Chatrie made off with $195,000 from the bank he robbed in suburban Richmond, Virginia, and eluded the police until they turned to a powerful technological tool that erected a virtual fence and allowed them collect the location history of cellphone users near the crime scene.

The geofence warrant police served on Google found that Chatrie's cellphone was among a handful of devices in the vicinity of the bank around the time it was robbed.

Now the Supreme Court will decide whether geofence warrants violate the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable searches. It's the latest high court case that forces the justices to wrestle with how a constitutional provision ratified in 1791 applies to technology the nation’s founders could not have contemplated in their wildest dreams.

Chatrie's appeal is one of two cases being argued Monday. The other is an effort by Bayer to have the court block thousands of state lawsuits alleging the global agrochemical manufacturer failed to warn people that its popular Roundup weedkiller could cause cancer.

Geofence warrants turn the usual way of pursuing suspects on its head. Typically, police identify a suspect and then obtain a warrant to search a home or a phone.

With geofence warrants, police do not have a suspect, only a location where a crime took place. They work in reverse to identify people who were in the area.

Prosecutors credit the warrants with helping crack cold cases and other crimes where surveillance cameras did not reveal suspects' faces or license plates.

Civil libertarians say that geofences amount to fishing expeditions that subject many innocent people to searches of private records merely because their cellphones happened to be in the vicinity of a crime. A Supreme Court ruling in favor of the technique could “unleash a much broader wave of similar reverse searches,” law professors who study digital surveillance wrote the court.

Investigators used geofence warrants to identify supporters of President Donald Trump who attacked the Capitol in the riot on Jan. 6, 2021, as well as in the search for the person who planted pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican party headquarters the night before.

Police also credit these warrants with helping identify suspects in killings in several states, including California, Georgia and North Carolina.

An academic group that works to bridge gaps between the police and communities wrote that the court should avoid an all-or-nothing approach in Chatrie’s case.

The Trump administration's position would allow police to use geofence warrants and similar tools “with no judicial supervision or constitutional safeguards,” according to the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law. Chatrie's lawyers want the court to rule out any use of geofence warrants at all, impeding “legitimate law enforcement activities,” the group wrote.

In Chatrie's case, the geofence warrant invigorated an investigation that had stalled. After determining that Chatrie was near the Call Federal Credit Union in Midlothian around the time it was robbed in May 2019, police obtained a search warrant for his home. They found nearly $100,000 in cash, including bills wrapped in bands signed by the bank teller.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison. Chatrie's lawyers argued on appeal that none of the evidence should have been used against him.

They challenged the warrant as a violation of his privacy because it allowed authorities to gather the location history of people near the bank without having any evidence they had anything to do with the robbery. Prosecutors argued that Chatrie had no expectation of privacy because he voluntarily opted into Google’s location history.

A federal judge agreed that the search violated Chatrie’s rights, but allowed the evidence to be used because the officer who applied for the warrant reasonably believed he was acting properly.

The federal appeals court in Richmond upheld the conviction in a fractured ruling. In a separate case, the federal appeals court in New Orleans ruled that geofence warrants "are general warrants categorically prohibited by the Fourth Amendment.”

In the Supreme Court's last case on digital-age searches, in 2018, the court divided 5-4 in favor of a defendant whose movements were tracked by authorities for nearly four months, without a warrant, through the review of cellphone tower data.

An issue in that case that also appears in Chatrie's is whether the defendant had an expectation of privacy that would trigger Fourth Amendment protections.

The Supreme Court has previously ruled that information shared with third parties cannot be considered private.

But Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his majority opinion about the extraordinary computing power of cellphones, describing “seismic shifts in digital technology” and "the exhaustive chronicle of location information casually collected by wireless carriers today.”

The league confirmed the suspension in a statement late Friday, warning that the decision amounted to “a serious and arbitrary violation of freedom of association” and “a direct assault” on one of Tunisia’s key democratic gains.

President Kais Saied has often cited foreign funding, which rights groups sometimes rely on, as a threat to Tunisia, using it to fuel a populist narrative and accuse his political opponents and social justice activists of being foreign agents and stirring unrest at home.

“This measure cannot be seen in isolation from a broader context in the country marked by increasing systematic pressure on civil society and independent voices,” the group said, adding that it would challenge what it called an unjust decision in court while continuing to defend victims of rights violations without discrimination.

The suspension follows a series of similar measures targeting rights groups in the North African country, where courts last year ordered multiple prominent NGOs to halt activities for a month, including organizations focused on migrants’ and women’s rights.

The decision comes as journalist Zied El-Heni was placed under 48-hour detention over a Facebook post, amid a broader pattern of arrests and legal pressure targeting critics.

Mohamed Yassine Jlassi, a former president of the Tunisian journalists union SNJT, told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a protest in Tunis on Friday that hundreds of people are being detained over speech-related charges, including social media posts.

“Repression has come to affect everyone. Journalism has become a crime, civil society work has become a crime, political opposition has been criminalized,” he said.

“People now increasingly find themselves facing arbitrary prosecutions without the bare minimum guarantees of a fair trial.”

Meanwhile, the investigative outlet Inkyfada faces a court hearing on May 11, as authorities pursue the dissolution of Al Khatt, the association that publishes it.

The group said in a statement that it disputes the legal basis of the case and says the claims cited by the government have not been examined by Tunisian courts since 2024.

These developments add to growing concerns among rights advocates over restrictions on independent media, civil society and any dissenting voices under Saied, who has consolidated power since 2021 and has increasingly targeted groups he repeatedly accuses of receiving foreign funding to stir unrest and destabilize Tunisia’s national interests.

Mali’s army said in a statement that “unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks” in Bamako and that soldiers were “engaged in eliminating the attackers.” It said in another statement later the situation was under control.

Mali has been plagued by insurgencies fought by affiliates of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the north.

An Associated Press journalist in Bamako heard sustained heavy weapons and automatic rifle gunfire coming from Modibo Keïta International Airport, around 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the city center, and saw a helicopter over nearby neighborhoods. The airport is adjacent to an air base used by Mali's air force. A resident living near the airport also reported gunfire and three helicopters patrolling overhead.

Residents in other cities in Mali reported gunfire and blasts on Saturday morning, suggesting a possible coordinated attack by armed groups.

A resident of Kati, a town near Bamako that is home to Mali’s main military base, also said he was woken up early in the morning by the sounds of gunfire and explosions. Gen. Assimi Goita, the leader of Mali’s military junta, resides in Kati.

Videos on social media showed militant convoys in trucks and motorcycles moving through the town's deserted streets, while residents looked on fearfully. Other videos in the northern towns of Kidal and Gao showed gunfire exchanges in the streets, with dead bodies lying on the ground.

Gunmen entered Kidal, taking control of some neighborhoods and leading to exchanges of fire with the army, a former mayor of the town told AP over the phone. He spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety.

Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Tuareg-led Azawad separatist movement, said on Facebook its forces had taken control of Kidal as well as some areas in Gao, another northeastern city. The AP could not independently verify his claim.

The separatists have been fighting for years to create the state of Azawad in northern Mali. They once drove security forces from the region, before a 2015 peace deal that has since collapsed paved the way for some ex-rebels to be integrated into the Malian military.

A resident of Gao said gunfire and explosions started in the early hours of Saturday and could still be heard in the late morning.

“The force of the explosions is making the doors and windows of my house shake. I’m scared out of my wits,” the resident told AP by phone. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of concerns for his safety. The resident said the gunfire came from the army camp and the airport, which are right next to each other.

The U.S. Embassy in Bamako issued a security alert, saying “there have been reports of explosions and gunfire near Kati and the Modibo Keita International Airport in Bamako” and that “U.S. citizens should shelter in place and avoid travel to these destinations until further information becomes available.”

Largest coordinated attack in years

Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said the assault seems to be the largest coordinated attack in years in Mali.

“It’s especially concerning that JNIM (al-Qaida affiliated group) apparently has been coordinating today’s attacks with Tuareg rebels: Jihadists and Tuareg rebels teamed up in 2012 when they overrran northern Mali, sparking the region's security crisis.” Laessing said.

Mali, alongside neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, has long been battling armed groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, a fight that has escalated over the past decade.

Following military coups, the juntas in the three countries have turned from Western allies to Russia for help combating Islamic militants.

But the security situation in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso has worsened in recent times, analysts say, with a record number of attacks by militants. Government forces have also been accused of killing civilians they suspect of collaborating with militants.

In 2024, an al-Qaida-linked group claimed an attack on Bamako’s airport and a military training camp in the capital, killing scores of people.

The bronze figure of Rocky Balboa — arms raised in victory, clad in boxing trunks and boots — has become a point of pilgrimage for people around the world.

For decades, the museum kept an uncomfortable distance from this kind of devotion. Now, it is embracing it — and inviting Rocky in.

Opening this weekend, “Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments” examines how a fictional fighter became a real-world symbol, placing the statue within the sweep of art history and Philadelphia’s identity. The exhibition is the brainchild of guest curator Paul Farber, who spent years exploring the meaning of the statue and public monuments — including through his NPR podcasts — before bringing the conversation into the museum.

The exhibition spans more than 2,000 years of boxing imagery, tracing a thread of human struggle that Louis Marchesano, the museum’s deputy director of curatorial affairs and conservation, said helps explain Rocky’s enduring pull.

“The common theme that runs throughout 2,000 years of boxing imagery is that people respond to the body under struggle, a conflict in much the same way today as they did 2,500 years ago,” Marchesano said. “It’s not simply about watching two people beat each other up — it’s about endurance, internal fortitude and internal struggle.”

When the bronze statue was left on the steps after filming the “Rocky” movies, the museum fought to have it removed. It was eventually relocated to South Philadelphia before returning to the bottom of the steps in 2006. It was welcomed back, but never fully embraced. The city owns the spot where the statue sits — not the museum.

“The museum has had — and I hate to say this, no pun intended — a rocky relationship with the statue,” Marchesano said.

“It took us decades to come to terms with it,” he added. “But I’m glad that we did.”

According to the Philadelphia Visitor Center, about 4 million people visit the steps each year — rivaling the nearby Liberty Bell in annual foot traffic.

David Muller, a wrestling coach from France who recently brought his students to the steps, said he thinks Balboa’s trials and travails are “good for the next generation.”

“The movie ‘Rocky’ is important for the mind of sport and the mind of life,” Muller said, after running with them up the steps as they raised their hands at the top, smiling and punching the air like boxers.

Kate Tarchalska traveled from Poland with family and made the statue one of their stops.

“He was my hero when I was younger,” she said. “And now I am so glad I could be in the same spot as him.”

Suraj Kumar, visiting his aunt in Philadelphia from St. Louis, made a point to photograph the statue to share with his father, who first introduced him to the films when he was growing up in Bengaluru, India.

“When I got to know this statue is here, I was like, I really have to come down here,” he said.

One gallery places Rocky in the global boxing fever of the 1970s, featuring works by Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol — all created during a time when boxing had the world’s attention.

“In the 1970s, we knew minute by minute who the heavyweight champion of the world was,” Marchesano said. “The artists in this gallery are responding to that global frenzy. Sylvester Stallone, in ‘Rocky,’ was doing the same — thinking about internal and external struggle.”

Another gallery turns to Philadelphia itself, presenting photographs of the Blue Horizon boxing gym and a section on Joe Frazier, whose real-life story at least partially inspired Rocky.

“Without Joe Frazier, Rocky doesn’t exist,” Marchesano said.

When the exhibition closes in August, the statue inside will move to a permanent home at the top of the museum’s steps — a place it has never officially held. The statue currently outside remains on loan from Stallone.

Rocky’s longtime spot at the bottom of the steps won’t be empty — a statue of Frazier will replace it.

“People in this neighborhood aren’t receiving the benefits of trees,” said Natasha Harrison, executive director of the Newport Tree Conservancy. “They need more.”

The conservancy has planted hundreds of native trees to create a healthier forest in a 30-acre city-owned park, Miantonomi Memorial Park. Fifteen volunteers met staff from the conservancy at the park in the northern part of the city on Wednesday for Earth Day.

Many native trees in the park’s forest have been crowded out by invasive plants, killed by disease or eaten by deer, rabbits and squirrels. This year, for the first time, the conservancy wanted to dig up native seedlings to nurture the trees in their nursery and replant them in the forest to better their chances of survival.

The conservancy's goal is to grow the tree canopy in the area and raise its low “tree equity score.” The score is a measure of whether there are enough trees in a neighborhood for people to experience the health, economic and climate benefits trees provide.

The conservancy's work was supposed to be aided by federal funding the U.S. Forest Service awarded to the Arbor Day Foundation, a global nonprofit dedicated to tree planting and conservation, Harrison said. As President Donald Trump's administration sought to end environmental justice initiatives, the Forest Service terminated a $75 million grant last year to the foundation, which was working to plant trees in neighborhoods that might not otherwise be able to afford them.

Harrison said the conservancy expected to receive $150,000 from the foundation. The conservancy's donors made up the difference after the cancellation, and volunteers help the nonprofit to achieve its mission.

“It was stressful, but I didn't want to let it derail us,” Harrison said.

The conservancy has been partnering with the city to plant trees throughout Newport for almost 40 years and improve the tree canopy.

At Miantonomi Park, Joe Verstandig, the conservancy's living collections manager, led the group into the forest. He pointed out the invasive species they are working against, like the groves of Aralia spinosa, commonly called devil’s walking stick, Norway maples and Japanese knotweed. He showed them how to methodically dig up the plants they wanted to save, such as the arrowwood that is common throughout Rhode Island, elderberry and American holly.

The group included friends Allie Bujakowski and Mara Swist. Bujakowski lives a mile from the park and walks her dog there. Swist lives nearby in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. They both said they wanted to get their hands dirty for Earth Day and help the conservancy, which planted a tree in Bujakowski's front yard.

“They are getting trees in spaces in the community where we really need them,” said Bujakowski, who wore a Newport mansions hat. “It makes a big difference visually. I see the trees they planted two years ago and they're bringing the birds back.”

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Trump will be watched closely at the event held by the organization of reporters who cover him and his administration. Past presidents who have attended have generally spoken about the importance of free speech and the First Amendment, adding in some light roasts about individual journalists.

The Republican president did not attend during his first term or the first year of his second. He came as a guest in 2011, sitting in the audience as President Barack Obama, a Democrat, made some jokes about the New York real estate developer. Trump also attended as a private citizen in 2015.

Past dinners have also featured comedians who poke at presidents. This year, the group opted to hire mentalist Oz Pearlman as the featured entertainment.

Trump’s planned appearance is rekindling a longer running debate about the dinner and events like it — in particular, whether it is poor form for journalists to be seen socializing with the people they cover. The New York Times, for example, stopped attending the dinner more than a decade ago for that reason.

“What was once (a fairly long time ago) a well-intended night of fundraising and camaraderie among professional adversaries is now simply a bad look,” wrote Kelly McBride, ethics expert at the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank.

A contentious relationship

Between berating individual reporters, fighting organizations like the Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press in court and restricting press access to the Pentagon, the administration’s animus toward journalists has been a fixture of Trump’s second term.

On the eve of the dinner, nearly 500 retired journalists signed a petition calling on the association "to forcefully demonstrate opposition to President Trump’s efforts to trample freedom of the press.”

“The White House Correspondents’ dinner reinforces the importance of the First Amendment in our democracy," said the WHCA president, Weijia Jiang, a CBS News reporter. "As we mark America’s 250th birthday, our choice to gather as journalists, newsmakers and the president in the same room is a reminder of what a free press means to this country and why it must endure. Not for the media or the president, but for the people who depend on it.”

Many reporters who attend, however, consider it a valuable opportunity get story ideas and establish personal connections with those in government, one that may pay dividends with returned telephone calls in the future.

Some news organizations invite sources as guests

Journalists often invite sources as guests at the dinner. It will be noticed Saturday whether administration officials who have also expressed hostility to the press will attend, and with whom they will be sitting.

The AP has invited Taylor Budowich, a former White House deputy chief of staff who left last fall for the private sector. The invitation is notable because Budowich, in his role crafting White House communications policy, was a named defendant last year when the AP sued the administration after it reduced its access to the president because the news outlet did not follow Trump's lead in renaming the Gulf of Mexico.

“We maintain professional relationships with people across the political spectrum because we are nonpartisan by design — focused on reporting the facts in the public's interest,” AP spokesman Patrick Maks said.

The White House correspondents will also hand out awards for exemplary reporting. That includes some stories that displeased Trump, such as one from the Journal about a birthday message Trump once sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The story led to a presidential lawsuit.

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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.

The latest effort to broker a deal in Islamabad comes as an indefinite ceasefire has paused most fighting, but the economic fallout is still mounting with global energy shipments disrupted by the near closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Officials have not specified when President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are expected to lead the U.S. negotiation team, are due to arrive. The White House declined to comment on Saturday.

On Saturday, Iran resumed commercial flights from Tehran’s international airport for the first time since the conflict with the U.S. and Israel began about two months ago. Flights were scheduled to depart for Istanbul, Oman’s capital of Muscat and the Saudi city of Medina, according to Iran’s state-run television. Iran partly reopened its airspace earlier this month due to the ceasefire.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meanwhile met with the Pakistan military's chief of staff and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Araghchi wrote on Telegram that they spoke about regional developments, including Iran's red lines for negotiations. Araghchi didn’t offer further details, but said Tehran would continue engaging with Pakistan's mediation efforts “until a result is achieved.”

Pakistan works to get the US and Iran back to the negotiating table

Islamabad, where weeklong security restrictions have disrupted daily life in the capital, was in near-lockdown early Saturday ahead of the expected talks. Residents struggled to commute even short distances due to the now routine checkpoints, road closures and diversions.

The usually busy arteries leading to the airport and the heavily fortified Red Zone were largely deserted Saturday, with movement tightly restricted. Security forces — including troops, paramilitary commandos and police — maintained a strong presence at key intersections, especially near the airport, while helicopters circled overhead.

Pakistan has been trying to get U.S. and Iranian officials back to the table since Trump this week announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire, honoring Islamabad’s request for more diplomatic outreach.

The White House said Friday that Trump was sending Witkoff and Kushner to meet with Araghchi. But shortly after Iran's top diplomat arrived in Islamabad, his ministry said any talks would be indirect and that Pakistani officials would convey messages between the two sides.

Araghchi and Trump's envoys held hours of indirect talks in Geneva on Feb. 27 over Tehran’s nuclear program, but walked away without a deal. The next day, Israel and the United States started the war against Iran.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Friday that Witkoff and Kushner and would “hear the Iranians out.”

“We’ve certainly seen some progress from the Iranian side in the last couple of days,” Leavitt said. She did not offer any details about what U.S. officials were hearing.

Trump extends the Jones Act waiver for 90 days

Separately Friday, the White House said Trump issued a 90-day extension to the Jones Act waiver, making it easier for non-American vessels to transport oil and natural gas.

He first announced a 60-day waiver in March, hoping to stabilize energy prices and ease oil and gas shipments to the U.S. following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil passes in peacetime.

The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, retreated on the news, vacillating between $103 a barrel and more than $107 on Friday — still nearly 50% higher than when the war began.

Iran has kept its stranglehold on traffic through the strait, attacking three ships this week, while the U.S. is maintaining a blockade on Iranian ports and Trump has ordered the military to “shoot and kill” small boats that could be placing mines.

Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced Saturday that the country was sending minesweeper ships to the Mediterranean to help remove Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities end.

The squeeze on shipments through the strait has rippled through global maritime trade flows, including through the Panama Canal nearly halfway around the world.

A growing toll even as ceasefires hold

Since the war began, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, and more than 2,490 people in Lebanon, where new fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah broke out two days after the Iran war started, according to authorities.

Additionally, 23 people were killed in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

The U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon has also sustained casualties. An Indonesian peacekeeper died of wounds sustained in an attack on his base on March 29, raising to six — four Indonesians and two French — the number of force members killed since the war erupted, UNIFIL said Friday.

The situation in Lebanon remained tense after Trump announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks. Hezbollah has not participated in the Washington-brokered diplomacy.

In a video released by his office Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed “a process to achieve a historic peace between Israel and Lebanon.”

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Ahmed reported from Islamabad and Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; and Will Weissert in Washington contributed.

Some U.S. doctors are worried about the potential for a bad year for tick-borne diseases.

“If you have a lot of exposures, there will probably be more cases of tick-related infections,” said Dr. Alina Filozov, an infectious disease doctor at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, Connecticut.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an early advisory to the public this week to guard against ticks.

Tick bites typically spike in May, but “the data are telling us now is the time to take action,” said Alison Hinckley, a CDC Lyme disease expert. “Ticks are out and people are getting bitten.”

ER visits for tick bites are running high

Current data is very limited, but the early signs are not good.

The CDC's tracking system shows that weekly rates of ER visits for tick bites are the highest for this time of year since 2017. That's true in all regions of the country, except the south-central United States.

About 85% of U.S. hospital emergency departments send data to the surveillance system, but it doesn't capture people who didn't go to a hospital.

It will take months for systematic tick sampling by researchers to chart changes in tick populations. And because not every bite results in an infection, it will also take time for medical experts to know whether there’s an actual surge in Lyme disease or other illnesses.

Ticks cause disease, including a meat allergy

Ticks are small, eight-legged bloodsucking parasites — arachnids, not insects — that feed on animals and sometimes people.

Tick populations vary throughout the year, and their numbers depend on a few factors. Climate change is widely believed to be having an effect: Ticks like warm, humid weather, and more can be seen after a mild winter. The more deer and mice available for them to feed on may also factor.

Some ticks are infected with germs that can cause serious diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy. Lyme disease is the most common, with an estimated 476,000 people treated for it each year, according to the CDC. Infections are commonly treated with antibiotics.

So far this year, most ticks seen in the Northeast have been large adult ticks. But in the weeks ahead, juvenile nymphs will become more common. The emergence of nymphs, along with more people spending time outdoors, are among the reasons tick bites tend to be highest in May. Worse, tiny nymphs attached to people are harder to see — and often are there longer — leading to an increased risk of infections, experts say.

A notorious hot spot is seeing a tick surge

Connecticut has a connection to tick-borne disease — Lyme disease is named after a town there. And earlier this month, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station reported that residents were already submitting an average of 30 ticks per day for testing.

State officials also said an unusually high percentage of the submitted ticks — 40% — tested positive for the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.

Several factors have been helping tick populations expand, including unusually high numbers of mice in the last two years, said Scott Williams, a tick researcher at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

All we have so far is an early snapshot, said Megan Linske, a wildlife biologist with the same agency. She expects the problem to continue to worsen, with more ticks spreading over more areas.

How to prevent tick bites

Experts advise that if you go outdoors, note any wooded areas and grassy properties that start bleeding into wooded areas. Ticks tend to perch on ankle-level vegetation with their upper legs outstretched, waiting to latch on to an unsuspecting dog or human.

Try to walk in the middle of paths. Wear light-colored clothing treated with the insecticide permethrin. And use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents.

If you do find a tick, remove it immediately. It's not necessary to go to a doctor unless you think the tick has been on you for days or if you develop a rash or other symptoms, experts said.

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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.

Kyron Drones is in his element: firing spirals with incredible velocity, torque and accuracy during a recent throwing session in Houston.

The Virginia Tech quarterback has arguably the strongest arm in this draft class. A former Shadow Creek standout and Baylor starter who transferred to play for the Hokies, Drones is a cousin of Tennessee Titans starting quarterback Cam Ward.

Between his athleticism and improvisational skills, dual-threat capacity and a proven ability to adapt and overcome less than ideal pass protection, Drones is an intriguing NFL draft prospect with rare traits.

“You can’t play quarterback if you can’t move around, we don’t have statues back there anymore,” said private quarterbacks coach Darrell Colbert, who trains Drones, Ward, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders and several others. “Kyron is a new-age quarterback. He’s very accurate. He can push the ball down the field. I think the NFL is getting a huge steal in him being able to do so many different things. He’s a three-headed monster. He can run. He can improvise.

“It wasn’t the easiest circumstance last season. It says a lot about who he is, how he was raised. He took Shadow Creek to a championship. Goes to Baylor. Things didn’t work out he wanted to, moved on to Virginia Tech, kept his head down, kept working. Shows the type of guy and player that he is. The quarterback comparisons, I’ve seen a lot with Deshaun Watson and Jalen Hurts as well.”

Drones visited the Green Bay Packers in addition to a Zoom meeting and also met virtually with the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonvile Jaguars. He visited in-person with Texans quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski, a former assistant quarterbacks coach with New England Patriots legend Tom Brady.

He participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl all-star game, showcasing his arm talent.

Now, Drones waits to find out where he’ll play football this fall.

“Very excited, just putting in that work and just waiting to see my name called,” Drones told KPRC 2. “I put in that work on my craft, perform at the highest level. I see openings where others don’t. That’s something I’ve been taught since middle school.

“I always knew I had the athletic ability. You never want to make a bad play worse. I do what I can to keep the play going, do whatever I can for my team, keep moving the sticks, keep working toward getting the touchdown. Once I run through a play once or twice, it’s automatic to me. It’s like playing chess.”

Virginia Tech strong-armed @HokiesFB quarterback Kyron Drones @SCSharkFootball interview regarding #NFLDraft #Packers visit @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/2U8nTygALt

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 23, 2026

Drones is big and strong at 6-foot-2, 226 pounds with large hands: 9 3/4 inches. He has run the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds and had one of the highest Relative Athletic Scores in the draft with a 36-inch vertical leap.

For years, Drones has studied the game with intensity with an eye toward self-improvement.

He watched Watson during his Pro Bowl days with the hometown Texans and Hurts.

“I watch a lot of those guys, I always compare myself to Deshaun Watson and there’s some similarities with me and Jalen, too,” said Drones, who is represented by Klutch Sports. “My favorite quarterback right now is Joe Burrow. I watch him a lot, just what he’s able to do in the pocket, how poised he is.”

Drones comes from a football family. His father and his grandfather have been working with him his entire life, providing support encouragement and coaching tips. His development is a family affair.

“They ended up teaching me from a defense perspective of what they are looking at from a quarterback when they watch film,” Drones said. “So, that helped me and just my support system out there. I never had a game where I didn’t have a family member there, so I appreciate my family a lot, just for being there for me through all the ups and downs throughout my career.”

Meeting with the Texans at Reliant Stadium, Drones talked with coach DeMeco Ryans and did some testing and a film session.

It was a significant experience for him.

“The day was good,” Drones said. “Just meeting coach Ryans, hell of a coach, what he’s doing with the Texans, it’s a phenomenal job. Getting on the board and getting in a film room with the quarterbacks coach, we had a good connection. I feel like he loved what I brought to the table. It was a really good day.”

Visiting the Packers was eye-opening.

He walked into Lambeau Field, the same stadium where Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers have plied their trade. It was unforgettable.

“As you’re walking through the stadium, you kind of get a little goosebumps,” Drones said. “An organization like Green Bay, they do a lot of winning there. Green Bay was a hell of an experience. I’m glad I was able to go, glad they wanted me there.”

The Packers lost backup quarterback Malik Willis during free agency. He’s now the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins.

Yes, the Packers referenced Willis during their conversations with Drones.

“They talked about how there’s similarities with us and how they want to do the same thing for me, if they pick me, it’s for a long time, not a short time,” Drones said. “They talked about how Malik progressed and his work ethic. So, I’m just going in there with that mindset, just to keep getting better, do the best with your team and whatever they want me to do.”

Virginia Tech @HokiesFB quarterback Kyren Drones @SCSharkFootball visited #Packers 'Hell of an experience,' they referenced Malik Willis comp, plus visited in-person at NRG Stadium with #Texans quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski 'Good connection' and had Zooms with majority… https://t.co/cqpdQr7gKE pic.twitter.com/pktDWqsoit

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 23, 2026

At Virginia Tech, Drones completed 58.3 percent of his throws for 5,566 yards and 44 touchdown passes. He rushed for 1,798 yards and 20 touchdowns. He piled up 7,364 yards of total offense and 64 total touchdowns.

He has sought advice previously from former Virginia Tech star quarterbacks Michael Vick and Tyron Taylor.

“He really told me to go out there and be myself,” Drone said of his advice from Vick. “I know what type of quarterback that I am. Just owning that and going out there and be myself.”

Drones had 9.7 percent of his passes dropped last season, sixth-highest rate of any quarterback in this draft class.

And Drones was under heavy duress, overcoming adverse situations when protection broke down. He was under pressure on 39.8 percent of his dropbacks for the highest rate in this draft class. The second-most was Arkansas’ Taylen Green at 36.1 percent.

“When we do a good job of giving Kyron time, good things happen for us,” Virginia Tech interim coach Phillip Montgomery said last season.

Not including the sacks he took, Drones rushed for 816 yards. That included a season-high 154 yards and two touchdowns against Cal.

Virginia Tech @HokiesFB quarterback #NFLDraft Kyren Drones (6-2, 225, 4.5 speed, 5,785 career passing yards, 45 touchdowns, 19 picks, 1,847 rushing yards 22 touchdowns for Hokies @BUFootball. @SCSharkFootball star one of strongest arms in draft @KPRC2 @CoachColbert11 pic.twitter.com/K8sVN8fVVe

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 23, 2026

In a bowl game three years ago, he rushed for 176 yards against Tulane. Two seasons ago against Georgia Tech, Drones scored touchdowns passing, running and receiving as the first to do so since 2000.

Drones passed for 1,919 yards and 17 touchdowns last season and rushed for 644 yards and nine touchdowns.

Everything started at Shadow Creek for Drones. He passed for 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior in six games. He helped the team to a state championship and was named Offensive Most Valuable Player in the championship game. He was a third-team all-state selection and Elite 11 finalist who passed for 3,390 yards and 46 touchdowns as a junior with 18 rushing touchdowns with 825 yards on the ground.

Darrell Colbert @CoachColbert11 the quarterback coach for Virginia Tech @HokiesFB standout Kyron Drones @SCSharkFootball @KPRC2 https://t.co/e1F2cUt1rG pic.twitter.com/KPq9BUIYXq

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 23, 2026

“It was really fun at Shadow Creek,” Drones said. “I started right away and we won the state championship. It was a lot of winning while I was there, so that helped me a lot, just winning, having that pressure. Being an even-keel guy has always been me.”

He wound up choosing Baylor over Auburn, Ole Miss, TCU, Missouri and Georgia Tech. He transferred to Virginia Tech after the 2022 season.

Drones was a team captain for Virginia Tech each of the past two seasons.

Kevin Jones, Kyron’s father, is extremely proud.

He has watched and boosted his son’s development his entire life, first putting a football in his hands at a young age.

Kevin Drones @CoachDrones the proud father of Virginia Tech @HokiesFB quarterback Kyron Drones @SCSharkFootball #NFLDraft @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/0v7GggtEB6

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 23, 2026

Now, Drones is on the cusp of the NFL and achieving a life-long dream.

“He’s always been a natural thrower,” Kevin Drones said. “I always felt like he was a good quarterback. He didn’t play quarterback until the seventh grade. He played a lot of running back before that.”

“Just not knowing what’s going to happen. up until this point, we’ve been in control, leaving shadow Creek, going to Baylor, leaving Baylor, going to Virginia Tech. We’ve kind of been in control the process. Now it’s in someone else’s hand. You just hope that one of the 32 teams gives him a shot.”

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

The late Queen Elizabeth II wowed Congress in 1991 with a speech that celebrated the shared democratic traditions of Britain and the United States, quoted Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and highlighted the deep bonds between the two nations.

Those themes will also be at the top of Charles’ agenda as he celebrates America's 250th birthday and seeks to calm tensions surrounding Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to support U.S. President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University in Texas.

“We’ve got to always make the distinction that there’s a difference between the government of the U.K. and the kings and queens of Great Britain, who are really always coming to try to put (on) a good face,” Brinkley told The Associated Press. “Politics come and go, prime ministers, presidents, come and go, but there’s something deeper about the special relationship between the United States and the U.K.”

Behind the scenes

Beneath the pomp and pageantry of Charles’ four-day trip to Washington, New York and Virginia beginning Monday is a carefully choreographed diplomatic event staged, like all royal visits, at the request of the British government. Starmer resisted pressure to cancel it after Trump belittled the British military’s sacrifices in Afghanistan and criticized him personally for failing to back the U.S. in Iran.

Despite those tensions, Trump has continued to speak warmly about Charles.

“History has shown that President Trump really tries to be impressive whenever he’s dealing with British royalty,” Brinkley said. “And I’m sure it’ll be the same this time around.”

Ever since 1939, when King George VI became the first British monarch to set foot on the soil of the country’s former colony, there’s been a special sort of excitement whenever the royals come to the United States.

Take that first visit, which took place as World War II loomed over Europe. The royals toured the east coast and attended a “picnic” at Roosevelt’s private home in Hyde Park, New York. “King tries hot dog and asks for more,’’ declared the New York Times.

But the big moment was when the royals traveled to Mount Vernon to lay a wreath at the tomb of George Washington, America’s first president. It showed respect at a time of isolationism.

“People could see the handwriting on the wall and know that it was going to be important for the United States and Britain to stay strong for fighting against Hitler,” said Barbara Perry, a presidential scholar at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center.

But bonding over sausages had broader benefits, helping the royals build links to the general public as well as its leadership. After war broke out in September 1939, Queen Elizabeth, the wife of George VI and mother of the future Elizabeth II, wrote to first lady Eleanor Roosevelt to say how moved she'd been by letters from Americans who enclosed small sums for British forces.

“Sometimes, during the last terrible months, we have felt rather lonely in our fight against evil things, but I can honestly say that our hearts have been lightened by the knowledge that friends in America understand what we are fighting for,’’ she wrote.

The queen's connection

Queen Elizabeth II built on those relationships, making four state visits to the U.S. during her 70-year reign. She helped President Gerald R. Ford celebrate America’s bicentennial in 1976 and met with President George W. Bush in 2007 as British and American forces fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Smoothing turbulent waters and reminding both sides about their common bonds were what those trips were all about.

Charles’ visit will be no different. It includes a commemoration of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, a ceremony honoring fallen service members and an event to be attended by Queen Camilla to mark the 100th anniversary of Winnie the Pooh stories by British author A.A. Milne.

Awkward events will be avoided.

The royals won’t meet with Jeffrey Epstein's victims, despite calls for the king to address his brother’s links to the convicted sex offender. Nor are there plans for Charles to meet with his son Prince Harry, who has been a critic of the monarchy since giving up royal duties and moving to California.

Those issues aren’t the priority, said Robert Hardman, author of “Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story.”

“He’s going because 250 years ago the Founding Fathers of the USA kicked out his great-times-five grandfather, and he’s going to say, `No hard feelings, it’s been a great divorce, we’ve had a lovely 250 years and let’s reflect on the high points,’’’ Hardman said. “I mean, there are going to be some very, very large elephants in the room during that visit … but, you know, there are plenty of other things for the king to focus on.”

History, not politics

Charles’ speech to a joint session of Congress offers the chance to deliver the message that long-term friendship is more important than transient disputes.

He is also likely to offer a bit of humor, as his mother did when she faced lawmakers in 1991.

Wearing soft peach amid a sea of gray suits, the diminutive monarch began her remarks with a joke about an earlier blunder at the White House when her lectern was so tall it obscured the audience’s view of her.

“I do hope you can see me today from where you are,’’ she deadpanned.

The chamber erupted in laughter. A standing ovation followed. Then she launched into a speech about democratic values, the rule of law and the Atlantic Alliance.

But Charles will have to offer his own take on those ideas, Brinkley said.

“The theme of the speech is going to be American exceptionalism, American history, the importance of U.S.-British alliance, and some memories from the past,” he said. “But also about the love affair the two countries share with each other, even though it goes over rocky rapids from time to time.”

The bodies of four people were found in the ruins of a house destroyed in overnight attacks, Dnipropetrovsk regional head Oleksandr Hanzha said.

“The Russians have been hitting Dnipro and other cities and communities practically all night,” Hanzha wrote on Telegram of the attacks, which caused fires to break out across Dnipro and partially destroyed several apartment buildings, businesses and a private house.

Another person was killed in a separate Russian attack on Dnipro Saturday afternoon, according to Hanzha, in the same residential area hit by the overnight strikes. He said that 46 people were wounded in total.

To the southwest, two people were wounded in overnight drone attacks on the Odesa region. Residential buildings, port infrastructure and cars were damaged in the south of the region, regional head Oleh Kiper said Saturday.

In Russia, a woman was killed and a man was seriously wounded by a Ukrainian drone strike in the border region of Belgorod, local officials said.

Following the overnight attacks, Romania’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that drone fragments were found in a residential area of the southeastern city of Galati, near the NATO member’s border with Ukraine. No casualties were reported.

Romania has confirmed drone fragments on its territory on multiple occasions.

The overnight attacks followed a prisoner swap Friday, in which Russia and Ukraine exchanged 193 service members.

Periodic prisoner exchanges have been one of the few positive outcomes of otherwise fruitless monthslong U.S.-brokered negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. The talks have delivered no progress on key issues preventing an end to Russia’s invasion of its neighbor, now in its fifth year.

While meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is open to continuing peace talks with Russia in Azerbaijan.

“We have already held such talks — in Turkey and with our American partners in Switzerland,” he said. “We are also ready for upcoming negotiations in Azerbaijan, if Russia is ready for diplomacy.”

___

Morton reported from London. Associated Press writer Stephen McGrath in Leamington Spa, England, contributed to this report.

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This story has been corrected to use the Ukrainian transliteration of Hanzha.

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

He was selected 59th overall after being projected later in the draft by most analysts.

Klein has run the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds with a 36-inch vertical leap and a 9-9 broad jump.

“They’re going to get a fast and physical football player that’s willing to do whatever,” Klein said. “I don’t care if I have to play running back, wide receiver, defensive end, safety, special teams. I don’t care what I have to play. I just want to play and help the team win.”

A 6-foot-6, 248-pound native of Germany, Klein moved to the United States to attend a boarding school in Rabun Gap, Georgia to start playing American football.

This was done through the assistance of Gridiron Imports Foundation, a registered United States nonprofit organization. He attended the Rabun Gap-Nacooche School. Klein grew up playing soccer and basketball.

Bjorn Werner, a former Florida State and Indianapolis Colts first-round draft pick, runs the nonprofit and connected with Klein.

“He gave me the opportunity to change my life,” Klein said. “I moved to Georgia all by myself to boarding school at just 15 years old. I didn’t speak any English. I didn’t really know what football was about. They just told me to run fast towards the end zone and they were gonna throw the ball up.”

A three-time academic All-Big Ten Conference selection, Klein caught a career-high six passes for 93 yards and one touchdown against New Mexico last season.

At Michigan, he won a national championship. He caught 24 passes for 248 yards and one touchdown last season and was named honorable-mention All-Big Ten Conference.

The Texans had options to trade back, but opted to stick at 59 and make the Klein selection.

“We had multiple discussions,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “We were kind of potentially trading a pick, moving it, had a few deals in place. Then, those fell apart. We had a couple of guys we were talking about picking and then Marlin was one of them.

“Marlin was kind of a no-brainer. It’s a player we really liked. His story is really impressive. Good size, runs well. I would say his best football is probably right in front of him. The type of player that has the right mentality, the right mindset, good work ethic, really smart.”

The Texans drafted Klein after Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq was the only tight end to go in the first round, selected by the New York Jets.

In the second round, the Philadephia Eagles drafted Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers five picks before Klein. Two picks later, the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Texas A&M tight endnate Boerkircher.

The Los Angeles Rams drafted Ohio State tight end Max Klare two picks after Klein. Klare visited the Texans.

In the third round, the Chicago Bears selected Stanford tight end Sam Roush, the Miami Dolphins drafted Ohio State tight end Will Kacmarek, who visited the Texans, the New Orleans Saints drafted Georgia tight end Oscar Delp, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds and met virtually with the Texans, and the New England Patriots drafted Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon

“The beauty of all this is everybody has their own board,” Caserio said. “So, you have your grades. You’re probably not all grading players the same way. When you go through this third round, the reality is they were basically coming out of the woodwork. There’s a lot of players that got drafted where you’re looking up there going, ‘Okay, I probably wouldn’t have drafted that player.’”

Klein met formally with the Texans at the NFL scouting combine, and he made a strong impression.

The Texans were sold on him as a person right away.

“Really after the combine we were done with him as far as the person because there really wasn’t much more there that we needed to talk about,” Caserio said. “We liked him from the beginning of the process until drafting him.”

Klein texted Texans new tight ends coach James Ferentz on Friday: “Let’s work, bring me home.”

“I wanted to come to Houston from the beginning,” Klein said. “My fiancee can tell you that. My family can tell you that. It’s a tough, physical football team. That’s the kind of place I would love to be a part of.”

Two seasons ago, Klein caught 13 passes for 108 yards.

He finished his career with 38 career catches for 364 yards and one score.

He played behind Chicago Bears standout tight end Colston Loveland and Dallas Cowboys tight end Luke Schoonmaker and A.J. Barner in Ann Arbor initially.

“I chose Michigan because I knew these guys were going to be in the room,” Klein said. “Being around that caliber of players has taught me so much. They showed me the daily grind, the work that you have to put in every single day to make things happen and be successful.”

Klein has been to Houston before, winning a national championship at Reliant Stadium.

“I remember standing on the field, FaceTiming my best friend, just taking in the moment,” Klein said. “One of the most memorable days in my life.”

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

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on Friday to take part in Pakistani-led mediation efforts, and held a series of meetings with Pakistani officials. He met with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday.

Iran’s government said there would be no direct negotiations with U.S. representatives during Araghchi’s visit to Islamabad.

Pakistan was preparing to receive U.S. special envoys Witkoff and Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, although officials have not specified when they are due in Islamabad. Vice President JD Vance will not attend, the White House said.

Separately, the Trump administration announced it is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil. The move appeared to be part of the administration's threat to impose secondary sanctions on entities doing business with Iran in order to cut off Iran’s oil exports, a key source of its revenue.

Here is the latest:

Israeli airstrikes kill 4 people in southern Lebanese village

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that Israeli airstrikes on the village of Yohmor in southern Lebanon targeted a pickup truck and a motorcycle, killing four people.

Saturday’s airstrikes came despite a 10-day ceasefire in place since April 17.

Since the truce went into effect, it has been repeatedly violated by both sides.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Lebanon and Israel agreed to extend the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks.

Pakistan’s prime minister meets with Iran’s foreign minister

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday at the prime minister’s office in the capital, Islamabad.

Sharif’s office issued a statement saying the meeting was ongoing.

It said Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir were also present.

No further details were immediately available, and the statement only said the “current regional situation will be discussed.”

Iran’s top diplomat meets with Pakistan army chief

Iran’s top diplomat and Pakistan’s army chief have discussed efforts to launch a new round of talks with the United States.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Telegram that he met with Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir Saturday morning in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, and explained Iran’s views on ending the war between the Islamic Republic and the U.S.

Araghchi didn’t offer further details, but said Tehran will continue engaging in the Pakistani-led mediation efforts “until a result is achieved.”

Iran’s president calls on people to save electricity

Iran’s president has urged people to reduce their use of electricity after American and Israeli strikes damaged the county’s energy infrastructure, state media reported.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said the government aims to “control consumption” of electricity, according to the Iranian state television.

“Instead of turning on 10 lights at home, turn on two lights. What is wrong with that?” he said.

He said the U.S. and Israel “destroyed our infrastructure,” and noted that the U.S. imposed a blockade on Iran’s ports.

