supposed to stretch through 2026 and 2027, but the funds were quickly depleted due to inflation. The rising cost of child care without additional financial assistance from the federal government has exacerbated a growing crisis in Texas’ child care landscape, where more than 100,000 children are waiting for scholarships. Now, workforce development boards that were tasked with allocating scholarships are being asked to cut the number of children they serve in 2027.

“At a time when families are dealing with high prices on everything from groceries to child care, we’re very concerned that Texas is cutting back on the number of families who will have access to child care,” said Max Rombado, director of early learning policy at Texans Care for Children.

What this means depends on the region. Only the North Central Texas region – including Dallas and Fort Worth — will see any additional funding or growth in its scholarship program, meeting documents show. Other regions were asked to cut 80 to 1,900 seats.

“It’s unacceptable,” said state Rep. Armando Walle, a Houston-based representative who advocated for the $100 million one-time expenditure.

The TWC did not respond in time for publication.

What is subsidized child care? Why do we have it?

Child care is expensive.

While it is typically more expensive in larger cities where incomes are typically higher, families across the country struggle to cover the costs regardless of where they live. Furthermore, child care is notoriously underfunded. Even some of the highest-quality centers operate on shoestring budgets, experience high turnover rates and eventually shutter when they can no longer cover their costs.

Subsidized child care, often called scholarships, are a federal program that have been around for a century and have fallen in and out of favor over the decades. States pay a percentage of the cost to run the program in order to receive federal funding. States can opt to pay more than that percentage, and some build those costs into their budgets.

These scholarships cover all or a portion of child care tuition for families who meet certain criteria.

The cost of child care and widespread child care deserts, which make child care providers largely unavailable to parents, has led parents — especially moms — to leave the workforce. In leaving the workforce they instead rely on one income and/or state-supported services to meet their needs. These subsidies allow those parents to reenter the workforce.

“They’d rather be working than having to depend on the government. This is a safety net for these families,” Walle said. “It is a lifeline to offset the high cost of goods, the high cost of gas, the high cost of rent, and groceries. It’s just cost prohibitive for a lot of families to pay for childcare on the private market.”

What do we mean by “seats?”

The number of children those scholarships cover are referred to as “seats,” which is, essentially, the number of chairs those children occupy in a child care facility on any given day.

Funding for scholarships in 2026 was meant to cover 146,736 “targeted seats” per day – the state’s goal for butts in seats. The $100 million was supposed to add 10,000 seats in Texas in 2026 and 2027. Now, the commission has had to cut the statewide target to 132,689 in 2027.

This reduction won’t be spread equally across the board. Some regions, such as those near El Paso and the Alamo, will have to reduce their targets by nearly 2,000, whereas the North Central region is actually seeing its numbers increase by more than 500.

To meet those “target seats” some districts are being asked to cull their numbers now.

“If [Texas Workforce Commission] does not modify the BCY ’26 target, the Boards will have an incentive to continue to enroll more children, in order for TWC to consider them to be Meeting Performance,” commission staff wrote in a supplemental document for today’s meeting. “This will exacerbate the impact of next year’s lower target, as the Board will enter BCY ’27 with significantly more children enrolled versus their new target.”

How will the cuts work?

Children typically phase out of the scholarship program when they turn 13, move out of the region or return to in-home care. Their scholarships then go to the next kid on the list.

Over the next few months, in most regions across the state, that won’t happen. Instead, the children on the wait list will stay on that wait list until the regions no longer exceed their 2027 target and a seat opens up.

Why is Texas cutting this program?

Some states, like Florida and New Mexico, invested significant amounts of money over the last few years and created sustainable funding mechanisms meant to stabilize these programs. Other states, like Texas, did not.

“The federal government has passed spending bills that have cut the social safety net programs across the board,” Walle said. “At the federal level, it needs to be fixed, but states can also add more money too. They can put more skin in the game. They can pull additional dollars from their own coffers. That is going to be my goal: to convince my colleagues that this is an important investment in families.”

In the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers tapped into $100 million in the unused Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds, which is still federal cash, to supplement the state’s child care subsidy program. The goal was to provide seats for another 10,000 children who were waiting for a scholarship. That didn’t happen. Instead, it allowed regions to increase how much each scholarship paid to meet the impact of inflation on child care centers. Experts hoped it would be enough to retain child care seats.

It was not enough.

What can be done?

These cuts will go into effect over the next 18 months. Lawmakers can begin looking at ways to provide a sustainable funding mechanism for child care in the state, as other states like Florida and New Mexico have.

Walle sees some opportunity in the state’s rainy day fund, which has had a surplus the last few years. Decades ago, Texans voted to divert cash from the rainy day fund to the state highway fund and to cover the cost of infrastructure development. The state could consider something similar for child care.

“Our roads are highly used, but we also have to invest in our families, and this is a way to do it,” Walle said.

The $100 million was supported by both sides of the aisle, so this proposal could gain steam in the state house and senate in 2027. However, it has steep competition for the spotlight as Texans rage against the data center boom and demand clarification to the state’s groundwater laws.

Rombado believes it’s in Texas’ best interest to find a solution for families who are dependent on state services and could truly benefit from the scholarship.

“It’s a service that, without it, would cost the state tens of billions of dollars in economic productivity,” Rombado said.

Disclosure: Texans Care for Children 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 Texas Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Graham's sister, Darline Graham, a political unknown tapped to serve out the final months of her brother's term, is trying to overcome skepticism about her lack of experience in her campaign to replace him. She picked up President Donald Trump's swift endorsement though the rare open Senate seat has attracted a broad field, including some of the state's top Republicans.

For decades, South Carolina voters reliably returned Lindsey Graham to Washington despite periodic primary challengers who accused the dealmaker and foreign policy hawk of being insufficiently conservative.

Tuesday's contest features one of Lindsey Graham’s earlier foes, as well as two U.S. House members and Mark Sanford, the former governor and congressman seeking a political comeback in a field crowded with familiar faces.

Will goodwill toward Lindsey Graham boost his sister at the polls?

Lindsey Graham suffered a tear in his aorta at his Washington home and died on July 11.

Before funeral observances in Washington and South Carolina had even concluded, the campaign was on. State law proscribes a compressed timeline that forced candidates to navigate the decorum of mourning the senator's death while also jockeying to replace him.

A day after Graham’s death was announced, his sister accepted Republican Gov. Henry McMaster’s appointment to succeed her brother in an interim capacity. She was sworn in with her family and late senator’s staff standing behind her.

A week later, Darline Graham launched into the campaign herself, encouraged to run and then endorsed by Trump.

Some voters said her brother's reputation helped tilt them over the line to support Darline Graham.

“She’s not a politician, but she was kin to probably one of the greatest senators ever,” Frank Bohn of Horry County said.

While Darline Graham couldn't directly access the millions in Lindsey Graham's campaign account, there was no limit to how much could be transferred to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which funded advertising to support her.

A super PAC that once supported Lindsey Graham has also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars backing Darline Graham. Mailers tout her as “President Trump's choice” and “Prepared to Carry on Lindsey's Legacy.”

Two congressmen are among those seeking the nomination

More familiar to South Carolina voters in their own right are two U.S. House members in the race, one of whom already has a statewide profile.

Fresh off an unsuccessful primary run for governor, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman entered the Senate contest and snapped up endorsements from lawmakers including Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah, as well as South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace.

One of the most conservative House members, Norman is well-known across South Carolina as a fiscal conservative. At times, however, he's been at odds with Trump, backing former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the 2024 presidential primary.

Also running is Rep. Russell Fry, who appeared poised to gain Trump's backing after Lindsey Graham's death. Despite lacking the president's endorsement, he announced his own candidacy and has been trying to boost his name recognition beyond his pro-Trump, Myrtle Beach-area district.

Voter George Mitford said Fry's service stood out to him over Darline Graham, who hasn't been in elected office.

“I just thought he’d probably had more experience in this than she would have had,” Mitford said, adding that he had supported Lindsey Graham’s Senate tenure.

Mark Sanford seeks another political comeback

The former South Carolina congressman and governor whose political ascendency was stalled by a 2009 extramarital affair is making yet another attempt to return to public office.

Sanford’s Senate bid comes just three months after he ended an effort to retake his former U.S. House seat, saying then he was quitting the race to establish a nonprofit to address the national debt, his signature issue.

Sanford had entered that contest on the last day of filing in a race alreadyfull of other Republicans. He's been crisscrossing South Carolina, reintroducing himself to voters after more than a decade out of statewide office.

Mark Lynch, a Greenville businessman who tried to oust Graham in last month's regular Republican primary, swiftly relaunched his campaign after Graham’s death. Lynch has campaigned as a Trump supporter, but in June, the president on social media called him a “lunatic” and a “disaster for the Republican Party.”

Who is the Democratic nominee for the Senate seat?

Dr. Annie Andrews, a Charleston physician, won her party’s June primary outright. Having set up her campaign based around challenging Graham, Andrews has been forced to pivot to a broader critique of the Republican contenders.

No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat here in decades. And when Graham last ran in 2020, he defeated his Democratic opponent, Jaime Harrison, by a 10 percentage point margin.

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

Netanyahu’s remarks cast more doubt on the deal to disarm Hamas, which was seen as a potential breakthrough for ending the war. They also marked a rare public display of friction with the Trump administration.

The agreement called for Hamas to begin disarming and for Israel to halt its strikes and begin withdrawing from the roughly 60% of Gaza it currently controls. It was based on an October ceasefire agreement that ended major military operations and brought about the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza but has stalled on other fronts.

Netanyahu, who faces a tough battle for reelection in October, reiterated his stance that disarmament should come first. He said Israeli forces would continue to “do whatever is necessary to protect themselves, our territory, and our citizens.”

The Trump administration “sent us a draft. We did not agree. It is not our draft. We sent our comments. … This is our position,” Netanyahu said in a video posted on social media.

Mass funeral held for dozens killed in 2023 strike

Earlier on Tuesday, Palestinians gathered for a mass funeral of more than 100 bodies finally recovered from a deadly Israeli strike in Gaza in 2023. More than 300 people were killed on Nov. 22, 2023, weeks into the war with Hamas, when warplanes flattened a residential block in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood.

Around 40 bodies were recovered soon afterward in a frantic scramble of rough tools and bare hands, but most were buried deep beneath the rubble. Reports of the high number of victims in one of the war’s deadliest attacks took days to reach the public in the chaos just before its first ceasefire.

Over the weekend, first responders dug through the destroyed buildings and recovered remains of 112 victims, including 40 children, according to the Civil Defense, a rescue agency operating under the Hamas-run Interior Ministry.

It said 157 bodies still have not been found.

“The only crime of these martyrs was that they remained steadfast and resilient in their homes, believing that these homes would protect them,” one relative, Taysir al-Hassayna, told The Associated Press following the funeral prayers.

For the missing, it’s “as if their bodies had evaporated without a trace.”

The current ceasefire has allowed recovery of remains

Only now are some bodies of people killed in the war’s ferocious early months slowly being recovered, as the fragile ceasefire allows such efforts to push ahead in parts of devastated Gaza.

Those discoveries have contributed to the war’s rising toll. The Hamas-led militant attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 73,377 Palestinians, including since the ceasefire, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

At least 7,400 people have been reported by relatives to still be under the rubble, Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the ministry’s records department, told the AP. The true number is likely thousands higher because in some cases entire families were killed in a single bombing, leaving no one to report the missing, al-Waheidi has said.

The people mourned on Tuesday were from a residential block belonging to the Hassayna and Abu Sharia clan, and many were related. AP has identified at least 60 families across Gaza who lost 25 or more family members during the first three months of war.

On Tuesday, the remains of the victims, wrapped in Palestinian flags, were laid in rows on the ground. Many were marked with photos, and flower petals were scattered around them all. Hundreds of people surrounded the bodies for funeral prayers, some standing on the rubble.

Following the prayers, people carried the bodies on stretchers along a narrow street lined by destroyed buildings and buried them in a nearby cemetery.

Deadly strikes continue and rebuilding is on hold

At least 1,252 people have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.

The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants but says women and children constitute roughly half of the dead.

Israel says its strikes are against militants who endanger its soldiers, took part in the Oct. 7 attack or carry out other violations. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire.

The U.S.-backed ceasefire agreement last October called for Hamas to be disarmed and for Israel to withdraw. An International Stabilization Force was to be deployed, and an independent Palestinian administration was to oversee governance and reconstruction.

Israel says everything hinges on Hamas giving up its weapons, while Hamas says Israel must end its strikes and begin withdrawing from the territory. Each side accuses the other of violating the truce.

Gaza remains largely shattered. Most of its 2 million Palestinians are displaced, many living in tent camps where poor conditions and overcrowding have led to rodent infestations and outbreaks of infectious diseases such as chickenpox.

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This story was first published on Aug. 4, 2026. It was updated on Aug. 11, 2026, to correct how the proportion of women and children in the death toll in Gaza is characterized. They constitute roughly half of the dead, according to data from Gaza’s Health Ministry, not most of the dead. It was also updated to correct the dateline to DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip, not DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza City.

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Magdy reported from Cairo and Lidman from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.

Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old Massachusetts teacher and former Marine, was freed after President Donald Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about his release, which Trump said was “very much on a Humanitarian Basis.”

“We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return — No exchange took place,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Arrests of Americans have become increasingly common in Russia in recent years. Concern has risen that Russia could be targeting U.S. nationals to use later as bargaining chips in talks to bring back Russians convicted of crimes in the U.S. and Europe. Five other Americans remain imprisoned in Russia with deteriorating medical issues, according to a news release from Global Reach, a group that’s been working to free them.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted a photo on social media of a gaunt-looking Gilman draped in an American flag and surrounded by his family aboard an airplane.

“While we appreciate this positive step, we are still seeking the immediate return of all other unjustly detained Americans,” Rubio stated.

Gilman will arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland outside of Washington on Tuesday evening, Trump said in his post.

“I just spoke to him, and he had one request — A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands,” Trump wrote. “I will take care of that!”

Gilman is bound for a military hospital in Texas, where he will be medically and psychologically assessed and treated, Eric ‌Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach, said in a statement.

Gilman had his prison sentence extended three times

Gilman was detained in 2022 on charges of beating a police officer after being taken off a train for causing a disturbance. He was convicted and handed a 3.5-year sentence.

He later was convicted of attacking a prison inspector during a cell check, beating an investigator and assaulting a guard. In October 2024, he was sentenced to eight years and one month. His sentence was extended in December to 10 years after he was found guilty of assaulting prison guards.

Russian media reported that he pleaded guilty to the charges and apologized to the guards he was charged with assaulting. The business daily Kommersant said he explained his actions by saying he wanted to stay in the prison where he was serving his sentence and avoid being moved to another penitentiary.

Gilman’s father has disputed the charges against his son, while the State Department has said the U.S. determined that Gilman was wrongfully detained,

Gilman's sister, Lexie Hudson, credited Trump and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts with bringing about his release.

“There is no other reason that Robert is alive today other than that President Trump heard about the case and took action,” said Hudson, who thanked Markey “for leading our advocacy efforts in Congress.”

“The Russians treated my brother so badly," Hudson said. "They hurt him for no reason, other than that he was both an American and a Marine. What did they get out of this? Why did they do this to such a wonderful person?”

Russian officials did not immediately comment on Gilman's release. Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service did not respond to a request for comment on his health deteriorating behind bars.

Gilman was hospitalized before his release

Gilman’s lawyer Irina Brazhnikova told the Russian news agency Interfax on Friday that Gilman was in a psychiatric ward of a civilian hospital, where he’s been since early July.

He was there “due to a psychiatric condition,” and according to doctors, his condition has worsened, but neither his defense lawyers, nor his family were allowed to visit, she said.

Before Gilman was flown out of Russia, he had been in “a dissociative stupor” for 47 days due to the abuse he had suffered in prison, according to Lebson. After Gilman was moved to the hospital, he was hooked up to a feeding tube and handcuffed to a bed.

Hospital reports conveyed Gilman’s condition “as dire and life-threatening,” pushing the U.S. government into action and leading to his release, Lebson said.

Markey had called on Russia and the U.S. to work together to get Gilman released. He was among at least eight Americans who remained in Russian custody after a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges with the U.S. in recent years.

Markey blamed Russia for Gilman's poor health, saying his return to the U.S. was long overdue.

“It is a tragedy that it took Robert’s near-death condition for his case to receive the attention that it required for his release to be negotiated," Markey said. "Throughout his detention, Robert was subjected to physical torture, forced medication, and provocations by Russian authorities. There is no doubt that his treatment by Russian authorities is the reason Robert is in this precarious state today.”

Zelenskyy said Russian forces used ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea in an overnight attack on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, where a company said seven workers at its steel plant were killed and 21 injured.

Three more people, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed by Russian drones and artillery in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, authorities said.

In addition to the ballistic missiles, North Korea is preparing to deploy more of its troops to Russia, Zelenskyy said late Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2024, pledging mutual aid if either country faces aggression.

Kim has sent thousands of troops and huge supplies of weapons to support Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Some experts say the engagement with Moscow is helping improve North Korea’s military capabilities, and Zelenskyy said the battlefield experience would help Pyongyang menace other countries in its region.

Ukraine says Russia is poised to escalate the war

Ukraine says Russia is scaling up its production of ballistic missiles, aiming to exploit Kyiv’s critical shortage of Patriot air defense interceptors that can stop them, and claims Moscow is preparing to recruit more troops for a new push on the front line that stretches 1,250 kilometers (775 miles) along eastern and southern Ukraine.

“Every step Russia takes — increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilization — all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation,” Zelenskyy said on social media.

In an unusual step, Ukraine's air force didn't say in its daily report how many missiles Russia launched overnight. It was not clear whether the omission was deliberate, and Kyiv officials made no immediate comment.

U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to stop the war have fizzled as Washington grew frustrated with the lack of progress and its attention turned to the Iran war.

In an indication that Putin is determined to press on with the invasion, Russia’s highest court on Monday ordered that Yabloko, the only political party opposing the war, to be excluded from the ballot in the Sept. 18-20 parliamentary election.

“The Kremlin will not enter serious negotiations or make meaningful compromises on its demands as long as Putin believes that he has a viable military path to achieving his full objectives,” the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said in an analysis Monday.

“Ukraine’s Patriot shortages offer Russia an opportunity to cause very serious damage to Ukraine over the coming winter and will therefore contribute to delaying meaningful negotiations and protracting the war,” it said.

Russia hits the grounds of a Kyiv children's hospital

Russian forces also struck parts of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, overnight, according to officials. One strike hit the grounds of a children’s hospital, leaving two craters and shattering windows, the State Emergency Service said. Children and medical workers were in bomb shelters and nobody was hurt, it added.

At another location in Kyiv, a Russian strike started a fire in a warehouse that spread across about 1,200 square meters (nearly 13,000 square feet), according to emergency officials.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces overnight struck “military industrial facilities and transport and logistics centers” in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia with “ground-based precision weapons.”

It said in a statement that it hit civilian storage facilities housing drones in Kyiv and a metallurgical plant in Zaporizhzhia.

Metinvest, a major Ukrainian mining and metals company with operations in Zaporizhzhia, said seven of its steel plant employees died as staff tried to reach shelters after a warning of an incoming ballistic missile.

The company, which employs tens of thousands of people, said in a statement that the attack damaged its blast furnace and other equipment and forced the plant to shut down.

Russia targeted Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia with Zircon anti-ship missiles and Iskander ballistic missiles, while launching 120 long-range strike drones across the country, Ukraine’s air force said.

Russia's biggest e-commerce company hit again

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses overnight intercepted nearly 400 Ukrainian drones over 14 regions and Crimea, the peninsula that Moscow illegally annexed from Kyiv in 2014.

Russia’s biggest online retailer, Wildberries, said its logistical facilities in the Voronezh region near the Ukrainian border came under attack and caught fire. It added that the fire was extinguished and goods stored there were “largely undamaged.”

Ukraine has repeatedly struck Wildberries warehouses and Russian oil facilities in what it says is a strategy to compel Putin to negotiate an end to the invasion.

Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck an oil refinery in the city of Orsk in Russia’s Orenburg region near the border with Kazakhstan, about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from Ukraine, causing a fire.

The refinery, with an annual processing capacity of about 44 million barrels of crude oil, produces gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel, among other products. The extent of the damage was being assessed, the military said.

Meanwhile, Romania’s Ministry of National Defense said its navy destroyed two drones drifting in the Black Sea about 90 nautical miles (166 kilometers) from the port of Constanta.

The Gerbera-type drones were neutralized by divers using controlled detonations, and some pieces were recovered, the ministry said, adding that Ukraine said the drones were not theirs.

UN says over 16,000 civilians are being held by Russia

The United Nations, meanwhile, estimates that more than 16,000 civilians detained by Russia during the war are still being “deprived of their liberty,” with many held incommunicado and on grounds that don’t comply with international law.

“Widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment” of both Ukrainian civilian detainees and prisoners of war by Russia are continuing, including sexual violence, said Claudia Fuentes Julio, the U.N. assistant secretary-general for human rights.

She spoke at an informal meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Monday to spotlight the plight of civilians and soldiers taken following the Russia invasion.

——

Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed.

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

Back to school forecast:

Lots of booms and downpours for Monday but Tuesday’s forecast should keep storm chances a little less intense and less widespread. However, there are still some areas that will see some quick heavy downpours anywhere from noon through 5pm which means school pickup could again be messy for a few. In addition to the rain, it will be hot with most areas seeing highs in the mid 90s.

Tracking the tropics:

August is the “real” start of the hurricane season. 93% of hurricanes form after August 3rd. However, this is not your typical hurricane season. With an incredibly strong El Nino the numbers will be kept way down this season. Wind shear in the Caribbean is the strongest it’s been since 1979. Oh, and there is some thick Saharan dust over the Atlantic.

The National Hurricane Center has been tracking two tropical waves that could develop over the next 7 days. The conditions aren’t ideal but we may be seeing the second system holding together to become Cristobal, the next name on the list.

The more westerly disturbance now has a 0% chance of development and other has a 70% chance. The disturbances will have to overcome high levels of wind shear that is currently in the Atlantic.

There is also a disturbance moving away from the east coast which has a very low chance of development.

10 Day Forecast:

Rain chances stay slim through most of your work week as the heat cranks back up.

Existing home sales fell 1.7% last month from June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday. That’s slightly above the 4.05 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.

July sales, however, were up 0.7% compared with last year.

Home prices continued to rise, hitting unprecedented levels for the month of July, NAR said. The U.S. median sales price increased 2% from a year earlier, to $434,100.

In June, the median sales price hit $442,800, an all-time high for any month on data going back to 1999, NAR said. Home prices have risen on an annual basis for 37 months in a row.

Last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported that the benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.69%, its highest level in just over a year. It was the fifth consecutive week that the average rate rose, marking the latest strain for prospective homebuyers who are facing steep borrowing costs.

It is difficult to find good news about the U.S. housing market from the July report, said Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics.

“No one who has a home already can afford to sell it,” said Weinberg. “People with ultra-low COVID-era mortgages cannot afford to give them up. If no one is selling, no one can be buying, and inventories are low.”

Home sales have been mostly hovering close to a 4-million annual pace for about three years, far short of the historic norm that is closer to 5.2 million.

The U.S. housing market has been in a slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were essentially flat last year, stuck at a 30-year low.

Sales remain sluggish as mortgage rates have mostly trended higher in the months since the war between the U.S. and Iran started. Expectations of higher inflation amid surging oil prices have pushed up the long-term bond yields that lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans, causing mortgage rates to climb.

Home inventory levels also remain well below historical norms.

There were 1.54 million unsold homes at the end of last month, down 1.9% from June and 0.6% less than July last year, NAR said. That’s well short of the roughly 2 million homes for sale that was typical before the COVID-19 pandemic.

July’s month-end inventory translates to a 4.6-month supply at the current sales pace. Traditionally, a 5- to 6-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.

Regionally, prices in the Northeast continue to rise faster than the rest of the country, jumping 5.2% year-over-year, driven by a shortage of inventory.

NAR said that 29% of sales were first-time homebuyers, down from 33% in June but up slightly from 28% in July 2025. Historically, first-time buyers make up closer to 40% of home sales.

Jets coach Aaron Glenn said the 24-year-old Stiggers was conscious and talking on the field before being put on a stretcher and taken for further examination. There was no immediate word on Stiggers' condition, but Glenn indicated the cornerback was doing OK.

“He was able to talk and I want to make sure I go and see him after this, just to make sure I'm good with everything,” Glenn said. “But for the most part, he was good.”

The Jets and Buccaneers were in the middle of special teams drills when Glenn said Stiggers came to the sideline.

“He actually fell out,” Glenn said. “The good thing is, he was conscious. Our guys did a hell of a job, just like most medical staffs around this league do in situations like that, and they took the necessary steps just to make sure that we do everything we can to be on board when it comes to those situations.”

It was a somewhat scary scene, though, as several Jets teammates took a knee near the sideline and some formed a prayer circle. After several minutes, Stiggers was placed on a stretcher with what appeared to be an IV and loaded into the ambulance as fans seated near the area clapped in support.

“It was very sad, very emotional,” running back Breece Hall said. “You get on your knee and say a prayer for him and hope he’s OK."

Added defensive tackle Harrison Phillips: “What’s been shared to us is things are on the up and up.”

Practiced resumed after being halted for more than 10 minutes while Stiggers was being attended to.

Stiggers was earlier involved in one of the handful of chippy moments during the practice when he had his helmet flung down the field by a Buccaneers player after players on both teams scuffled.

Stiggers is entering his third season with the Jets after being a fifth-round draft pick in 2024. He was one of that draft's feel-good stories because he had no college football experience and was the first player drafted directly from the CFL, where he played for the Toronto Argonauts, since Miami took Jermaine Haley in 1999.

In 29 games, including five starts, with New York, Stiggers has 35 tackles, two fumble recoveries and three passes defensed. He is also one of the Jets' top special teams players.

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

Government data published overnight into Tuesday showed the outbreak has 4,381 confirmed cases, including 2,011 deaths. Starting from the first confirmed case, the death toll was reached almost three times faster than in the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the worst on record.

The current outbreak was declared on May 15 but health authorities now say sequencing showed it began months earlier, in February.

It took about nine weeks for the outbreak to record the first 1,000 deaths, but it’s taken just around three weeks for the figure to double, as experts say the crisis is moving faster than efforts to track and manage it.

At the epicenter in eastern Congo's Ituri province, friends and family members gathered in tears on Tuesday for the burial of Jeannine Katusabe, 38, one of the latest to die.

Christophe Logo, a family representative, said Katusabe first sought traditional treatment at home and only went to the local Ebola treatment center after her condition worsened. “Unfortunately, she did not recover,” he said.

Identifying cases early can be nearly ‘impossible’

This is already the second-largest outbreak in history, behind the 2014-2016 outbreak's over 28,000 cases including over 11,000 deaths. The outbreak has been expanding across five eastern provinces near South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda.

The ongoing outbreak has had a case fatality rate of 45.9%, more than the 39.6% rate recorded in the 2014-2016 outbreak.

This Ebola outbreak is unlike most previous ones. The rare Bundibugyo virus responsible for it has no approved vaccines or treatments. Clinical trials for those have begun in Ituri province.

Although the type of Ebola responsible for the 2014-2016 outbreak is considered the deadliest, government data shows this Bundibugyo outbreak has killed a higher percentage of people as care and support are not getting to patients quickly enough. Many people are reporting symptoms late or not at all.

“In the absence of an effective vaccine, control (for the outbreak) rests on identifying cases and then nursing them in secure facilities until they recover or sadly perish,” said Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia in the U.K.

In a remote region like this with an ongoing conflict and interrupted communications, routine surveillance can be very difficult and “identifying cases early enough to prevent spread can be impossible,” Hunter said.

Authorities in eastern Congo have restricted public gatherings and shut the main airport in Ituri to limit spread of the disease. But mass movements due to trade, mining and displacements from conflict have continued.

The response has been behind from the start

The World Health Organization on Monday said some cases early in the outbreak were wrongly attributed to malaria and typhoid, and that early testing was conducted for the more common type of Ebola, delaying the realization of what was unfolding

Officials are “chasing the virus, the virus is ahead of us," the WHO regional director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, told a news conference.

The new death toll is “alarming,” said Dr. Jean-Marie Akandabo, who is helping manage patients at a clinic in Ituri.

Akandabo said the major challenges he's seen are limited care for patients and poor community engagement. Some people have described widespread misinformation about the virus in sometimes hostile communities that long have been wary of outsiders after years of attacks by rebel groups.

“We must not take this disease lightly, because it continues to kill and no one is safe,” Akandabo said.

The current outbreak is the 17th — and largest — the Central African nation has faced. The first Ebola virus to be identified was in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now Congo.

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Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria. Associated Press writer Mark Banchereau contributed from Dakar, Senegal.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Tuesday because the team had not yet made the announcement.

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell pledged to supervise a true competition for the job between the newcomer Murray and the incumbent McCarthy. While Murray had the majority of the turns with the first team, McCarthy had plenty of opportunities in open-to-the-public practices as well.

With Murray learning a new system and staff after spending his first seven NFL seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, an earlier decision on the starter was always going to be ideal for him to maximize his time in training camp running the offense.

McCarthy was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft. He mostly struggled in his debut last year, when a variety of injuries limited him to 10 starts. Carson Wentz was also re-signed for veteran depth.

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

And this year, we have a big advantage: the peak coincides with a new moon, so there’s no bright moonlight to wash out the meteors. That means viewing conditions should be ideal.

From the suburbs, you could see around a dozen meteors per hour. In the brighter, more light-polluted skies of the city, you may see about half that. But if you can get to a darker, rural location, you could see two dozen or more meteors per hour.

You may start spotting a few as early as 10 p.m., but the later you stay up, the better the show gets.

The best viewing will be between 2 and 4 a.m. For the best chance of seeing meteors, find the darkest part of the sky, get away from city lights, and look up!

How the Perseids got their name:

The Perseid meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Perseus.

If you trace the streaks of light across the sky, they appear to come from a point near this constellation. Astronomers call that point the “radiant.”