Commercial flights resume at Tehran’s airport

Commercial flights resumed Saturday at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran for the first time since the war with the United States and Israel started about two months ago.

Iran’s state-run television reported the airport has flights to Istanbul in Turkey, Oman’s capital Muscat and the Saudi city of Medina.

Flightradar24, a flight tracking platform, showed at least three Istanbul-bound flights departed Saturday morning.

Iran partly reopened its airspace earlier this month during a ceasefire with the U.S.

Germany to deploy minesweeper ships

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said his country plans to deploy minesweeper ships to the Mediterranean, which later could be transferred to the Strait of Hormuz.

“We will deploy a minesweeper to the Mediterranean and provide it with a command and supply ship,” Pistorius told the Rheinische Post newspaper Saturday.

He did not say exactly when the ships are scheduled to depart.

After an end to hostilities between the U.S., Israel and Iran, the German minesweepers could be deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, though such a mission would need to be approved by Germany’s parliament.

“To save time, we have decided to deploy part of the German units to the Mediterranean early on so that — once the mandate is approved — we do not lose any further time,” Pistorius said.

Islamabad locked down before talks

Pakistan’s capital Islamabad appeared to be in a near-lockdown Saturday morning, hours after Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived on a closely watched visit as Pakistan attempts to ease tensions between the United States and Iran.

The weeklong security restrictions have disrupted daily life, with hundreds of thousands of residents struggling to commute even short distances. Checkpoints, road closures and diversions have become routine sights, particularly around sensitive zones.

The usually busy arteries leading to the airport and the heavily fortified Red Zone were largely deserted early Saturday, with movement tightly restricted. Soldiers and police were at key intersections while helicopters circled overhead.

The measures were reinforced over the past 24 hours on the city’s outskirts with additional forces stationed along key airport access routes. Soldiers were visible on rooftops overlooking major approach roads, particularly near the airport where the Iranian delegation arrived late Friday.

Iran executes another man over alleged ties to Mossad

Iran hanged a man Saturday over alleged ties to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and his participation in anti-government protests in January.

Erfan Kiani was the latest in a series of executions in Iran following the war and nationwide protests.

The Mizan news agency of Iran’s judiciary announced Kiani was convicted of charges including attacks on security forces in the city of Asfahn in January.

The agency claimed he was on a “mission for Mossad” without offering evidence.

Human rights activists long have said Iran convicts people in closed-door trials without allowing defendants to properly defend themselves.

There recently have been multiple executions of alleged spies, as well as protesters and those affiliated with an Iranian exiled opposition group.

Pakistan president will travel to China

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is expected to travel to Beijing on Saturday to begin a weeklong visit at the invitation of the Chinese government.

Discussions will include economic and trade cooperation and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

China has played a role in facilitating Pakistan as a host for ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran. Zardari is expected to discuss his country’s efforts to host a second round.

The visit is part of a longstanding tradition of high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China and holds special significance as they mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said.

“It reflects the deep commitment of both countries to further strengthening the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership,” the ministry said.

Iran's foreign minister arrives in Pakistan

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met late Friday with Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir shortly after arriving in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, officials said.

On Saturday morning Araghchi met with Munir and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, officials said.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said the Iranian delegation will hold talks with Pakistan’s senior leadership on the latest regional developments and efforts to promote peace and stability.

The visit comes as Pakistan is also preparing to receive U.S. envoys, although officials have not specified when Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are due in Islamabad.

Egyptian and Pakistani officials discuss the Iran war

Egyptian and Pakistani foreign ministers late Friday discussed efforts to launch a new round of talks between the United States and Iran.

Badr Abdelatty of Egypt spoke by phone with his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

The Egyptian foreign ministry said the diplomats affirmed that negotiations are the best way to end the war.

“It’s a blessing and a dream I didn’t have my whole life,” said Montgomery. “I’m grateful to be in this spot and very humble and excited to see where I can take this.”

The Woodlands College Park graduate didn’t play high school football, concentrating on basketball and attended LSU, the University of Houston and Nicholls State before excelling at Division III powerhouse John Carroll, the alma mater of Texans general manager Nick Caserio, a record-setting quarterback at John Carroll.

Montgomery excelled at the prestigious Senior Bowl all-star game after breaking Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross’ receiving records at JCU.

• MORE: Texans draft Michigan tight end, Germany native Marlin Klein in second round

Now, Montgomery is on the cusp of being drafted, according to Senior Bowl executive director Drew Fabianich and former Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl winning coach Brian Billick.

“I was a smaller guy in school. My body developed late and didn’t develop athleticism until I got into college. I didn’t look at football because I thought I was going to be the next Chris Paul. That was my dream at the time in high school,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery spoke with Texans insider Aaron Wilson at his home before participating Friday in the Texans’ annual local prospect day where he met with coach DeMeco Ryans and other staff members.

We’re tracking patchy fog for some as our temperatures continue to climb this week! So make sure to use your low beams as you hit the roadways this morning.

And as soon as you step outside, you’ll feel the humidity, making it feel warmer than it actually is and we’ll be warm this weekend!

Today, we’ll hit the 80s by noon and we have a high of 88 - close to record-breaking temperatures.

And Sunday, we’re forecasting our first 90 of the year, which means you might want spend time at the pool and make sure you drink plenty of water!

The heat is paired with high humidity, so the feels-like temperatures could feel like the upper 90s to 100 degrees!

Your extended forecast:

Every day next week we will feel like summer! Lows will be in the lower-to-mid 70s with afternoon highs in the upper-80s to lower-90s. There is a very small chance (less than 20%) of rainfall everyday.

It does look like our next cold front will swing through before the following weekend. This front will likely come with showers and thunderstorms. It will also lower humidity and temperatures down into the 70s, but forecast confidence will grow as we get closer.

Have storm or flood photos from your neighborhood? Share what you’re seeing with the KPRC 2 Weather Team through Click2Pins at click2houston.com/pins/.

“Turn and burn,” top Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino called the strategy, with relentless displays of force and teams of agents descending on restaurant kitchens, bus stops and Home Depot parking lots.

In December, arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents peaked at nearly 40,000 nationwide and were nearly as high the next month, according to data provided to UC Berkeley’s Deportation Data Project and analyzed by The Associated Press.

In late January, the killings in Minneapolis of two American citizens by immigration officers and growing concerns over the government’s heavy-handed tactics led to a shake-up of top immigration officials. In the weeks that followed, ICE arrests across the country dropped on average by nearly 12%.

Polling has found the general public felt the immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota went too far, a factor that may have contributed to the abrupt firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in early March.

The numbers don't follow the same pattern everywhere

Bovino, who swaggered through raid scenes in tactical gear and was the public face of the Trump administration crackdown, was pushed aside following the killings in Minneapolis of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Border czar Tom Homan was then sent to the Twin Cities to chart a new course for immigration enforcement, and he announced the drawdown of immigration agents in the state on Feb. 4.

An AP analysis of ICE arrest records show the department averaged 7,369 weekly arrests nationwide in the five weeks after Homan’s drawdown announcement, , the most recent period for which data is available, down from 8,347 per week in the previous five weeks. Those arrest numbers were still higher on average than during much of the first year of President Donald Trump's second term, and were dramatically higher than during the Biden administration.

The numbers were not, however, uniform across the country.

ICE arrests rose significantly in Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina and Florida during those five weeks, in some cases hitting their highest weekly count since the start of Trump’s second term.. In Kentucky alone, weekly arrests more than doubled, reaching 86 by early March.

Those increases were offset by steep drops in a handful of large states, including Minnesota and Texas.

Many arrested were not Trump's ‘worst of the worst’

The Trump administration insists it is targeting the most vicious criminals living illegally in the U.S., and the president has referred to them as “ the worst of the worst.”

In some cases the description is accurate, but the reality is complicated.

Many of the toughest criminals taken into ICE custody were already in prison, but many others who were arrested have no criminal history.

Nationally, some 46% of the people ICE arrested in the five weeks before Feb. 4 had no criminal charges or convictions, dropping to 41% in the five weeks that followed.

Yet that’s still above the 35% weekly average for the time since Trump returned to office. And in a number of states, even after Feb. 4, the share of noncriminals being arrested went up, not down.

Has there been a change in approach?

Across the country, thousands of federal court filings offer an imperfect window into how the Trump administration’s deportation tactics remain in high gear, even if activity has waned.

Like the 21-year-old Honduran man with no criminal record who has filed a petition for release after being arrested Feb. 22 in a suburban San Diego traffic stop. The father of three U.S. citizen children — ages 5, 3 and 10 months — had been under ICE surveillance, the petition says, before officers in tactical gear pulled him over.

Or the 33-year-old Venezuelan woman, a well-known South Texas doctor who worked in a region designated as medically underserved, who was arrested earlier this month with her five-year-old daughter, a U.S. citizen, on her way to her husband’s asylum hearing.

She was arrested, officials said, for overstaying her visa.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow with the research and advocacy group the American Immigration Council, says he sees signs of change in lower arrest and detention numbers but warns it’s too early to know if those shifts are permanent.

“The Trump administration says: ‘We’re not slowing down,’ ‘Nothing has changed,’” in immigration enforcement, he said. “But it’s very clear that they have pulled back from some of the tactics of Operation Metro Surge,” the crackdown that swept Minneapolis.

___

Kessler reported from Washington and Sullivan from Minneapolis. Associated Press reporters Elliot Spagat in San Diego and Gisela Salomon in Miami contributed.

“America’s energy policy should be grounded in facts, fiscal responsibility, and the national interest — not ideology or politics,″ they wrote.

One of the lawmakers is Rep. Jen Kiggans, a former Navy helicopter pilot who represents a coastal district in Virginia where an $11.5 billion wind farm is expected to create 1,000 jobs. Her support for an initiative targeted by Trump shows the scrambled politics of clean energy in an election year where Republicans are at risk of losing the House.

Kiggans could be even more at risk after Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a new congressional map that makes her competitive district more Democratic than before.

Trump's broader campaign against clean energy resulted in the cancellation of nearly $35 billion in U.S. projects last year, according to a report by E2, a clean energy business group. Republican-held congressional districts lost nearly twice as much in investments than did Democratic districts, the report said.

For now, the Virginia project is back on track, along with the other four, because of federal court rulings. But Elaine Luria, a former congresswoman who is seeking the Democratic nomination in the 2nd Congressional District represented by Kiggans, said the incumbent's efforts have been futile in the face of Trump’s onslaught.

“Her advocacy did nothing," Luria said. Kiggans did not respond to requests for comment.

A president who hates ‘windmills’

Trump has treated energy issues as another front in the nation's cultural clashes, referring to Democrats' support for clean energy as the “Green New Scam.” He frequently talks about his hatred of “windmills,” which he described as “STUPID AND UGLY” on social media. He issued an executive order on the first day of his second term blocking wind projects and he has insisted that “smart countries” do not use wind power.

Solar farms are not much better in his mind.

“You go around and you see all these things that are 3 miles long by 3 miles wide and you say what the hell is that,” Trump said at the White House last summer.

The administration even agreed to pay $1 billion to a French company to walk away from two U.S. offshore wind leases and instead invest in oil and natural gas projects.

Kiggans voted in favor of Republican legislation to gut clean energy tax credits as part of Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill even though she has long portrayed herself as a champion of renewable energy. Democrats have turned the issue into campaign advertisements, and Luria said it undermines Kiggans' attempt to “sell herself as if she's a moderate.”

Luria said Kiggans “voted for a bill to make energy more expensive.”

In a Facebook post after the bill was passed in July, Kiggans said her vote “wasn’t about politics — it was about overall results.”

“I had ONE vote, and I voted YES on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act not because it was perfect but because it delivers permanent tax relief for families & small businesses, rebuilds our Navy & invests in national defense," she wrote.

Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, said front-line Republicans have been put in a difficult position.

“Kiggans is not the only Republican being squeezed" as Trump focuses on his own priorities and the country faces economic headwinds exacerbated by the war with Iran, he said. Although few want to risk upsetting the president, Farnsworth said, “in coastal Virginia politics, there’s not much upside to opposing wind."

U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., has been caught up in a controversy over the Gateway Tunnel, which will add new rail tracks under the Hudson River to alleviate congestion between his state and New York City. Trump tried to block federal funding, a potential setback for commuters in towns that Kean represents. A judge ordered the administration to restore money for the project after Democratic leaders in New Jersey and New York went to court.

An opportunity to lead on offshore wind

Although Trump has dismissed offshore wind turbines as ugly, the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is about 27 miles (43 kilometers) out into the ocean, making it difficult to see from land. On a recent visit to the Portsmouth Marine Terminal, where construction is staged, the turbines were impossible to discern along the horizon.

Dominion Energy, which operates the wind farm, says it delivered its first power to the grid last month. The project, first announced in 2013, is expected to create 1,000 jobs and generate about $2 billion in economic activity, the company said.

Once finished, the 176-turbine project could deliver 2.6 gigawatts of power to the grid — enough to supply more than 660,000 homes — at a time when Virginia faces growing energy demand from an expanding hub of artificial intelligence data centers.

“There's an opportunity here for Hampton Roads to be a national leader in offshore wind,'' said Andrew Nissman, a spokesman for the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, which has trained maritime workers for the project.

Nissman declined to comment on the congressional race, saying, ”as with any stop-and-start challenge, it's important the project is moving forward.''

While the wind farm is now partially online, "Kiggans nearly cost her constituents this project by standing with an administration dead set on dismantling the offshore wind industry and voting to repeal critical clean energy tax credits last year,'' said Dan Taylor, Southeast regional field manager for the BlueGreen Alliance, which coordinates labor unions and environmental groups.

“Kiggans claims to prioritize jobs, lower energy costs for Virginians and reducing emissions,” Taylor added. “Yet she voted to kill jobs, skyrocket energy costs to families and increase the emissions driving climate change.”

Houston Police responded to a reported collision around 2:20 a.m. at 3999 Gessner Road near Centrepark Drive.

Witnesses told investigators the two vehicles collided as one traveled southbound on Gessner and the other traveled northbound and attempted to turn onto Centrepark.

Investigators said speed may have been a factor, and both drivers are being investigated for possible impairment.

• MORE NEWS: Toddler dies after being struck by vehicle in Southwest Houston apartment complex parking lot, HPD says

Police said the vehicle attempting to turn was a Honda Accord occupied by two young adult women. The front-seat passenger was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, officials said. The other vehicle was described as a white Ford Taurus traveling southbound with one adult man inside.

No charges have been filed as of Saturday morning. The crash remains under investigation by HPD.

HPD officers responded around 9:26 p.m. Friday to the Reserve at Westwood apartments in the 10225 block of Bissonnet Street.

Police said a family was leaving their apartment and loading into a vehicle with their young child—described as a 1-year-old—when the child slipped away from his mother and ran into the roadway within the parking lot.

Investigators said a security guard patrolling the complex made contact with the child. The guard stopped and got out, and both the child’s father and the security guard called 911 and began rendering aid.

• MORE NEWS: Houston police search for catalytic converter theft suspect who hit parked car in Montrose

Police said after attempting first aid, the father and the guard decided to try to transport the child to the hospital in the security guard’s vehicle. As they were heading toward the front of the complex, Houston Fire Department crews arrived, began providing emergency care, and took over transport to the hospital.

The child later died at the hospital, police said. Family members were with the child at the hospital.

The security guard remained on scene and has been cooperating with investigators. HPD said the guard was evaluated by DWI investigators and showed no signs of intoxication. He is not facing charges at this time.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Houston Police Department.

More than 70,000 people are eligible to vote for municipal government in Deir al-Balah, a central Gaza city that has been damaged by airstrikes but was spared an Israeli ground invasion. The single-city vote is a largely symbolic “pilot," election officials say, part of an effort to politically link Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Palestinians see both as integral to any future path to statehood.

Voters spoke about the near-total absence of public services and said the devastation in Gaza compelled them to participate.

“I came to vote because I have a right to elect members to municipal council so they can provide us with services,” Ashraf Abu Dan said outside his Deir al-Balah polling place.

There and throughout the occupied West Bank, voting will determine the makeup of local councils tasked with overseeing water, roads and electricity. Turnout may reflect the level of public trust in a broader system led by aging leaders in the West Bank and as Gaza prepares for an anticipated transition from Hamas rule.

Some polling places in the West Bank and central Gaza's Deir al-Balah were busy on Saturday, though others were more empty. Election officials reported 24.5% turnout as of 1 p.m.

Voters who turned out said they wanted a say over decision-making in their cities.

“Municipal laws need to be enforced so people feel there’s justice,” Khalid al-Qawasmeh, a voter in the West Bank city of Beitunia, said outside his polling place in the West Bank city Beitunia. His finger was inked blue to mark having voted.

Linking the West Bank and Gaza politically

Though it has not held presidential or legislative elections since 2006, the Palestinian Authority promoted the local races after reforms it enacted last year in response to demands from international backers.

Under the slogan “We Stay,” the Ramallah-based Central Election Commission campaigned to encourage participation and reflect how Palestinians living amid war and occupation want a say in how they're governed.

“We’re talking about geographically linking the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” Rami Hamdallah, the commission's chairman, said.

With Gaza mostly decimated after more than two years of war, the commission chose to hold its first vote in Deir al-Balah but had to improvise because it was unable to conduct traditional voter registration.

Hamdallah said Israel blocked the entry of materials like ballot paper, ballot boxes or ink into Gaza. The commission repurposed material instead, using wooden ballot boxes and blue ink leftover from a vaccination drive last year.

The commission said it did not coordinate directly with either Israel or Hamas ahead of the vote. Associated Press footage showed security officers keeping order outside polling stations. COGAT, the Israeli military body that oversees humanitarian affairs in Gaza, did not respond to questions about blocking materials.

Though Palestinian voter turnout has gradually decreased, it has been relatively high in past local elections by regional standards, averaging between 50% and 60%. By comparison, turnout in recent local elections in Lebanon and Tunisia was under 40% and 12%, respectively.

A thin candidat

e pool

Ninety-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas signed a decree last year reforming elections in line with some demands of Western donors, including allow voting for individuals rather than slates.

In January, another Abbas decree required candidates to accept the program of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the group that leads the Palestinian Authority. The program calls for the recognition of Israel and renouncing armed struggle, effectively sidelining Hamas and other factions.

Campaign posters have been plastered across cities, though many — including Ramallah and Nablus — don't have contested elections.

Slates in major cities are dominated by Fatah, the faction that leads the Palestinian Authority, and independents, some with ties to other factions. However, it’s the first time in six local elections that no faction besides Fatah has put forward its own slate — an absence that analysts say reflects political disillusionment under Abbas and the authority’s aging leadership.

In Qalqilya, a city where no slates registered to participate at all, Marwan Ennabi said elections didn't reflect that Palestinian democracy was thriving. He said he expected more of the same from officials regardless of what happens in any city. The Palestinian Authority will appoint councils in cities without contested races.

“This isn't transparency," he said. "This is chaos, chaos, chaos!”

The Palestinian Authority’s power has withered amid years without peace negotiations and Israel tightening its grip on the occupied West Bank. But it sees local elections as a low-risk way to demonstrate progress on reforms, said Aref Jaffal, director of the al-Marsad Arab World Democracy and Electoral Monitor.

“The PA wants to show it is on the right track on political, financial and administrative reforms, and is using local elections as a symbol of that,” he said.

With the authority incapable of addressing hundreds of new military gates and settler outposts constricting movement in the West Bank, he said councils have taken on greater importance, overseeing local health centers and schools that residents once accessed elsewhere.

Deir al-Balah will be Gaza's first election since 2006

Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006 and violently seized control of Gaza from the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority a year later. It did not put forward candidates Saturday.

Hamas controls the half of Gaza that Israel withdrew from last year, including Deir al-Balah, but the coastal enclave is preparing to transition to a new governance structure under U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan.

The plan established an international Board of Peace and a committee of unelected Palestinian experts supposed to operate and govern under it. Progress toward further phases, including disarming Hamas, reconstruction and transferring power, is stalled.

Though elections in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem are regular points of contention between Israel and Palestinian leaders, the Oslo Accords did not include provisions about holding local races there.

___

Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press writers Jalal Bwaitel and Imad Isseid in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report.

McDonald, projected as a potential first-round draft pick and linked to the Texans throughout the draft process, is determined to prove he deserved to be picked even higher.

McDonald was the Big Ten Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year.

“They said I was the best defensive tackle in the draft,” McDonald said when asked about his interactions with the Texans coaching staff during his visit to Reliant Stadium. “The upside is there. I’m a physical player and I set the tone.”

Having McDonald along with Pro Bowl defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter and fellow defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins, Tommy Togiai, whom the Texans coaches said McDonald reminds them of, and Logan Hall is a formidable defensive line to go with Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr., Pro Bowl corner Kamari Lassiter and Pro Bowl safety Calen Bullock and safety Reed Blankenship.

The Texans’ defense, under the leadership of coach DeMeco Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke is formidable.

“It’s going to be tough to score on us,” McDonald said. “We already got the pieces on defense. Adding me, it’s gonna be special. The defensive line coach told me I was the best in the class. I knew that they were coming to get me.

“There’s a guy named Tommy Togiai. He went to Ohio State and they said I remind them of him. They just want me to go attack. They don’t want me to react. They want me to go get it. That’ what I’m going to do. That’s what I do best."

McDonald was drafted 36th overall after a trade in the second round with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Texans traded the 38th overall pick and 117th overall selection of the fourth round in exchange for the Raiders’ original 36th overall pick and the 91st overall selection in the third round.

“We felt McDonald was probably the best run defender in the draft,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “Matt Patricia did a really good job with him, got the most out of him. He’ll be a good fit for our program. We like the player. The player falls, we can’t control any of that.

“We brought him in the building, had a good visit with him. Did a lot of work on him. We felt like he was the best run-stopping defensive tackle in the draft. So, let’s add him to the team.”

One of the top defensive players in the draft, McDonald is determined to prove the Texans made a great decision to pick him.

“Everybody that went before me, that’s what fuels me,” McDonald said. “There’s not one player better than me in this class. I’m gonna show it. I’m coming in to work.

“I knew I was going to go early Day 2. Can’t be down on yourself. All you need to do is get your foot in the door. And that’s what I did. And now it’s go time.”

The Big Ten Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year had a formal meeting with the Texans at the NFL scouting combine.

McDonald had multiple visits, including the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Texans can use a young, athletic defensive tackle for their top-ranked defense to work in tandem with Rankins, Togiai and Hall.

McDonald, a Texarkana native who grew up in Suwanee, Georgia, provides a dominant inside presence at 6-foot-2 1/8, 326 pounds and operates with outstanding leverage and pad level. The first-team All-Big Ten Conference selection recorded 65 tackles last season for the Buckeyes with three sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

“The upside is there, I’m only 21 years old,” McDonald said. “So, I got a little ways to go. The way I play, I’m a physical player. I set the tone. And I’m available. I’m going to be available. I’m a young player, and I got a lot of untapped potential. I’m going to get better every day.”

The breakout season propelled him into position into the NFL draft and to join the Texans.

McDonald isn’t regarded as a great pass rusher. Caserio compared him to former Texans defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi from a size standpoint.

“The big thing is you have to play to your strengths,” Caserio said. “What a player does well, let’s accentuate the strengths. I think sometimes even a player ha a perception, well, I want to be able to do this. Well, look, you’re 6-foot-3, 330 pounds. The best thing you do is play strong at the point of attack. So, your pass rush is probably going to be a little bit different than Denico Autry or somebody else that’s rushing inside.

“We have the best defensive coaching staff and probably have the best defensive line coach in the league in Rod Wright and Frank Okam. There’s a perception that we want a bunch of guys that sprint off the ball and don’t have enough playing strength. You’ve got to be able to play strong at the point of attack. Our defense has evolved. Does a player like this fit in this front. The answer is absolutely yes.”

McDonald was overcome with joy in an emotional scene after he wasn’t drafted in the first round. He remained in Pittsburgh overnight after being convinced to stay by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

His wait wasn’t long Friday night as he got the call to join the Texans, shouting out coach DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator Matt Burke and Caserio.

“This is a once in a lifetime experience,” McDonald said. “The Texans believe in me coach Burke, coach Ryans, Caserio, those guys believe in me. It was emotional seeing my family. I came from nothing. This is crazy to me.

“That defense, I’m telling you, we ready. I don’t really got too much to stay.”

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

Rutledge was acquired by the Texans after trading up to the Buffalo Bills’ original first-round pick at 26th overall in exchange for a trade that nets them the 91st overall selection. They sent the Bills the 28th overall, 69th overall in the third round and 167th overall in the fifth round selections.

Why did the Texans draft Rutledge and have such a strong conviction about the third-team All-American and first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection? A hard-nosed mentality, and a pile of bodies he left on the ground with a series of punishing blocks.

“The things that stand out about him, toughness, violence, physicality, his playing style, his intelligence,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “Basically, the guy wants to step on your throat on every play, which I would say sort of embodies what our football team is about, the way we play.

“Intense, violent, physical. We’re going to run the football this year. It was an area that we felt like we wanted to and needed to improve on during the offseason. Hopefully, we’ve done that.”

Georgia Tech coach Brent Key called him the best offensive lineman he’s ever coached and the toughest player he’s worked with.

Rutledge tries to embody that serious approach to the game every snap he takes.

“It’s just who I want to be as a football player,” Rutledge said. “You want to be tough. You want to be relentless. You want to punch somebody in the face. You want to set the tone, and I think that’s what I do.

“That’s what I’m gonna bring every day. I control what I can control and that’s how hard I play, how I finish, how I strain, how detailed I am. I think that comes with toughness, how you push through things when you don’t feel right. That’s what I bring to Houston.”

Rutledge recently worked out privately in Georgia for Texans offensive line coach and run game coordinator Cole Popovich, per a league source.

The Texans were intrigued by the physicality and serious approach of Rutledge throughout the draft process. The recent private workout conducted shortly before the draft reinforced their strong feelings about him as a player and person, per a league source.

“Him getting down here to Georgia Tech and just working me out, obviously you go out there and try to put your best foot forward,” Rutledge said. “Show him who you are. Obviously, he’s watched so much tape, so he already knows, right? But just put me through some movement stuff, seeing how I move.

“He’s just honestly coaching me up, man, you know, telling me like, ‘Hey, this is how, if you came to Houston, this is how we would do things, how we’re gonna throw punches. I’m just just soaking it up, trying to be a sponge, trying to learn from that guy. Man, obviously he knows what he’s doing, and I really had good feedback. I knew he liked me.”

Now, Rutledge is a Texan as he joins an overhauled line that includes left tackle Aireontae Ersery, left guard Wyatt Teller, center Jake Andrews, right guard Ed Ingram, right tackle Braden Smith and former Pro Bowl swing tackle Trent Brown.

“Physical, tough, strong, good run blocker, good at the point of attack, probably more athletic than people think he is,” Caserio said. “He’s got some technique things that he can certainly clean up. The makeup on this guy is elite. I think ‘Big Red’ who he is is emblematic in what you saw tonight. Basically, the guy was in an Airbnb with his wife and that was pretty much it.

“You see some of these other draft parties, it’s like a circus. This guy is all ball. He’s all football. Doesn’t really care about anything else. Wants to punch people in the mouth. Yep, that works here. That’s what you see on tape, which is part of the intrigue with the player.”

A Middle Tennessee State transfer, Rutledge is 6-foot-4, 316 pounds and has run the 40-yard dash in 5.05 seconds. He tested consistently in training in 4.9 seconds.

He was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection at right guard two seasons ago and a third-team All-American last season and all-conference again.

He is known for his power, strength, technique and gritty style.

The Texans didn’t have to move far or give up much to acquire Rutledge. The Texans didn’t want to take any chance of losing out on a player they love. Another league source said there was an actual threat, though, that they could potentially lose out on Rutledge within the AFC South. The Tennessee Titans were trying to move ahead of the Texans with the intention of drafting Rutledge, per a league source. The Texans wanted Rutledge throughout the draft process, per sources.

“Moving two spots was more of positioning that anything else,” Caserio said. “We felt like there could potentially be some interest in the player, so we felt like: ‘Alright, let’s move a couple of spots.’”

Rutledge won the Atlantic Coast Conference Brian Piccolo Award as the conference’s most courageous player, in recognition of overcoming serious injuries sustained in a automobile accident in December 2023.

Rutledge nearly had to have his foot amputated, but overcame the injury and got back to playing football again at a high level.

“It’s just a blessing, obviously, going through that car wreck when it could have been a lot, lot worse,” Rutledge said. “God had his hand with me. What happened to the foot that wasn’t a good deal, and then obviously, getting infected. When you get a bone infection, it’s a chance that they’re gonna cut it off. And that’s not good. God was just with me the whole time.

“Obviously, I battled back and found a way to get out there, and once, I found a way out there, two years of film and now we’re here. Just so blessed to be able to have this opportunity, and God’s been so gracious to me. I’m ready to get after it.”

He started all 13 games at right guard and did not allow a sack and surrendered just six quarterback hurries in 872 snaps in 2025.

Texans assistant general manager James Liipfert scouted Rutledge extensively throughout the fall and draft process. Liipfert is a former Georgia Tech linebacker who was a finalist for the Atlanta Falcons’ general manager job and is regarded in NFL circles as a future NFL general manager.

“James does a good job,” Caserio said. “I think the scouting group does a phenomenal job, the pro staff, the college staff. Essentially when we were going through the draft, we were looking at each team, ‘Okay, what are their needs? What do we think they’re going to do?’ Whoever had that team had an answer in a heartbeat. Honestly, it played out exactly the way I thought.

“I have a lot of respect and appreciation for our group. They work really, really hard. They take a lot of pride. They care. They’re informed. They understand their teams and they provide incredible information so that ultimately, we can make good decisions for the organization. That’s the most important thing.”

Rutledge could challenge center Jake Andrews for a starting job. He has played some center, including at the Senior Bowl all-star game.

Teller signed a two-year, $23 million contract this offseason. The Texans could take their time with Rutledge, too.

“I’m comfortable at all three,” Rutledge said. “Honestly, obviously you’re most comfortable at right guard, because that’s what I played, kind of as a freshman, started there and just stuck there through all the years, but right side to left side. Obviously, it’s an adjustment.

“At center, man, I’m so comfortable with it, because coach Key always told me: ‘Hey, you have to play all three at the next level. You never know where they’re gonna put you at. I was kind of the emergency guy senior year. Senior Bowl, taking snaps, 100% confident that I can do that point out the Mike, have everybody on the same page. I can play all three.”

His best spot, though, is right guard where Ingram is currently deployed after signing a three-year, $37.5 million contract extension in March.

“We’ll see,” Caserio said. “He’ll probably play wherever he needs to play. I’d say all three inside guys, you’ve got some guys that are center only, some guys that are guard only, some guys that can play all three spots.

“We’ll see how it goes. Where is he going to play? We’ll see. Nobody knows. We’ll figure that out as we go.”

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

The odds of Kevin Warsh becoming chair by the time Jerome Powell's term ends May 15 shot higher Friday when U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro, said she would drop her probe into Powell over his testimony last summer about the Fed’s costly building renovations.

But should he be confirmed, Warsh will still face several hurdles to reducing rates, including rising gas prices that are pushing up inflation, questions about his political independence, and 11 other Fed policymakers who have a vote on the decision, with most of them not ready to cut.

At a Senate hearing Tuesday, Warsh pledged to be independent from White House pressure, but said relatively little about the direction he would take rates. While economists say he was likely just being cautious, he missed a chance to lay out an argument for rate cuts.

“Warsh’s stated outlook is much more consistent with an extended hold than additional cuts,” Aditya Bhave, head of U.S. economics at BofA Securities, wrote in a client note.

Trump, meanwhile, has kept up the pressure. When asked last week on Fox Business whether he still expects interest rates to decline, Trump said, “when Kevin gets in, I do ... interest rates should be much lower.”

Here's what you need to know about Warsh and what he will face as next Fed chair:

Rising inflation will make it harder to cut rates

Warsh, who was a member of the Fed's governing board from 2006 to 2011, regularly argued for rate cuts last year as he sought Trump's nomination to replace Powell. But since being named in late January, he has kept quiet, and hasn't made any public comments since the Iran war started Feb. 28.

The war has pushed up oil and gas prices, which caused inflation to spike to a two-year high of 3.3% in March, above the Fed's target of 2%. The Fed typically keeps its short-term rate — currently at about 3.6% — elevated to combat inflation, or even raises it.

The Fed reduces its rate to spur more spending and hiring, and earlier this year several Fed officials worried that a slowdown in job gains demonstrated that the rate was too high. But in recent weeks there are signs the job market may be stabilizing, possibly undercutting the need for a rate reduction.

Christopher Waller, a Fed governor who voted in favor of a rate cut in January, last week expressed concerns that rising inflation could mean the Fed would have to stand pat. He also suggested that with the unemployment rate a still-low 4.3%, rate cuts might not be necessary.

And Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last week that if the Fed wanted “to wait for some clarity” before cutting rates, "I understand that,” a statement widely seen as providing some cover for Warsh to keep rates unchanged for at least a few months.

For now, Wall Street investors see little chance for a rate cut until October 2027, according to futures pricing.

Certainly, if inflation cools in the coming months and unemployment worsens, more Fed officials could end up supporting a rate cut. The economy has been volatile for the past year, at times looking healthy and other times anemic.

Warsh is just one of 12 voters at the Fed

Another challenge for Warsh is that he will be just one of 12 voters on the Fed's rate-setting committee, which meets eight times a year to decide on where to set its overnight interest rate. Most have indicated in recent speeches or votes that they are reluctant to lower borrowing costs with inflation as high as it is. The committee voted 11-1 to keep rates unchanged in March.

Next week, at a meeting likely to be Powell's last, the committee is widely expected to keep rates where they are.

Stephen Miran, a governor Trump appointed last September, was the only official to vote for a rate cut in March and has voted to cut rates at every meeting he has attended. But Warsh will replace Miran. Another governor Trump named in his first term, Michelle Bowman, has also occasionally dissented in favor of a rate cut.

But there is a larger faction on the committee that wants the Fed to start considering the possibility of hiking rates, rather than cutting them, at upcoming meetings, according to minutes of their March gathering.

Members of the Fed's board typically seek to support the chair, former Fed officials say. But rarely can a chair single-handedly and quickly swing an entire committee in his or her direction.

Jon Faust, an economist at Johns Hopkins and former adviser to Powell, said that the last time a chair was able to achieve something close to that was in the late 1990s, when then-chair Alan Greenspan famously persuaded the rest of the committee that rising productivity from the Internet would prevent inflation from taking off, and so the Fed didn't need to raise rates.

Yet that was after Greenspan had been chair for several years and had built support on the committee, Faust said.

“Warsh comes in with essentially none of the gravitas that Greenspan had,” Faust said. “Instead, Warsh comes in with the baggage that Trump has really loaded on him. It’s not Warsh’s fault, but Trump has led to legitimate questions about whether he’ll act independently.”

One way to establish independence would be for Warsh to not cut rates right away, economists have said.

Warsh didn't make a big case for cuts

In his remarks at Tuesday's hearing, Warsh acknowledged that “we have a short window to try to bring inflation back down to where it should be,” which some economists said sounded more like an argument for rate hikes, rather than cuts.

Warsh also said that the job market is essentially at what the Fed considers “maximum employment,” or the lowest the unemployment rate can go before it starts to push up inflation. That also suggests the Fed doesn't need to cut to boost hiring.

Before being nominated, Warsh had often argued that artificial intelligence would accelerate growth and make the economy more efficient. Similar to the Internet, he often said, it would allow the Fed to reduce interest rates without worrying about inflation.

At his hearing, Warsh repeated his claim about AI, but added, “we don't know that, we can't bank on that,” which struck many economists as a step back from his previous stance.

Warsh's views "didn't have a lot of clarity going in,” Claudia Sahm, chief economist at New Century Advisers and a former Fed economist, said. “And then he muddied the waters. There were so few specifics.”

Wembanyama — the league’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year and one of three finalists for the Most Valuable Player award — went down in the second quarter of Game 2 on Tuesday night and did not return.

Portland went on to win the game 106-103 in San Antonio to tie the series at 1-1. The Spurs then overcame Wembanyama's absence to win 120-108 on Friday night.

“Victor is not playing tonight. Obviously, there's a lot that goes into that, but he's doing well and progressing,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said before the game.

Wembanyama traveled to Portland with the Spurs on Thursday afternoon while continuing to complete the steps mandated by the league’s concussion protocol. He was listed as questionable for Friday’s game.

Johnson said he was going to keep details of Wembanyama’s condition "in-house,” except to say he’s continuing to progress. His status for Sunday's Game 4 was not known.

Wembanyama was putting up shots at the team’s shootaround Friday morning at the Moda Center. He watched from the bench in street clothes during the game, often standing to cheer on his teammates.

Luke Kornet got the start against the Trail Blazers in Wembanyama’s absence, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Players must clear a series of benchmarks before being cleared for play under the concussion protocol. The results are compared to baseline neurological evaluations players take at the start of the season.

Any extended absence by Wembanyama could be a massive blow to San Antonio, which finished with the league’s second-best record behind the versatile 7-foot-4 center from France. They were 12-6 in the regular season without him.

Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-best 3.1 blocks per game this season.

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

Jeffrey Viel and Jackson LaCombe also scored in the third and Lukas Dostal made 20 saves for the upstart Ducks, who have poured in 16 goals in three games to take an early lead in this first-round series against the two-time Western Conference champion Oilers. Mason McTavish and Alex Killorn scored early goals to the soundtrack of a raucous sellout crowd hungry for Orange County's first postseason hockey since 2018.

“It sounded like an army out there almost,” Sennecke said. “They've been waiting eight years for this, nine years for a win, so it was pretty special.”

Just as they've done so many times over their first season under coach Joel Quenneville, the Ducks overcame their clear defensive shortcomings by simply outscoring the powerhouse Oilers, thriving even after Connor McDavid recorded his first points of the series.

“I thought we had a great start to the game (and) did a lot of good things most of the night,” Quenneville said. “It was nice to see the crowd get rewarded with a win. Been a long time coming.”

Game 4 is Sunday night in Anaheim.

McDavid had a power-play goal in the third period and an assist, although the NHL scoring champion still doesn't appear to be at full health. Vasily Podkolzin, Kasperi Kapanen and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored, and Connor Ingram stopped 32 shots.

“You look at the goals against, and just some stuff that shouldn't happen, especially at this time of year,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. “There was lost coverage in front of the net. Couple of times we were careless with the puck. Early on, they were much more intense. They definitely looked like they wanted it more in the first period. We were able to find our legs. We started skating later in the game.”

Appropriately for a defense-deficient series, the Ducks capitalized on two transition sequences early in the third to take control.

Moments after Sennecke ripped a wrist shot for the tiebreaking goal and the precocious rookie's first playoff point, Carlsson clinically finished a textbook 2-on-1 rush with Troy Terry.

McDavid trimmed the Oilers’ deficit with a fortunate deflection off Pavel Mintyukov’s stick, but the superstar short-circuited another power play later in the third by cross-checking Tyson Hinds.

Viel then flipped home a backhand with 3:03 left to cap a strong game by the Ducks' fourth line, and LaCombe lofted an empty-net goal all the way from the Ducks' goal line to seal Anaheim's first home playoff victory since May 14, 2017, in the conference finals against Nashville.

“We couldn't even hear ourselves out there,” Viel said. “Definitely got us going right from the start.”

The clubs split the series' first two games in Edmonton, but the Ducks demonstrated they could stay with the playoff-tested Oilers despite the obvious deficiencies of an inexperienced group that allowed more goals this season than any other playoff team.

Anaheim rode the wave of crowd energy and dominated play early in Game 3, putting 20 shots on Ingram in the first period. The Oilers surged to a 3-2 lead early in the second, but Killorn tied it with his 39th career playoff goal.

Oilers forwards Adam Henrique and Jason Dickinson missed Game 3 with injuries.

___

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

Nick Kurtz, Carlos Cortes and Tyler Soderstrom each hit a ball over the outfield wall — just seven pitches into the game – all off 15-season veteran Nathan Eovaldi.

“Three runs on the board is huge,” said Cortes, who also homered off Eovaldi in the fifth with two runners on. “That guy’s a legend, great pitcher. I just felt good today. Excited to come through in some big situations.”

Kurtz launched Eovaldi’s first-pitch fastball over the right-field wall. Cortes sent another shot to right, and Tyler Soderstrom homered on the first pitch he saw to straight-away center.

“It’s kind of great from pitch one to be able to put a score up on the board,” Kurtz said. “The boys followed up that with two more. It’s pretty cool. We usually get a heater, so I was looking for it, and he threw it in a place where I could hit it.”

It was the first time in franchise history the A’s homered three times in the top of the first inning, according to Elias and Sarah Langs. The last time they homered three times in the first came at home on July 8 last season against the Atlanta Braves.

Eovaldi gave up at least three homers in an inning for the fourth time in 15 big league seasons, the first time since he came to Texas in 2023. He allowed a career-high five to Houston in May 2022, while with the Boston Red Sox.

The 36-year-old right-hander had no trouble with the Athletics’ batting order when he faced them on April 13 in California, shutting them out over seven innings on three hits in an 8-1 Rangers victory. He entered Friday with a career ERA against the A’s of 2.54, his lowest against any opponent he has faced at least six times.

“We’ve had our struggles against him,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “We came out tonight and got some balls up in the zone. It’s obviously a great start when your leadoff guy hits a homer. There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of momentum.”

“Early on they were really on top of the fastball,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “First pitch of the game, obviously, their game plan was on the attack, and they executed it.”

Eovaldi's ERA is 5.79 through six starts after compiling a career-best 1.73 last season in 22 starts. He said he's struggling with pitch location.

“Lately I’ve just been middle-middle, middle-away, middle-in," he said.

___

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

The Lakers rallied from a six-point deficit with under 30 seconds remaining and can sweep the series Sunday night in Houston.

“It’s tough to win on the road in the playoffs and even without KD they’re a great basketball team,” coach JJ Redick said. “And that was a huge test for us, especially in that moment when we’re down six.”

Los Angeles opened overtime with a 6-2 run, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Smart to take a 107-103 lead.

Smart made two free throws with 35.5 seconds to go to make it 111-105. Reed Sheppard made a 3-pointer to get Houston within three with less than 30 seconds left in overtime but Smart made 1 of 2 free throws to push the lead to 112-108.

The 41-year-old James played more than 45 minutes Friday night. He said with top scorers Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out with injuries he has no choice but to do whatever he can.

“Everyone has to do a little bit more because of how much we’re missing,” James said. “It’s a challenge for all of us and just trying to figure it out together.”

Smart added 21 points and 10 assists, and Rui Hachimura added 22 points for the Lakers.

Even with Durant out for a second game in this series — this time with a sprained ankle after missing Game 1 with a knee injury — the Rockets were in position to close out the game after James had consecutive turnovers that Houston turned into a 101-95 lead.

Houston struggled at times to close out games in the fourth quarter and the problem continued Friday night.

“It’s obviously a weakness of ours to close out and finish,” coach Ime Udoka said. “The amount of mistakes or the type of mistakes are egregious and you can’t have those.”

Durant wasn't on the bench Friday night and Udoka said it was because he was receiving treatment on his injured ankle.

Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 33 points and 16 rebounds. Amen Thompson added 26 points and 11 rebounds.

The Lakers led by 15 early, but were down six before Smart was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 25 seconds to go after a Houston turnover and made all three free throws.