The Perseids have been observed for centuries. Records date back to 36 A.D. in China. In 1836, Belgian-French astronomer Adolphe Quetelet recognized that the meteor shower returns every August and gave it the name Perseids.

In 1862, American astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle independently discovered that the meteors are tiny pieces of debris left behind by a comet.

That comet is now known as Swift-Tuttle, and it’s a big one, about 16 miles across, making it one of the largest known periodic comets. No other meteor shower matches the number of the Perseids.

What meteors look like:

It is inaccurate to call them shooting stars because they are pieces of rubble similar in shape, size, color, and texture to Grape Nuts cereal. This cereal is still on store shelves.

What you are actually seeing in the sky:

Perseid meteors race through space at about 37 miles per second, that’s roughly 133,000 miles per hour!

When one of these tiny particles hits our atmosphere, about 60 miles above Earth, it compresses the air in front of it, much like water piling up in front of a speeding boat.

That creates an incredibly hot shock wave, and that’s what produces the bright streak of light we see across the sky.

So, you’re not actually seeing the tiny piece of comet burn up. You’re seeing the glowing air around it as it races through the atmosphere.

None of the tiny pieces that create the Perseids never make it to the ground.

I put together a video explaining why the Perseids, and other meteor showers, return every year. Just keep in mind, that video was made three years ago, under a different moon phase.

When and how to watch:

The best time to catch the Perseids is in the hours just before dawn Thursday, when the radiant, the point in the sky where the meteors appear to originate, is at its highest.

When the radiant is lower on the horizon, more meteors are hidden from view. So, the later you stay up, the better your chances of seeing more.

For Houston-area stargazers, the biggest challenge is light pollution. City lights can wash out the night sky, making fainter meteors harder to see. If you can, head somewhere darker.

And remember, the meteors can appear anywhere across the sky, you don’t have to stare directly at the radiant.

Here’s more good news, the forecast calls for mostly clear skies.

You don’t need any special equipment. Just find a spot with a wide-open view, grab a lawn chair, and look toward the darkest part of the sky.

Give your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Once they do, you’ll have a much better chance of catching those shooting stars.

If you take any great pictures, please post on Click2Pins or share with me on Facebook or Instagram at: @kprc2anthony

The shooting happened shortly after midnight on June 1, when a deputy, identified as Tippit, followed Mendoza Jr. into his father’s garage after an attempted traffic stop and fired his weapon during an encounter. Dispatch audio later referenced an “accidental discharge.”

According to a search warrant, investigators sought a forensic examination of Tippit’s Glock 19X handgun as part of the criminal investigation.

• Affidavit: Texas Rangers found probable cause to investigate former Brazoria County deputy for possible manslaughter

The affidavit states investigators had probable cause to investigate possible offenses, including:

• Manslaughter
• Criminally negligent homicide
• Aggravated assault by a public servant

Body camera details

According to the affidavit, Tippit initially attempted to stop a red Dodge Challenger for a traffic violation near Oyster Creek Drive and FM 2004.

Investigators say Mendoza Jr. fled, reaching speeds of about 120 mph and running six red lights before pulling into the garage of a home on Indian Warrior Trail.

• RELATED: Brazoria County ‘fighting transparency’ as bodycam video withheld in John Mendoze Jr. shooting, lawyer says

The Texas Ranger wrote that after reviewing Tippit’s body camera, investigators observed Tippit enter the garage, approach the driver’s side door, draw his handgun and fire a shot through the driver’s side window into the passenger compartment.

After opening the driver’s door, investigators say Tippit realized the driver, later identified as Mendoza, had been struck.

The affidavit says Tippit then radioed dispatch that he had experienced an “accidental discharge” and reported that one man was bleeding. The Ranger wrote that, based on his training and experience, he understood Tippit to be referring to his firearm unintentionally discharging.

Investigators say Tippit immediately began providing lifesaving aid until emergency responders arrived.

A custodial death report submitted by the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office says Mendoza died from a gunshot wound to his left upper extremity that entered his torso.

• RELATED: Brazoria County deputy involved in fatal shooting of John Mendoza Jr gets fired

The report classifies the manner of death as homicide, identifies law enforcement personnel as the cause of death and lists the weapon as a handgun.

Norman Giles, the outside attorney representing Brazoria County and the district attorney’s office, told KPRC 2 that the language used in the custodial death report came from preset drop-down menu options and was not intended to paint a particular narrative.

According to the search warrant affidavit, investigators recovered a spent 9mm casing inside the garage and seized Tippit’s Glock handgun.

The warrant sought a forensic examination to determine whether the firearm functioned properly, whether it fired the casing and bullet recovered during the investigation, and whether any mechanical issues contributed to the shooting.

• RELATED: Hundreds gather at Lake Jackson vigil for John Mendoze Jr.

Charles Adams, who represents Mendoza’s father and his son’s estate, criticized both documents and said he believes the evidence supports a murder charge rather than the offenses listed in the affidavit.

Sheriff Bo Stallman announced Tippit was fired due to policy violations last month via social media.

Sheriff Stallman released the following statement after the charge was filed:

“As a result of the June 1st officer-involved shooting, I requested the investigation be conducted by the Texas Rangers. I have full confidence in the Rangers and trusted the outcome would follow the facts and evidence wherever they led.

“Based upon the indictment, Kevin Tippit was arrested and booked into the Brazoria County Detention Center where he will remain until he posts bail, or a court orders otherwise. Currently, Tippit is being held on a charge of Aggravated Assault by Public Servant, a first-degree felony.

“This indictment carries heavy emotion. John Jr. was a young man who was well-loved and had his whole life in front of him. He should still be here with his family.

“My experience with Tippit has been that he is a good man, who worked very hard to do a good job for our team and our community.

“There is no doubt this incident had devastating consequences. As Sheriff, there is nothing more important to me than our citizens trusting law enforcement professionals are doing their very best to serve them every day. I want our citizens to know we do our best to be, and to employ, individuals who care deeply for our community.

“I urge everyone to keep the families in your prayers, and I want everyone in our community to know my Office remains committed to accountability and supporting the legal process. I understand the need for answers and accountability, so I would like to thank our community for their continued patience and understanding as this process moves forward.”

Drone strikes continued on Tuesday, hitting the town's power plant and oil refinery, the state-run National Oil Corporation said.

The attacks underscored the fragile state of security at Libya's critical infrastructure. In the country's east, in the city of Benghazi, a car bomb killed a senior military officer with a self-styled military force on Monday, the latest such bombing in the violence-stricken North African nation.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for either the drone strikes in the town of Zawiya, about 47 kilometers (about 30 miles) west of the capital of Tripoli, or the Benghazi bombing.

Monday's first drone strike ignited a massive blaze at the refinery's gasoline-storage tank that burned through the night and into Tuesday afternoon, according to the Civil Defense, a first responders agency. There were no reports of casualties, health authorities said.

Footage aired by local media showed massive flames and fireballs erupting from the tank, with black and orange smoke rising in the sky as firefighters sprayed what appeared to be foam or water in efforts to extinguish the blaze.

As the firefighters fought the flames, another drone hit close to a key oil tank nearby but did not cause any casualties, the company said. It said the tank, which held 4.5 million liters of fuel when it was hit, collapsed and the company declared a state of maximum emergency at the facility.

On Tuesday, two drones hit the town's power plant, with one damaging its firefighting system while the second landed close to the facility’s main fuel storage, setting it on fire. The national oil company said firefighters quickly got that fire under control and there were no casualties.

Oil infrastructure in Zawiya — which houses critical energy infrastructure, including Libya's largest oil refinery, an export terminal and a power plant — has come under frequent attacks, including over the weekend when the national oil company said drones hit a fuel tank and a desalination plant linked to the oil facilities. It said the tank was damaged.

By late Tuesday evening, the national oil company said all the fires had been extinguished.

The attacks come as tensions are rising between the government of western Libya and warlord Mohamed Bahroun who controls the city of Zawiya. Much of western Libya is ruled by local militias loosely allied to Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah's government in Tripoli.

Jalel Harchaoui, an analyst affiliated with the Royal United Services Institute in London, said the warlord has been cornered by the government and his forces “are likely to resort to desperate measures.”

The Benghazi bombing on Monday evening killed a senior officer with the forces of powerful commander Khalifa Hifter. Maj. Gen. Fawzy al-Mansouri, director of the military intelligence of Hifter’s self-styled Libyan National Army, was killed when an explosive-laden vehicle detonated near his car in the Sayyida Aisha neighborhood in Benghazi, the LNA said.

The LNA is allied with one of Libya’s two rival governments, which controls the country’s eastern and southern parts.

Libya, a largely lawless Mediterranean country, has been plunged into chaos and division following the 2011 uprising-turned-civil war, which toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Amid the chaos, militias grew in wealth and power, particularly in Tripoli and the western part of the country.

The country has been divided for years between rival administrations in the east and west, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. Currently, it is governed by Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah’s government in the west and by the administration of Prime Minister Ossama Hammad in the east.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is to arrive in Libya for a visit this week, is due to visit both Tripoli and Benghazi.

The 26-year-old Rice was booked into a Dallas County jail on May 19 for violating the terms of his probation, which stemmed from his role in a car crash that left multiple people injured on a Texas highway. He'd had surgery about a week before the sentence to clean up debris in his right knee, which had been causing inflammation throughout much of last season.

Rice was released in June, and he resumed his rehab work alongside Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — who was rehabbing after his own surgery to repair torn knee ligaments — at their training facility in Kansas City leading into the start of training camp.

“It was tough. It was mentally tough,” Rice said of the jail stint Tuesday, the first time the wide receiver has spoken publicly about his offseason. “They gave me ways to communicate with my teammates as well as my athletic trainer. Besides the hard times in there, just tried to keep positive — as much Kevin Hart as I could to laugh, and communicating with my teammates on the outside.”

Rice has been brilliant for Kansas City when he's been available, catching 156 passes for 1,797 yards and 14 touchdowns, and helping the Chiefs win the Super Bowl after the 2023 season. But he also missed games to a suspension following the car crash, and several injuries have kept him off the field, resulting in just 28 games played over his first three seasons in the league.

The upcoming season is without question his most important yet.

Not only does Rice has much to prove to a growing chorus of doubters, he's also entering the final year of his rookie contract. If he wants to land a lucrative, long-term deal in Kansas City or elsewhere, Rice has to not only prove that he can stay on the field but also show that he can consistently be productive for an offense that desperately needs him to be.

“I mean, it's motivating,” Rice said of impending free agency. “Honestly, just being back on the field with my brothers right now is motivating. That's in the future. And I'm just focusing on what's happening right now, and that's getting better for the team.”

The Chiefs are coming off a 6-11 season in which Mahomes hurt his knee, several others went down with injuries, and what was once one of the NFL's premier offenses looked like a shadow of itself — even before all those players were sidelined.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach spent most of his draft capital upgrading the defense, though, including both of his first-round picks, and the biggest move to help the offense was to sign Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to be their lead running back.

Otherwise, the Chiefs are banking on Rice and fellow wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton to take big steps forward in their development, all while hoping that 36-year-old tight end Travis Kelce can still be a reliable and effective pass-catcher.

“We're going to do some amazing things,” Rice predicted, “not only because we're great receivers but we have a great coaching staff around us, and a great quarterback and foundation in general.”

Mahomes has certainly looked like his normal self in camp, moving around on his reconstructed knee as if nothing ever happened. That bodes well for Rice, the passing game and the Chiefs in general as they prepare for the upcoming season.

“He was my motivation every morning,” Rice said.

Rice was asked whether he had anything to say to fans who felt let down by his off-the-field problems, or to young players who might be looking up to him. He went back to Mahomes and the teammates that have been with him through thick and thin.

“Find someone that you can lean on. Find someone you can talk to,” Rice said, “and basically don't be scared to vocalize yourself, or say exactly what's on your mind, because someone is going through the same thing. There's too many people in the world for there not to be someone going through the same thing.”

Notes: The Chiefs are signing DE Emmanuel Ogbah, who appeared in 10 games for them during the 2019 season. The veteran spent last season with Jacksonville. “It was disappointing the year we had him. I thought he was coming on and he got hurt, and we didn't have him at the end of the year,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “If he's part of our group, I'll be excited.”

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

The fire was reported around 6:45 a.m. at the facility, which is located at 1919 Goodyear Dr., near Highway 225.

HFD said there were no injuries reported.

Firefighters are working to contain the fire. Additional details about what sparked the blaze were not immediately available.

This is a developing story. More information will be added as it becomes available.

SKY 2 aerials show emergency crews at the pond, located near 11920 Astoria Blvd.

The identity of the person has not been released.

KPRC 2 is working to learn more information about the circumstances surrounding the discovery and will provide additional details as they become available.

“I know many of you have received questions in recent weeks regarding transgender athlete participation in women’s basketball, and I expect this topic will continue to receive significant attention,” Engelbert wrote in the memo, which was sent Friday afternoon and obtained by The Associated Press. “I wanted to reach out to share how we are approaching these conversations at the league office and to thank those of you who have responded to questions from the media with thoughtfulness and professionalism.”

The memo said the topic will be discussed further by a task force of team presidents and general managers at a previously scheduled meeting next week.

In an ESPN article published last month, Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports. Cunningham’s comments sparked small rallies and protests in Seattle and Portland when the Fever were on the road last week.

There was a lone protester at the Fever’s home game against Las Vegas on Thursday night. Indiana visits Chicago on Saturday. Members of two conservative groups are planning a rally in support of Cunningham ahead of that game.

The league hasn’t made any public comments on the issue.

Engelbert wrote that the league will “always approach this topic thoughtfully, respectfully, and in alignment with the longstanding values of our league. Second, our player eligibility rules, unlike the eligibility rules of some other leagues and governing bodies, are collectively bargained. Lastly, preserving the integrity of our game and ensuring fair competition will always remain among the league’s highest priorities.”

The league’s collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,” but it does not include any more specific language about gender identity or sex assigned at birth. On Friday, two former NBA players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft, saying they identify as women.

“We recognize that this is a complex and nuanced topic, and we will continue to have important conversations with all of you and the Players Association in the weeks and months ahead,” Engelbert said in the memo. “We also plan to convene additional discussions and offer listening sessions for any team leaders who would like to participate. Your perspectives and feedback are invaluable, and I appreciate those who have already reached out to share their thoughts.”

The WNBA players’ association released a statement on social media Friday that emphasized diversity and inclusion while saying the group “will not be used as political pawns.”

“We embrace justice equity, diversity, and inclusion,” the statement read. “Those are the values that unite this Union and allow it to protect women’s sports while creating transformational change. Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm. We will continue to have hard conversations. But we will not be used as political pawns.”

Some WNBA players and coaches have come out in support of transgender athletes, including Seattle Storm center Stefanie Dolson and Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve.

“We need to protect trans kids,” Reeve said on Aug. 1. “To me, it’s a human rights issue. Every kid has a right to sports.”

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Hobbs' selection Tuesday of John Giles, a former mayor of Mesa, a Phoenix suburb that is Arizona’s third-largest city, is an overture to the Republicans and conservative independents she must win in a state that was once a GOP stronghold. Republicans have expanded their voter registration advantage over Democrats since Hobbs eked out a narrow win over Kari Lake, a fierce ally of President Donald Trump, in 2022.

Hobbs is considered the most vulnerable Democratic governor in the country. Giles, a registered Republican for decades, changed his party affiliation to independent on May 17 and voted in the Democratic primary last month, according to county voting records.

The Republican nominee is U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, who last week picked Sine Kerr, a farmer and Republican former state lawmaker, to be his running mate. Kerr's rural roots balance Biggs' base in parts of metro Phoenix.

In an interview with The Associated Press before Hobbs publicly announced that she had picked Giles, he said he still considers himself to be a conservative and said he stuck around the Republican Party probably longer than he should have in a crusade to save it. "A few months ago, I realized that it was time to give up that crusade,” Giles said.

Giles led a conservative city for a decade

Giles, who was Mesa's mayor from 2014 to 2025, has been a vocal Trump critic and has endorsed Democrats, including Trump's 2024 rival, then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Giles spoke in favor of Harris at the Democratic National Convention, saying Trump's policies would hurt Mesa.

Giles also backed Democrats running against Trump allies, including Hobbs in her 2022 race against Lake and the state's current U.S. senators, Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.

As mayor, Giles signed a proclamation promoting equal treatment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents in housing and accommodations, a controversial move in the conservative city.

The Biggs campaign, in anticipation of Hobbs' announcement, launched a website highlighting Giles’ support for Harris in 2024 and his participation in the Democratic convention. Drew Sexton, a senior adviser in the Biggs campaign, issued a statement early Tuesday saying Hobbs’ selection of Giles “is of no surprise to Arizonans who have been paying attention. As Kamala Harris’ favorite Arizona mayor, Giles is aligned with Hobbs on all the issues that have hurt Arizonans the most over the past four years.”

Sexton also said Giles “has been an aspiring Democrat since he first voted for Joe Biden in 2020.”

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Giles can be an ambassador for Hobbs. Church members make up about 6% of the Arizona population. Latter-day Saints, widely known as Mormons, have been a reliably Republican voting bloc for decades, but many have been ambivalent about Trump since his first run for the White House.

Democrats have been working to woo Latter-day Saints turned off by Trump's penchant for foul language and demeaning rhetoric toward women and people of color, which clashes with the church’s values of humility, morality and compassion.

Biggs is also a member of the church.

Picking a Republican running mate hones the bipartisan image Hobbs has tried to create, contrasting with Biggs' background as a far-right congressman and, before that, the state Senate president. But it also risks inflaming tensions on the left.

In the AP interview, Hobbs said she takes a nonpartisan approach to her work in government. When she was asked whether some supporters might be frustrated because she picked a former Republican as her running mate, she said, “It shouldn't be a surprise.”

Both Hobbs and Giles portray Biggs as an extreme partisan. Giles said it’s disingenuous for Biggs to present himself as more of a moderate when he was “unapologetic about being the most conservative person in the room – in any room.”

Arizona is electing a lieutenant governor for the first time

Arizona is one of just five states without a lieutenant governor position, along with Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon and Wyoming.

That will change in January.

Voters added the post in 2022 to more clearly define the line of succession. Until then, the secretary of state will continue to serve as the next in line to be governor.

Gubernatorial succession is especially relevant in Arizona, where five governors since 1975 have entered the office through succession rather than election.

In fact, of Arizona's 12 governors over the past 50 years, only one, Republican Doug Ducey, entered and left the office through the typical pathways of being elected and serving out a full term. Among the others, one died, one was impeached and removed, one resigned after being convicted of fraud and two quit to accept presidential appointments.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

Firefighters with the Cleveland Fire Department and deputies with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office responded to the fire around 5:30 a.m. at an RV near County Road 3189 and Highway 59 South.

• 23-year-old man gets life in prison for sexually assaulting pregnant convenience store clerk in Conroe

Authorities said the RV was partially collapsed when firefighters arrived. Crews were able to enter the RV and found the two children inside.

The children were pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials are still working to determine what caused the fire and are gathering additional information about the circumstances surrounding the children’s deaths.

This is a developing story. More information will be added as it becomes available.

The verdicts by a court in Damascus are the first against Assad or any members of his inner circle since his family's five decades in power came to an end 20 months ago. They are mostly symbolic, however, because Assad and his brother Maher had fled to Russia, where they received asylum after the Syrian government’s stunning collapse in December 2024.

Six other former officials were also sentenced to death in absentia. The only former official sentenced to death and in custody is Assad’s maternal cousin Atef Najib, who oversaw a crackdown on dissent that led to an uprising that sparked the civil war. Najib stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read his sentence aloud, and a crowd gathered outside the heavily guarded courthouse.

Even though Assad is unlikely to ever face justice, the verdicts will be popular among many Syrians, especially those who have expressed frustration that the new government hasn’t moved with enough speed or strength against Assad-era figures.

Some human rights groups, though, expressed concerns that the trials were rushed, potentially unfair and, at the very least, exposed flaws in Syria's justice system.

“Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity,” said judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan during a court session that was aired live on state TV — a contrast with Assad-era trials, which were conducted in secret. The verdicts al-Aryan read aloud found Assad and the others guilty of premeditated murder, including against children, as well as other acts of brutality, including torture.

Al-Aryan said Najib could appeal.

“Today is the day of justice for all the wounded, martyrs, detainees and Syrians who were forced to leave their country,” said attorney Adnan al-Masalmeh who represented families of Najib's victims. “Today marks a victory of right against injustice, a victory of the Syrian people against the ousted regime.”

Najib is one of the highest-ranking security officials to be put on trial. He is a former army brigadier general who was in charge of political security in Syria’s southern Daraa province.

During his tenure, more than a dozen teenagers who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a school wall were arrested and tortured. The case became a catalyst for mass protests against the repressive policies of Assad’s security forces.

The protests were met by a brutal government crackdown in 2011 that spiraled into the civil war that ended with Assad’s ouster in a lightning rebel offensive.

Some of Najib's victims were present at the courthouse, including two who were teenagers in 2011 and expressed their opinions to The Associated Press.

“Today we reached a point where the blood was not wasted,” said Mouawiya Sayasneh, about those who died in the crackdown. Fifteen years later, “there is happiness that Atef Najib was sentenced to death,” he said.

Another man, Nayef Abazeid, who was detained at the age of 13 in 2011, expressed his satisfaction with the sentence, adding that “our biggest happiness will be when Bashar Assad is executed.”

Maher Assad was a former commander of the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division — which opposition activists have accused of killings, torture, extortion and drug trafficking, in addition to running its own detention centers.

“Today’s scenes outside the courthouse reflect 15 years of pain and a justice long denied," said Hiba Zayadin, Syria researcher at Human Rights Watch. She said the rights group opposes the death penalty in all cases, including this one, because "it’s cruel and irreversible, especially when a fair trial isn’t guaranteed.”

She said the appeal process for Najib “needs to meet fair trial standards.” Real accountability for Assad-era crimes depends on Syria building a justice system that lasts, she said.

The Washington-based Syria Justice and Accountability Center described Tuesday’s conviction of Najib as a “historical step in Syria’s transitional period,” but said it exposed major flaws in the justice system which likely jeopardized his right to a fair trial.

It said that SJAC’s trial monitoring team attended Najib’s trial and documented multiple issues such as rushed proceedings and witness testimony that did not connect Atef to the crimes he was charged with. SJAC said Najib’s lawyer “lacked the capacity and willingness to meaningfully engage with the case or mount an adequate defense.”

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Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb and Bassem Mroue contributed to this report from Beirut.

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This story has been edited to correct that Bashar and Maher Assad fled to Russia following the collapse of their government in December 2024, not December 2014.

“Music is such a wonderful way for people to bond, for parents to bond. I know from the minute my kids were born, we’re singing to them,” Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, said.

Ms. Rachel launched her mega popular YouTube channel in 2019 with her husband, known online as Mr. Aron.

“I am a music educator, so I get excited about kids hearing a real clarinet on ‘Icky Sticky Bubble Gum’ and kids getting excited about hearing more real instruments,” said Ms. Rachel.

But that isn't the only education they'll get from the album. A song like “I Could Be Your Friend” gives kids a script for bolstering their social skills. “We’re always thinking about all kinds of kids, whether they have disabilities, whether they’re autistic,” she said. “We just want the world to feel like it’s helpful to all children and the musical worlds as well.”

The songs aren't limited by genre, either. Take the single “I Love a Rainbow” as an example: It's a big bossa nova number. Their take on the classic “Old McDonald” leans bluegrass.

“Music is at the heart of our show,” added Aron Accurso. “And so, we’ve always wanted to release the music and have families experience the music away from the screen.”

Big arrangements and simple songs

“I'm So Happy” was co-produced by Aron Accurso and Grammy winner Scott Riesett and principally arranged by Mr. Aron as well. Aron Accurso reimagined a number of Ms. Rachel's fan favorite songs and childhood classics with a team of 19 vocalists and 42 instrumentalists.

“It’s songs that people know from the show, but we decided to expand them and elevate them with new arrangements and reproducing them,” Aron Accurso explained. “It was a process of, you know, looking at them and saying, ‘OK, what else can we do to this to make it sparkle more? What can we add to it? What does it need to be on the album?’”

He says they most hope that the album will inspire “living room dance parties, because that’s what we love with our children,” he said. “We love to put on an album and dance around.”

An album next to advocacy

Ms. Rachel has made headlines over the last few years for using her social media platforms to advocate for global humanitarian crises, with particular attention given to the plight of children in Gaza and those detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Most recently, she shared comments about the mysterious death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells in Mississippi, a case shadowed by the state’s fraught racial history and lingering distrust in law enforcement.

“We know the investigation and everything that followed would have been different if Nolan Wells were white and his friends were black. Nolan and his family deserve justice,” she wrote on Instagram.

Ms. Rachel says she knows her album may bring attention to her advocacy and vice versa. “I view myself as an advocate for children’s rights so anytime they’re being violated by anyone anywhere, I want to be speaking out,” she said. “I want families to be happy and safe and healthy, and I think that’s a wonderful thing. So, if it’s brought up with the album, that’s great.”

'I'm So Happy' Tracklist

1. “I’m So Happy” 2. “I Love a Rainbow” 3. “Icky Sticky Bubble Gum” 4. “Phonics” 5. “Hop Little Bunnies” 6. “Caterpillar” 7. “Up and Down” 8. “Bubble Pop” 9. “Walkin’ at the Zoo” 10. “Open Shut Them” 11. “I Could Be Your Friend” 12. “I Listen to My Body” 13. “The Wheels on the Bus” 14. “Dino Play” 15. “Pop Those Bubbles” 16. “Old MacDonald” 17. “If You Should Meet an Elephant” 18. “Counting to 20!” 19. “B-I-N-G-O” 20. “Lobby Loo” 21. “Big Feelings” 22. “Together” 23. “I Love You to the Moon”

“One was in 2002 and the other passed away in 2009 and they were both 25,” she said. “One overdosed on OxyContin and the other one overdosed heroin after becoming addicted to heroin via OxyContin.”

Using a carnival merry-go-round as an allegory, “The Galloping Cure” opened Sunday at the Edinburgh International Festival, a haunting portrayal of the drug's destructive power that is among the most impactful of contemporary operas.

Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek created a charismatic charlatan, Lucky Mack (baritone Justin Austin), who arrives at the faded community Yourtown in a white double-breasted suit and matching cowboy hat, easing residents' chronic pain by offering free rides on six fiberglass horses to get people hooked.

He starts charging money during the town's yearlong descent — “dynamic pricing,” he calls it — then rents hobbyhorses until people go broke. He demands noses, hair, kneecaps and tongues as payments, body parts he will use to build more carousel horses. By the final notes, wasted bodies resemble a skid row.

“When he offers you the cure, he never tells you the price,” sings Dr. Theresa Hart (mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack), whose endorsement of Lucky Mack leads to the death of her daughter Noy (soprano Gabrielle Turgeon).

This was the first of two launches for Mazzoli in a 71-day span. She becomes the first woman composer with a premiere at New York's Metropolitan Opera with “ Lincoln in the Bardo” on Oct. 19, a tight gap comparable to when Giuseppe Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” and “La Traviata” debuted 46 days apart in 1853.

A 45-year-old New Yorker originally from Lansdale, Pennsylvania, Mazzoli met Vavrek in 2009. They have become the Rodgers and Hammerstein of 21st-century American opera, previously creating “Song from the Uproar” (2012), “Breaking the Waves” (2016), “Proving Up” (2018) and “The Listeners” (2022).

“Galloping” runs through Wednesday in Scotland, moves to Sweden’s Norrlands Opera from Sept. 12-23 and the San Francisco Opera in the fall of 2027.

A Franz Kafka work was the genesis

Vavrek, a 43-year-old Canadian who also lives in New York, won a Pulitzer Prize for Du Yun's “Angel’s Bone.” He and Mazzoli had long contemplated an opioids opera but made progress only after commissioning a treatment in 2022 from author Karen Russell.

“It wasn’t until we collaborated with Karen that we found a way in that wasn’t preachy or predictable,” Mazzoli said. “Coming at it via this weird fairy tale allows us to bring in all sorts of compassion and allows us see it in an unexpected way.”

Russell joined Mazzoli and Vavrek for a Zoom meeting to discuss ideas, when they settled on Franz Kafka’s “A Country Doctor” as a starting point.

“There’s sort of this floorless void of existential suffering,” Russell said. “And then there’s also physical agony. Different kinds of pain are represented in that story and it feels like a fever dream to me.”

Russell's treatment initially was called “The Devil's Miracle.” She was influenced by the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.

“All of your daughters are going to starve unless you give me your youngest child, right?” she said. “It’s like the devil knows when to appear, and it’s often in the context of extreme desperation.”

Key meeting in Paris led to project’s green light

A breakthrough came in 2023, when Mazzoli and Vavrek’s earlier work, “Breaking the Waves” was performed at the Opéra Comique in Paris. It was co-produced by the former artistic director of the English National Opera, John Berry, and directed by Tom Morris, who would go on to direct “Galloping.”

Berry arranged for the creative trio to spend time at Hawkwood, a retreat at Stroud in the English Cotswolds, where they developed the thematic structure and Mazzoli wrote an initial melody. Around the same time, Mazzoli was finishing the composition of the second act of “Lincoln,” based on the George Saunders novel.

“I was working on them both concurrently, which I would not recommend to anyone,” Mazzoli said. “But you do what you have to do when these opportunities come up.”

A 2-hour, 15-minute work conducted by Stuart Stratford with one intermission, “Galloping” was composed for four primary characters. One of them, a pain-wracked old woman named Ivona Kowalski (soprano Susan Bullock), sings early on: “Life’s a joke and then you croak.”

Set designer Rebecca Ringst and lighting designer Lucy Carter used 120 vertical LEDs about 7 yards (6.5 meters) long that resembled needles and caused at times a hallucinatory effect. Mazzoli shifts themes to a darker register as addiction takes hold and the music turns to electronica by DJ Blume and Lorna Dune for teenagers’ raves, mixed into the Scottish Opera Orchestra.

There is a chorus of 14, singing sheep and a pair of dogs (hilariously portrayed by Catriona Hewitson and Edward Jowle), whose barks become words that Theresa understands as she becomes strung out.

“I’m really into finding that strange element that only works really for opera and some comic relief,” Vavrek said. “The dogs are funny. They’re silly.”

Set in a struggling town that could be anywhere

Lucky Mack similar to Harold Hill in Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man,” Sportin' Life in “The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess” and Dr. Dulcamara in Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love).” Morris called him a “grifter/magician/snake-oil salesman.”

“It’s the same kind of charismatic person that will sell you on anything,” Mack said. “From an outsider’s point of view, you can objectively say, `Oh, well, I would never do that.' But actually, would you never do it? You don’t know until you’re in a situation. This is not a piece that passes judgment on any of those things but rather asks a really big question about who’s at fault for these ills in society and what we do moving forward.”

The Post said Monday the operation was prompted by an Iranian assassination threat against Trump. The ruse was carried out as journalists and some White House staff members were led to believe they were on the same plane as the president as he began his journey back to Washington from the annual gathering of NATO country leaders.

The Post cited material reviewed by the newspaper, a U.S. official familiar with the operation and another person with knowledge of the president’s travel. The Associated Press has not independently confirmed the report.

Trump had flown to the summit in a new Qatari-gifted and retrofitted red, white and navy blue jet. But ahead of departing Turkey, he said he would fly partway home on an older-model baby blue Air Force One plane instead.

The president at the time said the new luxury jet was being flown out ahead of his departure from Ankara to give some U.S. troops based in eastern England a chance to check out the new Air Force One.

In Ankara, Trump boarded the old Air Force One jumbo jet in view of television cameras ahead of the plane flying to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom.

However, according to the Post report, after boarding the legacy Air Force One jet, he was secretly shuttled minutes later to a smaller plane — an Air Force C-32A — via an airport catering truck typically used to load meals and other supplies. Trump flew to Mildenhall on that smaller jet.

The White House did not respond directly to questions about the Post report of the secret operation to whisk Trump out of the country on a third aircraft, or the reported elaborate ruse to make it appear he was on the baby blue Air Force One jet flying to Mildenhall.

“As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement.

The U.S. Secret Service declined to comment. The Air Force, which maintains the fleet of executive travel aircraft, referred questions to the White House.

There have been questions about the safety of the new Qatari-gifted plane

While Trump was in Turkey, the U.S. military conducted a series of large strikes in Iran in retaliation for its attacks on merchant shipping in the region.

The New York Times and CBS News reported last month that intelligence officials had raised concerns about a potential attack on the president or his jet, triggering additional precautions and the decision not to use the newly inaugurated aircraft gifted to Trump by Qatar for the first leg of Trump’s trip home from Ankara.

The swap had spurred questions about the security of the Qatar-provided aircraft, and Trump said last month after the trip that it would undergo additional upgrades.

Cheung on Monday maintained that the new, Qatari-gifted plane was “a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff.”

The new Post report on clandestinely putting Trump on a third aircraft and quietly whisking him out of the country adds a fresh layer to just how seriously concerned U.S. security officials were about the threat against Trump during the ongoing war with Iran.

Paul Eckloff, a former special agent with the Secret Service, said such an unusual move could either reflect actionable intelligence or an abundance of caution given volatility in the region with the wars in Iran and Ukraine.

“I would not say unprecedented, but it is an unusual occurrence,” Eckloff told The Associated Press.

The Post reported that to exit that plane without being seen by those uninvolved in the operation, Trump and several aides stepped aboard an airport catering truck, which was elevated planeside using hydraulics and positioned at a door on the opposite side of Air Force One’s entrance.

The small group of reporters who thought they were traveling with Trump were advised to lower their window shades ahead of takeoff.

After arriving at Mildenhall, news photographers captured images of Trump getting off the presidential plane — suggesting he reboarded Air Force One out of sight of the pack of journalists who thought they were traveling with him.

Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal called for a congressional briefing on what happened.

“It is unprecedented and it is surreal,” he said Monday on CNN, calling the incident “downright scary.”

After the brief visit to the base at Mildenhall, Trump boarded the new Air Force One aircraft to fly the rest of the way to Washington.

During a gaggle with reporters aboard the aircraft, Trump was asked directly if there was any credible threats on Air Force One by Iran.

“Well, I have a threat all the time. I’m number one on their list before you,” Trump said. He added to the traveling reporters, “But if I go, you go.”

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This story has been corrected to show Blumenthal called for a congressional briefing on what happened, not a congressional investigation.

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AP writers Josh Boak, Aamer Madhani and Konstantin Toropin contributed reporting.

The new class also includes Shawn Camp and Lee Thomas Miller, both elected in the contemporary songwriter category, and Bruce Channel as the veteran songwriter. They will be formally inducted during the 56th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala later this year.

Swift, the 14-time Grammy Award winning artist, is elected in the contemporary songwriter/artist category. She's known for writing many of her own hits since launching her career in Nashville as a preteen. Those include her country singles “Teardrops On My Guitar” and “Love Story,” as well as her blockbuster pop hits “Blank Space,” “Anti-Hero,” and “Cruel Summer.” She became the youngest woman ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June.

Lovett is elected in the veteran songwriter/artist category. He started his career in the folk scene before finding success for his clever lyricism and innovative country-Americana songs like “She's No Lady,” “Cowboy Man,” “Give Back My Heart,” “Why I Don’t Know,” “God Will” and more.

Camp began as a fiddle player for Shelby Lynne, Alan Jackson, Trisha Yearwood and others in the ’80s before becoming a hit songwriter. His credits include Garth Brooks’ “Two Piña Coladas,” Brooks & Dunn's “How Long Gone” and Willie Nelson’s “A Beautiful Time.”

Miller's hits include Terri Clark's “I Just Wanna Be Mad,” Trace Adkins' “You're Gonna Miss This,” Tim McGraw's “Nothin' To Die For” and “Southern Girl,” Chris Stapleton's “Whiskey And You” and many songs for Brad Paisley, including “The World.”

Texas talent Channel is perhaps best known for “Hey! Baby!” written in 1959 and recorded by José Feliciano, Ringo Starr, Conway Twitty, Anne Murray and DJ Ötzi; it may be most recognizable for its prominent placement in the 1987 film “Dirty Dancing.”

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame executive director Mark Ford made the announcement inside Belmont University’s R. Milton and Denice Johnson Center.

“This is always one of the most anticipated days on our calendar — the annual reveal of our incoming class,” Ford said in a statement. “We’re excited to once again add new names to a legendary list that began more than a half century ago.”

The new adventure docuseries brings together members of The Chosen cast for a series of unforgettable outdoor challenges, putting their strength, courage and teamwork to the test.

Grylls is no stranger to taking celebrities on wild adventures. Over the years, he’s ventured into the great outdoors with stars including Zac Efron, Channing Tatum, Kate Winslet and Jennifer Lawrence, tackling everything from rugged terrain and extreme climbs to unexpected survival challenges.

The series takes the actors across forests, deserts, rivers and canyons as they face physically demanding challenges while also opening up about their lives and the experiences behind the characters they’ve brought to the screen.

‘The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls’ is now streaming on Prime Video.

Watch as Lauren Kelly chats with Bear about taking the cast out into the wild, facing their fears and discovering what happens when the cameras—and the scripts—are left behind.

Most of the now-recalled cars were sold in the U.S. — where more than 508,000 model year 2025-2026 Camry Hybrids are affected.

According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, these vehicles are equipped with a 7-inch (17.8 centimeters) display combination meter that can become blank at startup. And beyond turn signals and hazard lights, certain warnings like seat belt reminders and “key left in ignition” buzzers may also not function as a result.

These display failures increase crash risks — both for drivers who may not be able to see telltale indicators and “the ability of other road users to recognize the driver’s intent to change direction or indicate a vehicle hazard,” the NHTSA warns.

Texas-based Toyota Motor North America — a subsidiary of the larger Japanese automaker — says it will notify all known owners of the affected Camrys to bring their vehicles into a certified dealer. To remedy the issue, those dealers will later provide a software update free of charge.

Owner letters are set to be mailed starting Sept. 21 in the U.S., and Toyota expects to complete those notifications by early October. In the meantime, customers can check the NHTSA's and Toyota's online recall lookups to see if their car is affected.

Toyota confirmed to The Associated Press via email Tuesday that its recall affects markets in North America, the Middle East, Asia and some countries in other regions. The company said the 655,000 vehicles impacted globally were produced between December 2023 and July 2026 — across three plants located in the U.S., Japan and Thailand.

For more information, customers can visit Toyota's website or contact customer support at 1-800-331-4331.

Now it's getting back to its roots.

In a conference call with investors Monday, the company behind Truth Social said it will be unwinding much of its expansion and doubling down on its original media business by selling a form of White House access, a move that has raised big ethical questions among Democrats and government watchdogs.

Donald Trump started Truth Social after he was kicked off Twitter and Facebook, but the two reinstated him more than three years ago, so the company has had to transform itself. Instead of a “free speech” forum, it now acts more like a “hear it here first” site, a second White House press office where people get scoops from the president on everything from the Iran war to tariffs to the future of the U.S. central bank.

But shares of the parent company, Trump Media & Technology, kept falling so it decided to become more than a media company, and branched into unrelated industries like online betting, finance, investment funds, buying and storing bitcoin and nuclear energy.

Now it's returning to its original mission, with a twist: It's offering a special new service that grants fast access to President Trump's posts for a fee.

The new business could double or triple revenue

In a conference call with investors, the company's new chief executive, Kevin McGurn, said it had already signed up several high speed trading firms, each paying between $60,000 and $100,000 a month.

“We’re in the early innings,” said McGurn, noting that the potential market included data center companies, news organizations and developers of large language models, not just traders, and he was talking to them all.

McGurn has rejected the idea that the new business is an ethics quagmire as good-government groups have said, noting that other social media companies provide a similar service. As for the White House, it denies conflicts even exist between Trump the president and Trump the businessman where his private interests may influence his public policy.

Traders on Wall Street can make big money if they get White House news faster and so are signing up — 10 in the week since the service began, which may seem like a tiny number but translates into a major boost for the company. The monthly customers collectively are paying as much as $7 million and $12 million annually — two to three times the revenue the company took in for all its businesses last year.

Trump Media needs the money — and a lot more.

It's lost more than $1 billion since the start of last year, and its earnings report released Monday for the three months ended June 30 showed relief is not on the horizon. It lost another $238 million, though much of that was due to paper losses from the plunging value of its bitcoin holdings.

Time is running out

The clock is ticking to fix the company.

Trump Media depends partly on outside funding, specifically $1 billion raised from lenders with a special agreement that allows them to get paid back early. They can demand the company buy back their convertible notes on Nov. 30, 18 months before the loans mature.

That cashout date is just after the November midterms, which could impact the company should Democrats get control of Congress. Several current members, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, say they will hold formal investigations of Trump's businesses, including Trump Media, should they take over.

A third deadline is farther out, but the most consequential — the end of Trump's presidency.

Trump is a big draw for the platform's users, but it's not clear how many will read his posts after he leaves office, much less why traders will pay as much $1.2 million a year for sneak peeks at his posts if he's no longer able to declare on the site that the Strait of Hormuz is open or that he's hiking tariffs on dozens of countries.

Would Vance in the White House help Truth Social?

The special, high-speed service, called Truth API, includes posts from other top posters on the site, but no one comes near the president in popularity. He has 13 million followers. The second biggest poster, his son, Donald Jr., has 7.5 million.

Other heavily followed posters include Trump administration members who also may fall in popularity once out of office, including FBI director Kash Patel and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

A wild card is JD Vance, who will be out of his vice presidential job in 2028 but, if he runs for president and wins, may continue to post on the site where he has five million followers.

The other business line that McGurn is choosing to hold onto is nuclear fusion, a technology still not commercially available but that is getting a big boost by the current administration.

The U.S. government has a helping hand

In June, the U.S. Department of Energy released a “road map” committing to government funding to speed the development of nuclear fusion as a national priority and calling for public-private partnerships.

Despite the help, investors still aren't convinced Trump Media has a rosy future.

After closing at about $62 shortly after it went public in 2024, the stock has plunged into the single digits, wiping out billions in stock market value.

On Tuesday, shares of Trump Media fell about 3.3% to $9.08.

When we first met them, they showed us the Texas jungle invading their backyards.

The residents said the weeds were growing out of control because, as they claimed, Union Pacific wasn’t maintaining the area.

“The weeds are growing into my chain link fence now, and I have to constantly trim them back.”

It did not take long to see exactly how thick the vegetation had become, with weeds growing through the opening in the fence line and stretching deep into the area along the tracks.

• 2 Helps You: Houstonians frustrated over years-long abandoned home, city claims demolition could happen within 60 days

2 Helps You questioned Union Pacific.

Within days, the rail giant went to work.

“It looks wonderful, thanks to you,” said resident Mark Johnson.

The cleanup was extensive, and land was cleared along the rail line, stretching well beyond the area immediately behind the residents’ homes.

“I think it was three days after you came out that this was done, which is crazy. We’ve been trying for months to get something done, and you get it done in three days. It’s remarkable,” said Johnson.

The work continued over the course of about a week, transforming an area that had been overgrown and neglected for quite some time.

“We are just so grateful for you coming out here and getting this done. It was unbelievable, unbelievable that you can get things done so quickly. So, I am really grateful for that,” said Johnson.

For the residents, the difference was immediate, and a problem they had been trying to solve for months was quickly addressed after contacting 2 Helps You.

• More Houstonians report abandoned Xfinity cables after initial 2 Helps You report, company acts swiftly with solution

Important to note, the residents did everything they were supposed to do. They reached out to the city. They contacted Union Pacific as well as others, but at every turn they did not get the answers they wanted.

In the end, they finally reached out to us.

We weren’t their first call, but we ended up being their last.

It’s what 2 Helps You does. If you have an issue to check out, connect with us through the Help Desk.

Carrington came from behind and hit the Fever's Sophie Cunningham in the head and neck on a fast-break layup, knocking her to the court as the shot went in. The play was reviewed and upgraded to a Flagrant 2 after the referee said there was windup, impact and follow-through on the foul.

Carrington is Black and Cunningham is white. After Carrington was ejected, she posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on social media and tagged the Fever.

Responding to a clip of former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho criticizing her reaction, Carrington posted on X on Monday that she “never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege.”

“Try exercising your critical thinking skills, I know you studied psych. Furthermore, I’m the LAST thing from ignorant or asinine when it comes to speaking on ‘white privilege’, do ya research on that one,” Carrington wrote. "I actually went to school, one of the top universities might I add, to educate myself on this exact subject.

“I would never use that term as a rhetorical weapon knowing the historical and social weight it holds without having the proper evidence to substantiate it.”

The 28-year-old Carrington played for Stanford for four years before spending her final season of college ball at Baylor. She majored in psychology and African and African American studies at Stanford.

There has been no word from the WNBA on any additional punishment for Carrington for the hard foul. The Sky lost 97-88 to the Seattle Storm on Monday night. Carrington came off the bench, played 27 minutes and scored a career-high 26 points.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

The order advocates separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three different single-disease shots and administering all childhood immunizations at separate appointments whenever possible. It also directs the nation's health department to improve research on vaccines, which are already extensively studied, and present a plan to offer separate measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines for children, since that is not currently an option in the United States.

The renewed focus on vaccines marks a departure from the Trump administration’s recent efforts to emphasize less controversial health policies related to healthy eating, drug price negotiations and medical fraud crackdowns ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Public health experts have raised concerns that spacing out shots as Trump suggests can lead to an increased risk that children become infected with a vaccine-preventable disease before returning for another visit. Childhood vaccines — and how and when to give them in combination — go through rigorous studies, and safety tracking continues for years as the shots are used.

Trump called the announcement a “major victory for parents rights, religious and constitutional rights, and for the gold standard science.”

Speaking about the order at the Oval Office on Monday, Trump repeatedly suggested the number or timing of vaccines could play a role in rising rates of autism spectrum disorder, even as scientific consensus and decades of studies have firmly concluded there is no link. The order also includes several changes to the childhood vaccine schedule that his health department has already attempted, but that have been blocked by a federal judge. A White House official who insisted on anonymity to brief reporters said Trump was within his right to provide his own recommendation through the executive order and said the lawsuit blocking the health department's schedule was a separate issue.

Dr. Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the announcement spreads uncertainty, fear and confusion where “there doesn't need to be any of that.” He disputed Trump's recommendations and said previous ones should stand.

“Science about vaccines and their efficacy has not changed,” he said. “The distribution of viruses and other pathogens in our environment has not changed. Children in this country have not changed in the last 48 hours."

Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Republican chair of the Senate health committee, slammed the executive order in a social media post, saying vaccines are safe and do not cause autism.

“I'm a doctor. This executive order is wrong,” the Louisiana senator wrote. “The President does not have the expertise to make these changes.”

Who is in charge of vaccine policy?

Even as the order calls for revised vaccine recommendations, states, not the federal government, have the authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren. The order advises states with school vaccine mandates to consider updating their laws to reflect the administration's preferred schedule, according to a White House fact sheet.

Last December, Trump ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to review how peer nations approach vaccine recommendations and consider revising U.S. guidance accordingly. The department responded by cutting the number of vaccines it recommends for every child, a move that has since been blocked in court.

Changes to federal childhood vaccine recommendations customarily require approval from the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The newly Senate-confirmed CDC director, Dr. Erica Schwartz, oversaw policies promoting vaccination of service members while in a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard.

However, public health law expert Lawrence Gostin at Georgetown University said the Supreme Court's interpretation of Trump's power may allow him to supersede Schwartz if she does not agree to new recommendations.

“This is clearly the first test for Dr. Erica Schwartz,” Gostin said in an email. “The President is placing her in an untenable position.”

Asked on a call with reporters why the president was advocating splitting MMR into three single-disease vaccines, the White House official did not provide any studies supporting the decision. They said that was Trump's long-held view and that some countries provide individual measles vaccines in certain circumstances.

Kush Desai, a Trump spokesperson, told The Associated Press that the president is “one of countless parents who have voiced questions and concerns about the combined MMR vaccine" and said the plan to develop single-disease vaccines would “give parents more options on timing and frequency for their children,” ultimately increasing vaccine uptake.

Studies of babies and toddlers in the U.S. have shown that the use of combination shots for childhood vaccines, rather than single ones, increased the likelihood of completing all recommended vaccinations by the age of 2.

Announcement follows other Trump administration vaccine actions

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist before he entered politics, set out to overhaul immunization guidance at HHS in the first year of Trump’s term. He fired an entire 17-member vaccine advisory committee, installing replacements who made far more restrictive recommendations that have since been halted by a federal judge. He also personally directed the CDC to abandon its position that vaccines do not cause autism, without supplying any new evidence to support the change.

Throughout his second term, Trump has been fixated on connecting autism to vaccines. He has recently ramped up pressure on Kennedy to identify the cause of autism, something Kennedy had pledged to do with new research unveiled last year. Trump publicly prodded the health secretary for an update on autism research in a Cabinet meeting last month.

“How are you doing on the autism research?” Trump asked.

“We will have an answer for you,” Kennedy said.

Scientific consensus and decades of studies have firmly concluded there is no link between childhood vaccines and autism. Racine reiterated that point on Monday, noting that the potential link had been studied in “over 40 methodologically well-designed studies in over seven countries involving over 5 million children.”

“I'm not sure that there is anything that has been as thoroughly looked at as this question," he said. “And the answer is unequivocally no."

In the Oval Office, Kennedy repeated his assertion that he believes an unknown environmental factor is to blame for rising autism diagnoses and said that his department will deliver research findings “as soon as they are ready.”

Monday's order comes as students are returning to classrooms around the country and the nation contends with a measles outbreak that experts say could result in the U.S. losing its measles elimination status.

Doctors have raised concerns that Trump's falsehoods on vaccines could stoke vaccine hesitancy. Federal data shows U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates have been dropping, with the share of children with exemptions rising to an all-time high in the 2024-25 school year.

___

This story was first published on Aug. 10, 2026. It was published again on Aug. 11, 2026, to correct the name of the agency where Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. set out to overhaul immunization guidance. The agency was HHS, not DHS.

___

Associated Press writers Laura Ungar and Mike Stobbe contributed to this report. Swenson reported from New York.

The winner will advance to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November in an open race that could test the limits of progressives' appeal in a critical battleground state.

Democrats are hoping to capitalize on low approval ratings for President Donald Trump in a state he won in 2016 and 2024 to retain control of the governor’s office and flip both chambers of the Legislature to earn full control of Wisconsin state government for the first time since 2010.

In other races, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s 26-year-old son-in-law Michael Alfonso is trying to win a five-way primary in Duffy’s old seat in the U.S. House. And Democrat Rebecca Cooke is looking to emerge from the primary to force a rematch with Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden in the state’s most hotly contested and narrowly divided congressional district.

Democratic socialist shakes up Wisconsin race, fueled by national movement

Single mother and former line cook Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, has tapped into Democratic anger with the party’s mainstream and Trump's “Make America Great Again” movement.

The 37-year-old known for sprinkling her comments with profanity and leaning into her edgy and sometimes humorous social media profile excited the liberal wing of the party. Hong called for free childcare and healthcare and a moratorium on artificial intelligence data center construction. But she also wrestled with her past support for defunding the police, saying at the race’s only debate that she would not support cutting law enforcement funding.

She also drew criticism for past social media posts in which she called for canceling Thanksgiving because “we should stop celebrating colonialism" and disparaged Valentine’s Day as “another day capitalism tells you how to show love.”

Hong has since downplayed the posts as her attempt at making jokes.

Hong supporter Dan Jakubek, 44, of Marshall, dismissed concerns over Hong's past statements and said her message of affordability is resonating across generations.

“I've never seen so many young, out of high school, college students revved up for change,” he said.

Establishment Democrats worried that a Hong win would make it easier for Tiffany to win in November, as her platform would be a tougher sell among moderate and independent voters who are critical in the swing state known for razor-thin election margins.

Gov. Tony Evers endorsed Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, saying he has the best chance of beating Tiffany in November.

Crowley told supporters at a Sunday night rally that they must come together after the primary to beat Tiffany.

“Our ultimate goal is to make sure we don’t have a MAGA extremist occupying the governor’s office,” Crowley said.

Hong said she would welcome Evers' support after the primary.

“We have to come together to beat Tom Tiffany," she said Monday.

Democrat David Zimmerman, a 79-year-old retired industrial engineer professor in Madison, voted for Crowley on Tuesday. He said Hong's chance of beating Tiffany in November “worries me a lot" but he would vote for her if she's the nominee.

“I think she's going to have trouble winning,” he said.

Fellow Crowley voter Julie Martinson, 69, a bank worker from Madison, also said she was worried about Hong being able to win the general election. But Martinson also predicted Democrats would come together to support her.

“There's no reason we can't galvanize around her and get her in there, ” she said.

Hong is the first Asian American elected to the state Assembly in 2020. She is looking to become Wisconsin's first female governor and first Asian American governor. Crowley would be the state's first Black governor.

Chaotic Democratic primary saw candidates drop, come back in

Evers’ decision not to seek a third term created an open race for governor that initially had seven Democrats file to run.

Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez appeared to be making a move to consolidate mainstream Democratic support in July, but she dropped out in the middle of the month amid a campaign finance scandal. That led Crowley, who had dropped out a week earlier and endorsed Rodriguez, to get back in the race, this time with Evers' backing.

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who was seen as an early front-runner after nearly beating Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in 2022, bowed out less than two weeks before the election amid questions about inappropriate behavior.

Sean Duffy’s son-in-law looks to win back Duffy’s old congressional district

Alfonso is looking to become the youngest member of Congress by winning Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, a seat previously held for nine years by his father-in-law before Duffy stepped down in 2019.

He secured Trump’s endorsement, who called him a “MAGA warrior,” to separate him from the field that also includes Kevin Hermening, a Trump supporter and longtime Republican operative in the congressional district.

Trump spoke on a telephone rally for Alfonso on Monday night, calling him “a fantastic young guy who’s going to be a star in Washington.” It was the second event Trump hosted for Alfonso in the primary.

Alfonso’s candidacy drew blowback from some longtime Republican leaders in the district who said he was too young and inexperienced for the job, especially compared with Hermening.

Democrat Cooke looks for repeat race against Rep. Derrick Van Orden

Cooke, a former Democratic fundraiser and small business owner, faces a challenge from former Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District. Berge ran an underdog, insurgent campaign against Cooke, who was more well-known and better financed.

Cooke narrowly lost to Van Orden in 2024 and also ran in 2022 but lost in the Democratic primary that year.

Van Orden is one of Trump’s biggest supporters but will face a tough reelection bid in a narrowly divided district in a year where Trump’s approval ratings are low in Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, state Rep. Francesca Hong, a self-described democratic socialist, is the front-runner for the party's nomination for governor in a swing state where winning the governor's mansion is central to Democrats' hopes for 2028 and beyond. In Minnesota, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is running for the nomination for an open Senate seat against centrist Democratic Rep. Angie Craig.

The left vs. center theme is on display in Democratic primaries in multiple states voting Tuesday, with other significant races in places like Alabama and South Carolina.

Here's what to watch Tuesday night.

Does the left keep surging in swing states?

Left-leaning candidates have consistently won primaries, capitalizing on Democratic voter frustration at party leadership. Most wins came in reliably liberal urban areas, ranging from New York Cityto Denver. But last week, progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed broke new ground by winning the party's nomination for a competitive Senate race in swing state Michigan.

Now Hong and, to a lesser extent, Flanagan are trying to claim even more purple terrain for the left.

President Donald Trump won Wisconsin in 2024 and its state legislature has long been in the hands of the GOP, but Democrats have been bullish about reversing that trend. Hong has maintained a steady lead in public polls against Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, despite his endorsement by the state's current governor, Democrat Tony Evers. Hong is also helped by the presence on the ballot of multiple more traditional candidates who will split votes against her, including former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who dropped out of the race late last month.

Hong has a trail of controversial statements, including vocal support for defunding the police in 2020, a position she now disavows. Prominent Democratic strategists fear that she can win the primary by appealing to the party's base but is a risk in the general election. The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in November.

The stakes are high in the race for Democrats nationally, not just Wisconsin residents. Democrats are hoping to win control of the state legislature, and the governor's mansion would give them an ability to redraw Wisconsin's map to counter the edge the GOP built up in this year's mid-decade redistricting. Without that, their path to a House majority in 2028 becomes challenging.

Democrats will also likely need to win Wisconsin to retake the White House in 2028, and the governor will have a key role in certifying the winner of the election. In 2020, Trump tried to claim Wisconsin despite it being won by Joe Biden, only to be blocked in part by Evers. Tiffany, who has been endorsed by Trump, supported the president's attempt to overturn the election.

Democrats have reliably won Minnesota during the Trump years, but by shrinking margins, and Republicans believe they have a shot at claiming the open Senate seat given the primary battle there. Craig represents a swing district and has taken more moderate stances, and Flanagan has slammed her for being supported by establishment Democrats and being too accommodating to Trump, especially on immigration.

Lamont won as an insurgent. Now he's establishment

When the Democratic establishment was worrying about insurgents from the left a generation ago, it fretted about the man who is currently Connecticut's governor, Ned Lamont.

A wealthy former entrepreneur, Lamont was an obscure Greenwich selectman when he mounted a primary challenge against the state's senior senator, Joe Lieberman, in 2006. Lamont argued that the centrist Lieberman, who had been the party's vice presidential nominee in 2000, wasn't a loyal enough Democrat and leaned too far to the right.

Lamont won that primary, but Lieberman ran in the general election as an independent and kept his Senate seat. Lamont kept running for office and eventually was elected governor in 2018. Now 72, Lamont is being challenged from the left by State Rep. Josh Elliott, 41, who alleges the governor hasn't fought Trump hard enough and that the solidly Democratic state deserves better than Lamont's fiscally moderate approach.

For months, Lamont largely ignored Elliott and focused on burnishing his own image. But in a sign of a potentially tightening race, he's begun to advertise against his challenger.

An incumbent cast as too old and too tied to big money

Also in Connecticut, Rep. John Larson faces his first primary challenge after 14 terms in the House from former Hartford mayor Luke Bronin.

The race follows familiar contours, as Bronin, 47, argues that Larson, 78, is too old and too tied to big money donors. Larson argues his experience and seniority put him in the best position to deliver for his voters.

There is also a growing list of longtime Democrats upset by younger challengers. Will one more name get added on Tuesday night?

In a Wisconsin House district, a rematch is likely

Democratic voters in a swath of western Wisconsin are expected to renominate Rebecca Cooke to face two-term Republican Rep. Derek Van Orden in Wisconsin’s 3rd District, setting up a rematch for one of the more competitive seats in the U.S. House.

In 2024, Cooke, a nonprofit executive and small business owner, lost narrowly to Van Orden, who was elected in 2022 and has been a devout supporter of Trump.

The district is a mix of Wisconsin farmland where Republicans have improved over the past decade and mini-metros with state universities giving them small but influential Democratic bases.

Cooke, of Eau Claire, faces Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge on Tuesday, but Cooke has Democratic institutional support, including from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Cooke has also raised roughly $8.6 million, far exceeding Berge’s roughly $729,000.

Van Orden is unopposed in Tuesday’s Republican primary.

In South Carolina, it's a famous name vs. experience

For a state with little mystery expected in November, South Carolina is again in the spotlight, this time holding primaries to nominate candidates for a special U.S. Senate election.

South Carolina voters voted on June 9 for nominees to statewide office, and then cast ballots in the June 23 primary runoffs for contests where no candidate reached 50% of the vote. And there were several, including GOP nominations for governor and nominations for several congressional seats.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death on July 11 at age 71 of an aortic rupture to his heart ensured South Carolina voters were not finished deciding who would be on the November ballot. Voters on Tuesday will be deciding who will succeed the four-term Graham as the Republican nominee in the GOP-heavy Southern state.

They will be choosing from Graham’s sister Darline, who was appointed to fill the vacancy by Gov. Henry McMaster and who has been endorsed by Trump, as well as U.S. Reps. Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, former Rep. Mark Sanford and six other candidates.