“It was a smart play, and that’s part of my vet savvy, being in the league for 12 years,” Smart said. “I picked up some tricks from some guys, right. So, that helped us a lot.”

James then stole the ball from Sheppard and his 3-pointer tied it at 101-all with 13 seconds to go in the fourth.

Sengun missed a 7-footer and the Lakers had a chance to win, but James' 3-point attempt bounced off the rim to send it to OT.

James, who threw an alley-oop pass to his son Bronny for a basket in the first half, also had 13 rebounds.

___

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

Caserio was asked about a trade rumor that NFL teams had made inquiries regarding Collins, the Texans’ most dangerous offensive skill player.

“Look, teams call teams all the time to ask about players,” Caserio said in response to a question from KPRC 2. “We’re not trading Nico Collins. Whoever reported it, whatever information they had, I mean, they can take it and shove it. We’re not trading Nico.”

#Texans GM Nick Caserio full answer denying any interest from the team on fielding any potential trade inquiries for Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins @KPRC2 https://t.co/hmLtXbKZDF pic.twitter.com/m3jkRObM04

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 25, 2026

Collins signed a three-year, $75 million maximum value deal two years ago that included a $17 million signing bonus.

Collins is due $20 million fully guaranteed in 2026 and $21.25 million nonguaranteed in 2027. He has salary-cap figures of $27.517 million and $28.59 million over the next two years.

Collins restructured his contract to create $9.8 million in salary cap space last year, per a league source, as the Texans converted his $13.5 million base salary into a $12.33 million signing bonus. His original salary cap figure was $18.441 million for the 2025 season, and it was reduced to $8.577 million. To spread out the impact of the salary-cap maneuver, the Texans added void years of $40 million in 2028 and 2029.

He has annual $625,005 in per game active roster bonuses.

The deal includes annual $750,000 incentives: $250,000 for Pro Bowl selection, $250,000 for 95 catches, $250,000 for 1,460 receiving yards.

The deal could be restructured again for salary cap purposes. Collins is also likely due for a raise at some point and more years on his contract.

Collins, for his part, wants to remain a Texan for as long as possible

“Yeah, for sure, just keep this thing rolling, for sure, 1,000 percent,” Collins told KRPC 2 in February. “I love the city of Houston, man. I want to be here long-term, forever. My mom said every day, continue to be myself, continue to prove myself and get better. When the time is right, it will come.”

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

Carie Hallford faced between 25 and 35 years in prison under a plea agreement. Some family members of those whose bodies were left to rot had urged Judge Eric Bentley to impose the maximum sentence. But the judge said Carie Hallford made credible claims of being a victim of domestic violence and her ex-husband, Jon Hallford, was the driving force in their relationship.

Bentley added that 30 years was a “staggeringly huge sentence” and appropriate for her crimes.

Jon Hallford was sentenced to 40 years on corpse abuse charges at a February hearing in which he was called a “monster” by relatives of the victims.

Carie Hallford was the public face of Return to Nature, dealing with bereaved customers at the couple’s funeral home in Colorado Springs. Jon Hallford performed much of the physical work, including at a second location south of Colorado Springs in Penrose.

That's where authorities found bodies piled throughout a bug-infested building after neighbors complained about a foul odor in 2023.

One of those corpses was the mother of Tanya Wilson, who told Bentley on Friday that the family released what they thought were her ashes from a boat in Hawaii. It turned out her body was lying in toxic fluids on the floor of the Hallfords’ makeshift mortuary. Like other Return to Nature customers, the family received fake ashes instead of the cremated remains they were promised.

They had prepared her mother's body for meeting her Korean ancestors in the afterlife, Wilson said. To preserve her dignity, they brushed her hair, applied her favorite moisturizer and dressed her in special clothes to preserve the dignity she had in life.

“Carie Hallford annihilated that dignity,” Wilson said.

Carie Hallford apologized in court Friday, saying she was raised to know right from wrong but had lost who she once was.

She fought back tears as she said her marriage had been “a convoluted web of lies, deceit and abuse.” She said she was not a monster but deserved punishment.

Discovery of corpses spurred first routine inspections

Prosecutors have alleged that the Hallfords were motivated by greed. They charged more than $1,200 per customer, and authorities said the amount they spent on luxury items would have covered the cremation costs many times over.

The case became the most egregious in a string of allegations involving Colorado funeral homes as details emerged about the their lavish spending and their pattern of defrauding customers.

Colorado had been the only state that did not regulate funeral homes before lawmakers adopted recent changes. The Hallfords' case prompted laws mandating routine inspections and adopting a funeral director licensing system.

State inspectors acting under the new law last year found 24 decomposing bodies and multiple containers of bones behind a hidden door of a funeral home owned by the Pueblo County coroner and his brother. It was the first inspection of that Pueblo mortuary.

Before the bodies were found at Penrose, a mother and daughter who operated a funeral home in the western Colorado city of Montrose were sentenced to federal prison after being accused of selling body parts and giving clients fake ashes. In 2024, authorities in Denver arrested a financially troubled former funeral home owner who kept a body in a hearse for two years at a house where police also found the cremated remains of at least 30 people.

Carie Hallford was ‘the one who fed the monster’

Carie Hallford asked for leniency in March when she was sentenced in the federal fraud case, saying she was a victim of abuse and manipulation in her marriage.

Her attorney, Michael Stuzynski, said Friday said Carie Hallford initially believed what happened at Return to Nature was entirely her fault. He said she had a “lonely, gray and terrifying existence” and found solace in the interactions she had with the funeral home’s customers.

But Chief Deputy District Attorney Rachael Powell said Jon Hallford couldn’t have carried out the crimes alone. While his actions were gruesome, Powell said, Carie Hallford was the one manipulating clients as she smiled and took their money, knowing she was lying to them.

“She solicited bodies and took the checks. She fed Jon the bodies,” Powell said.

The Associated Press left voicemail and email messages with Jon Hallford's attorney seeking comment on the abuse allegations.

The Hallfords, who divorced following their arrest, received prison sentences in the related federal fraud case — 18 years for Carie and 20 years for Jon. They have each appealed.

Plea agreements call for the Hallfords' state prison sentences to be served concurrently with the federal sentences.

Authorities recovered 189 sets of remains from the Penrose building and said another two bodies were improperly buried. Two of the remains have not yet been identified, but officials continue trying, Fremont County coroner Randy Keller said.

___

Brown reported from Billings, Montana. Associated Press journalist Thomas Peipert contributed.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Friday that the EU is ready to work with Persian Gulf countries for new projects conveying energy to global markets that wouldn’t be held hostage to war or geopolitical strife.

"The events of the past month have taught us a hard lesson,” von der Leyen told a news conference at the end of an informal meeting of EU leaders in the capital of Cyprus. “Our security is not just related, it is intrinsically linked. A threat to a merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz is a threat to a factory, for example, in Belgium.”

The EU executive called for ramping up defense ties and promoted the bloc's maritime security mission in the Red Sea as a possible naval security option in the Persian Gulf, but focused her public remarks on European support for repairing and building Middle East energy sites.

Diversification of Middle East energy infrastructure

“We are also ready to team up with the Gulf countries to diversify export infrastructure away from solely the bottleneck of the Hormuz Strait," she said, also offering to help repair Gulf energy infrastructure damaged in the war.

A fifth of the world's oil and gas normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz, but the war has largely closed the waterway, spiking fuel prices.

Early Friday, Brent crude was up 98 cents at $100.33 a barrel. U.S. benchmark crude picked up 81 cents to $96.66 per barrel.

Von der Leyen repeated that as a result of the oil and gas price hikes, the 27-nation bloc’s energy bill in the last 43 days skyrocketed by 25 billion euros ($29.3 billion.)

Neither she nor European Council President Antonio Costa offered precise details on which projects are being considered or when they’ll move forward. But von der Leyen referred to the India-Middle-East-Europe Economic Corridor between the EU and the world’s largest democracy.

Von der Leyen said a summit between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council scheduled for later this year will give both sides the opportunity to explore such projects.

The EU's focus on its southern neighbors

The rotating EU presidency is currently held by Cyprus, an island nation adjacent to Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Turkey. Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides has sought to bring the bloc closer to countries in the Middle East to shore up their economies and bolster their security.

That focus was underscored by his guests at the EU leaders informal summit: Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El Sissi, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein and GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi.

“We know that Europe needs Syria as much as Syria needs Europe,” Al-Sharaa said, while Aoun called on EU support for rebuilding his war-ravaged country.

Costa praised Aoun for banning the military activities of Hezbollah that he called “an existential threat” to Lebanon, pledging to assist the country in disarming the militant group.

Costa said that “the European Union is not part of the conflict, but we will be part of this solution.”

Human rights groups blasted EU leaders for not increasing pressure on Israel over its military campaigns in the Middle East.

EU leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said they would not lift sanctions on Iran until a wide array of issues were resolved, including ending its missile program and support for proxies within the region.

“It’s too early to talk about relief of any kind of sanctions,” said Costa.

Cyprus itself came under attack early in the war when a Shahed drone fired from Lebanon on March 2 damaged an aircraft hangar at a British military base on the island’s southern coast. Greece, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands dispatched warships with anti-drone capabilities to defend the island.

That has spurred renewed interest in a clause in the EU's foundational treaties about mutual assistance if a member nation is attacked.

Christodoulides said the EU leaders had agreed to start creating a formal mechanism for such responses because they agreed that “ad hoc arrangements” are unreliable.

——- McNeil reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Baraa Anwer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia contributed to this report.

The Arizona Cardinals took the polarizing Miami quarterback with the 65th overall pick on Friday night. He’ll join a quarterback room that includes veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew and play for rookie coach Mike LaFleur.

“I’m super excited, super grateful, super blessed,” said Beck, who spent five seasons at Georgia before transferring to Miami. “I took a visit out there and loved the staff, loved Coach LaFleur.”

Beck was only the third QB selected in a draft that’s considered thin at the sport’s most important position. Fernando Mendoza went No. 1 to Las Vegas and Ty Simpson was selected 13th by the Los Angeles Rams.

No quarterbacks were picked in a second round that saw 22 defensive players taken.

Drew Allar became the fourth quarterback selected when the Pittsburgh Steelers took him at No. 76. He doesn’t have to leave the state after an injury-riddled college career at Penn State.

Pittsburgh set an NFL record with 320,000 fans in attendance on the first day Thursday night, breaking the mark set by Detroit in 2024 when a crowd of 275,000 came out.

The selection of Allar drew a mixed reaction from Steelers fans watching the draft at Acrisure Stadium. Allar is returning from a broken ankle that ended his college career last October.

The hometown faithful waving yellow Terrible Towels in the draft theater roared in approval when Pittsburgh chose Iowa guard Gennings Dunker later in the third round. Dunker, who sports a red mullet and a mustache, became a fan favorite at the combine where he displayed his athleticism.

Defense was the priority in the second round. Twenty-two of the 32 picks were defensive players and the Philadelphia Eagles acquired 2024 Pro Bowl edge rusher Jonathan Greenard from Minnesota.

Eight teams made their first selections of the draft on Friday night after sitting out Round 1, with the 49ers kicking off the second day by taking Mississippi wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling. San Francisco traded down twice to end up with the 33rd pick.

The eight teams that didn’t pick Thursday was the second-most teams sitting out Round 1 since 1970. Ten teams didn’t pick in the first round in 2022.

The Bills, who traded back three times, ended up with an edge rusher, choosing Clemson's T.J. Parker at No. 35.

Two players who came to Pittsburgh but didn’t hear their names called Thursday went back-to-back at 36 and 37 on Friday. Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald was selected by Houston and Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood went next to the New York Giants.

“Of course it was disappointing,” said Hood, who was back home in Atlanta for Round 2. “I know God does everything for a reason. He was probably preventing me from something or he had something better in store for me, and that being the Giants. I’m super excited to go into this next chapter of my life and will just go in there and give my best and give my all and be the best version of myself.”

The Bengals strengthened their defense with their first pick of the draft, taking Texas A&M edge Cashius Howell at No. 41. Atlanta’s first pick was Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell with the 48th pick. Green Bay also chose a cornerback with its first pick, taking South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse 52nd.

The Colts got Georgia linebacker CJ Allen at No. 53 after trading their first-rounder in a deal for Sauce Gardner last season.

Jacksonville’s first pick was Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher.

The Broncos had to wait until the third round to make their first pick after trading No. 62 to Buffalo. Denver, which previously sent Miami its first-rounder in a trade for wideout Jaylen Waddle, took Texas A&M defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim at No. 66.

After losing Makai Lemon to the Eagles on Thursday night, the Steelers got their wide receiver, taking Alabama’s Germie Bernard 47th.

The Super Bowl champion Seahawks closed out the second round by adding Texas Christian safety Bud Clark at No. 64.

Just 16 of the 32 first-round picks were made by the original teams that owned them.

___

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

Lt. Quocviet Ky Ngo, 50, is assigned to HPD’s Hobby Airport Division and was arrested as part of an operation targeting online predators. He has since been relieved of duty. KPRC 2 News reporter Corley Peel reviewed the search warrant and spoke with Ngo’s attorney.

• RELATED: Houston police lieutenant faces new bond restrictions in online solicitation case

The search warrant reveals what investigators say was found on Ngo’s phone, which he allegedly used to send explicit messages and photos through an undisclosed app under the username “CoolTown.”

According to the warrant, Ngo allegedly told the undercover detective, “I’m a little nervous, R U really 15?” Investigators say the messages continued, including, “Can you handle someone older than you?” and “If you get pregnant by me, then I will marry you.”

A major break in the case came when Ngo allegedly sent an explicit photo of himself. Investigators matched the photo to a KPRC 2 News story that showed officers receiving donated rain boots.

After allegedly arranging to meet the girl for sex, Ngo reportedly showed up in his unmarked Houston Police Department vehicle. He was taken into custody by officers using his own handcuffs.

Records show investigators found candy, condoms, his service belt and alcohol in his car.

Despite the evidence outlined in the search warrant, Ngo’s attorney, Dick DeGuerin, maintains his client is innocent and says the operation amounted to entrapment.

• RELATED: Houston Police lieutenant arrested in online solicitation of minor case

“It’s entrapment from the beginning. When you set traps, you’re likely to get innocent people in the traps and that’s what happened here,” DeGuerin said.

When Corley asked why he believes the case is a setup, DeGuerin said, “Because I’ve seen what the evidence is. I’ve read the warrants. I know what they say. It doesn’t change my mind at all. This was a setup.”

While the teen in this case turned out to be an undercover detective, experts warn that real children face these dangers every day. Dr. Brian Gibson of the Children’s Assessment Center urged parents and guardians to monitor their children’s devices and watch for warning signs.

“They’re really listening for vulnerabilities, asking about friends and relationships so that they could find an entry point on how to play up and get those kids somewhere where they shouldn’t be,” Gibson said.

Ngo’s next court date is May 21.

Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

Tatum was 5 of 9 on 3-pointers in just his 19th game this season following surgery last May to repair his Achilles tendon. Brown scored eight straight points late in the fourth for a 96-92 lead that put some distance between them and a Sixers team brimming with confidence following a surprise Game 2 win in Boston.

“We definitely wanted to come back and respond after dropping one on our home floor,” Brown said. “We can't lose two games in a row in the playoffs. It's tough. So this was a big win for us.”

Tatum and Brown did their part in the fourth, scoring 19 of the Celtics' 29 points.

Tatum buried a 3 for a 100-96 lead and Payton Pritchard hit a step-back 3 to make it 103-98. Tatum, still looking to regain his top form after not playing for nearly a year, may just be there and hit the final 3-point dagger for the 106-100 lead that even sent Allen Iverson headed toward the exit.

Pritchard scored 15 points and the Celtics shot 44% from the floor.

Philadelphia played again without center Joel Embiid for Game 3 as he continues to ease his way back into practice following an appendectomy on April 9.

Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points and Paul George added 18.

“We were in a position to win this game,” Maxey said. "Come in Sunday, got to get one. Got to protect home court and even the series.”

The more games Embiid misses, the more Maxey and VJ Edgecombe have played their way into the faces of the franchise.

Fans were already on their feet when the Sixers brought the ball down in the fourth and roared when Maxey let a 28-footer fly and hit it for an 85-84 lead.

Yet growing pains are inevitable in the playoff process.

Tatum took the lead right back on a goaltending call against Edgecombe. Edgecombe paired his second double-double of the series - 10 points and 10 rebounds — with a brutal 0-for-7 effort from 3-point range. With Boston up 90-85, Edgecombe was whistled for his third foul when he smacked Brown on his way to the bucket. Brown hit both to stretch the lead to seven.

Boston's 32-point Game 1 win stands as the outlier so far of two otherwise fantastic playoff games. What has stayed steady, the team with the 3-point edge wins. Boston hit 16 in Game 1 and the 76ers had the advantage with 19 in Game 2. Led by five each from Tatum and Pritchard, the Celtics made 20 of 47 in Game 3 while the Sixers were just 12 of 35.

“They did make some pretty heavily contested ones, especially late in the game," 76ers coach Nick Nurse said.

The Sixers got only a combined 22 points from Embiid replacements Adem Bona and Andre Drummond.

___

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

“It is headed right for us,” she recalled thinking, as she peeked outside, unable to contain her curiosity.

Huddled inside the dark 8-by-8 foot (2.44-by-2.44 meters) concrete shelter with her husband, brother-in-law and a neighbor, she heard roaring, metal slapping on the door and glass breaking.

Afterward, they emerged unscathed, but found the windows smashed out of the one-story brick home in Enid and the roof badly damaged.

The scene was repeated Thursday night across the city of about 50,000 people about 85 miles north of Oklahoma City as the EF-4 tornado hit. It was on the ground for 9 miles (14.48 kilometers), packing winds of 170 to 175 mph and measuring 500 yards across at its widest, said Rick Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

For those 30 to 40 minutes, at least 40 homes were damaged, some blown off their foundations. But no one was killed and only minor injuries were reported.

“People around here have a plan,” Hunt explained, noting that residents of this tornado-alley state are trained to either take shelter in a room near the center of their home or get underground.

Basements aren’t common in Oklahoma because of the red clay soil and elevated water tables that make it difficult and expensive to install them, but many homes — like Hunt's — have storm cellars or safe rooms with reinforced concrete walls where people can take cover.

People here also know to flip on the TV and set up weather alerts on their phones — particularly in the springtime, when the risk of violent twisters is highest.

“Especially in Oklahoma, we have great meteorologists,” said Justin Hunt of Enid, who described the storm's aftermath as a “disaster.”

Storm leaves rubble in its wake

Commercial buildings just south of the city were turned into a pile of twisted metal, splintered wood and insulation by powerful winds that pushed the buildings completely off the concrete foundations.

The tornado knocked down utility poles and left power lines wrapped with huge chunks of debris. A home had part of its metal roof torn off and trees were left stripped of bark and limbs. At another home, a section of one wall had peeled away to reveal the interior of the home with some furniture still in place.

“Usually when we come to a neighborhood that’s been hit this bad, there’s one or two deaths,” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said during a news conference Friday. “We’re just so thankful there wasn’t a loss of life.”

People pick through rubble, clear away debris

Police and fire departments and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol conducted multiple home searches, rescuing some trapped residents, Enid Mayor David Mason said Friday.

“Supplies have poured in already,” Mason posted online. “This is who Enid is in challenging moments — we continue to show up for one another.”

Dave Lamerton of Enid spent Friday morning salvaging what was left of his son Joseph’s woodworking shop just south of the city, along with some family members and a group of volunteers who traveled from Kansas to help with cleanup.

“The tornado just swung right through here and just hit us directly,” Lamerton said, pointing to a giant mess of splintered wood beams, furniture, debris and heavy machinery that was pushed into a massive pile at the edge of the building’s foundation. “We’ve got stuff on the property we can’t even find.”

Meteorologists describe powerful storm system

One striking image from Thursday’s storms shows a tornado in the Enid area with a dark clouds of debris extending in V-shape on either side. That is typical of higher-end tornadoes, according to Mark Fox, the meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service’s office in Norman.

It has such a violent motion as winds pick up dirt, debris and things like parts of people’s houses.

“If you start seeing things like this, you know it’s a violent tornado,” he said.

Neighboring counties also reported some flooded roads and barn damage. The National Weather Service was sending two crews out Friday to do damage surveys related to six potential tornadoes in the Enid and Braman areas of north-central Oklahoma, meteorologist John Pike said.

Air force base is damaged

Fences and some equipment were knocked down at nearby Vance Air Force Base, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) north of Oklahoma City. The base was closed until further notice “due to ongoing power and water restoration efforts,” it posted online Friday.

Everyone assigned to the base has been accounted for and no injuries were reported, 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs Chief Ashley D. Hendricks said in an email Friday.

More bad weather possible

More storms are possible through Friday night across south-central and southeast Oklahoma, the weather service said. Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to develop Saturday, including in the Enid area.

It was a stormy night in other states, too. In Kearney, Missouri, north of Kansas City, officials reported downed trees, debris blocking roadways and damage to homes on Thursday night after storms passed through the area. Officials said in a social media post that no injuries had been reported. Crews worked to make roads passable by early Friday and were expected to continue cleanup efforts during the day.

—-

Associated Press writers Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, and Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland, contributed to this report.

The Trump administration's campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 183 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the Caribbean Sea.

The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.

The attacks began as the U.S. built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.

In the latest attack Friday, U.S. Southern Command repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. It posted a video on X showing a boat floating in the water before a explosion left it in flames.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

Critics, meanwhile, have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes.

This weekend, Houston’s heat risk is moderate. Stay hydrated and take frequent breaks if you plan to be outside for extended periods.

Saturday staying muggy and hot with a limited chance for showers.

As temperatures head for the 90s! If the city hits 90 on Sunday, it will be the first time Houston reaches 90 this year.

The heat is paired with high humidity, so the feels-like temperatures could feel like the upper 90s to 100 degrees!

Your extended forecast:

Every day next week we will feel like summer! Lows will be in the lower-to-mid 70s with afternoon highs in the upper-80s to lower-90s. There is a very small chance (less than 20%) of rainfall everyday.

It does look like our next cold front will swing through before the following weekend. This front will likely come with showers and thunderstorms. It will also lower humidity and temperatures down into the 70s, but forecast confidence will grow as we get closer.

Have storm or flood photos from your neighborhood? Share what you’re seeing with the KPRC 2 Weather Team through Click2Pins at click2houston.com/pins/.

An unusually large number of wildfires are burning this spring across the Southeast, where scientists say the threat of fire has been amplified by a combination of extreme drought, gusty winds, climate change and dead trees still littering some forests after being toppled by Hurricane Helene in 2024.

In northern Florida, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office said Friday that volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews suffered an unspecified medical emergency while suppressing a brush fire. Crews was rushed to a hospital where he died Thursday evening, according to a news release posted to social media.

“Kevin was the epitome of courage and dedication,” Hilliard Volunteer Fire Chief Jerry Johnson said in a statement. “His sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

‘No way to stop this fire’ without soaking rain

After getting a firsthand look at firefighting efforts in southeast Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp told reporters that state officials believe 87 homes burned in rural Brantley County this week are the most destroyed by a single wildfire in the state's history.

An additional 35 homes have been lost to a larger fire burning in sparsely populated Clinch and Echols counties near the Florida state line, Kemp said. That blaze has burned about 50 square miles (129 square kilometers), an area twice the size of Manhattan.

Kemp said officials suspect the Brantley County was sparked by a foil party balloon that touched live power lines, creating an electrical arc that ignited the ground. He said investigators suspect the larger fire started with a man welding a gate outside.

Spread across nearly 12 square miles (31 square kilometers) and still growing, the Brantley County blaze was 15% contained Friday, the Georgia Forestry Commission said. An estimated 4,000 homes in the county were under evacuation orders Friday, said commission spokesperson Seth Hawkins.

“There’s no way to stop this fire,” Kemp said. “They’re having to contain the flanks and the back of it and then, hopefully, we get a change in the weather.”

No fire deaths or injuries have been reported in Georgia.

Firefighters are battling more than 150 other wildfires in Georgia and Florida that have sent smoky haze into places far from the flames, triggering air quality warnings for some cities.

‘We’ve lost everything, but I'm one of the lucky ones'

Michael Gibson was at his job Thursday at a chicken feed producer when his fiancee called urging him to come home. By the time he arrived, firefighters were already on the road where Gibson, his fiancee and their four children lived. He said he took his family to safety and tried to return to salvage belongings, but police stopped him.

Gibson said the fire consumed his mobile home and one beside it where his fiancee's brother lived. His family has been staying in a camper on a relative's property.

“We’ve lost everything, but I’m one of the lucky ones.” Gibson said Friday. “We’ve been prepared to leave. And I’m truly blessed to have my family and to have somewhere to sleep. ... A lot of people in my county didn’t make it out with the clothes on their backs.”

Jennifer Murphy said she had little time to react when firefighters knocked at her door in the Brantley County community of Hortense.

She said she barely had a chance to gather her dog, Chip, and a single bag of belongings before firefighters urgently helped her walk down her wheelchair ramp and grab a rolling walker from her van outside.

“It was like, 'Get out now, right now. You’ve got to leave,’” Murphy said Friday at the local church where she had spent the night on a couch.

Firefighters are hosing down homes, trying to limit destruction

While crews with bulldozers work to clear fire breaks around the burning areas, firefighters from dozens of local agencies have focused on protecting nearby homes and other structures — clearing away dry brush and using hoses and sprinklers to keep houses and yards wet.

"We’ve definitely had the local fire guys out there literally hosing stuff down,” said Hawkins of the forestry commission.

In Florida, firefighters were battling more than 120 wildfires Friday, mostly in the state’s northern half. Fire crews in Georgia responded to 31 new and relatively small blazes Thursday, the state forestry commission said.

Officials say soaking rain is badly needed to snuff out the large fires, and that possible showers forecast this weekend won't bring enough rainfall. There's also a chance of thunderstorms, raising concerns that lightning could spark more fires.

"It is going to take 8 to 10 inches before we can walk away from these fires,” said Johnny Sabo, director of the Georgia Forestry Commission.

He said long-range forecasts predict less than average rainfall until July.

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Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press journalist Jeff Amy contributed from Atlanta

The pair will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was heading to Pakistan on Friday for “bilateral consultations,” Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency confirmed. Vice President JD Vance will not be traveling, the White House said.

The trip to Pakistan comes as officials there have been trying to get the United States and Iran to a second round of ceasefire negotiations.

The Trump administration also announced it is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil. The move, actualizes the administration’s threat to impose secondary sanctions on entities that do business with Iran, an effort to cut off Iran’s key source of revenue: its oil exports.

Here is the latest:

US says detained Kuwaiti-American journalist has been released by Kuwait

The State Department says a detained Kuwaiti-American journalist who was arrested in Kuwait has been released after intervention by the Trump administration.

The department said late Friday that Ahmed Shihab-Eldin had been freed and allowed to leave Kuwait. It offered no other details, citing privacy concerns.

Iran says no direct talks with US in Islamabad are planned

Shortly after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi touched down in Pakistan, his government made it clear that there would be no direct negotiations with American government representatives during this visit.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmael Baqaei said on X that “No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the U.S.” Instead, Baqaei said Pakistani officials would convey messages between the delegations.

Baqaei thanked the Pakistani government for its “ongoing mediation & good offices for ending American imposed war of aggression.”

The White House said earlier Friday that its envoys would meet Araghchi.

Iranians have long sought work and relative stability in Turkey. The war could force some to return

Sadri Haghshenas spends her days selling borek — a layered, savory pastry — at a shop in Istanbul, but her mind is on her daughter in Tehran.

The family had to send her home to Iran after they ran into difficulties renewing her visa, despite fears that a shaky ceasefire could soon collapse.

For years, short-term residency permits have allowed tens of thousands of Iranians to pursue economic opportunities and enjoy relative stability in neighboring Turkey. But it’s a precarious situation, and the war has raised the stakes.

“I swear, I cry every day,” Haghshenas said, raising her hands from behind the counter of the pastry shop. “There is no life in my country, there is no life here, what shall I do?”

▶ Read more

Bessent rules out renewal of Iranian and Russian oil waivers

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday that the U.S. does not plan to renew a waiver allowing the purchase of Russian oil and petroleum products that are currently at sea. He also said a renewal of a one-time waiver for Iranian oil at sea is totally off the table.

“Not the Iranians,” Bessent told The Associated Press. “We have the blockade, and there’s no oil coming out.”

In an AP interview about the impact of the war on the global energy market and other topics, Bessent also said he had no plans to extend the sanctions relief for Russia.

“I wouldn’t imagine that we’d have another extension. I think the Russian oil on the water has been largely sucked up,” he said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives in Islamabad for talks on reviving ceasefire negotiations

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said an Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on Friday.

Araghchi was received by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and other senior officials upon arrival.

In a statement, it said during the visit Araghchi is expected to meet Pakistan’s senior leadership to discuss the latest regional developments and ongoing efforts to promote regional peace and stability.

US imposes sanctions on a China-based oil refinery and 40 shippers over Iranian oil

The Trump administration is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil.

The move, announced Friday and first reported by The Associated Press, makes good on the Trump administration’s threat to impose secondary sanctions on companies and countries that do business with Iran. It’s also part of the Republican administration’s overall ramped-up campaign to cut off Iran’s key source of revenue — its oil exports.

Concurrently, the U.S. this month imposed a physical blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that is crucial to global energy supplies.

These sanctions come just a few weeks before President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping are due to meet in China.

▶ Read more

Israeli strikes kill at least 11 in Gaza, health officials say

Among those killed in three separate Israeli strikes on Friday across Gaza were a woman and a child, health officials said.

An afternoon drone strike near a police checkpoint in northwestern Gaza City killed two Palestinians and wounded two others, according to officials at Shifa hospital.

The Israeli military acknowledged the strike, saying that it targeted “terrorists” without providing evidence or further details.

In the evening, another strike targeted a police vehicle in southern Gaza, killing at least seven, according to officials at Nasser hospital. A third strike in northern Gaza killed a woman and a child, health officials at Shifa hospital said.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the evening strikes.

Deadly Israeli strikes are a near-daily threat in Gaza, where more than 790 Palestinians have been killed despite a ceasefire with Hamas since October, according to figures from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

Leavitt says Vance is willing to go to Pakistan ‘if we feel it’s a necessary use of his time’

Leavitt told reporters the president decided to send Witkoff and Kushner “to hear the Iranians out.”

“We’ve certainly seen some progress from the Iranian side in the last couple of days,” Leavitt said. She did not offer any details about what U.S. officials were hearing.

Witkoff and Kushner dispatched to Pakistan for new talks with Iranian foreign minister

President Donald Trump is sending his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan on Saturday to continue talks with Iran, the White House said Friday.

White House press secretary Karolien Leavitt said in an interview on Fox News Channel that the two will have talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

“We’re hopeful that it will be a productive conversation and hopefully move the ball forward to a deal,” Leavitt said.

She said that Vice President JD Vance would not be traveling but that he remains “deeply involved.”

Leavitt said he will be in the U.S., along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the president’s national security team, on “standby” to fly to Pakistan “if necessary.”

Lebanon’s health ministry raises death toll to 2,491

The ministry included figures released Friday that 7,719 people were wounded in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war that broke out March 2.

It was the first time the ministry has released new figures since April 17, when a ceasefire went into effect.

Despite the ceasefire, the death toll rose by 197 in one week because bodies were apparently recovered from areas that previously had been out of reach.

Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu says he was treated for prostate cancer and is now healthy

It’s his first public acknowledgment of the diagnosis.

He said that roughly a year and a half ago he had prostate surgery. Then two and a half months ago, his doctors discovered and treated a small tumor at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital with radiation therapy. That was not announced at the time.

“I requested to delay its publication by two months so that it would not be released at the height of the war” against Iran, the 76-year-old Israeli leader said, to prevent “more false propaganda against Israel.”

He said he was healthy and called the tumor a “minor medical issue.”

Netanyahu’s health was the subject of speculation during the early weeks of the war with Iran as fake, AI-generated images circulated suggesting he had died, including on Iranian state media.

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Businesses dole out up to $4 million to cross Panama Canal during Strait of Hormuz chokehold

That’s according to the Panama Canal Authority.

While passage through the waterway usually comes at a flat rate via reservations, companies without reservations can cross by paying an additional fee in an auction for slots, which are awarded to the highest bidder rather than waiting for days off the coast of Panama City.

That price has ballooned in recent weeks as Iran and the United States have bottlenecked the key shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz, and demand for those slots has skyrocketed. Ships have increasingly traveled through the Panama Canal as shipments are rerouted and buyers purchase from other countries to avoid commerce through the now-treacherous Middle Eastern waterway.

“With all the bombings, the missiles, the drones ... companies are saying it’s safer and less expensive to cross through the Panama Canal,” said Rodrigo Noriega, a lawyer and analyst in Panama City. “All of this is affecting global supply chains.”

▶ Read more

Netanyahu says Israel and the US are operating in ‘full cooperation’ on Iran

“The same is true in Lebanon: We have begun a process to achieve a historic peace between Israel and Lebanon, and it is clear to us that Hezbollah is trying to sabotage this,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday in a video statement released by his office. He was referring to direct negotiations underway between the two countries — which don’t have formal diplomatic relations — for the first time in decades.

Israel says it struck Hezbollah sites after rocket fire from Lebanon

The Israeli military said it hit sites from which rockets were launched toward the town of Shtula a day earlier.

The strikes targeted the town of Deir Aames, which is outside the border area in Lebanon that Israeli forces have declared a buffer zone and continued to occupy since a 10-day truce was implemented last week. Earlier Friday, the Israeli military issued a warning for residents of Deir Aames to leave.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a three-week extension to the Israel-Hezbollah truce, but both sides have continued to fire at each other.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says meeting in Saudi Arabia was productive

In a Telegram post Friday, Zelenskyy said his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was productive and that both countries are developing a strategic security agreement.

The agreement includes three elements, he said: exporting Ukraine’s defense expertise and capabilities, expanding energy cooperation, and strengthening food security.

“We are working together to strengthen our nations and partners. We have defined tasks for our teams and I expect their prompt and full implementation,” he said.

Saudi Arabia, along with other Mideast countries, has been targeted by missile and drone attacks from Iran since the war began.

Iran’s top diplomat says purpose of tour is to consult on regional developments

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a social media post that the purpose of his upcoming tour to Islamabad, Pakistan; Muscat, Oman; and Moscow is to “closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments.”

Araghchi’s comments didn’t address any possible resumption of talks with the U.S., but Pakistani officials have been intensifying efforts in recent weeks to get the U.S. and Iran to a second round of ceasefire negotiations.

Hezbollah legislator says extension of ceasefire is ‘meaningless’

Ali Fayyadh said in comments Friday that the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that was extended for three weeks the day before has no meaning as long as Israel continues its attacks, targeted killings and strikes on Lebanese villages.

Since the 10-day ceasefire went into effect last Friday it has been repeatedly violated by both sides.

Fayyadh said every Israeli attack against any Lebanese target, regardless of its nature, gives his group that right to respond appropriately.

He added that any ceasefire that doesn’t constitute a prelude to an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory affirms the Lebanese people’s “inalienable and final right to resist” the occupation and expel it from our land in order to restore full Lebanese sovereignty.

Lebanon’s president calls on European Union to hold conference for reconstruction of his country

President Joseph Aoun’s comments Friday came during a visit to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus where he’s a guest at the European Union summit.

Aoun said in a speech that “Lebanon’s stability is part of the region’s stability.”

He added that Lebanon refuses to be a bargaining chip in regional conflicts. He was apparently referring to Iran, which has put a permanent ceasefire between Israel and the militant Hezbollah group on top of its list in talks with the U.S..

Aoun said Lebanon, like other countries in the region, “places great importance on de-escalation, stability, and peace.”

Aoun used World Bank figures, saying the Israel-Hezbollah was has caused damage worth $1.4 billion to Lebanon’s infrastructure and that 38,000 housing units were destroyed.

He said 150,000 people in Lebanon are without homes.

US protected ships from Iran in Strait of Hormuz during ‘Tanker war’ in the ’80s. Could it again?

Today, offering escorts in the Strait of Hormuz wouldn’t be so easy. Military technology has advanced since the “Tanker war.”

The U.S. hasn’t defined the same clear, narrow goals in this war as it did in the 1980s. And it’s not clear international shippers would feel safe even with an American Navy escort given it’s a combatant now.

The U.S. Navy has long been familiar with the small boat tactics deployed by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which has adapted to international sanctions blocking its ability to access military vessels by using smaller civilian ships for military purposes.

For years, the Guard has used vessels the size of small commercial fishing boats to shadow American aircraft carriers whenever they pass through the strait. Instead of bearing fishing poles, most have Soviet-era heavy machine guns bolted to their bows with a small rocket launcher atop.

Using those small boats, Iran seized two cargo ships this week.

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A surge for Intel sends tech stocks higher on Wall Street and crude oil prices swing some more

A surge for Intel following a blowout profit report is leading technology stocks higher, while oil prices keep swinging in the wait for what’s next with the Iran war.

The S&P 500 rose 0.2% early Friday and pulled near its all-time high set Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 74 points, while the Nasdaq composite jumped a market-leading 0.7%.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in June was down 0.4% at $104.67 after yo-yoing between roughly $103 and $107.

European stock markets were modestly lower and Asian markets closed mixed.

▶ Read more

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov

In a statement in Islamabad, the foreign ministry said Lavrov appreciated Pakistan’s “constructive role” in facilitating dialogue between Iran and the United States.

Dar reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to supporting efforts that promote dialogue and diplomacy to resolve disputes, it said.

Both sides agreed to remain in contact, it added.

Israeli military confirms a drone downed over Lebanon

The army said in a statement Friday that a remotely piloted aircraft was downed in southern Lebanon following the launch of a small surface-to-air missile by the militant group Hezbollah.

The military said the incident is under review.

The statement came after Hezbollah said it shot down an Israeli Hermes 450 drone over the outskirts of the southern city of Tyre.

Malaysia in talks with Iran to let two tankers pass

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Friday that his government is in talks with Iran to allow two Malaysian-owned tankers carrying fuel supplies to pass through.

The vessels have exited the Strait of Hormuz but face severe restrictions despite earlier clearance given by the Iranian government, he was cited as saying by the national Bernama news agency. He didn’t provide further details.

One Malaysian vessel has earlier reached home and another is expected to enter Malaysian waters soon, he said. Another is stranded at port due to technical problems, he added.

Hegseth says any new Iranian mine laying would violate the ceasefire with the US

Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon on Friday that the military is prepared to deal with any Iranian ships that “recklessly and irresponsibly” lay more mines.

But he said he wouldn’t speculate on reports that it will likely take six months to clear mines in the strait. The Associated Press reported that the Pentagon gave that timeline in a classified briefing to lawmakers this week.

Hegseth was responding to statements from President Trump who said Thursday that he has ordered the military to “ shoot and kill ” small Iranian boats deploying mines.

Hegseth said the U.S. is confident it can clear any mines it identifies “and would encourage other countries to be a part of such an effort as well.”

White House didn’t immediately respond to questions on Iran’s foreign minister going to Pakistan

And it didn’t respond to questions on whether the U.S. would send a delegation.

Crews of seized tankers remain in US custody

The crews of all three merchant vessels seized by the U.S. military over the past week are still in U.S. custody, Gen. Dan Caine said at a briefing Friday.

“We will continue to conduct similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific and Indian Oceans against Iranian ships and vessels of the Dark Fleet,” Caine said.

Caine also said the crew of the Tousca, the first merchant ship seized by U.S. forces Sunday, “repeatedly ignored U.S. warnings” over a six-hour period. Caine said this behavior prompted the crew of the Navy destroyer following the ship to fire five warning shots.

“The vessel and her crew continued to ignore warnings and, after exhausting all other measures, CENTCOM authorized disabling fire against the Tousca,” Caine said. Then, according to Caine, the destroyer disabled the ship’s engine by firing nine inert rounds from the destroyer’s 5-inch guns “precisely into the engine room and engine space on board the Tousca.”

“Not surprisingly, the vessel then reported issues with their engine, went dead in the water and began to comply with U.S. directions,” Caine added.

Hegseth criticizes European allies for inaction on the Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. secretary of defense suggested traditional U.S. allies in Europe are “free-riding” and being disloyal by not using their own forces to open the Strait of Hormuz that’s been closed because of President Trump’s Iran war.

“We are not counting on Europe, but they need the Strait of Hormuz much more than we do,” Hegseth insisted. He mocked a recent European confab, saying U.S. allies “might want to start doing less talking” instead of holding “a fancy conference” and “a silly conference.”

Iran’s maneuver to choke off the strait has disrupted global energy supplies — especially in Europe, where many leaders remain frustrated. French President Emmanuel Macron said at one point that the U.S. can’t complain about a lack of support “in an operation they chose to undertake alone.”

Hegseth’s broadsides echo Trump’s swipes that other nations should “Go get your own oil!” and “start learning how to fight for yourself.”

The players remained backstage while the 15 other NFL draft prospects in attendance made their way to the stage to hug NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected in the first round.

McDonald and Hood's time would have to wait until Friday, though not for very long.

The Houston Texans selected McDonald, the burly 6-foot-3, 326-pound defensive tackle from Ohio State with the fourth pick of the second round. Hood, a cornerback from Tennessee, went to the New York Giants with the next selection.

McDonald chose to return to the green room on Friday, though this time he had traded the suit he had on Thursday while walking the red carpet for a far more casual fit. Wearing a black short-sleeved button down shirt, a white T-shirt and a chain, McDonald was visibly shaken as he made the slightly delayed talk toward Goodell.

The commissioner and McDonald embraced for a long moment, the tears streaking down McDonald's face hard to miss.

“It’s emotional man,” McDonald said. “I knew I’m supposed to be here. I’m just so blessed.”

McDonald added he's blessed to join the Texans, who finished last season with the NFL's top-ranked defense and bludgeoned the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening round of the playoffs.

Asked what he can add to a unit that's already among the league's best, McDonald didn't hesitate.

“Disruptive, making it easier for the (defensive) end,” McDonald said. “We all go to work.”

While McDonald stuck around, Hood did not, opting to head home to Atlanta instead, where Hood said he felt more comfortable because he could be surrounded by even more friends and family.

When Hood's name was called by Goodell, who had former Giants star defensive end Osi Umenyiora at his side, the videoboard behind them merely flashed a picture of Hood wearing Tennessee orange.

“Way to go Colton,” Goodell said before retreating backstage before the next selection.

The distance between the epicenter of the NFL universe this weekend and Atlanta did little to dampen the joy Hood felt when a lifelong dream was realized.

While sitting around on Thursday was disappointing, Hood doesn't view having to wait an additional 24 hours as a bad thing.

“I know God does everything for a reason,” he said. "He was probably preventing me from something, or he has something better in store for me and that being the Giants.”

Hood admitted he was a little surprised he heard from New York. Maybe he shouldn't have been. First-year Giants coach John Harbaugh coached Hood's uncle, former NFL defensive back Roderick Hood, when both were in Philadelphia in the early 2000s.

If anything, what happened on Thursday night just added a significantly large chip to Hood's shoulder.

Asked if the perceived first-round snub is motivation, Hood said "for sure, but I’d say it’s more just wanting to prove the Giants right and just thanking them for taking the chance on me.”

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AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

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

There's still no projected timeline for Lindor's return, but the five-time All-Star will wear a protective boot on his lower left leg for the next week. He will undergo imaging again in three weeks and then be re-evaluated.

Lindor was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday because of a left calf strain, with manager Carlos Mendoza saying only that the switch-hitter was "going to be down for quite a bit here.”

“We've still got a lot of people looking at this,” Mendoza said before Friday night's game against the Colorado Rockies.

Lindor got hurt while scoring from first base on Francisco Alvarez's double Wednesday night in a 3-2 victory over Minnesota that ended New York's 12-game losing streak.

The injury came just hours after star slugger Juan Soto was reinstated from the IL after missing 15 games with a right calf strain that wasn't as severe as the one sustained by Lindor.

“We've got to see where this is in three weeks and see how the healing goes,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said.

Ronny Mauricio was recalled Thursday from Triple-A Syracuse and he started at shortstop Friday for the second consecutive game.

Soto was the designated hitter for the third game in a row since returning, even though he initially had been slated to play left field Thursday night. Mendoza said keeping Soto at DH allowed him to start three straight games.

“Finding ways to keep his bat in the lineup while we’re not putting him at risk," Mendoza said. "If he needs a day, he needs a day. As much as we need his bat in the lineup, he’s going to get days (off).”

Right-hander Christian Scott was optioned back to Syracuse after a wild outing Thursday against the Twins in his first major league start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024. New York selected the contract of veteran right-handed reliever Carl Edwards Jr. from its top farm club.

Scott issued five walks and lasted only 1 1/3 innings. He also hit a batter with a pitch and committed a balk, but the Mets pulled out a 10-8 victory despite a late mix-up with their bullpen.

Left-hander David Peterson is scheduled to pitch Wednesday night against Washington when that turn in the rotation comes up next — although it could be in a bulk-relief role again, rather than a start.

In another update, Stearns described Jorge Polanco's status as week-to-week, rather than day-to-day. The first baseman and DH is on the 10-day injured list with a bruised right wrist — although he's also dealing with bursitis in his left heel, which has bothered him since very early in the season.

Mendoza said Polanco is feeling better. He is scheduled to undergo more testing this weekend.

Left-handed reliever A.J. Minter remains on target to return in early May from left lat surgery that cut short his 2025 season.

“Injuries are part of this, and injuries to good players are part of this," Stearns said. "We’re certainly not the only team in baseball that deals with this, and we just have to get through it.”

The 12-game skid was New York's longest since August 2002. The Mets won back-to-back games once Soto returned to the lineup, but no team has ever made the playoffs during the same season in which it lost 12 consecutive games.

“I still think we're a good team. I recognize we had a stretch where we did not play good baseball and it cost us, and cost us repeatedly, but I think we're a good team and I think we will show that,” Stearns said.

“Yes, it's a frustrating stretch and we didn't play well. We're also not going to wholesale-change our evaluation of our team over a two-week stretch. This is a long season. Going through a 12-game losing streak is difficult and it's not usual. There's a reason it doesn't happen very often. Even with that, I don't think it should change our overall evaluation of the team — especially this early in the season.”

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

Ongoing dispute over growing fees

The parent, Francesca, says she has been disputing the charges for years. Now, she says the balance has grown to a point that feels overwhelming.

She says she recently received notice that she owes roughly $800 in transportation fees, which have accumulated since 2022. She says she was also told the balance could impact her son’s ability to graduate if left unpaid.

Safety concerns along busy roadway

Along Dixie Farm Road in Pearland, traffic moves quickly. According to data from the Texas Department of Transportation, there have been 137 crashes along this stretch since 2023.

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Francesca says those conditions make it too dangerous for her third-grade son to walk to school.

“We have incoming trucks… we have had several fatalities here,” she said.

District policy on transportation

Under Pearland ISD policy, students who live within two miles of their campus must pay for bus service unless they live in an area officially classified as hazardous. According to a district statement, none of the areas in question currently meet that designation.

However, Francesca points out what she sees as a contradiction: while the area isn’t labeled hazardous, students are not allowed to walk or bike to school due to safety concerns.

“When you turn on the street to go to the school, there’s no sidewalks,” she said.

Costs add up for families

The cost of transportation is typically $640 per year for the first child, and $100 for each child thereafter, with discounts available based on income. Francesca says her discounted rate is about $320 annually, but even that has added up over time.

She describes the situation as both emotionally and financially draining.

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“I don’t have $800 just to throw out like that,” she said. “Everybody doesn’t have a nanny. Everybody can’t arrange their schedule. Why are you not able to work with me?”

What parents can do

According to the Texas Education Agency, school districts that charge for transportation are required to offer a waiver process for families who cannot afford the fees. Parents can also request a safety review if they believe a route poses a hazard.

Awaiting answers from the district

Questions remain about how those policies are applied in this case. Requests for clarification from Pearland ISD regarding waivers, safety evaluations, and possible flexibility have not yet been answered.

Korda has made only one bogey through 36 holes at Memorial Park, missing a 3-foot putt on the sixth hole after a nifty chip from below the green.

Otherwise, the two-time major champion has been practically flawless in reaching 14-under 130 that makes her appear to be playing a different course.

“I'm comfortable with my game," Korda said. "I think where I’m the most comfortable is definitely with my mindset of knowing when I mess up I’ll figure it out. Sometimes I think you get stuck in wanting to play well and wanting to be at the top always that you have this tension of not wanting to make a mistake.

“I think there is a power in knowing it’s OK to make a mistake and just bounce back.”

Patty Tavatanakit had another bogey-free round with a 69. Another shot behind were Ina Yoon (68), Ryan O'Toole (68) and Texas junior Farah O'Keefe (69), one of five amateurs to make the cut.

O'Keefe didn't get her invitation to The Chevron until after the Augusta National Women's Amateur three weeks ago, and she's making the most of it. She played bogey-free in the second round, though she only managed one birdie on the par 5s.

But her scrambling saved her, and the 20-year-old didn't seem all that fazed by Korda on the verge of running away with this major.

“I compared it to Rory (McIlroy) at the Masters. You never know what can happen in golf,” O'Keefe said, referring to McIlroy losing a six-shot lead on the weekend at the Masters before going on to win for the second straight time.

“There is so much random out there that you can get a bad break and it’s just kind of that thing,” she said. “My dad and I called it that golf is a staring contest and all you have to do is not blink first. So I’m just trying not to blink. Just trying to keep playing my game, and whatever that ends up at the end of the week is where it ends up.”

Korda, however, has hit her stride again. She won the season opener in a weather-shortened event, and has played in the final group in all four of her tournaments.

She looks calm and poised, and there is power.

Korda began her great closing stretch with a 3-wood into the wind from 221 yards that landed in the perfect spot to roll out 15 feet beyond the hole, leaving an eagle putt that grazed the right edge of the cup.

She missed an 8-foot birdie chance on the par-5 16th, and then finished with a flourish — a 7-iron that danced around the cup and settle 10 feet away for birdie, and then a 9-iron that again scared the hole and left her 4 feet for her 15 birdie in 36 holes.

It was the lowest 36-hole score in her career in the majors, and the third-best 36-hole score in LPGA majors behind Jeongeun Lee6 (127), Brooke Henderson (128) and In Gee Chun (129), all at the Evian Championship, the tournament in France the LPGA chose to designate as a major in 2013.

For for all the birdies, some of the pars were the best example of Korda showing great patience and smarts in taking on some deceptively tough pins on the heavily contoured greens.

One example was the par-3 15th, a left pin with a steep slope falling off to the left. Lilia Vu went over the edge, her pitch over the slope was too strong and it rolled 45 feet away. Korda went for the fat of the green, leaving a 30-foot putt she lagged to tap-in range.

“I’m just hitting it in the spots that I want to, missing it into the spots that I want to,” Korda said. “If there is a tucked pin and it’s kind of stupid, I would rather give myself a longer lag putt and give myself the best opportunity for par. That’s kind of the way we been playing the past two days, not taking kind of stupid risks.”

She also played away from the pin on the 13th, tucked to the right with another massive slope. Korda watched defending champion Mao Saigo roll a 45-foot past the cup and down off the green. She lagged hers to 2 feet for a simple par.

“We’re going to go after the ones we can and where we have to play back and miss in the right spots, that’s kind of what I’m doing,” she said. “I think overall everything is really flowing.”

Her shot into the 17th might be an indication of where Korda is going as she tries to reclaim her spot atop the world ranking.

She was waiting in the fairway as Jeeno Thitikul in the group ahead ran a long birdie putt some 12 feet by the hole and missed that coming back for a bogey that led to a 73, meaning the No. 1 player in women's golf missed the cut.

___

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

“Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good,” said Brian Mason of the Office of Emergency Management.

He says the key to preparation is simple: just start. Officials want Houstonians ready year-round — not just during hurricane season.

“We do have unplanned events, with no notice. We want you prepared 365 days a year.”

What qualifies — and how much can you save?

The Texas Comptroller’s Office expects Texans to save about $2.4 million in state and local sales taxes during the holiday. Items that qualify tax-free include batteries, flashlights and fuel containers under $75; safety equipment like emergency ladders under $300; and generators under $3,000.

• Off-duty deputy constable killed in crash on I-10 in Chambers County, authorities say

For Houston’s combined tax rate, that works out to roughly 83 cents back for every $10 spent. On a $100 purchase, shoppers save just over $8. On bigger-ticket items, savings can range from $50 to $250.

KPRC2 meteorologist Daji Aswad says the timing is ideal, no matter the season.

“Whether it’s hurricane season or not, you could be without power for a day on a good storm — I use that term loosely — but on a bad storm, it could be 7 days or more,” Aswad said. “You should shop early now, while there’s still items on the shelves.”

Start small if budget is tight

For shoppers with limited budgets, Aswad says starting with the basics is the right move.

“Start with basics, flashlight, batteries, I would even suggest a cheap portable charger, the simple and basic things will be best for you right now — and that can be affordable,” she said.

• ‘Abhorrent, disgusting, and entirely unacceptable’: Ashley Gonzalez fired from HPD following racist social media rant

The message from emergency management and meteorologists alike: don’t wait for a storm to start preparing.

“If you prepare over the course of time, and especially on a weekend like this, you don’t have to panic prep,” Aswad said.

Online shoppers can also take advantage of the holiday, but note that shipping and delivery charges count toward the item’s total price when determining tax-free eligibility.

Zamil Limon’s remains were found on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning, but Nahida Bristy is still missing, Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said.

Limon’s roommate Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih, 26, was taken into custody at his family's home nearby on preliminary charges that include unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment and battery. He was expected to make a first appearance in court Saturday morning.

“We are still actively searching for Nahida,” Maurer said, appealing to the public to share any useful information. Law enforcement dive teams were searching the bay near the bridge as part of those efforts, the sheriff's office said.

Officers encountered Abugharbeih as they responded to a report of domestic violence at his family's home, just north of the campus, and were able to move his relatives to safety. But then he barricaded himself inside and refused to come out. A SWAT team responded — along with a drone, a robot and crisis negotiators — before Abugarbeih came out with his hands up, apparently wearing nothing but a blue towel.

“This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community and impacted many who were hoping for a safe resolution,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “While the discovery of Zamil Limon’s remains is heartbreaking, I want the public to know that our detectives worked and are working tirelessly and relentlessly to uncover the truth.”

Limon and Bristy, both 27, were considering getting married, a relative said. They disappeared from campus on April 16. Limon was last seen at his home in an off-campus apartment complex where he lived with Abugharbeih. Bristy, who lived on campus, was last seen an hour later at a campus science building.

A family friend contacted authorities last Friday after being unable to contact either one, USF police said.

Investigators spoke with Abugharbeih, who is a native-born U.S. citizen, on Thursday, Maurer said, but after initially talking, Abugharbeih chose to end the interview. He said Abugharbeih was speaking with detectives again after his arrest Friday morning.

There are no other suspects in the investigation at this time, Maurer said.

An autopsy is being done on the remains to determine the manner and cause of Limon's death, and those results are expected Saturday morning, he said.

Abugharbeih had been a USF student but was not currently enrolled. University records showed he had attended the school from Spring 2021 through Spring 2023, and had pursued a BS in Management, a university spokesperson said.

Limon was studying geography, environmental science and policy, and Bristy is studying chemical engineering.

Abugharbeih had several previous arrests, the sheriff’s office said. He was charged with battery and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling in September 2023, and with battery that May — both classified in court records as misdemeanors. Court records show Abugharbeih entered into a diversion program for first-time offenders charged with misdemeanors. He completed the program in 2024 and the charges were discontinued. A phone call to his lawyer in that case was not immediately returned.

Hillsborough County Court records also showed two domestic violence petitions filed by a family member in 2023. A judge granted an injunction in one case and denied the other petition. He also was accused of traffic violations.

____ This story has been updated to correct that it was Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer who spoke Friday morning, not the sheriff.

___ Lauer reported from Philadelphia and Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press reporter Michael Schneider in Orlando, Florida, contributed.

Thornell died Thursday at a hospital in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie from complications from kidney disease, his son, Jay Thornell said Friday.

He worked for the AP from 1964 to 2004 and had a variety of assignments over the years, photographing politicians, natural disasters, crime scenes. But the struggle for racial justice punctuated Thornell’s wire service career from the beginning. He covered the integration of a Mississippi Gulf Coast school on his first day of work for the AP New Orleans bureau.

In June 1966, Thornell, then 26, was assigned to cover a civil rights march led by Meredith, who had already made history by integrating the University of Mississippi in 1962, and was mounting a “March Against Fear” through the state encouraging Black residents to register and vote.

Meredith was walking on U.S. Highway 51 near Hernando, Mississippi, and Thornell and a rival photographer were in a car parked roadside, when the sound of the first shotgun blast sent them scrambling.

One resulting Thornell image remains a sobering photographic reminder of the violent resistance to desegregation. It shows a wounded Meredith grimacing in agony as he dragged himself to the road’s edge. Along with it was the Pulitzer-winning photo Thornell didn’t initially realize he had captured: Meredith is on the ground at the edge of the highway with arms extended and hands on the pavement — it’s unclear if he is still falling or pushing himself up after the fall. His head is turned and he appears to be looking at his would-be assassin, visible at the extreme left of the picture in a weedy ditch.

Meredith was hospitalized and recovered. Aubrey James Norvell, who was apprehended at the scene, pleaded guilty and served 18 months of a five-year prison sentence.

Until he developed the film and pored over the negatives, Thornell believed he might be fired. He feared his competitor had an image of the gunman and he didn’t. Instead of dismissal, Thornell won the Pulitzer in 1967.

Decades chronicling history

Jay Thornell remembered his father as a loving dad, but said he could be “regimented” and “stubborn,” saying that the stress of covering the Civil Rights Movement could sometimes kept Jack Thornell from realizing his own achievements at the time.

“He never really enjoyed or appreciated what he was accomplishing and doing,” Jay Thornell said. “Through his pictures, he was serving the world and exposing things that were going on in places that other parts of the world and country didn’t know about during the Civil Rights era.”

In 1964, Jack Thornell photographed the burned-out station wagon in Neshoba County, Mississippi, that belonged to civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman, whose bodies were found buried in an earthen dam weeks after Ku Klux Klansmen abducted and killed them. And Thornell would hurriedly snap a photo of the local sheriff being arrested by federal agents on conspiracy charges in connection with their deaths. Thornell got the shot while backing away as a supporter of the sheriff threatened him with a knife.

Thornell chronicled violence leading up to the integration of schools in Grenada, Mississippi, in 1966. One of his photos showed a Black man covering his ears as he moved away from a cherry bomb tossed by angry white people.

Thornell photographed the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. multiple times, including during the Selma-to-Montgomery march in Alabama in 1965, and demonstrations in support of striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968, the week before King was assassinated there.

Thornell had returned to his home base in New Orleans before King was assassinated, but later was dispatched to Atlanta, where he photographed King’s family viewing the body at Spelman College’s Sisters Chapel.

He was late for that assignment. He said in the 2018 interview that he dashed around another photographer and climbed atop a pew, clambering toward the casket by stepping over pew after pew to get in position to make the picture.

“I was shaken when I left there. I had my eyes on the floor because I knew everyone was looking at me for my despicable behavior,” Thornell said in the interview at his home in Kenner, Louisiana. “But I didn’t leave without the picture.”

Years later, in 1977, King’s assassin, James Earl Ray, escaped from a Tennessee prison. Thornell was on hand when Ray, muddy and haggard, was recaptured.

A photographer by chance

Thornell was born and raised in Vicksburg, Mississippi. His career as a photographer might not have happened but for an Army snafu in the late 1950s, according to a 1967 account in the AP World corporate magazine.

“The U.S. Army had decided to make a radio repairman of him. But at Fort Monmouth, his name got mixed up with that of a camera bug who wanted to attend photographic school. So Thornell, who didn’t know an aperture from a back focus, took the short course in picture-taking while the camera bug learned to fix radios.”

After leaving the Army, Thornell got a job with the Jackson (Miss.) Daily News before he was hired by the AP in New Orleans.

Hired during a turbulent time in the South, Thornell recalled the fear he sometimes felt amid violence and threats. But there was a greater fear than physical harm.

“The greatest fear for me was coming back without the photograph,” he said. “The things that were happening there, you just kind of dealt with it and tried to photograph what was happening, because that was your bread and butter, that was your career. And your success depended on how well you did that day. Because tomorrow there’s always another newspaper coming out.”

But Jay Thornell said that later in life, his father got to survey his achievements without that deadline pressure, enjoying autographing his photos sent to him by others. Jay Thornell said a recent cherished memory is Jack Thornell telling the stories behind some of his famous photos to his granddaughter.

Thornell is survived by his son Jay, his daughter Candy Gros, and a granddaughter.

___

Amy reported from Atlanta.

That top freshman trio includes Duke's Cameron Boozer, The Associated Press national player of the year who joined the list Friday evening; and BYU’s A.J. Dybantsa, who announced Thursday he was officially part of this deep and touted draft class.

The 6-foot-6 Peterson showed flashes of brilliance with the Jayhawks, but he also caused a lot of headaches for the team. He dealt with a severe full-body cramping issue that required hospitalization before the season, and additional injuries and illnesses caused him to miss 11 games, hurting his ability to build any continuity with the rest of his teammates.

Peterson wound up averaging 20.2 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 38.2% from beyond the arc in 24 games.

He started to hit his rhythm in the postseason, scoring 24 points against TCU and 14 against Houston in the Big 12 Tournament. He had 28 points in a first-round NCAA tourney win over Cal Baptist and 21 in a last-second loss to St. John's in the second round.

“To my teammates, friends and everyone at the University of Kansas, a heartfelt thank you!” Peterson posted to social media. “Your belief in me, your encouragement and your constant support have been invaluable every step of the way. This journey has been everything to me, and none of it would have been possible without your love, support and sacrifices.”

Most mock drafts have Peterson or Dybantsa going first overall, though Boozer also could be in the mix.

The closest comp to Peterson has generally been 6-foot-5 Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns' five-time All-Star. Both have the ability to score at all three levels, and their athleticism allows them to play much bigger than their size.

Peterson's announcement came one day after Dybantsa declared for the draft in his hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts.

Dybantsa led the nation with 25.5 points per game, while also pulling down 6.8 rebounds with 3.7 assists. He’s the first player to post those averaged in a season and be a consensus All-American since Larry Bird did it in 1978-79 for Indiana State.

Boozer was the third of that trio to announce his long-expected plans, coming after he became only the fifth freshman to be named AP national player of the year. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

That made him a force on the interior, as well as an effective playmaker who could reliably set up teammates out of double teams or while running the offense up top — notably with him feeding fellow early draft entrant Isaiah Evans for the go-ahead 3-pointer to eventual NCAA 1-seed Florida.

Arizona freshmen Brayden Burries and Koa Peat also declared for the draft on Friday after leading the Wildcats to their first Final Four since 2001.

Burries had a dynamic freshman season that shot him up NBA draft boards. The 6-4 guard led the Wildcats with 16.1 points per game while averaging 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 rebounds. The San Bernadino, California, native shot 49% from the floor and led Arizona with 59 steals.

“Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of playing in the NBA and building a long career,” Burries posted on Instagram. “Now that opportunity is right in front of me.”

The 6-8 Peat averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 53% from the floor in 36 games. The Arizona native is projected as a first-round pick.

“Playing for the University of Arizona has been an incredible blessing and something I'll always be grateful for,” Peat posted on Instagram. “Wearing this name and where I come from means everything to me. It's been an honor to compete at this level while still being rooted in the place that raised me.”

Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner also declared for the draft with the sophomore keeping his options open to return to school. He is currently projected as a late first-round pick.

The AP All-Southeastern Conference guard led Vanderbilt to one of the best seasons in program history, scoring 19.5 points a game. His heave from beyond half court rattled out after falling halfway through in a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Nebraska.

Tennessee freshman Nate Ament declared for the draft Thursday after starting all 35 games he played and averaging 16.7 points and 6.3 rebounds. His announcement came in an Instagram post in which he thanked the Volunteers for the opportunity.

“I promise to always represent the Vols with the upmost pride,” Ament wrote. “This University means more to me than just basketball — to me it’s a place I call home. I might’ve only been here a year but I’ll remember this year for the rest of my life.”

Another top draft prospect, Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas, declared for the draft on Wednesday. He joined LSU legend Pete Maravich as the only SEC players to have led the league in scoring (23.5 points per game) and assists (6.4 per game) in the same season.

Ament and Acuff also are widely considered to be top-10 draft picks.

At North Carolina, junior 7-footer Henri Veesaar declared for the draft Friday, leaving a big hole up front for new coach Michael Malone as he takes over the Tar Heels.

Veesaar averaged 17.0 points and 8.7 rebounds after transferring from Arizona, joining star freshman Caleb Wilson – who previously announced he would go to the NBA draft – in a potent frontcourt duo. Veesaar, who also shot 42.6% on 3-pointers, is considered a possible late first-round prospect.

“This journey didn’t happen alone,” Veesaar said in a statement thanking family, friends, teammates and coaches. “Thank you to everyone who’s been part of the journey.”

___

AP Basketball Writer Aaron Beard in North Carolina and AP Sports Writer John Marshall in Arizona contributed to this report.

___

AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

The talks planned for Saturday come as much of the world is on edge over a war that has snarled crucial energy exports through the Strait of Hormuz, clouded the global economic picture and left thousands dead across the Middle East.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad late Friday. Earlier on social media, he wrote that he was traveling to Pakistan on a trip focused on “bilateral matters and regional developments.” He didn’t specify who he would meet.

Shortly after Araghchi touched down, the country’s government made it clear there would be no direct negotiations with American government representatives during this visit.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmael Baqaei said on X that, “No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the U.S.”

Instead, Baqaei said Pakistani officials would convey messages between the delegations. Baqaei thanked the Pakistani government for its “ongoing mediation & good offices for ending American imposed war of aggression.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had said in an interview on Fox News Channel that Witkoff and Kushner would meet with Araghchi.

“We’re hopeful that it will be a productive conversation and hopefully move the ball forward to a deal,” Leavitt said.

She said Vice President JD Vance would not travel but that he remains “deeply involved,” and would be willing to go to Pakistan “if we feel it's a necessary use of his time.”

Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the president’s national security team are on “standby” to fly to Pakistan if needed, Leavitt said.

Araghchi and the two Trump envoys held hours of indirect talks in Geneva on Feb. 27 over Tehran’s nuclear program, but walked away without a deal. The next day, Israel and the United States started the war against Iran.

Leavitt said the president decided to send Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan “to hear the Iranians out.”

“We’ve certainly seen some progress from the Iranian side in the last couple of days,” Leavitt said. She did not offer any details about what U.S. officials were hearing.

Islamabad has sought to reinject momentum into the negotiations between Iran and the United States, which did not resume this week as had been expected.

Trump extends the Jones Act waiver for 90 days

Separately Friday, the White House said Trump issued a 90-day extension to the Jones Act waiver, making it easier for non-American vessels to transport oil and natural gas.

He first announced a 60-day waiver in March in a move intended to stabilize energy prices and ease oil and gas shipments to the U.S. following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

“New data compiled since the initial waiver was issued revealed that significantly more supply was able to reach U.S. ports faster,” the White House post on social media said.

The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, retreated on the news, vacillating between $103 a barrel and more than $107 — still early 50% higher than where it was on Feb. 28, when the war began.

The squeeze on shipments through the strait has rippled through global maritime trade flows, including through the Panama Canal nearly halfway around the world.

Pakistan forges ahead with diplomatic efforts

Pakistan has been trying to get U.S. and Iranian officials back to the table after Trump this week announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran, honoring Islamabad's request for more time for diplomatic outreach.

That hasn’t lowered tensions in the strait, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas is shipped during peacetime.

Iran has kept its stranglehold on traffic through the strait, attacking three ships earlier this week, while the U.S. is maintaining a blockade on Iranian ports and Trump has ordered the military to “shoot and kill” small boats that could be placing mines.

“Iran has an important choice, a chance to make a deal, a good deal, a wise deal,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters on Friday. He said a second U.S. aircraft carrier will join the blockade in a few days.

Washington already has three aircraft carriers in the region; the USS George H.W. Bush in the Indian Ocean; the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea; and the USS Gerald R. Ford in the Red Sea.

It is the first time since 2003 that three American carriers have been operating in the region simultaneously. The force includes 200 aircraft and 15,000 sailors and Marines, U.S. Central Command said.

A growing toll even as ceasefires hold

Since the war began, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, and more than 2,490 people in Lebanon, where new fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah broke out two days after the war started, according to authorities.

Additionally, 23 people have died in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.

The U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon has also sustained casualties. UNIFIL said Friday that an Indonesian peacekeeper died of wounds sustained in an attack on his base on March 29, raising to six — four Indonesians and two French — the number of force members killed since the war erupted.

Tensions linger in Lebanon despite extended truce

The situation in Lebanon remained tense a day after Trump announced Israel and Lebanon had agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks. Hezbollah has not participated in the diplomacy brokered by Washington.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video statement released by his office on Friday, hailed “a process to achieve a historic peace between Israel and Lebanon.”

Earlier, the Israeli army asked residents of the southern Lebanese village of Deir Aames to evacuate, saying Hezbollah was using the village to launch attacks against Israel.

Israel's military said it downed a drone over Lebanon following the launch of a small surface-to-air missile by Hezbollah. The militant group, meanwhile, said it shot down an Israeli drone with a surface-to-air missile over the outskirts of the southern port city of Tyre.

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Keaten from Geneva. Associated Press writers David Rising in Bangkok; Koral Saeed in Abu Snan, Israel; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; and Aamer Madhani, Josh Boak and Ashraf Khalil in Washington contributed.

Families involved in the Spring Area Youth Softball League say they began asking questions after noticing ongoing issues with field conditions and equipment.

“We’ve noticed the field’s overgrown. The scoreboards aren’t working. Multiple things here need to be fixed,” said coach Michael Flores. “And we started asking questions, where are the funds going?”

That question prompted a closer look.

Records show the league had identified itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for years, despite losing that status in 2021. After KPRC 2 News’s Rilwan Balogun sent questions to league leadership, its sponsor page and donation information were removed within an hour.

• RELATED: Texas Youth Sports Leagues: A world with little oversight - what families can do

Board member Mark Orneales said the loss of status stemmed from missed filings and communication breakdowns with previous leadership.

“I think the last filing was in 2017. 2018 and 2019 didn’t get filed, and in 2021 that’s when our status was revoked,” Orneales said. “We didn’t know because it was sent to an old P.O. box.”

Orneales added the current board believed everything had been handled.

“We just assumed it was still going on that it got filed and we were good,” he said.

Parents, however, say that explanation raises more questions especially when it comes to how money has been used.

“I want to see where the investment is,” said parent Jesenia Torres. “Where are they reinvesting funds into the program?”

Families say they’ve paid registration fees and participated in fundraisers but haven’t seen improvements reflected at the park.

“We’re spending, and I’m rounding, about $120 for registration, plus another $200 fundraising,” Flores said. “I’m fine with that, but I want to see the park. I want to see the fields maintained.”

Torres also worries about the broader impact on the kids.

“We’re still required to have our forms in order for this to be an organization,” she said. “The ones that get jeopardized out of this would be our kids.”

Despite their concerns, many parents say they are not ready to walk away.

“This park is special to us,” Torres said. “We want families to know this is a space where young girls can play and grow. We want it to last for generations to come.”

League leadership says they are now working to correct the issue and have refiled for nonprofit status, though it’s unclear when that process will be complete.

In the meantime, parents say they will continue showing up but with a renewed call for transparency and accountability.

“You can’t just fix paperwork and say everything’s fine,” Flores said. “There’s years that need to be addressed.”

You can look up any 501(c)3 by visiting the state comptroller’s office and searching the organization’s name.

Nicole Truelove, 53, was arrested earlier this month and charged with filing a false report and tampering with evidence after investigators said she cut herself, blamed a student and activated a panic alarm, prompting a large law enforcement response.

• RELATED: TEA investigating Splendora ISD teacher who accused student in stabbing hoax

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said the April incident at Splendora High School began when Truelove activated a wearable alarm around 8:45 a.m., triggering a lockdown and drawing more than 80 law enforcement officers to the campus.

Investigators later determined no student assault had occurred and that there was no ongoing threat to the school.

Records obtained via a open records request by KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding from her previous employer, Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD, show multiple incidents involving student complaints, administrative leave and formal reprimands before her resignation in May 2025.

In March 2022, district leaders placed Truelove on a professional growth plan citing concerns about classroom management and professionalism. The document states she “grabbed a student by his arm in order to keep him from walking away” from her.

In March 2025, a student reported that Truelove grabbed her face to force eye contact.

“At some point, I realized she was standing behind me. Without warning, she grabbed my face, squeezing it together to force me to look up at her,” the student wrote. “I resisted and pulled her hands off, but, she put them back on smushing my face again.”

• RELATED: Teacher cuts self, blames student in ‘hoax’ attack at Splendora High School, police say

In a written response included in the records, Truelove said she placed her hands on the student’s cheeks to get her attention and apologized for her actions.

“I have no idea that I embarrassed her. I am sorry for my actions,” Truelove wrote.

Additional student statements describe physical contact, including being slapped on the head or touched to regain focus.

“She has slapped me upside the head like once, to “motivate me.” Like from the back. She did caress (student name redacted) on the head, it was bad,” wrote a student.

Other students told administrators the behavior appeared joking or not intended to cause harm.

“Yes, I have seen Mrs. Truelove squeeze, hit or slap someone. However, I feel it is a joking matter and not purposely trying to hurt someone. I think the issue is when someone says, “Okay, don’t hit me” she doesn’t understand no,” another student wrote.

Following the March 2025 incident, the district placed Truelove on administrative leave with pay.

Separate records show Truelove was placed on paid administrative leave in 2023 after an incident involving racist language in the classroom.

A letter from a principal states a recording captured her denying, then admitting to using a racial slur while speaking with students.

In October 2025, the district issued a formal reprimand after multiple students reported Truelove told them to intentionally perform poorly on a beginning-of-year assessment.

The reprimand states the district determined the testing data had been manipulated and ruled her ineligible for incentive compensation for that school year. Bonuses could reach well over $10,000 for top preforming teachers.

Additional documents cite concerns about attendance and prior reassignment within the district.

The records also show Truelove disputed some allegations, writing in one response that claims against her were “false hearsay” that could not be substantiated.

In April 2025, the superintendent notified her he would recommend her contract not be renewed “in the best interest of the district.”

She submitted a handwritten resignation the same day, effective at the end of the school year.

Splendora ISD said it checks the state’s “do not hire” registry as part of its hiring process and that Truelove was not listed. A district spokesperson said officials were not aware of the full scope of her prior disciplinary records.

Splendora ISD follows established hiring protocols in accordance with state law and district procedures.  As part of our standard process, we verify an applicant’s certification through the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) to ensure there are no active sanctions or reprimands, conduct reference checks—including recent supervisors—and screen candidates through the Texas Do Not Hire Registry.

We were not aware of any disciplinary records.

William Rhodes, Splendora ISD Executive Director of Human Resources

Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD officials said full personnel files for Truelove are now being submitted to the state.

“We are in the process of providing the documents to the Texas Education Agency regarding this educator, as is the longstanding custom and practice of the Coldspring-Oakhurst ISD.”

Attorney Representing Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD

The Texas Education Agency has opened an investigation. The criminal case against Truelove remains ongoing.

Truelove has bonded out of jail and resigned from her position with Splendora ISD.

Owen’s story is featured in the Amazon Prime docuseries Cocaine Quarterback, which chronicles his life story in three parts.

When his bad choices finally caught up with him, Owen was sentenced to 21 years in Federal prison. After serving nearly a decade of his sentence, he was released and given a second chance. He had no money, no job, and would be starting over completely.

Less than a year later, Owen now has a growing business selling protein ice cream bars -- something he created and started selling while still living in a small prison cell.

“If I can do it from a 6 x 8 prison cell, then no one should have an excuse,” said Owen about his determination to do something positive with his new lease on life.

Today, Owen also speaks with young athletes in schools to help them learn from his mistakes instead of following in his footsteps.

Watch the full Houston Life interview with Derrick Shore and Courtney Zavala to learn more about Owen’s remarkable comeback.

Baton Rouge Police Chief TJ Morse said the shooting Thursday at the Mall of Louisiana was not a random act and seemed to be driven by “social media beefs and maybe gang-related stuff," adding that the investigation was ongoing.

“We know that this was two groups of people that met up at the mall, exchanged words and then pulled guns and innocent people were hit,” Morse said.

The chief spoke at a news conference alongside Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who vowed to crack down on gang violence in the capital city and said he had spoken with FBI Director Kash Patel. The Republican governor promised to use state, local and federal resources to address the issue and that consequences "are going to start being felt immediately.”

Landry said he was asking all levels and sectors of law enforcement to “prepare for a targeted warrant sweep” for anyone connected to the mall shooting. He said it would focus on the “neighborhoods that these individuals came out of" without naming specific parts of the city.

“We are not going to allow our streets, our schools and our public spaces to become your battleground,” Landry said. “Those who brought this violence into our public spaces and into the lives of our ordinary citizens, I want you to know you are now the criminal problem and we are focused on you.”

Shoppers and workers inside mall fled and hid for cover as shots rang out at in the food court. Morse said that two officers on duty at the mall ran toward the gunfire without hesitation and rendered aid. Their quick action helped save lives, he said.

Hundreds of police officers — some wearing tactical gear and carrying long riffles — descended on the mall.

Authorities say Martha Odom, a 17-year-old high school student from Lafayette, died in the shooting. Odom was visiting the mall with friends for her “senior skip day,” The Advocate reported. Two other high school students from Odom's school, Ascension Episcopal School, were among the injured.

In a social media post by the school, Odom was described as “a joyful presence whose kindness and infectious enthusiasm brought light to all who knew her.”

Five people were initially taken into custody following the shooting but later released. A 17-year-old was arrested Friday after turning himself in, Morse said. The teen has been charged with first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder and a count of illegal use of a weapon.

Under recently enacted Louisiana law, 17-year-olds are treated as adults in the state's criminal justice system.

The deadly shooting is the second high-profile case of gun violence in Louisiana this week. A father fatally shot eight children, including seven of his own, in an attack on his family Sunday morning that stretched across two houses in a Shreveport neighborhood, police said. Two women, including the gunman’s wife who was the mother of their children, were critically wounded.

Houston Fire Department Captain Andrew Roseborough and Dr. Jyothi Lagisetty say they were visiting the historic site when gunfire broke out near the Temple of the Moon.

Roseborough said the visit had started as a peaceful tour before the situation changed suddenly.

“It really was a beautiful day,” Roseborough said.

• Splendora High School teacher accused of hoax has lengthy history of discipline, complaints; records show

He said the couple then heard what sounded like multiple gunshots and people screaming.

“I heard more pops and people screaming,” Roseborough said.

The couple took cover as the scene unfolded. Later, they said they heard someone calling for medical help.

“Somebody yelled doctor, doctor,” Roseborough said.

They ran toward the voice and found a child who had been shot.

Lagisetty said she immediately began assessing the child.

“Making sure that they’re breathing,” Lagisetty said.

She said the child had injuries to the lower extremity and they worked to control bleeding using direct pressure rather than a tourniquet, based on the patient’s condition.

• State regulators say Camp Mystic emergency plan has deficiencies

“We were able to wrap it around,” Lagisetty said.

Roseborough said they also assisted a woman who had been shot, using materials provided by bystanders to help control bleeding.

“It felt normal,” Roseborough said, describing how they relied on their training.

The couple said they later learned the victims they helped were reported to be in stable condition the following day.

When asked about being called heroes, both downplayed the label, saying they were simply doing what their training prepared them to do.

Roseborough said their actions reflected the response expected of Houston firefighters and medical professionals in an emergency.

Like many soft toys, the creatures developed by a manufacturer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are made with polyester and acrylic, synthetic fibers derived from petroleum. Three weeks after the war started, suppliers in China notified Aleni Brands that getting the materials already was costing them 10% to 15% more, CEO Ricardo Venegas said.

“I think this situation demonstrates how much oil permeates throughout our system, and we can’t get away from it,” said Venegas, who founded Aleni Brands last year and is in the process of adding product lines. “Who would have thought that the price of a toy would have a direct relationship with oil?”

It's not just toys. Petrochemicals derived from oil and natural gas go into making more than 6,000 consumer products, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Computer keyboards, lipstick, tennis rackets, pajamas, soft contact lenses, detergent, chewing gum, shoes, crayons, shaving cream, pillows, aspirin, dentures, tape, umbrellas and nylon guitar strings are just a few of them.

So far, the war's most tangible and immediate effect for many people outside the conflict zone has been spiking gasoline prices. Travelers also are seeing higher airfares and flight fees as airlines respond to the rising cost of jet fuel. Consumers may find themselves paying more for food, furniture or any of the myriad of goods transported by trucks that run on diesel.

But crude oil isn't just refined as fuel. It gets turned into chemicals, waxes, oils and other mixtures that appear in a vast array of everyday items, including most made with plastic and rubber. Petroleum derivatives also are used in a lot of packaging. With disruptions to global oil supplies now in their eighth week, higher production costs also could make things more expensive for shoppers, according to trade groups and some companies.

Venegas, a 30-year toy industry veteran, said he would absorb higher material costs for now but expects to increase prices for customers by early 2027, if the war goes on another three to six months.

From crude oil to T-shirts and rugs

While 85% of global oil consumption is in the form of fuel, the rest goes into a wide range of consumer products, according to Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at Columbia University's School of Business.

Crude oil is mostly a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, which are compounds made of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Refineries and chemical plants separate and break them down to convert them into smaller chemical building blocks known as petrochemicals.

Six petrochemicals — ethylene, propylene, butylene, benzene, toluene and xylenes — are the major foundations of plastics and synthetic materials like nylon and polyesters, which manufacturers in turn use to design and deliver products. More from the Department of Energy: Automobile parts, ballpoint pens, curtains, dice, eyeglasses, fertilizer, golf balls, hearing aids, insect repellant, kayaks, luggage, mops and nail polish.

Materials account for a big share of production costs for many manufacturers, including those that supply carpets, clothing and tires, according to Andrew Walberer, partner and global lead in the chemicals practice of global strategy and management consultancy Kearney.

Take a button-down shirt, for example. Walberer estimated that materials account for 27%-30% of how much it costs a manufacturer to make one. Labor costs contribute 10% to 30%. Business expenses tied to marketing, distribution and administration comprises the rest, he said.

The ripple effect

Experts say if oil holds above $90 per barrel for the next several months, cost pressures will accelerate throughout the supply network.

Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America CEO Matt Priest said most of the trade organization's members keep a two- to three-month inventory of finished products, providing a temporary cushion against higher materials costs.

Roughly 70% of the materials in synthetic shoes are petrochemical-based, and 30% of the costs for those materials are directly tied to oil price rate swings, according to a report the organization published last month on the U.S. footwear industry's “exposure to oil prices & the impact on shoe costs.”

The FDRA analysis estimated that between materials, factory energy and transportation, companies paying more for petroleum could translate into a 1.5% to 3% increase in the price shoppers pay for a pair of shoes by late summer and the fall.

By the end of April, U.S. shoe and clothing manufacturers need to start signing contracts with suppliers, mostly outside the U.S., for orders of polyester staple fiber and polyester filament yarn to get their designs on retail shelves and online for the holiday shopping season, according to Nate Herman, executive vice president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association.

One kilogram, or a little over two pounds, of the materials used in polyester textiles, has increased in price from an average of 90 cents before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran to $1.33 per kilogram, Herman said. He estimated that each garment will cost 10 cents to 15 cents more to produce as a result.

Another cost for importers

Some businesses are looking for ways to offset rising costs.

Lisa Lane is the founder of Rinseroo, which sells portable shower head, bathtub and sink attachments for cleaning, pet grooming, and bathing. She recently tripled the number of the slip-on hoses she procures from China each month after her manufacturer said the cost would be 30% higher in another 30 days. She had a few days to decide whether to place a three-month advance order.

The components of Rinseroo's products include petroleum derivatives like polyvinyl chloride, Lane said. After purchasing 240,000 units instead of her usual 80,000, she is also evaluating cost-cutting options.

Lane said she wants to hold off on increasing prices for retailers that sell the attachments since Rinseroo did that last year to offset higher U.S. tariffs on imports from China. For example, a hose for washing pets in a bathtub went up to $33.95 from $29.95 on retail websites, she said.

“We want to stay at that sweet spot where people want to continue to buy from us and feel like they’re getting a good value," Lane said.

Another company, which sells wound care products like bandages, dressings, pads and sponges to nursing homes and other medical facilities, plans to raise its prices by 15% in a matter of weeks. Gentell CEO David Navazio noted that adhesives in the products rely on several petrochemicals.

Including energy for production and materials, Navazio estimated the company's costs are going up by 20%.

Gentell, which is based in Yardley, Pennsylvania but has its main manufacturing location in Toronto, also makes private label products for other companies, including a medical technology firm that supplies retail stores like CVS.

Because bandages and dressings are necessities, Navazio said he doesn't think his business will suffer if it raises customer prices. Less certain is whether prices will come down once the war ends and oil shipments stabilize.

“In the past, I’ve seen transportation costs come down, but I’ve never seen prices of raw material come down,” he said.

HPD said they received the call around 9:15 a.m.

Per a law enforcement source, the suspect is connected to two known catalytic converter theft cases — one earlier this week and another Friday. The source said officers attempted a traffic stop along Grant Street just north of Westheimer and the suspect, who was driving a black Dodge Charger, tried to evade.

Police said the Charger struck another vehicle during the driver’s escape while in reverse and still in gear, backing up as the suspect ran from the car. The suspect then fled on foot, and his house shoes/slippers came off, leaving him running in socks.

“Absolute madness. It was like a movie film,” said Mariama Ndiyae, whose car nearly got hit by the moving Charger. “I didn’t realize my car was out there till about Ten minutes after the adrenaline just shut down ... Thank God nothing happened to her."

The Charger is now in police custody, and police believe there was only one suspect in the vehicle. Officers are still searching for the suspect, described as a Black male about 5′8″ to 5′10″, wearing all black.

A police helicopter was seen searching overhead, K9s assisted, and officers used a drone to search while people in nearby offices stepped outside to observe.

Catalytic converter thefts have been on the rise in Houston, and authorities advise people to protect their vehicles by parking in well-lit areas, installing anti-theft devices, and reporting suspicious activity.

Catalytic converter thefts are on the rise again—don’t become the next target.

Protect your vehicle by parking in well-lit areas, installing anti-theft devices, and staying aware of suspicious activity.