If no one reaches 50% of the vote Tuesday -- that’s right -- there will be another runoff, this one on Aug. 25.

Trump's administration is hoping that months of bombing have pushed Iran’s economy to a breaking point that will force its leadership to cave to demands to end its nuclear program and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers.

The Republican president on Monday said that since Iran is seeking compensation as part of any peace talks, he now intends to demand the same for the U.S. side. It's part of a larger pivot this weekend by Trump to argue that Iran is now on the cusp of financially collapsing, even though it has already endured decades of financial sanctions, which are often a longer-term strategy rather than an immediate tool of warfare that can halt a conflict.

The shift comes as U.S. stockpiles of key weapons have dwindled and as stop-start talks seem again to have stalled. But Trump insists the pressure can lead to a breakthrough.

“Yeah, they can make trouble, but they’re broke,” Trump told reporters. “They have no money. You know, Iran is broke, totally broke. And, they’re not paying their soldiers. They have inflation of 300%.”

Inflation is running high in Iran, although Trump's estimates were higher than what administration officials have been citing to reporters. But the prospect of a longer war also carries inflation risks for other nations, including the U.S., where the war and higher gasoline prices are unpopular.

Crude oil prices climbed on Monday as investors interpreted Trump’s comments as a sign that fewer ships would be traversing the Strait of Hormuz, continuing to limit global supplies of gasoline, jet fuel, natural gas and other forms of energy. The Iran war largely closed the waterway involved in shipping roughly 20% of global oil supplies before the conflict — and attempts to reopen the strait have been short-lived as it has become a source of leverage for the Iranians in negotiations.

Iran does not appear to be publicly intimidated by the prospect of more financial sanctions.

“Whenever Washington proves itself incapable of pursuing diplomacy, it retreats into sanctions; and whenever those sanctions fail to produce results, it simply increases the dose,” said Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, on social media. “The real risk is that American politicians, clinging to this bad habit, will instead strangle their own remaining chances of a less humiliating exit from a crisis of their own making.”

The White House has called this Operation Economic Fury

The president didn’t say what additional financial pressure would be applied, but the administration has since April 16 been engaged in what it calls Operation Economic Fury against Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called this component the “financial equivalent” of a bombing campaign as the countries that buy oil from Iran or bank with it could be sanctioned.

But one problem with this pivot is that the sanctions are unable to bite as quickly as the impact of the largely shuttered strait, said Richard Nephew, a senior research scholar at Columbia University who helped direct Iran sanctions strategy in the Obama administration.

Nephew stressed that the value of sanctions as a tool is limited because Trump has not articulated clear strategic goals for the war, at times stressing that it can't have a nuclear weapon, then emphasizing the strait and then talking about ballistic missiles. Instead, Trump has engaged in a massive series of aerial assaults and a level of destruction that has not produced the quick end that he initially promised.

“Economic pressure is a possible element in his strategy, but he’s yet to explain the purpose,” Nephew said. “Trump has systematically weakened his own hand through his inadequate use of force, inarticulate elucidation of an objective, and vacillation on negotiations.”

Still, the sanctions and the ongoing U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports give the U.S. economic and financial leverage, said Juan Zarate, a deputy national security adviser in the George W. Bush administration. Zarate said the U.S. sanctions threatening third-party countries doing business with Iran also have an impact. But these things take time, he noted.

“The ultimate question will be how far the United States is willing to go to constrict Iran’s oil trade and threaten third countries with severe sanctions -- and whether it has the patience to test whether the economic pain will change the regime’s behavior,” Zarate said.

Past presidents used sanctions. Trump has said they didn't go far enough

Trump's latest pivot to economic issues with Iran is something of a flip-flop. Trump has long derided past presidents who used sanctions to limit Iran’s economic ability to pay for its military and nuclear development. In a speech last week in Las Vegas, he defended the bombing, missiles and drone attacks that began on Feb. 28 by indicating that the sanctions from previous administrations that date back to November 1979 had failed to succeed.

“It’s been 47 years, but really, it’s been 50 years because they’ve been saying 47 for three years, it’s been 50 years,” Trump said. “And no other president has done what you should have done a long time ago, because Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, can’t have it.”

The Iranian economy has suffered gravely because of the war, with the International Monetary Fund estimating the overall economy shrinks by 5.4% and the Iranian government recently reporting an annual inflation rate of 88.6%. The U.S. Treasury Department said average loadings of Iranian oil have decreased from 1.8 million barrels per day before the war to less than 500,000 barrels per day over the past month.

The U.S. economy — the world’s largest — has continued to grow, but inflation is elevated and borrowing costs have risen in ways that have hurt Trump’s popularity and led to disapproval of the Iran war.

A senior U.S. official, insisting on anonymity to discuss strategy, said the U.S. military has set back Iran’s ability to produce, sell and ship oil and other energy resources. The administration sees the naval blockade of the strait and sanctions as effective and views Trump as having additional options that can be cranked harder in the weeks and months ahead.

Trump is essentially arguing that U.S. voters are better able to tolerate any economic inconveniences than Iranians, who have been in a state of economic hardship for years.

“It’s not just what the military can do — we’ve got the most powerful economy in the world as well," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday in a joint appearance with Bessent. "And when you’ve got a motivated treasury secretary who can pull a lot of levers because he knows how to do it, you can put a lot of pressure on adversaries.”

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AP White House reporter Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.

James' arrival in Philadelphia has made the 76ers must-see TV, and they are all over the NBA's biggest days of the season.

James will make his 76ers debut against the NBA champion Knicks on Oct. 20. The game at Madison Square Garden will be part of a tripleheader, when the Knicks raise a banner to celebrate their first championship since 1973 and James then kicks off the final stop in his career.

He will return to LA to face the Lakers on Christmas, after Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are back in New York for an NBA Finals rematch to open a five-game schedule.

The NBA unveiled those games Tuesday as what it called a “sneak peek” at the 2026-27 schedule. The full schedule will be released Thursday.

The season begins with the Boston Celtics visiting Detroit in a rare 3 p.m. EDT start for a midweek game. The tripleheader is capped by the Spurs hosting Oklahoma City in a rematch of the Western Conference finals.

Those three games — opening night traditionally has featured two in recent years — will all be televised by NBC. ESPN then has all five games on Christmas.

That schedule: San Antonio at New York, Miami at Boston, Philadelphia at Los Angeles, Oklahoma City at Minnesota and Denver at Golden State.

James’ new team was always going to have a prominent place on the schedule, so the NBA struggled to put the puzzle together while waiting for his decision. Commissioner Adam Silver even said last month that he wanted James to announce his decision because teams and networks were calling to ask when the schedule would be completed.

The NBA's career scoring leader said it would be the Sixers about a week later, joining a team that already had acquired All-Star Jaylen Brown from Boston and is expected to be one of the top challengers for the Knicks' title.

James will play his first home game in Philadelphia on Oct. 22 against Cleveland, one of his former teams that hoped to get the 41-year-old Ohio native back for a third time. That will be part of an ESPN doubleheader preceding Denver visiting Oklahoma City.

Minnesota visits Miami to highlight the schedule on Oct. 21, when most teams will open their seasons. The Heat acquired two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee — and tried to bring James back as well — and the Timberwolves traded for flashy point guard LaMelo Ball. Golden State then faces the Lakers to cap that ESPN doubleheader.

The Spurs are also a top draw now behind Wembanyama, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year who helped San Antonio win Game 7 of the West finals in Oklahoma City to end the Thunder's title reign.

This will be his second time playing at Madison Square Garden on Christmas, after he delivered a massive 42-point, 18-rebound performance in 2024 in a loss in his first time playing on the holiday. This matchup will be his first time back on the court in New York since the Knicks set an NBA Finals record by rallying from 29 points down for a 107-106 victory in Game 4. They won the title in San Antonio in the next game.

San Antonio will face Houston and former Longhorns star Kevin Durant in a game at the University of Texas on Oct. 23 airing on Prime Video, the back of a doubleheader starting with the Knicks at the Celtics.

___

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

The Houston-based utility is calling the effort its “Customer Savings Initiative.”

New load, lower bills

At the heart of the plan is the projected addition of up to 14 gigawatts of ERCOT-eligible base load and studied load projects. The idea is straightforward: more large customers connecting to the grid means fixed infrastructure costs get spread across a broader base — which, in theory, translates to lower bills for residential customers, small businesses, and commercial users across Greater Houston.

“Greater Houston has long been the energy capital of the world, but today it is the home of one of the most diverse economic regions anywhere in the nation,” said Jason Wells, chairman and CEO of CenterPoint Energy.

• Houston mourns Georgia Provost, ‘unofficial mayor’ of Third Ward

“These new projects would help us deliver growth, innovation, and customer savings. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to generate historic levels of customer savings of more than $5 billion statewide by leveraging new investment in large projects to build a more affordable, reliable and resilient electric grid for millions of customers.”

Wells added that the investments could also create jobs and generate millions in local tax revenue for schools and public services.

Rates, data centers, Senate Bill 6

CenterPoint says its Greater Houston customers already pay the lowest infrastructure charges of any investor-owned electric utility in Texas — a position the company attributes to an expanded customer base, more efficient financing, and ongoing cost reductions. According to the company, the infrastructure portion of customer bills increased by just over 1% per year between 2014 and 2025, well below the national inflation rate during that same period.

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The initiative also puts CenterPoint squarely behind efforts to regulate the booming data center industry in Texas. The company said it is actively working to advance Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent call for greater transparency from data center developers and to establish clear standards for their development, construction, and ongoing operation. CenterPoint says it fully supported — and has already implemented — the customer protections established by Senate Bill 6 in 2025, which set requirements for new large-load projects.

CenterPoint also said it signed the National Ratepayer Protection Pledge, a commitment to prioritize customer affordability while enabling responsible private investment in grid infrastructure.

What’s next

The company framed the initiative as a long-term commitment — not a one-time announcement. CenterPoint said it plans to continue working with Abbott, state legislators, and other leaders to maintain the regulatory framework designed to ensure new large customers pay the full costs associated with connecting to and powering from the grid.

For millions of Texas electric customers, the company says, the payoff could be both substantial and lasting.

“There was no place where we could guarantee that you could go in and hear it,” he told The Associated Press. “So, we had to establish that.”

Freeman and his business partners, then-Mayor Bill Luckett and Howard Stovall, were inspired to open a juke joint in Clarksdale called Ground Zero Blues Club. Then, much more recently, they created “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience,” a touring ensemble of blues musicians who marry the beloved Southern genre with classical, symphonic compositions. On Friday, they'll release an album under the same name.

The legendary actor is a producer and narrator on the release, not a performer. That's left up to the professionals: all-star acts like Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Shemekia Copeland, Tiernii Jackson, the Stax Music Academy Choir, the Chineke! Orchestra out of London, and many more.

“I like the blues. I like music. I cannot claim to be an aficionado. That’s not my place,” says Freeman. “I’m an enthusiast, but that’s a necessity.”

From live performances to a full-length record

Before the album, the “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience” traveling performances were born out of a simple idea: How could Freeman and his team bring this music to the world?

“Blues is an important American story birthed in the Mississippi Delta out of hardship but obviously resonates with people and cultures on a global basis, both for how good it sounds, but also the message underneath it,” said Eric Meier, Freeman's partner and co-producer on the project who joined the actor's blues club in 2018. “We conceived of this concept to really take this music to new geographies and new audiences.”

Turning the live performance into an album meant cutting down a nearly two-hour show to around 45 minutes across 12 tracks, while still honoring the format. It includes video vignettes as well as “cinematic narration,” courtesy of Freeman, recorded at the club in Clarksdale.

“We offer a musical story, a 100-year arc from the 1930s to modern day, so the evolution of blues music,” says Meier.

Freeman's idiosyncratic voice opens the record, describing the genre with a real poetry, delivered atop a haunting rendition of Blind Willie Johnson's 1927 gospel blues classic, “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground.”

“This is music that gave voice to a people, to their pain, their hope and their resilience,” Freeman recites. “Music isn't just melody, you know. It's memory, it's history wrapped in ribbon, the echoes of lives lived and lost, heartache and hope all tangled together. And nowhere is that truer than in the blues.”

Freeman wants to keep the blues alive

The last song on “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience” sees singer-songwriter Muddy Waters' great-nephew Keith Johnson covering Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson's “I Lied to You” from the Oscar-winning 2025 film “Sinners.” It brings the 100-year story of blues to its coda, but it also serves as a reminder of the film's ability to bring the genre into mainstream conversation.

That's something Freeman hopes to accomplish, too. He wants to make sure blues is not forgotten.

“It is a responsibility that we’ve taken on. And the hope is that it, like everything else that catches on, takes root, as it were. You know, the blues is actually America’s music,” he says. “So, it’s incumbent upon us to water it, nurture it, keep it alive, keep it going.”

Meier adds that their album project predates “Sinners” — he says director Ryan Coogler told him the film's juke joint was partially inspired by Ground Zero Blues Club; the film is set in Clarksdale after all — but it has been “a wonderful coincidence” that both works have the power to bring the blues to the masses.

And maybe one day, “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience” will receive the same kind of critical praise given to “Sinners.” The album is eligible for the 2027 Grammy Awards.

“We will be submitting in multiple categories,” says Meier. “You got room on your trophy shelf, Morgan?”

“Yeah, yeah. I want it,” Freeman smiles.

Adding Grammy Award-winner to his Academy Award-winner title? “Sounds pretty good to me.”

Can you believe it? It’s time to send our kids back to school. It seems like summer just started, and for some, it probably did. But, students across Houston are headed back to school this week, and we here at KPRC 2 are doing everything to make sure not only the students are prepared, but so are parents. Keep reading to get all the news you need to know on back-to-school.

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

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KPRC Meteorologist says:

“August is the “real” start of the hurricane season. 93% of hurricanes form after August 3rd. However, this is not your typical hurricane season. With an incredibly strong El Nino the numbers will be kept way down this season. Wind shear in the Caribbean is the strongest it’s been since 1979. Oh, and there is some thick Saharan dust over the Atlantic.”

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23-year-old man gets life in prison for sexually assaulting pregnant convenience store clerk in Conroe

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The Houston community is mourning the loss of Georgia D. Provost, a beloved photographer, educator and community activist who spent decades opening doors and uplifting generations across Third Ward and beyond.

Known by many as the “unofficial mayor of Third Ward,” Provost was a fixture in the Houston community using her voice, connections and larger-than-life personality to advocate for young people, support Texas Southern University students and celebrate the people and culture of the historic neighborhood.

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Search and rescue efforts were underway early Tuesday in dozens of cities and towns in western Colombia after a powerful earthquake struck the region, killing at least 111 people and leaving many trapped under the debris of damaged and destroyed buildings.

Monday’s 7.4 magnitude earthquake rattled Cali, Quibdo, Pereira and numerous other cities and towns. Around 1,600 buildings were reported damaged or collapsed. Soldiers, rescue personnel and families picked through the rubble, removing and passing large pieces of concrete by hand down lines of volunteers.

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Katy ISD opens high school seats to students outside district as education landscape changes

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For the first time, Katy ISD is launching Limited Open Enrollment, allowing some high school students who live outside the district to attend its schools. The move is one of several new initiatives the district is introducing as public school systems across Texas confront stagnant or declining enrollment.

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Back-to-school anxiety? Houston area experts share ways parents can help kids adjust to a new grade

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Whether your child is starting kindergarten, moving to middle school or simply entering a new grade, it’s normal for them to feel nervous about the transition.

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Friendswood ISD says the start of the school year at Westwood Elementary School will be delayed as the district works to deal with moisture and mold inside the building.

In a letter posted by the district on Facebook, the district said it hired a third-party environmental consultant to conduct air and surface testing in July after campus administration reported increased moisture and additional visible surface mold in portions of the building.

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Whether you’re snapping that traditional front-door photo before heading to the bus stop, documenting the morning drop-off or catching some interesting weather along the way, share your photos and videos with KPRC 2 through Click2Pins.

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Summer break is winding down, and students across the Houston area will soon be heading back to the classroom.

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The district is hosting a grand opening event from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the new campus at 22200 S. Post Oak Blvd. in Fresno.

• Fort Bend ISD seeks community input on proposed boundary changes, new middle school

Doors are scheduled to officially open at 8:20 a.m., when campus leaders and staff will welcome the inaugural class of Coleman Cowboys and their families at the school’s main entrance.

Coleman Middle School is Fort Bend ISD’s 16th middle school campus. The district says the new school features state-of-the-art technology, modern collaborative spaces and classrooms designed to support today’s students.

The campus also includes innovative learning areas, a spacious gymnasium and cafeteria, along with spaces designed to encourage creativity, collaboration and academic success.

Construction of the new campus was funded through the voter-approved 2023 bond.

The district expects students entering the school for the first time, staff welcoming families and school spirit to be among the highlights of the morning.

Data center proposals are sprouting up in neighborhoods all across the state. And Texans have questions.

But information about the proposed projects and their potential impacts on a community is often scarce as companies say they need to withhold proprietary information to keep a competitive edge.

Tech companies can sign nondisclosure agreements with local officials that prevent them from sharing what they know and create shell companies to hide their identities in public filings. And information filed with the state and its power grid operator about water and energy consumption can be difficult to find, incomplete or not accessible to the public.

What information is accessible about a data center project can differ from place to place and depend on whether a project seeks out tax breaks, whether it needs local rezoning or special permits, and how it will get its power and water.

Here are some ways Texans and policy experts are tracking down information about data centers through local and state public records or private data companies.

How to find information about data centers through local government

Data center proposals, in some cases, will require authorizations from city councils or county commissions, giving locals an opportunity to weigh in and potentially glean more details.

If a proposed data center is located within a city with a local zoning development board that regulates where different types of properties can be built, or if a developer is seeking to acquire or use public land, there may be public meetings and notices related to the development and residents may be able to provide public comment, as required by the Texas Open Meetings Act.

The act requires public notice and access to meetings when governing bodies, such as city, county and school board officials, meet to carry out official business. Exceptions allow elected officials to meet in a closed or executive session to discuss certain matters, including the purchase, leasing or exchange of property and some financial contract negotiations, according to the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. However, final votes or actions by a governing body should take place during public meetings, according to the Texas Attorney General’s office.

County officials have fewer regulatory tools for data centers than cities because they generally lack zoning authority. But if counties negotiate tax abatements with companies, that would also be voted on in a public meeting. That’s why experts recommend checking city and county meeting agendas for discussion or approval of items related to data centers.

Who owns a data center’s property or land?

The majority of property records, including deeds and land surveys, can be found through the county where the property is located, according to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, which recommends contacting a county clerk’s office for assistance. The Texas Secretary of State’s website has a county clerk directory with contact information.

If you have an address for a property, some county appraisal districts, which assess the taxable value of a property, offer a property search tool on their website that may identify the owner of a property. Use the Texas comptroller’s directory to find a county appraisal district’s website.

However, oftentimes, it may be difficult to detect whether a data center is behind the purchase, because developers or shell companies may be involved in the deals with names that are not obviously connected to data centers.

The Texas Comptroller and the Texas Secretary of State have databases with some public information from required business filings, including for franchise tax accounts. However, the Texas Secretary of State’s database costs $1 per search.

How to find how much electricity a data center will use

Large data center projects need to get approval from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to connect to the state’s power grid.

ERCOT, the state’s power grid operator, considers project-level data private. ERCOT instead shares the information in aggregate to the public, reporting in meeting slides information such as the total amount of power that all large projects have asked to draw from the grid. The agency has also released, to The Tribune and the Houston Chronicle, some county-level data.

As of June, ERCOT reported it had received requests for 466,497 megawatts of power from data centers that want to connect to the grid, which is more than five times larger than the highest amount of power the grid has ever provided. Many projects are looking to connect by 2030.

Energy experts say it’s highly unlikely that all of them will be built as some developers rush to submit requests in hopes of beginning an early-stage project that could eventually be leased to a third party for a profit.

To gauge how likely a proposed data center project is to be built, Shelley of Public Citizen recommended investigating and considering the following:

• who the project’s financial backers are;
• if the developer has a land deal or deed;
• if a developer is leasing the space to another tenant;
• if the developer has agreements with local governments;
• if there are water rights and where the development gets their electricity.

Even if a developer has tenants, there have been cases where tenants drop out of a project, said Margaret Cook, a researcher focusing on the energy and water demands of data centers at the Houston Advanced Research Center.

“And so even that can be a difficult indicator to use,” she said. “But the more reputable that tenant is and the stronger the relationship that they have with that facility, the more likely that that’s a facility that is more likely to be built.”

Some data center projects have voluntarily published their own energy projections in press releases. And others have selectively provided information to local officials in site plans. But it’s completely up to the individual company to decide if it wants to provide data about its power draw.

How to find how much water a data center will use

Water information is scattered across the local utilities, river authorities and groundwater districts where water agreements are negotiated. Obtaining information about a data center’s consumption requires submitting a Texas Public Information Act Request. These requests, however, can be appealed or denied due to privacy concerns and allowable exceptions.

Most data centers are located or planned to be within the boundaries of a public municipal utility or water district, Cook said. And with the exception of the massive “hyperscaler” data centers that are usually driven by AI and are increasingly choosing to develop in unincorporated areas, most data centers generally choose municipal water utilities, Cook added.

Texans can submit records requests to public utilities and districts. But utilities may push back on providing data specific to individual water users due to privacy concerns, Cook said, and requests for broader, aggregate data be more successful. Some public utilities have appealed requests for records about commercial water use to the Texas Attorney General’s office or cited a Texas law intended to protect household water use information to not release more detailed information.

If a data center development is getting water from wells, the local groundwater conservation district managing groundwater use may have information on how much a data center facility is pumping. However, not every part of the state has a groundwater conservation district; creating one requires a political process, and there is not always a political will. The Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts has an interactive map of groundwater districts and with contact information on their website.

Surface water, such as rivers, is generally owned by the state. So if a data center uses river water, a data center would own or lease that water right and deal directly with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Cook said. The TCEQ has some public and downloadable information about active water rights and pending water rights applications. (To view the interactive water rights map, use the browser Google Chrome.)

Other water-related information available from the TCEQ includes:

• Wastewater permitting
• Information about local water suppliers, including water districts and municipal utility districts.

Or learn about local groundwater districts and other possible local water entities by searching an address in our tool below.

The Texas Water Development Board surveys the monthly water use from data centers that use at least 10 million gallons annually. This information can be requested through a public information request.

How to find if a data center is getting tax breaks

Companies building data centers frequently pursue tax breaks from both the state government and cities and counties in hopes of reducing the cost of operating the multimillion-dollar facilities. The tax breaks typically require the companies to promise job creation or a certain value of economic development in exchange for a break on their taxes.

Qualifying data centers are exempted from paying the state’s 6.25% sales taxes on purchases related to building and maintaining the facility — including servers and other data storage hardware, software, office equipment, the cooling system, emergency generators and plumbing. Data centers are also exempted from paying state sales taxes on the cost of electricity.

How much sales tax the state allows an individual project to forgo is not public because of a state law that allows proprietary information to be withheld.

The Texas Comptroller’s office has reported the 147 projects that qualified for some exemption, but many applied through a shell company. See those projects here.

And while local tax abatement agreements are published by the state comptroller, Texas law still allows local governments to deliberate and negotiate tax incentives out of public view.

All local incentive deals are published on the state comptroller’s website. See those agreements here. However, the website does not categorize them, which means Texans will have to know the name of the data center company they’re searching for — which can sometimes be difficult to find because developers and shell companies may instead be listed on the deals. People can also request data about the deals from their local governments.

Large construction projects typically have to register with The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees requirements for accessibility under Texas’ Elimination of Architectural Barriers Act. The department’s database of these registrations has overviews of the projects, which may include information on the project owner, location and estimated costs.

Will to find if a data center will emit air pollution

Online filings with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the state’s environmental regulator, will show up if a permit was issued for a data center facility that is building an on-site power plant or installing backup generators that generate air emissions. But only some preconstruction permit applications require public notice and input before they’re approved.

For example, the TCEQ can issue “permits by rule” for emissions from data centers’ back-up diesel generators, which do not require public participation, according to Public Citizen. Data centers are also seeking “standard permits” for gas-powered plants, which don’t require public input either.

Public Citizen has argued all of a data center’s pollution sources should be considered in one, more stringent preconstruction permit application that would require public input. Otherwise, Federal Operating Permits may be the first chance the public gets to weigh in on data center emissions.

People can search for permit information at the central registry here, pending new source review permit applications here, and pending operating permit applications here.

The nonprofit advocacy organization Air Alliance Houston also has an interactive map of air permit notices.

Other permits from the TCEQ for a data center may include a petroleum storage permit if a facility uses many diesel generators or an industrial and hazardous waste permit if a facility handles lots of fuels, Shelley added. Pending applications for industrial and hazardous permits can be viewed here.

Are there other resources to find information about data centers in Texas?

Reporters at The Texas Tribune acquired and analyzed data from two companies, Data Center Map and Cleanview, that compile and sell data on operating and planned data centers to give readers a clearer picture. View our interactive map here to learn more about the 582 existing and planned data centers we found.

Cook, the water and energy policy expert from the Houston Advanced Research Center, said she uses the website Baxtel to find information on data center locations. The website has some public information about the companies and, in some cases, related news releases. Viewing other information through Baxtel may require paying, she added.

The Houston Advanced Research Center put out a report on data centers’ potential impact on Texas’ water supply.

The environmental groups Public Citizen, Save Our Springs and Environment Texas have a presentation and video with more information on how to track down and provide input on TCEQ permits related to data centers.

The environmental groups Public Citizen, Save Our Springs and Environment Texas have a presentation and video with more information on how to track down and provide input on TCEQ permits related to data centers.

If you need a primer on data centers, the Tribune published an overview of data center development in Texas, how data centers use power and energy and how the state and local communities are responding to the AI-driven development boom.

View The Tribune’s virtual conversation about data center regulation with policy experts here or on YouTube.

Some companies behind data centers, such as Meta, have published broad overviews about their efforts to be more sustainable, create jobs or job training programs or other initiatives. (These types of efforts may also be detailed in community benefits agreements, or contracts, with local governments or community coalitions.) Some, such as Meta in El Paso and data center developer EdgeConneX in Bastrop, have also participated in town halls at the request of local officials.

Paul Cobler contributed to this reporting.

Disclosure: Air Alliance Houston, Environment Texas, Houston Advanced Research Center, Meta, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and Texas Secretary of State have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in The Texas Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

She told dispatchers that her son JohnRobert Holmes III, 21 at the time, was at risk of hurting himself, hoping that he would get the help he needed — a pathway to a bed at a state psychiatric hospital. When officers arrived and tried to detain him for a mental evaluation, Holmes ran, according to an arrest affidavit. He was booked into Williamson County Jail and released the same day without meaningful mental care, McClain said, and his charge — interfering with public duties — was dropped four months later. 

Since that arrest 11 years ago, Holmes would go on to be arrested 10 more times and deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial at least three times, often for minor crimes such as trespassing, according to county records. 

And, each time, he never got a psychiatric bed nor substantive mental health treatment, McClain said. 

“I’m not asking for funding. I’m asking just to have him put into a hospital and receive care for longer than three weeks, so that I can get my son back,” McClain told The Texas Tribune. 

The Tribune was unable to contact Holmes, who McClain says suffers from schizophrenia and acute psychosis, and does not have a phone and is unhoused. A public defender assigned to him on four occasions declined to comment without permission from Holmes.

Although the state must provide treatment to defendants deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial, a chronic shortage of beds at state-run psychiatric hospitals, also called state hospitals, have forced defendants to wait up to two years for care. 

Last month, U.S. District Judge David Ezra ordered the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to cut wait times to 21 days over the next four years, but attorneys for the state have since appealed the ruling, delaying relief for McClain’s son and the 1,600 Texans waiting for a state hospital bed. 

“It’s really sad that we had to bring this suit, and that it takes a court order for the state to do what’s right,” said Lisa Snead, an attorney working with Disability Rights Texas. “The state’s appeal is not surprising but is disappointing.” 

Stemming from a lawsuit filed by Disability Rights Texas in 2016, Ezra found that Texas’ system of making incompetent defendants wait in jail for treatment was unconstitutional. He also found that HHSC knew it lacked the capacity to treat these defendants but failed to fix the problem, leaving them to wait months or even years for state hospital beds. 

“Lack of funding cannot justify the continued detention of defendants who have not been convicted of any crime, who are not awaiting trial, and who are receiving next to no mental-health services,” he wrote in his ruling.

Compared to jail-based programs, state hospitals are better equipped and they offer better environments for recovery, mental health experts say. Because state law requires mentally incompetent defendants be provided with restorative mental care, it is often free of cost unlike private options. 

As of June, about 1,626 people were on the state hospital waitlist, said Thomas Vazquez, spokesperson for HHSC. Of them, 447 people were waiting for a maximum-security unit bed, with an average wait time of seven months. Another 1,179 people were waiting for a lesser security bed, with an average wait time of over five months. 

At its 10-year height in December 2022, the wait time for a maximum security bed was two years. 

Ezra gave HHSC four years to comply with the 21-day requirement and ordered the agency to identify compliance benchmarks within 45 days. 

State attorneys are asking the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to postpone setting those benchmarks, according to court records. They argue that the 21-day requirement would force the agency to begin “irreversible work” rebuilding part of its system on a court-set schedule and to spend “unrecoverable funds” on a remedy the 5th Circuit may ultimately find the Constitution never required.

Vasquez declined to comment on last month’s ruling, including on how many more beds the state would need to add to meet the court mandate and how much it would cost. 

Timing out of jail

Waitlists for state psychiatric beds are long because demand for mental health treatment has outpaced capacity for years. Staffing shortages, rundown facilities, and a lack of investment in psychiatric care have kept hospitals from adding enough beds, while many existing beds are in long-term use or out of commission.

Roughly 70% of the state’s 3,600 mental hospital beds are forensic, meaning for those criminally detained, and the rest are for civil commitments and for youth. In June, 1,663 forensic patients received treatment. 

Many waitlisted defendants never receive restorative treatment because they wind up “timing out.” That means they serve their maximum possible sentence for their charge — many of them are charged with minor crimes with short sentences — before a bed frees up. 