If you see something, say something. Help us keep our community safe. pic.twitter.com/Gj3elXB8x0

— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) April 7, 2026

“This hurts our community. These are the moms, the dads, the everyday person working hard that can’t afford that setback‚" KPRC 2’s community news partner Grizzy of Grizzy’s Hood News said, noting that she’s seen an increase in videos shared by her followers that show the thieves in action.

Jennifer Kluttz of ADD Automotive, a shop that specializes in protective shields for catalytic converters, said thefts tend to increase when the price of the precious metals inside the parts, including rhodium and palladium, go up.

Police were not able to catch the suspect on Friday. He has not been publicly identified, but law enforcement said the Harris County District Attorney’s Office has accepted charges against him.

Less than a week after beating Burnley 4-1, Forest rose eight points clear of the relegation zone and sent shivers down the spine of Tottenham Hotspur fans. Spurs occupy the third relegation spot, two points behind West Ham.

With Burnley and Wolves already relegated, Spurs or West Ham are now the most likely candidates to join them.

“It gives us some breathing room and puts pressure on the two chasing behind," Forest's New Zealand striker Chris Wood said. "Back-to-back wins do that for you.

“We built on the second half from last week, that is what we wanted to do. We want to build and get better and show what we are capable of. We started fast and what we did today was fantastic."

Sunderland had the best defensive record in the league at home after Manchester City and Arsenal, but that defensive solidity disappeared during a woeful first half.

Forest looked quicker and hungrier from the off and took the lead after 16 minutes when Igor Jesus’ header went in off Trai Hume following a neatly worked short corner.

Disaster then struck for Sunderland as goalkeeper Robin Roefs gifted Forest a second. His sloppy pass went straight to Morgan Gibbs-White, who fed Chris Wood to give the big New Zealander, recently back from a long injury layoff, his first league goal since the opening day of the season.

Gibbs-White made it 3-0 three minutes later when he drilled home a low shot after Jesus’ superbly cushioned header gave him time and space.

Jesus got Forest’s fourth three minutes later as Sunderland crumbled.

Sunderland’s Dan Ballard had a goal chalked off after a video review in the second half and if there was any doubt the home side was all out of luck it came in stoppage time when Elliot Anderson made it five and confirmed Sunderland’s heaviest ever defeat at the Stadium of Light.

“It is hard to explain straight after the game,” Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka said. “What I can say is that we apologise to our fans. They were easy goals we conceded today. Three set-pieces and the coach has just said in there that if you drop 1% of your maximum then you are dead. You get punished and we got punished at home.”

___

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

Camp Mystic is seeking to reopen its Cypress Lake location, not the Guadalupe location where 25 campers, 2 counselors and co-owner Dick Eastland died during last year’s catastrophic flood.

A deficiency letter from the Texas Department of State Health Services, obtained by 2 Investigates covers 22 separate audit categories and identifies gaps in how the camp would respond to emergencies, and whether parents would be notified in a timely manner.

READ MORE: Why families are fighting Camp Mystic’s reopening after deadly flood and new Texas laws

However, state officials said Camp Mystic is not alone in having its emergency plan sent back for revision. A DSHS spokeswoman told us that “most youth camps have received a notice of deficiency letter for their emergency plan due to the statutory changes and increased emergency plan requirements.” She added that emergency plans are confidential by law and cannot be released publicly. At the beginning of April, 116 camps submitted emergency plans to the state as part of the licensing process.

Across multiple sections of the review, including fire response, medical emergencies, aquatic incidents, and transportation accidents, state reviewers flagged that no specific staff role is clearly assigned to contact emergency services. The letter warned that a “lack of role clarity may delay emergency response and impact timely coordination with emergency services.”

Another area of Mystic’s emergency plan flagged for missing information deals with submitting a FEMA floodplain map that “clearly identify each cabin in relationship to the floodplain and floodway.”

The state’s letter also stated there no clear reunification plan spelling out how parents would reclaim their children after a flood evacuation.

The camp’s active threat and security section contains “an incorrect reference to Section 3.6.2, which does not exist, potentially impacting usability during an emergency.” In a crisis, a staff member following that plan would hit a dead end.

READ MORE: Several Camp Mystic parents ask state to deny license renewal

Reviewers also found Mystic’s Unauthorized Individual Plan was insufficient and does not “include how to identify an authorized vs unauthorized person.”

State reviewers noted that while the plan states the camp “shall” install and maintain an emergency warning system, it “does not affirm that the camp has and maintains an emergency warning system.” The plan also does not identify who is responsible for operating the system or who serves as backup.

The new requirements stem from changes to the Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 141, also known as the Texas Youth Camp Safety and Health Act, which raised the bar for what emergency plans must contain. The DSHS letter notes its review “does not verify operational capability, staff training, or real-world implementation,” meaning the state is evaluating paperwork, not whether the camp could actually execute the plan.

Camp Mystic has 45 days to submit a corrected emergency plan to the state. 2 Investigates also learned DSHS has contracted with National EMR, an emergency management and response company in Schertz, Tx., to review all emergency plans submitted to the state by youth camps to help ensure the plans meet the new standards outline in the law.

“National EMR’s role is limited to administrative review and helps DSHS determine whether plans contain the required components. National EMR does not make final determinations related to camp emergency plan compliance, regulate camps, enforce compliance, or make licensing decisions. Those responsibilities remain solely with DSHS,” wrote Lara Anton with DSHS.

Camp Mystic official sent the following statement to KPRC.

“Camp Mystic - along with other Texas camps - recently received a deficiency letter from the Texas Department of Health Services (DSHS) regarding Camp Mystic’s application for licensure for its Cypress Lake campus.

Camp Mystic is carefully reviewing the notice from DSHS and we are working closely with DSHS through the appropriate process to address the areas outlined. Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our campers, and we hope to continue the nearly century-long mission and ministry of Camp Mystic to provide a Christian camping experience for girls that allows them to grow physically, mentally and spiritually."

Typically, DSHS will not perform an onsite inspection of a camp until an emergency plan is approved, but a spokesperson for the agency told 2 Investigates it would send inspectors to Camp Mystic while “Texas Rangers are there for their investigation.”

Melania Trump on Friday announced that she is expanding the White House honey program by adding a beehive in the shape of the White House to two other beehives that have been on the south grounds since 2009.

The existing hives can swell to about 70,000 bees during peak summer months and produce 200 pounds to 225 pounds (91 to 102 kilograms) of honey in a year, the White House said. The new hive could increase honey production by about 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms), according to the White House.

The announcement came just before Britain's King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, were expected to arrive in Washington on a four-day state visit, including an elaborate White House state dinner on Tuesday hosted by President Donald Trump and the first lady.

Charles and Camilla are supporters of beekeeping. The king keeps at least three beehives at Highgrove House, their private residence southwest of Tetbury in Gloucestershire, England, as part of his support for the environment and sustainability.

The queen is also a bee fan. She is a patron of Bees for Development, a charity that promotes the role of bees in sustainable development worldwide.

The White House uses the clover honey its bees produce to prepare meals, as official gifts from the president and first lady, and in donations to food kitchens.

The bees help pollinate a nearby produce garden that then-first lady Michelle Obama started in 2009 and a nearby flower cutting garden, along with vegetation on the National Mall.

The beekeeping program began after a White House carpenter started beekeeping as a hobby on the complex.

The new hive was funded through the Trust for the National Mall, the White House said.

The hive and the base were designed by White House residence staff and handmade by a Virginia artisan.

Millwall was blindsided by the educational pamphlet that featured the southeast London club’s badge edited onto an illustration of a Ku Klux Klan robe. The Westminster City Council has since apologized.

A British lawmaker told The Associated Press that the misuse of Millwall branding is an “insult,” and the team’s leading fan group said it was “outraged” at the portrayal.

The second-division club said it is considering legal action because the imagery creates “a false and damaging image of the club.”

The incident comes at a time when Millwall has a strong chance to secure a first ever promotion to the Premier League. The team was last in the top flight in the 1989-90 season.

Millwall’s image

The checkered reputation of fan behavior dates to the days of England’s worst episodes of hooliganism in the 1970s and 80s. Hardcore Millwall fans proudly chanted, “No one likes us, we don’t care.”

But the club has worked to change its perception. The anti-discrimination body it created in 1994 was “the first organization of its kind at an English football club.” Millwall also boasts of its working relationship with anti-discrimination organizations Kick it Out and Show Racism the Red Card.

Despite the initiatives, Millwall has suffered dings to its image.

Millwall fans turned on each other — and police — during the 2013 FA Cup semifinal against Wigan at Wembley Stadium.

A few days after players were booed for taking a knee before kickoff at a December 2020 game, fans entering The Den received a printed statement that read: “The eyes of the world are on this football club tonight — your club — and they want us to fail.” That night, fans respected anti-racism gestures by both teams.

The English Football Association suggested its disciplinary commission consider a partial stadium closure because of offensive chanting by Millwall supporters about disabilities during a September 2025 game at Crystal Palace in the League Cup. The commission called the chants “abhorrent” and opted to fine Millwall 45,000 pounds ($60,000) in its recent ruling.

It was the third breach in the past three years — the previous chanting focused on religion and sexual orientation.

What was in the pamphlet?

The educational booklet distributed to London primary schools tells the story of Paul Canoville, a Black player who was subjected to racial abuse while playing for Chelsea in the early and mid-1980s.

One page depicts a Ku Klux Klan member in a white robe that has Millwall's logo on the chest. It's next to a Canoville quote about being racially abused at Millwall.

The Paul Canoville Foundation said it wasn't consulted on any of the contents. It said the illustration “is a depiction of a real incident Paul experienced whilst playing for Chelsea Reserves against Millwall Reserves in the 1980s, in which he was subjected to serious racial abuse by a number of individuals wearing Ku Klux Klan-style white hoods.”

The Westminster City Council said the booklet has been removed from circulation.

“We accept the use of this image was an insensitive way to illustrate the historic problem of racism within football. We have apologized to Millwall Football Club for the improper use of their logo and for any offense caused,” it said in a statement.

Neil Coyle, Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, told AP on Friday that the decision to use the Millwall branding “is an insult to southeast London frankly,” because of the club's work in the community.

The Millwall Supporters’ Club also weighed in Friday, saying it was “outraged" and “this deeply damaging misrepresentation does not reflect our club or a fanbase that works tireless to eradicate discrimination of any kind from the game.”

The Kensington and Chelsea Council's logo also features on the front of the pamphlet. A council spokesperson told the AP: “We understand the booklet is being withdrawn, and support that decision.”

Premier League promotion in sight

American-owned Millwall is battling Ipswich to earn the second outright promotion spot. Coventry has clinched the title. The top two finishers in the Championship get promoted automatically. The next four enter a playoff for the final promotion spot.

Millwall moved into second place Friday night — but only by one point over Ipswich — after a 1-1 draw at already relegated Leicester. Millwall has just one game left in the season.

Ipswich has three games remaining and plays at West Brom on Saturday.

___

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

A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that immigration laws give people the right to apply for asylum at the border, and the president can’t circumvent that.

The court opinion stems from action taken by Trump on Inauguration Day 2025, when he declared that the situation at the southern border constituted an invasion of America and that he was “suspending the physical entry” of migrants and their ability to seek asylum until he decides it is over.

The panel concluded that the Immigration and Nationality Act doesn’t authorize the president to remove the plaintiffs under “procedures of his own making,” allow him to suspend plaintiffs’ right to apply for asylum or curtail procedures for adjudicating their anti-torture claims.

“The power by proclamation to temporarily suspend the entry of specified foreign individuals into the United States does not contain implicit authority to override the INA’s mandatory process to summarily remove foreign individuals,” wrote Judge J. Michelle Childs, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Joe Biden.

“We conclude that the INA’s text, structure, and history make clear that in supplying power to suspend entry by Presidential proclamation, Congress did not intend to grant the Executive the expansive removal authority it asserts,” the opinion said.

White House says asylum ban was within Trump's powers

The administration can ask the full appeals court to reconsider the ruling or go to the Supreme Court.

The order doesn’t formally take effect until after the court considers any request to reconsider.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking on Fox News, said she had not seen the ruling but called it “unsurprising,” blaming politically-motivated judges.

“They are not acting as true litigators of the law. They are looking at these cases from a political lens,” she said.

Leavitt said Trump was taking actions that are “completely within his powers as commander in chief.”

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the Department of Justice would seek further review of the decision. “We are sure we will be vindicated,” she wrote in an emailed statement.

The Department of Homeland Security said it strongly disagreed with the ruling.

“President Trump’s top priority remains the screening and vetting of all aliens seeking to come, live, or work in the United States,” DHS said in a statement.

Advocates welcome the ruling

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, said that previous legal action had already paused the asylum ban, and the ruling won’t change much on the ground.

The ruling, however, represents another legal defeat for a centerpiece policy of the president.

“This confirms that President Trump cannot on his own bar people from seeking asylum, that it is Congress that has mandated that asylum seekers have a right to apply for asylum and the President cannot simply invoke his authority to sustain,” said Reichlin-Melnick.

Advocates say the right to request asylum is enshrined in the country’s immigration law and say denying migrants that right puts people fleeing war or persecution in grave danger.

Lee Gelernt, attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, who argued the case, said in a statement that the appellate ruling is “essential for those fleeing danger who have been denied even a hearing to present asylum claims under the Trump administration’s unlawful and inhumane executive order.”

Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, welcomed the court decision as a victory for their clients.

“Today’s DC Circuit ruling affirms that capricious actions by the President cannot supplant the rule of law in the United States,” said Nicolas Palazzo, director of advocacy and legal Services at Las Americas.

Judge Justin Walker, a Trump nominee, wrote a partial dissent. He said the law gives immigrants protections against removal to countries where they would be persecuted, but the administration can issue broad denials of asylum applications.

Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.

Judge Cornelia Pillard, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, also heard the case.

In the executive order, Trump argued that the Immigration and Nationality Act gives presidents the authority to suspend entry of any group that they find “detrimental to the interests of the United States.”

The executive order also suspended the ability of migrants to ask for asylum.

Trump’s order was another blow to asylum access in the U.S., which was severely curtailed under the Biden administration, although under Biden some pathways for protections for a limited number of asylum seekers at the southern border continued.

Migrant advocate in Mexico expresses cautious hope

For Josue Martinez, a psychologist who works at a small migrant shelter in southern Mexico, the ruling marked a potential “light at the end of the tunnel” for many migrants who once hoped to seek asylum in the U.S. but ended up stuck in vulnerable conditions in Mexico.

“I hope there’s something more concrete, because we’ve heard this kind of news before: A district judge files an appeal, there’s a temporary hold, but it’s only temporary and then it’s over,” he said.

Meanwhile, migrants from Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela and other countries have struggled to make ends meet as they try to seek refuge in Mexico’s asylum system that’s all but collapsed under the weight of new strains and slashed international funds.

This week hundreds of migrants, mostly stranded migrants from Haiti, left the southern Mexican city of Tapachula on foot to seek better living conditions elsewhere in Mexico.

———

AP reporters Gary Fields in Washington, Gisela Salomon in Miami and Megan Janetsky in Mexico City contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Leavitt was speaking to Fox News, not to a press gaggle.

Alcaraz posted on X on Friday that neither would he appear in the preceding Italian Open in Rome, where he also won last year.

No. 2-ranked Alcaraz was injured at the Barcelona Open this month during his first-round win and withdrew the day after.

He pulled out of this week's Madrid Open and attended the Laureus World Sports Awards in the Spanish capital on Monday with his wrist immobilized. Alcaraz was named world sportsman of the year at the gala.

Alcaraz confirmed he was a no-go for Paris after undergoing more medical tests on Friday.

"After the results of the tests carried out today, we have decided that the most prudent thing is to be cautious and not participate in Rome and Roland Garros," he wrote on X. “It's a complicated moment for me, but I'm sure we'll come out stronger from here.”

Alcaraz started the year in sensational form, beating Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final. That made him the youngest man ever to win all four major titles in tennis.

He has won only one title since — at Doha in February — and will be without a title in the major clay-court events. He lost the Monte Carlo final to Jannik Sinner at the start of this month and surrendered the No. 1 ranking to his Italian rival.

Sinner hoped Alcaraz returns soon.

“Tennis needs Carlos,” Sinner said after his first-round win at the Madrid Open. “Tennis is a much better sport when he’s around.

“I hope he's going to come back and he will not have any further injuries. But I also believe that it's good that he and his team take the time. If you come back too early then maybe you have a bigger problem afterwards.

“We all want that he's competitive when he comes back. The next goal I guess for him, and I hope so, it's Wimbledon (in June). So I hope he's going to be back there. I sent him a wish for a speedy recovery, though it's painful and very sad for all tennis.”

Last year, Alcaraz beat Sinner in the finals of the Italian Open and French Open, where he saved three match points in an epic match. Alcaraz then lost the Wimbledon final to Sinner before beating him again in the U.S. Open final.

The Italian Open starts on May 5. The French Open does so on May 18.

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

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said on X Friday that her office was ending its probe into the Fed’s extensive building renovations because the Fed’s inspector general would scrutinize them instead.

The move could lead to a swift confirmation vote by the Senate for Warsh, a former top Fed official whom President Donald Trump, a Republican, nominated in January to replace Powell. Powell's term as chair ends May 15. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, had said he would oppose Warsh until the investigation was resolved, effectively blocking his confirmation.

Republicans praised Warsh during a Tuesday hearing even as Democrats questioned his independence from Trump, the lack of transparency around some of his financial holdings, and what they said was his flip-flopping on interest rates. Still, Trump's previous appointment to the Fed's board of governors, Stephen Miran, was approved by the full Senate just 13 days after his nomination.

Investigation lacked evidence, a court says

Pirro’s investigation focused on a $2.5 billion building renovation that Trump criticized sharply last year for its cost overruns. Trump visited the building last July and on camera presented to Powell an inflated cost estimate, which Powell corrected as the two stood at the construction site in hard hats.

Earlier estimates for the project had put the cost at $1.9 billion. The investigation also covered Powell’s brief testimony about the renovation before the Senate Banking Committee last June.

Pirro also said on X, “I will not hesitate to restart a criminal investigation should the facts warrant doing so.” Powell has previously asked the Fed’s independent inspector general to investigate the cost overruns.

The probe was among several undertaken by the Justice Department into Trump’s perceived adversaries. For months it had failed to gain traction as prosecutors struggled to articulate a basis to suspect criminal conduct. Other efforts by the department to prosecute Trump's adversaries, including New York state Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, and former FBI Director James Comey, have also been unsuccessful.

A prosecutor handling the Powell case conceded at a closed-door court hearing in March that the government hadn’t found any evidence of a crime, and a judge subsequently quashed subpoenas issued to the Federal Reserve. The judge, James Boasberg, said prosecutors had produced “essentially zero evidence” to suspect Powell of a crime. Boasberg branded prosecutors’ justification for the subpoenas as “thin and unsubstantiated.”

The investigation was the most brazen attempt yet by the Trump administration to pressure the Fed to cut its short-term interest rate, which indirectly affects other borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans and business loans. Trump has obsessively attacked Powell for not cutting the rate from its current level of about 3.6% to 1%, a level that no Fed official supports.

Probe was intended to intimidate the Fed, Powell says

Instead, Fed policymakers, including Powell, have said they want to keep rates unchanged while they evaluate the impact of the Iran war, which has sent gas prices soaring, pushing up inflation. The increase could be a one-time shift but could also lead to more sustained inflation. The Fed seeks to restrain rising prices by keeping interest rates high, cooling borrowing and spending.

Powell said in January that the investigation was not really about the renovation or his testimony but “is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President.”

More recently, prosecutors made an unannounced visit to a construction site at the Fed’s headquarters but were turned away, drawing a rebuke from a defense attorney in the case who called the maneuver “not appropriate.”

Warsh has promised to be independent

Warsh said during a hearing by the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday that he never promised the White House that he would cut interest rates, even as the president renewed his calls for the central bank to do so.

“The president never once asked me to commit to any particular interest rate decision, period,” Warsh said under questioning by the Senate Banking Committee. “Nor would I ever agree to do so if he had."

Warsh’s comments came just hours after Trump, in an interview on CNBC, was asked if he would be disappointed if Warsh didn’t immediately cut rates and responded, “I would.”

Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said during the hearing that Warsh would be a “sock puppet” for Trump. When she asked if Trump had won the 2020 presidential election — which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden but incorrectly claims was decided by fraud — Warsh said only that the Senate had certified Biden as the winner. When asked for an example of an economic policy on which he disagreed with Trump, Warsh did not name one.

Robert Hur, an attorney for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, didn’t immediately respond Friday to an email seeking comment.

Trump sought more control over the Fed

Trump has taken other unprecedented steps to try to pressure the Fed, including an attempt last August to fire Lisa Cook, a member of the Fed's governing board, who was appointed by Biden. Yet courts have temporarily blocked the firing, and, at an oral argument in January, the Supreme Court appeared sympathetic to the argument that Cook should keep her job.

A key question still to be resolved is whether Powell will remain on the Fed's board even after his term as chair expires next month. Powell, who serves a separate term as a governor that lasts until January 2028, has said he wouldn't leave until the investigation was dropped. Yet he did not promise to do so if it was. By remaining on the board, Powell would deprive Trump of the opportunity to fill another seat among its seven members, three of whom are Trump appointees.

Other presidents have pressured the Fed to keep borrowing costs low, notably Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, though rarely as publicly as Trump. Johnson’s and Nixon’s demands for lower rates, however, are considered key contributors to the 15-year outbreak of high inflation that only ended in the early 1980s after then-chair Paul Volcker ratcheted the Fed's rate to an eye-watering 20%.

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Associated Press writers Michael Kunzelman and Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP's coverage of the Federal Reserve System at https://apnews.com/hub/federal-reserve-system.

“Of course, we are hitting what is painful for Russia, and it is very painful,” Zelenskyy said in voice messages to reporters. He said that Russian losses in the strikes have reached tens of billions of dollars.

It wasn't possible to independently verify Zelenskyy’s comments, but Russian officials have reported that attacks have struck infrastructure in regions more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) inside Russia.

While Russia presses its all-out invasion, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, Ukraine is using its domestically developed drone and missile technology to strike Russian territory. The Ukrainian military also uses American-made Patriot air defense systems to stop Russian missile attacks on Ukraine's territory.

“We see that the Russians do not want to stop — they are hitting our energy sector and our people. We will respond,” Zelenskyy said.

Prince Harry praises Ukraine's resistance

Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s bigger army drew renewed praise from Prince Harry, who arrived in Kyiv on Thursday for his third visit in a year.

Ukrainians have demonstrated “strength not just in bravery and capability, but in unity, in trust,” he said in a speech to a Kyiv security conference

Ukraine “continues to hold together, and hold together you must,” he said.

The Duke of Sussex stepped off a train in Kyiv’s main station after an overnight journey from Poland, which is the only way to travel to the Ukrainian capital.

It wasn’t clear whether Harry would meet with Zelenskyy, who was due to attend a summit of European Union leaders in Cyprus on Thursday evening.

Russian firefighters tackle huge drone strike blaze

Hours before Harry arrived, three people were killed and 10 were wounded in a Russian drone attack on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, according to Oleksandr Hanzha, the head of the regional military administration.

A 13-story building and an administrative building were damaged in the strike, Hanzha said on the Telegram messaging app.

Russian air defenses, meanwhile, intercepted 154 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, the annexed Crimea Peninsula, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Authorities in the Krasnodar region on Russia's Black Sea coast said that 276 firefighters at the Black Sea port of Tuapse were fighting for a third straight day a huge blaze caused by a Ukrainian drone attack earlier this week.

Toxic material from the fire fell with rain, covering several districts of Tuapse with a black layer of dirt, the region’s emergency headquarters reported. The concentration in the air of chemicals from the fire surpassed admissible levels, officials said, and authorities advised residents to stay indoors.

Ukraine targets more Russian oil facilities

For the second consecutive night, Russia’s Samara region also was targeted. In the Samara city of Novokuybyshevsk, about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) east of the Ukrainian border, a drone attack on an unspecified industrial facility killed one person, regional Gov. Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said.

Drone debris also fell on a roof of a residential building in the city of Samara, wounding a number of people, Fedorishchev said. One person was hospitalized.

Unconfirmed media reports said that a petrochemical plant in Novokuybyshevsk owned by the Rosneft oil and gas company came under attack.

Ukrainian forces also struck Russian oil infrastructure in the Samara region and a pipeline in the Nizhegorodskaya region that transports oil from Western Siberia to Tatarstan, said Andriy Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation.

An oil refinery in the Samara region and an oil pipeline in the Nizhegorodskaya region were hit, he said. The pipeline transports oil from Western Siberia to Tatarstan. He didn’t offer more details about the strikes.

Also, units of Ukraine’s Security Service struck the Gorky oil pumping station in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region east of Moscow, said a senior official from the agency, which goes by the abbreviation SBU.

The nighttime drone attack damaged three oil tanks and caused a large fire, the official said. The official wasn't authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The operation of main pipelines is disrupted, the efficiency of processing at refineries decreases, and transportation costs increase. As a result, this directly affects the revenues of the Russian budget, which are used to finance the war against Ukraine,” the official said.

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

The magistrate in North Carolina who authorized Gannon Ken Van Dyke's release told him to report to a New York federal courthouse by Tuesday to continue his case there.

Bearded with arm tattoos, Van Dyke said little during the nearly hourlong hearing, during which he was appointed a federal public defender who declined to comment afterward. The $250,000 unsecured bond did not require Van Dyke to put up any money.

Federal prosecutors say Van Dyke used his access to classified information about the operation to capture Maduro in January to win money on Polymarket, one of the largest prediction markets. The sites allow people to trade on almost anything — from the Super Bowl to U.S. elections and even the winners of the TV reality shows.

Van Dyke, who is stationed at Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, North Carolina, was charged Thursday with the unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.

He could face up to 10 years on four of the criminal counts, and up to 20 years on a fifth, the government said Friday. A publicly listed phone number listed for Van Dyke isn't in service.

Van Dyke, 38, was involved for about a month in the planning and execution of capturing Maduro, according to the New York federal prosecutor’s office. He signed nondisclosure agreements promising to not divulge “any classified or sensitive information” related to the operations, but prosecutors say he used what he knew to make a series of bets related to Maduro being out of power by Jan. 31.

“This involved a U.S. soldier who allegedly took advantage of his position to profit off of a righteous military operation,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post.

Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan said in a post on X that the company flagged the suspicious activity, turned it over to the government and cooperated with the investigation.

“Every trade is public, permanent, and auditable,” Coplan wrote. “Bad actors leave a trail.”

Massive profits from well-timed bets aroused public attention days after the raid in Venezuela and brought bipartisan calls for stricter regulation of the markets.

The sudden rise of these markets has led to growing scrutiny by Congress and state governments. Some lawmakers alarmed by highly specific, well-timed trades on the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran and wagers on President Donald Trump’s next moves have pushed for guardrails against insider trading.

The Trump administration has been supportive of the industry’s expansion. The president’s eldest son is an adviser for both Polymarket and its main competitor, Kalshi,, and is a Polymarket investor. Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, is launching its own prediction market called Truth Predict.

Van Dyke moved into a home in Fayetteville just weeks ago, said Larry Duncan, one of his new neighbors.

“I introduced myself. I asked if he needed any assistance,” said Duncan, who once served in the Marines. “I said, ‘You look like special forces.’ He just smiled. I worked on a contract at Fort Bragg. I know how those people carry themselves. He was tatted up, quiet, kind of secretive.”

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the federal agency that regulates prediction markets, announced Thursday that it had filed a parallel complaint against Van Dyke.

That complaint alleges that Van Dyke moved $35,000 from his personal bank account into a cryptocurrency exchange account on Dec. 26 — a little over a week before U.S. forces flew into Caracas and seized Maduro.

Van Dyke made a series of bets on when Maduro might be removed from power, according to the complaint. He placed those bets between Dec. 30 and Jan. 2, with the vast majority occurring the night of Jan. 2 — just hours before the first missiles struck Caracas.

The bets resulted in “more than $404,000 of profits,” the complaint says.

“The defendant was entrusted with confidential information about U.S. operations and yet took action that endangered U.S. national security and put the lives of American service members in harm’s way,” said Michael Selig, the commission’s chairman.

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Associated Press reporters Allen G. Breed in Raleigh, Ed White in Detroit and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.8% and topped its prior all-time high, which was set on Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 79 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 1.6% to its own record thanks to the jump for tech.

Intel led the way and roared past its 2000 peak during the dot-com boom to an all-time high. It soared 23.6% for its best day since 1987 after reporting much stronger results for the first three months of the year than analysts expected. CEO Lip-Bu Tan said the next wave of artificial-intelligence technology is increasing the need for Intel’s chips and products, and the company’s forecast for profit in the spring topped analysts’ estimates.

Such strong profit reports have helped Wall Street rally to records, and the S&P 500 has leaped nearly 13% in a little under a month. Hopes have also built in financial markets that the United States and Iran can find a way to avoid a worst-case scenario for the global economy because of their war.

A ceasefire is tenuously in place between the two, but tensions between them are still keeping oil tankers from passing through the Strait of Hormuz to deliver crude from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide.

Oil prices climbed this week on worries about the strait, but an encouraging signal came Friday after Iran’s top diplomat said he was heading to Pakistan. That’s where officials have been trying to get the United States and Iran to convene for a second round of ceasefire negotiations.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later said in an interview on Fox News Channel that President Donald Trump is sending his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan to meet with Iran’s foreign minister.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in June yo-yoed for much of the day before settling at $105.33, up 0.2%. The price for a barrel of Brent oil delivered in July, which is where more of the trading is happening in the market, fell 0.2% to $99.13.

On Wall Street, Procter & Gamble rose 2.5% after reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Shailesh Jejurikar said it saw broad-based growth across regions and products, which include Bounty paper towels and Tide detergent.

That helped offset a drop of 25.5% for Charter Communications, whose profit for the latest quarter came in weaker than analysts expected. It lost 120,000 internet customers during the three months, more than some analysts expected.

Hartford Insurance Group fell 3.7% after reporting profit growth for the latest quarter that fell short of analysts’ expectations.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 56.68 points to 7,165.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 79.61 to 49,230.71, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 398.09 to 24,836.60.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased as traders upped their bets on the possibility that the Federal Reserve could resume its cuts to interest rates later this year.

The path appeared to clear Friday for Trump’s nominee to chair the Fed, Kevin Warsh, after the U.S. Justice Department ended its probe into the Fed’s current chair, Jerome Powell.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, has said he would oppose Warsh until the investigation was resolved, effectively blocking his confirmation. Warsh is the choice of Trump, who has been arguing loudly for lower interest rates, which could help mortgages and other kinds of loans become less expensive.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury dipped to 4.30% from 4.34% late Thursday.

A report in the morning also said sentiment among U.S. consumers remains sour. A survey by the University of Michigan found weaker sentiment in April across political party, income, age, and education, though it improved a bit after the ceasefire in the war with Iran was announced earlier in the month.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed across Europe and Asia. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1%, and France’s CAC 40 fell 0.8% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

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AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

The Richmond school’s board of visitors voted Friday to fund what VCU calls the East Marshall Street Well Project, an effort to right wrongs committed more than a century ago. Construction of the memorial and burial site are expected to start in summer of 2027.

“Years ago, VCU initiated this journey because we recognized a profound obligation to restore the human dignity of the people who were not afforded respect in their physical existence," VCU President Michael Rao said in a story about the effort posted on the school's website. "The East Marshall Street Well Project’s sacred mission is to ensure every life is honored with the permanence and reverence they deserve.”

The circular memorial will feature a “unity chamber” inspired by the Toguna structures of Dogon culture in West Africa. Its design “is intended to encourage humility and thoughtful discussion by purposefully having a low roof to facilitate seated reflection,” said Stephen Davenport, assistant vice president for social and economic development in the VCU Division of Community Engagement and the administrative lead for the project.

Workers in 1994 uncovered a brick-lined well containing human bones during construction of the Kontos Medical Sciences Building on the VCU medical center campus. Sifting through mud, researchers also found hair and skin, as well as remnants of leather shoes and glass bottles.

Based on archival records from the Medical College of Virginia, researchers believe the remains were dumped in the well between the 1840s and 1860s.

“A preliminary anthropological analysis of the recovered human remains showed some postmortem signs of dissection and amputation consistent with anatomical training and surgical procedure practice,” VCU researchers concluded in a paper published this year. “The constant demand for cadavers led to routine grave robbing practices, mainly targeting African American burial grounds, to supply the medical school.”

Archaeologists were given a short time to examine the burial site after the 1994 discovery. Before construction continued, the remains were removed by backhoes and sent to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Initial analysis estimated that a minimum of 44 adults and nine children were recovered from the well.

Interest in the remains was renewed in 2011 after the release of a film by a VCU professor and a separate report by two forensic anthropologists.

DNA study results released in February identified at least 43 distinct adults and three juveniles of “predominantly African heritage,” most likely from Central-West Africa. Several sets of remains bore traces of European ancestry.

Skeletal analysis “provided insight into the heavy labor endured by these individuals during their lives and the disregard for their bodies after death,” the study found.

The use of the bodies of people of African descent for medical research in Europe and the U.S. stretches back centuries. And it was frequently done without the expressed permission or knowledge of descendants.

In 2024, the University of Pennsylvania laid to rest the remains of 19 Black Philadelphians it kept for research, including studies once used to promote white supremacy through racist scientific theories.

The same school also discovered it had the bones of people who died in a 1985 police bombing of the headquarters of a Black liberation group in Philadelphia. City officials had assured the victims' families that they had turned over all of the remains that were collected, according to lawyers who represented the families.

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Associated Press reporters John Raby and Aaron Morrison contributed to this report.

The Justice Department alleges the civil rights group defrauded donors by using their money to fund the very extremism it claimed to be fighting, with more than $3 million paid to informants through a now-defunct program to infiltrate white supremacist and other extremist groups. Prosecutors allege some of the money was used by extremists to carry out other crimes, but court papers did not include specific examples.

“The SPLC was not dismantling these groups. It was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred,” Blanche said.

The civil rights group faces charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in the case brought in the federal court in Alabama, where the organization is based.

The indictment came shortly after the SPLC revealed the existence of a criminal investigation into its disbanded informant program to gather intelligence on extremist group activities. The group said the program was used to monitor threats of violence and the information was often shared with local and federal law enforcement.

The SPLC said it “will vigorously defend ourselves, our staff, and our work" against what it described as false allegations. The group said its informant program saved lives.

“Taking on violent hate and extremist groups is among the most dangerous work there is, and we believe it is also among the most important work we do,” interim CEO and president Bryan Fair said in a statement. “The actions by the DOJ will not shake our resolve to fight for justice and ensure the promise of the Civil Rights Movement becomes a reality for all."

A program that dated back to the 1980s

The Justice Department alleges the SPLC made false statements to banks in order to set up accounts used to funnel money to informants. The group created bank accounts for fictitious entities such as “Fox Photography” and “Rare Books Warehouse” that were used to send money from donors to informants, in a scheme to conceal the money’s actual purpose, the indictment alleges.

Prosecutors say the group never disclosed to donors details of the informant program.

“They’re required to under the laws associated with a nonprofit to have certain transparency and honesty in what they’re telling donors they’re going to spend money on and what their mission statement is and what they’re raising money doing,” Blanche said.

The indictment includes details on at least nine unnamed informants were paid by the SPLC through a secret program that prosecutors say began in the 1980s. Within the SPLC, they were known as field sources or “the Fs,” according to the indictment.

One informant was paid more than $1 million between 2014 and 2023 while affiliated with the neo-Nazi National Alliance, the indictment said. Prosecutors say another informant was a member of the “online leadership chat group” that planned the 2017 white nationalist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The informant attended the rally at the direction of the SPLC, according to the indictment, and helped coordinate transportation for several others. That person was allegedly paid more than $270,000 between 2015 and 2023.

The SPLC said the program was kept quiet to protect the safety of informants.

“When we began working with informants, we were living in the shadow of the height of the Civil Rights Movement, which had seen bombings at churches, state-sponsored violence against demonstrators, and the murders of activists that went unanswered by the justice system,” Fair said. “There is no question that what we learned from informants saved lives.”

The center has been targeted by Republicans

The SPLC, which is based in Montgomery, Alabama, was founded in 1971 and used civil litigation to fight white supremacist groups. The nonprofit has become a popular target among Republicans who see it as overly leftist and partisan.

The investigation could add to concerns that Trump's Republican administration is using the Justice Department to go after conservative opponents and his critics. It follows a number of other investigations into Trump foes that have raised questions about whether the law enforcement agency has been turned into a political weapon.

The SPLC has faced intense criticism from conservatives, who have accused it of unfairly maligning right-wing organizations as extremist groups because of their viewpoints. The center regularly condemns Trump’s rhetoric and policies around voting rights, immigration and other issues.

The center came under fresh scrutiny after the assassination last year of conservative activist Charlie Kirk brought renewed attention to its characterization of the group that Kirk founded and led. The center included a section on that group, Turning Point USA, in a report titled “The Year in Hate and Extremism 2024” that described the group as “A Case Study of the Hard Right in 2024.”

FBI Director Kash Patel said last year that the agency was severing its relationship with the center, which had long provided law enforcement with research on hate crime and domestic extremism. Patel said the center had been turned into a “partisan smear machine,” and he accused it of defaming “mainstream Americans” with its “hate map” that documents alleged anti-government and hate groups inside the United States.

House Republicans hosted a hearing centered on the SPLC in December, saying it coordinated efforts with President Joe Biden's Democratic administration "to target Christian and conservative Americans and deprive them of their constitutional rights to free speech and free association.” _____

Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.

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This story was first published April 21, 2026. It was updated April 24, 2026, to correct that an informant was allegedly paid more than $270,000 between 2015 and 2023, not between 2015 and 2013.

This stretch of the Danube, famed for steep vineyards, fairytale towns and centuries-old castles, is a relaxed way to see multiple countries without repacking every night.

A river cruise condenses the highlights while keeping travel easy. Onboard comforts mean you wake up in a new town without the hassle of hotels and transfers, and local-guided excursions from a single base let you dive into regional food, history and scenery. Trafalgar’s itineraries are designed to balance guided highlights with free time — ideal for travelers who want structure and flexibility.

The Wachau Valley is the kind of place that photographs well and feels even better in person. Think terraced vineyards, quaint riverside villages and picturesque viewpoints. These slow, sensory experiences are what make river cruising memorable — and accessible for multigenerational groups.

Practical planning tips: book early for popular summer and harvest-season departures; consider a mid-week embarkation to avoid weekend crowds; and review what’s included — many Trafalgar river cruises bundle shore excursions, some meals and local guides.

If you’re following Emily’s lead, connect with her on social @TheTravelMom for more tips and follow Trafalgar to see current itineraries and deals: www.trafalgar.com.

Whether you want a romantic getaway, a multigenerational family trip or a relaxed cultural tour, a Danube river cruise is a classic pick-me-up for your travel bucket list. Start planning and let the river show you Europe, one charming town at a time.

In a statement released Friday, HPD said it “holds every officer to the highest standards of integrity and conduct, and will not waver in upholding these expectations.”

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• PREVIOUS REPORT: Suspended HPD officer still on paid leave after racist Instagram video; meeting set with Houston Police Chief

The department said Gonzalez was immediately relieved of duty after the incident was discovered and that an investigation was conducted “as fast as legally possible” in compliance with state civil service laws.

pic.twitter.com/2rv4uvZ7Gt

— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) April 24, 2026

“The behavior exhibited by Ashley Gonzalez was abhorrent, disgusting, and entirely unacceptable,” Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz Jr. said in the statement. “It is deeply disturbing and has no place in law enforcement or in our community.”

• RELATED: ‘Extremely disturbed’: Houston Police Department officer relieved of duty after racist rant goes viral on social media

Gonzalez was suspended after an Instagram video surfaced appearing to show her using racist slurs, as KPRC 2 News previously reported. She had remained on paid leave while Internal Affairs investigated, with a meeting scheduled between Gonzalez and Diaz to determine whether she would remain relieved of duty or be terminated.

Following the news of Gonzalez’s termination, Mayor John Whitmire released this statement:

“The comments in the video recorded by former Houston Police Officer Ashley Gonzalez are outrageous and reprehensible. I was shocked and deeply disappointed to hear a Houston police officer use such foul and offensive language.  

“Her actions do not reflect the values of our city or the Houston Police Department, nor the standards we expect from those sworn to serve and protect our community. 

“Let me be clear: this behavior is unacceptable. I applaud HPD Chief Diaz for suspending Gonzalez when the department became aware of the video and firing her as soon as the state civil service process allowed.  

“Let this incident serve as a warning to all City of Houston employees. There is zero tolerance for racism in my administration, and if you see it, report it immediately.

“I ask all Houstonians to rededicate ourselves to human rights and respect for others.” 

Mayor John Whitmire

The PGA of America on Friday afternoon confirmed an Associated Press report on Furyk's selection, which makes him the fourth U.S. captain to get a second chance dating to 1979, considered the modern era of the Ryder Cup when continental Europe became part of it.

The Ryder Cup committee chose Furyk once Tiger Woods removed himself from competition after his March 27 arrest on suspicion of DUI.

“My passion for the Ryder Cup and dedication to the U.S. team have never been stronger," Furyk said in a statement. "Having previously captained the team, I understand the responsibilities and immense pride that come with this role. I look forward to drawing on that experience while incorporating some new ideas as we prepare for 2027.

"I am committed to putting our players in the best position to succeed as we work to reclaim the cup on European soil.”

Furyk was the 2018 captain in Paris, a 17 1/2-10 1/2 win by Europe. That week was marked by the four U.S. captain's picks going 2-10-0 at Le Golf National and Patrick Reed blaming Jordan Spieth for them not playing together and Furyk for benching him twice.

Furyk led the Americans to victory as Presidents Cup captain in 2024, and he was said to be a reliable voice as an assistant to U.S. captain Keegan Bradley in the last Ryder Cup. Europe built a record seven-point lead after two days last year at Bethpage Black and held on for its second straight victory under captain Luke Donald, who returns for a third stint in Ireland.

Bradley was a surprise choice for the 2025 matches after the PGA of America waited until the summer of 2024 to see if Woods wanted the job.

This time around, the PGA of America set a soft deadline for the end of March for Woods to decide, and its backup plan was to have a list of candidates for the Ryder Cup committee to consider if Woods chose not to be captain.

It was not known which way Woods was leaning when his SUV clipped the back of a trailer being pulled by a pickup truck on a residential road in Florida, turning his SUV on its side. Woods was arrested and briefly jailed after Florida authorities determined he was impaired.

Four days later, Woods said he was stepping away indefinitely “to seek treatment and focus on my health," and the PGA of America announced Woods had told them he would not be captain.

"Jim Furyk has been an influential figure in the United States team room for nearly three decades,” PGA vice president Nathan Charnes said, referring to Furyk being part of every Ryder Cup team dating to 1997 — nine times as a player, four times as an assistant, once as a captain. “He is a trusted, widely-respected leader and possesses a wealth of Ryder Cup experience that can only serve to strengthen our team."

Davis Love III (2012 and 2016), Tom Watson (1993 and 2014) and Jack Nicklaus (1983 and 1987) are the other U.S. captains to have the job twice since 1979.

Love and Nicklaus had Ryder Cup matches at home both times. Furyk faces the daunting task of trying to win a Ryder Cup on the road, which the Americans have not done since 1993.

The Americans were coming off a resounding victory at Hazeltine in 2016 when it went over to Le Golf National, set up with narrow fairways and thick rough. After getting out to a 3-1 lead, the Americans never won another session.

Woods, coming off his victory the week before at the Tour Championship, went 0-4. Phil Mickelson went 0-2 and Bryson DeChambeau was 0-3. All were captain's picks. DeChambeau had won two FedEx Cup playoff events leading into the matches.

Europe has won 11 of the last 15 matches dating to Oak Hill in 1995. Donald will try to become the first captain to win three straight times in September 2027 at Adare Manor.

___

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

While passage through the canal usually comes at a flat rate via reservations, companies without bookings can pay more to cross through an auction that awards slots to the highest bidder. The alternative would be waiting for days off the coast of Panama City.

The demand for slots skyrocketed and the auction prices ballooned in recent weeks as a standoff between the Iran and the United States over access to the strait kept traffic bottlenecked. Commercial vessels increasingly have traveled through the Panama Canal carrying shipments that were rerouted or purchased from different countries to avoid the waterway off Iran's coast.

“With all the bombings, the missiles, the drones ... companies are saying it’s safer and less expensive to cross through the Panama Canal,” said Rodrigo Noriega, a lawyer and analyst in Panama City. “All of this is affecting global supply chains.”

Meanwhile, Panama's government is “maximizing what it can earn from the Panama Canal," Noriega said.

The average price to cross through the canal ranges between $300,000 and $400,000 depending on the vessel. Previously, to get an earlier crossing, businesses would pay an additional $250,000 to $300,000. In recent weeks, the average additional cost has jumped to around $425,000.

Normally, about 6% of global trade passes through the Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in Central America, according to Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University. The canal has recovered from several years of drought, he added.

Goods like car parts, grain and consumer electronics being shipped from China to Europe or vice versa, or from China to the U.S. East Coast, pass through the canal.

Some oil passes moves through the Panama Canal, but it isn't a viable large-scale alternative to the Strait of Hormuz because of its size. The largest ships that carry oil, known as ultra-large container vessels, are too big for the canal.

Ricaurte Vásquez, the canal’s administrator, said one company that he would not name paid an extra $4 million when its fuel vessel had to change its destination because of ongoing geopolitical tensions.

"It was a ship carrying fuel to Europe, and they redirected it to Singapore, and it needed to get there because Singapore is running out of fuel,” he said.

Other oil companies paid an excess of $3 million in addition to the crossing fee to accelerate their passage in the face of soaring oil prices.

The extra fees are becoming so high not because ships are piling up at the canal, but rather because of last-minute shifts and greater urgency for vessels to pass through in the wake of broader trade chaos, Vásquez said. He emphasized that these costs were temporarily being shouldered by companies based on their level of urgency.

"They decide how high to go on the price,” Vásquez said.

At the same time as Panama's government is earning more money from the newly brisk business in the canal, its shipping industry is being confronted by the geopolitical struggle in the same way as those of other countries.

Panama's foreign ministry on Wednesday accused Iran of illegally seizing a Panama-flagged vessel from the Italian company, MSC Francesca, in the Strait of Hormuz. Panama, which has one of the world's largest ship registries, said the ship was “forcibly taken" by Iran. It wasn’t immediately clear if the boat remained in Iranian custody.

“This represents a serious attack on maritime security and constitutes unnecessary escalation at a time when the international community is advocating for the Strait of Hormuz to remain open to international navigation without threats or coercion of any kind,” it said.

Noriega, the analyst, said that the amount companies are paying to cross the Panama Canal may continue to go up if the conflict stretches on, as oil prices are already skyrocketing. The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil briefly jumped above $107 this week, soaring from around $66 a barrel a year ago.

Nobody expected the war to have quite so much effect on global trade, Noriega said.

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Mae Anderson in New York contributed reporting.

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

Shouldn't TMZ have been in Washington already?

The tabloid gossip site that reinvented Hollywood and celebrity gossip coverage is taking a swing at the nation's capital of late with TMZ DC, deploying staff to confront lawmakers paparazzi-style in Washington and turning to the public to capture candid images of politicians living it up on the road. The push has already created viral moments, including an image of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., holding a wand at Disney World as chaos gripped airport security lines because of congressional inaction on a funding bill.

On Friday, TMZ put its Beltway foray on display at the Pentagon, with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth calling on the outlet and singling them out as “new members of our press group here” — a subtle dig that mirrored his not-so-subtle campaign criticism of legacy media outlets.

Washington and Hollywood have long had an awkward relationship, with players in each power center harboring insecurities and misunderstandings about the other as politics and entertainment have steadily merged into a single cultural force.

Earlier efforts by TMZ to build a Washington bureau faltered. But this time may prove different.

President Donald Trump’s return to the White House further normalizes a particular brand of celebrity culture in the nation’s capital that made him a tabloid fixture for decades. Moreover, Congress is currently gripped by scandal, with three lawmakers resigning in April alone after varying allegations, which include sexual misconduct and fraud.

Also, Gallup polling released this week found that disapproval of Congress has climbed to 86%, tying the record high. Only 33% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's overall job performance, according to AP-NORC polling released this week. That’s a decline of 9 percentage points since early in Trump’s second term.

Washington's institutions are held in low regard

With Washington's institutions held in such low regard, the bigger surprise may be that TMZ hasn't attempted such a flex here sooner.

“I am legitimately surprised they weren't already there,” said Ana Marie Cox, who wrote the Wonkette blog, which covered Washington with an irreverence that was rare in the early 2000s. “They're actually a little bit late to the game.”

A representative for TMZ did not respond to a request for comment.

TMZ was founded in 2005 and is still run by hard-charging Los Angeles lawyer and media figure Harvey Levin, who has had an off-and-on relationship with Trump. Within a decade, TMZ made its name with a combination of sleazy and sensational celebrity news. Early in its life, TMZ broke stories that included antisemitic statements made by actor Mel Gibson during an arrest and an angry voicemail message left by actor Alec Baldwin to his daughter.

But the site, whose initials reference the 30-mile zone from the historic center of the television and film industry in Los Angeles, really established itself by breaking news of Michael Jackson’s death in 2009 and the drug use that led to it.

Its tactics can cross traditional journalistic boundaries, particularly when it comes to paying sources. Beyond the professional breach involved with such arrangements, the payments could run afoul of congressional ethics rules. Levin has not denied paying for story tips, which is frowned upon by traditional journalism outlets.

And TMZ has also had some high-profile failures, including reports that Beyoncé would perform at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, which didn’t happen.

Some of TMZ's work is being applauded

Yet some of TMZ's early work in Washington is being applauded.

Robert Thompson, a trustee professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University, said the photo of Graham at Disney World was genuinely newsworthy because it showed lawmakers away from Washington during a political crisis. A representative for Graham didn't respond to a request for comment.

TMZ published images of lawmakers from both parties who left Washington during the recent congressional recess that overlapped with the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown. Beyond Graham, the site published pictures of Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Robert Garcia of California.

TMZ is not currently credentialed by the congressional press galleries. That limits its Washington coverage to walk-and-talk interviews on the sidewalks outside the Capitol or in the hallways of public office buildings — a feature of its ambush-style celebrity interviews.

Some of the interviews are entertaining for audiences who are in on the bit. In one video this week, Rep. Troy Downing, R-Mont., seemed confused by questions about a party hosted by the gay dating and hookup site Grindr ahead of this weekend's White House Correspondents' Dinner.

“I don't understand,” Downing said. “Are they a media company?”

Others go in unexpected, sometimes touchingly personal, directions. When Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Calif., was asked how lawmakers celebrate the 4/20 marijuana holiday, she spoke of how the day marked the anniversary of her father's death.

“4/20 is the day that my daddy died,” she said. “My dad was an amazing man in San Francisco. I think about him every single time there's 4/20.”

And sometimes the gotcha nature of the reports backfires. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., was among the lawmakers whose image was captured away from Washington during the DHS shutdown. He was shown at his son’s basketball game, prompting defense from colleagues, including Republicans, who said he shouldn’t be shamed for being a present father.

At Friday’s briefing, TMZ’s Charlie Cotton eagerly played into Hegseth’s branding of “the Department of War,” and the Trump administration’s claim that the war in Iran is necessary. “Would you consider changing the name again to the Department of Peace since that’s what we’re all after?” Cotton asked.

Hegseth gushed over the “great question” and declared that “the one institution that should win the Nobel Peace Prize every single year is the United States military.”

The long history of the ambush interview

The TMZ approach isn't particularly new. Longtime CBS correspondent Mike Wallace made a habit of the so-called ambush interview, catching unprepared subjects on camera.

Before he broke the news of an extramarital affair that would doom Democrat Gary Hart's 1988 presidential campaign, Tom Fiedler confronted the Colorado senator in a Washington alley. A reporter for the Miami Herald at the time, Fiedler said he “didn't set out to do that.”

“We simply found ourselves in that situation,” he recalled this week. “At that point, we knew that he knew we were there to observe what he was doing. Our feeling was we needed to let him know who we were so he wouldn't think there was, in the worst case, an attempted assassin stalking him.”

Nearly 40 years later, journalism in Washington is drastically different.

The Washington Post cut nearly a third of its staff in February in a brutal blow to the legendary newsroom. Other outlets are growing. The website NOTUS is rebranding as The Star, with ambitions to fill the gap left by the Post, particularly in local and sports coverage.

Cox, the former Wonkette blogger, is now a writer living in Austin, Texas. Reflecting on her time in Washington, she said her goal was to “demystify politics and show that these are people who don't necessarily deserve our respect.”

But she expressed concern about coverage whose tone reinforces the eye-rolling aspects of Washington. If she were starting Wonkette today, she said, “I don't think I'd be as funny.”

“Funny is how we got here,” she said. “Making fun of Donald Trump did not work.”

___

AP Media Writer Dave Bauder and Bill Barrow contributed to this report.

The move, announced Friday and first reported by The Associated Press, makes good on Trump's threat to impose secondary sanctions on companies and countries that do business with Iran. It's also part of his Republican administration’s overall ramped-up campaign to cut off Iran’s key source of revenue — its oil exports.

Concurrently, the U.S. this month imposed a physical blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that is crucial to global energy supplies.

The sanctions, which cut off the companies from the U.S. financial system and penalize anyone who does business with them, come just a few weeks before President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping are due to meet in China.

Included in Friday's sanctions is Hengli Petrochemical’s facility in the port city of Dalian, which has a processing capacity of roughly 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it one of the biggest independent refineries in China.

The Treasury Department says Hengli has received Iranian crude oil shipments since 2023 and has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the Iranian military.

The advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran said in February 2025 that Hengli is one of dozens of Chinese purchasers of Iranian oil.

China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, importing 80% to 90% of Iranian oil before the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran broke out, though the crude — transported by a shadow fleet of vessels — often has its origin obscured but arrives in China as oil from countries such as Malaysia. Smaller refineries, known as teapot refineries, typically are the buyers of Iranian oil.

Iran has previously said that its demands for ending the war include the lifting of sanctions.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday that his agency “will continue to constrict the network of vessels, intermediaries and buyers Iran relies on to move its oil to global markets.”

Earlier this month, Bessent's department sent a letter to financial institutions in China, Hong Kong, the UAE and Oman threatening to levy secondary sanctions for doing business with Iran and accusing those countries of allowing Iranian illicit activities to flow through their financial institutions.

Bessent said during a White House press briefing on April 15 that the administration has told countries “that if you are buying Iranian oil, that if Iranian money is sitting in your banks, we are now willing to apply secondary sanctions, which is a very stern measure.”

The sanctions come as the global energy trade is in turmoil as war around the Persian Gulf chokes off oil and natural gas shipments, causing prices to soar.

Treasury has tried to quell the impact of rising oil prices issuing temporary sanctions waivers on Russia oil and a one-time waiver on Iranian oil already at sea.

The AP was making efforts to contact Chinese officials for comment on the sanctions.

China has disagreed with previous U.S. sanctions, but its major companies and banks still comply with U.S. sanctions because they are more exposed to the U.S.-dominated financial system.

After the U.S. earlier this month sanctioned a Chinese refinery accused of buying Iranian oil, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington, said the use of the sanctions “undermines international trade order and rules, disrupts normal economic and trade exchanges, and infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals.”

An off-duty reserve deputy constable was killed in a crash on eastbound I-10 in the Winnie area while helping manage traffic along the interstate, Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said.

The sheriff’s office announced the crash around 8:23 a.m. Friday.

Investigators say an 18-wheeler was involved in the incident. The deputy served with a neighboring jurisdiction, Hawthorne said.

The Jefferson County Constable’s Office Precinct 1 later identified the deputy as Reserve Deputy Heather Avery. In a statement, the office said it is “heartbroken” by the loss, calling Avery “a shining example of what is good in law enforcement” and a proud member of the department.

Constable Jevonne Pollard extended condolences to Avery’s family and to those who knew her, adding that funeral arrangements are pending.

• MORE NEWS: Large HPD perimeter locks down Montrose streets, search underway for catalytic converter theft suspect

I-10 eastbound remains closed east of State Highway 124 near the county line. Drivers are being routed off the freeway to Highway 73 as the Texas Department of Public Safety works the investigation.

The Justice Department is also reauthorizing the use of single-drug lethal injections with pentobarbital that were used to carry out 13 executions during the first Trump administration — more than under any president in modern history. The Biden administration had removed pentobarbital from the federal protocol over concerns about the potential for unnecessary pain and suffering.

The moves were announced as part of a broader push to step up federal executions after a moratorium under the Biden administration. Only three defendants remain on federal death row after Democratic President Joe Biden converted 37 of their sentences to life in prison, though the Trump administration has so far authorized seeking death sentences against 44 defendants.

“The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims.”

The federal government has not previously included firing squad as a method of execution in its protocols, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Five states currently allow executions by firing squad: Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah.

The pentobarbital protocol was adopted by Bill Barr, attorney general during Trump’s first term, to replace a three-drug mix used in the 2000s, the last time federal executions were carried out before Trump's first term in office.

Attorney General Merrick Garland in the final days of the Biden administration withdrew the pentobarbital lethal injection policy after a government review of scientific and medical research found there remains “significant uncertainty" about whether its use causes unnecessary pain and suffering."

In 2020, under Barr's leadership, the Justice Department published a rule in the Federal Register to allow the federal government to conduct executions by lethal injection or use “any other manner prescribed by the law of the state in which the sentence was imposed.”

A number of states allow other methods of execution, including electrocution, inhaling nitrogen gas or death by firing squad.

The Trump administration, in a report released Friday, said the Biden administration “got the standard and the science wrong." The Biden administration's findings, among other things, “failed to address the overwhelming evidence” that an injected with pentobarbital quickly “quickly loses consciousness—rendering him unable to experience pain," the report said.

Currently on death row are are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history.

With each call, a prisoner stumbled out the doors and into another woman’s tearful embrace. Fifteen men and two women. All alleged political prisoners. All freed just hours into Valentine’s Day thanks to the work of Mendoza, Rosales and more than two dozen other women who dared to challenge their authoritarian government.

These wives and mothers had already participated for 37 days in a protest that transformed a dead-end street in Caracas into a tent city. The women had prayed, chanted slogans, posted their pleas on social media. They had chained themselves together. They had screamed, hoping their cries might be heard by prisoners held behind thick concrete walls.

The release of the 17 inmates that frigid February morning was bittersweet for Mendoza and Rosales. They felt a surge of pride at each emotional reunion outside the jail walls. Yet, they felt defeated. Their own husbands’ names were not called.

The two women, who had no previous experience in politics, were part of a movement that sprang up after the U.S. military attacked Venezuela on Jan. 3 and captured and removed its president, Nicolás Maduro. The protest tested the wives' health and determination in ways that continue to haunt them. It has also challenged an authoritarian government's willingness to restrain its repressive impulses.

Under pressure from the U.S. government, Venezuela announced in January that it would free political prisoners, giving hope to families of detained dissidents. About 150 protesters, mostly wives and mothers, set up outside the doors of jails and prisons suspected of holding political detainees. Their demonstration became a key test of how far the U.S. intervention can clear the way for the restoration of civil liberties in Venezuela after Maduro was replaced by his loyal vice president.

The Trump administration has praised the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez for its pledge to release political prisoners. But human rights groups say Venezuelan authorities have been selective in deciding whom to free, and more than 400 political prisoners remain behind bars.

The Venezuelan government’s press office did not respond to a request for comment on its plans for prisoners or how it decides which detainees will be freed.

After learning their husbands and at least 40 other men would remain in the jail, they headed back to their tent. Dawn had not yet broken as they discussed their options over a breakfast of crackers and ham salad. This would be their last meal, they vowed, until their husbands were freed.

“We’ll be here as long as necessary,” Mendoza told Rosales, sitting on a mattress and wearing a facemask as a health precaution. “We must continue fighting for our goal, which is the release of all of them. Not one, not two, not 17, but all of them.”

How the protests began

Rosales and Mendoza did not know each other before they started fighting for their husbands’ freedom.

Mendoza lived in western Caracas with her husband and two children, while Rosales and her husband raised four children in the once-thriving industrial city of Valencia, in north-central Venezuela.

A stay-at-home mother, Mendoza, 30, sold handcrafts to supplement her husband’s pay as a driver. Rosales, 37, had a steady job as an elementary school teacher; her husband worked as an explosive’s technician for the state’s intelligence service. Neither were the type to socialize in their free time, much preferring to spend time with their kids.

Mendoza last saw her husband, Eric Díaz, on a November morning when he left the house to go to work. She learned of his arrest from a friend and panicked. He was not allowed to call her, and authorities refused to acknowledge his detention.

Weeks went by before she learned that he had been accused by the Venezuelan government of plotting to detonate a bomb in a public plaza in Caracas. The plan, according to the country’s feared Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, was promoted by the U.S. and a faction of Venezuela’s opposition.

Rosales’ husband, Dionnys Quintero, had also been arrested that month and accused of being involved in the same plot. He, too, was not granted a phone call.

She was flummoxed by the accusations. She and Quintero firmly believed in the ideas of Hugo Chávez, the fiery Venezuelan leader who ushered in a self-proclaimed socialist revolution at the turn of the century and was Maduro’s mentor and predecessor. They consistently voted for the ruling party. She could only conclude that he had been “linked to the case because of his profession.”

“All police forces are organized like a ladder. The one at the top won’t fall; the one at the bottom will,” Rosales said. “And those at the top will always be careful not to fall.”

The Venezuelan government did not respond to questions about why it was detaining the pair's husbands.

For her part, the allegations perplexed Mendoza. Her husband had not been politically active, nor had he worked for security services. She said he spent all of his time delivering equipment for an events company or at home.

The holidays were particularly hard on their children because the women had no answers when they were asked the same question:

“When am I going to see my dad?”

The two wives dared not complain publicly. They were each told by friends and family members to keep quiet because they risked being arrested and leaving their children to fend for themselves. Maduro’s government had a reputation for ruthlessly cracking down on dissent, especially in the aftermath of his 2024 reelection claim.

That calculus changed after the U.S. military rappelled down helicopters and captured Maduro on Jan. 3 in Caracas. Five days later, under pressure from the White House to free dissidents, the Venezuelan government announced the imminent release of prisoners in an effort “intended to seek peace” without specifying with whom.

By then, Mendoza had gone to multiple detention facilities to ask about Díaz. Outside a jail, she met a man who had recently been released from custody. She showed him pictures of Díaz and a cousin of his who had also been detained. The man recognized Díaz.

He told Mendoza that her husband was being held with dozens of other political prisoners at a police station on Calle Mara, a dead-end street in a neighborhood filled with warehouses, a furniture factory, a pharmaceutical laboratory and a Catholic school.

Hours after the government announced it intended to free detainees, Mendoza and a handful of other women went to the station expecting to comfort their husbands. They carried nothing more than a few fleece blankets.

When the men were not freed, the women decided to do something. They refused to leave, setting up a makeshift camp outside the station. A furniture factory employee gifted them foam cushions to make it a little easier to lay down at night.

A few days later, Rosales joined the effort, which at its height would grow to 30 women. She and Mendoza soon became close friends, finding a sort of balance in their opposite temperaments.

While Rosales was calm and rational, frequently keeping Mendoza from doing something impulsive, her friend was fiery and passionate, unafraid to push other wives out of their comfort zones to amp up their chants and sloganeering.

“We are much more than comrades; we are a family,” Mendoza said, describing Rosales and the other wives. “No matter what happens, I will always be there for them because I have learned so much from them, including to be brave.”

While they had different personalities, they agreed that they were facing a dangerous foe.

The Venezuelan authorities have “absolutely no humanity. They have no fear of God,” Rosales said. “Venezuelan society is facing a monster.”

The camp slowly expanded from the sidewalk into the street. Tents, palettes in which to set them, chairs, stools and food began to take up space. A warehouse gave the women water, and another ran an extension cord so they could charge their phones, make coffee, play music and heat hair straighteners. A business allowed them to use the restroom.

Under growing international pressure sparked by the protests, the Venezuelan government granted a concession, allowing the women to visit their loved ones – effectively acknowledging for the first time that the men had been held there all along.

They raced to collect the clothing the government required them to wear on the Jan. 27 visit – white T-shirts and blue jeans.

Mendoza, Rosales and about two dozen other women were giddy as they entered the station. All were optimistic they might walk out with their loved ones.

The men looked pale and had lost weight

The women entered the visitation area in small groups. What they saw shocked them.

Their men – and two detained women – were pale and had lost weight. They seemed to have aged. The female prisoners wore neon green uniforms while the men were all clad in baby blue, which the women considered was an effort to link the prisoners to the political party of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado.

The Venezuelan authorities have accused Machado’s party of being part of the bomb plot. Its official color is baby blue.

During the emotional get-together, some prisoners cried, and so did the wives, mothers and sisters. The prisoners asked about their children. The men knew Maduro had been deposed, but they were not aware of the sit-in protest outside the prison.

If Venezuelan government officials had hoped the visit might quelch the protests, they were mistaken. Concerned about the prisoners’ well-being, the women redoubled their efforts.

“I’m not satisfied with just one visit. I want my family member’s full freedom, and the other women feel the same way,” Rosales said a week after she saw her husband. “Weekly or biweekly visits? That’s a waste of time, and life is fleeting.”

They met with lawmakers debating a bill to grant amnesty to political prisoners. They filed paperwork with the court and spoke with lawyers. They held vigils and prayed at all hours.

As they listened to Christian music, which helped drown out the city’s bustle, Mendoza, Rosales and the other women talked and talked. They grew familiar with each other’s stories -- hometowns, jobs, religions, favorite ring tones. They met each other’s children on videocalls or in person.

Their sisterhood strengthened when 10 of them began the hunger strike.

“What we have here is war dogs – courageous women, fighters – who despite the adversities are always together,” Mendoza said two days into her hunger strike.

Rosales lasted two days without food. Mendoza made it five. Sweat dripped down her forehead and she complained of heart palpitations when she quit and had to be taken to a hospital, weak, dizzy and dehydrated.

A stomach bug hit the camp, sending a few women home. Others, including Rosales, had to go back to work. Only another woman outlasted Mendoza, and only by a few hours. The strike ended on the camp’s 42nd day.

Hope faded slowly over the next two weeks.

Then, on the night of March 6, just as a police officer had done on Valentine’s Day, another had come outside and screamed the names of prisoners being released, and men began to shuffle out the gates.

“Freedom! Freedom!” the camp chanted as the releases extended into the first hours of March 7. Some knelt and thanked God.

Mendoza and Rosales again soaked in their achievement. Twenty-five men were freed. Yet, as they watched families embrace, reunited, they felt the familiar pang of emptiness. Their husbands remained behind bars.

One by one, reunited families drove away. Rosales crawled into a tent with a blinding headache. Mendoza stood silently by the dark gates of a warehouse.

Another prison, another visit

By sunrise, the tent city was mostly empty. Mendoza, Rosales and a few other women had a decision to make; they could continue their protests or head home.

As they weighed their next step, the wives learned their husbands had been transferred to a prison outside Caracas. They wondered if the men were being punished for their protests. The prison was much harsher than the police station. Notorious for sweltering conditions, physical and psychological abuse, insufficient food, and a particularly small cell in which new arrivals are crammed in for several days.

They decided to continue their vigil but lost more and more momentum over the next week. On March 13th, their 64th day of camping outside the police station, they gave up. Mendoza, Rosales and a few others folded up the tents and headed home.

The protest became a waiting game by their phones – hoping the government might grant them another visit. That call came two weeks later. This time, they could bring their children.

On April 5, Easter, the women took a bus from Caracas. Mendoza was joined by her son and daughter. Rosales escorted her two daughters and son, leaving her toddler home with a relative. Each family also carried something special for their prisoner.

Mendoza had some of her husband’s favorite snacks: popcorn and fried plantains. Rosales brought a sheet cake to celebrate the recent birthday of her eldest daughter, as well as her own, which was that very day.

The visit, the women and children said, was filled with conversations mostly about life and family. In between school and dentist appointment updates, the women assured their husbands they were not giving up on them. They just needed time to figure out another way to win their freedom.

After four hours, their reunion ended in hugs and tears –- the kind the wives have come to know those that say goodbye, not welcome home.

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

Among those in the firing line is Spain, which has refused to allow U.S. forces involved in the war to use bases on its territory or airspace. Spain says that U.S.-Israeli actions in the Iran war contravene international law.

France and the U.K. also have refused to give U.S. forces free rein to use their territory for the bombing campaign.

The Pentagon is reported to be mulling whether to suspend Spain from NATO, according to an unidentified U.S. official referring to a Defense Department email, and quoted by Reuters. A senior U.S. defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, did not dispute the accuracy of the reporting.

“Well, we do not work with emails," Sánchez told reporters at a European Union summit in Cyprus. "We work with official documents and positions taken, in this case, by the government of the United States.”

“The position of the government of Spain is clear: absolute collaboration with the allies, but always within the framework of international legality,” he said.

Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson claimed that NATO allies “were not there for us” and added in her statement that the Pentagon “will ensure that the President has credible options to ensure that our allies are no longer a paper tiger and instead do their part.”

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has routinely floated plans or ideas that are neither acted upon nor become policy.

The email also suggested reassessing U.S. support for the United Kingdom's claim to the Falkland Islands, near Argentina, which are also known as Islas Malvinas.

Dave Pares, a spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said the U.K. position on the islands is “longstanding and it’s unchanged: Sovereignty rests with the U.K., and the islanders’ right to self-determination is paramount.”

Pares noted “the Falkland Islands have previously voted overwhelmingly in favor of remaining a U.K. overseas territory.”

NATO staying out of the war

NATO operates by consensus, and all 32 member countries must agree for it to act.

The trans-Atlantic alliance's founding treaty has no mechanism for suspending or ejecting any of the members, although nations may leave of their own accord one year after notifying the other allies. As an organization, NATO has no direct role in the Iran war except to defend its own territory.

Asked for comment, NATO headquarters said: “NATO’s Founding Treaty does not foresee any provision for suspension of NATO membership, or expulsion.”

Trump has been angered by what he sees as the failure of some NATO members to back American actions in the Iran war and to help police the Strait of Hormuz, a major trade route. He has questioned the purpose of U.S. membership in the military organization.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas appeared perplexed by the U.S. criticism, given that the United Kingdom and France are leading an effort to help secure trade in the strait once the war is over.

“When we have had contacts with the American counterparts, then actually their asks for us have been exactly what we are able to offer after the cessation of hostilities,” she said. “Demining, escorting of ships, all of this that we have been discussing.”

But the United States has “long-standing arrangements and agreements with European allies on overflight, on basing” that should be respected, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said, in implicit criticism of some allies like Spain, but also France.

While Spain restricted U.S. military activity related to the Iran war, U.S. warplanes have flown over other NATO allies’ airspace and used U.S. bases in other NATO countries for war-related operations.

Trump has even threatened to cut trade with Spain over its refusal to allow the use of its bases and airspace. More broadly, Spain has also disappointed its allies by failing to commit to spend as much as they plan to do on defense.

Security without the US

As the reality sinks in that the U.S. commitment to NATO and Europe’s security under Trump has waned, the EU leaders debated how best to use European laws to come to each other’s aid should one of them come under attack.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, whose country holds the bloc’s presidency until July, said that the leaders had tasked the European Commission to “prepare a blueprint on how we respond” should a member seek help under Article 42.7 of the EU treaties.

It's only ever been used once, by France after the Paris terror attacks in 2015.

EU envoys and ministers are set next month to conduct “table-top exercises” to game out how the treaty article might be used, drawing on the bloc’s military capacities, but also other assets not available to NATO, like trade, border and visa policies.

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Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin in Washington and Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.

Owners of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week announced the newspaper's sale to a nonprofit foundation that said it was committed to keeping it open. A news outlet that predates the U.S. Constitution was due to close on May 3, which would have made the Steel City the nation's largest community without a city-based paper.

Weeks earlier, the alternative Pittsburgh City Paper, whose staff learned on New Year's Day that it was closing after 34 years, roared back to life under new ownership.

They were rare positive developments for a local news industry that has seen its share of the opposite over the past two decades — newsrooms shuttered or thinned out, journalists thrown out of work, consumers drifting away. No one is pretending that a true turnaround will be easy in Pittsburgh. One thing that may help is that the city faced a news abyss and was forced to prepare for it.

“It's human nature that sometimes you have to be shaken a bit to realize what's important in your life,” said Halle Stockton, co-executive director and editor-in-chief of the digital news outlet Public Source.

The many incarnations of the Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh Gazette was born on July 29, 1786, the first newspaper west of the Allegheny Mountains. It went through several names with the expansion and contraction of a newspaper market that supported seven at the beginning of the 20th century. There was The Commercial Gazette, the Gazette-Times and, briefly, the Pittsburgh Gazette and Manufacturing and Mercantile Advertiser.

A consolidation caused by the closing of the Pittsburgh Post in 1927 made it the Post-Gazette, which has remained its name for 99 years.

It had a solid reputation, winning a Pulitzer Prize in 2019 for its coverage of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting. “The Post-Gazette is really the paper of record for this city,” said Kevin Acklin, chief of staff to a former Pittsburgh mayor and former president of the Penguins hockey team. The other longtime “paper of record,” The Pittsburgh Press, closed in 1992 after a Teamsters union strike.

Labor woes marred the Post-Gazette's last few years as well. Much of the staff was on strike between 2022 and 2025, though the newspaper limped along. Its owner, Block Communications, Inc., announced the closing on the same January day that the U.S. Supreme Court rejected its appeal of a ruling on health benefits seen as favorable to former strikers.

Since then, rumors about its future ebbed and flowed. Acklin worked this winter with other investors to buy the newspaper, but a potential deal fell through when Block insisted the union not be part of it.

To anyone watching closely, a clue to the newspaper's future was revealed across town in mid-March.

“You thought we were dead and gone, didn't you?” Ali Trachta, top editor at the Pittsburgh City Paper, wrote on the outlet's revived website. “So did I. But, to be honest, only very briefly.” She announced that the paper was returning to cover community news, politics, the arts, “and the creative, weird and uniquely Pittsburgh stories” that have defined it since its founding in 1991.

A new nonprofit, Local Matters, led by a former engineering manager at Apple, had gathered investors to buy the City Paper. It would return to printed editions on a monthly basis and was launching a membership program for readers to pledge support. Most of its staff would return. The paper was printed weekly until its previous owner in 2025 said it would shift to only four printed editions a year.

That former owner? Block Communications.

A new nonprofit enters Pittsburgh's civic arena

When Block announced its sale of the Post-Gazette last week, it was also to a nonprofit. The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, which publishes the digital success story The Baltimore Banner, bought the Post-Gazette even though Block said it was not the highest bidder. Many in Pittsburgh feared it would be sold to a hedge fund notorious for stripping newspapers of resources.

Does that make Block, long seen as a villain in the local journalism industry, a hero in this story?

“For better or worse, the Blocks will never get credit for that,” said Andrew Conte, a journalism professor at Point Park University who runs Pittsburgh's Center for Media Innovation. “But it does seem like they made an effort to come up with the best outcome they could as they were leaving Pittsburgh. They could have just walked away and said, ‘You know, we’re done.'”

Now the work begins. Venetoulis officials did not return inquiries from The Associated Press. The institute's benefactor, hotel magnate Stewart Bainum Jr., has said that he plans to invest $30 million in both the Banner and Post-Gazette over the next five years. The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh said it hopes to be part of the process of rebuilding. Whether the union will be invited is uncertain.

“This is going to be one of the most closely-watched newspaper acquisitions in years,” said Tim Franklin, founding director of the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University. “Can a money-losing newspaper with serious labor strife be saved and resurrected as a nonprofit? If Stewart Bainum and his team pull this off — and I hope they do — it could be a model for the nation.”

Anticipating a Pittsburgh without the Post-Gazette, other news sources in the city had begun making plans to fill gaps in the marketplace, and they're not necessarily changing them because of the sale.

Another area newspaper, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, will reinstate a Sunday print edition in Pittsburgh on May 9. It had stopped printing in the city a decade ago. The Trib is also going ahead with adding about a dozen new journalists to boost its coverage of business, health care, transportation and education, said Jennifer Bertetto, its CEO. Based in Tarentum, 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the east of Pittsburgh, some city residents view the Trib as an outsider.

Stockton's Public Source, launched in 2011 primarily as a home for investigative news stories, is widening its outlook. The outlet has also convened town halls over the past few months for residents to talk about what they want in local news, and published a list of 40 to 50 small news outlets in the region that focus on subject areas like the arts and business, or different neighborhoods and towns.

People less engaged in news were looking for new ideas.

“People are actively interested in where they get their information and who they can trust for it,” Stockton said. “So we're leaning into that.”

With their careers in limbo the past several months, Post-Gazette content editor Erin Hebert and photographer Steve Mellon were among several journalists meeting regularly as the Pittsburgh Alliance for People-Empowered Reporting, or PAPER, seeing if they could create a digital news site. Hebert said it hasn’t been decided what will happen now with those plans.

Conte can walk a few blocks from the university to the office space set aside for journalists from small, local publications. He hopes to convince the Tribune-Review to print a periodic insert featuring the best reporting from these outlets.

Talk to someone young, and the challenge is obvious

A clue to the challenge faced by news organizations in 2026 is obvious when speaking to students in Conte’s journalism class. When they're asked how many had checked the Post-Gazette's website that morning, only a couple of hands tentatively go up.

Sites like Instagram or TikTok are often their destinations for news. It’s more convenient and without paywalls, said Gabriela Wait. The journalism students know to check with more reliable sources if they’re not sure they can believe what they see. Many of their friends don’t.

Makenna Smith recalled her grandparents and parents reading newspapers when she was growing up, keeping them informed and entertained. Few people her age have the same habit.

A study released earlier this month by the Pew Research Center showed that public interest in news is a problem for all ages. Pew found that 37% of Americans in 2016 said they followed local news very closely. That dropped to 21% in 2025.

To Conte, that reinforces the need for news organizations to cooperate. A former Trib reporter, he recalled his paper's bitter competition with the Post-Gazette.

“Literally, they were trying to kill each other,” he said. “I don't think any of us want to go back to a point where we're doing that. We've evolved. We're trying to work together. Even if we're competing for scoops and clicks and dollars, there's also a benefit to having us get around the same table once a month.”

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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.

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This story was first published on April 21, 2026. It was updated on April 24, 2026, to correct the location of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s main office. It is in Tarentum, Pennsylvania, not Greensburg.

DeepSeek’s V4 has been keenly anticipated by users looking to test how it compares to U.S. competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini. Anthropic and OpenAI have accused DeepSeek of unfairly building its technology off their own.

Some industry analysts had expected the new model to arrive more than two months earlier at the start of the Lunar New Year.

DeepSeek says the new V4 open-source models, which include “pro” and “flash” versions, have big improvements in knowledge, reasoning and in their “agentic” capabilities – the ability to perform complex tasks and workflows autonomously. Another big change is they are supported in part by computer chips made by Chinese tech giant Huawei, reducing DeepSeek's reliance on U.S. chipmakers like Nvidia.

V4 is a successor to V3, an AI model that DeepSeek released in late 2024.

But it was DeepSeek’s specialized “reasoning” AI model, called R1, that took markets by surprise with its release in January 2025. DeepSeek claimed it was more cost-effective than OpenAI’s similar model and it became a symbol of how China was catching up with the U.S. in technological advancements.

DeepSeek said the “V4 Pro Max” version has “superior performance” in terms of standard reasoning benchmarks relative to OpenAI’s GPT-5.2 model and Google’s Gemini 3.0-Pro. It falls “marginally” short of GPT-5.4 and Gemini 3.1-Pro, it said. DeepSeek's release came hours after OpenAI released its new GPT-5.5 model on Thursday.

In terms of “agentic” capabilities, the Chinese company said the V4 “pro” version could outperform Claude’s Sonnet 4.5 and approaches the level of Claude's Opus 4.5 model based on its own evaluation.

The “flash” version of V4 performs on a par with the “pro” version on simple agent tasks and has reasoning capabilities closely approaching it, DeepSeek said.

“Based on the benchmark results, it does appear DeepSeek V4 is going to be very competitive against its U.S. rivals,” said Lian Jye Su, chief analyst at the technology research and advisory group Omdia.

Marina Zhang, an associate professor at the University of Technology Sydney, said DeepSeek's V4 rollout is as a “pivotal milestone for China’s AI industry,” especially as global competition intensifies in the pursuit of self-reliance in critical technologies.

DeepSeek offers a free‑to‑use web and mobile chatbot. Unlike the top models from Anthropic, Google and OpenAI, it describes its technology as “open source” in the way that it enables developers access to modify and build on its core technology.

Both the V4's “pro” and “flash” versions have a 1 million token context window, a parameter of how much information an AI model can process and recall, and run on a more efficient basis, the startup said. That is a significant improvement from before, since the V3 supported a 128,000 token context window.

Huawei said in a separate statement Friday that its Ascend chips and related technology are compatible with the DeepSeek V4 models. It’s a demonstration of technical feasibility of operating outside the Nvidia-dominated computing ecosystem “amid sustained technological decoupling between China and the U.S.,” said Zhang.

A report from Microsoft in January showed use of DeepSeek has been gaining ground in many developing nations, particularly those where Huawei phones are widely used.

However, some analysts remain skeptical. Ivan Su, a senior equity analyst at Morningstar, said while V4 is a “competent” follow-up, it’s not as big a breakthrough as the rollout of R1.

“Domestic competition has intensified significantly since R1’s release,” Su said. “Against U.S. models, DeepSeek’s own evaluation suggests its capabilities largely match on most fronts, but independent evaluations are needed before final conclusions can be drawn.”

In February, Anthropic accused DeepSeek and two other China-based AI laboratories of “industrial-scale campaigns” to “illicitly extract Claude’s capabilities to improve their own models.” It said they did that using a technique called distillation that “involves training a less capable model on the outputs of a stronger one.” OpenAI made similar allegations in a letter to U.S. lawmakers.

This week, Michael Kratsios, chief science and technology adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, also accused foreign tech companies “principally based in China” of distilling leading U.S. AI systems and “exploiting American expertise and innovation.”

China’s embassy in Washington hit back at the allegations, describing them as “unjustified suppression of Chinese companies by the U.S.”

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O’Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

Though the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was passed by the House of Commons last June, the House of Lords talked it out since then, stoking widespread criticism that it had overstepped the mark.

Proponents of what has been termed “ assisted dying ” — sometimes referred to as “assisted suicide” — hoped it would mark the biggest change to social policy in the U.K. since abortion was partially legalized in 1967. The intention was to put an end to the practice of those near the end of their lives from going to other countries, such as Switzerland, for an assisted death.

The bill had proposed allowing adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death subject to the approval of two doctors and an expert panel.

But opponents in the House of Lords managed to hold up its passing by filing more than 1,200 amendments on a range of concerns, including the potential coercion of vulnerable people and a lack of safeguards for those with disabilities.

”The House of Lords scrutiny exposed this bill as ‘skeleton legislation’ riddled with gaping holes,” said Gordon Macdonald from the Care Not Killing campaign group which is opposed to a change in the law. “It is now clear that this bill was both unsafe and unworkable.”

The number of amendments is believed to be a record high for a piece of legislation that was brought forward by a backbencher rather than by the government. These so-called private members' bills can only be debated on a Friday as the government largely controls the rest of the parliamentary timetable, thereby limiting the time available.

Campaigners for assisted dying expressed their anger at the sight of unelected lawmakers holding up the will of the elected chamber. They have insisted that they intend to bring the bill back in the next parliamentary session, which begins after King Charles III outlines the government's upcoming program in a speech to both houses of Parliament on May 13.

The sponsor of the bill in the House of Lords, Charlie Falconer, said he felt “despondent” that a piece of legislation “so important to so many, has not failed on its merits, but failed as a result of procedural wrangling."

“Much more than letting ourselves down are the very many people who support the bill and who feel we have not treated them properly,” he said.

Lawmaker Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the Bill to the House of Commons in late 2024, said she was “trying to stay positive” while admitting “a real sense of sadness and sorrow today.”

She said there “will absolutely be appetite" within the Commons to bring the legislation back in the next session of parliament.

Last month, lawmakers in the Scottish Parliament rejected their own assisted dying legislation. Scotland has a semiautonomous government that has authority over many areas of policy, including health.

Assisted suicide — where patients take a lethal drink prescribed by a doctor — is legal in countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and parts of the U.S., with regulations on qualifying criteria varying by jurisdiction.

The U.S. National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab released the latest photo of the popular hat-shaped galaxy on Friday. A telescope in Chile observed it four years ago, but the color imaging was not completed until this week.

Located approximately 30 million light-years away, this spiral galaxy — formally known as Messier 104 — is one of the largest in the constellation Virgo cluster. It’s an estimated 50,000 light-years across. A light year is about 6 trillion miles.

Captured in incredible detail, the galaxy's stellar halo appears to be triple the size of the sombrero itself.

A dark energy camera on the telescope also caught a stream of stars pouring out of the galaxy's southern edge. Scientists believe the stars in this stream, as well as the halo, were ripped from other galaxies in a long-ago collision.

Astronomers discovered the galaxy back in the 1700s.

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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.

From herbs that wilt in days to berries that seem to mold even faster, what we toss in the trash often has less to do with what we buy than how we store it at home.

A lot of that spoilage happens because of moisture and temperature.

From a scientific perspective, produce doesn’t just go bad — it breaks down under specific conditions. Plants, like humans, carry natural microflora, a diverse community of microscopic organisms.

“This could be bacteria, yeast, molds, things like that,” said Amanda Deering, associate professor of produce food safety at Purdue University.

Here are a few small changes that can extend the life of food by days.

Wait to wash

Washing produce before storing it can leave water that bacteria, yeast and mold need to grow.

Experts recommend waiting to wash fruits and vegetables until just before eating, and keeping them as dry as possible in the fridge meanwhile. Adding a paper towel can absorb dampness in containers of berries or leafy greens.

Food experts also warn that cutting up fruits and vegetables before storing them can reduce their shelf life.

“The big one is washing it and cutting it before storing it. This, of course, can leave a lot of excess moisture behind,” said Abbey Sharp, registered dietitian. “It speeds up spoilage because you’re cutting into those cell walls.”

Keep most produce cold and give it space

At room temperature, microscopic organisms grow faster. Keeping food in the fridge can slow that process, Deering said, but how you pack your fridge also matters. Overcrowding it can block airflow and make it harder to keep temperatures consistent.