“You had folks who were charged with offenses for which the maximum penalty was only 180 days, essentially serving their entire sentence waiting for HHSC to make a bed available to them,” said Snead.

Holmes is one of them. He was booked into jail three times for trespassing and was found incompetent to stand trial for those offenses and ordered to be given restorative treatment. But, he ended up serving the maximum sentence for standard criminal trespassing — 180 days — each of those times and was released from jail without getting a spot at the state hospital. 

“I thought for sure that time they were going to get him into the state hospital,” McClain said. “He just timed out and was on the streets again.”

The current system is effectively giving those who commit worse crimes a higher chance at accessing a state hospital bed, she said.

“I was informed that because it’s a misdemeanor, more than likely he’ll time out before a bed is available. But if he committed a felony and was there longer, more than likely they would be able to locate a bed,” said McClain.

Push for state hospital care

McClain said her son never received restorative care in Williamson County Jail and was prescribed medication upon release on one occasion. 

McClain wants him committed to a state hospital because he is constitutionally entitled to it. She also said she would not be able to afford the private route, which would require her to obtain guardianship, a process that costs thousands, to privately place her son, a legal adult, in a private facility. 

“It’s for the wealthy,” she said. “We all love our children just as well as someone who’s financially capable of putting a person in a [private] institution.”

With their jails bloated with detainees waiting for mental health services, local officials welcome the most recent ruling, which is the furthest this issue has gotten in the court system; Disability Rights Texas unsuccessfully sued the state over the waitlist in 2012. While Williamson County officials did not comment on Holmes’ cases, they welcome the state’s efforts to reduce the state hospital bed waitlist, said Phyllis Shaffer, spokesperson for the sheriff’s office. 

In county jail, patients have limited access to mental health care, medication, and lesser restorative treatment. In Travis County Jail, there is one full-time psychiatrist serving a population where 40% to 50% of inmates need psychiatric help, said Melissa Shearer, mental health division director at the Travis County Public Defender’s Office.

“Jails are, to say the least, not appropriate places for people with mental illness,” said Snead. “Jail-based competency restoration programs in practice are often just not the same caliber of services that detainees receive in a hospital.”

Some severely ill defendants can jump the state hospital bed waitlist, according to health and human services. But, there are so few state hospital beds that meeting the criteria for expedited admission does not always guarantee someone will get in, even if they are a danger to themselves or others. 

“We had a young woman who was incompetent and very, very, very ill, and was deteriorating in the jail, doing a lot of self harm, not eating, not drinking, and not improving at all, and was continually getting worse, and the jail was concerned about the self harm. And that young person had been waiting for over a year,” said Shearer.

McClain echoed similar concerns, saying that her son’s health would decline each time he went to jail.

Shearer said the ruling will provide relief for people needlessly suffering in jail. 

“They would have less time isolated in a single cell, which we know causes deterioration in mental health long term,” Shearer said. “You will see a lot more people get well and stay well because the longer a person’s serious mental illness is untreated, the worse it gets.”

Over the years, McClain admits she had lost trust in the state to help her son, but is holding on to some hope that last month’s ruling, if it survives the appeal, will help bring back the son she used to know. 

McClain said Holmes was a normal — maybe a little quiet — basketball-loving child growing up in Round Rock. He went on to attend the prestigious historically Black university Morehouse College in Atlanta where he enjoyed reading psychology so much he majored in it. His mother told police he became sick after he was assaulted at a pick-up basketball game and suffered a brain injury a few weeks before his first arrest, according to the arrest affidavit from his first offense. 

“He was a career counselor for an online university, so he was helping people set their career,” McClain said. “He had his own apartment, and he was doing great, interacting with family.”

In recent years, McClain has shown up at the Texas Commission on Jail Standards meetings to call for the health agency to implement more mental health care options for those who cycle in and out of jail. Outcomes for people like her son would look different if the criminal justice system offered a real plan of care, McClain said.

“They’d be viable members of society as opposed to being walked over and forgotten about.”

Alex Nguyen contributed to this report. 

According to Houston Police Department Lt. Horelica, the bicyclist called 911 around 6:10 p.m. Aug. 10 after discovering the body in the vicinity of the 1400 block of N. Eldridge Parkway, near the Bayou Rifles – Addicks Range.

• 23-year-old man gets life in prison for sexually assaulting pregnant convenience store clerk in Conroe

Due to the condition of the remains, police were unable to immediately determine the person’s age or gender.

The circumstances surrounding the death and the identity of the person remain under investigation.

No additional information was immediately available.

For the first time, Katy ISD is launching Limited Open Enrollment, allowing some high school students who live outside the district to attend its schools. The move is one of several new initiatives the district is introducing as public school systems across Texas confront stagnant or declining enrollment.

Katy ISD Deputy Superintendent Leslie Haack described it as “one of several new initiatives we’re doing to kind of counter address the stagnant enrollment across Texas.”

At the same time, families have more choices about where and how their children are educated, including traditional public schools, charter schools, private schools and homeschooling. Texas’ new Education Freedom Accounts are adding another option for families seeking alternatives to traditional public schools.

“Parents have options for their children,” Haack said. “And as a result of that, I think as a school district in Katy ISD, we need to be responsive to that.”

How far will Katy ISD’s open enrollment reach? Katy ISD is casting a wide geographic net. The axis point for the district’s Limited Open Enrollment plan is the intersection of the Katy Freeway and Highway 99. High school students within a 75-mile radius will be eligible for limited open enrollment.That extends the district’s potential reach as far as the Bryan-College Station area and Huntsville to the north, Galveston to the south, Bay City and almost to Edna to the southwest. Students attending public, charter or private schools, as well as homeschooled students, will have an opportunity to enroll.

Katy ISD’s 10 high schools can each accept up to 100 transfer students, capping the program at 1,000 students districtwide.

The initiative comes as the growing number of education options raises a larger question: Are public school systems increasingly competing for students?

Katy ISD leaders say they don’t view it that way.

“I wouldn’t necessarily call it a competition,” Haack said. “I think it’s a framework that we’re working on because the limited open enrollment is just one of several things we’re doing to keep our kids in Katy ISD, keep our families in Katy ISD, to let them know we have lots of opportunities for them, that we are diversifying too.”

Haack said Katy ISD continues to view other public school districts as partners rather than competitors.

“Not a competition,” she said. “We look at our fellow public school districts as our partners and we wanna be collaborative with them.”

Still, the district acknowledges that the education landscape is changing and that school systems must respond to families who have more choices than they did in the past.

Students accepted through Limited Open Enrollment will have access to Katy ISD programs once enrolled, although UIL rules and transfer requirements will still apply.

“We do comply with all UIL regulations and guidance and there’s some things there that have to be met whether you are any type of transfer student,” Haack said. “But once they are enrolled, yes, they have access to all the programs.”

For Katy ISD, Limited Open Enrollment is part of a broader strategy: adapt to an era of greater school choice while maintaining the district’s appeal to students and families.

“I think as a school district in Katy ISD, we need to be responsive to that and always evaluating the landscape and making the necessary changes that we need to do, improvements that we need do to make sure that we’re attracting students and families to Katy ISD so we can keep this district a destination district and as successful as it is,” Haack said.

Under the Limited Open Enrollment plan, each of Katy ISD’s 10 high schools can accept up to 100 transfer students, for a districtwide maximum of 1,000. District leaders say Limited Open Enrollment is just one of several new initiatives aimed at giving families more options as public education in Texas continues to change.

The student and their family would be fully responsible for transportation to the school. The district will use what is known as the Extended Attendance Zone. Based on which district the student would transfer from -- families can select a Katy ISD high school that is more geographically accessible to the student.

“Your country is in big trouble. You’re not winning,” Trump said, dressing down Zelenskyy in front of the world’s media. “You don't have the cards.”

The blowup in February 2025, three years into the war, was more than just a heated public exchange: The Ukrainian delegation was asked to leave the White House, and Washington briefly suspended intelligence sharing with Kyiv. In the ensuing months, as Russia made slow but steady gains on the battlefield, Trump warmly welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and seemed ready to push Ukraine into an unfavorable peace deal, including forcing it to give up territory.

But even as Zelenskyy sat next to Trump, his forces were preparing an operation that would reveal Ukraine’s ability and ambition to take the war to Russia: Months later, drones smuggled into the country attacked Russian bombers, destroying or damaging planes worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Since then, Kyiv has ramped up a campaign of longer-range strikes inside Russia and in areas Moscow has seized, increased production of weapons, targeted Russian air defenses, and hit oil infrastructure and the warehouses of a major retailer in a bid to ensure ordinary Russians feel the impact of the conflict.

In an embarrassment to Putin, Ukrainian drone strikes sent thick plumes of smoke billowing over St. Petersburg shortly before the opening of an international economic forum in June. Concern over Ukraine’s attacks led Russian authorities to scale down the May 9 military parade commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany. Strikes on oil refineries have caused a summer fuel crisis.

By the time Trump and Zelenskyy met at a NATO summit in July, the American president said the Ukrainian leader had “been very effective” in the war. “We’ve actually developed a good relationship,” Trump added.

But as Ukraine’s strikes have intensified, so have Russia’s — and Kyiv faces major challenges in defending against them because of shortages of American Patriot air defense missiles.

In the first six months of the year, 1,396 civilians were killed in Ukraine, according to the U.N. Meanwhile, the world body said Russian authorities reported 250 civilians killed in the same period. On Monday, a strike that Ukraine said hit an oil refinery in Russia killed 13 people, according to local officials.

And while Ukraine's effort appears to have shifted the narrative about the war in Washington, it's still not clear if it will be able to push Putin toward the negotiating table.

Ukraine’s strikes are aimed at undermining the idea that Russia can afford to “just let this roll,” said Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at the London-based RUSI think tank.

The question of whether it will succeed depends on how much pain Ukraine can exact. “Logically, above a certain threshold, it does work but whether they can reach that threshold is an interesting question” — and one that depends at least partly on factors outside Kyiv's control, like continued European financial support, he noted.

Ukraine brings the war to Russia

While most of Ukraine's strikes have a range of less than 200 kilometers (125 miles), its longer-range attacks have increased dramatically this year. It launched three times as many of those strikes in July as it did in January, according to data from ACLED, an independent conflict monitor. Repeatedly hitting deep into Russia has forced its military to stretch air defenses over a larger area.

Many of its strikes have focused on four key categories of targets, according to an Associated Press analysis of hundreds of Ukrainian attacks this year — compiled from statements by Russian officials and state media and the Ukrainian military.

As the Iran war pushed up energy prices, leading the U.S. to ease sanctions on Russian oil, Kyiv ramped up strikes on oil infrastructure to deny the Kremlin revenue from fuel exports and force shortages on ordinary Russians. It is also striking defense manufacturing to damage Russia’s long-term ability to produce weapons, targeting air defenses to clear a path for its own arms, and hitting retail warehouses to bring the effects to ordinary Russians.

— As part of the campaign against oil infrastructure, Kyiv said it hit Russia’s largest oil refinery, more than 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) from Ukraine.

— Kyiv has also targeted defense manufacturing centers. It hit a factory making navigation systems multiple times, including with its own Flamingo missile.

— In July and August, Ukraine struck Wildberries warehouses. Kyiv said the company helps supply the Russian military. Moscow denies that.

— Many of Ukraine’s strikes on Russian air defenses and radar are around Russian-held Crimea and are often carried out with drones.

Maj. Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, the commander leading Ukraine’s drone war, told the AP its strikes in Crimea are also aimed at rendering the peninsula unusable as a staging ground for Russian forces.

Starlink gives Ukraine an advantage — for now

It’s not always clear if Ukraine’s attacks are effective — and some may have resulted in minimal or no damage. In May and June, Ukraine said it hit several satellite, reconnaissance or signals intelligence facilities in Russia, but satellite images analyzed by AP did not show major damage.

Still, Ukraine has one advantage that can help it strip back Russian air defenses and make its drone strikes more precise.

It has access to Elon Musk’s satellite communications service Starlink — which means its operators can control drones in real time in Russian-held Ukrainian territory. Russia has been blocked from using Starlink.

But Russia is also building its own version of Starlink, and is installing jamming systems that hamper Starlink connectivity, Brovdi said.

Ukraine is investing heavily in weapons production

Even before the Oval Office meeting, Ukraine scrambled to invest in new weapons — but that moment was “a real wake-up call," said a European military official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the front-line situation in detail. It became clear that U.S. support could be stopped “from one day to the next.”

Ukraine doubled down on production, churning out a growing array of weapons in larger numbers and shortening traditional research and production cycles from decades to years or even months.

Even so, Ukraine is still not able to produce as many missiles as it needs. It also took Ukraine time to make systems that could target facilities precisely enough that Kyiv felt comfortable using them to strike deep into Russia, Watling said.

And while Ukraine has begun to resolve navigational issues with its missiles, such as the Flamingo, those weapons are still not as accurate — or as stealthy — as their Western analogues. That often means hundreds of drones must be fired to overwhelm Russian air defenses to allow a missile to get through.

It's an expensive and time-consuming way to wage war since only 5% to 9% of what Ukraine fires gets past Russian air defenses, according to Watling.

But, although Russia's weapons are more powerful, Zelenskyy suggested at the NATO summit that Putin is “losing the initiative” in the war as Ukraine has moved the fight from the stalled battlefield to the sky.

Sitting next to Trump at the summit, the Ukrainian leader even cracked a joke, demurring when Trump asked him if he would accept Moscow as a venue for peace talks, as Putin has suggested.

“There are a lot of Ukrainian drones in the air," Zelenskyy said. "It would be dangerous.”

Skubal still intends to be much better than he was while allowing three runs on four hits over five innings Monday night in the Dodgers' 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

“I thought I competed well and gave our team a chance to win, and our offense picked me up big-time, defense picked me up big-time, and the bullpen was outstanding tonight,” Skubal said. “So all in all, a good team win, especially when I don’t feel like I performed up to my standard.”

Skubal left trailing 3-2 in the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner's decent, if unspectacular, first start in the home whites. His fastball command was decidedly lacking, and he was unable to get ahead early in most counts during an outing in which he managed just one 1-2-3 inning. The fireworks came instead from the Dodgers' slumbering offense, which awoke with Max Muncy's three-run double and Freddie Freeman's RBI single after Skubal departed.

Although he struck out six, Skubal didn't live up to manager Dave Roberts' pregame prediction of “an electric night” for the vaunted left-hander and his slumping club, which had lost eight of nine heading into this homestand.

“I thought he fought well,” Roberts said. “Tarik didn't have his best stuff, but he didn't relent. He kept going, and he gave us what he had for tonight.”

Even after everything he accomplished while becoming one of the majors' top starters with the Tigers, Skubal was particularly amped up for this debut in front of 51,799 fans eager to cheer their team's biggest trade-deadline addition in its bid to win three straight World Series titles. When Skubal was announced in the starting lineup for the first time, Dodgers fans responded with loud cheers and a serenade of “Skuuuuuu!”

“This one was special to me, so the nerves run a little bit higher,” Skubal said. “But it just means you care, so I think that’s all positive stuff. I was excited to go out there and pitch in front of the Dodger fans. It was a ton of fun to play the game today.”

Skubal threw 95 pitches against the Royals, and Jac Caglianone tagged two of them for a two-run homer and an RBI single. Skubal also issued two walks and hit a batter with a pitch in just his second career appearance at Dodger Stadium, taking the mound nine days after the defending champions acquired him from Detroit in the biggest trade of the deadline.

Los Angeles gave up three promising prospects for what might be a short-term rental of the 29-year-old Skubal, who will likely reap the benefits of free agency this winter.

Skubal made his Dodgers debut at Wrigley Field last Tuesday, pitching six innings of two-run, four-hit ball with six strikeouts in his new team’s 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

The back-to-back champions had the farm talent and the impetus to go out and get the AL's best pitcher over the past two seasons — and Skubal's reception at Chavez Ravine showed their fans still don't take their deep-pocketed team's winning mentality for granted.

But after that warm pregame reception, Skubal yielded two soft singles and a run to Kansas City’s first three batters, with Bobby Witt Jr. stealing second and scoring on Caglianone’s dribbler up the middle.

Nick Loftin then doubled in the third before Caglianone hit his 21st homer of the season to right, smashing a hanging slider for a 410-foot shot that induced grumbles from the stands.

Skubal retired six straight Royals after Caglianone's shot, but he got into trouble again in the fifth, hitting Loftin with a pitch and walking Witt with two outs. Skubal dug in and struck out Caglianone to end the inning, getting him with his signature changeup on his final pitch.

“Tarik Skubal — it’s nice to have him on our mound,” said a grinning Freeman, who drove in Shohei Ohtani with the go-ahead run. “I’m sure he wants to go deeper than five innings, but I like that every five, six days that he’s going to be on the mound for us.”

Los Angeles probably hoped for a more dominant beginning to Skubal's tenure, but it cares most about the games he'll pitch in October, when the champs expect to make their 14th consecutive playoff appearance.

Roberts is uncommonly impressed by Skubal after just more than a week together.

“This guy, he’s as different as anyone I’ve ever been around in this short period of time,” Roberts said. “He’s special in every way. ... He’s just built differently. The mind, the body, the focus, the humility, the willingness to serve, to help. He puts himself out there. He’s different than any player I’ve ever been around, really. Again, it’s a small sample, but I’ve dug in on him. I've got a pretty good gut. This guy is something like I’ve never seen.”

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

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

Trump demands Iran pay for decades of US military deaths

Trump's social media post Monday came after Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stressed that Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the U.S. meets its conditions.

Tehran wants the U.S. to end its blockade of Iranian ports, lift economic sanctions and release Iran’s frozen assets. It also said the U.S. must pay compensation for war damage.

“It is up to the U.S. side to stop and make amends for its illegal and destructive actions,” Baghaei said.

Trump responded that he is now demanding “compensation from Iran, for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded with their roadside bombs and many conflicts.”

The U.S. government has blamed Iran-backed militants for the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Americans over several decades. They include a 1983 bombing that killed 241 U.S. military personnel at a Marine compound in Beirut and the deaths of at least 603 U.S. troops in Iraq between 2003 and 2011.

Trump said he also wants Tehran to compensate the families of Iranian protesters who were killed.

“I have instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future negotiations,” Trump said in his post.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil supplies passed before the war — has kept energy prices as a major focus of U.S. politics ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Iran's supreme leader is said to want unity amid signs of division

Iran’s president said the country’s supreme leader is calling for “unity and cohesion” as the Islamic Republic faces economic hardships and sanctions stemming from its war with the United States.

President Masoud Pezeshkian described a nearly seven-hour meeting with Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in an interview with Iranian state television that aired amid apparent tensions among the Islamic Republic’s leaders.

Pezeshkian told the state-run IRIB that he and Khamenei discussed “people’s livelihoods, the state of the market, employment, people’s housing,” as well as “problems that are now being created as a result of the (U.S.) sanctions.” He didn’t say when or where they met.

Most important, he said, was Khamenei’s emphasis on unity.

“All of the enemy’s plans are aimed at creating division,” Pezeshkian said. “What we have to do is prevent divisions from emerging.”

It is only the second time the Iranian president has said he has met with the new supreme leader since Khamenei was appointed in March following a U.S.-Israeli strike that killed his father. Khamenei, believed to have been wounded in the same attack, has not appeared in public since then.

Iran names former Revolutionary Guard leader to top security post

Iran on Sunday appointed Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to its new supreme leader, to head its powerful Supreme National Security Council.

Rezaei commanded Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard from 1981 to 1997, a period that includes Iran’s 1980s war with Iraq. The 71-year-old hard-liner last week threatened American forces with “serious risks and casualties” if the U.S. did not lift its blockade of Iranian ports.

Rezaei replaces Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who will become a political adviser to Khamenei.

While Rezaei appears willing to negotiate with the U.S. to “secure Iran’s maximalist aims, including control of the Strait of Hormuz,” he has also been “unwilling to present any Iranian concessions,” wrote the Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based think tank.

Israel declares closed military zone in Taybeh

Israel's military said Monday it had declared a Christian-majority town in the occupied West Bank a closed military zone to keep out Israeli settlers and other non-residents.

The new tactic is designed to keep Israelis out of Taybeh, which has been subject to arson, vandalism and settlers coming onto private and village property. The army said Palestinian residents and journalists would be allowed unless soldiers determine their presence poses a threat. The army said its troops would detain suspects and disperse gatherings to keep the peace.

The designation comes after months of the army and police struggling to maintain order throughout the territory, where at least 87 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers in 2026, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry.

Yemen says the Houthi attack on a Red Sea town Sunday killed 7

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked a Red Sea port town controlled by government forces on Sunday, killing seven and injuring 30 people. Yemen’s Defense Ministry — which operates under its internationally recognized government — said four military personnel and three civilians were killed.

Clashes continued Monday near the village of Taiz. The Houthi group said a 13-year-old child was killed by artillery shelling and another child was injured.

The attack on Mokha is the latest in one of the largest waves of Houthi strikes on Yemeni military positions and areas held by the Saudi-backed government since a 2022 truce. It comes as threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have renewed focus on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait at its southern tip.

Whoops!

Rookie teammate Carson Benge had already tossed it into the Atlanta crowd.

Recently shifted to a short-relief role in his fourth major league season, Senga closed out New York's 8-5 victory over the Braves with a scoreless ninth inning Monday night. Mauricio Dubón flied out to Benge in right field for the final out, and he turned toward the stands looking to send a fan home with a souvenir.

Senga, well aware of his achievement, held out his arms in disbelief with his mouth agape while watching the whole thing transpire. In a funny scene, he raised both hands trying to grab Benge's attention as Senga and Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez both called for the baseball in vain.

A sheepish Benge, when he realized what happened, put both hands on his head — and Senga doubled over in laughter.

After the game, Senga was asked if Benge ever managed to retrieve the ball for him.

“I think Bengie is trying to tell me I should have just punched him out,” a smiling Senga said through an interpreter.

Senga got the save opportunity in the ninth because the Mets placed closer Devin Williams on the 15-day injured list earlier in the day. Interim manager Andy Green was non-committal before the game about who would be his closer, but with New York leading 8-5 he called on Senga. The right-hander is 0-8 with an 8.12 ERA in eight starts and eight relief appearances this season.

Senga struck out Matt Olson and Michael Harris II to open the ninth, then issued a walk to Ozzie Albies before retiring Dubón.

Senga has not allowed a run in his last three appearances out of the bullpen. He came over from Japan and signed a $75 million, five-year contract to be a starter for the Mets before the 2023 season. He went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts that year, making the NL All-Star team and finishing runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting and seventh in Cy Young Award balloting.

But he's largely struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness since, other than a strong stretch early in the 2025 season.

The last-place Mets are 6-1 on a nine-game trip following a significant selloff ahead of last Monday's trade deadline that depleted their bullpen.

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

KPRC 2 News reporter Corley Peel was at the Palms on Rolling Creek Apartments, where Mohammed Nkosi and his pregnant wife have been at the center of a dispute with management that has left them without access to their home and all of their belongings.

Nkosi says the couple was without power for roughly 48 hours starting Friday. He says calls to management were ignored. With a pregnant wife who could not refrigerate her insulin, the couple slept in their car and eventually paid out of pocket for a hotel room.

“From Friday till Sunday, about 48 hours, we were left without power. No air running in the house. Meanwhile, I have a pregnant wife,” Nkosi said. “She couldn’t even refrigerate her insulin,” he added.

Nkosi called 911. When a Harris County deputy arrived Sunday night and attempted to check the breaker box, the deputy was shocked by an electrical current.

KPRC 2 showed up to the apartment complex on Monday, where Corley spoke with a man named Frank on the phone who said he was with management.

“The tenant is not responding to any of our phone calls and text messages. You can’t just be here and report us badly. If it’s the tenant’s fault, he does not want to pay. Do you know the real story? He owes f****** $5,000, ma’am,” said Frank.

Frank said Mohommaed Nkosi and his pregnant wife owe money and are facing eviction. Nksoi said that is not true

“I have all evidence to challenge that to the highest capacity possible that I can challenge it,” said Nkosi.

Nkosi showed us his approved rent payments he sent via Zelle and his bank statements that also showed he paid electric bills on time.

When Nkosi returned to his apartment, he discovered something new, the locks had been changed without any notice.

“You didn’t ask me any consent. You changed the lock to my apartment?” Nkosi confronted management in a recorded conversation.

Management’s response was blunt.

“I don’t have to ask you anything!” the manager identified only as Frank replied.

Frank refused to tell KPRC 2 News why he changed the locks, only saying the couple had not responded to his calls and texts and declined further comment.

“Ma’am, I don’t have anything to provide to you,” Frank said before hanging up.

Nkosi called 911 again after the locks were changed. A deputy took his information, but Nkosi still does not have access to his apartment or any of his and his pregnant wife’s belongings inside.

“We don’t even have access to our apartment and all our belongings are in there. We have paid our rent. We have done every single thing that we have to do on our end. I just want to know why?” Nkosi said.

The couple plans to pursue legal action.

The president signed the order Monday, establishing what the White House calls its “Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations.” The new framework prioritizes parental choice and reduces the number of diseases covered by universal childhood immunization recommendations from 18 under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2024 schedule to 11.

The order places childhood immunizations into three categories:

• Immunizations recommended for all children
• Immunizations recommended for certain high-risk groups
• Immunizations based on shared decision-making between families and health care providers

Vaccines protecting against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus and chickenpox remain in the universal category.

Vaccinations for diseases including hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, influenza and COVID-19 are assigned to either high-risk groups, shared clinical decision-making or both.

Houston pediatric neurologist Dr. Audrey Nath, who is also a mother, said she is concerned the changes are not supported by science.

“I’m frustrated,” Nath said. “It doesn’t appear to be based on any sort of systematic evidence.”

Texas and federal recommendations now differ

The Texas Department of State Health Services told KPRC 2 that the president’s order does not change the state’s existing school vaccine requirements.

Texas currently requires students to receive certain vaccines protecting against diseases including measles, mumps, rubella, polio, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and chickenpox.

A meningococcal vaccine is also required for Texas students in grades seven through 12.

Those state requirements now differ in several ways from the new federal framework. Hepatitis A and B vaccinations are no longer universally recommended under the executive order, while meningococcal vaccinations are limited to high-risk groups or individual decisions between doctors and families.

The order encourages states and territories to review their school vaccine requirements and consider changing them to align with the new recommendations. However, it does not directly override Texas law.

Texas already permits vaccine exemptions for medical reasons and reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs, when families provide the required documentation.

Nath worries Texas could eventually follow the federal government’s lead or that changes to federal funding could affect whether some vaccines remain affordable.

“It’s entirely possible that Texas could follow the lead of this federal executive order,” Nath said.

She said any reduction in vaccine access or coverage could increase the risk of outbreaks in schools.

“Measles is so incredibly contagious,” Nath said. “Those virus particles can hang in the air for hours. So a breakout in a school would be catastrophic.”

Order calls for separating the MMR vaccine

Trump’s order also calls for the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as MMR, to eventually be offered as three separate vaccines.

Separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines are not currently available in the United States. Under the order, the Department of Health and Human Services is instructed to develop a plan for making the individual products available while preserving access to the combined vaccine.

The order also recommends administering childhood vaccines during separate medical visits “to the maximum extent feasible.”

Nath said she has not seen evidence showing that the combined MMR vaccine presents a safety problem. She also questioned whether children would benefit from receiving additional injections and attending more appointments.

“You can ask my kid,” Nath said. “She would prefer not to have three needle sticks to get the vaccine if possible. There really is the child’s comfort as well. And there’s just no evidence to show that the combined vaccines present a safety issue.”

Trump references autism while discussing order

While announcing the recommendations, Trump also referenced autism.

“Today we’re proud to officially announce the United States of America’s gold standard childhood vaccination recommendations, and that has to do with many subjects, but including autism in particular,” Trump said.

Decades of peer-reviewed studies involving hundreds of thousands of children have found no association between the MMR vaccine and autism.

Nath said signs of autism can become noticeable around the same age children receive their first MMR vaccination, which can create the appearance of a connection. However, she said studies have not found that the vaccine causes autism.

“We know from studies of hundreds of thousands of children that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism,” Nath said. “We know that autism tends to present at around the same time as the first MMR being given, which is why it can seem like they’re related.”

What Texas parents need to know

For now, families enrolling their children in Texas schools must continue following the state’s existing vaccine requirements.

The executive order directs the HHS Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines to present plans to the president within 90 days. Those plans are expected to address the timing and sequencing of childhood vaccines, vaccine safety monitoring and options for offering separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines.

Nath urged parents to speak with their pediatricians before changing or delaying any vaccinations.

“Nothing has changed here in Texas regarding what vaccines are recommended and what vaccines are needed to enroll in school,” Nath said. “Stay in touch with your pediatricians. They’re going to have recommendations for you, but I would not be making any changes to plans to vaccinate. I’m a physician, and my kids are fully vaccinated.”

A spokesperson for the Meta CEO also said the crew didn't immediately hear the radio call for help and by the time it did, another nearby ship had already rendered assistance.

The Aug. 3 incident gained attention in recent days after a passenger on the cruise ship posted on social media that the captain had said Zuckerberg’s yacht “refused” to respond.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the 21-foot Hewescraft vessel first hailed it for assistance at approximately 9:32 p.m., using a radio frequency all boats are expected to monitor. About 25 minutes later, the Coast Guard determined the vessel was not in distress and issued an assistance request. The skiff was able to make it safely to Farragut Bay after the Wilderness Legacy cruise ship towed it there, and helped it refuel.

When another ship is in distress, everyone in the area is obligated to respond as long as doing so doesn't put their own ship at risk. But maritime law expert Ian Ralby said this situation appears different, and the crew of Zuckerberg's yacht wouldn't face that legal obligation.

“It’s the difference between calling AAA and 911. You need an ambulance on site, that’s a distress call. You need somebody to give you a jump or to tow your car, you call AAA,” said Ralby, who is president of the nonprofit Auxilium Worldwide that focuses on promoting sustainable development and ocean governance, among other goals. It is a big difference in terms of the emergency type, he said. "Both concerning, both needing assistance, but the legal obligations to respond are very different.”

No obligation to help a ship that ran out of gas

Zuckerberg and his family were not on the 387-foot Launchpad yacht when this happened, according to his spokesperson, who didn't specify what the yacht was doing at the time.

“As the Coast Guard noted, the boat was not in distress, and by the time the crew reviewed the Coast Guard contact on a different radio channel from the one they were operating on, the assist was already underway. We’re grateful all parties are safe," Zuckerberg's spokesman Brian Baker said.

Retired Coast Guard Captain Aaron C. Davenport, who spent three decades with the branch of the military responsible for rescues on the water, said running out of gas simply isn't considered an emergency, and the Launchpad wasn't obligated to help.

“If Zuckerberg’s ship is there and this vessel just ran out of fuel, they’re under no obligation whatsoever to assist them. Zero,” said Davenport, who led rescues in the Bering Sea during his career. “Is it that common courtesy to help other mariners out? Yes, because someday you’re going to need assistance.”

The Coast Guard also isn't going to automatically deploy ships when a ship runs out of gas, but Davenport said that in the harsh environment of Alaska a ship that ran out of gas could become an emergency if it drifts into some rocks or a storm is brewing. The fact that this cruise ship responded saved the Coast Guard a trip.

“Alaska is a remote place so it could easily go from non-emergency to emergency and very quickly,” said Davenport, who worked as a consultant on security and maritime issues for several years before retiring.

Cruise ship passenger's post drew attention to this incident

The Alaska Beacon first reported on what happened after Michael Love, who said he was a passenger on the Wilderness Legacy cruise ship, posted on Bluesky on Aug. 5.

“Our boat rescued a stranded vessel last night and apparently we did that after the Coast Guard radioed Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht — which was closer — and they repeatedly refused to respond. (There was near unanimous booing when the captain announced this),” he said.

Coast Guard determined the skiff wasn't in distress

The Coast Guard said in a statement that they determined within half an hour of when the skiff radioed in that the small ship wasn't in distress. A marine assistance request was broadcast on their behalf, and the Wilderness Legacy responded, reaching the 21-foot vessel about an hour later.

Ralby said it's a little unusual that the Launchpad crew missed the call for help because it is common practice for ships to always be monitoring channel 16 on their radios and keep it as the default frequency to hear any distress calls or emergency notices. But typically the Coast Guard tries to keep channel 16 as free as possible so they might announce an emergency on that channel and ask anyone who can help to switch to a different channel to hear the details.

“The situation was resolved without any harm to life," said Ralby, who is a maritime lawyer with experience in more than 100 countries. "It does not seem that there was any immediate issue in terms of threat to life of mariners or concerns for the marine environment, which are the two main things that lead to that urgent distress call where all mariners no matter who they are legally obligated to try and respond.”

In an “open letter to the football family” revealed Monday, UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC also said that “when trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.”

UEFA runs soccer in Europe, CONCACAF is the confederation for North, Central America and the Caribbean, and the AFC governs the sport in Asia.

The letter was co-signed by UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, AFC president Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and the general secretaries of the those continental governing bodies.

“Football is the world’s greatest shared passion. It belongs to no individual and no institution. It belongs to the players, the fans, the clubs, the member associations and every institution entrusted with safeguarding its future,” the open letter said. “It is in that spirit, as confederations representing its members, that we speak collectively today.”

Infantino is facing a revolt after his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors.

“It is not the conduct of a custodian of the game, but of one who believes the game is answerable to him,” the letter said. “These are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership. That is why we have taken this stance: not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of duty to the game we serve.”

Infantino got some support from outside the game, with U.S. President Donald Trump defending the FIFA leader in a social media post Monday night.

“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,” Trump posted. “He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented. If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT”

UEFA previously issued a threat to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions despite the governing body abandoning and apologizing for its failed plan.

Norway’s soccer federation called for Infantino to step down, while England's Football Association has also withdrawn its support for Infantino’s re-election next March.

“Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honored now,” the letter said. “For leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”

Last Wednesday, FIFA said it had apologized for errors made over the failed plan but that senior staff at a crisis meeting in Morocco “reaffirmed their full support” for Infantino's presidency.

However, the nature of the meeting was also met with criticism.

“FIFA’s own letter also confirms that only one elected official was present at the leadership meeting in Morocco,” the open letter from the sport's three continental federations said. “No FIFA Council members or Member Associations were invited to participate. Only the management committee, composed of FIFA-employed senior staff, was present.”

FIFA was also urged to go further than just acknowledging mistakes were made.

“It treats this as a failure of communication, when what football witnessed was a failure of judgment,” the letter said. “There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment — not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve.”

In a statement released Saturday, FIFA defended Infantino against what it called a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine his leadership of the organization.

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

Three days after defense attorneys filed a motion for release, prosecutors filed their response in Miami federal court, where a hearing on Thursday will determine if the brothers should stay in jail or be released during what could be a monthslong extradition process.

The brothers have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

The detention hearing is likely to be the first time the Tates leave the Federal Detention Center in Miami since making a brief court appearance two days after their July 18 arrest. The Tates have become among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities with their promotion of wealth, male dominance and misogyny through their social media empire. The new allegations are the latest in the Tates' long-running international legal saga spanning the U.S., Britain and Romania.

Prosecutors claim a ‘heightened risk of flight’

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office filing, the Tates should be detained pending their extradition hearing because they cannot overcome the strong presumption against bail in international extradition cases.

The serious pending U.K. charges involving human trafficking and violent rapes and assaults against multiple victims, along with allegations in Romania that the Tates attempted to intimidate witnesses, present a clear public safety concern, prosecutors say.

“That the Tates also claim to maintain multiple passports and identities, have access to excessive wealth and influence in numerous countries, and are stridently unwilling to voluntarily return to face prosecution in the United Kingdom, collectively demonstrate a heightened risk of flight that no amount of bond could overcome,” the filing says.

The defense motion filed Friday acknowledges there is a presumption against bond in extradition proceedings but argues that release can be granted in special circumstances. It says the Tates’ high profile makes it nearly impossible for them to flee, and that they regularly post updates about their locations on social media.

While prosecutors call the brothers a flight risk, their attorneys said they have proved they are not by complying with all pretrial restrictions in Romania, where they are accused of luring women for sexual exploitation.

The U.K. has until mid-September to provide evidence to the State Department to support extradition, meaning the brothers could spend months in FDC Miami before the proceedings are resolved, the defense motion says. No date has been set for an extradition hearing. They are being held in a special unit for their own protection.

Legal troubles follow the Tate brothers

The brothers have long claimed that their violent and misogynistic statements have been taken out of context or were intended as jokes.

The former professional kickboxers, who have dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship, have millions of social media followers and are vocal supporters of President Donald Trump. The White House has said the brothers shouldn't expect any help from the president.

British prosecutors said the new charges relate to four new accusers and were brought after authorities received evidence from police in Bedfordshire, in southeastern England. The allegations, which span from 2010 to 2017, include rape, assault, trafficking and offenses relating to “indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.”

The brothers are already charged with rape, bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain relating to three other accusers in the U.K. between 2012 and 2015.

The brothers moved to Romania in 2016 and were arrested there in 2022, accused of participating in schemes to lure women for sexual exploitation. They denied those allegations, and the Romanian case hasn't moved forward due to legal and procedural problems.

The Tates' attorneys have said the Romanian court has granted a U.K. request for extradition that will take effect after Romanian proceedings conclude.

Andrew Tate, 39, became famous a decade ago when he was a contestant on the U.K. reality television show “Big Brother.” He was ejected from the show when a video appeared to show him assaulting a woman.

He has amassed over 10 million followers on X but has been banned from other platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, for violating hate speech guidelines. He has made widely condemned comments, such as saying women who are sexually assaulted should bear some responsibility for the attacks and sharing graphic descriptions of how he might attack women.

Tristan Tate, 38, has worked with his brother on multiple businesses, including the production of online webcam pornography.

Search teams and civilians picked through the remains of destroyed buildings in the country’s third-largest city, Cali, passing large pieces of concrete and other rubble down a long line of volunteers.

“Our building has basically been left in ruins, and the building next to ours? Completely collapsed,” said Álvaro López, who cradled his dog as he watched the search. The desperate scene recalled the searches still ongoing in neighboring Venezuela weeks after that country was devastated by two powerful earthquakes.

Besides Cali, the quake ravaged cities across western Colombia, including Pereira, Quibdo and Manizales, and was felt in neighboring Ecuador and Panama. The epicenter was in San Jose del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region about 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Bogota, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella said at least 87 people were injured and around 1,600 buildings were damaged, including at least 61 that completely collapsed. He declared an emergency to expedite funding for the quake recovery.

“We aren’t going to leave people alone. They are in our hearts and we are going to tend to people with our full determination,” he said.

Most powerful quake recorded in Colombia this century

Colombia’s Geological Service said Monday's quake was the country's strongest recorded “in the 21st century,” and that it was followed by several aftershocks.

Colombia’s Pacific region around the epicenter lies along the “Ring of Fire,” the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur. The Pacific, particularly the Choco region, is one of Colombia's poorest, nestled in dense jungle. Much of Choco is only reachable by boat or plane, which may pose difficulty in assessing the wider toll.

Local authorities said the death toll included at least 40 people who were killed in the Risaralda region, where Pereira is located, and 27 people in the Valle del Cauca region, where Cali is located, including three children. Authorities also confirmed nine people killed in Choco, two in the Caldas region and a 73-year-old in the Antioquia region. It was not immediately clear where the other 32 people died.

The earthquakes left many in the Andean nation unnerved after two back-to-back quakes devastated neighboring Venezuela in late June, destroying hundreds of buildings and killing more than 6,300 people.

By Monday afternoon, people had begun reporting their loved ones missing on digital databases just as civilians did following Venezuela's earthquakes. One database had more than 2,000 people, mostly in Cali and Pereira, with the number steadily climbing.

Photos of the missing included a young mother and her baby in Pereira; another showed an 80-year-old woman in Cali whose family was desperately looking for details after her building collapsed.

Cities left devastated

Jorge Moncayo, a 64-year-old taxi driver in Cali, said he saw plumes of dust shoot up across the city as buildings collapsed. Residents and rescue workers were searching the rubble for survivors. The local government said that people remained trapped in a number of the city's 380 damaged buildings.

“My entire house shook. I’ve never lived through such a powerful earthquake,” he said. “We’re thanking God we’re alive.”

Little was known about the extent of the damage in Choco, a remote region where officials reported dozens of injured people and damaged buildings but few other details. Phone signals were out in many parts of the region's capital, Quibdo. The town closest to the earthquake’s epicenter, San Jose del Palmar, has no airport, and is located on top of a mountain ridge along a highway linking the cities of Cali and Pereira.

In Pereira, further south in the coffee-producing mountains of Colombia, photos and videos on local media showed pieces of the airport ceiling falling onto travelers taking shelter and screaming. People ran through rubble and plumes of dust, and residents said collapsed stores, residential buildings and homes lined the city. Pereira Mayor Mauricio Salazar told a local radio station there were at least 15 collapsed buildings where people were feared trapped.

In nearby Manizales, one of the towers of the neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed and fell on the nave. Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas asked residents to stay outside in case of aftershocks. Authorities said flights were suspended at the airports in Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura and Pereira as they assessed damage.

Offers of aid pour in from across the Americas

Small earthquakes, known as “temblores,” are common in central and western Colombia, but those above 6.0 magnitude are rare. In 1999, a 6.2 magnitude quake near the city of Armenia killed more than 1,100 people.

Response to the earthquake presents the first major challenge for de la Espriella, a Trump ally who was sworn in as president over the weekend. A divisive figure because of his pledge of an all-out crackdown on criminal groups, de la Espriella said he had personally taken charge of the government’s response to the emergency.

On Monday night, the U.S. State Department announced it would provide $15.5 million for emergency shelter, food and other earthquake response aid. Governments across Latin America also lined up to help.

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum — whose countries were among the largest providers of aid to Venezuela following its recent crisis — said they were ready to assist Colombia.

“From El Salvador, we are in communication and ready to provide immediate support with our rescue teams, medical personnel, paramedics, supplies, or any other assistance that our Colombian brothers and sisters deem necessary,” Bukele said.

Chilean President José Antonio Kast said Chile, one of the region’s most earthquake-prone countries, “knows the pain and the challenge left by earthquakes” and pledged help.

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Suárez reported from Bogotá and Janetsky reported from Mexico City. Associated Press journalists Manuel Rueda in Bogotá, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Twenty years ago, British driver Andy Green set the land speed record for a diesel-powered car, reaching 350.092 mph (563.4 kph) at Utah’s famous Bonneville Salt Flats. Green will return to the lunarlike landscape Tuesday and try to beat that mark, this time with a hydrogen-powered car.

The retired Royal Air Force fighter pilot aims not only to win another accolade but to showcase the power of hydrogen as a clean-energy alternative. It's the “fuel of the future,” Green told The Associated Press in a July interview.

Green will be driving the 32-foot (9.75-meter) JCB Hydromax, the brainchild of British construction equipment manufacturer JCB. The car is bright yellow, long and slim, resembling a pencil. It's powered by two hydrogen internal combustion engines with a combined 1,600 horsepower, which were adapted from engines used in the company’s construction machinery. They mix pressurized hydrogen gas with air and ignite it to create bursts of power.

In targeting the diesel-powered record, Green also hopes to easily clear the world land speed records for hydrogen internal combustion engines (185.5 mph/298.5 kph) and electric vehicles (341.3 mph/549.2 kph).

Green hit a new top speed of 368.347 mph (592.797 kph) in practice last week, but to officially earn the hydrogen record, he’ll have to do it Tuesday in front of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the international governing body of motor sports.

“What the peak speed is, I can’t say. We just don’t know,” he said. “Part of the adventure here is we’re going to find out.”

One thing Tuesday’s attempt will assuredly not do is approach the supersonic speeds Green reached with jet power three decades ago.

Green had already been flying supersonic military aircraft when he spotted a newspaper ad that read: “Wanted: High-speed driver to break the sound barrier,” according to the Guinness World Records. In 1997, he traveled faster than the speed of sound and set the outright land speed record — 763.035 mph (1,227.98 kph) — in a car powered by twin jet engines. His runs in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert produced sonic booms that shook the nearby town of Gerlach.

Now 64 years old, Green said he thought he was done racing but came out of retirement when JCB approached him with plans for the new car. The company has invested more than $134 million into hydrogen-powered engines that it says emit no carbon dioxide from the tailpipes.

“If you’re serious about emissions, you have to be serious about hydrogen, and a land speed project is the perfect way to prove it,” JCB Chair Anthony Bamford said at the car's unveiling in May. Bamford has also argued that hydrogen can better handle the demands of heavy industries than electric power.

But hydrogen is only as clean as its source, and the vast majority is currently produced from fossil fuels. JCB signed a deal to buy green hydrogen, which is created using renewable energy but makes up a tiny fraction of global hydrogen production.

Hydrogen combustion engines also present unique safety challenges due to the pressure and flammability of the gas.

“We're managing the risks very carefully,” Green said. The car endured rigorous testing, and Green said he spent months learning how it responds to the elements, how the engines work in tandem and how to deploy a parachute to slow the car on the low-friction salt crust.

Since the first race there in 1914, the glassy surface of the Bonneville Salt Flats has drawn generations of drivers seeking to set new land speed records. A remnant of a prehistoric lake bed, the salt flats are about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Salt Lake City and sit atop an aquifer that cools the car tires.

Spectators must stand about a quarter of a mile (400 meters) from the course's straightaway, which is 10 miles (16 kilometers) long, and often watch through wide-angle binoculars.

The expanse on the border of Utah and Nevada has been a backdrop for movies including “Independence Day” and “The World’s Fastest Indian,” and the series finale of “Mad Men.”

Green will start just after sunrise to beat the desert heat. His attempt comes a year after a driver died trying to set a land speed record at Bonneville's annual Speed Week. Chris Raschke lost control of his rocketlike vehicle called the Speed Demon last August and died from his injuries.

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Rico reported from Atlanta. Video journalist Serge Cartwright contributed reporting.

Elbridge Colby, an undersecretary of defense, made the remarks at a forum in the Philippines, his first stop in Southeast Asia, where he will also visit Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia. He renewed Washington’s assurances that the U.S. is not backing away from Asia despite its current preoccupation with the Iran war and the Middle East.

“America is definitely not disengaging from Asia — to the contrary. Our vital national interests dictate our enduring presence here,” Colby told an audience that included foreign diplomats, generals, business executives and journalists.

“We are not leaving; in fact, we are digging in, to ensure a favorable balance of power where it matters most,” the Pentagon’s top policy adviser said. “We see Asia as of paramount importance.”

Colby stayed away from the usual U.S. tirade against China's growing aggression in the region, including in the disputed South China Sea. Washington has often expressed alarm over Beijing’s increasingly hostile actions against Philippine coast guard and naval forces in recent years.

Washington has repeatedly warned that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces, ships or aircraft come under armed attack, including in the South China Sea.

China and the Philippines, along with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, have been locked in territorial standoffs in the disputed waters, a key global trade route, for decades. Beijing virtually claims the entire waterway and has rejected a 2016 ruling in an arbitration case initiated by the Philippines that invalidated its expansive claims.

Colby repeated a vow by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a speech at the Shangri-La defense conference in Singapore in May that the U.S. will build and sustain a strong defense in the Western Pacific "that ensures aggression is infeasible, escalation unattractive and war deemed irrational.”

Colby said the U.S. is committed to ensuring “we can sustain combat-credible power where it matters most. Yet this defense architecture cannot rest on American shoulders alone. It must be upheld by a network of highly capable, sovereign nations that have modernized their own forces and stepped up to secure their own territory — transforming our relationships into true partnerships of equals.”

He added: “When we ask our allies and partners to step up, to invest more in their own defense and to take responsibility for their own sovereign security, we are not signaling abandonment. We are looking for partners, not protectorates.”

Colby praised efforts by the Philippines, which holds large-scale combat exercises with U.S. forces each year, to strengthen its defense capabilities and cited similar efforts by Thailand, Indonesia and other security allies in Southeast Asia.

Shanghai’s Hongqiao and Pudong airports canceled more than 900 flights, or about 40% of those expected, after about 1,300 were canceled the day before, according to Shanghai Airport Group.

Shanghai also suspended some of its metro lines on Monday, and China Railway Chengdu Group suspended 115 trains, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Authorities warned of risks of severe flooding and landslides in some areas. State broadcaster CCTV reported that authorities in Yueqing, a city in Zhejiang province, searched for people trapped in flooded homes.

The China Meteorological Administration said Dolphin was moving northwest at 15 to 20 kilometers per hour (9 to 12 mph) and was expected to continue weakening.

Dolphin made landfall Sunday evening in Taizhou in Zhejiang province with winds of 151 kph (93 mph), after bringing heavy rain to northern Taiwan over the weekend.

Dolphin had forced at least 760,000 people to preemptively relocate, including over 390,000 people in Taizhou. Authorities in Shanghai and Fujian Province evacuated more than 210,000 and 160,000 people, respectively, from riskier areas.

Authorities in Zhejiang's capital city, Hangzhou, temporarily closed its iconic West Lake scenic spots as well as temples, parks and museums and will reopen on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Chan-hom was heading toward Japan’s Pacific coast. The storm had 83 kph (51 mph) winds Monday morning and was forecast to strengthen slightly before landfall Tuesday into Wednesday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Storm intensified monsoon in the Philippines

Dolphin did not directly hit the Philippines, but it helped intensify seasonal monsoon rains that set off flooding and landslides on the main northern island region of Luzon.

A landslide buried three houses Sunday night in the northern mountain resort city of Baguio, killing 10 people whose bodies were dug out in two days of frantic search by rescuers. Three people were rescued with injuries and brought to a hospital, Baguio officials said.

The deaths from the mudslide raised the death toll in nearly a week of torrential rains, floods and a tropical storm last week in the northern Luzon region to 19, the government’s Office of Civil Defense said.

More than a million people were affected by the heavy monsoon rains and floods, including about 98,000 who were displaced from homes.

Jones had a heart attack in his home Sunday in Washington, Virginia, as he was waiting to watch his beloved Atlanta Braves play baseball, his wife, Alma Viator, said on social media. Rappahannock County Sheriff Connie Compton confirmed his death.

Jones' fame came from his role as Cooter Davenport, the mechanic who got the Duke boys out of jams as they tried to do the right thing and fight the corrupt Boss Hogg in the fictional Hazzard County, Georgia.

After playing Cooter for all seven seasons of the series from 1979 to 1985, Jones turned to politics and was elected to the U.S. House from a district near Atlanta in 1988. The Democrat served two terms before he was redistricted out of the seat.

Jones was born in North Carolina and in college got involved in acting and civil rights, he wrote in his autobiography "Redneck Boy in the Promised Land: The Confessions of ‘Crazy Cooter.’"

Acting took over his life. Jones performed in numerous stage productions and had a few minor TV and movie roles in Atlanta during the 1970s before his life-defining break came on a TV show Jones defended as a modern-day morality tale and a fine example of Southern values.

For seven seasons, Jones was one of a small band of friends and family helping Bo and Luke Duke in “The Dukes of Hazzard.” The cousins were on probation for running moonshine and were constantly trying to clear their names and stop the crooked and powerful Boss Hogg from stealing or cheating.

The Duke boys drove a modified 1969 Dodge Charger called the General Lee with a Confederate flag on its roof. Cooter owned “Cooter's Garage” in the town square. Nearly every episode involved a car chase with jumps and stunts and a patrol car badly in need of repairs.

Cooter was often on the CB radio in his pickup truck saying “Breaker one, Breaker one. I might be crazy but I ain’t dumb. Crazy Cooter coming at you."

“The Dukes of Hazzard” was a hit for CBS and its popularity never waned. It went into syndication and later became a prominent fixture on cable's The Nashville Network.

Jones also credited the series with pulling him out of a self-destructive, alcoholic lifestyle that led to the failure of several marriages.

″It was like being in a Beatles movie,″ Jones said. ″Our lives changed.″

Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke, said Jones was an integral part of making the series work.

“Ben Jones was a fine friend and a fierce advocate of all the best things we can offer in the entertainment business. He will be sorely missed,” Wopat wrote on Instagram.

After “The Dukes of Hazzard,” Jones went into politics. He kept his aw shucks personality, but took the issues seriously. In his four years in Washington, Jones was known as a Democrat who could buck his party. He was liberal on social issues and conservative on economics.

But even in politics, he made a splash. After losing in 1992 in his redrawn district, Jones ran for Congress again in 1994. He lost to Newt Gingrich in the elections that elevated the Republican to the Speaker's Office.

Jones would file an ethics complaint that Gingrich used tax-deductible donations to fund his partisan college course leading to a House reprimand and Gingrich's decision to leave the body.

Jones always embraced his role as Cooter. After moving to Virginia, he would open at least three “Cooter's” country stores in Nashville and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and near his home. They sold plenty of T-shirts, key chains and insulated tumblers and included Dukes of Hazzard memorabilia like one of the 300 or so General Lee cars used and abused in the TV series.

The show and Cooter lived on because it was funny, had plenty of action and car chases and had a good, family-friendly heart, Jones told the Richmond Times-Dispatch at a 2001 car show where he played in a band, signed autographs and met fans.

“The show reflects the values of the heartland of America. The good guys always win,” Jones said.

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This story has been updated to correct that Bo and Luke Duke were cousins, not brothers.

Trump Media & Technology, the company behind the Truth Social platform, said Monday that it lost $238 million in the three months through June as it branched into businesses unrelated to media, including crypto. That was more than 10 times the loss from a year earlier. The per-share loss widened to 86 cents from 8 cents.

In a conference call after the earnings release, the new chief executive, Kevin McGurn, said a yearlong effort to expand by branching into several new industries including online betting and crypto would now be largely abandoned as he refocuses the business on its social media mission.

“We made the disciplined choice to pivot in order to invest more time and resources in our most important initiatives,” McGurn said. “We will say no to things or change course as warranted.”

Trump Media stock fell slightly in after-hours trading following the earnings report. The stock had fallen 8% in regular trading.

Key to McGurn's plan is a service called Truth API that offers early access to Wall Street trading firms to top posters on the Truth Social platform. That includes the user with most followers, President Donald Trump, who often moves markets by breaking major U.S policy shifts on the site.

Trump Media has been attacked by good government watchdogs from the start of Trump's second term as a vehicle for him to profit off the presidency. The new service has only heightened those concerns, with Democrats vowing to investigate the paid service if they get control of Congress in the midterms.

McGurn has dismissed such concerns, noting that other companies sell special, fast access to traders.

“Providing licensed real-time public data through commercial APIs is a well-established business practice across the technology, financial information and media industries,” he said. “This is no different.”

One previously announced new venture, nuclear fusion, will continue. McGurn said Trump Media hopes to close a previously announced merger with energy company TAE Technologies by the end of the year.

“We continue to believe it’s the single most important driver of long-term value for this company,” McGurn said of the fusion business.

Much of the damage last quarter was due to unrealized paper losses from the falling values of Trump Media's holdings of bitcoin and a crypto token called Cronos.

Excluding those paper losses as well as taxes, interest and other items, so-called operating losses still increased, but much less than the unadjusted results — a $164 million loss from a $44 million loss a year earlier.

The new Truth API service is charging $60,000 to $100,000 a month, McGurn said, adding that Trump Media has already signed up 10 customers, mostly so-called high frequency trading firms that buy and sell in milliseconds.

“We’re in the early innings,” said McGurn, noting that the potential market was much bigger than traders, including data center companies, news organizations and developers of large language models.

Ten customers translates into a big new revenue source for Trump Media, possibly bringing in between $7 million to $12 million a year, or roughly two to three times the company's entire revenue last year.

In the second quarter, Trump Media posted $1.7 million in revenue, more than double from a year earlier.

The company has $1 billion in debt from special convertible notes that don't come due until 2028, but the lenders have an option to demand they be cashed out in November, a possible hit to finances though the company appeared to have ample cash.

At the end of the quarter, Trump Media had more than $400 million in cash and short term investments. It also had $1.2 billion in bitcoin and bitcoin-related assets.

——

This story corrects that Trump Media took in $1.7 million in revenue last quarter, not $1.7 billion.

Klein’s a family guy and the support of his parents means everything to the Texans rookie tight end. His hometown of Cologne, Germany is where his passion for football began. As a young teen he was locked in on his goals of becoming a professional football player and specifically in the National Football League.

Nearly five thousand miles away in Cologne is where his journey began and where his decision was made after playing the sport on the youth levels. Then came the big decision to leave Germany and make his way to the United States to pursue his dream.

“It was in 2019 I made the decision that this is what I wanted to pursue,” said Klein in an interview with KPRC 2 Sports Director Randy McIlvoy. “I told my parents and they thought I was crazy. I had tunnel vision though and knew exactly what I wanted.”

A flight to Atlanta was the first step for high school and thanks to a large frame the skills were evident and the Michigan Wolverines came calling.

“I arrived in Atlanta and I couldn’t speak English,” added Klein. “That was obviously a big hurdle for me to overcome but I was able to learn the language and man it’s been quite the story.”

Once in Ann Arbor, Klein excelled and became a team captain while also earning honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors.

The Texans scouts liked what they saw in Klein and made his the 59^th overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Klein’s dream of playing in the NFL quickly became real. He proved at Michigan he can catch the ball, play physical and block and the Texans were sold that he could develop into a major piece to the tight end group.

“Marlin’s progressed every single day. His trajectory is definitely pointing up,” Head Coach DeMeco Ryans said on Monday. “Seeing him in the pass game, you guys have seen him make a lot of plays out here in the passing game. He’s still learning a lot. We’re throwing a lot at him but for a rookie to be where he is at this point in camp, I’m very encouraged. He’s an exciting young player to watch for this year.”

Investigators say the robbery happened June 19, 2026, at the Walgreens on Shadow Creek Parkway. Police said a 79-year-old man had just withdrawn cash from a nearby ATM.

• How to protect yourself from ‘jugging’ crimes

Video helped police identify the suspect.

A witness recorded video of the robbery, which Pearland police shared on Facebook. Because the suspect is a minor, the department removed the surveillance video from its Facebook page after the identification.

Tips from the community, along with help from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, led authorities to the juvenile in Miami, where he was detained.

“We thank everyone who shared information and helped identify him so quickly,” the department said in an update.

Officers with Pearland police, the Texas Department of Public Safety Violent Crimes Unit in Houston, and DPS Aircraft Operations Division in Austin traveled to Miami and brought the juvenile back to Texas.

The suspect was taken to the Brazoria County Juvenile Detention Center and charged with aggravated robbery of an elderly or disabled person, a first-degree felony.

• Multi-agency task force arrests dozens in Houston-area jugging robberies

Two other men also charged.

Authorities say Donte Belle, 30, of Houston, was identified as the alleged driver of the getaway vehicle. He has also been charged with aggravated robbery.

Investigators also arrested Demondtra Moore, 23, of Houston, who police said acted as the alleged lookout has also been charged with aggravated robbery.

• Jugging doesn’t just happen after you leave the bank; Here’s how to keep yourself from falling victim anytime, anywhere

Spring ISD is part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The district serves an average of 43,000 meals a day.

“If a kid can just come to school and be a kid, and not have to worry about their bellies, they can focus on their books,” said Dr. Dawn Rogers, associate principal at Rickey C. Bailey Middle School.

Rogers speaks from experience — both as an educator and as a parent. Her seventh-grade daughter attends Bailey Middle School.

“They’re sleeping longer hours and they’re waking up cranky, and all they want to do is eat. So, this is definitely a great opportunity for students, especially students like mine, who’s also an athlete,” Rogers said.

Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Kregg Cuellar echoed that sentiment, saying nutrition and academics go hand in hand.

“Nutrition is academics. So, making sure that every single child is fed, both morning and afternoon, really leads to a quality education in the classroom,” Cuellar said.

Simpler process for families

Accessibility is a key part of the program. In previous years, parents were required to fill out income surveys to qualify for free meals — paperwork families will not have to deal with this year.

“A big part of that too is how we simplify the process, you know, for all of our families. Without the hassle of you know a very rigorous process of submittal of additional paperwork,” Cuellar said.

The district will not collect meal applications to determine whether students qualify for free, reduced-price or paid meals. All students will be offered breakfast and lunch at no cost every school day.

Rogers added that removing the application process also helps eliminate a long-standing stigma.

“There used to be a stigma with getting free or reduced lunch, but now, hey, we all want to eat,” Rogers said.

“The need for a healthy meal for your child. I think it transcends all economic, socioeconomic lines,” she added.

“Despite all the confusion that hits the news … nothing’s changed,” said Harkleroad, the executive director of the Texas School Nurses Organization.

In January, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dropped the rotavirus, COVID-19, influenza, hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines from the recommended list. But a federal judge in Massachusetts — and a Biden appointee — halted that move in March, keeping the pre-2026 vaccine recommendations in place. The federal government is appealing that decision.

Then on Monday, President Donald Trump ordered the splitting up of the common measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three separate shots. The three have been combined into a single shot since 1971 to help ensure children do not delay or miss doses and after hearing from parents who wanted to reduce the number of doctor visits needed to complete vaccinations.

But because each state, including Texas, is able to set up its own recommendations, Trump’s move serves as a guideline, not a mandate, the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed.

According to the state’s health department, nothing has changed for the 2026-2027 school year.

Any changes to Texas’ requirements would have to be made by the Legislature which will meet again in January, according to the state health agency. The Republican-controlled state Legislature has generally embraced policies that weaken vaccine mandates, including last year’s passage of a bill that made vaccine exemption forms more accessible to parents.

“Nothing has changed for vaccine requirements in Texas at this time,” Harkleroad said after Trump’s action. “It’s very concerning to me that the president’s executive order raised the age-old questions about vaccines — their safety, efficacy, and the autism link. That science is settled.”

Rebecca Hardy, president of Texans for Vaccine Choice, praised Trump’s decision.

“TFVC applauds Trump’s EO that moves federal vaccine policy toward greater informed consent and vaccine safety, but Texas law still needs to change,” she said, adding that it’s not her group’s priority to continue “chasing an ever-changing vaccine schedule.”

Instead, she wants to see Texas expand and strengthen exemption rights. “When Texans have the right to exempt themselves, the specific vaccines on the schedule become irrelevant,” Hardy said.

For decades, the CDC has relied on a panel of vaccine experts to make recommendations about what vaccines should be administered to children, which informs various states’ vaccine requirements to enroll in public schools and how doctors counsel patients. But last year, the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of the nation’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, and replaced them with vaccine policy critics.

Trump’s Monday order waters down longstanding vaccine schedule-setting procedures even more by sidestepping the CDC and ACIP altogether and instead tasking the U.S. Health and Human Services’ Safer Childhood Vaccines task force with reporting back to the president on implementation of his order.

“Decades ago, children received only a small fraction of the vaccines required today,” Trump said while signing the order on Monday. “Effective immediately, my administration is recognizing gold standard childhood vaccine recommendations for only 11 core vaccinations against the most serious and dangerous diseases along with the MMR.”

Trump further supported that the five vaccines that the feds tried to drop from the recommendation list in January be allowed to move forward, which does not affect the judge’s March decision. Trump also directed the U.S. attorney general to employ legal challenges against states that violate children’s rights to religious or medical vaccination exemptions.

“The Immunization Partnership is alarmed by the administration’s executive order on childhood vaccines,” said Rekha Lakshmanan, executive director of the Houston-based The Immunization Partnership, a vaccine education and advocacy group. “Rather than building trust, it adds to the confusing messages parents are receiving while Texas confronts declining vaccination rates and outbreaks of preventable diseases.”

Unlikely to face such federal scrutiny on exemption violations, Texas has long allowed parents to exempt children from vaccines, expanding exemptions reasons widely in 2005 to include “conscientious” objections. Then last year, lawmakers made exemptions even easier to obtain by making the exemption forms downloadable. Previously, parents had to request a form from DSHS to be mailed to them.

Since Texas parents have easier access to exemption forms, the number of K-12 students with an exemption increased in Texas despite a record-breaking measles outbreak that began in West Texas last year. Two children died and 762 people were infected in Texas in 2025. This year, the number of measles cases in the United States has already surpassed the number seen nationally last year.

Last year, there was a slight increase in the measles vaccination rate for Texas kindergarteners, but that comes after years of decreases. The Texas Tribune offers a way to check a school’s vaccination rate here.

Compared to the previous school year, 18 fewer counties had kindergarten measles vaccination rates at the 95% benchmark for herd immunity. The number of counties where at least 5% of kindergarteners had a conscientious exemption for measles on file increased from 98 to 132, representing 52% of all counties. Ninety six of 252 counties met the kindergarten benchmark of 95% vaccination against measles

So far this summer, public health officials have seen a drop in the number of children who typically turn out for publicly funded vaccinations.

“The numbers are way down,” said Dr. Philip Huang, the director of Dallas Health and Human Services.

He attributed the drop to confusion over what is required and stepped-up immigration enforcement. Like last year, Huang says, fewer Hispanic children are turning up at back-to-school vaccination events typically held during the summer months.

“We’ve been reporting a large number of drops in our Hispanic numbers. We’re hearing about the concerns over the ICE situation,” he said, referring to the increase in federal immigration enforcement.

The primaries come a week after Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s divisive and costly U.S. Senate primary. El-Sayed's victory has energized the left while stoking fears among Democratic Party leaders that the shift to the left, particularly in battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin, will make it more difficult to win in November.

Wisconsin's chaotic primary pits progressive against governor's pick

In Wisconsin, democratic socialist Francesca Hong is trying to win a four-way Democratic primary for governor where her top opponent has been endorsed by popular Gov. Tony Evers, who isn't seeking a third term.

Evers got behind Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley on July 18, the same day Crowley reentered the race after dropping out 10 days earlier. Crowley rejoined after the candidate he backed, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, ended her candidacy amid a campaign finance scandal.

Evers and Crowley were crisscrossing the state together in the last days before final ballots are cast Tuesday.

“I feel like we caught lightning in a bottle,” said Crowley, standing next to Evers at a stop to thank campaign volunteers in Madison on Monday. “Momentum is just growing and growing and growing.”

Evers and more establishment Democrats were hoping to finally coalesce around Crowley in the final days of the chaotic primary that saw two other candidates drop out, most notably former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes on July 29.

Barnes and Rodriguez, who were both seen as potential front-runners, remain on the ballot and absentee votes already cast for them can’t be undone.

Republicans are spending to influence the Democratic primary

Republicans are putting money behind Hong, thinking she will be the better matchup for Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November. The Republican Governors Association has spent nearly $3.6 million through its Right Direction Wisconsin PAC on ads contrasting Hong with President Donald Trump and playing up her liberal policies.

Crowley and other Democrats argue the ads are meant to bolster Hong's standing in the primary because Republicans see her as the easier opponent.

Evers projected confidence at a rally that attracted hundreds of people in Hong’s hometown of Madison on Sunday night, saying Crowley was the best chance Democrats had to defeat Tiffany.

“We’re going to win this thing,” Evers said, telling the Crowley supporters that Tiffany would be “the worst governor in the history of Wisconsin.”

“If Tom Tiffany wins in November that will be like electing Donald Trump as governor of the state of Wisconsin,” he said.

Crowley urged Democrats to come together after the primary to beat Tiffany.

“Our ultimate goal is to make sure we don’t have a MAGA extremist occupying the governor’s office,” Crowley said.

Hong, speaking to supporters Monday afternoon, said the coalition she built isn't just about winning the primary.

“We have to come together to defeat Tom Tiffany,” she said, adding that she would welcome Evers campaigning with her after the primary.

“This is about uniting,” she said.

Tiffany, one of the most conservative members of Congress, is endorsed by Trump.

The president called Hong a communist in remarks on Wednesday, where he mentioned a 2020 social media post by Hong calling for Thanksgiving to be canceled. Asked about the post this week, Hong reversed herself and said that Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday.

Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 and 2024, and Republicans have held majorities in both chambers of the Legislature since 2011. Holding onto the governor's office is key to Wisconsin Democrats' effort to gain full control of state government for the first time in 16 years.

In the race to replace Tiffany, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's son-in-law Michael Alfonso is in a five-person Republican primary. Alfonso, who is trying to represent Duffy's old congressional district, has Trump's endorsement.

The president joined a telephone rally for Alfonso on Monday night, calling him “a fantastic young guy who’s going to be a star in Washington.”

Minnesota primary comes in wake of immigration enforcement surge

In neighboring Minnesota, voters are choosing between moderate U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in a Democratic U.S. Senate primary that’s playing out in the aftermath of Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement surge in the state.

The race has been shaped by the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, confrontations that were caught on camera and fueled a backlash to Trump’s immigration policies.

Both Craig and Flanagan spent the weekend traversing the Twin Cities metro area.

In a driveway in suburban Eagan on Sunday, Craig spoke to the angst among Democratic primary voters who feel that Washington isn’t working for them. Members of Congress need to stop trading stocks and becoming lobbyists when they leave office, she said, and the U.S. needs to restrict the flood of corporate campaign spending.

“But the only way we pass any of the progressive policies that all of us here support is by winning elections and taking damn majorities,” she said.

Unlike in Wisconsin, where the incumbent governor has endorsed a candidate in the race to succeed him, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has not gotten involved in the Senate primary. But his wife, Gwen Walz, has endorsed Craig and campaigned with her on Sunday.

Flanagan campaigned Saturday with U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, who helped her make the case that Washington needs a shake-up to root out the deep-pocketed forces propping up a broken status quo.

“It is big corporations, it’s special interests who are putting their thumb on the scale in our elections across the country,” Flanagan said. “And it’s not just Republicans. It’s Democrats, too.”

The race has been one of the most expensive Minnesota has seen, with millions of dollars backing both candidates, but disproportionately falling in Craig’s favor.

Whoever wins the primary will be the front-runner to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith in November. Minnesota voters haven’t elected a Republican to a statewide office since 2006.

Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow, is a top Republican candidate in the governor's race. He's endorsed by Trump, and he was a prominent promoter of falsehoods about election fraud. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is in a six-person primary on the Democratic side.

Democratic struggles also on display in other states' primaries Tuesday

Two veteran Democratic incumbents in Connecticut face challenges from the left.

Moderate Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont is running for a third term but faces progressive state Rep. Josh Elliott. The Democratic nominee will face Republican state Sen. Ryan Fazio in November.

Longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. John Larson, 78, is running for a 15th term and his age and health have been major issues in the four-person race.

Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin narrowly won the party's endorsement at its state convention in May. Other candidates are Hartford Board of Education member Ruth Fortune and state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest.

In Vermont, two Democrats are running in for a chance to take on Republican Gov. Phil Scott.

Former child advocacy organization CEO Aly Richards boasts endorsements from former Democratic Govs. Howard Dean and Madeleine Kunin. She faces economist Amanda Janoo.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

The program started 10 years ago, following the death of 11-year-old Josue Flores, who was stabbed and killed on his way home from school.

One parent, whose daughter attended the same elementary school as Flores, said the tragedy still resonates in the community. She noted that homelessness remains a significant challenge in the area, making the walk home a daily concern for many families. She added that students now travel in groups, and some parents choose to pick up their children rather than allow them to walk alone.

Even local vendors feel the weight of that responsibility. An elote and snack vendor who has worked outside the school for 18 years said she considers it her duty to help keep students safe as they pass by each day. This vendor keeps an eye on stragglers after the pick-up rush.

Smart tags, apps add extra layer of protection

Houston Independent School District is also rolling out new smart tag technology for students who ride the bus and walk home. The tags are designed to support safer bus routines and keep families informed with real-time transportation updates.

For parents looking for additional peace of mind, location-tracking apps offer another layer of security. Some smartphones come with tracking features built in at no cost, while others are available for download through the App Store.

The boat’s pilot, Manuel Hernandez, was charged with causing the deaths of 5-month old Antonella Garcia and 27-year-old Sara Sanchez through misconduct or neglect.

Hernandez wasn’t licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard, wasn’t aware of basic safety rules and told investigators he had borrowed his friend’s personal vessel for the excursion in New York Harbor, prosecutors said.

Antonella wasn't wearing a life preserver because the boat didn't have any for small children, prosecutors said. Instead, Hernandez told Sanchez she needed to wear a life vest and hold the infant throughout the hourslong tour, a violation of federal regulations, prosecutors said.

Hernandez, 46, of Manville, New Jersey, wiped his eyes as he arrived for his initial appearance in Manhattan federal court. He was not required to enter a plea and was released on $50,000 bail. He and his lawyer, Amy Gallicchio, declined to comment as she led him to a waiting vehicle.

The tour was organized through Zeus Luxury Rental Inc., which had a boat catch fire last year during a birthday charter cruise on Long Island Sound. A Coast Guard investigator said in Hernandez’s criminal complaint that the company does not appear to have applied for Coast Guard licensing.

Messages seeking comment were sent to a phone number and email address listed on Zeus Luxury’s website. The voicemail box for the phone number was full, according to an automated recording.

Charter company had a boat burst into flames last year

Authorities said the 21-foot Yamaha AR210 had 14 people aboard — well over its 10 person capacity — when it swamped and sank around 10:20 p.m. Saturday as Hernandez made a U-turn in choppy waters possibly caused by the wake of a larger vessel.

The boat was later pulled from the water and taken to a New York Police Department facility.

Zeus Luxury advertises its services on social media platforms including Instagram and TikTok, marketing itself as “one of the leading companies in limousine, party bus, and yacht rentals in the tri-state area” and touting a fleet of vehicles including such high-end brands as Mercedes, Hummer, Rolls-Royce, and Cadillac.

According to his criminal complaint, Hernandez told investigators he had worked for Zeus Luxury on a freelance or contract basis since last year, starting as a limousine driver. He said that twice recently he used his personal boat, a slightly larger Yamaha AR250, but used a friend’s boat on Saturday because his needed repairs, the complaint said.

In June 2025, a boat on a company-organized charter cruise burst into flames near the Bronx. All 22 passengers survived. Some were pulled from the water and others swam to safety on nearby Hart Island. Three passengers were injured, authorities said. Loriann Garcia went into cardiac arrest and is now suing the company. Two others had severe burns.

The pilot of that boat, Joshua Brito, was indicted on charges including vehicular assault, reckless endangerment and operating a vessel while intoxicated. He has pleaded not guilty and remains free on bail.

“This is just a fly-by-night company,” Garcia’s lawyer, Rose Day, said. The vessel Garcia was on didn’t have life preservers and Zeus Luxury wasn't properly insured, she said.

“Here we are, same thing, one year later. Same company, same reckless acts,” Day said. “It’s shocking that this has happened and sickening at the same time.”

A mother and daughter gone, a partner and father left grieving

Saturday's tour began around 7 p.m. and the vessel capsized more than three hours into its journey. Hernandez tried to accelerate to pass through the swell, but water swamped the bow and the boat immediately capsized, prosecutors said.

Hernandez admitted to investigators that had never sought required licensing and claimed he was unaware it was needed, according to the complaint.

Hernandez said he capped trips using his personal boat at 12 passengers, but that he did not know the maximum capacity for the boat he used on Saturday. Hernandez said he thought there would be 12 passengers on the tour but ended up agreeing to take 13, the complaint said.

An online campaign to help Sanchez's partner, Andres Garcia, pay for funeral and other expenses had topped $25,000 by Tuesday afternoon. Garcia also was on the boat.

Sanchez's neighbor, Diego Naranjo, said he first met her last spring when her son threw a ball into their Queens backyard. After recovering the ball, Naranjo invited her son to play on a trampoline with his children.

“They were really nice people," Naranjo said. “You can see when a person is noble.”

___

This story has been updated to correct that the boat was a Yamaha, not a Bayliner.

___

Turbay reported from Little Rock, Arkansas

League City and Conroe are considering ballot measures that would allow residents to have a say over the use of automated license plate readers, commonly known as ALPRs. The issue comes as Flock cameras have spread throughout the Houston-area.

League City considers advisory referendum

The League City council is set to consider an election order Tuesday, August 11 that would place a Flock camera question before voters in November.

The proposed ballot question is: “Should the League City Police Department continue using automated license plate reader cameras at fixed locations on public roadways for law enforcement purposes?”

League City Mayor Nick Long said earlier this month that he added the referendum to the council agenda to give residents an opportunity to decide whether the city should continue using automatic license plate readers.

League City currently has a contract with Flock Safety program. According to the city, the police department has used Flock Safety in 305 criminal investigations, “including homicides, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, fraud, narcotic offenses, and other Class B misdemeanor offenses.” The department also says the system has helped recover approximately $1 million in stolen property.

Conroe proposal would put the decision to voters

Conroe City Council members David Hairel and Shana Arthur are also pushing to put the Flock camera issue before voters.

Hairel announced that he and Arthur had submitted a signed request to place discussion of the issue on the Thursday, August 13 council agenda. Hairel said two council signatures were required to place the item on the agenda and that three council votes would ultimately be needed to approve putting the question on the November ballot.

In a Facebook post, Hairel framed the issue as a question of who should make the decision.

“This isn’t about whether Flock cameras are good or bad. It’s about who decides,” Hairel wrote.

Hairel also argued that privacy questions surrounding automated license plate readers cross traditional political lines, saying Democrats, libertarians, conservatives and Republicans all have an interest in the issue.

The effort comes after Hairel and Aruther moved earlier proposals concerning the city’s use of Flock cameras. Hairel and Aruther later apologized for shaveling earlier proposals.

A growing debate over Flock cameras

The potential votes in League City and Conroe come amid growing scrutiny of Flock Safety’s technology across the Houston area and Texas.

Flock cameras are designed to capture license plates and other identifying characteristics of vehicles passing a camera location. Law enforcement agencies can use the information to investigate crimes and receive alerts involving vehicles of interest.

Police agencies have promoted the system as a tool that can help solve crimes and locate suspects. But privacy advocates and some residents argue that the technology creates a large-scale record of where vehicles travel and raises questions about how long information is retained, who can access it and how data can be shared between agencies.

The department told KPRC 2 that former Sgt. Michael Palitz surrendered his Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) peace officer license “in lieu of criminal prosecution.” The department said the agreement resolved the matter after Palitz resigned from the department.

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

The development follows KPRC 2’s reporting last month on allegations made by a Pasadena city council member that Palitz improperly used the department’s Flock Safety Camera license plate reader camera system to monitor a fellow officer. Those allegations have not been independently verified by KPRC 2, and Palitz has not been charged with any crime.

Department confirms licensing agreement

In a statement to KPRC 2, the Pasadena Police Department said:

“The matter was resolved through an agreement requiring the individual to surrender his Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) peace officer license in lieu of criminal prosecution.”

The department also told KPRC 2 it would not share additional comment because the case is now closed.

KPRC 2 first reported in July that Palitz had resigned while under an internal investigation. At the time, the department said the investigation would continue despite his resignation.

What is TCOLE?

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, or TCOLE, oversees licensing and professional standards for law enforcement officers across Texas.

“They essentially handle all law enforcement licensing and standards in the state of Texas,” said Howard Henderson, founding director of Texas Southern University’s Center for Justice Research. “They essentially establish minimum qualifications, training, any ethical standards for police officers, and it can take licensing action when those standards are not met.”

According to Henderson, permanently surrendering a TCOLE license means an individual can no longer obtain or hold a TCOLE-issued law enforcement license in Texas.

“TCOLE says that the person is permanently ineligible to hold or obtain any TCOLE-issued license,” Henderson said. “In plain terms, that person cannot return to a TCOLE licensed officer in Texas.”

That means Palitz cannot serve as a licensed police officer, county jailer or other TCOLE-licensed peace officer in Texas.

However, Henderson said the licensing action does not automatically prevent someone from seeking law enforcement employment in another state because TCOLE’s authority extends only to Texas.

TCOLE rules allow licenses to be surrendered for several reasons

Under Texas Commission on Law Enforcement rules, licensed peace officers may voluntarily surrender their licenses for several reasons, including as part of an employment termination agreement, a plea agreement in a criminal case, an agreed settlement with the commission, or for another reason.

TCOLE rules also provide that a license may be surrendered either permanently or for a specified period. If a surrender request does not include an end date, it is treated as a permanent surrender.

The Pasadena Police Department told KPRC 2 that Palitz surrendered his license “through an agreement requiring the individual to surrender his Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) peace officer license in lieu of criminal prosecution.”

The department has not publicly released the agreement or provided additional details about the circumstances surrounding the surrender.

Previous reporting detailed allegations

Last month, Pasadena City Council Member Emmanuel Guerrero told KPRC 2 he believed the investigation centered on allegations that Palitz misused the city’s Flock Safety camera system.

“Based on what we gathered, [he] was using our camera system, our Flock system, to track and stalk a female officer,” Guerrero said.

When asked whether he was alleging Palitz was under investigation for misusing the Flock system to stalk a fellow officer, Guerrero responded, “Correct.”

KPRC 2 has not independently verified those allegations, and Pasadena police have not publicly released investigative findings detailing what led to the licensing agreement.

Henderson said allegations involving police use of surveillance technology can raise broader public concerns, regardless of the outcome of an investigation.

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

“When an officer allegedly misuses a surveillance tool, it in its very nature raises a public trust question,” Henderson said. “People need confidence that the system designed to protect the community cannot at the same time be used to improperly monitor, intimidate or intrude upon private citizens.”

He added that the broader issue extends beyond the technology itself.

“The bigger issue is not necessarily whether police have technology, but it’s really shrouded in whether or not police departments have earned the public’s trust to use this technology responsibly,” Henderson said.

Expert: License surrender is not a criminal conviction

Henderson emphasized that surrendering a professional license should not be viewed as proof of criminal wrongdoing.

“I don’t know if we really view the TCOLE surrender as proof of criminal guilt, but I think it’s a serious professional accountability question,” he said.

He also noted that surrendering a professional license is different from being convicted of a crime.

“Surrendering a professional license is a serious accountability outcome,” Henderson said. “And that is not the same as a criminal conviction.”

Questions remain about transparency

Although Henderson said the outcome reflects some measure of accountability, he believes the public still deserves answers about what investigators found.

“The fact that there was an investigation shows that there was some measure of accountability,” Henderson said.

He added that more transparency would help strengthen public confidence.

“I think a complete investigation and a licensing consequence sort of demonstrates accountability to a certain extent,” Henderson said. “But the public also deserves transparency about what safeguards failed in this case and what investigators found and what the agency will change to prevent any future occurrences of this manner.”

No criminal charges filed

KPRC 2 is not aware of any criminal charges filed against Palitz in connection with the allegations involving the Flock camera system.

The department has not publicly released the investigative findings underlying its decision to resolve the matter through the licensing agreement, and Palitz has not been convicted of any crime.

Palitz’s attorney declined to comment when contacted by KPRC 2 regarding the investigation and surrendering his license.

Several school districts begin classes during the second week of August, while others won’t welcome students back until later in the month.

Here’s a look at when some of the largest school districts in the Houston area return for the 2026-27 school year.

• Supply list sticker shock: I took my son’s Pre-K supply list to 3 top retailers, prices couldn’t be more different

Monday, Aug. 10

• Houston ISD (HISD)

Tuesday, Aug. 11

• Fort Bend ISD
• Lamar CISD
• Stafford MSD
• Waller ISD

Wednesday, Aug. 12

• Aldine ISD
• Alief ISD
• Channelview ISD
• Clear Creek ISD
• Conroe ISD
• Cy-Fair ISD
• Deer Park ISD
• Galena Park ISD
• Goose Creek CISD
• Huffman ISD
• Humble ISD
• Katy ISD
• Klein ISD
• Pasadena ISD
• Sheldon ISD
• Spring ISD

Thursday, Aug. 13

• Dayton ISD
• La Porte ISD
• Spring Branch ISD

Tuesday, Aug. 18

• Tomball ISD

Wednesday, Aug. 19

• Pearland ISD

Already back in class

• New Caney ISD – Thursday, Aug. 6

Texas Tax-Free weekend is here: What you can buy and how much you can save

Back-to-school reminders

As students return to school, drivers are reminded to slow down in school zones, watch for children crossing the street and stop for school buses when required by law.

Families should also prepare for heavier traffic during morning and afternoon commutes, especially near campuses and along major roadways.

With students heading back to class over the next two weeks, parents are encouraged to check with their child’s school for campus-specific schedules, bus routes and any orientation or meet-the-teacher events before the first day.

The proposals — which made it onto the council agenda after activists say they collected roughly 40,000 signatures — would amend the city charter to make low-level marijuana possession the lowest enforcement priority for the Houston Police Department and ban the use of no-knock warrants.

Ground Game Texas, a statewide organization focused on social justice, led the signature drive to get the measures in front of voters. Executive Director Catina Voellinger says the proposals, collectively known as the Houston Freedom Act, are straightforward.

“These are just common sense policies,” Voellinger said. “The Houston Freedom Act is really about priorities and accountability — saying that low-level cannabis possession should be the lowest enforcement priority of HPD and that they shouldn’t use no-knock raids. In addition, the policy also asks the city to do an audit over the past five years to see the demographics of these types of arrests.”

• Texas hemp THC rules change: What consumers, veterans and retailers need to know

Voellinger says the effort is about more than policy — it’s about making sure those policies stick regardless of who leads the department.

“Police chiefs come and go, and one police chief in the future might decide, ‘Hey, we actually want to undo everything that the previous chief decided,’” Voellinger said. “This is the new policy and standards for the department. So we’re just codifying this.”

The push comes against the backdrop of Texas’ ongoing debate over marijuana enforcement and the memory of the 2019 Harding Street raid, in which Houston police served a no-knock warrant later found to be based on fabricated evidence. The raid ended in a shootout that killed two homeowners and injured several officers.

Not everyone believes the measures are necessary. Douglas Griffith, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, says the proposals are attempting to fix a problem that no longer exists.

• Texas’ ban on several consumable THC hemp products goes into effect Friday: What is legal and what is not?

“Since Harding Street, we pretty much did away with no-knock warrants,” Griffith said. “The only time those can be served is with approval by the chief of police himself, and our SWAT team runs it. We may do one or two a year — if that. I can’t remember the last one we did. As far as marijuana goes, Harris County already has a diversion program with the DA’s office, so we very rarely arrest anybody for marijuana anymore.”

Griffith also pushed back on the argument that deprioritizing marijuana enforcement would free up officers to focus on more serious crimes.

“Everything we do is on body camera,” Griffith said. “If we find marijuana in a car, we still have to do a report, we still have to tag it and make sure they go through the diversion program. That would not change. So it doesn’t help us at all — because anything seen on camera, you have to deal with.”

The measures are expected to be discussed Tuesday during public comment before a council vote Wednesday. Ground Game Texas is encouraging supporters to attend Tuesday’s public comment session at City Hall to make their voices heard.

The contract includes $101 million guaranteed and will be added to the two years on his existing deal. The $35.3 million annual average on the extension is second among defensive tackles to Jalen Carter of NFC East rival Philadelphia.

The lucrative extension could keep Williams with the Cowboys through 2030 after they traded for him during the 2025 season. Dallas gave up one of the two first-round picks acquired in the shocking trade that sent star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers just a week before the opener last year.

Executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones said at the opening of training camp the club was working with Williams' agents on an extension. Just shy of two weeks later, an agreement was in place.

“It’s a big part of all the moving parts that went with our trade last year,” Jones said on the team's website. “I think this kind of, at the end of the day, puts a bow on top in terms of knowing that we’re going to have Q here for the next five years long term.”

The addition of Williams from the New York Jets provided an initial boost to one of the NFL's worst defenses a year ago. The Cowboys won their first three games after the trade before a 44-30 loss to Detroit that started a season-ending run of four losses in five games as Dallas missed the playoffs for the second year in a row.

The Cowboys had one of the league's best offenses while finishing 7-9-1 in coach Brian Schottenheimer's first season, and they spent the offseason overhauling the defense while believing Williams would be a centerpiece among the many changes.

Dallas hired defensive coordinator Christian Parker to replace Matt Eberflus, who was fired after one season when the Cowboys allowed the most points (511) with the fewest interceptions (six) in franchise history.

The Cowboys traded with Green Bay again to get pass rusher Rashan Gary, drafted safety Caleb Downs and defensive end Malachi Lawrence in the first round and added cornerback Cobie Durant and safeties P.J. Locke and Jalen Thompson in free agency.

Dallas also targeted linebacker, drafting Michigan pass rusher Jaishawn Barham with the belief he could play off the line of scrimmage and acquiring Dee Winters in a trade with San Francisco.

Williams is part of a returning group that includes fellow defensive tackle Kenny Clark — acquired in the Parsons deal — along with second-year defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku, linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, cornerbacks DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel Jr. and safety Malik Hooker.

The 28-year-old Williams was the third overall pick by the Jets in 2019 and was an All-Pro three years later despite the Jets' 7-10 finish. Williams has yet to play on a winning team, and the former Alabama standout was quick to remind everyone after the trade that he's still waiting for his first NFL playoff game.

“You’re just happy about it for a guy like that,” defensive line coach Marcus Dixon said. “Like he’s been rewarded for his hard work, the way he approaches the game, how he is with his teammates, his love for the game, how he’s always trying to perfect his craft. But he wants to win, and he’ll tell you that.”

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

Zuckerberg detailed his ambitions for the technology in a 6,500-word essay published online where he also outlined why he favors open-source AI technology, in which developers make key components accessible for anyone to examine, modify and build upon.

In a document derided by critics as fantastical, Zuckerberg said his company is working toward an era where everyone will have the tools to create new businesses, receive Ph.D.-level tutoring and provide personalized lifestyle tips. His 8-year-old daughter, he wrote, can already code her ideas and quickly produce videos.

“Everyone will soon have invention superpowers,” Zuckerberg wrote.

Zuckerberg warned of risks if control of advanced AI is concentrated with a select few companies, institutions or governments. On Monday, Meta also announced the release a new open-source AI model, Muse Glimmer, which can run on a personal computer, and Zuckerberg said the company would also would provide a way for developers to access a more powerful AI model, Muse Spark 1.2.

Meta makes AI models, like several other tech companies, and uses them to power platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. The Menlo Park, California, company also makes them available to developers who can create their own apps and features.

Skeptics urge a slower pace of AI development

Critics said Zuckerberg was not reckoning fully with the risks inherent in AI's rapid development.

Noting recent incidents where AI models, including Meta’s own, hacked other companies on at least three separate occasions, Anthony Aguirre, president and CEO of the AI safety nonprofit Future of Life Institute, asked “what on Earth makes Meta think they — or anyone — could control something exponentially smarter, faster, and more capable?"

“Meta’s chosen path is ultimately one of human replacement and disempowerment, but there is an alternate, pro-human path -- one that brings about individual flourishing and scientific breakthroughs with controllable AI tools. What’s urgently needed now is for governments to facilitate a pause on advanced AI development and steer us onto the pro-human path — before it's too late,” Aguirre said.

Meta chief says AI should be broadly distributed

In his essay, Zuckerberg outlined why he thought open source is a better path for fair development of AI. He warned that if control of AI “superintelligence” is too concentrated, it will lead to less favorable outcomes for everyone else. The key, he wrote, is finding a balance that ensures advanced AI is “broadly distributed" to empower billions of people equitably.

Meta has long been a proponent of open-sourcing its AI models, but has struggled to keep up with rivals such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Google that have not taken the same approach.

Zuckerberg made what could be a veiled reference to Meta's rivals without naming specific companies.

“Most other labs are focused on building AI for companies, governments, or other institutions, so if those labs lead, then the balance of power will favor larger institutions over individuals,” he wrote.

Zuckerberg also included policy recommendations for keeping the U.S. ahead of rivals, including China. The United States and its allies need to speed up building energy capacity and infrastructure to stay competitive, he said.

Zuckerberg called for authorities to reconsider their position on “ distillation,” which involves training a less capable model on the outputs of a stronger one. The Trump administration has vowed to crack down on Chinese AI companies using distillation to extract technical features from U.S. AI models. Anthropic earlier this year accused China's DeepSeek of using distillation.

"Some have tried to frame distillation as harmful, but I think it is important to protect the principle that you can learn from anything you can observe," Zuckerberg said. “This is how the world works, and the U.S. will not be able to lead if we restrict ourselves on this front.”

Critics see a self-serving message from Meta

Matt Lane, senior policy counsel at the nonprofit digital rights advocacy group Fight for the Future, called Zuckerberg “annoyingly out of touch on his best day,” but said the CEO is right about the importance of open-source AI.

Shared access to open-source AI systems is important for protection in a world where AI can be used to hack into electronic systems, like voting systems and benefits infrastructure, he said.

But he said only Meta will benefit if everyone were to use Meta-designed AI systems, even if they are fully open-source. "Open source AI needs to be supported beyond these corporate interests. We, unlike Zuckerberg, hope for as much competition as possible,” he said.

Public health experts have raised concerns that spacing out shots as Trump suggests can lead to an increased risk that children become infected with a vaccine-preventable disease before returning for another visit.

Trump swore in Todd Blanche, his old personal lawyer, as attorney general Monday. Meanwhile, Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States lifts its blockade on the strait, pays compensation for months of war damage, lifts economic sanctions and releases Iran’s frozen assets. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly rejected Trump's proposed exit strategy for Gaza.

Here’s the latest:

Trump spokesperson suggests separating MMR vaccine could help instill trust in the vaccines

White House spokesperson Kush Desai said Monday that Trump’s call for the development of separate, single-disease measles, mumps and rubella vaccines for U.S. children will help generate trust in vaccine hesitant parents.

“President Trump is one of countless parents who have voiced questions and concerns about the combined MMR vaccine,” Desai told The Associated Press, saying the separate vaccines will “give parents more options on timing and frequency for their children, which ultimately will increase vaccination rates for all three diseases.”

The White House didn’t provide new scientific evidence supporting the move. Studies of babies and toddlers in the U.S. have shown that the use of combination shots increased the likelihood of completing all recommended vaccinations by the age of 2.

Pediatricians say executive order spreads confusion about vaccines, which are safe

Doctors from the American Academy of Pediatrics said the executive order spreads uncertainty and confusion.

Dr. Aaron Milstone, pediatric director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins Health System, said doctors want to reassure parents there are “many, many, many years of scientific data highlighting the safety of vaccines in children.”

The timing of vaccines has also been well-studied, he said.

“We give vaccines to children even when they’re young because we know that’s safe and because we know it’s the best time for their body to respond to that vaccine in a good way and to make their body stronger to fight off an infection if they’re exposed to that,” Milstone said.

The potential link between vaccines and autism has also been studied exhaustively — in more than 40 well-designed studies in more than seven countries involving over five million children, said Dr. Andrew Racine, president of American Academy of Pediatrics.

“I’m not sure that there is anything that has been as thoroughly looked at as this question about whether or not there is a link between autism and vaccines,” he said. “And the answer is unequivocally no.”

Republican senator blasts Trump executive order on vaccines

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican, is strongly rebuking Trump’s executive order on vaccines.

“I’m a doctor. This executive order is wrong. The President does not have the expertise to make these changes,” Cassidy said in a social media post on X. “Vaccines are overwhelmingly safe. Vaccines are effective. Vaccines DO NOT cause autism.”

Cassidy chairs the Senate committee with oversight responsibilities for healthcare agencies. He went on to say that children will have to get more shots to get the same protection. It will increase hesitancy and make children less safe.

“Parents should listen to their child’s pediatrician about vaccines rather than listening to an inaccurate executive order. This is so wrong,” Cassidy said.

Trump did not provide new evidence of a claimed link between vaccines and autism

The National Institutes of Health started funding research teams over a year ago charged with unearthing the cause autism, a portion of them assessing vaccines’ claimed role.

Scientific consensus and decades of studies have firmly concluded there is no link between childhood vaccines and autism.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the head of the institute, spoke at Trump’s executive order signing and said that “science takes time” and “you don’t get answers immediately.”

Still, Bhattacharya was more tentative about claiming an evidence-based link between autism and vaccines, generally avoiding the suggestion altogether.

“What we’ve done in this administration,” he said, “is we’ve given permission to scientists to honestly answer this question, to find the link for the first time.”

12 medical groups previously endorsed the childhood influenza vaccine. Trump’s executive order did not

In January, the American Academy of Pediatrics put out their 2026 childhood vaccine guidance, which included a jab for influenza, that got the green light from groups including the National Medical Association and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.

The AAP said in a press release at the time that over 80% of childhood deaths related to influenza were with unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated patients, adding that children under 5 years old are particularly vulnerable.

Trump said the vaccine is “no longer recommended for all children.”

Trump says Iran can still cause trouble but argues that it’s feeling financial squeeze

The president was dismissive of Iranian officials’ demands after Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stressed that Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the U.S. meets its conditions, including paying reparations for the five-month-old war.

Trump during an Oval Office exchange with reporters claimed that the U.S. has “100% control” of the strait, but that the situation remains complex. He made the case that the U.S. Navy’s blockade of the strait is preventing Iran from selling its oil on the international market, a move that is effectively choking the Iranian economy.

“Now, can they make trouble? Yeah, they can make trouble, but they’re broke,” Trump said. “They have no money. You know, Iran is broke, totally broke. And they’re not paying their soldiers.”

With measles raging, vaccine proponent said it’s no time for an ‘anti-vaccine agenda’

At a time when the U.S. is facing its worst measles outbreak in more than 30 years, “we should be making it easier to protect children from preventable disease, not harder,” said Northe Saunders, president of American Families for Vaccines.

He said “RFK’s anti-vaccine agenda” shouldn’t pressure state leaders to abandon protections that work for their communities.

“States have long played a central role in setting school immunization requirements,” he said. “and parents, educators, healthcare professionals, and state leaders should be able to make decisions about protecting children without political interference from the federal government.”

In late July, the number of measles cases in the U.S. has surpassed the record-breaking tally for all of 2025. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has logged more than 2,318 cases of measles this year.

Trump’s childhood vaccine recommendations contradict medical establishment

The president, at an executive order signing on new childhood vaccine recommendations, said that, “very importantly,” jabs for hepatitis B, COVID-19 and influenza “are no longer recommended for all children.”

Those vaccinations, however, are still recommended by the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics, among other medical groups.

While the latter organization recommends childhood vaccines for 18 diseases, Trump’s executive order limits that to prioritizing just 11.

Public health officials have raised concerns over some of Trump’s recommendations

That includes the presidents recommendation announced Monday to space out childhood vaccine shots instead of getting all of them on the same visit.

Public health officials say that could lead to children becoming infected with a vaccine-preventable disease in the periods between jabs.

Doctor urges parents to listen to medical experts about shots

Michael Osterholm, executive director of the Vaccine Integrity Project, said parents should continue to rely on vaccine recommendations developed by trusted medical and public health experts, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, when making decisions on shots for their kids.

“Today’s Executive Order does not change the underlying scientific evidence supporting childhood immunization. That data has been built over decades — through large clinical trials, real-world effectiveness studies and continuous safety monitoring involving millions of children,” he said in a statement.

“Parents deserve clear, evidence-based guidance about how to protect their children, not competing recommendations issued through political processes. When families receive conflicting messages, confidence in vaccination suffers, and children ultimately bear the consequences.”

Trump overstates dangers of vaccines

In announcing his executive order on vaccines, President Donald Trump said “bad things happen” when children get the combined MMR vaccine.

“I’ve seen proof of it, where they have a vaccination that looks like the size of a bottle of soda poured into a little child’s body, and bad things happen in, many cases-in too many cases,” he said.

But experts say the risk of serious side effects is extremely low and years of real-world data proves the vaccine is safe and effective. Common side effects include soreness and a mild rash or redness at the injection site, a fever, and temporary pain or stiffness in the joints.

Decades of studies have concluded there’s no link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

Decades of autism research have found no single cause

Besides genetics, scientists have identified various possible factors, including the age of a child’s father, the mother’s weight, and whether she had diabetes or was exposed to certain chemicals.

Any concern that vaccines could be linked to autism has been long debunked, according to scientists and leading advocacy groups for people with autism.

Childhood vaccines — and how and when to give them in combination — go through rigorous studies, and safety tracking continues for years as the shots are used.

Trump proposes new childhood vaccine recommendations, though power in schools rests with states

Trump, who suggested connections between autism and vaccines despite a scientific consensus that there isn’t a link, issued new guidance for childhood vaccines that space out shots and limit the number of recommended routine jabs.

Still, the authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren rests with state governments.

Trump to sign executive order calling for spacing out childhood shots

President Donald Trump on Monday will sign an executive order calling for revamped childhood vaccine recommendations that promote his long-held belief that shots should be spaced out into separate medical visits, according to a White House fact sheet.

The order will recommend administering each vaccine in its own visit and separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three different shots and direct the nation’s health department to improve vaccine research, says the fact sheet, first reported by The Daily Caller. Separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines for children are not available in the U.S.

Public health experts have raised concerns that spacing out shots as Trump suggests can lead to an increased risk that children become infected with a vaccine-preventable disease before returning for another visit.

▶ Read more

CBO says this year’s deficit will be larger than previously predicted, mostly because of smaller-than-expected tariff revenue

The Congressional Budget Office is projecting that this fiscal year’s deficit will be $2.1 trillion, about $200 billion more than what it predicted in early February.

The major reason for the change has to do with less revenue coming into the Treasury than projected as a result of the Supreme Court finding that the tariffs President Donald Trump imposed under an emergency powers law were unconstitutional.

The fiscal year runs through September 30.

Revenue totaled $4.5 trillion through the first 10 months of the fiscal year. That’s about 3% more than during the same period a year ago.

Meanwhile, spending increased about 5% from last year, rising to $6.3 trillion. Spending in the federal government’s major healthcare programs, Medicare and Medicaid, each increased by about 8%.

Trump signs waiver letting foreign trips carry oil and other goods among US ports for 90 days

Trump on Monday extended a waiver for 90 days for foreign ships to transport goods, including oil, fertilizers and other fossil fuel products, among U.S. ports.

The president first waived the Jones Act on March 17 so that it would be easier to transport oil and refined fuels among ports, reducing price pressures after the start of the war with Iran.

The extension will take effect on August 17.

Unlike previous extensions, the Pentagon will consult with the Maritime Administration to decide which voyages are exempt from the 1920 law containing the Jones Act. The waiver will only apply to cargo are sources of energy and commodities related to agriculture and food, such as soybean oil.

Ex Air Force secretary talking to lawyers after Trump admin revokes security clearance

Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said Monday that he’s talking to lawyers after the Trump administration revoked his security clearance last week.

Kendall, who has been critical of the administration, said in a post on LinkedIn that he’s “talking to lawyers and will have more soon.” He said he’s had his clearance for 60 years and was careful to say nothing classified.

The Pentagon revoked Kendall’s “eligibility” to access classified information and barred him from holding “any sensitive position,” alleging Friday that he disclosed sensitive information about Air Force One’s capabilities to the media.

It follows reporting last month, including from The New York Times, on security concerns over the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, including that it lacked the advanced antimissile capabilities of its predecessor.

US military base in South Carolina renamed after late Sen. Lindsey Graham

A U.S. military base in South Carolina was renamed after the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham Monday, with Defense Department Sec. Pete Hegseth praising Graham’s dedication to the military and for “taking on a radical leftist ideology” in the armed forces.

Joint Base Charleston is now Joint Base Lindsey Graham, which includes an Air Force base and a Naval Weapons Station. Graham, who died last month, served in the Air Force, Air National Guard and reserves.

Hegseth praised Graham’s support of President Donald Trump’s historic $1.5 billion defense budget proposal. In praising Graham, Hegseth also employed the Trump administration’s strategy of linking Democrats to communism.

“The hard left declared war on our own military,” Hegseth said, adding that “it seems that many people have forgotten the reality of what communism looks like.”

Trump dismisses Iran’s call for war reparations

Trump is scoffing at the Iran’s call for reparations for devastation caused to the country by the U.S. and Israeli bombardment over the last five months, a demand he said hadn’t been raised by Tehran’s negotiators until now.

The Republican president, in a social media post, added that in response to the Iranian demand he’s directing negotiators to include “compensation from Iran, for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded with their roadside bombs and many conflicts.”

The U.S. government says Iran-backed militants have been responsible for the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Americans over the last several decades, including the 1983 bombing on a Marine compound in Beirut that killed 241 U.S. military personnel, the 1996 truck bombing of a U.S. Air Force housing complex in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 U.S. troops and wounded hundreds more, and the deaths of at least 603 U.S. troops in Iraq between 2003 and 2011.

Trump announces staff secretary Will Scharf will be his new White House counsel

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that his new White House counsel will be Will Scharf, the staff secretary who as the Trump-appointed head of the National Capital Planning Commission helped secure approval for the $400 million ballroom project.

Trump said that, beginning Sept. 1, Scharf will be replacing David Warrington, who will be leaving the administration to join the private sector. Trump noted that Scharf previously served as a federal prosecutor and represented him in a number of cases, including at the Supreme Court.

“Will is Tough, Strong, and Smart! He also loves our Country, and respects the Law,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Will Scharf will do a great job as White House Counsel!”

The shakeup in the White House counsel’s office comes at a critical juncture — just months ahead of the midterm elections, where Trump’s Republican Party will be fighting to hold on to control of Congress. Democrats have vowed to pursue investigations into Trump and his administration if they are successful in November.

▶ Read more

Trump officials propose new scrutiny of food additives and ingredients

U.S. health officials on Monday proposed a rule change that would require food manufacturers to notify regulators before introducing new ingredients or additives into processed or packaged foods.

The proposal would change a decades-old policy that advocates have called a regulatory loophole, blaming it for allowing thousands of unvetted ingredients into the U.S. food supply.

Under the proposed rule from the Food and Drug Administration, companies would have to document and submit their safety findings for new ingredients, giving regulators the opportunity to investigate if they see a potential safety risk. Currently companies can decide for themselves if an ingredient or additive is “generally recognized as safe” and there is no requirement for companies to notify or submit evidence to the FDA, although some do.

▶ Read more

State Department says it has revoked more 175,000 visas since Trump took office

The revoked visas had been granted to more than 175,000 foreigners who have endangered American citizens, broken laws or threatened U.S. national security, according to a statement issued Monday by the State Department.

The statement says most were revoked “due to law enforcement encounters for a range of criminal activity,” including assault, child abuse, drunken driving, drug violations, and embezzlement. It doesn’t say how many of those visa holders had been convicted of such crimes.

Some of the revocations involved “foreign nationals who celebrated the assassination of Charlie Kirk, including one who stated ‘when fascists die, democrats don’t complain’ and another who said he ‘died too late’, the statement said.

Veteran Democrats face strong challenges in Connecticut’s primary

Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont’s try for a third term must first clear a challenge by state Rep. Josh Elliott. And U.S. Rep. John Larson faces his first primary challenge in nearly 30 years, from former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, Hartford Board of Education member Ruth Fortune and state Rep. Jillian Gilchrest.

Both contests could help redefine the Democratic brand by replacing old guard figures with younger alternatives. Tuesday’s primaries also could extend a progressive winning streak in New York City, Colorado and the Michigan U.S. Senate primary.

Larson turned 78 in July. Concerns over his health and age arose last year after he suffered a seizure while delivering a speech on the House floor.

The Plastics are taking over Queensbury Theatre as Mean Girls The Musical comes to Houston August 6^th–16^th.

Queensbury Theatre is presenting Houston’s regional premiere of the newly revised West End production, giving theatergoers a chance to experience a fresh take on the hit musical.

This London-inspired version includes updated scenes, new songs and creative changes that local audiences haven’t seen before.

Based on the hit 2004 film, the musical follows Cady Heron, a teenager who spent her childhood growing up on the African savanna before moving to suburban Illinois. As she navigates the complicated social hierarchy of high school, she finds herself caught in the orbit of The Plastics—the popular clique led by the confident and calculating Regina George.

Packed with sharp humor, catchy songs and heartfelt moments, Mean Girls The Musical reminds audiences that being yourself never goes out of style.

Get tickets and info --> HERE.

Tune into Houston Life at 1 p.m. as Derrick Shore and Lauren Kelly chat with cast members Abigail Bensman and Teresa Zimmerman, along with dancers Kahlil Cabble and Collins Rush, for a behind-the-scenes look at the production.

For more than a decade, nature lovers watched via an online video feed as Jackie and her partner Shadow tended to their nest each year atop trees near Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles.

The nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley installed the nest camera in 2015 and documented the successes and failures of each breeding season. In 2024, Jackie diligently sat on her eggs for more than two and a half days straight after a winter storm blanketed the nest with snow.

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation’s San Dimas Raptor Rescue team found Jackie on July 17 following reports that the bird had been involved in a fight with two other eagles and was found to be ill.

Jackie had been receiving medical treatment for three weeks at the Ojai Raptor Center, where she was treated for a variety of ailments including anemia. Despite undergoing a blood transfusion and oxygen therapy, her condition worsened and the center announced the animal's death Monday.

“We know this news will be deeply felt by the many thousands of people around the world who have followed her journey, hoped alongside us, prayed for her, and supported the people caring for her,” the center's statement said. “Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her.”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is caring for the remains.

Among those who enjoyed monitoring Jackie's nests from afar was biologist Kelly Sorenson, executive director of the Ventana Wildlife Society in central California. While his group was not involved with the Big Bear eagles, he sees their breeding as emblematic of the comeback the species has made in the state over the past decades.

American bald eagles teetered on the brink of extinction until the pesticide DDT was banned in the 1970s and other protections were established, leading the species to rebound and be removed from the federal endangered list.

“You want to see a success story like that,” Sorenson said Monday. “Having access to a live cam to see the nesting first hand is very powerful. It brings people in on an emotional level.”

Houston Police Department investigators said the initial call came in as a possible drowning around 10:15 a.m.

People in the area discovered a man in the water and attempted to revive him before officers arrived, according to police.

When officers got to the scene, they found what they believed to be an adult man dead underwater. His body was still visible from above.

HPD homicide detectives spent about two hours along the bayou near the Gulf Freeway documenting the scene and taking photographs as they worked to determine what happened.

KPRC 2 cameras also captured the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences removing the man’s body from Brays Bayou.

Police have not publicly identified the man.

Investigators said there were no obvious external injuries that immediately pointed to a suspicious death. However, HPD is investigating the case as a homicide while detectives wait for the medical examiner to determine the man’s cause and manner of death.

Detectives said the body appeared to have been in the water for some time, but stressed that the medical examiner would make the official determination.

Investigators also said they could not speculate about whether the man was experiencing homelessness or how he ended up in the bayou.

Leonel Gonzalez told KPRC 2 he went to check the bayou after another person began yelling that there was a body in the water.

“This guy come down here screaming that there was a body in the bayou there,” Gonzalez said. “So I come, I went down to, actually I, you could see somebody was there. But I wasn’t too sure. I don’t believe a lot of people because they say things that it’s not true. So I went down to check anyways, and um, I seen a body there, so I made the 911 call.”

Gonzalez said his thoughts were with the man’s loved ones.

“Parents, the family just lost, lost a loved one,” he said. “It’s not gonna be easy for them to recover from something like this.”

KPRC 2 asked investigators whether they suspect foul play.

Police said there was nothing obvious at the scene that allowed them to make that determination and that the autopsy will be critical in determining how the man died.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Monday’s discovery also comes after several other bodies have been found in Houston-area bayous and waterways this year.

Through July 22, at least 10 bodies had been found in Houston-area bayous and waterways in 2026.

Anyone with information that could help investigators is encouraged to contact Houston police.

The two-time Olympic champion from Norway hadn’t raced since having surgery early this year to clean up scar tissue on the protective sheath around his left Achilles tendon.

Down the stretch, Ingebrigtsen was in third place before accelerating in the final 50 meters to pass Florian Bremm of Germany and cross the line in 13 minutes, 15:29 seconds. Bremm was second followed by France’s Etienne Daguinos.

“Coming from the lowest of lows to be European champion again means the world to me,” Ingebrigtsen said. “Not even I believed it could happen coming here. Only with 600 meters to go I knew I would win.

“I am starting to feel more like myself,” he added. “I doubted myself every day coming in to this and every minute leading up to the last lap today, but I’m always hoping to do my best. I’ve tried my best, and the last three weeks was very smooth.”

The Norwegian's rivals could only marvel at his abilities. Daguinos called him “a legend of our sport.”

Bremm said he looked to both sides “and I thought, ‘Oh yes I have it for sure,” before Ingebrigtsen passed him.

“He proved he’s faster than everyone else even after the injury,” Bremm said.

Ingebrigtsen is not racing in the 1,500 meters in Birmingham. He’s won both the 1,500 and 5,000 at the past three European championships.

The Achilles problem seemed to be a factor in Ingebrigtsen’s performance at last September’s world championships in Tokyo, where he failed to advance out of the first round of the 1,500 and finished 10th in the 5,000 final.

Amy Hunt wins tight 100m

Amy Hunt of Britain got just enough separation to win the women's 100 meters in 11 seconds, edging Poland's Ewa Swoboda (11.02) and Belgium's Delphine Nkansa (11.06). Hunt's teammate Dina Asher-Smith (11.10), the defending champion, was fifth.

Hunt won silver in the 100 at the Commonwealth Games two weeks ago. She was also the silver medalist in 200 at the world championships last September.

Three-peat for Schilder in women's shot put

Netherlands star Jessica Schilder made it three in a row in the shot put, taking gold with a throw of 20.73 meters at Alexander Stadium.

The reigning world champion's teammate Jorinde van Klinken (19.64) won silver, and 2024 Olympic champion Yemisi Mabry (19.50) of Germany was third.

“I will never get tired of this feeling, I will never get bored of winning these medals,” Schilder said. “I had the confidence going into this that even though I was competing with an injured finger I was capable of doing well here. It was a little bit about battling and pushing through the pain today.”

Schilder is the only woman this decade to surpass 21 meters when she threw 21.09 at the Shanghai Diamond League in May.

Schilder won gold at the past two European championships: 2024 in Rome and 2022 in Munich. She called this one the “easiest” of the three.

“There was quite a gap with the other competitors,” she said.

For the men's shot put, Leonardo Fabbri defended his title with a throw of 22.31, and his Italian teammate Zane Weir took silver. Sweden's Wictor Petersson was third.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

A homeschooled student through Acellus Academy, Villarreal has racked up an impressive list of accomplishments, including a Texas State Championship title, a spot as a Drive, Chip & Putt National Finalist and the 2025 Drive Championship title. She was also a finalist at the 2025 Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship and competed in the TGR Jr. Invitational.

This year, Villarreal joined Stephen Curry’s UNDERRATED Golf Tour, which works to expand equity, access and opportunity in golf while connecting talented young athletes with college coaches and industry leaders. She is currently the youngest player on the Tour.

For Villarreal, golf started as a way to spend time with her dad, Jason. What began with pink golf balls and a fun introduction to the game quickly grew into a passion — and now, a dream of playing college golf at a Division I school.

Villarreal recently joined Houston Life to talk about her golf journey, her experience on the UNDERRATED Tour and what she hopes to accomplish next.

Watch the full conversation above.

Follow her journey at alaina-villarreal.com.

Through life’s unexpected events, Kendal Norfleet Ebrecht and Kelby Norfleet never thought cheesecake would become their life’s work. From tasting their first cheesecake as toddlers to baking one at age 10 and continuing to make cheesecake as a hobby in college, their culinary journey revealed a natural talent that led them to embrace a thriving business through their delicious creations.

Gaining popularity in 2017, the twins opened a storefront in Cypress in Dec. 2024 — and they are best known for their assortment of mini cheesecakes.

Get to know them more in the video at the top of this article.

When passion leads to award-winning dessert

If cheesecake wasn’t delicious enough, the sisters elevated the decadent dessert into different flavors of cheesecake stuffed cookies.

Earlier this year, at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the sisters entered the Best Bites Competition and placed third in the Two Steppin’ Dessert Category for their Apple Crumble Cookie, a spiced cookie filled with cheesecake and topped with caramel apple pie filling and a crunchy, buttery crumble.

Plus, two sweet deals to satisfy your sweet tooth

If reading this article is activating your sweet tooth, the sisters are helping us celebrate National Cheesecake Day two ways.

1. On July 31, the sisters are giving away a mini cheesecake to every customer who stops by their store in Cypress.
2. Then, throughout the month of August, get 10% off ONLINE orders only with promo code HL30. The deal ends Sept. 1.

For more information or to order your share of cheesecake, visit kkcheesecakes.com.

Bake your own vanilla cheesecake with whipped cream at home

But that’s not all. The twins stopped by the “Houston Life” studio to show us how to make a simple vanilla cheesecake — and whipped cream as a topping. You can use the whipped cream on fruits, hot cocoa or any food of your choice too.

Watch the demo in the video or scroll below for the recipes.

Vanilla cheesecake crust ingredients

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ cup melted butter

Vanilla cheesecake filling ingredients

• 16 ounces cream cheese
• 8 ounces mascarpone
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1½ cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons flour

Crust directions

1. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon and melted butter in a bowl. Mix until combined.
3. Press mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Filling directions

1. Cream together the cream cheese, mascarpone and sugar until smooth with no lumps.
2. Add sour cream and mix until combined.
3. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract. Mix well.
4. Add flour and mix until completely incorporated.

Assembly

1. Wrap the bottom of the springform pan in aluminum foil.
2. Pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared crust.
3. Place the springform pan inside a larger pan filled with about 1 inch of water.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour or until the center is slightly jiggly.
5. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours until completely set.
6. Remove from pan and top with fresh fruit, whipped cream or any desired toppings.

Stabilized whipped cream ingredients

• 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk powder

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl.
2. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix on high speed until stiff and fluffy. The whipped cream should look like clouds. If using a hand mixer, move your hand in a circular motion to whisk more evenly.
3. Serve with a spoon or use a piping tip for a decorative finish.
4. Best enjoyed with fresh fruit, hot cocoa, cake — or, of course, cheesecake.

Let us know how your cheesecake turned out in the comments section or post a photo on click2houston.com/pins.

Ademola Adejobi, 49, was arrested just after 3 a.m. Saturday on two charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Houston police tell KPRC 2 News they got called to the popular bar that opened a few months ago at the intersection of Westheimer Road and Yoakum Boulevard around 1:50 a.m. on Saturday.

Two valet workers, a 29-year-old and 23-year-old, according to police, had been run over. The older victim had to be rushed to the hospital.

Adejobi went to the bar with his wife and left before being seated because they couldn’t get into the VIP area, according to court records.

When they tried to leave, the valet parkers initially wouldn’t give Adejobi his keys until he paid the $40 fee, records show, but somehow he managed to take the keys.

One of the workers then tried to stop Adejobi from leaving “in some fashion,” according to records, before he pressed on the accelerator and tried to leave the parking area.

Adejobi’s wife claimed one of the workers laid on top of the vehicle, while Adejobi claimed he just hit a parking cone, according to records.

“This is a situation that ... obviously got terribly out of control,” Harris County magistrate judge Temple Ramming said during Adejobi’s probable cause hearing.

His bond was set at $40,000 total, which he has since posted, records show.

In 2022, Adejobi was arrested for assault of a security officer, a felony, but the case was dismissed after records show he completed an anger management class. He also had a deadly conduct charge dismissed after prosecutors said it couldn’t be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Adejobi works as a healthcare consultant for Piedmont Hospital, according to court records.

KPRC 2 News has reached out to 1111 for comment and an update on how the workers are doing.

The incident occurred on the evening of July 23 in the 5300 block of Spanish Oak Drive. The suspects told the homeowner they were responding to a reported gas line issue and needed to inspect the home’s water. While one suspect distracted the homeowner, the other went upstairs and allegedly stole about $3,000 in cash and a jewelry box, authorities said. Both suspects then fled in a white pickup truck.

Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman says legitimate utility workers will have company identification and should never pressure you into allowing home entry. If a person is unsure, do not let them inside until verifying their identity with the utility company.

If anyone has useful information that can help identify the suspects, they are asked to call (281) 376-3472 and reference case #2607-03097.