Different foods have different needs.

Herbs last longer when treated like flowers, trimmed and placed in water, while harder herbs can be wrapped in a damp towel and stored in the fridge. Root vegetables like carrots can be kept in water to maintain crispiness. Separating leafy tops can extend the shelf life of carrots and beets.

Keep some kitchen staples apart

Where you store produce can affect both how it tastes and how it lasts. The texture and flavor of tomatoes, for example, are best preserved at room temperature, even if refrigeration can slow their spoilage, said Deering.

Whole garlic should be kept in a cool ventilated space, while cut or peeled garlic belongs in the fridge.

Potatoes and onions are best stored outside the fridge in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place, like a pantry or cabinet, but they shouldn’t be kept together.

“You want to keep them away from one another because they actually can make each other spoil faster,” said Sharp.

Mixing fruits at different stages of ripeness also can shorten shelf lives. As fruits ripen, they release ethylene gas, a natural compound that speeds up the ripening process in nearby produce. So storing very ripe bananas next to greener ones or alongside other fruits can cause everything around them to ripen and spoil more quickly, Deering said.

Know what spoiled actually looks like

Confusion about what’s actually safe to eat also drives food waste.

The FDA estimates that confusion over food labels accounts for about 20% of consumer food waste, as many people misinterpret the "purchase-by" dates as indicators of safety. Other food gets trashed when it doesn't look perfect, according to Sharp, who notes that “a little ugly is not the same as unsafe.”

When fruits and vegetables wilt, soften or become slightly discolored, they may not taste as fresh in certain recipes, but that doesn't mean they're spoiled. A limp carrot or a slightly soft celery stalk, for example, can still be safe to eat, especially when cooked, Sharp said.

“Produce that is like a little bit wilted or like a little soft or a little less crisp is often more a quality issue. It’s not necessarily a food safety issue,” said Sharp.

Signals that food should be thrown away are more distinct, like visible mold, slime, leaking liquid or a strong unpleasant odor — clear indications that produce has broken down beyond the point of safe consumption, according to Sharp.

Think of the impact outside your kitchen

Throwing away food also discards the results of all the resources used to grow, transport and store it. But small habits can make a big difference, like buying what you need, using items before they sit too long, and freezing produce like berries or bananas before it goes bad.

“Household food waste represents probably the largest portion of food waste when we look at it across the whole supply chain,” said Pete Pearson, a vice president at World Wildlife Fund.

And that waste also produces a potent greenhouse gas that harms the planet long after discarded food leaves the kitchen.

“When food enters landfills, it’s essentially buried in a non-oxygen environment where it breaks down and creates bacteria and methane emissions,” said Pearson.

But because people interact with food every day, even small shifts can add up, depleting fewer resources across the broader food system.

“It’s these small changes over millions and millions of people that can make a huge difference,” said Pearson.

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

The raid has evolved into an insider trading scandal. This week, the federal government charged a U.S. special forces soldier who was part of January's capture with using classified information about the mission to bet on Maduro's downfall, and pocket more than $400,000 on Polymarket soon after.

Polymarket, one of the world's largest prediction markets, said it alerted the Justice Department after determining that someone had traded on classified government information and cooperated with the investigation. In a statement, the company maintained that insider trading “has no place” on its platform.

Still, the case is once again putting the spotlight on a murky (and growing) world of speculative, 24/7 transactions now filling the internet. The timing and subjects of particular trades — particularly related to geopolitical conflicts — have fueled scrutiny recently. Earlier this month, The Associated Press reported that a group of new accounts on Polymarket also made highly specific, well-timed bets on the fate of the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran.

Because prediction market wagers are categorized differently than traditional forms of gambling, tensions about government oversight are rising. President Donald Trump's administration has already thrown its support behind company operators — and sued three states over their efforts to regulate them further. Meanwhile, other lawmakers in Washington are calling for further investigations and new guardrails.

Here's what we know:

How prediction markets work

The scope of topics involved in prediction markets can range immensely. Beyond geopolitical conflicts, there’s been a surge of wages on elections and sports games recently. But users also bet on anything from weather forecasts, the likelihood of the U.S. government confirming the existence of extraterrestrial life and how much billionaire Elon Musk might post on social media this month.

In industry-speak, what someone buys or sells in a prediction market is called an “event contract.” They're typically advertised as “yes” or “no” wagers. And the price of one fluctuates between $0 and $1, reflecting what traders are collectively willing to pay based on a 0% to 100% chance of whether they think an event will occur.

The more likely traders think an event will occur, the more expensive that contract will become. And as those odds change over time, users can cash out early to make incremental profits, or try to avoid higher losses on what they’ve already invested.

Proponents of prediction markets argue putting money on the line leads to better forecasts. And some think there's value in monitoring prediction markets for potential news, particularly elections.

Still, prediction markets can also be wrong. Traders may be closely following certain events, but others could just be randomly guessing.

Who is behind all of the trading is also pretty unclear, at least to the public. The companies running today’s biggest platforms know who their customers are — as they collect personal information to verify identities and payments. But most users can trade under anonymous pseudonyms on the websites the world can see.

Critics also stress that the ease and speed of joining these 24/7 wagers leads to financial losses everyday, particularly harming users who may already struggle with gambling. The platforms themselves typically make money by taking a small cut of at least some trades, usually in the form of fees.

The major players

Polymarket is one of the largest prediction markets in the world. Users can fund event contracts through cryptocurrency, debit or credit cards and bank transfers.

Restrictions vary by country, although experts note that users might still find ways to buy certain contracts while traveling abroad or through connecting to different VPNs. But for U.S.-based trades, the reach of these markets has expanded rapidly over recent years, coinciding with shifting policies out of Washington.

While prediction markets have found backing from the Trump-controlled Commodity Futures Trading Commission, former President Joe Biden was more aggressive in cracking down. Following a 2022 settlement with the CFTC, Polymarket was barred from operating in the country. That changed under Trump late last year, when Polymarket announced it would be returning to the U.S. after receiving clearance from the commission. American-based users can now join a “waitlist” to access the platform.

Meanwhile, Polymarket’s top competitor, Kalshi, has been a federally-regulated exchange since 2020. The platform offers similar ways to buy and sell event contracts as Polymarket — and it currently allows event contracts on elections and sports nationwide. Kalshi won court approval just weeks before the 2024 election to let Americans put money on upcoming political races and began to host sports trading last year.

The space is now crowded with other big names. Major League Baseball inked a deal with Polymarket last month, following other partnerships in professional hockey and soccer. Meanwhile, sports betting giants DraftKings and FanDuel have launched their own prediction platforms. Trump’s social media site Truth Social has also promised to offer an in-platform prediction market through a partnership with Crypto.com — and one of the president’s sons, Donald Trump Jr., holds advisory roles at both Polymarket and Kalshi.

Last month, The Associated Press agreed to sell its U.S. elections data to Kalshi.

Loose regulation and calls for reform

Because they’re positioned as selling event contracts, prediction markets are regulated by the CFTC. That means they can avoid state-level restrictions or bans in place for traditional gambling and sports betting today.

“It’s a huge loophole,” Karl Lockhart, an assistant professor of law at DePaul University who has studied this space, previously told the AP. “You just have to comply with one set of regulations, rather than (rules from) each state around the country.”

Sports betting is taking center stage. There are a handful of big states — like California and Texas, for example — where sports betting is still illegal, but people can now wager on games, athlete trades and more through event contracts.

A growing number of states and tribes are trying to stop this. But the Trump administration has already pushed back, maintaining that the CFTC has the sole authority to regulate prediction markets. Many lawyers expect litigation to eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Despite overseeing trillions of dollars for the overall U.S. derivatives market, the CFTC is much smaller than the Securities and Exchange Commission, which regulates the securities industry. And at the same time event contracts are growing rapidly on prediction market platforms, there have been sizeable workforce cuts and leadership departures. CFTC chairman Michael Selig is the sole member filling just one of five commissioner slots.

Meanwhile, Congress members from both sides of the aisle have introduced broad legislation for more guardrails in recent months — including a ban on prediction market bets related to war, assassinations or terrorist attacks. Federal law already gives the CFTC the authority to bar these kinds of event contracts, but some lawmakers are seeking an outright ban.

Calls for change also arrive as insider trading allegations pile up. Beyond the charges spanning from the Maduro-related bets on Polymarket, Kalshi just earlier this week fined and suspended three congressional candidates who it said wagered on the outcome of their own elections.

Both Kalshi and Polymarket have rolled out added guardrails in efforts to combat insider trading recently, notably soon after Congressional pushes for increased oversight.

It won’t be the last time, either.

The minimum salary for an NFL draft pick in 2026 is slotted at $915,120. But with college revenue sharing going into effect before the 2025 season — top programs are now spending up to $20.5 million on student-athletes, with the majority earmarked for the most talented football players — there are undoubtably players who will be drafted Saturday who topped the million-dollar mark last season and will earn less in the pros.

At least in Year 1.

“So the character of those players, their passion and love of the game come to the forefront even more,” Roseman said.

Most of the players making more than $1 million in college football are quarterbacks. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Alabama’s Ty Simpson were first-round draft picks, with Mendoza going No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders and Simpson surprisingly landing with the Los Angeles Rams at No. 13.

Mendoza’s NFL rookie deal is slotted to top $57 million, including nearly $10.5 million in 2026. Simpson’s contract will be roughly half that — $25.4 million total, including $4.6 million in the first year.

LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and Miami’s Carson Beck are projected to be the next quarterbacks selected, with both potentially coming off the board in the second or third round Friday night — and both likely earning less as NFL rookies than they made as established college starters.

Same goes for fellow QBs Drew Allar (Penn State), Taylen Green (Arkansas), Cole Payton (North Dakota State), Sawyer Robertson (Baylor), Cade Klubnik (Clemson), Joey Aguilar (Tennessee) and others.

Although revenue share payments are typically undisclosed, name, image and likeness valuations are much more public. Nearly half of the top 50 NIL valuations in 2025 belonged to QBs, according to On3, with two dozen of those over $1.5 million.

“They come in almost like pros now,” Raiders general manager John Spytek said. “I actually think it’s made it easier because you know what the guys are going to do when they have money.

“You know the ones that love the game and are about the right things, and just because they’ve got more money than we all had when we were in college, they still prepare the right way, they play the right way, they love the game, they’re there for their teammates. I think it’s kind of been a little bit illuminating to the character of who they are.”

The financial component has less of an impact on NFL decision-makers as the age issue.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said this is the third consecutive year in which 18% of the team’s draft board is comprised of players at least 24 years old. That number used to be 4%, he added.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the initial age surge. But soaring NIL payments and rev share could be the deciding force for years to come.

“That’s something that we don’t really understand fully and what that means,” DeCosta said. “I don’t think it’s a good thing, certainly. But historically we’ve tried to draft younger players when we can. That’s been something that we feel strongly (about), but now we’ve got 18% of the draft board that’s over 24 years old. So that’s going to change the way that maybe we target players.”

And some of them will be millionaires before they even sign an NFL contract.

“That’s interesting. I don’t know that it’s rooted in financial thoughts as much as you talk about age quite a bit and whether or not tread on the tires is something of note,” Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said. “I think most of the times the guys have a little bit more financial awareness, and that can be a really helpful tool.

“The fact that they’re not just being dumped a good chunk of cash for the first time when they enter the NFL. They now have some version of experience navigating that, and that can be a really helpful piece for sure.”

___

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

Friday, April 24

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• August Wilson’s “Fences” at Alley Theatre
• “Cocaine Quarterback” on Prime Video
• The Travel Mom
• Trafalgar

Thursday, April 23

• Silambam Houston highlights the beauty of Indian classical dance at the Hobby Center
• • Silambam Houston
• A preview of Great Age on the Green, Houston’s new festival celebrating aging boldly
• • Great Age on the Green
• Kids learn money the fun way with Financial Fortunes card game
• • Financial Fortunes Card Game
• Teeing off for the LPGA’s first major of the season - The Chevron Championship
• • The Chevron Championship

Wednesday, April 22

• Houston is driving the Biotech future - starting with students
• • Texas Medical Center BioPath Program
• From ‘Dance Moms’ to the stage and page: Nia Sioux’s next act
• • Follow Nia Sioux on Instagram
• From ‘Dance Moms’ to the stage and page: Nia Sioux’s next act
• • Nia Sioux’s Memoir “Bottom of the Pyramid”
• Wildflowers, western heritage, and a Mother’s Day to remember at The George Ranch
• The George Ranch

Tuesday, April 21

• Orchid care 101: Simple tricks to keep your orchids blooming longer
• • Ace Berry
  • Flora & More
• Affordable luxury: New upholstered bed collection unveiled at Texas Mattress Makers
• • Texas Mattress Makers
• Music, food and rodeo fun for all at the Galveston County Fair & Rodeo
• • Galveston County Fair & Rodeo
• Texas Dental Implant Center

Monday, April 20

• Robins Landing Neighborhood Floor Plans - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Homeownership Process - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Volunteering - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• ReStore - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Third Ward - Houston Habitat for Humanity

Friday, April 17

• ‘Houston Life’ is live today at the Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market Spring
• • Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market® SPRING
  • Dog Collar World
  • Linked by Stevi
  • The Hive
  • Big Creek Farms
  • EK The Boutique
  • House of Cottonwood
  • ParkerJoe

Thursday, April 16

• TUTS presents ‘Monty Python’s Spamalot’ rides into the Hobby Center
• • Monty Python’s Spamalot at TUTS Tickets
• One ticket, endless fun at the Galveston County Fair and Rodeo
• • Galveston County Fair and Rodeo
• Carpet Giant celebrates 50 years of proudly serving generations of Houstonians
• • Carpet Giant Website (mention Houston Life to get $150 off your purchase of $1,000)
• Faith ‘One Arm Wonder’ Malton and Zack ‘Pitbull’ Ruhl rappel 30 stories for non-profit Camp For All
• • Camp For All
  • Faith Malton

Wednesday, April 15

• Brush up on your makeup routine at Blushington River Oaks
• • Houston Life Deals (Get 20% off beauty services at Blushington River Oaks)
  • Blushington River Oaks
• The King himself shares how to save 20% on tickets to the Texas Renaissance Festival
• • Texas Renaissance Festival
• Ethan’s Ohana
• Cube Against Cancer 2026 Houston
• Cube Against Cancer
• Fortis College

Tuesday, April 14

• Former Texans WR Steven Sims Jr. to host FREE youth football camp
• • Must See Foundation
• Why it’s not just the generator - it’s the company behind it
• • Gen Pro
• How the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce helps local companies grow
• • Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Step Onward Foundation uses music to fight homelessness in Texas
• • Step Onward Foundation
  • Sunday Funday Community Celebration

Monday, April 13

• Robins Landing Neighborhood Floor Plans - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Homeownership Process - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Volunteering - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• ReStore - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Third Ward - Houston Habitat for Humanity

Friday, April 10

• Your guide to the Houston Barbecue Festival this weekend: Top pitmasters, unlimited BBQ samples, and more
• • Houston BBQ Festival
• Texas CASA’s partner agencies train volunteers to be a voice and a lifeline for children in the foster care system
• • Become a CASA
• ‘Grow the Game’ Initiative expands soccer access in Houston ahead of the World Cup with Guinness World Records attempt
• • Airbnb GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™
• Houston’s Garden Theatre celebrates 5 years with Stephen Sondheim’s “Company”
• • The Garden Theatre
• Father daughter duo Steve Zahn and Audrey Zahn chat new film ‘She Dances’

Thursday, April 9

• The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary kicks off 22nd annual ‘Chic Boutique’
• • Chic Boutique
• Aramie Payton brings Broadway pedigree to Alley Theatre’s revival of “Fences”
• • Alley Theatre
• Layoff leads Houston creator to viral small business mission
• • Follow David on Instagram
• At just 19, Jalyn Hall is stepping into his moment
• • NBC’s “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins”
• KPRC 2’s “Eat Like a Local”

Wednesday, April 8

• Houston Underwater Film Festival returns this weekend with stunning ocean films 🌊🌊
• • School, college and scuba students: claim a free ticket by emailing huff@hups.org
  • Houston Underwater Film Festival Tickets
• Celebrate Earth Month by sipping sustainably!
• • Wine and Travel Contributor Daniela Garrido
• Shred Day Houston: Safely destroy documents and fight hunger on April 18
• • Comerica Shred Day Houston
• Trade-show-tested home picks: Coffee, Water, Bidets and Moving Gear
• • Kathryn Emery Home Improvement & Lifestyle Expert
• A kid’s guide to top play picks to cut screen time and spark creativity
• • Kid-trepreneur Dylan Emery

Tuesday, April 7

• Grand Marshals Kam Franklin & Brian Ching preview the 39th annual Art Car Parade
• • Houston Art Car Parade
• This Texas artist is turning Titanic artifacts into art
• • Souls of the Titanic
• In Houston, Your Windows May Not Last as Long—Here’s What to Know (and What to Do About It)
• • Pella Windows and Doors
• Houston’s Trillest Chef bringing bold flavors of H-Town the national stage
• • Follow Chef Machete on Instagram
• Texas Dental Implant Center

Monday, April 6

• Houston’s Garden Theatre celebrates 5 years with Stephen Sondheim’s “Company”
• • The Garden Theatre
• Sysco’s World Cup-themed food show is a preview of how Houston plans to feed the world
• • Sysco World Cup-themed food show
• The Houston Art Car Parade

Friday, April 3

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• WWE Wrestler Je’Von Evans
• WWE Monday Night Raw at Toyota Center Tickets
• IBEW Local 66
• KPRC 2’s “Eat Like a Local”

Thursday, April 2

• Disney on Ice
• The Chevron Championship
• Maxine Sharf brings ‘Maxi’s Kitchen’ to Houston Life with her mom
• • Follow Maxine Sharf on Instagram
  • "Maxi’s Kitchen: Easy Go-To Recipes to Make Again and Again"
• Father daughter duo Steve Zahn and Audrey Zahn chat new film ‘She Dances’

Wednesday, April 1

• Spring gets sweeter with two easy recipes: Carrot cupcake and blueberry crumble bun
• • Follow Cookbook Author Florence Jackson on Instagram
• This Houston Restaurant Hasn’t Raised Prices Since Its Food Truck Days
• • Black Restaurant Week
  • Chitalian Pizzeria
• Tarot, the Fool card and finding meaning on Derrick’s birthday (April Fool’s Day)
• • Tarot Card Reader Amber Ambrose
• Theatre Under the Stars presents ‘Back to the Future: The Musical’ through April 5th
• • TUTS “Back to the Future: The Musical”

Tuesday, March 31

• Send Well Wishes to Tessa on her last day
• • Tessa Barrera announces she’s leaving ‘Houston Life’
• Calling all book lovers: Houston indie bookstore crawl returns for its third year of literary adventure
• • 2026 Houston Bookstore Crawl
• Preview the 13th annual Insperity Invitational presented by United Healthcare
• • Insperity Invitational
• Texas roots and coastal growth, how the Oyster Bros in Palacios are redefining the gulf oyster
• • Oyster Bros
• Goodtaste with Tanji Patton

Monday, March 30

• How Autism Moms of Houston became a lifeline for families raising children who are neurodivergent
• • Autism Moms of Houston
  • Autism Awareness Festival
• An offer fit for a new you! Grab the Alloy Personal Training Houston Life Deal
• • Alloy Personal Training Houston
  • Houston Life Deals
• Who’s responsible when a child is hurt at daycare?
• • Bivona Law
• At just 19, Jalyn Hall is stepping into his moment
• • NBC’s “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins”

Friday, March 27

• Family fun, charity, & of course golf shine at Texas Children’s Houston Open ⛳
• • Texas Children’s Houston Open
  • TCHO Cleats for Kids

Wednesday, March 25

• Tessa Barrera announces she’s leaving ‘Houston Life’
• Plan aims to turn Garden Oaks Theater into an arts hub before it’s too late
• • Save the Garden Oaks Theater
• Fore! Preview the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open
• • Texas Children’s Houston Open
• Women, Wealth, and breaking ‘The Success Lie’
• • Chantell Preston
  • “The Success Lie” by Chantell Preston
• McGovern Allergy & Asthma Clinic
• Gexa Energy

Tuesday, March 24

• From puppy playtime to pesky nipping, helpful springtime tips for dog owners
• • Stephanie Bennett’s Believe in Dog Training
• How one Houston program is helping kids discover confidence—and their future
• • Sam Houston Area Council Boy Scouts of America
• Houston Ballet’s Busy Spring: Nutcracker Market, Sons de L’âme & YAGP Finals
• • Houston Ballet
• Breaking barriers and popping corks with CEO and Master Sommelier June Rodil
• • Master Sommelier June Rodil
  • Goodnight Hospitality

Monday, March 23

• Blooming Wonders at ARTECHOUSE
• • Spring arrives at ARTECHOUSE Houston with ‘Blooming Wonders’
• Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Trusted Dental Implant Care in Houston — Board-Certified Periodontist Helps Complex Cases
• Disability Attorney Marc Whitehead
• • Expert tax advice: Are your Social Security and Disability benefits taxable?
• Allied Outdoor Solutions
• • From basic to beautiful: See this stunning backyard transformation in Weston Lakes

Thursday, March 19

• Springtime fun at the Houston Zoo
• • Zoo Bloom
  • All you can Zoo
  • Saving the Galápagos Islands

Wednesday, March 18

• Houston Latino Film Festival celebrates 10 Years with Cheech Marin
• • Houston Latino Film Festival
• Find the good vibes every weekend for Jazzy Sundays in the Parks
• • Jazzy Sundays in the Parks
• Get to know Dash rising star, Avery Patterson
• • Houston Dash
• Kevin Williamson makes fans SCREAM all over again in latest franchise installation
• • Kevin Williamson
• Self Employed? Tax Filing Moves That Help You Qualify for a Mortgage
• • Habayit Home Loans
  • Mortgage Expert Rich Bonn’s Upcoming Webinar

Tuesday, March 17

• Houston’s Mezclada Dance Company blends hip hop, Latin and contemporary dance forms into high-energy performances
• • Performing Arts Houston New/Now featuring Mezclada Dance Company
• METRO rolls out systemwide changes: A first look at the new technology to help streamline your ride
• • Metro Houston
• Houston Life Deals: Fun & savings for the entire family
• • HoustonLifeDeals.com
• Frontier Utilities teams with Kids’ Meals Houston to pack thousands of meals
• • Frontier Utilities

Monday, March 16

• Affordable rodeo-ready outfits you can find at Target this season
• • Target.com
• Houston’s growing need for linemen: Why the trade pays and how to start
• • IBEW Local 66
• ET hosts Nischelle Turner and Kevin Frazier share highlights from the 98th Academy Awards
• • Entertainment Tonight Oscars Coverage
• Houston Ballet principal dancer Karina González brings Frida Kahlo to life in Broken Wings
• • “Broken Wings” at Houston Ballet Tickets
• The Largest Indoor Waterpark in the U.S.? It’s Just a Road Trip from Houston
• • Kalahari Resorts and Conventions

Friday, March 13

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Houston Life Deals: Fun & savings for the entire family
• Outriding the Devil: Angela Ganter’s incredible rodeo comeback
• • Outriding the Devil premieres at River Oaks Theatre
• ‘Aliens’ 40th anniversary cast reunion and more at Pop Culture Con 2026
• • Pop Culture Con
• Alley Theatre brings Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” to Houston with a fresh twist
• • “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Alley Theatre Tickets
• Bounce your way to better fitness: trampoline workouts in West U
• • Motiv Fitness at West University
• Moon 2 Mars Festival returns to Space Center Houston with out-of-this-world fun and concerts this spring break
• • Space Center Houston

Thursday, March 12

• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to see Tim McGraw at RODEOHOUSTON
• The Birthday Joy Program helps kids in foster care, shelters and group homes celebrate their special day
• • the Birthday Joy Program Website
• Inside “The Feminine Universe” Houston’s new all-women immersive art experience
• • The Feminine Universe Art Show Tickets
• Bring the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo home with these sips and bites
• • Entertaining Expert Paul Zahn
• Spring is in full swing at CITYCENTRE Houston
• • CITYCENTRE
• Kalahari Resorts and Conventions

Tuesday, March 10

• Enjoy Spring Break at the Houston Museum of Natural Science
• • Houston Museum of Natural Science
• Honoring the fallen & recognizing community heroes
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
  • BP America
• Houston author Margie Seaman proves it is never too late to chase a dream
• • Margie Seaman
  • “Someday Is Our Horizon” by Margie Seaman on Amazon

Monday, March 9

• NestFest beach cleanup invites volunteers to protect nesting sea turtles on the Galveston Coast
• From bumper boats to STEAM activities, enjoy a FUNonmenal spring break at Discovery Green
• • FUNomenal Spring Break at Discovery Green
• This veteran-owned business is helping Houstonians keep the heat the out and the savings in with new windows
• • The Window Source
• You’ve been diagnosed with cancer, now what? Non-profit CanCare pairs you with survivors who can help
• • CanCare
• Spring Break Staycation: Why The Travel Mom says Houston families love Great Wolf Lodge
• • The Travel Mom
  • Great Wolf Lodge

Friday, March 6

• Houston Life Deals
• Pickle vs. anime: Largest pickle festival in Texas comes to Rosenberg with anime-inspired food
• • In A Pickle Festival
• Expedia’s 2026 Air Hacks: Best days to book, when to fly and top savings
• • Expedia Air Hacks Report
• The Parking Spot making airport parking a breeze
• • The Parking Spot
• A rustic dream venue just outside Houston
• • Country Oaks Venue
• Rare Texas artifacts step out ‘From the Vault’ at The Bryan Museum
• • The Bryan Museum
• Rhythm Energy Question of the Week

Thursday, March 5

• Gold Buckle Foodie Awards at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Houston Life Deals
• Avoiding vacation headaches: New Vrbo survey on group travel reveals common pet peeves
• • Vrbo
• Houston wellness trend: A local body sculpting technique focused on lymphatic health
• • The Tox
• Catching up with Russell Dickerson ahead of debut RODEOHOUSTON performance
• • RODEOHOUSTON

Wednesday, March 4

• Houston Life Deals
• Moon 2 Mars Festival returns to Space Center Houston with out-of-this-world fun and concerts this spring break
• • Space Center Houston
• What to Wear to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: Your Ultimate Style Guide 
• • Boot Barn
• Destin-Fort Walton Beach, more than beaches: reefs, fishing, little adventures
• • Visit Destin-Fort Walton Beach
• Baz Luhrmann’s ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’ gives fans a front-row seat to The King
• • “EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert” Film

Tuesday, March 3

• Diana Ross coming to Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
• Learn about the untold history of Black baseball
• • Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy
• Houston Life Deals
• Modern dental implants give Houston patients natural, comfortable smiles
• • Texas Dental Implant Center
• Houston native Kyrie McAlpin Talks ‘The Burbs’, Keke Palmer & a very Seth MacFarlane Christmas party

Monday, March 2

• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• • Houston Life kicks off opening day at 2026 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Suits & Boot Injury Lawyers

Friday, February 27

• Gabriel Basso takes us behind the scenes of Netflix’s ‘The Night Agent’
• • Netflix’s “The Night Agent”
• Mudbug Mania: Tanji Patton celebrates crawfish season in Houston
• • Goodtaste with Tanji Patton
  • Crawfish Shack
  • Crawfish Hideaway
• Theatre Under The Stars reveals 2026-27 season with Broadway tours & local shows
• • Theatre Under the Stars
• Boot Barn
• What to see and do in Malta — beaches, history and booking tips from The Travel Mom
• • The Travel Mom

Thursday, February 26

• Diana Ross at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for a chance to see Creed perform at RodeoHouston
• Get a peek inside RodeoHouston’s World Championship BBQ Cookoff
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Soulful river cruises that connect Black travelers to heritage and culture
• • AmaWaterways Soulful Experience River Cruise
• Houston Life Deals
• Allied Outdoor Solutions
• HCC Southeast College

Wednesday, February 25

• Behind the scenes of TUTS’ ‘Million Dollar Quartet’
• • Tickets to ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ at Theatre Under the Stars
• Houston influencers share their best thrifting tips for Rodeo
• • Find your nearest Goodwill store
• Plan the ultimate spring break getaway for everyone at Moody Gardens
• • Moody Gardens
• Ride along: METRO Police Chief explains new safety measures for Houston transit
• • Metro Houston

Tuesday, February 24

• Spring Break, but make it San Antonio
• • Visit San Antonio
• Alley Theatre’s ‘English’ explores identity, belonging, and the weight of learning a new language
• • Tickets to ‘English’ at Alley Theatre
• Looking for a Career Change? Here’s How You Could Be Job-Ready in 10 Months
• • Learn more about programs at United Education Institute Houston

Monday, February 23 (WE ARE BACK!!!)

• Indian Film Festival of Houston celebrates France with film, food and culture
• • Indian Film Festival of Houston Website
• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for a chance to see Riley Green perform at RodeoHouston
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Chris Hemsworth will keep you on the edge of your seat in ‘Crime 101’
• • “Crime 101” Movie Times
• Modern dental implants give Houston patients natural, comfortable smiles
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

February 6 - 20

• Houston is off air due to the Winter Olympics, but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop entertaining you. Be sure to follow us on social media to see all the HL fun. We’ll be back Feb. 23.
• • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Thursday, February 5

• Papa Johns Pizza
• The Cody Stephens Foundation saves lives with free heart screenings for young athletes
• • Cody Stephens Foundation
• Get ready for the return of the one and only Monster Jam in Houston
• • Tickets to Monster Jam at NRG Stadium
• Getting your best night’s sleep: How the latest materials and technology can help you sleep better
• • Texas Mattress Makers
• What is an “Orphan Generator”? And why it could put Houston homes at risk during an outage
• • GenPro.com
• Follow Mersha the Mini Panther on Instagram (Use MERSHA20 to get a discount at PrettyLitter)

Wednesday, February 4

• Simon & Garfunkel Story at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• Behind the scenes of ‘Real Women Have Curves’ on stage at Alley Theatre
• • Tickets to ‘Real Women Have Curves’ at Alley Theatre
• Decoding body language: How to spot liars, read subtle signals, and communicate with confidence
• • Jan Hargrave
• In the Kitchen with Kroger: Why they are your one stop shop for the Big Game and Valentine’s Day
• • Kroger

Tuesday, February 3

• MFAH’s new exhibit explores Frida Kahlo’s lasting legacy
• • ‘Frida: The Making of an Icon’ at MFAH
• United Way of Greater Houston’s 211: Help is one call away
• • United Way of Greater Houston’s 211 Helpline
• After the freeze - now what? How to care for perennials and shrubs in Houston
• • Gardening with Skip
  • Houston Home and Garden Show
• Go back in time at Popfancy Dessert Bar’s new retro 80’s sci-fi arcade cafe
• • Popfancy Fan Cafe

Monday, February 2

• Kenny G at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• The relationship advice that helps couples feel closer — even during hard conversations
• • Connection Expert Jenn Pinkerton
  • Connectin Cards Couples Edition on Amazon
• Paris Hilton’s “Infinite Icon”
• Arandas Bakery
• Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, January 30

• Monster Energy Supercross heads into Houston featuring the world’s fastest racers
• • Monster Energy Supercross at NRG Stadium This Weekend
• From Trinidad and Tobago to Top Chef: Tristen Epps’ journey is rooted in culture
• • Chef Tristen Epps
  • A Classically Black Dinner - Vibrant + Modern + African
• Few physicians leave a legacy like this: Houston honors cancer pioneer Dr. Philip Salem
• • Salem Oncology Center
• The Travel Mom: Family-Friendly Wave-Season Deals from Princess
• • The Travel Mom
  • Princess Cruises

Thursday, January 29

• The Simon & Garfunkel Story at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• Former KPRC 2 reporter shares ‘With Love From Harlem’: The story behind America’s First Black power couple
• • ReShonda Tate’s new book ‘With Love from Harlem’
• American Home Buyer
• How personalized aesthetics - Botox, fillers & lasers - can help you age better
• • Anti Age Institute
• The cast of ‘Bridgerton’ takes us behind-the-scenes of the ton for season 4
• • Netflix’s Bridgerton Season 4

Wednesday, January 28

• KPRC 2’s new evening anchor Stephania Jimenez makes her Houston debut with passion and purpose
• • Follow Stephania on her KPRC 2 Instagram Account
• Cars, boats and more: What to know about this year’s Houston AutoBoative Show 2026
• • Houston Autoboative Show (Save $20 with Family Four Pack Option)
• Get a taste of Old Town Katy with Tanji Patton of Goodtaste TV
• • Goodtaste with Tanji Patton
  • Peanut Butter Pie from Southern Dough
  • Southern Dough Baking Co.
  • Humble Grounds Coffeehouse
  • Harvest Kitchen & Bakery
• A Family Business Built on Trust: Luke’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning Serves Houston for Over 30 Years
• • Luke’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning

Tuesday, January 27

• Remembering the iconic artist David Adickes on his 99th birthday and his lasting legacy in Houston
• • David Adickes Art Website
  • Follow ‘Adickes Art’ on Instagram
• Plan a Vacation Day: Experts share 2026 travel trends and how to protect your trip
• • The Travel Mom
  • Follow The Travel Mom Emily Kaufman on Instagram
  • Travel Guard Insurance
• Texans Serving Texans: Gexa Energy gives back
• • Gexa Energy
• Bill Skarsgård steps beyond horror roots in new film, ‘Dead Man’s Wire’

Monday, January 26

• Houston relationship and intimacy expert dishes on the small relationship habits that make love last
• • Houston Relationship Therapy
  • VIVID Relationships app
• Crawfish & Noodles gearing up for a busy crawfish season
• • Crawfish & Noodles
• Traveling smarter in 2026: What travel experts say to book now
• • Travel Expert Jeanenne Tornatore
  • Follow the Outside Insider on Instagram

Friday, January 23

• Discover why Sam Houston Race Park is a top spot for family outings with “Houston Life”
• • Sam Houston Race Park
  • Corgi Races
  • Shannon Jewelers Presents Diamond Dig
  • Wiener Dog Races

Thursday, January 22

• WEIGH IN: What are your must have products during a freeze?
• Cars, boats and more: What to know about this year’s Houston AutoBoative Show 2026
• • Houston Autoboative Show (Save $20 with Family Four Pack Option)
• Honoring Dr. Philip A. Salem for innovations in cancer care and research
• • Salem Oncology Center
• Bert Kreischer talks fatherhood, fame, and his new scripted comedy series, “Free Bert”
• • Netflix’s “Free Bert”
• Last chance to enjoy the Green Mountain Energy Ice at Discovery Green
• • Ice at Discovery Green

Wednesday, January 21

• Seth Rogen, Ike Barinholtz & Chase Sui Wonders chat comedy series ‘The Studio’
• • Apple Tv+’s ‘The Studio’
• Allied Outdoor Solutions
• Living Designs Furniture
• The Women’s Resource empowers women and girls through free financial and career coaching services
• • The Women’s Resource
• Houston woman helps bring Black cowboy history to PBS
• • Alma’s Way on PBS Kids
  • Black Cowboy Coalition

Friday, January 16

• School Makes You Super: KPRC-TV reporter and mom Haley Hernandez debuts first children’s book to ease school anxiety
• • Buy ‘School Makes You Super" here
• Children’s Museum Houston celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• • MLK Day Celebration at Children’s Museum Houston
• Two experts explain why Key Largo, Florida should be on your 2026 travel list
• • The Travel Mom
• The man known as “the human lie detector” works to keep serial killers behind bars
• • Killer Confessions

Thursday, January 15

• Young voices, lasting legacy: Houston students honor Dr. King in 30th Annual Oratory Competition
• • Foley MLK Jr. Oratory Competition
• Breaking through the plateau with Dr. Ian Smith’s ‘The Last 15′
• • Follow Dr. Ian Smith on Instagram
  • Purchase “The Last 15″ on Amazon
• Mindful eating tips and a pesto vinaigrette recipe to kickstart a healthier new year
• • Leaf & Grain
• Stay powered and protected with GenPro.com, Houston’s premier generator specialists
• • Call or log on to book an estimate and receive a functional mini generator worth $50 for FREE

Wednesday, January 14

• Check out the fun, food and giveaways for Houston Rockets fans this week
• • Houston Rockets Game Day Tickets
• A Kroger pharmacist’s guide to everyday wellness in 2026
• • Enter for a chance to win a Kroger gift card
  • Kroger
• Mix-MATCH Festival returns with over 20 performances celebrating Houston’s creative spirit
• • Tickets to 3rd Annual Mix-MATCH Festival
  • Daisies & Pancakes

Tuesday, January 13

• Kick off the new year with magic: Magician Curt Miller returns with his show “The Conjurer”
• • Curt Miller
  • Tickets to The Conjurer: An Intimate Magical Experience with Curt Miller
• Brad Meltzer Book Signing
• • Follow Brad Meltzer on Instagram
• Innovative Lasers of Houston

Monday, January 12

• Turn to tea this year to slow down, reset, and satisfy without regrets
• • Tea Please
• The Travel Mom: Family fun at Knott’s Berry Farm - a California getaway everyone will love
• • The Travel Mom
  • Visit Buena Park
  • Knott’s Berry Farm
• Pet adoption events for the new year at Fort Bend County Animal Services
• • Fort Bend County Animal Services
• New Year, New Smile: AI-driven smile design at Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, January 9

• Shop The Sale Houston with proceeds benefitting childhood cancer research
• • The Sale Houston
• A new chapter begins: Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones chat about their new pairing
• • TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle
• Former radio personality, Sarah Pepper returns to Texas to emcee 2026 Chevron Houston Marathon
• • Follow Sarah Pepper on Instagram

Thursday, January 8

• Belle comes to Houston - Kyra Belle Johnson stars in Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ now at the Hobby Center
• • Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” Tickets at Hobby Center
• Mathew Knowles launches new Destiny’s Child nationwide tribute tour; Houston is first stop
• • Destiny’s Child: Iconic Reimagined Tribute Tickets
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Wednesday, January 7

• The story behind Luke’s Plumbing and Air Conditioning serving Houstonians since 1991
• • Luke’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning
• Where karaoke meets claw machines: Welcome to Klaw‑Oke Kingdom in Pearland
• • Klaw-Oke Kingdom
• Brace yourself, the 1993 Oilers vs. Bills game is featured in new docuseries ‘Don’t Call it a Comeback’
• • VICE TV’s “Don’t Call It A Comeback”
• New Year, Strong Start: EōS Fitness Experts Share Tips to Crush 2026 Goals
• • EōS Fitness

Tuesday, January 6

• Houston bagel pros talk schmear, slices and specials ahead of National Bagel Day
• • Bagel Shop Bakery
• Comedian Chinedu Ogu takes H-Town-rooted comedy on a national tour
• • Chinedu at Punch Line Houston
• Start your new year weight loss journey at Health Solutions and Weightloss
• • Health Solutions and Weightloss
• Enroll Now: Key deadlines and tips for 2026 Marketplace coverage
• • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Monday, January 5

• Rosca de Reyes Season is here - and this Houston bakery is busy
• • Arandas Bakery
• Damp or Dry January? These non-alcoholic wines actually taste like wine
• • Daniela Garrido | Wine and Travel Expert
• New Year, New Smile: AI-driven smile design at Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Texas Dental Implant Center
• Freeze Miser

Friday, January 2

• Tough but fair: NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas visits Houston Life
• • NBC Nightly News
  • Tom Llamas
• Tarot Card Reader Amber Ambrose
• Opening weekend kicks off at Sam Houston Race Park TODAY!
• • Sam Houston Race Park

Thursday, January 1

• New Year’s fitness made simple: Tips and a low-impact workout for beginners
• • Hoodfit
• Chantell Preston
• HiFi at The Finn

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Dowler, who has Stargardt disease and says she has about 10% useful vision, only began running last year, starting with a couch to 5K program before building up to marathon distance. She is now preparing to run the London Marathon with her boyfriend as her guide, using AI powered Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses to help her navigate and track her progress.

“They are AI assisted,” she said. “While running, I can ask for live cues, such as what landmarks are around me and how far I have run.”

She said the glasses allow her to combine audio feedback with guidance from her running partner.

“I can put my music on but still be able to listen to my guide runner,” she said.

Her goal is not focused on speed.

“My mission was to inspire other people with sight loss and people going through something really tough and inspire them to believe in themselves,” she said.

Dowler is among a growing number of visually impaired runners using AI enabled smart glasses. These wearable devices combine standard consumer products with cameras, microphones and open ear speakers. They can be controlled with your voice, buttons or some simple gestures and use artificial intelligence to interpret surroundings and provide audio feedback.

The most well known smart glasses are from tech company Meta, which makes them in partnership with Ray-Ban and Oakley. More than 7 million pairs of Meta Ray-Bans were sold last year, underscoring their growing popularity. But they’ve also stirred privacy worries, including being used to film people without their knowledge as well as concerns that Meta was sending the video to human reviewers for AI training.

For Sha Khan, who lost around 90 percent of his vision in 2021 due to retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt disease, the technology has become part of daily life as well as training.

“It’s like literally a part of me now,” he said. “If I step out the front door, I wouldn’t do that without my glasses on.”

Khan also relies on his guide dog, Moby, in his day to day life, using him for navigation outside of running.

He said the hands free nature of the glasses is especially useful because it allows him to stay focused on working with Moby without needing to handle a phone.

Khan began running in 2022 after a volunteer from Guide Dogs UK, a charity that provides guide dogs and mobility support for people with vision loss, encouraged him to try it after his sudden loss of sight loss and the impact that it had on his mental health.

While training with guide runners, he uses voice commands to interact with the glasses.

“If they say that’s Big Ben ahead of us I can just say ‘hey Meta take a picture,’” he said.

He said the hands free nature of the device is important.

“I don’t need to be worrying about fumbling with a mobile phone,” he said.

Smart glasses use a front facing camera to capture visual input and artificial intelligence to analyze it, converting the information into audio delivered through speakers built into the frame.

Chris Lewis, a technology analyst who is visually impaired and has used smart glasses while skiing, said the system provides an additional layer of awareness.

“The AI is taking the images coming in, analyzing it and giving you the information about what’s in front of you, what might be moving and what might be changing,” he said.

He said this allows users to receive information in real time without losing awareness of their surroundings, which is important for activities such as running.

However, Lewis said events like marathons can pose additional challenges, with large crowds putting pressure on mobile networks and potentially weakening signal, which in turn can affect how reliably the glasses deliver real time information.

Guide Dogs UK, which also provides other services to help people live independently, says the technology should be used alongside existing support systems rather than replacing them.

“These glasses can really support and enhance somebody’s independence but they’re not there to be relied upon or replace core independent skills,” said Tommy Dean, a technology specialist at the charity.

He said guide dogs, mobility training and human support remain essential, particularly in complex environments.

Ben Hatton, an analyst at CCS Insight who studies emerging consumer technologies, said reliability remains a key challenge.

“If you’re going to allow visually impaired people to walk down the street or cross busy roads with the technology then it has to be perfectly reliable every single time,” he said.

He said factors such as accuracy, connectivity and cost will determine how widely the technology can be adopted.

Despite those limitations, experts say advances in artificial intelligence are enabling mainstream devices to play a growing role in accessibility.

“The fact that consumer technology can enhance the experience of someone with a sight problem adds to the potential to be more and more independent,” Lewis said.

More than 59,000 runners are expected to take part in the London Marathon on Sunday, according to organizers, following a 26.2 mile route through the capital that starts in Greenwich and finishes near Buckingham Palace.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last weekend directing the FDA and other federal agencies to speed research and loosen restrictions on psychedelics, a class of hallucinogenic drugs which remain illegal under federal law.

The FDA said it awarded priority review vouchers to two companies studying psilocybin — the active ingredient in magic mushrooms — for hard-to-treat forms of depression. A third company received a voucher for methylone, a drug related to MDMA, for post-traumatic stress disorder. The FDA did not name the companies in a press release announcing the news.

“We owe it to our nation’s veterans and all Americans who are suffering from these conditions to evaluate these potential therapies with urgency,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a statement.

The vouchers don’t guarantee approval, but instead mean that regulators will try to shorten their reviews from a period of months to weeks.

The recent moves on psychedelics reflect growing popular support for the mind-altering substances among Trump’s supporters, including combat veterans and followers of the Make America Healthy Again movement spearheaded by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Last July, Kennedy told members of Congress his department aimed to make psychedelics available for hard-to-treat psychiatric conditions within one year. Some of Kennedy’s top allies and staffers are proponents of the drugs.

Calley Means, a former Kennedy campaign staffer now serving as a senior health adviser, has previously written about the “mind-blowing” power of psychedelics and his plans to invest in companies developing the drugs.

FDA's special treatment for psychedelics is likely to renew scrutiny of its program for speeding up drug reviews, known as the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher program.

Democratic members of Congress have noted that vouchers have gone to companies that are politically favored by the White House, including those that have agreed to cut prices on their medications.

In a separate move, the FDA authorized initial testing of a drug related to ibogaine, a powerful psychedelic made from an African shrub, for people with alcohol use disorder. Ibogaine is known to sometimes cause dangerous heart rhythms but has been embraced by combat veterans as a way to treat trauma and addiction.

The drugmaker, DemeRx, is led by a Florida-based researcher who first began studying ibogaine as a treatment for cocaine addiction in the 1990s, before federal health officials pulled funding for the work.

“Every grant proposal that I submitted to (the National Institute on Drug Abuse) was rejected,” Deborah Mash, a neurologist and founder of DemeRx, told The Associated Press. “I couldn't get that funding and that's why ibogaine didn't advance in the 1990s.”

Ibogaine is known to cause intense hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, tremors and sometimes dangerous irregular heart rhythms. Mash says DemeRx’s drug is a metabolite of ibogaine, and doesn't carry the same hallucinogenic effects or risks as the original drug.

Saturday’s White House event on psychedelics suggested Trump’s political allies had a role in pushing the drugs to the top of his agenda.

Joe Rogan, the podcaster who appeared at the Oval Office event, said he texted Trump about the psychedelic ibogaine, which he’s repeatedly discussed on his show. According to Rogan, the president quickly responded: “Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let’s do it."

Rogan’s endorsement of Trump days before the November 2024 election was seen by White House aides as a key factor in his election victory.

On his show earlier this week, Rogan said he learned about ibogaine from his friend Ed Clay, a mixed martial arts trainer and entrepreneur who runs retreats making use of it in Mexico.

Virtually all psychedelics, including LSD, psilocybin and MDMA are classified as Schedule I substances, a category for high-risk drugs that have no medically accepted use.

For decades, drugmakers steered clear of the substances due to the difficulties of studying drugs that are illegal under federal law.

But dozens of small drugmakers, many fueled by Silicon Valley investors, have recently jumped into the race to win FDA approval for various psychedelics. For example, tech billionaire Peter Thiel — who has made political donations to both Trump and Vice President JD Vance — has invested in AtaiBeckley, a company studying MDMA and other psychedelic compounds.

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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.

Researchers blame a number of factors including climate change causing fuel to dry out and be more flammable, a record drought, tens of millions of tons of dead trees from Hurricane Helene and just the large area where dense forests and high numbers of people try to coexist.

So far this year, 2,802 square miles (7,258 square kilometers) of the United States has burned in wildfires — much of it in Nebraska, an unusual area for massive wildfires — that's 88% more than the 10-year average for this time of year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. That's happening as significant chunks of the country set records for the warmest winter and March and April drought.

“The warmer we get, the more fire we see. Longer fire seasons, more lightning possibly, and drier fuels,” said fire scientist Mike Flannigan of Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, Canada. “I think we're going to see more fire in the East. We're seeing more intense fires.”

Fires are increasing in the East

The number of large fires, likelihood of them happening and amount of land burned has increased in most of the Southeast United States from 1984 to 2020, according to a 2023 study by University of Florida fire ecologists Victoria Donovan and Carissa Wonkka.

“The fires in the East historically and today are a lot smaller than in the Western United States, so they might not always grab as much attention as those out West. But we’re starting to see now this shift in dynamics in the East, we’re starting to quantify it,” Donovan said Thursday. “Even though the changes that we're seeing in the East are much smaller than we're quantifying out West, we think it's extremely important to start to get ahead of this problem now.”

Three months ago, Donovan, Wonkka and other fire scientists created a new network for fire researchers to study Eastern fires because some of the issues that experts have learned out West may not apply in the East, Wonkka said.

Even though the West has bigger and more noticeable fast-spreading fires, the East has more people in the way of flames in something scientists call the wildland-urban interface or WUI.

“We found that 45% of all large wildfires in the East burn some portion of the wildland-urban interface and 55% of the area burned so that a lot of these large wildfires are associated with WUI fires,” Donovan said.

Add to that the forests in the East are denser and less likely to be thinned out than those in the West, Donovan said.

Hurricane Helene created a ‘ticking time bomb’

A week ago, federal and state official looked at the drought, the weather and the millions of dead trees from Hurricane Helene in 2024 and issued an advisory to watch out for fires, said Nick Nauslar, a National Weather Service fire science and operations officer at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

“They are thinking, you know, they could see more fires, more resistance to control with the fires that they get,” Nauslar said. “It has been warmer and drier than normal across many of the areas where Helene caused damage. So there’s the potential there. You have an excess of fuel available because now (the trees are) dead and at the mercy of weather and climate. And then if you get dry and windy conditions, if you get an ignition, it’s more likely to ignite and spread.”

In Georgia alone, 13,954 square miles (36,142 square kilometers) of forest land was hit by Hurricane Helene, downing more than 26 million tons of pine and 30 million tons of hardwood, according a November 2024 University of Georgia and Georgia Forestry Commission timber damage assessment.

“Many of us have worried about fuel buildup post-Helene. It’s a ticking time bomb,” University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd said.

Dry air makes it worse

But it's not just downed trees — it's also dry air increasing the likelihood of fires. It's not just a lack of rain, but the air itself is less humid, which causes problem, Nauslar and Flannigan said.

“As we warm … the atmosphere’s ability to suck moisture out of dead fuel, not live fuel, but dead fuel, increases almost exponentially as temperature increases,” Flannigan said. “The drier the fuel, the easier it is for a fire to start, means more fuel dried and is available to burn, which leads to higher intensity fires that are difficult to impossible to extinguish.

“That's what we're seeing now starting to make inroads into the East,” Flannigan said. Human-caused climate change is clearly playing a role, he said.

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

The Atlanta-based railroad said Friday that it earned $547 million, or $2.43 per share. That's down from $750 million, or $3.31 per share, a year ago. The disastrous derailment in the small town on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border has generally boosted earnings in recent quarters as the railroad collected insurance payments, but that wasn't the case this time, so it combined with planning costs related to the merger, earnings per share were reduced by 22 cents. Last year's results were also helped by some land sales.

Without those unusual costs, the railroad's profit would have beat Wall Street estimates. The analysts surveyed by FactSet Research predicted the railroad would earn $2.51 per share.

CEO Mark George said the railroad also dealt with the uncertain economy that reduced the shipments it delivered by 1%, along with severe weather and rapidly rising fuel costs.

“Despite these challenges, our employees safely delivered a solid service product, managed costs effectively, and earned the continued trust of our customers. As conditions improved, we captured momentum exiting the quarter, reinforcing the strength of our operating foundation and the dedication of the entire Norfolk Southern team,” George said.

The railroad's revenue was relatively flat at just under $3 billion. But its expenses jumped 15% compared to last year when insurance payments from the derailment added $185 million to Norfolk Southern's bottom line.

Norfolk Southern is working with Union Pacific to update its application to merge that the railroads plan to submit next Thursday. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board rejected the railroad’s first request to approve the $85 billion merger because the regulators wanted more information. The STB hasn’t yet decided whether the deal that would cut the number of major freight railroads down to five will enhance competition.

Norfolk Southern operates trains all over the eastern United States. Combining with Union Pacific's network west of the Mississippi River would create the nation's first transcontinental railroad.

The mission would mark the end of an era for the American space program, but Schmitt already was looking to the future. His voice crackling over a high-frequency radio signal that day, he shared his thoughts with Cernan and those listening in at Mission Control.

“Well, I tell you Gene, I think the next generation ought to accept this as a challenge. Let's see them leave footsteps like these someday,” Schmitt said.

Schmitt, 90, is one of the four Apollo moonwalkers still alive today. A field geologist, he was the first scientist to set foot on the moon and his expertise helped answer questions about the origin of that big rock up there and what it tells us about the solar system.

Schmitt felt the thrill again when the Artemis II crew rocketed into space on a historic lunar flyby. Pure excitement and the potential for so much more. And he's hopeful as new generations get back to the moon and beyond.

Interviewed by The Associated Press, the former U.S. senator from New Mexico spoke about everything from the importance of having a lunar base to tapping new energy sources and whether we’re alone in the universe. Dark matter and quantum entanglement also were mentioned, with Schmitt saying many discoveries are yet to come.

“You’ve just got to remember," he said, “what used to be called supernatural probably should be called unknown physics.”

This interview has been edited for brevity.

Q: What about having a lunar base?

Well, I think a lunar base makes a lot of sense and it always has for a lot of reasons. One is geopolitical. Probably the most important one is a geopolitical presence in deep space — and in preparation for going on to Mars.

The moon has resources that are going to reduce the cost of actually going to Mars and it gains experience. One of the things people keep forgetting about is you’ve gone through several generations and the new generation has to gain experience — psychologically as well as practically about how you work in deep space. And they’re doing that. That was probably the most important part of Artemis II, is it gave the ground people, Mission Control and others, the experience now to really have the risk as real rather than as part of a simulation.

Q: What was your mission during Apollo 17?

I had a lot of understanding of what other crews had learned, what had been learned from some of the early sample analyses and so we were trying to put sort of the frosting on the cake of answering questions in a very complex geologic area called Taurus-Littrow.

Taurus-Littrow actually is deeper than the Grand Canyon and so it has a three-dimensional aspect to it that we hadn’t had on other missions. And plus having a field geologist like myself on board meant that we should be more efficient at gathering samples that had a meaningful aspect to our further understanding of the origin of the moon, its relationship to the Earth and, it turns out, also its relationship to the history of the sun.

Q: So we're building upon our knowledge of the universe around us?

Well there’s no question that the moon has a history to tell us.

It’s been recording the history of the solar system ever since the solar system formed about 4.5 billion years ago. That is really what the moon gives us — that library of knowledge, of potential knowledge about how the solar system evolved and then what the sun has been doing in that 4.5 billion years.

In the recent work that I’ve been doing in that layer of debris, the regolith, we find that the sun became even more active than it had been about the same time as we had an explosion of life in the oceans on Earth, and so the oceans may have been and almost certainly were warming to that more active sun and life likes warmth. So it multiplied not only in quantity but in diversity. The mammals started to appear soon after that, life started to move up onto the continents that had formed so things were really starting to move about a half-billion years ago.

Q: Tell us about the moon rocks

This is a sample of a basalt lava and we have a lot of basalt lavas here in New Mexico. This is different in that it is rich in titanium, more rich than most terrestrial basalts. And that titanium turns out to be very important in terms of the resources that are available on the moon. It has a property of concentrating some of those resources, particularly hydrogen and helium.

There’s an isotope called helium-3 and that is going to be, I think, ultimately very, very important in the production of energy. It’s going to be extremely useful in quantum computing, in cancer therapy and other things here on Earth. We just don’t have much on Earth, so the moon is going to be a our reservoir, our source of this very important isotope of helium-3.

Q: How important will this isotope be in the future?

Helium-3 offers a possibility of having nuclear energy without nuclear waste. We’ve known that for decades, and so the moon now offers that opportunity to begin to substitute a nuclear form of energy that doesn’t produce nuclear waste for what we have today.

Q: Is it just as much an energy race as a space race?

There’s no question about it. China is interested in it, we’re interested in it. And that’s probably one of the big technological drivers of this new race to the moon, a new space race, a Cold War that’s on now primarily involving China and I think helium-3 is a big actor in that right now.

Q: What was it like in the Taurus-Littrow Valley?

First of all, we were in a valley deeper than the Grand Canyon. The mountains on either side were as high as the Grand Canyon from the bottom. Secondly, you’re in one-sixth gravity so that means you can walk much more easily than you could here on Earth. Now we were covered by a pressure suit but still walking around was like being a kid again ... if you fell you didn’t fall very hard and you certainly didn’t cry about it. But the moon is really a very easy place to work so as long as you have the right equipment surrounding you. You have to have that atmosphere of course to breathe.

Q: Any downsides to working in a weightless environment?

For me, it was a very comfortable environment to be in and you get a little bit lazy. For example, if you’re taking notes with a pad of paper and a pen or pencil and somebody says would you take the SCS switch to off, well you just let go and it floats there and you go over to the switch and come back and start to dictate those notes again.

You’ve got to be careful though because you’re brain gets lazy. When I got on the carrier after splashdown, I was taking my first drink of water and I just let go of the cup and of course it broke on the floor. Human beings tend to take advantage of their environment very quickly and the brain does get a little bit lazy like that. It took about three days to get comfortable again back here on Earth.

Q: So we'll have no problem living on the moon?

No, I think living on the moon is going to be very good. Now long term civilization on the moon, there’s still some major issues. The radiation issue has to be dealt with and we can. There are ways to do that. Going to Mars is another issue and that’s why you’ll almost certainly need fusion rockets to cut that time frame.

Q: We've heard a lot lately about UFOs. What are your thoughts on that?

Well there are billions of sunlike stars out there and so you just have to imagine that life may have originated on some other planet, although the conditions for life to originate here on Earth are really unique. Everything sort of fit together and creation for us sort of leads to you thinking of an infinitely intelligent being that made it all happen. But the technical potential statistically is very high that you could have had the similar kind of conditions develop elsewhere in the universe.

Now are they visiting us? My feeling is if they’re really so advanced they could be here, they'd communicate better than they have and so I just don’t know. But it’s plausible. Let’s put it that way. Unlikely maybe, but plausible.

Q: Would you take the opportunity to go back to the moon or to Mars?

Oh surely. Teresa, my wife, would like very much to go with me — that would be one condition. But I think a trip to Mars is going to be fantastic for those people.

So youth is extremely important and the education of those youth particularly in mathematics is extraordinarily important, and NASA now has a younger agency than they had grown to be during the shuttle era.

Look what has happened since Apollo. The commercial sector has developed new technologies, new ways of doing things and NASA is now trying to integrate those into a new approach to deep space exploration.

The site, located at 16803 Eastex Freeway, is now the focus of an investigation involving Houston Police and BARC’s animal cruelty unit.

The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, went to the property during a storm, hoping to find a stray dog she had seen days earlier.

Instead, she found something else.

“I looked down at the ground outside of my driver’s side door and there’s like a literal dog … and then I walked a few more steps and see just like a graveyard of dogs,” she said.

• ‘We got him’: Grand jury indicts suspect in 1990 ‘Lovers’ Lane’ killings after decades-long cold case

She said at first she thought the remains could belong to wildlife. That quickly changed.

She said could clearly see paw pads, canine teeth and even features suggesting some of the dogs were young.

“I just felt like something sketch was going on just with the sheer number of dogs,” she said.

When KPRC 2 arrived at the property on Tuesday, a City of Houston vehicle was already there. Soon after, BARC investigators were seen heading toward the back of the facility where the remains were found.

Some of the animals appeared to be fully decomposed. Others were still partially intact, according to the video shared with KPRC 2. This video contains graphic imagery that’s not suitable for public release.

• ‘Extremely disturbed’: Houston Police Department officer relieved of duty after racist rant goes viral on social media

The discovery raises questions about how the animals got there and whether any laws were broken.

In Houston, dumping dead animals on land or in water is illegal.

“It shall be unlawful for any person to dump or place on any land or on any water or waterway within the city any dead animal..." reads Sec. 10-482 of Houston City Ordinances.

Texas regulations classify animal carcasses as municipal solid waste and explicitly prohibit disposing of that waste without authorization from the state.

The Texas Department of Transportation, which operates the facility, sent this response:

“Animal remains are removed from roadways and ultimately transported to solid waste facilities. On occasion when those facilities are inaccessible the remains may be temporarily kept on TxDOT managed properties until final disposition. The current matter remains under review by the department.  It is premature for a determination of disciplinary action.” 

Smith said beyond the legality, the discovery is hard to process.

“If my dog had gotten out, hit by a car and left on the side of the road … and then I knew that it was just dumped in this graveyard, that would be devastating,” she said.

Investigators have not said who may be responsible. The case remains open. The Houston Police Department told KPRC 2 that no criminal activity was observed and they are no longer investigating.

“For the zoo and for us here, it’s the very big deal,” said Amarylis Celestina, who oversees carnivores and koalas at the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society in West Palm Beach, Florida. "We are trying the best that we can to help with a lot of the genetic diversity within the population that we have here in the United States. So that’s why it’s important that we do have a joey and that we were successful this year.”

The joey, born to Ellin and Sydney last fall, remains in its mother's pouch and has just recently started to become visible to zoo officials.

They continue to monitor Ellin's weight, and are providing extra food as she cares for the baby.

Meanwhile, the koala population is enjoying a renovated habitat, which include more greenery, new perching for exercising, and solar tubes to bring in more natural light. The changes bring a bit of the Australian outback to the zoo for koalas, which are an endangered species. They are able to move between their climate-controlled indoor exhibit and the expanded outdoor area.

“This new habitat is a milestone for our koalas,” Margo McKnight, the zoo's CEO and president said in a news release. “The deliberate design supports the voluntary, cooperative care our zoologists and koalas have developed together.”

Koalas in the U.S. are on loan from the Australian federal government to help with conservation practices.

Koalas are generally peaceful, have a calm nature and enjoy a “slow” lifestyle. They like to climb and hop between the trees in the habitat. The renovations are designed to help koalas express their natural behaviors, zoo officials said.

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Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Pierson has made a big impact in the Panthers program during her career, and that has continued in her senior season play for new head coach Jordan Lyle

Pierson anchors the infield and is the starter at third base. Softball will continue for her, though, as she is set to play for San Jacinto Junior College.

Prosecutors selected lyrics with alleged references to gang affiliation and shootings to convince jurors that instead of life in prison, Broadnax, who is Black, should be put to death after his conviction — a move his lawyers argue biased the almost all-white jury.

Broadnax isn’t the only defendant or even the only person on Texas’ death row whose rap lyrics have been introduced to a jury. Rap lyrics have featured in hundreds of court cases in more than 40 states over the past 50 years, though judges often exclude other forms of creative expression from being used as evidence, researchers have found. Treating rap lyrics as diary entries minimizes their artistic value while playing on negative racial stereotypes to influence jurors, experts say.

“It denies rap music the status of art. It is characterized as autobiography,” said Erik Nielson, co-author of the book “Rap on Trial.” “It really does speak to underlying assumptions that some people have about young men of color — and that’s almost exclusively who this practice targets — that they aren’t sophisticated enough to engage in various literary devices. That there isn’t metaphor here.”

Rap lyrics are commonly used in racketeering or gang-related cases. Prosecutors try to establish the defendant’s involvement in an underlying crime by introducing lyrics as evidence, Nielson said. If someone is charged with a shooting, for example, prosecutors look for lyrics that mention a shooting.

“If the lyrics were written before the alleged crime, the prosecutors will say this is evidence of motive,” Nielson said. “If they’re written afterward, they’re characterized as a straight-up confession.”

Rap lyrics introduced in court as autobiographical

Broadnax and his cousin were charged with murder for the 2008 shooting deaths of two men outside a suburban Dallas music studio. After more than a decade on death row, he is scheduled to be executed April 30.

In their pending appeal asking the U.S. Supreme Court to halt Broadnax’s execution, his attorneys argue that a judge should have considered the potential for racial bias and instructed the jury that his lyrics should not be viewed as autobiographical.

“The emphasis on the rap lyrics was a key element in this racially charged narrative,” Broadnax’s attorneys wrote. “Worse, the record in this case confirms that the jury delivered a death sentence based on the racial stereotypes invoked by the rap lyrics.”

Kemba, a rapper featured in the documentary “As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial,” told The Associated Press that introducing rap lyrics is particularly effective with juries because of innate prejudices — and because prosecutors want convictions.

“There’s a lot of people that don’t see rap or Black music as artistic expression,” he said. “And when you’re in a court case, there’s already an assumption that you’ve done something (wrong).”

The defendants in these cases are “almost exclusively young men of color, often with very limited resources,” and many can’t afford a private attorney, Nielson said.

But some high-profile rappers have had their songs introduced in court, like Young Thug, whose lyrics were used as evidence at his trial on gang and racketeering charges. He pleaded guilty to those charges and was released from custody in 2024.

Stereotypes about rap emerge

“The criminalization and the targeting of hip-hop has been going on for all 50 years of the culture,” said Nielson, who noted the use of rap lyrics in court ramped up in the early 1990s.

The monitoring of Black artistic expression dates back to the antebellum South, he said, though that intensified as rap music became more critical of power structures, like N.W.A.’s 1989 song “F--- the Police,” which condemns police brutality.

In 2022, The New York Times’ Jaeah Lee looked for non-rap examples of lyrics used at trial from 1950 onward and found only four. Three cases were thrown out and one led to a conviction that was overturned. In that same time period, Nielson found roughly 700 examples of rap lyrics used in court cases, including lyrics that someone rapped but didn’t even write.

Another study conducted by University of Nevada assistant professor Adam Dunbar examined stereotypes of rap. He presented people with lyrics, saying they were from rap, country or metal music. When it came to rap, respondents overwhelmingly considered the lyrics to be autobiographical.

“But if they’re given the same lyrics and told that those are country or heavy metal lyrics, they say, ‘No, it’s just art,’” said J.M. Harper, director of “As We Speak.”

Some rappers have begun directly attesting to the fictional nature of their music. The year before he was fatally stabbed in 2021, Drakeo the Ruler released the song “Fictional” from behind bars because his lyrics were being treated as nonfiction. In 2023, 21 Savage described his raps as “fiction as hell.”

“There’s no doubt in my mind that they are doing this for fear of prosecution,” Nielson said.

Rules of evidence can be open to judge’s interpretation

A number of A-list rappers, including Travis Scott, T.I. and Killer Mike, have filed briefs at the Supreme Court in support of Broadnax, cautioning against considering rap lyrics autobiographical.

Prosecutors in the case said Texas law allows evidence relevant to a defendant’s reputation at sentencing and contend the court shouldn’t consider the argument against the lyrics because Broadnax failed to raise concerns in previous appeals. State courts have ruled against other appeals by Broadnax’s attorneys.

“At the end of the day, the most important thing is not the prosecutors,” rapper LL Cool J told the AP in 2024, adding that judges should better block rap lyrics from trials. “The question is: Why is it even admissible?”

Lucius T. Outlaw III, a professor at Howard University School of Law who filed the amicus brief on behalf of Nielson and Killer Mike, said judges enforce rules of evidence specific to each state.

One judge might view rap lyrics as relevant; another may disagree. One might worry about triggering “anti-rap, which is anti-Black, bias,” he said, “where another judge will say, ‘I don’t see that prejudice.’”

“Guidelines about what is relevant when it comes to artistic expression and what is overly prejudicial is so needed,” he said.

Jeff Bellin, a professor at Vanderbilt Law School, said current rules tell judges to exclude evidence if it has low value as proof and a danger of creating bias.

“The safeguard should be judges, but they are often not aware of the social issues, or the context, when it comes to rap lyrics,” he said.

New legislation seeks protection for lyrics

Bellin said legislating around the issue is difficult because lawmakers don’t want to create rules that would exclude evidence truly relevant to any case.

In the past five years, at least 27 bills have been introduced federally and in a half-dozen states to limit the use of a defendant’s creative expressions, including rap lyrics, in criminal proceedings, according to an AP analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural.

On April 9, Maryland became the third state to pass legislation, creating “guardrails and a test for judges to impose anytime prosecutors want to use artistic expression, not just rap,” Outlaw said, noting it requires a factual connection between the potential evidence and the charges.

“It’s not the cure-all, but it’s a huge, important step,” he said.

“If I had to go farther, I would have,” Aaron Beggs said in an interview Thursday. “It's fight or flight, and I decided to fight and help him get to our destination.”

Beggs, of Northern Ireland, and Robson De Olivera, of Brazil, sprang into action Monday when Ajay Haridasse collapsed about 1,000 feet (305 meters) from the end of the course. Beggs also had been feeling sick and exhausted, but was reminding himself of all the people in his running club who might never get to experience such an iconic race.

“Then when I came down and up towards Boylston Street, the crowd started cheering and I just turned the corner and happened to see Ajay fall,” he said. “I looked at my watch, and I looked at him again, and the natural instinct was just to go and pick him up.”

For Beggs, the moment capped what already had been an incredible experience, from being cheered on by local college students to chatting with a fellow runner wearing his father's name on his shirt just to hear onlookers call it out.

“We were shaking hands as we were running, and was like, 'We’ve got this. Let's do this together',” he said. “It's not like in shorter races where you're head-to-head trying to beat people. In the marathon, you're cheering each other on and encouraging everybody.”

Video of the runners' good deed has gone viral. Beggs said he has been in touch with Haridasse, a Massachusetts native and student at Northeastern University, and hopes to reconnect with Robson as well. Their finishing time was good enough to qualify for next year's race.

“Three strangers, three different countries, and we'll have a story for the rest of our lives,” he said. “We all need just a nice story in our lives, just to make us smile, bring a tear to your eye with happiness. And it's nice to be nice.”

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Aaron's last name to Beggs, not Breggs.

A three-judge panel found unanimously there were “substantial grounds” to believe the ex-leader was responsible for dozens of murders, first as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao and later when he was president.

Duterte, who served as president from 2016 to 2022, was arrested in the Philippines last year and flown to The Hague, where the global court is located. He denies the charges against him.

In their 50-page decision, judges found that the evidence shows that Duterte, 81, “developed, disseminated and implemented” a policy “to ‘neutralize’ alleged criminals.”

According to prosecutors, police and hit squad members carried out dozens of murders at Duterte’s behest starting in 2011, motivated by the promise of money or to avoid becoming targets themselves.

“For some, killing reached the level of a perverse form of competition,” deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang told the court in pretrial hearings in February.

Estimates of the death toll during Duterte’s presidential term vary, from the more than 6,000 that the national police have reported to up to 30,000 claimed by human rights groups.

Prosecutors said in a statement on Wednesday that the decision “represents a significant milestone” in their effort to bring accountability.

Duterte's lead defense lawyer Nick Kaufman told The Associated Press he was disappointed in the decision, saying it “is based on the uncorroborated statements of vicious self-confessed murderers acting as cooperating witnesses.”

A date for the start of the trial has not yet been set.

Duterte has not been present in the courtroom for any hearings, having waived his right to appear. Last month judges found he was fit to stand trial, after postponing an earlier hearing over concerns about his health.

In the Philippines, families of slain victims in the brutal anti-drugs crackdown rejoiced over the decision, saying it will bring them closer to justice and toward a closure of a tragic chapter in their lives.

“This is for all the victims, who were not even given the chance to be recognized as victims because their stories were twisted in police reports, investigations and findings,” said Randy delos Santos, whose nephew, Kian delos Santos, was gunned down in an alley in August 2017 by three police officers.

“Unlike Kian, most other victims were nameless, voiceless and were just numbers and statistics whose horrific stories were never heard. Now the ICC will give their stories a chance to be told,” delos Santos told the AP.

Human rights groups also praised the decision.

“Duterte’s trial will send a powerful message that no one responsible for grave crimes is above the law, whether in the Philippines or elsewhere, and that justice will eventually catch up with them,” said Maria Elena Vignoli, senior international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch.

ICC prosecutors said in 2018 that they would open a preliminary investigation into the violent drug crackdowns. In a move that human rights activists say was aimed at avoiding accountability, Duterte, who was president at the time, announced a month later that the Philippines would leave the court.

On Tuesday, appeals judges rejected a request from Duterte’s legal team to throw out the case on the grounds that the court did not have jurisdiction because of the Philippine withdrawal.

In October, judges disqualified the court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan from the case, citing a “reasonable appearance of bias” because he represented victims of Duterte’s alleged crimes before he took office at the ICC. Khan had already stepped back from his duties pending the outcome of an independent investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.

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Associated Press journalist Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines contributed to this report.

The $2,299,998.85 seats for the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, are located behind a goal in the lower deck in block 124, row 45, seats 33-36.

FIFA does not control the asking prices on its Resale/Exchange Marketplace but takes a 15% purchase fee from the buyer of each ticket and a 15% resale fee from the seller.

An aisle seat 33 in block 146, row 32 of the lower deck listed as easy access standard was listed at $207,000, while a category two seat in the last row of the uppermost third deck was listed at $138,000 for block 310, row 26, seat 23. A few feet away, seat 21 has an asking price of $23,000.

The lowest-priced tickets for the final listed Thursday on the Marketplace were $10,923.85 for four seats four rows from the top of the upper deck behind a goal, in block 323, row 23, seats 13-16.

“FIFA has established a ticket sales and secondary market model that reflects standard ticket market practices for major sporting and entertainment events across the host countries," the governing body said in a statement. “The applicable resale facilitation fees are aligned with industry standards across North American sports and entertainment sectors. FIFA’s variable pricing ticketing approach aligns with industry trends across various sports and entertainment sectors, where price adaptations are made to optimize sales and attendance and ensure a fair market value for events.”

FIFA says it reinvests World Cup revenue among its 211 members to develop the sport.

FIFA put new blocks of tickets on sale Wednesday on its direct tickets site. Available tickets for the final cost $10,990.

Tickets were available from FIFA at $11,130 for the July 14 semifinal in Arlington, Texas, and at $9,660 and $4,360 for the July 15 semifinal in Atlanta.

Prices for the U.S. opener against Paraguay on June 12 at Inglewood, California, were listed at $4.,105, $2,735, $2,330 and $1,940, while seats for the Americans' second match against Australia on June 19 at Seattle cost $2,715. Tickets for the U.S. group stage finale against Turkey on June 25 at Inglewood cost $2,970 and $1,345.

Canada's opener vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 at Toronto was available for $3,360, $2,240, $1,645 and $980.

No tickets were listed directly by FIFA for the June 11 tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City.

For the quarterfinals, available tickets were $4,200 and $1,610 for the July 9 match at Foxborough, Massachusetts; $5,730 for the July 10 game in Inglewood; $4.770 and $1,815 for the July 11 match at Miami Gardens, Florida, and $4,080 for the July 11 game at Kansas City, Missouri.

Tickets for the third-place game at Miami Gardens on July 18 could be purchased at $1,125.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Vrabel spoke for just over seven minutes prior to the start of Thursday's NFL draft. He vowed to prioritize his family by beginning counseling this weekend and stepping away from the team for the draft's final day Saturday.

“I understand that there are questions. I take accountability for my actions, and the actions that caused a distraction to the people that I care most about — my family, this football team, the organization and our fans,” Vrabel said. “My previous actions don't meet the standard that I hold myself to. They don't.”

Vrabel said at a news conference earlier this week that he’s had “difficult conversations with people I care about,” including his family, his coaching staff, team officials and players following the publication of the photos by the New York Post.

On Thursday, he called his family and the Patriots the most important things in his life and said he was dedicated to taking steps to giving them “the best version of me.” He said he is committed to that process for “however long it takes.”

“And that's what we're going to do,” Vrabel said.

Asked about the timing of stepping away from the team on Saturday, Vrabel said it was solely family-related.

“When you prioritize your family first, and your job, that’s what’s required. And that’s what was necessary,” he said.

Vrabel said he was unsure if this would be the last time he planned to step away from the team.

The photos of Vrabel and Russini were taken in Sedona, Arizona, before the annual NFL meetings that began in Phoenix on March 29, according to the Post. The NFL has said it is not investigating Vrabel’s behavior. Vrabel and Russini are both married. Russini resigned from The Athletic last week.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated in an interview with ESPN that the league is not looking into the situation.

“This is not a personal conduct policy as we know of today,” Goodell said Thursday. “It’s a personal matter and we’ll leave it at that.”

Goodell added, “I think the teams handle these matters when they are personal matters. They have a lot more information that can benefit people involved.”

The Patriots said in a statement earlier in the day that they support Vrabel stepping away from the team on Saturday.

“Mike has been open with us about his commitment to being the best version of himself for his family, this team and our fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to follow through on that commitment,” the statement said in part. "We are confident in the leadership and communication Mike has established with our personnel staff throughout this pre-draft process. While he will not be present at the facility on Saturday, we know the draft evaluations are complete and Eliot Wolf and his personnel staff are prepared to execute our draft as planned this weekend.”

Vrabel declared his intension to sit out the final day of the draft in a late-night statement Wednesday.

The Patriots entered the draft holding 11 picks. That included the Super Bowl runner-up’s one scheduled pick (No. 31) in Thursday’s first round. They traded that pick and one in the fourth round to Buffalo to move up and take Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu at No. 28. They have one pick each in rounds 2 and 3 on Friday.

But the bulk of their selections will be Saturday when Vrabel won’t be in the draft room. That’s when they are scheduled to select twice in the fourth round, once in the fifth, four times in the sixth and once in the seventh round.

Vrabel was still present in the Patriots team facility Thursday after addressing reporters. Prior to meeting with them, he spoke briefly with season ticket holders at a draft night party. He also was spotted briefly sitting in the middle seat in the team draft room as they celebrated selecting Lomu.

Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and fellow personnel vice president Ryan Cowden will run the draft room with Vrabel away.

Wolf expressed confidence that remaining members of front office will be able to manage Day 3 with Vrabel away. Wolf will have final say on picks during Vrabel's absence. Vrabel will still be in communication with the team via Zoom at times on Saturday.

“Not too worried about that as far just as the process we have in place. The people that we have in place,” Wolf said. “It’s going to be different without his presence there. But we feel really good about the people that we have in place to make up for it.”

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

In a Thursday memo, Michael Kratsios, the president's chief science and technology adviser, accused foreign entities “principally based in China” of engaging in deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns to “distill,” or extract capabilities from, leading AI systems made in the U.S. and “exploiting American expertise and innovation.”

The administration, Kratsios wrote, will work with American AI companies to identify such activities, build defenses and find ways to punish offenders.

The memo arrives at a time when China is challenging U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence, an area where the White House says the U.S. must prevail to set global standards and reap economic and military benefits. But the U.S.-China gap in performance of top AI models has “effectively closed,” according to a recent report from Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centered AI.

China's embassy in Washington said it opposed “the unjustified suppression of Chinese companies by the U.S.”

“China has always been committed to promoting scientific and technological progress through cooperation and healthy competition. China attaches great importance to the protection of intellectual property rights,” said Liu Pengyu, the embassy spokesperson.

In Beijing, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters Friday that the U.S. claims are groundless and were smearing the achievements of China's artificial intelligence industry.

“China firmly opposes this. We urge the U.S. to respect facts, discard prejudice, stop suppressing China’s technological development, and do more to promote scientific and technological exchange and cooperation between the two countries,” he said.

Kratsios' memo also came the same week that the House Foreign Affairs Committee offered unanimous, bipartisan support for a bill to set up a process to identify foreign actors that extract “key technical features” of closed-source, U.S.-owned AI models and to punish them with measures including sanctions.

“Model extraction attacks are the latest frontier of Chinese economic coercion and theft of U.S. intellectual property,” said Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., who sponsored the bill. “American AI models are demonstrating transformative cyber capabilities, and it is critical we prevent China from stealing these technological advancements.”

Last year, the Chinese startup DeepSeek rattled U.S. markets when it released a large language model that could compete with U.S. AI giants but at a fraction of the cost.

David Sacks, then serving as President Donald Trump's AI and crypto adviser, suggested that DeepSeek copied U.S. models. “There’s substantial evidence that what DeepSeek did here is they distilled the knowledge out of OpenAI’s models,” Sacks said then.

In a February letter to U.S. lawmakers, OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, made similar allegations and said China should not be allowed to advance “autocratic AI” by “appropriating and repackaging American innovation.”

Anthropic, the maker of the Claude chatbot, in February accused DeepSeek and two other China-based AI laboratories of engaging in campaigns to “illicitly extract Claude’s capabilities to improve their own models” using the distillation technique that “involves training a less capable model on the outputs of a stronger one.”

Anthropic said distillation can be a legitimate way to train AI systems but it's a problem when competitors “use it to acquire powerful capabilities from other labs in a fraction of the time, and at a fraction of the cost, that it would take to develop them independently.”

But it can go both ways. San Francisco-based startup Anysphere, maker of the popular coding tool Cursor, recently acknowledged that its latest product was based on an open-source model made by Chinese company Moonshot AI, maker of the chatbot Kimi.

Kyle Chan, a fellow at the Washington-based think tank The Brookings Institution and an expert on China's technology development, said it will be like “looking for needles in an enormous haystack” to separate unauthorized distillation from the vast volume of legitimate requests for data. But information sharing and coordination among U.S. AI labs could help, and the federal government can play an important role in facilitating anti-distillation efforts across labs, Chan said.

It's hard to assess how far the House bill can go, but Chan said Trump may not want to rock the boat with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of a planned mid-May state visit to Beijing.

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AP Technology Writer Matt O'Brien contributed to this report from Providence, Rhode Island.

Constable Mark Herman is reminding residents and businesses to take advantage of the holiday to prepare for emergencies.

During the three-day period, qualifying emergency supplies can be purchased without paying state sales tax. The tax-free items include equipment and basics commonly used during storms, power outages and other emergencies.

Emergency supplies can help support employee safety and speed up business recovery, but officials note they work best when they’re part of a larger emergency plan. The message: prepare now and stay ready.

What’s tax-free?

• Portable generators
• Fire extinguishers
• First aid kits
• Radios, batteries and phone chargers
• Tarps and emergency lighting

Success on the pitch for both Spain’s women and men’s teams has been partially overshadowed in recent years by incidents of racism, sexism and xenophobia.

As the World Cup approaches, concerns have been raised about whether meaningful cultural change is happening in Spain, one of the title favorites.

“It’s not a very good image for Spain right now, but we can’t mistake these acts by minority groups, usually the ultra groups, with the actions of the majority of fans in Spain,” said Esteban Ibarra, head of the Madrid-based Movement Against Intolerance, Racism and Xenophobia.

Spain is one of the co-hosts of the 2030 World Cup, and cleaning up its image abroad is seen as a priority. The Spanish government and local soccer officials have been working hard to dismiss the notion that Spain is a racist country.

They have called recent incidents in soccer — including the anti-Muslim chants last month — isolated cases that can be blamed mostly on the actions of a minority of radical fans.

“The first thing we must bear in mind is that these acts, which we condemn in the strongest possible terms, have been perpetrated by a group of people who in no way represent the vast majority of Spanish soccer fans,” Spain's Higher Council for Sports, the nation's top sports authority, told The Associated Press in a statement.

“The chants were deplorable and cannot be repeated," it said. "We are confident that the Spanish men and women attending the World Cup this summer will support our team with passion and always with respect.”

Lamine Yamal speaks out

Spain was drawn into a World Cup group that includes Saudi Arabia, an overwhelmingly Muslim country.

It was in the March 31 friendly against Egypt — another predominantly Muslim nation — that a group of Spanish fans sang the anti-Muslim chants that made headlines worldwide. They also jeered Egypt's national anthem in the match in Barcelona.

“These actions are entirely unacceptable in football stadiums and represent a negative phenomenon that must be collectively addressed and eradicated,” the Egyptian Football Association said.

The chants happened despite the presence of Spain star forward Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim. On the next day, he called the chants disrespectful and intolerable, and said it didn’t matter that they were not directed at him personally.

“I understand that not all fans are like that, but to those who chant these things: Using a religion as a taunt on the field makes you look ignorant and racist,” the 18-year-old Yamal said. “Football is for enjoying and cheering, not for disrespecting people for who they are or what they believe.”

Spanish police opened an investigation into the behavior of the fans during the game, and FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish soccer federation.

The Spanish federation has used the popularity of Yamal as an example of how the recent incidents don’t represent the nation’s fanbase as a whole. It noted that Yamal's shirt is the best-selling Spain jersey and that he is the most sought-after player everywhere the team goes.

The federation also noted several actions and campaigns that have been taking place in Spain, with the participation of the government and other soccer entities, against intolerance and discrimination in sports.

Abuse against Vinícius sparked action against racism

Spain was widely criticized for its lack of action against racism in soccer after Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinícius said he was racially abused in a Spanish league game in Valencia in 2023. Vinícius, who is Black, said at the time that the Spanish league “now belongs to racists” and Spain “is seen as a racist country.”

He has since nuanced his description of Spain, but continues to speak up against racism in the sport.

“I’m not saying that Spain or Germany or Portugal are racist countries, but there are racists in these countries, and in Brazil and other countries as well,” Vinícius said after praising Yamal for his condemnation of the anti-Muslim chants last month. “But if we keep fighting together, I think future players and people in general won’t have to go through this again.”

There was widespread support for Vinícius after the 2023 match in which he threatened to leave the field in Valencia after a few members of ultra groups called him “monkey.”

The number of cases of racial abuse against the Brazil international decreased as authorities started to take more significant action. The first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain came after Vinícius’ repeated complaints, and fans were punished in other cases as well.

A recent Supreme Court ruling set a precedent for more severe sentences in cases of intolerance in sports, another step forward for Spain in the fight against discriminatory actions.

Federation says it has changed since the Rubiales scandal

Not long after the abuse against Vinícius, the Spanish soccer federation faced another scandal involving the behavior of then-federation president Luis Rubiales.

Rubiales resigned and was eventually found guilty of sexual assault for grabbing player Jenni Hermoso's head and kissing her on the lips after Spain won the 2023 Women's World Cup final.

Critics said the scandal highlighted a culture of sexism in Spanish soccer.

The federation says the incident prompted internal change, noting that 50% percent of its board of directors is now composed of women, who are also in several top managerial positions.

Spanish fans expected to behave at the World Cup

During the World Cup, the federation does not expect problems involving Spanish fans, in part because it can try to keep members of radical fan groups from buying tickets for Spain’s matches by monitoring the identity of those making mass purchases.

“In theory, during the World Cup there isn’t really the risk that these types of cases will happen," Ibarra said. “Especially now that Spain is on alert because of the international repercussion of the recent incidents, and more severe measures are expected against these Spanish ultra groups that are responsible for these acts.”

The Spanish government said it has been working for years "in a coordinated and effective manner with government agencies, state security forces, federations, clubs and fans to prevent a few hooligans from tarnishing our sport.”

The government also noted it has “one of the most advanced systems in Europe” to combat intolerance acts, with an anti-violence commission in place to coordinate actions by authorities, prosecutors and other institutions involved.

The men’s team heads to the World Cup as the defending European champion. Since its disappointing round-of-16 elimination in the World Cup in Qatar, Spain also won the Nations League in 2023 and was runner-up last year.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup