The committee's chair, Ken Martin, shared the 192-page report only after facing intense internal pressure from frustrated Democratic operatives concerned with his leadership. Martin had originally promised to release the autopsy, only to keep it under wraps for months because he was concerned it would be a distraction ahead of the midterms as Democrats mobilize to take back control of Congress.

On Tuesday, Martin apologized for his handling of the situation and conceded that the report was withheld because it “was not ready for primetime."

Although the autopsy criticizes Democrats' focus on “identity politics,” it sidesteps some of the most controversial elements of the 2024 campaign. The report does not address former President Joe Biden’s decision to seek reelection, the rushed selection of Harris to replace him after he dropped out or the party's acrimonious divide over the war in Gaza.

“I am not proud of this product; it does not meet my standards, and it won’t meet your standards,” Martin wrote in an essay on Substack on Thursday. “I don’t endorse what’s in this report, or what’s left out of it. I could not in good faith put the DNC’s stamp of approval on it. But transparency is paramount.”

During a conversation with staff on Thursday, Martin announced that the report's primary author, consultant Paul Rivera, was no longer working with the DNC, according to a person on the call not authorized to speak publicly about the private discussion.

A spokesperson for Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The initial reaction from Democratic operatives was a mix of bafflement and anger over Martin's handling of the situation. Some also raised fresh concerns about the impact on the party's next presidential nomination process, which the DNC is actively coordinating now.

"The execution, the roll out and the coverup are indicative of how Ken Martin is fundamentally not up to the task," said Amanda Litman, who leads the Democratic-allied organization Run For Something. “He will be incapable of rebuilding the trust necessary to facilitate a Democratic primary in 2027-2028.”

Report says Democrats don't ‘listen to all voters’

The postelection report calls for “a renewed focus on the voters of Middle America and the South, who have come to believe they are not included in the Democratic vision of a stronger and more dynamic America for everyone.”

“Millions of Americans are suffering from poor access to healthcare, manufacturing and job losses, and a failing infrastructure, yet continue to be persuaded to vote against their best interests because they do not see themselves reflected in the America of the Democratic Party,” the report says.

The autopsy points to a reduction in support and training for Democratic state parties, voter registration shifts and “a persistent inability or unwillingness to listen to all voters.”

Thursday's release comes as Martin confronts a crisis of confidence among party officials who are increasingly concerned about the health of their political machine barely a year into his term. Some Democratic operatives have had informal discussions about recruiting a new chair, even though most believe that Martin’s job wasn't in serious jeopardy ahead of the midterm elections.

Were Democrats too nice?

The report found that Harris and her allies failed to focus enough on Trump's negatives, especially his felony convictions. This was part of a broader criticism that Democrats' messaging is too focused on reason and winning arguments, “even in cycles when the electorate is defined by rage.”

“There was a decision in the 2024 Democratic leadership not to engage in negative advertising at the scale required,” the report states. “The Trump campaign and supportive Super PACs went full throttle against Vice President Harris, but there was not sufficient or similar negative firepower directed at Trump by Democrats.”

The report continues: “It was essential to prosecute a more effective case as to why Trump should have been disqualified from ever again taking office. The grounds were there, but the messaging did not make the case.”

Trump's attack on Harris' transgender policies were cited as a key contrast.

Specifically, the report suggested the Democratic nominee was “boxed” in by the Trump campaign's “very effective” ad that highlighted Harris' previous statement of support for taxpayer-funded gender-affirming surgeries for prison inmates.

Democratic pollsters believed that “if the Vice President would not change her position – and she did not – then there was nothing which would have worked as a response," the report said.

‘The math doesn’t work'

The report criticized Harris' outreach to key segments of America while condemning the party's focus on “identity politics.”

“Harris wrote off rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work,” the report says. “You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a significant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen, and then do it again.”

The report also references Democrats' underperformance with male voters of color.

“Male voters require direct engagement. The gender gap can be narrowed. Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns, and don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color,” it says.

Maria DeLiberato, an attorney for Carruthers, said she saw Carruthers “wincing and groaning” and called it “horrible” to watch.

An email to a spokesperson for the state corrections department was not immediately returned.

States have repeatedly had to call off executions because of such challenges. In Idaho in 2024, medical team members tried eight times to establish an IV line to execute Thomas Creech, one of the nation’s longest-serving death row inmates, before calling it off; Idaho Gov. Brad Little subsequently signed a law making firing squad the state’s primary method of execution.

In Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey paused executions for several months after officials called off the lethal injection of Kenneth Eugene Smith in 2022 — the third time since 2018 Alabama had been unable to conduct executions due to problems with IV lines.

Carruthers, 57, was sentenced to death after being found guilty of the 1994 kidnappings and murders of Marcellos Anderson; his mother, Delois Anderson; and Frederick Tucker. He was forced to represent himself at trial after repeatedly complaining about court-appointed attorneys and threatening to harm several of them.

There was no physical evidence tying Carruthers to the killings, and he was convicted primarily on the basis of testimony from people who claimed to have heard him confess to or discuss the crimes.

They include a man who was later revealed to be a police informant and told media he was paid for his testimony. A co-defendant, James Montgomery, was originally sentenced to death along with Carruthers but was later resentenced and released from prison in 2015, according to court filings.

Authorities said Marcellos Anderson was a drug dealer, and Carruthers was trying to take over the illegal drug trade in their Memphis neighborhood. Carruthers' attorneys have said their client's “paranoia and delusions” prevented him from being able to cooperate with court-appointed counsel, but the judge viewed this behavior as willful.

The Tennessee Supreme Court said on appeal that Carruthers’ actions before the trial jury were offensive and self-destructive but the situation in which he found himself was one of his own making.

Carruthers' attorneys have tried to show that he is incompetent to be executed. They claim in court filings that Carruthers believes the government is bluffing about executing him in order to coerce him into accepting a plea deal that exists only in his mind. That way, Carruthers believes, the government can avoid paying him what he thinks are millions of dollars it owes him. He is convinced that his own attorneys are part of a conspiracy against him and refuses to even speak with them, according to court filings.

The number of executions in the U.S. surged from 25 in 2024 to 47 last year, driven by a sharp increase in Florida. That state carried out 19 executions in 2025, up from one the previous year, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. So far this year, four states have executed 13 people, and 11 other executions are scheduled including one Thursday evening in Florida.

It’s not unusual to see several executions over a short period of time. Last year, four people were executed over three days in March in Oklahoma, Florida, Louisiana and Arizona. Another five people were executed over a week in October in Arizona, Mississippi, Missouri, Florida and Indiana, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Tennessee began a new round of executions last year after a three-year pause following the discovery that the state was not properly testing lethal injection drugs for purity and potency.

An independent review later found that none of the drugs prepared for the seven inmates executed in Tennessee since 2018 had been fully tested. The state attorney general’s office also conceded in court that two of the people most responsible for overseeing Tennessee’s lethal injection drugs “ incorrectly testified ” under oath that officials were testing the chemicals as required.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday issued its seasonal outlook for the Atlantic, giving a 55% chance of a below-average season. The agency forecasts eight to 14 named storms, with three to six of them becoming strong enough to hit hurricane status and one to three of those intensifying to major hurricanes.

A normal hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven of them becoming hurricanes and three of them reaching major hurricane level, which is more than 110 mph (177 kph).

Eighteen other groups, private and academic, have also forecasted what they think the season will be like and most of them also call for a below average summer and fall. Those other forecasts average a dozen named storms, only five becoming hurricanes and two of those being major ones. Those forecasts also call for the Accumulated Cyclone Energy index, which takes into account strength and duration of storms, to be 80% of normal.

Colorado State University, which pioneered the science of hurricane seasonal forecasting in 1984, is predicting the lowest overall activity since 2015, which was the strongest El Nino in the last 75 years. And that forecast is likely to be revised to even lower numbers in June, said Colorado State's hurricane expert Phil Klotzbach.

This is after nine of the last 10 Atlantic hurricane seasons have been above normal or even hyperactive, Klotzbach said. Last year started slow, but then had a burst, producing a near-record total of three Category 5 hurricanes, including Melissa which devastated Jamaica and Cuba, said Suzana Camargo, a climate scientist and tropical weather expert at Columbia University.

Inflation-adjusted damage across the globe from tropical cyclones has increased from an average of $11.4 billion a year in the 1980s to $109.7 billion a year over the past 10 years, with three-quarters of the damage done in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean, according to insurance giant Munich Re.

Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones are the same weather event, with the different names being used in different parts of the world.

“We should expect a less active year than certainly what we’ve seen recently, and perhaps significantly so below average,” said University at Albany atmospheric scientist Kristen Corbosiero. “But again, it only takes one to cause real devastation and destruction in the mainland U.S. or even in Hawaii.”

El Nino decapitates Atlantic storms

It's mostly because of “the elephant in the room” which is an El Nino, Camargo said.

An El Nino is the natural and cyclic warming of parts of the central Pacific that warps weather patterns around the globe, especially during winter. Scientists for decades have found a correlation between an El Nino and below average Atlantic hurricane activity and stronger and more storms in the central and eastern Pacific. This year many forecasts are calling for a strong, super-strong or even record setting intense El Nino. During a La Nina, the cool flip side of El Nino, the Atlantic is generally busier with stronger storms.

There's a 98% chance that there will be an El Nino this summer and an 80% chance it will be moderate or strong, NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs said Thursday.

Atlantic hurricane seasons when an El Nino reaches strong or very strong status have two-thirds the named storms and half the hurricanes of the 1991-2020 average, according to an Associated Press analysis of storm and El Nino statistics.

El Ninos fight Atlantic storm formation in several ways, especially with cross winds about 1 mile to 7 miles (1.5 to 11 kilometers) above the surface “which can basically blow apart the thunderstorms that make up” a hurricane, Corbosiero said.

“A stronger than normal wind shear tends to tilt storms as they try to develop,” said University at Albany atmospheric scientist Brian Tang. “It pushes dry air into storms. And prevents storms from developing in the first place. And if they do develop, it also prevents them from intensifying.”

El Nino reduces the number and intensity of weaker storms, but once a storm hits hurricane status with 74 mph winds, “they can be kind of like a self-feeding entity” and are less prone to being dampened by El Nino's wind shear, said Matthew Rosencrans, lead hurricane season forecaster with NOAA’s National Weather Service.

Forecasts for peak hurricane season show strong wind shear from the west in the main development region for the largest and long-lasting hurricanes that come off of Africa and develop as they head west over the Atlantic, Klotzbach said. Fewer of these type storms happen during El Ninos.

In the 15 strongest El Nino years since 1950, 37 named storms, 11 hurricanes and three major hurricanes made landfall on the continental United States, but in the 15 coldest La Nina years 61 named storms, 31 hurricanes and 10 major hurricanes hit America's Gulf and Atlantic coasts, according to Klotzbach. He said El Nino shrinks the number of hits on the Atlantic coast, but has less of an influence on the number of Gulf coast landfalls.

In addition to El Nino, dry conditions in Africa and water in the Atlantic being only slightly warmer than normal contribute to the forecast of a weaker season, Rosencrans said.

Opposite effect in the Pacific

El Ninos and La Ninas have the opposite effect on storms in the central and eastern Pacific as they do in the Atlantic, so experts are expecting a busier season in those regions. Jacobs said there's a 70% chance that the eastern Pacific will have an above normal season.

NOAA forecasts 15 to 22 named storms in the Pacific with nine to 14 becoming hurricanes and five to nine of those being major hurricanes. Average is 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes. Rosencrans said the main area of central Pacific storm development shifts closer to Hawaii during El Ninos.

Eastern Pacific storms near Baja Mexico tend to “go west, affect the fishies and little else,” Corbosiero said. But at times they can turn east or north and cause massive damage as in Hurricane Otis in 2023 that smashed into Mexico, or 1992's Hurricane Lester, which caused heavy rains in the U.S. Southwest, she said.

Hawaii is a small island chain in a big ocean that can be threatened. In 1992, an El Nino year when there were few Atlantic storms (though Miami was devastated by Hurricane Andrew ), Hawaii was hit by Hurricane Iniki.

Further west toward Asia and India, “your odds of any storm forming becoming a super typhoon go up significantly in El Nino,” Klotzbach said.

The eastern Pacific hurricane season started May 15 and the Atlantic season begins June 1 and both end November 30.

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Trump said he was postponing the signing because he did not like what he saw in the order’s text. He announced the change hours before the event was scheduled to take place in the Oval Office.

“We’re leading China, we’re leading everybody, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that lead,” Trump told reporters at an unrelated Oval Office event.

The push for some kind of government action to vet the most powerful AI systems follows growing concern within the banking industry and other institutions about the leaps in AI’s abilities to find cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the world’s software.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and outgoing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell convened an urgent meeting with Wall Street CEOs in April, warning them about the cybersecurity risks posed by Anthropic’s AI model, Claude Mythos.

The meeting, urgently assembled at the Treasury Department's headquarters, was intended to ensure that banks were aware of the risks associated with the models, Bessent said at CNBC’s “Invest in America Forum” in Washington in April. “This new Anthropic model is very powerful,” he said. “Some banks are doing a better job in cybersecurity than others, and we want to have the ability to convene them and talk about what is best practices and where they should be heading."

That led some allies of the Republican president to propose better methods for getting those AI tools in the hands of trusted cybersecurity experts.

But an approach that could be perceived as government screening of commercial AI models would have signaled a significant shift in Trump’s pledges coming into his second White House term to undo the AI safety regulations set by Democratic President Joe Biden.

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O'Brien reported from Providence, R.I. Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein contributed to this report.

The court's action leaves in place lower court rulings in favor of Joseph Clifton Smith, 55, who has been on death row roughly half his life after his conviction for beating a man to death in 1997.

The Supreme Court prohibited execution of intellectually disabled people in a landmark ruling in 2002. The justices, in cases in 2014 and 2017, held that states should consider other evidence of disability in borderline cases because of the margin of error in IQ tests.

The issue in Smith’s case is what happens when a person has multiple IQ scores that are slightly above 70, which has been widely accepted as a marker of intellectual disability. Smith’s five IQ tests produced scores ranging from 72 to 78. Smith had been placed in learning-disabled classes and dropped out of school after seventh grade, his lawyers said. At the time of the crime, he performed math at a kindergarten level, spelled at a third-grade level and read at a fourth-grade level.

The justices had taken up the case to consider how courts should handle such borderline cases of intellectual disability. Arguments took place in December.

Rather than issue a decision, though, the high court dismissed the appeal, an unusuaI action that leaves the last lower-court ruling in place.

The three liberal justices along with Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett formed the majority to dismiss the case.

The other four conservative justices dissented, faulting the federal appeals court in Atlanta for improperly analyzing the case and complaining that their colleagues should have ordered the appeals court to reexamine Smith's case.

The case is Hamm v. Smith, 24-872.

Denied entry into the military as a teenager because of his extreme views, the 50-year-old Ben-Gvir nevertheless rose to become one of the most powerful people in the country after operating for decades within its far-right fringes.

His tactics drew a backlash this week, as foreign leaders — and even coalition partner Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — condemned his on-camera treatment of some 430 detainees from the Global Sumud Flotilla.

In one clip, Ben-Gvir is seen waving a large Israeli flag over hunched-over detainees whose hands appear to be bound. In another, he taunts a kneeling detainee whose wrists are zip-tied, yelling “Am Yisrael Chai” at him — Hebrew for “The nation of Israel lives.” In another, the detainees can be seen — foreheads to the floor of an outdoor pen — as the Israeli national anthem plays and armed guards encircle them.

Here is a closer look at Ben-Gvir:

An outlaw youth

Ben-Gvir has been convicted eight times for offenses that include racism and supporting a terrorist organization.

The army banned him from compulsory military service when he was a teen, deeming his views too extreme.

Ben-Gvir gained notoriety in his youth as a follower of the late radical rabbi Meir Kahane. He first became a national figure when he broke a hood ornament off then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s car in 1995.

“We got to his car, and we’ll get to him too,” he said, just weeks before Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist opposed to his peace efforts with the Palestinians.

Two years later, Ben-Gvir took responsibility for orchestrating a campaign of protests, including death threats, that forced Irish singer Sinead O’Connor to cancel a concert for peace in Jerusalem.

Moving to the mainstream

The political rise of Ben-Gvir was the culmination of years of efforts by the media-savvy lawmaker to gain legitimacy. But it also reflected a rightward shift in the Israeli electorate that brought his religious, ultranationalist ideology into the mainstream and diminished hopes for Palestinian independence.

Ben-Gvir is trained as a lawyer and gained recognition as a successful defense attorney for extremist Jews accused of violence against Palestinians.

With a quick wit and cheerful demeanor, Ben-Gvir also became a popular fixture in the media, paving his way to enter politics. He was first elected to parliament in 2021.

Ben-Gvir has called for deporting his political opponents. In an episode in 2022, he brandished a pistol and encouraged police to open fire on Palestinian stone-throwers in a tense Jerusalem neighborhood.

In his Cabinet post, Ben-Gvir oversaw the country’s police force. He used his influence to encourage Netanyahu to press ahead with the war in Gaza and recently boasted that he had blocked past efforts to reach a ceasefire.

As national security minister, he has encouraged police to take a tough line against anti-government protesters.

Controversial minister

Ben-Gvir, who lives in the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba in the West Bank, secured his Cabinet post after 2022 elections that put Netanyahu and his far-right partners, including Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party, into power.

“Over the last year I’ve been on a mission to save Israel,” Ben-Gvir told reporters before that election. “Millions of citizens are waiting for a real right-wing government. The time has come to give them one.”

Ben-Gvir has been a magnet of controversy throughout his tenure — encouraging the mass distribution of handguns to Jewish citizens, backing Netanyahu’s contentious attempt to overhaul the country’s legal system and frequently lashing out at U.S. leaders for perceived slights against Israel.

He oversees the nation's police force, prison service and border police units that operate in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

During the war in Gaza, which began after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack, Ben-Gvir repeatedly advocated against the entry of humanitarian aid into the territory, even as experts warned of brewing famine.

In July 2025, he was one of two Israeli ministers sanctioned by Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway for allegedly “inciting extremist violence” against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. T he Netherlands has banned Ben-Gvir from entering the country.

He recently celebrated in Israel's parliament after the body approved the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, a bill he spearheaded.

Resignation and return to Netanyahu's cabinet

Ben-Gvir temporarily resigned from Netanyahu's Cabinet last year to express his disapproval of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

That ceasefire ran from Jan. 19 to March 1. Ben-Gvir's resignation did not stop the ceasefire, but it did weaken Netanyahu’s governing coalition.

Ben-Gvir rejoined the Cabinet when Israel ended the ceasefire and returned to active combat in Gaza in March 2025. He remained in Netanyahu's Cabinet through the current Gaza ceasefire.

His family posted the news on social media and said he is currently undergoing treatment.

“We ask for understanding and privacy as our family navigates this situation,” the statement continued.

Busch ranks 24th in the Cup Series standings, with two top-10 finishes in 12 races this season. The 41-year-old driver and Las Vegas native won championships in 2015 and 2019. Busch is in his fourth season at Richard Childress Racing after winning titles with Joe Gibbs Racing.

His last win came in 2023, his first with RCR.

One of NASCAR's most polarizing personalities, Busch has won 234 races across the sport's three national series, more than any driver in history.

He has won 63 Cup Series races, including the 2018 Coca-Cola 600.

This will be the first time in more than a decade that Busch has missed a Cup Series race.

In 2015, he missed the first 11 races of the season while recovering from a compound leg fracture and broken foot following a crash during the Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway.

Austin Hill will replace Busch in the Coca-Cola 600.

“Kyle Busch’s health is our utmost priority and he and his family have the full resources of RCR behind them,” RCR said in a statement. “Kyle is an integral part of our organization and we wish him a safe and speedy recovery. His No. 8 Chevrolet will be ready and waiting for him. We’re thankful to Austin Hill for stepping in to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet this weekend. Please keep Kyle and the Busch family in your prayers, and help us respect the family’s privacy at this time.”

Busch has struggled to find consistency since leaving for RCR.

His lack of success led to a spat with former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, who appeared to criticize Busch on the Actions Detrimental podcast. Hamlin said, “If you’re expecting Kyle Busch to just go back to Victory Lane on a regular basis, you are kidding yourselves.”

While Hamlin later said he meant no harm by the comments and was just making an observation, Busch took exception and said he could make Hamlin’s life “hell” on the racetrack.

While several laps down at last month’s race at Kansas, Busch raced Hamlin hard instead of allowing the race leader to pass. That decision held up Hamlin during a crucial stage of the race.

Tyler Reddick wound up winning the race after Hamlin faded late, finishing fourth despite a race-leading 131 laps.

After winning the Trucks race at Dover last week and showing an uptick in speed, Busch seemed to make a veiled jab at Hamlin, saying “I guess I just remembered how to drive.”

The two appear to have made amends since with Hamlin saying Busch is on the “Mount Rushmore” of racing.

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

Judge Peyton Peebles called off the trial, saying it’s not reasonable to believe it will happen on time, which had been scheduled for later this month. A new trial date has not been set.

RELATED: ‘We can still do more’: Harris Co. leader wants to improve ankle monitoring after murder defendants cut them off

Prosecutors told the judge they are still working with the U.S. Department of Justice to complete a formal extradition request. That request has not yet been submitted to the Italian government.

The deadline to submit the packet is 45 days from May 8, prosecutor Janna Oswald said, which would be around the fourth week of June. She said they have no understanding of the timeline after that.

The DOJ has not responded to multiple requests for comment about the Trump administration’s involvement in the Gilley case.

The White House referred any requests to the DOJ ten days ago, and the State Department declined to comment.

Gilley, 39, is scheduled for another hearing May 26 in Turin, Italy, related to his asylum case, according to U.S.

The capital murder trial for Lee Gilley has been indefinitely delayed after he cut off his ankle monitor & fled to Italy. Prosecutors revealed they're still working with @TheJusticeDept to complete extradition paperwork, which hasn't yet been submitted to the Italian government. pic.twitter.com/jHu9yDb17K

— KPRC 2 Bryce Newberry (@KPRC2Bryce) May 21, 2026

defense attorney Dick DeGuerin. He was set to stand trial in the October 2024 alleged strangulation death of his pregnant wife, Christa Bauer.

DeGuerin said he has had trouble communicating with Gilley. The attorney added that communication with Gilley’s Italian lawyer has been “rather cryptic.”

Last week, KPRC 2 News reported on two motions to withdraw from the case being filed under seal, indicating at least two of Gilley’s three defense attorneys asked the judge to stop representing him.

READ MORE: Sealed records signal possible shakeup for accused killer Lee Gilley’s defense team as extradition decision looms

In court Thursday morning, defense attorney Bill Stradley said he and co-counsel Ed McClees filed the motions under seal for “obvious reasons.”

However, Judge Peebles didn’t rule on their requests — at least at this point — saying that he would deal with them as the situation unfolds.

It wasn’t clear prior to Thursday who exactly was asking to stop representing Gilley, but “the mystery’s over for that,” DeGuerin said.

KPRC 2 is still working to confirm the reasons Stradley and McClees cited in the motions to withdraw.

Updates will be provided as extradition efforts and court proceedings continue.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are expected to abandon a proposal for $1 billion in security money for the White House complex and Trump’s ballroom on Thursday. And Trump's plan to build a triumphal arch in Washington is getting a second look from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a federal agency that suggested changes before it approved the concept last month.

The Latest:

Trump, facing a Senate Republican mutiny, says, ‘I don’t need money for the ballroom’

Trump, facing a Senate Republican mutiny, says ‘I don’t need money for the ballroom’

Asked about Senate Republicans dropping a proposed $1 billion for White House security and his ballroom project, Trump said, “I’m making a gift of the ballroom.”

Trump says the ballroom will be paid for by himself and donors – though much about its financing remains mysterious.

Trump drew distinctions between the ballroom and proposed White House security improvements. He said the ballroom was being built “in conjunction” with the military and the Secret Service and that “a tremendous amount” of the project “is for national security.”

The president also said that the changes were “not for me because I’ll be gone,” even though he’s repeatedly mused about remaining in office after his term.

Trump says he hopes to finish his revamp of the Reflecting Pool by Independence Day

Trump says he hopes to finish his revamp of the Reflecting Pool by Independence Day

“The key is to have it done before July 4,” the president said. “We want to see if we can have it done before July 4.”

The president has spent weeks promising to improve the Reflecting Pool between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. He says the project has been delayed by rain and other factors, but when completed, “It will be something special.”

In the meantime, a Washington-based nonprofit has sued, attempting to force the Trump administration to stop work on the Reflecting Pool and restore historic elements.

Trump returns to more definitive tone on controlling Iran’s uranium

Last week, Trump suggested that he might be OK with some 970 pounds of highly enriched uranium believed to be buried beneath Iranian nuclear facilities that were targeted by U.S. military strikes last year remaining entombed under those sites.

But speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump reverted to a more definitive tone about the U.S. taking control of the uranium as part of any potential peace agreement with Iran.

“We will get it. We don’t need it. We don’t want it,” Trump said. “We’ll probably destroy it after we get it, but we’re not going to let them have it.”

Last week, Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity he’d “just feel better if I got” the uranium, but that “it’s more for public relations than it is for anything else.”

Trump says he didn’t like the AI executive order he was supposed to sign

President Donald Trump called off a Thursday signing ceremony for a new order on artificial intelligence because he worried it could dull America’s edge on AI technology.

Trump said he was postponing the signing because he didn’t like what he saw in the order’s text. He announced the change hours before the event was scheduled to take place in the Oval Office.

“We’re leading China, we’re leading everybody, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that lead,” Trump told reporters at an unrelated Oval Office event.

Trump suggests U.S. presidents have mulled intervening in Cuba for decades but ‘it looks like I’ll be the one that does it’

“Other presidents have looked at this for 50, 60 years, doing something,” Trump told reporters during an unrelated environmental event in the Oval Office, when asked Thursday about Cuba. “And, it looks like I’ll be the one that does it. So, I would be happy to do it.”

He added that the U.S. wants to open Cuba “up to Cuban Americans, where they can go back and help.”

Trump didn’t answer questions about the aircraft carrier Nimitz having reportedly entered the southern Caribbean on Wednesday. Nor did he clarify exactly what he meant.

Still, the president’s comments deviated from Wednesday, when the president was asked about a possible U.S. escalation in Cuba and suggested one wasn’t coming.

He called Cuba a failed country and said, “They don’t have electricity. They don’t have money. They don’t have really anything,” before adding, “We’re going to help them along.”

Trump falsely accuses Maryland of election fraud

Trump claimed that Maryland “got caught with 500,000 mail-in ballots that were corrupt,” an allegation he has repeated multiple times in recent days.

That’s not true. The Maryland State Board of Elections said some voters received a primary ballot for the wrong party ahead of the state’s 2026 gubernatorial primary due to a vendor error.

Voters who may have been affected will receive a replacement ballot and any original ballots already sent to election offices will be voided. Voters have been instructed to destroy their original ballots if they have not yet returned them. Safeguards such as unique identifiers on ballot envelopes ensure that each voter can only vote once.

Mark Lindeman, policy and strategy director at Verified Voting, a nonpartisan group focused on election technology, said the error isn’t expected to have much impact given how quickly it was discovered.

Trump begins Oval Office event as he loosens federal rules on grocery store cooling equipment

The president gathered leaders of grocery store chains and retail companies as he moved to loosen a federal rule requiring grocery stores and air-conditioning companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cooling equipment.

Trump said terminating regulations from former President Joe Biden’s administration will “lower costs for consumers, protect hundreds of thousands of jobs, and save Americans well over $2 billion a year.”

Rubio says Trump’s preference is a diplomatic solution with Cuba, but US must preserve its interests

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the Trump administration is keen to find a diplomatic solution to its differences with the Cuban government, but is not particularly optimistic that one can be achieved.

His comments leave open the option of military action against Cuba, particularly after the indictment this week of former President Raúl Castro on terrorism charges.

“The president’s preference is always a negotiated agreement that’s peaceful,” Rubio told reporters before leaving Miami for a trip to Sweden and India. “That’s always our preference. That remains our preference with Cuba. I’m just being honest with you. You know, the likelihood of that happening, given who we’re dealing with right now, is not high.”

He added that “our preference in Cuba and anywhere in the world is a negotiated diplomatic settlement.”

US Commission of Fine Arts approves Trump’s Washington arch design

The commissioners, all appointed by Trump, approved the triumphal arch design despite overwhelming opposition from the public.

It is one of several projects Trump is pursuing, along with a huge new White House ballroom, to leave his imprint on Washington. The arch itself would stand 250 feet tall (76 meters) from its base to a torch held aloft by a Lady Liberty-like figure on top, flanked by two eagles, all gilded. A proposal for gilded lions to guard the base was dropped.

The vast majority of people submitting public comment complained about the design. The arch would dwarf the nearby Lincoln Memorial.

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UN council is urged ‘to use every means at its disposal’ to press Hamas to disarm

Nickolay Mladenov, who is overseeing the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, warned the Security Council Thursday that every act of violence there risks “unraveling” the ceasefire. He said Hamas must accept the roadmap to peace and Israel must uphold its obligations.

The high representative for the Board of Peace said the choice before Hamas and Israel is “a deteriorating status quo” or a new beginning for two million Palestinians, now waiting “in desperate conditions.”

“There is no third option,” Mladenov stressed. “There never was, and the people of Gaza should not be made to wait while some pretend there is.”

He went through the 15 points in the roadmap, stressing that the board is not a substitute for Palestinian governance of Gaza.

Rubio says despite ‘good signs’ in Iran talks, ‘other options’ remain on the table

Being careful not to sound overtly optimistic, Rubio told reporters Thursday that while Pakistan and other regional allies are hard at work to bring a diplomatic resolution on Iran, with some officials traveling to Tehran today, Washington remains ready with alternative plans.

“The president’s preference is to do a good deal. That’s his preference. It’s always been his preference. If we can get a good deal done, that would be great,” he said. “But if we can’t get a good deal, the president’s been clear he has other options.”

Rubio says Iran’s plan to toll Strait of Hormuz would make deal ‘unfeasible’

Talking to reporters on the tarmac in Florida, Rubio once again blasted Tehran’s effort to financially benefit from its chokehold on the critical waterway.

“No one in the world is in favor of a tolling system. It can’t happen. It would be unacceptable,” he said. “It would make a diplomatic deal unfeasible if they were to continue to pursue that.”

But the secretary of state added that there were “good signs” in the ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran despite weeks of back-and-forth on a sustainable end to the war between the longtime adversaries.

“I don’t want to get ahead of it ... I think we’ve made some progress,” Rubio said. “But obviously we’re dealing with a system that itself is a little fractured.”

GOP senators huddling with Blanche on Trump ‘anti-weaponization’ fund

Republican senators have some questions for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as they finalize the text of a $70 billion bill to restore funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. The Trump administration wants it to include a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund as part of a settlement that also absolves Trump and his family from any potential tax law violations.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said before their meeting with Blanche began Thursday that his fellow Republicans want to make sure the fund is “fenced in appropriately.”

Democrats have an opening because Republicans are trying to pass the bill through a complicated budget process that requires a long series of amendment votes. Among other things, Democrats want to ban any payments to Trump supporters who harmed law enforcement officers in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

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Rubio says Cuba has ‘always’ been a national security threat

The U.S. secretary of state says Cuba has “always” been a national security threat to the United States.

“Cuba hosts a Russia and Chinese intelligence presence in their country,” Marco Rubio told reporters before leaving Miami for a trip to a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Sweden and then India.

Rubio would not discuss how the U.S. might move to implement the indictment against Castro, which has led many to believe that military action against the island is potentially imminent, after similar charges against former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro were invoked to justify his ouster in a military operation in January.

Facing intense internal pressure, DNC releases post-election autopsy

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin released a critical study of the party’s performance in the 2024 campaign on Thursday after frustrated party operatives publicly demanded the release of the post-election autopsy.

The 192-page report was concluded last December and authored by Democratic consultant Paul Rivera. It calls for “a renewed focus on the voters of Middle America and the South.”

“Millions of Americans are suffering from poor access to healthcare, manufacturing and job losses, and a failing infrastructure, yet continue to be persuaded to vote against their best interests because they do not see themselves reflected in the America of the Democratic Party,” the report says.

Martin is confronting a crisis of confidence among party officials amid increasing concerns about the health of their political machine. “Why not say this in 2024, or bring in more people to finish it, instead of turning this into the dumbest media cycle for 7-8 months?” Democratic strategist Steve Schale wrote in response.

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Democrats rally at Capitol against GOP funding bill

House and Senate Democrats gathered on the Capitol steps in opposition to Republicans’ funding bill for immigration enforcement.

Democrats are trying to draw a sharp contrast with the upcoming votes by highlighting how the White House has proposed including $1 billion for security for the White House complex and President Donald Trump’s ballroom. Republicans are abandoning that proposal, but Democrats said Congress should be focused instead on making life affordable for everyday Americans.

“Ballroom Republicans are not working for you, they are busy fighting for Trump,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. “The American people are watching and in November, they will be watching.”

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, for his part, said “immigration enforcement in this country should be fair. It should be just, and it should be humane.”

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Cuban government points to US airstrikes on boats in Latin American waters

Cuba is accusing the Trump administration of hypocrisy for indicting former President Raul Castro in the downing of civilian planes near its coast 30 years ago, noting that the U.S. president is responsible for many more killings of civilians in international waters this year.

“It is highly cynical that this accusation is made by the same government that has murdered nearly 200 people and destroyed 57 vessels in international waters of the Caribbean and the Pacific, far from the territory of the United States,” the Cuban government response said, adding that the killings “qualify as extrajudicial executions, in accordance with International Law, and murders, according to US laws.”

Trump has justified the attacks as necessary to stem the flow of drugs, while offering little evidence that “narcoterrorists” are in the boats.

The Pentagon inspector general announced a review of whether the attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats followed an established targeting framework, but said it would not probe the legality of the strikes, which have drawn intense scrutiny.

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Trump will ease refrigerant rule in effort to address surging grocery costs

The Trump administration is set to loosen a federal rule that requires grocery stores and air-conditioning companies to reduce greenhouse gases used in cooling equipment. The head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, said American families will see lower grocery prices as a result. Trump is scheduled to be joined by executives from Kroger, Piggly Wiggly and other grocery chains for Thursday’s announcement.

Just how much or how quickly loosening the refrigerant rule might ease grocery prices is unclear. The 2020 law reflected a broad bipartisan consensus on the need to quickly phase out domestic use of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, that are thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide and are considered a major driver of global warming.

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Timeline of relations between the US and Cuba

Trump has been escalating talk about regime change in Cuba ever since he sent the U.S. military to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January. Now a federal indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro is raising questions about whether Trump might try something similar in Havana.

Here’s a timeline of U.S. relations with the communist-run island, including repeated meetings with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the grandson of Castro known as “Raúlito.”

China opposes US sanctions and pressure on Cuba

“China always firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law and have no authorization from the United Nations Security Council and the abuse of judicial measures, and we also oppose external forces exerting pressure on Cuba under any pretext,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiankun said Thursday.

The U.S. should “stop wielding the stick of sanctions and judicial measures” against the country, Guo added. “China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity and opposes external interference.”

Trump’s proposed Washington arch gets another review

Trump’s plan to build a triumphal arch in Washington is getting a second look from a federal agency that suggested changes before it approved the concept last month.

The proposed 250-foot (76 meter) arch is one of several projects the Republican president is pursuing alongside a White House ballroom to leave his imprint on Washington. Critics of the project, including an overwhelming number of people who submitted public comment in April, said the arch would be taller than any other monument in the capital city and dominate the skyline.

He has said some of his other projects, such as adding a blue coating to the interior of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, will beautify the city in time for July 4 celebrations of America’s 250th birthday.

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump, approved the concept for the arch at its monthly meeting in April. Commissioners are set to consider and possibly vote on updated plans when they meet again on Thursday.

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Young Republicans wrestle with their disappointment in Trump and their party

The more than a dozen young Republicans who gathered with beers and brightly colored cocktails at a bar called dEcORa in Kentucky this week were picking apart the presidential administration they welcomed with high hopes last year.

By now, their enthusiasm for Trump had curdled into frustration. What poured out at the bar was a sense that the Republican establishment — which they initially applauded Trump for disrupting, but which some now see him sustaining — had forsaken them.

That festering feeling has widened a generational gap between younger and older conservatives as the party slowly begins to consider a future without Trump in charge.

The Republican primary defeat of Rep. Thomas Massie — who had earned a younger and anti-establishment following while feuding with Trump — cost them one of their strongest allies in Congress.

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Trump, at a White House ceremony, said the action by the Environmental Protection Agency would “substantially lower costs for consumers” by delaying costly restrictions that limit the type of refrigerants U.S. businesses and families can use.

The move to relax the Biden-era rules on harmful pollutants known as HFCs emitted by refrigerators and other appliances was the latest attempt by the Trump administration to try to address rising voter concerns over the cost of living ahead of pivotal elections in November.

It is not clear how much or how quickly the loosening of the refrigerant rule might impact grocery prices. Industry groups said the move could even raise prices because manufacturers have already redesigned products, retooled factories and trained workers to build and service next-generation refrigerant equipment.

Inflation in the United States increased to 3.8% annually in April, amid price spikes caused by the Iran war and President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Inflation is now outpacing wage gains as the war has kept oil and gasoline prices high.

The Biden-era regulation was “unnecessary and costly and actually makes the machinery worse,” Trump said at a ceremony joined by top executives from Kroger, Piggly Wiggly and other grocery chains. The EPA action will protect hundreds of thousands of jobs and save Americans more than $2 billion a year, he said.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute, which represents more than 330 HVAC manufacturers and commercial refrigeration companies, said the change in approach would “inject uncertainty across the market” and could even raise prices.

“This rule works against basic supply and demand,” said Stephen Yurek, the group’s president and CEO. “By extending the compliance deadline” for phasing out hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, the administration “is maintaining and even increasing demand in the market for existing refrigerants while supply continues to fall.”

Manufacturers have already retooled product lines and certified models based on the existing timeline, Yurek said. Nearly 90% of residential and light commercial air conditioning systems use substitute refrigerants, rather than HFCs, he said.

Trump once supported limits on refrigerant pollutant

The administration's action on refrigerants represents a reversal after Trump signed a law in his first term that aimed to reduce harmful, planet-warming pollutants emitted by refrigerators and air conditioners. That bipartisan measure brought environmentalists and major business groups into rare alignment on the contentious issue of climate change and won praise across the political spectrum.

The 2020 law reflected a broad bipartisan consensus on the need to quickly phase out domestic use of HFCs, greenhouse gases that are thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide and are considered a major driver of global warming.

The EPA action highlights the second Trump administration’s drive to roll back regulations perceived as climate friendly. The plan is among a series of sweeping environmental changes that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has said will put a “dagger through the heart of climate change religion.”

Environmentalists criticized the administration’s actions, saying the new rule would exacerbate climate pollution while disrupting a yearslong industry transition to new coolants as an alternative to HFCs.

The law pushed industry toward less harmful alternatives

The 2020 law signed by Trump, known as the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, phased out HFCs as part of an international agreement on ozone pollution. The law accelerated an industry shift to alternative refrigerants that use less harmful chemicals and are widely available.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Chemistry Council, the top lobbying group for the chemical industry, were among numerous business groups that supported the law and an international deal on pollutants, known as the Kigali Amendment, as victories for jobs and the environment. U.S. companies such as Chemours and Honeywell developed and produce the alternative refrigerants sold in the United States and around the world.

The 2023 rule now being relaxed imposed steep restrictions on HFCs starting in 2026. Zeldin said the rule from the Democratic Biden administration did not give companies enough time to comply and that the rapid switch to other refrigerants caused shortages and price increases last year. Some in the industry dispute this.

The Food Industry Association, which represents grocery stores and suppliers, applauded the Trump EPA proposal last year, saying the earlier rule “imposed significant and unrealistic compliance timelines.”

According to court records, investigators identified the suspect as 44-year-old Keith Washington, the estranged husband of the victim.

Washington’s wife was shot and killed last month at a home in the 14100 block of Cypress Falls Drive.

Deputies with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded around 10 p.m. on April 10 to reports of a weapons disturbance at the home.

Investigators said Washington allegedly forced his way inside the residence and opened fire before fleeing the scene.

HCSO sources previously said two children, ages 6 and 18, were inside the home during the shooting but were not physically injured.

OUR FIRST REPORT: Man in custody after fatal shooting of woman in northwest Harris County

New court documents state the victim’s son witnessed part of the attack.

Investigators said the child saw Washington inside the home chasing his wife into a bedroom before hearing gunshots and screaming. The son then reportedly saw Washington flee the residence immediately afterward.

Records also reveal the victim was on a live video call during the attack.

According to investigators, a witness on the call heard the victim yell, “Keith! Keith! I am sorry! We have kids together!” moments before the call abruptly disconnected.

Investigators reportedly found signs of forced entry, including a broken window. A black hat was also found lodged in the window blinds, which detectives believe may have been worn by the suspect during the break-in.

Court filings further state that Washington’s gray 2022 Chevrolet Silverado was captured near the scene by Flock license plate reader cameras around the time of the shooting.

Authorities later tracked the vehicle using OnStar GPS technology and located Washington still inside the truck, according to the documents.

Investigators said a revolver was found inside the vehicle at the time of his arrest. Officials confirmed the weapon was within reach of the driver’s seat when it was discovered.

Detectives obtained warrants for a wide range of records and data connected to Washington’s cell phone and are using the records to reconstruct his movements and communications before, during, and after the killing.

Court documents additionally reference a documented history of domestic violence between the couple and an ongoing divorce.

Investigators stated Washington was not supposed to be at the home at the time of the shooting.

If you feel like you might be in danger of domestic violence, help is available. You can call the Houston Area Woen’s Center’s domestic violence hotline at 713-528-2121.

The S&P 500 fell 0.3% and is on track for a fourth drop in five days after setting its all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 83 points, or 0.2%, as of 1:01 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.4% lower.

A halt in the torrid run for stocks benefiting from the artificial-intelligence boom has slowed the U.S. market recently. Not even another better-than-expected profit report from Nvidia was enough to kick it back into gear.

The chip company reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, while also forecasting revenue for the current quarter that cleared analysts’ estimates. “The buildout of AI factories — the largest infrastructure expansion in human history — is accelerating at extraordinary speed,” CEO Jensen Huang said.

But such performances and such talk have become routine, and Nvidia's stock swiveled between losses and gains before falling 1.4%.

Some analysts said the weakness may have simply been because investors were locking in profits after Nvidia’s stock had soared nearly 70% over the prior year, more than double the S&P 500’s 27% jump. The broad AI industry is also getting criticism for becoming too expensive, as well as too circular as Nvidia has bought ownership stakes in companies that use its own chips that drive Nvidia’s revenue.

Pressure built on Wall Street, meanwhile, as the price for a barrel of Brent crude oil climbed 1.7% to $106.81 and trimmed its loss for the week. Oil prices have been swinging up and down with uncertainty about how long the war with Iran will keep the Strait of Hormuz shut, which is preventing oil tankers from exiting the Persian Gulf to deliver crude.

The higher oil prices pushed Treasury yields upward in the bond market, resuming rises following a slowdown the day before.

Climbing yields have cranked up the pressure on financial markets worldwide. They're slowing economies and weighing on prices for stocks and all kinds of other investments. Besides driving up rates for mortgages, high yields could also curtail companies’ borrowing to build the AI data centers that have been supporting the U.S. economy’s growth recently.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.61% from 4.57% late Wednesday.

It had gotten near 4.63% in the morning, after a report gave the latest signal that the U.S. job market remains in better shape than economists expected. The number of U.S. workers applying for unemployment benefits last week unexpectedly declined in an indication of fewer layoffs.

But yields eased a bit following a mixed preliminary report showing weaker-than-expected growth for business activity among U.S. services businesses and improved growth for U.S. manufacturers. Companies are feeling the effects of accelerating inflation and are seeing subdued growth in their order books, the preliminary data from an S&P Global survey said.

“The damaging economic impact from the war in the Middle East is becoming increasingly evident in the business surveys,” according to Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Inflation is worsening even beyond the high oil prices caused by the Iran war, while U.S. households are showing widespread discouragement about the economy.

Elsewhere on Wall Street, Walmart fell 7.2% following its profit report. The retailer delivered another quarter of impressive revenue but offered up weaker forecasts for upcoming profit than analysts expected.

On the winning side of Wall Street was Ralph Lauren, which jumped 12.2% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe following bigger moves in Asia.

South Korea’s Kospi Kospi soared 8.4% thanks to strength for technology stocks. Samsung Electronics jumped 8.5% after its labor union and management reached an agreement late Wednesday that averted a strike. SK Hynix, a chip company partnering with Nvidia, surged 11.2%.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 jumped 3.1%, while indexes fell 1% in Hong Kong and 2% in Shanghai.

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AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

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Smith, who played at Georgia, was arrested on the night of May 15 for driving 135 mph in a 70 mph zone, according to the Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office.

He posted bond and was released roughly an hour later.

Smith, from Savannah, Georgia, was selected by the Eagles with the 30th pick in the 2023 NFL draft. He has 25 quarterback hits, 10.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries over three seasons.

He played a crucial role in the Eagles' Super Bowl LIX run, recording five quarterback hits, four sacks and four tackles for loss during the playoffs. He famously refused to exit the Eagles' 40-22 Super Bowl victory against the Kansas City Chiefs despite sustaining a torn triceps that later required surgery.

Philadelphia begins organized team activities on Tuesday. Smith has a court date scheduled for July 15, but a sheriff’s office representative said he will not need to appear if he pays his fines.

A spokesperson for the Eagles didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Smith is the latest former or current Georgia player to be arrested for driving offenses. His Eagles teammate, Jalen Carter, was given 12 months’ probation and a $1,000 fine in 2023 after pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing related to a crash that killed Bulldogs offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy.

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

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to grant the key easement means the pipeline will keep operating but with added conditions for detecting leaks and monitoring groundwater, among others. The announcement brings an end to a drawn-out legal and regulatory saga stemming from the protests in 2016 and 2017, though further litigation over the pipeline is likely.

The $3.8 billion, multistate pipeline has been transporting oil since June 2017 from North Dakota’s Bakken oil field to a terminal in Illinois. The line carries about 4% of U.S. daily oil production, or roughly 540,000 barrels per day,

The Corps is “decisively putting years of delays to rest and moving out to safely execute this crossing beneath Lake Oahe," Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle said in a statement.

The pipeline crosses the river upstream from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s reservation, which straddles the Dakotas. The tribe has long opposed the pipeline, fearing a spill and contamination of its water supply. In 2016 and 2017, thousands of people camped and protested for months near the river crossing.

The protests resulted in hundreds of arrests and related criminal cases and lawsuits, some of them still ongoing, including litigation that threatens the future of the environmental group Greenpeace.

In December, the Corps released its final environmental impact statement nearly six years after a federal judge ordered a more rigorous review of the pipeline's crossing. In that document, the Corps endorsed the option to grant the easement for the crossing and keep the pipeline operating with modifications.

Those measures include enhanced leak detection and monitoring systems, expanded groundwater and surface water monitoring and third-party expert evaluation of the leak and detection systems, among others, the Corps said. The conditions also include water supply contingency planning and other studies coordinated with affected tribes.

The Corps had weighed several options, including removing or abandoning the pipeline's river crossing or even rerouting it north. The agency said its decision “best balances public safety, protection of environmental resources, and leak detection and response considerations while meeting the project’s purpose and need.”

Pipeline developer Energy Transfer hailed the decision, saying the pipeline has been safely operating for nearly 10 years and is critical to the country’s energy infrastructure.

“We want to thank the Corps for the tremendous amount of time and effort put in by so many to bring this matter to a thoughtful close,” said Vicki Granado, a company spokesperson.

The Associated Press sent text messages and emails to media representatives for the tribe and left a voicemail at the tribe's headquarters. They didn't immediately respond Thursday.

North Dakota Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Interior Secretary and former North Dakota governor Doug Burgum and U.S. Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer each welcomed the decision to ensure the pipeline continues operating.

The Corps' announcement came as officials and oil industry leaders were gathered for a trade conference in Bismarck.

Energy Transfer and Enbridge are in early stages of a project to move about 250,000 daily barrels of light Canadian crude oil through the Dakota Access Pipeline by using another pipeline and building a 56-mile connecting line, spokespersons for the companies said. Enbridge will decide sometime in mid-2026 whether to move ahead.

The lawsuit, filed in the federal Northern District of Texas Friday, accuses UT Dallas police officers of using excessive force while arresting students last year. The plaintiffs also accuse police, along with former university president Richard Benson, current president Prabhas Moghe and other school officials, of maliciously prosecuting the students and violating their First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment rights.

“Through this lawsuit, we, along with the five other plaintiffs, are holding UTD accountable for their relentless attempts to stifle our movement,” the Students for Justice in Palestine Dallas, which a spokesperson said is no longer associated with UTD, wrote in a statement. “We have watched these policies, laws, and tactics develop in real time as our university has collaborated with the state to target campus organizing in an attempt to wipe Palestine off campuses statewide, yet we continue to resist.”

UTD declined to comment Wednesday because of the pending legal matter.

Tensions rose between UTD students, faculty and university officials after Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, left more than a thousand Israelis dead and dozens held hostage. Israel’s retaliation led to more than two years of conflict in Gaza that killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

UTD issued a statement in support of Israel shortly after Oct. 7, which pro-Palestinian students and faculty criticized. Pro-Palestinian students also called on the UT system to divest from manufacturers like Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and others who have provided weapons to Israel.

Protests erupted across Texas and the country as students made similar demands of their universities and were arrested during demonstrations.

The suit comes two years after law enforcement arrested 21 students, faculty and others at a campus encampment calling for UTD to divest. Those included Nouran Abusaad, Casey Choi and Mousa Najjar, who are now UTD alumni and plaintiffs in Friday’s lawsuit.

More students were arrested last year and banned from campus and their own graduations for pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Among them were plaintiffs Chengyang Zhou and Belal Elseisy.

Graduation arrests

Najjar and Abusaad were released on bond but banned from campus except to attend classes and class-related activities. Najjar attended his graduation two weeks later, believing it was a class-related activity, and held up a Palestinian flag with the words “divest from death” written on it when he walked across the stage.

School officials escorted Najjar offstage. He was later arrested for allegedly violating the conditions of his bond.

Choi, who walked the stage the same day, was arrested for criminal trespass for attending his graduation, also believing it was a class-related activity, according to the suit.

Abusaad graduated with her master’s degree May 19, 2025, and also held up a “divest from death” flag. Abusaad was issued a trespass notice and was told she wasn’t allowed on the UTD campus, according to the suit.

Twelve of those indicted on misdemeanor charges for the encampment, including Abusaad, avoided trial by opting into a Collin County diversion program last year.

According to the lawsuit, Elseisy, Zhou and other students walked out of a UTD spring 2025 commencement ceremony May 16, 2025, to protest UTD’s investment in companies linked to the Gaza war during then-president Benson’s speech. The students were confronted by UTD police officers who escorted them off campus, the suit says. 

Zhou blew a bugle outside after leaving the ceremony, and the suit alleges UTD Police Lt. Eric Willadsen charged toward Zhou, yanked him by his backpack, dragged him backwards and put him in a chokehold. Zhou couldn’t breathe, the suit states.

The plaintiffs accuse Willadsen of violating the UT system’s manual on use of force, which classifies chokeholds as “lethal/deadly force” and can only be used in certain circumstances, according to the suit.

Willadsen executed an arrest warrant at Zhou’s apartment two weeks later for felony assault on a peace officer — of which Willadsen was the alleged victim — and misdemeanor disruption of a meeting, according to the suit. The warrant claimed Zhou’s bugle playing was an assault on Willadsen’s ears, causing hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office rejected that case and did not present it to a grand jury, the suit states. Zhou’s misdemeanor case is ongoing.

UTD allegedly notified Elseisy while he attended Abusaad’s graduation that he would be temporarily banned from campus for his participation in the walkout days earlier, preventing him from attending his own graduation two days later. Elseisy was arrested weeks later on a misdemeanor charge of disrupting a meeting.

Later that year, the university issued a one-year deferred suspension against Zhou and a two-year suspension from any UT system institution against Elseisy.

SJP’s suspension

UTD initiated disciplinary proceedings against the school’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine — or SJP — for its alleged involvement in the walkout at the May 16, 2025 commencement ceremony because students chanted “we are all SJP” as they left the building. The university suspended SJP earlier this year, according to the suit.

The lawsuit further alleges UTD has unfairly surveilled SJP UTD ahead of demonstrations and events.

The chapter denied that they were involved in the walkout, stating in the lawsuit that the chant and variations of it are used in university protests across the country.

“SJPUTD does not have a trademark on SJP, SJP simply stands for Students for Justice in Palestine,” the suit states. “If students want to chant about their support for Palestine, then they are exactly that–they are students who believe in justice for Palestine.”

Sarah Khalid, an organizer with SJP Dallas, did not confirm in an interview with KERA News whether any students who were part of the walkout were members of SJP.

“The only thing that facilitated the commencement walkout was UTD’s refusal to cut ties with the Israeli occupation,” Khalid said.

But the mother of three is getting more daring as gas prices and other travel costs make vacations more expensive. Her family has traded pricier trips, such as long summer stays in Florida and an annual Disney World visit around her birthday, for local beaches, bike rides and hiking trails near their home in coastal Rhode Island.

“I’ve been trying to do more of that because one, it’s quality time. Two, it’s fresh air. And three, we’re not spending an arm and a leg,” Bernaba, 47, said.

That kind of calibration is shaping the summer travel season, which gets its traditional start in the U.S. with the long Memorial Day holiday weekend. Higher fuel prices resulting from the Iran war and other inflationary pressures are making most forms of travel costlier as people in many parts of the world form their plans.

The U.S. Travel Association expects annual travel spending to grow by a modest 1% this year, powered largely by domestic leisure travel despite the FIFA World Cup giving soccer fans from other countries a reason to visit the U.S. Airfares have climbed around the world along with the price of jet fuel as the war constrains global oil supplies.

Sticking closer to home may not cushion the sticker shock. The nonprofit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy estimated Americans would collectively spend an extra $3.5 billion on gasoline over the holiday weekend. The average price for a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. was $4.56 on Thursday compared to $3.18 a year ago, according to motor club AAA.

Other travel expenses have gone up too. The latest consumer price index showed airfares were 20.7% higher in April from a year earlier, the cost of intracity transit such as buses and subways rose 5.6%, lodging cost 4.3% more, and eating out got 3.6% pricier.

Changing travel patterns

Despite elevated prices, industry forecasts suggest Americans still want to get away, even if it means replacing long trips with long weekends, choosing destinations closer to home and finding ways to cut costs by cooking meals or using buses and trains instead of driving.

AAA predicted that 45 million U.S. residents would travel at least 50 miles (80.47 kilometers) from home between Thursday and Monday for the holiday. The Transportation Security Administration said it expects to screen 18.3 million passengers from Thursday to next Wednesday.

Many households are planning summer vacations but making tradeoffs such as shorter trips or cheaper lodging, according to Bank of America analysts. Mastercard said in a recent report that consumers appeared increasingly focused on value and were adjusting their destinations and timing instead of not going away at all.

“Generally, it’s certainly more of a demand reshuffling than a demand softening,” David Tinsley, a senior economist at Bank of America Institute, said.

For the Bernaba family, that has meant trading a big vacation for a shorter trip nearby this summer. Their scaled-back itinerary still is pricey: more than $400 for a ferry to Martha’s Vineyard for their car and passengers, and about $800 a night for each of the two hotel rooms the family of five needs.

Another family that had planned to join them backed out after seeing the price tag.

“The pinch is being felt all the way around,” Bernaba said.

Analysts have increasingly described travel spending as “K-shaped,” with higher-income households continuing to spend while lower-income families pull back or opt out entirely. Bank of America said lower-income households were significantly more likely to report having no summer travel plans this year.

New polling of registered U.S. voters by Quinnipiac University found that 48% have cut back on vacation spending, 54% have reduced what they spend on dining out, and 36% have curbed their driving.

Travelers are confronting other stressors besides cost.

Airlines around the world have canceled flights and trimmed routes to save on fuel and operating costs, leaving passengers with fewer options. The conflict in the Middle East has complicated getting there and rerouted flights to and from Asia, adding another layer of concern on top of broader geopolitical tensions and the declining value of the dollar for people considering trips abroad.

Recent U.S. government shutdowns, which caused major flight disruptions and long security lines, also are likely still fresh in travelers’ minds.

The various factors impacting travel right now has made planning trips more mentally taxing and may be pushing people toward simpler and more accessible vacations that feel easier to manage, said Marta Soligo, a tourism sociologist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

“The key word here is unpredictability,” Soligo said. “Tourists don’t like unpredictability.”

Quality over quantity

Jim Wang, a personal finance blogger who lives in Maryland with his wife and four children, said his family’s original plan to travel to Spain to see a full solar eclipse in August began to unravel once they looked at the logistics.

Beyond thousands of dollars in airfare, the trip would have required multiple connecting flights, plus a car rental to reach northern Spain, where the path of totality is expected to pass.

“It’s like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I want to see the eclipse that much,’” Wang said.

Instead, Wang’s family plans to head this summer to the Lake Tahoe area straddling California and Nevada, where they can stay at a relative’s cabin for free, hike and enjoy a slower pace with limited cellphone service. His wife’s parents and sister expect to join them.

“We’re still going to travel. It’ll just be different,” Wang said. “The vacations are no longer as grand for the adults. But for our kids, it’s still exciting.”

Nancy McGehee, a Virginia Tech hospitality professor who studies consumer behavior, said travelers are increasingly focusing more on the “why than the where” when it comes to vacations.

“What we’re seeing is people are saying, ‘Alright, we can’t do that big splashy trip we wanted to do, but what else can we do?’” McGehee said. “It’s more quality over quantity that we’re seeing people go for.”

Back in Rhode Island, Bernaba has accepted that travel may look different for her family for a while.

“I think that’s probably why my mind has gone to doing more nature-y things,” she said. “Let’s learn how to use the earth to enjoy ourselves because that’s not going to cost as much money.”

The arson attack in Rwampara reflects the challenges of health workers trying to curb a rare Ebola virus by using stringent measures that might clash with local customs, such as burial rites. The disease has been spreading for weeks in a region lacking in health facilities and where armed conflict has displaced many people.

The dangerous work of burying suspected victims is being managed wherever possible by authorities because the bodies of those who die from Ebola can be highly contagious and lead to further spread when people prepare bodies for burial and gather for funerals.

That policy can be extremely unpopular with victims' families and friends, who aren't given the chance to bury their loved ones.

Fear and anger grow

The center in Rwampara was burned by local youths who became angry while trying to retrieve the body of a friend who had apparently died of Ebola, according to a witness who spoke to The Associated Press by telephone.

“The police intervened to try to calm the situation, but unfortunately they were unsuccessful,” said Alexis Burata, a local student who said he was in the area. "The young people ended up setting fire to the center. That’s the situation.”

An AP journalist saw people break into the center and set fire to objects inside and also to what appeared to be the body of at least one suspected Ebola victim that was being stored there. Aid workers fled the treatment center in vehicles.

Deputy Senior Commissioner Jean Claude Mukendi, head of the public security department, Ituri Province, said it was due to youths who didn't understand the protocols required for burying suspected Ebola victims.

“His family, friends, and other young people wanted to take his body home for a funeral even though the instructions from the authorities during this Ebola virus outbreak are clear," Mukendi said. "All bodies must be buried according to the regulations."

Hama Amadou, the field Coordinator for the humanitarian organization ALIMA, which had teams working at the center, said later that calm had been restored and the aid teams were continuing their work at the center.

The flash of anger underlined the complications faced by both Congolese authorities and an array of aid agencies trying to stem an outbreak the World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency of international concern.

The outbreak is bigger than official figures show, WHO says

There are 148 suspected deaths and nearly 600 suspected cases, according to the U.N., with two cases including one death in neighboring Uganda. But the head of the WHO has said the outbreak is almost certainly much larger and has also expressed concern over the speed of the spread.

The risk of the outbreak spreading globally is low, the WHO has said, but high regionally with the Ituri Province at the center of the outbreak bordering Uganda and South Sudan.

“The priority now is to act quickly and work closely with communities, as the coming days are critical,” said Ariel Kestens, the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies delegation in Congo.

Health workers and aid groups have said they are in dire need of more supplies and staff to respond. Also, there is no available vaccine or medicine for the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the outbreak.

An expert said this week it would be at least six to nine months before one would be available.

It has spread to a new province

The virus spread undetected for weeks following the first known death in late April as Congolese health authorities tested for a different Ebola virus more commonly responsible for outbreaks in the country.

On Thursday, the M23 rebel group that controls parts of eastern Congo reported a confirmed case near the major city of Bukavu, some 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of the outbreak’s epicenter in Ituri Pronvince. The person died, M23 said in a statement.

As well as Ituri, other cases had been confirmed in North Kivu province and two in Uganda. But the announcement by M23 was the first confirmation of a case in South Kivu.

Health officials have not yet found “patient zero,” according to the WHO.

Investigations are continuing into the source of the outbreak, but “given the scale, we are thinking that it has started probably a couple of months ago,” said Anaïs Legand, a viral hemorrhagic fevers expert at the WHO.

The outbreak has had international repercussions

India and ​the ⁠African Union said Thursday that the ⁠India-Africa ⁠Forum Summit, scheduled to be held next week in ‌New ​Delhi, had been postponed due to ⁠the “evolving health situation in parts of Africa.”

On Wednesday, Congo’s soccer team canceled a three-day World Cup preparation training camp and a planned farewell to fans in the capital Kinshasa because of the Ebola outbreak.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that any flights carrying American citizens or U.S. permanent residents who had visited Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days would be redirected to Washington Dulles International Airport from Thursday, where there would be enhanced Ebola screening.

The U.S. had already put in place restrictions banning other travelers who had been in those three countries in the previous 21 days from entering the U.S.

___

Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal and Imray from Cape Town, South Africa. Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Jean Yves Kamale in Kinshasa, Congo; and Wilson McMakin in Dakar, Senegal contributed to this report.

___

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

___

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The 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.

For the first time in a NATO and European Union capital, Lithuanians were pictured sheltering in underground car parks in Vilnius on Wednesday, as authorities warned of unidentified drone activity.

No one has died or been injured recently, but the increasing airspace incursions have prompted some Baltic ministers to chastise Ukraine for the violations. In Latvia, officials' handling of the stray drones led to a political crisis that triggered the collapse of the government earlier this month.

Ukraine has ramped up attacks on Baltic Sea ports used for Russian energy exports in an attempt to hit Moscow’s war chest as U.S. President Donald Trump’s war in Iran has driven up the price of oil, a key revenue stream for the Kremlin.

As Ukraine’s drones have snaked up north, they have skirted the borders of NATO members Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland. Some of them were not detected before they crash landed in some of the Baltic states.

Ukrainian officials apologized and said the drones were aimed at military targets inside Russia but were sent off course by Russian electronic interference.

The string of airspace violations has prompted questions about the state of air defenses on NATO’s eastern flank.

Ukraine is targeting Russian ports on the Baltic Sea

Ukraine's intensifying attacks against Russia have focused on arms factories, ports on the Baltic Sea and energy facilities as the war in Iran has boosted oil prices.

It has particularly targeted the ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk, close to the borders of Estonia and Finland. Russia uses the ports to load up ships taking its oil exports through the Baltic Sea.

During one attack in May, which set part of the port of Primorsk on fire, more than 60 Ukrainian drones were shot down, Leningrad region governor Alexander Drozdenko said.

After stray Ukrainian drones entered Latvian airspace on May 7, the country’s Defense Minister Andris Spruds resigned, leading Prime Minister Evika Silina to also quit days later because she was left without a majority in the coalition government.

On May 19, a Romanian fighter jet based in Lithuania shot down a Ukrainian drone over southern Estonia. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said it was likely aimed at targets in Russia and that he told Ukraine to send its drones “as far from NATO territory as possible.”

On Wednesday, NATO fighter jets escorted an unidentified drone which crossed into Lithuania, prompting a red alert urging citizens to take cover around the capital Vilnius, Lithuania's defense ministry said. Contact with the drone was lost and the military was searching for it, the ministry said.

Russian electronic interference sends drones off course

Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Nordic and Baltic nations have increasingly warned about electronic interference from Russia disrupting communications with planes, ships and drones.

In the Baltic region, Russia often uses jamming and spoofing to send drones off course.

Satellite communications systems — known collectively as the Global Navigation Satellite System, or GNSS — receive precise time signals from satellites around 20,000 kilometers (12,400 miles) away in space. A smartphone, car, marine or aircraft navigation system compares how long it takes to receive signals from several different satellites to calculate an exact location.

Jamming occurs when a receiver is overwhelmed by a strong radio signal transmitted in the same frequency range as GNSS and other satellite navigation signals, leaving the receiver unable to fix its location or time. Spoofing involves transmitting fake signals that imitate a real GNSS satellite signal, commonly known as GPS, to mislead a phone, ship, or aircraft into thinking it is in a different place.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said Tuesday that Russia is “deliberately” redirecting Ukrainian drones into Baltic airspace with electronic interference.

Drones have been entering Baltic airspace for many months

In September 2025, about 20 Russian drones flew into Poland, putting the spotlight on holes in NATO’s air defenses, as multimillion-dollar jets were scrambled. Those drones were not detected in advance, Estonia's defense minister said at the time.

Neither was a Ukrainian military drone, which crashed with explosives in Lithuania last week, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, chief of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre said on Sunday.

While Poland and Romania responded to the drone incursions last year by deploying new anti-drone technology — the first used by the NATO alliance aimed specifically at countering drones — that system is not in place across the entire Baltic region.

Defending against drones requires solving a complex set of technological, financial and bureaucratic problems and "there is no one solution against every type of drone,” Col. Janno Märk of the Estonian Defense Forces said.

Tackling various types of drones operating at different speeds and altitudes require a layered air defense response, Märk said during military exercises in southeastern Estonia.

Budrys, the Lithuanian foreign minister, told AP in an interview Saturday that the Baltic countries are likely going to have to continue to counter incursions from Ukrainian drones as Kyiv now has the capability to reach targets “deep in Russia” as well as ports on the Baltic Sea. The way to counter those drones, he said, is actually with Ukraine's help as the most effective anti-drone systems have been developed in the country.

Ukraine denies claims it is preparing attacks from the Baltics

The presidents of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia on Thursday issued a joint statement denying Russia’s “baseless accusations” after Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, the SVR, claimed on Tuesday that Ukraine is preparing to launch drone attacks against Russia from the territory of the Baltic countries.

The SVR claimed Ukrainian military personnel had already deployed to Latvia and warned that the country’s NATO membership wouldn’t protect it from “just retribution.” It did not provide evidence for its claims.

Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesperson, Heorhii Tykhyi, said Tuesday that none of the Baltic states or Finland have ever allowed Ukraine to use their airspace for strikes against Russia.

Writing on social platform X, Budrys called the SVR claim a “transparent act of desperation” and an attempt to sow chaos and distract from a “simple reality” — that Ukraine is hitting Russia's military machine hard.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised the alliance’s reaction to the drone incidents, saying that they had been met with “a calm, decisive and proportionate response.”

“This is exactly what we planned and prepared for,” Rutte said, blaming Russia’s war on Ukraine for the incursions.

As more social media livestreamers find that being performative with bigoted language can draw big audiences — and big bucks — the line is blurring between freedom of expression and people's right to feel safe. Even within livestreaming communities, some assert they have a right to say whatever they want to and to make money, while others support having boundaries.

Racial justice advocates worry that allowing people to profit from such videos only encourages and normalizes racist antics. As for regulation, social media can sometimes feel lawless, as it's generally left to platforms to self-regulate and hold users accountable for obscene and abusive words. But at some point, laws for offline behavior can trump online freedoms, experts say.

Dalton Eatherly, who goes by the moniker “Chud the Builder,” is facing charges including attempted murder after allegedly shooting another man last week outside the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville, a city of about 165,000 people not far from the Kentucky border. authorities said.

Eatherly, 28, and Joshua Fox initially were involved in a verbal altercation, according to a criminal complaint.

Eatherly reached for a gun inside his right jacket pocket and the two men started to fight. Fox was struck multiple times and later underwent emergency surgery at a hospital, the complaint said.

A witness described the man who was shot as Black. Eatherly is white.

In an audio stream apparently recorded by Eatherly just after the shooting and later posted online, Eatherly said he fired in self-defense. It’s unclear if he and the wounded man exchanged words beforehand.

Eatherly, who is being held on a $1.25 million preliminary bond, has a full bond hearing scheduled Thursday. His attorney, Jacob Fendley, declined to comment on the charges when reached two days after his arrest.

Freedom of speech or hate speech?

Eatherly has defended his videos on the crowdsourcing site as “mild jokes, unfiltered thoughts.” While he has sometimes defended using a racial slur as “edgy, harmless humor,” Eatherly wrote, “I know it’s controversial, but it’s my right to speak freely.”

But legal experts say not all speech is protected.

Speaking generally about Eatherly's social media posts, David Raybin, a criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor, said although Eatherly repeatedly references free speech in the posts, his actions in them may actually be crimes under Tennessee law. Because Eatherly was known to openly carry a pistol while berating people, the combination could constitute assault, he said.

“You don’t have to touch someone,” Raybin said. Assault can be charged if you “create fear of imminent harm.”

Meanwhile, merely coming at someone with “fighting words” constitutes disorderly conduct under local Nashville ordinances.

Brandon Tucker, senior director of government affairs for civil rights organization Color of Change, said “race-baiting” content creates immediate risk for Black bystanders. There’s a “power imbalance” with a livestreamer who is attracting an audience.

“The same free speech that this individual wants to advocate for doesn’t recognize the chilling of my response to know that I cannot react in any reasonable way because my face, my safety, my family’s safety is in jeopardy and being broadcast to an audience that most likely aligns with this person’s views,” Tucker said.

These streaming platforms cannot claim neutrality if they’re essentially financially rewarding users for using racist language to agitate, he said.

Even some other livestreamers say Eatherly crosses the line.

“When you get to terrorizing and doing all this hate speech, that’s when the line gets drawn, especially when nobody is bothering you,” said James Champion, a 41-year-old Los Angeles-based livestreamer and content creator who goes by the preferred online moniker SendaRoni Sloscru. “Whatever platform is allowing him to get away with that is basically race-baiting, and I just think in this day and time you got people who are going to laugh at it or people who will beat you to death about it.”

Eatherly's arrest has led to an outpouring of support, as he raised more than $100,000 in one day for his legal assistance. It is reminiscent of an incident from a year ago in which a white Minnesota woman was captured on cellphone video admitting to calling a child a racist slur. She amassed over $800,000 on the GiveSendGo crowdfunding site and also pointed to her First Amendment rights.

Platform regulation can feel like the 'Wild West'

Eatherly was streaming on Pump.fun, a platform where users create and trade cryptocurrency tokens. Token creators have used the livestream feature to gain notice in some outrageous ways, such as by performing dangerous stunts and threatening violence. In November 2024, Pump.fun paused the feature because people were violating its terms of service by uploading abusive, obscene or dishonest messages.

“It's not clear what was done to improve that situation before it was reinstated,” said Kate Ruane, director of the free expression program at the Center for Democracy and Technology. “If you're relying on users to report and none of the users that are viewing these livestreams disagree or have a problem with what they're seeing, you might not be getting the user reports that you should."

Pump.fun did not responded to a Wednesday email seeking comment.

Brandon Golob, a criminology, law and society professor at University of California, Irvine, said the number of livestreaming platforms has grown, but self-regulation can still feel like ‘the Wild West.’

The First Amendment, however, is not a blanket shield from real-world laws against harassment, hate crimes and provocation.

“The reality is that when it involves two private individuals, state law is going to govern,” Golob said. “We just want to make sure that we’re not conflating government responsibility or government censorship with private accountability.”

SendaRoni said he’s been livestreaming for a few years and has “tens of thousands” of followers across a number of social media platforms.

“I usually talk about social issues. I speak on trending events, news,” he said, adding that a number of livestreamers addressed Eatherly’s antics following the shooting in Clarksville.

“I think he tried to find people he’d get a reaction out of,” SendaRoni said. “When you do things such as that the end results are not going to be exciting. You’re acting like no one has a reason not to be disgusted and you made a mockery of yourself.”

Leading livestream platforms such as YouTube and Twitch do have an infrastructure for content moderation — and community guidelines barring hate speech and slurs. They utilize automated detection and user reports.

Both Golob and Ruane advise people to know their rights on how to handle livestreamers who are making them uncomfortable. Ruane says it's OK “to film them right back.”

“Make sure that you're sharing a different version of the story because whatever First Amendment rights they might be exercising, you have them too,” Ruane said. “Make sure that is being published at the same time and that can serve as a form of pushback in and of itself.”

___

Associated Press reporter Travis Loller contributed to this story.

Thursday, May 21

•  FIFA Fan Festival™
• Coushatta Casino Resort - New Legacy Tower
• The Parking Spot
• HCC Northeast
• Schlotzsky’s Deli launches new stacked subs in Houston - Try three bold flavors
• • Schlotzsky’s Deli

Wednesday, May 20

• Schlotzsky’s Deli launches new stacked subs in Houston - Try three bold flavors
• • Schlotzsky’s Deli
• Swap, shop, sustain: Houston’s eco-friendly clothing event returns this Sunday
• • The Houston Clothing Shop
• A Houston little boy’s toughest battle led to a monster surprise!
• • Gexa Energy
• Early detection, AI tools, personalized care redefine preventive health
• • Fountain Life Houston Clinic
• Get your backyard summer ready with pest control, pool upgrades, trampolines and whole home backup power
• • Kathryn Emery
• Need summer plans? This easy Galveston getaway has dinosaurs, beaches & lazy rivers
• • Moody Gardens

Tuesday, May 19

• In the Kitchen with Kroger: Memorial Day hosting doesn’t have to start from scratch
• • KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to win a $250 Kroger gift card!
  • Kroger
• Moody Gardens
• Houston Ballet closes 2025-2026 season with two standout productions
• • Houston Ballet
• From award-winning tv to action-packed films, Bob Odenkirk chats ‘Normal’
• • Follow Bob Odenkirk on Instagram

Monday, May 18

• Celebrate World Ocean Day in Galveston with art, music & ocean fun for free 🌊 🌊
• • Artist Boat
• A collector’s dream: U.S. Coins & Jewelry opens brand new showroom for buying and selling
• • U.S. Coins and Jewelry
• Mental Health Awareness Month: How to spot the signs when stress becomes something more
• • The Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
• Spring couple transforms builder-grade patio into beautiful backyard with Allied Outdoor Solutions
• • Allied Outdoor Solutions
• Why natural looking dental implants are the new luxury in facial rejuvenation
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, May 15

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• At Houston’s Alley Theatre, “Dear Alien” explores the beautiful weirdness of being human
• • “Dear Alien at Alley Theatre
• Gear up inside the newly renovated and relocated Sun & Ski Sports Memorial City
• • Sun & Ski Sports Memorial City
• The Travel Mom on the perks of RV life on the road
• • The Travel Mom
  • Go RVing

Thursday, May 14

• Musaafer Houston Beekeeper cocktail program highlights honey from local neighborhoods
• • Musaafer
• Help us save lives at the KPRC 2 Community Blood Drive with Gulf Coast Blood
• • Schedule an appointment
• Port Aransas
• Children’s Museum Houston

Wednesday, May 13

• Why one Fulshear homeowner calls his generator “The Easy Button”
• • GenPro.com
• Family fun meets coastal charm in Port Aransas, Texas’ premier Gulf Coast getaway
• • Port Aransas
  • Red Dragon Pirate Cruises
• Local chef turns pandemic setback into a thriving Filipino food pop-up business
• • Aleng Nina’s
  • Chef Nina’s Pop-up Event at Third Place

Tuesday, May 12

• Rob Riggle among authors featured in ‘A Celebration of Reading’ 2026
• • Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation
• Texas’ legendary 1877 tall ship ELISSA joins Sail250 voyage to New York Harbor
• • The Official Official Tall Ship of Texas
  • Galveston 250 Kickoff Party Tickets
• The Future of noninvasive wellness is in Sugar Land
• • Oasis Aesthetics & Wellness and Oasis Dry Eye Center
• Chef Jose Hernandez on his roots, restaurants, and fresh pasta
• • Savoir Restaurant
  • Patton

Monday, May 11

• Texas breweries shine at World Beer Cup as American Craft Beer Week kicks off
• • What’s on Tap Radio
• Could Retirement Living Actually Feel Like a Resort? Inside Life at Eagle’s Trace
• • Eagles’ Trace by Erickson Senior Living
• Empty Bowls Houston returns for its 20th anniversary
• • Empty Bowls Houston
  • Houston Food Bank

Friday, May 8

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Children’s Museum Houston and Houston Life present a first look inside the ‘Gallery of Wonder’ on KPRC 2
• Easy at-home kitchen STEM activities to spark curiosity with Children’s Museum Houston
• • Children’s Museum Houston
• Rung Film Festival returns to Houston, highlighting Pakistani storytellers on the big screen
• • Rung Film Festival
• Scammed out of $90,000: Houston woman shares warning for seniors
• • AARP Houston
• KPRC 2’s “Eat Like a Local”

Thursday, May 7

• Celebrate National Hamburger Month with OMG! Burger
• • OMG! Burger
• How Houston City College Is Building the City’s Workforce
• • Houston City College
• The Insperity Invitational presented by United Healthcare happening in The Woodlands this weekend
• • Insperity Invitational
• Bridge the Gaps

Wednesday, May 6

• From local finds to feel-good vibes, ‘Shop Fulshear First’ family-friendly night market
• • “Shop Fulshear First”
• Why you keep repeating the same unhealthy relationship patterns and how to change them
• • Jenn Pinkerton
• Houston Grand Opera

Tuesday, May 5

• Bun B announces “UGK Been Ridin’ Dirty,” Celebrating 30 Years of a Southern Hip-Hop Classic
• • Bun B Presents “Been Ridin’ Dirty” Tickets
• From classroom to center stage: The Tommy Tune Awards showcase Houston’s rising theatre talent
• • Tommy Tune Awards Finalists List
• Houston Life co-hosts learn calligraphy with live event artist Jenny Blaschke
• • Jenny Blaschke

Monday, May 4

• “Houston’s Enchilada Queen” Sylvia Casares serving up big flavor & family tradition
• • Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen
• This Houston program uses comedy to build confidence and change lives
• • Comedy Unlocked
  • The Opportunity Center
• Hot products: Summer grillin’ and chillin’ with Lifestyle and Home Improvement expert Kathryn Emery
• • Kathryn Emery
• New Smile: AI-driven design at Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, May 1

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Teatro Indigo
• Teatro Indigo at Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
• Mahjong for a Cause
• Sam Houston Race Park

Thursday, April 30

• St‑Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• National Pet Month is here! Houston SPCA offers tips for responsible pet ownership
• • Houston SPCA
• From Knee Replacement to the Boston Marathon: A Story of Movement, Medicine, and Meaning
• • Dr. Richard A. Berger Outpatient Hip and Knee Surgery
• Tyler Henry “The Hollywood Medium” heading to Houston for unforgettable live show
• • Tyler Henry Live at Smart Financial Center
  • Connect with Tyler Henry

Wednesday, April 29

• In the Kitchen with Kroger: Celebrate Mother’s Day with Kroger, the world’s largest florist
• • KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to win a $250 Kroger gift card!
• Sail into Alaska with Princess Cruises - tips from The Travel Mom, Emily Kaufman
• • The Travel Mom
  • Princess Cruises
• How wearing denim became an international symbol of supporting assault survivors and victims
• • National Denim Day
  • Fort Bend Women’s Center
• Country superstar Parker McCollum surprises nurses ahead of National Nurses Week

Tuesday, April 28

• Inside Golden Roastery: A popular Middle Eastern shop serving traditional desserts and coffee
• How to make a popular Arab dessert Kunafa
• • Golden Roastery (Walk-in offer only; get 20% off Kunafa items from now to May 10)
• Help us save lives at the KPRC 2 Community Blood Drive with Gulf Coast Blood
• • Community Blood Drive at KPRC 2
• Cedric The Entertainer brings the laughs in new Netflix animated film ‘Swapped’
• • Netflix’s ‘Swapped’

Monday, April 27

• Summer safety for kids: what parents need to know
• • Bivona Law Firm
• From Blueprint to Backyard Oasis: A Missouri City Transformation Designed for Real Life
• • Allied Outdoor Solutions
• First annual AAPI Fest coming to Alief
• • AAPI Fest
  • Kaminari Taiko of Houston,
• The story behind Agnes and Sherman where Asian flavors meet American comfort food
• • Agnes and Sherman
  • AAPI Restaurant Weeks
• Hosts Mike “The Miz” Mizanin and Rocsi Diaz chat reboot of ‘American Gladiators’
• • American Gladiators

Friday, April 24

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Step inside August Wilson’s “Fences” at Houston’s Alley Theatre - A timeless story of love, legacy, and second chances
• • August Wilson’s “Fences” at Alley Theatre
• Prime Video’s ‘Cocaine Quarterback’ Owen Hanson visits Houston, shares incredible comeback story
• • “Cocaine Quarterback” on Prime Video
• National Bucket List Day: A Trafalgar River Cruise with The Travel Mom
• • The Travel Mom
  • Trafalgar

Thursday, April 23

• Silambam Houston highlights the beauty of Indian classical dance at the Hobby Center
• • Silambam Houston
• A preview of Great Age on the Green, Houston’s new festival celebrating aging boldly
• • Great Age on the Green
• Kids learn money the fun way with Financial Fortunes card game
• • Financial Fortunes Card Game
• Teeing off for the LPGA’s first major of the season - The Chevron Championship
• • The Chevron Championship

Wednesday, April 22

• Houston is driving the Biotech future - starting with students
• • Texas Medical Center BioPath Program
• From ‘Dance Moms’ to the stage and page: Nia Sioux’s next act
• • Follow Nia Sioux on Instagram
• From ‘Dance Moms’ to the stage and page: Nia Sioux’s next act
• • Nia Sioux’s Memoir “Bottom of the Pyramid”
• Wildflowers, western heritage, and a Mother’s Day to remember at The George Ranch
• The George Ranch

Tuesday, April 21

• Orchid care 101: Simple tricks to keep your orchids blooming longer
• • Ace Berry
  • Flora & More
• Affordable luxury: New upholstered bed collection unveiled at Texas Mattress Makers
• • Texas Mattress Makers
• Music, food and rodeo fun for all at the Galveston County Fair & Rodeo
• • Galveston County Fair & Rodeo
• Texas Dental Implant Center

Monday, April 20

• Robins Landing Neighborhood Floor Plans - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Homeownership Process - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Volunteering - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• ReStore - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Third Ward - Houston Habitat for Humanity

Friday, April 17

• ‘Houston Life’ is live today at the Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market Spring
• • Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market® SPRING
  • Dog Collar World
  • Linked by Stevi
  • The Hive
  • Big Creek Farms
  • EK The Boutique
  • House of Cottonwood
  • ParkerJoe

Thursday, April 16

• TUTS presents ‘Monty Python’s Spamalot’ rides into the Hobby Center
• • Monty Python’s Spamalot at TUTS Tickets
• One ticket, endless fun at the Galveston County Fair and Rodeo
• • Galveston County Fair and Rodeo
• Carpet Giant celebrates 50 years of proudly serving generations of Houstonians
• • Carpet Giant Website (mention Houston Life to get $150 off your purchase of $1,000)
• Faith ‘One Arm Wonder’ Malton and Zack ‘Pitbull’ Ruhl rappel 30 stories for non-profit Camp For All
• • Camp For All
  • Faith Malton

Wednesday, April 15

• Brush up on your makeup routine at Blushington River Oaks
• • Houston Life Deals (Get 20% off beauty services at Blushington River Oaks)
  • Blushington River Oaks
• The King himself shares how to save 20% on tickets to the Texas Renaissance Festival
• • Texas Renaissance Festival
• Ethan’s Ohana
• Cube Against Cancer 2026 Houston
• Cube Against Cancer
• Fortis College

Tuesday, April 14

• Former Texans WR Steven Sims Jr. to host FREE youth football camp
• • Must See Foundation
• Why it’s not just the generator - it’s the company behind it
• • Gen Pro
• How the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce helps local companies grow
• • Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Step Onward Foundation uses music to fight homelessness in Texas
• • Step Onward Foundation
  • Sunday Funday Community Celebration

Monday, April 13

• Robins Landing Neighborhood Floor Plans - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Homeownership Process - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Volunteering - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• ReStore - Houston Habitat for Humanity
• Third Ward - Houston Habitat for Humanity

Friday, April 10

• Your guide to the Houston Barbecue Festival this weekend: Top pitmasters, unlimited BBQ samples, and more
• • Houston BBQ Festival
• Texas CASA’s partner agencies train volunteers to be a voice and a lifeline for children in the foster care system
• • Become a CASA
• ‘Grow the Game’ Initiative expands soccer access in Houston ahead of the World Cup with Guinness World Records attempt
• • Airbnb GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™
• Houston’s Garden Theatre celebrates 5 years with Stephen Sondheim’s “Company”
• • The Garden Theatre
• Father daughter duo Steve Zahn and Audrey Zahn chat new film ‘She Dances’

Thursday, April 9

• The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary kicks off 22nd annual ‘Chic Boutique’
• • Chic Boutique
• Aramie Payton brings Broadway pedigree to Alley Theatre’s revival of “Fences”
• • Alley Theatre
• Layoff leads Houston creator to viral small business mission
• • Follow David on Instagram
• At just 19, Jalyn Hall is stepping into his moment
• • NBC’s “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins”
• KPRC 2’s “Eat Like a Local”

Wednesday, April 8

• Houston Underwater Film Festival returns this weekend with stunning ocean films 🌊🌊
• • School, college and scuba students: claim a free ticket by emailing huff@hups.org
  • Houston Underwater Film Festival Tickets
• Celebrate Earth Month by sipping sustainably!
• • Wine and Travel Contributor Daniela Garrido
• Shred Day Houston: Safely destroy documents and fight hunger on April 18
• • Comerica Shred Day Houston
• Trade-show-tested home picks: Coffee, Water, Bidets and Moving Gear
• • Kathryn Emery Home Improvement & Lifestyle Expert
• A kid’s guide to top play picks to cut screen time and spark creativity
• • Kid-trepreneur Dylan Emery

Tuesday, April 7

• Grand Marshals Kam Franklin & Brian Ching preview the 39th annual Art Car Parade
• • Houston Art Car Parade
• This Texas artist is turning Titanic artifacts into art
• • Souls of the Titanic
• In Houston, Your Windows May Not Last as Long—Here’s What to Know (and What to Do About It)
• • Pella Windows and Doors
• Houston’s Trillest Chef bringing bold flavors of H-Town the national stage
• • Follow Chef Machete on Instagram
• Texas Dental Implant Center

Monday, April 6

• Houston’s Garden Theatre celebrates 5 years with Stephen Sondheim’s “Company”
• • The Garden Theatre
• Sysco’s World Cup-themed food show is a preview of how Houston plans to feed the world
• • Sysco World Cup-themed food show
• The Houston Art Car Parade

Friday, April 3

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• WWE Wrestler Je’Von Evans
• WWE Monday Night Raw at Toyota Center Tickets
• IBEW Local 66
• KPRC 2’s “Eat Like a Local”

Thursday, April 2

• Disney on Ice
• The Chevron Championship
• Maxine Sharf brings ‘Maxi’s Kitchen’ to Houston Life with her mom
• • Follow Maxine Sharf on Instagram
  • "Maxi’s Kitchen: Easy Go-To Recipes to Make Again and Again"
• Father daughter duo Steve Zahn and Audrey Zahn chat new film ‘She Dances’

Wednesday, April 1

• Spring gets sweeter with two easy recipes: Carrot cupcake and blueberry crumble bun
• • Follow Cookbook Author Florence Jackson on Instagram
• This Houston Restaurant Hasn’t Raised Prices Since Its Food Truck Days
• • Black Restaurant Week
  • Chitalian Pizzeria
• Tarot, the Fool card and finding meaning on Derrick’s birthday (April Fool’s Day)
• • Tarot Card Reader Amber Ambrose
• Theatre Under the Stars presents ‘Back to the Future: The Musical’ through April 5th
• • TUTS “Back to the Future: The Musical”

Tuesday, March 31

• Send Well Wishes to Tessa on her last day
• • Tessa Barrera announces she’s leaving ‘Houston Life’
• Calling all book lovers: Houston indie bookstore crawl returns for its third year of literary adventure
• • 2026 Houston Bookstore Crawl
• Preview the 13th annual Insperity Invitational presented by United Healthcare
• • Insperity Invitational
• Texas roots and coastal growth, how the Oyster Bros in Palacios are redefining the gulf oyster
• • Oyster Bros
• Goodtaste with Tanji Patton

Monday, March 30

• How Autism Moms of Houston became a lifeline for families raising children who are neurodivergent
• • Autism Moms of Houston
  • Autism Awareness Festival
• An offer fit for a new you! Grab the Alloy Personal Training Houston Life Deal
• • Alloy Personal Training Houston
  • Houston Life Deals
• Who’s responsible when a child is hurt at daycare?
• • Bivona Law
• At just 19, Jalyn Hall is stepping into his moment
• • NBC’s “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins”

Friday, March 27

• Family fun, charity, & of course golf shine at Texas Children’s Houston Open ⛳
• • Texas Children’s Houston Open
  • TCHO Cleats for Kids

Wednesday, March 25

• Tessa Barrera announces she’s leaving ‘Houston Life’
• Plan aims to turn Garden Oaks Theater into an arts hub before it’s too late
• • Save the Garden Oaks Theater
• Fore! Preview the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open
• • Texas Children’s Houston Open
• Women, Wealth, and breaking ‘The Success Lie’
• • Chantell Preston
  • “The Success Lie” by Chantell Preston
• McGovern Allergy & Asthma Clinic
• Gexa Energy

Tuesday, March 24

• From puppy playtime to pesky nipping, helpful springtime tips for dog owners
• • Stephanie Bennett’s Believe in Dog Training
• How one Houston program is helping kids discover confidence—and their future
• • Sam Houston Area Council Boy Scouts of America
• Houston Ballet’s Busy Spring: Nutcracker Market, Sons de L’âme & YAGP Finals
• • Houston Ballet
• Breaking barriers and popping corks with CEO and Master Sommelier June Rodil
• • Master Sommelier June Rodil
  • Goodnight Hospitality

Monday, March 23

• Blooming Wonders at ARTECHOUSE
• • Spring arrives at ARTECHOUSE Houston with ‘Blooming Wonders’
• Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Trusted Dental Implant Care in Houston — Board-Certified Periodontist Helps Complex Cases
• Disability Attorney Marc Whitehead
• • Expert tax advice: Are your Social Security and Disability benefits taxable?
• Allied Outdoor Solutions
• • From basic to beautiful: See this stunning backyard transformation in Weston Lakes

Thursday, March 19

• Springtime fun at the Houston Zoo
• • Zoo Bloom
  • All you can Zoo
  • Saving the Galápagos Islands

Wednesday, March 18

• Houston Latino Film Festival celebrates 10 Years with Cheech Marin
• • Houston Latino Film Festival
• Find the good vibes every weekend for Jazzy Sundays in the Parks
• • Jazzy Sundays in the Parks
• Get to know Dash rising star, Avery Patterson
• • Houston Dash
• Kevin Williamson makes fans SCREAM all over again in latest franchise installation
• • Kevin Williamson
• Self Employed? Tax Filing Moves That Help You Qualify for a Mortgage
• • Habayit Home Loans
  • Mortgage Expert Rich Bonn’s Upcoming Webinar

Tuesday, March 17

• Houston’s Mezclada Dance Company blends hip hop, Latin and contemporary dance forms into high-energy performances
• • Performing Arts Houston New/Now featuring Mezclada Dance Company
• METRO rolls out systemwide changes: A first look at the new technology to help streamline your ride
• • Metro Houston
• Houston Life Deals: Fun & savings for the entire family
• • HoustonLifeDeals.com
• Frontier Utilities teams with Kids’ Meals Houston to pack thousands of meals
• • Frontier Utilities

Monday, March 16

• Affordable rodeo-ready outfits you can find at Target this season
• • Target.com
• Houston’s growing need for linemen: Why the trade pays and how to start
• • IBEW Local 66
• ET hosts Nischelle Turner and Kevin Frazier share highlights from the 98th Academy Awards
• • Entertainment Tonight Oscars Coverage
• Houston Ballet principal dancer Karina González brings Frida Kahlo to life in Broken Wings
• • “Broken Wings” at Houston Ballet Tickets
• The Largest Indoor Waterpark in the U.S.? It’s Just a Road Trip from Houston
• • Kalahari Resorts and Conventions

Friday, March 13

• HL Rhythm Energy Question of the Week
• Houston Life Deals: Fun & savings for the entire family
• Outriding the Devil: Angela Ganter’s incredible rodeo comeback
• • Outriding the Devil premieres at River Oaks Theatre
• ‘Aliens’ 40th anniversary cast reunion and more at Pop Culture Con 2026
• • Pop Culture Con
• Alley Theatre brings Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” to Houston with a fresh twist
• • “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Alley Theatre Tickets
• Bounce your way to better fitness: trampoline workouts in West U
• • Motiv Fitness at West University
• Moon 2 Mars Festival returns to Space Center Houston with out-of-this-world fun and concerts this spring break
• • Space Center Houston

Thursday, March 12

• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for your chance to see Tim McGraw at RODEOHOUSTON
• The Birthday Joy Program helps kids in foster care, shelters and group homes celebrate their special day
• • the Birthday Joy Program Website
• Inside “The Feminine Universe” Houston’s new all-women immersive art experience
• • The Feminine Universe Art Show Tickets
• Bring the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo home with these sips and bites
• • Entertaining Expert Paul Zahn
• Spring is in full swing at CITYCENTRE Houston
• • CITYCENTRE
• Kalahari Resorts and Conventions

Tuesday, March 10

• Enjoy Spring Break at the Houston Museum of Natural Science
• • Houston Museum of Natural Science
• Honoring the fallen & recognizing community heroes
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
  • BP America
• Houston author Margie Seaman proves it is never too late to chase a dream
• • Margie Seaman
  • “Someday Is Our Horizon” by Margie Seaman on Amazon

Monday, March 9

• NestFest beach cleanup invites volunteers to protect nesting sea turtles on the Galveston Coast
• From bumper boats to STEAM activities, enjoy a FUNonmenal spring break at Discovery Green
• • FUNomenal Spring Break at Discovery Green
• This veteran-owned business is helping Houstonians keep the heat the out and the savings in with new windows
• • The Window Source
• You’ve been diagnosed with cancer, now what? Non-profit CanCare pairs you with survivors who can help
• • CanCare
• Spring Break Staycation: Why The Travel Mom says Houston families love Great Wolf Lodge
• • The Travel Mom
  • Great Wolf Lodge

Friday, March 6

• Houston Life Deals
• Pickle vs. anime: Largest pickle festival in Texas comes to Rosenberg with anime-inspired food
• • In A Pickle Festival
• Expedia’s 2026 Air Hacks: Best days to book, when to fly and top savings
• • Expedia Air Hacks Report
• The Parking Spot making airport parking a breeze
• • The Parking Spot
• A rustic dream venue just outside Houston
• • Country Oaks Venue
• Rare Texas artifacts step out ‘From the Vault’ at The Bryan Museum
• • The Bryan Museum
• Rhythm Energy Question of the Week

Thursday, March 5

• Gold Buckle Foodie Awards at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Houston Life Deals
• Avoiding vacation headaches: New Vrbo survey on group travel reveals common pet peeves
• • Vrbo
• Houston wellness trend: A local body sculpting technique focused on lymphatic health
• • The Tox
• Catching up with Russell Dickerson ahead of debut RODEOHOUSTON performance
• • RODEOHOUSTON

Wednesday, March 4

• Houston Life Deals
• Moon 2 Mars Festival returns to Space Center Houston with out-of-this-world fun and concerts this spring break
• • Space Center Houston
• What to Wear to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: Your Ultimate Style Guide 
• • Boot Barn
• Destin-Fort Walton Beach, more than beaches: reefs, fishing, little adventures
• • Visit Destin-Fort Walton Beach
• Baz Luhrmann’s ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’ gives fans a front-row seat to The King
• • “EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert” Film

Tuesday, March 3

• Diana Ross coming to Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
• Learn about the untold history of Black baseball
• • Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy
• Houston Life Deals
• Modern dental implants give Houston patients natural, comfortable smiles
• • Texas Dental Implant Center
• Houston native Kyrie McAlpin Talks ‘The Burbs’, Keke Palmer & a very Seth MacFarlane Christmas party

Monday, March 2

• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• • Houston Life kicks off opening day at 2026 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Suits & Boot Injury Lawyers

Friday, February 27

• Gabriel Basso takes us behind the scenes of Netflix’s ‘The Night Agent’
• • Netflix’s “The Night Agent”
• Mudbug Mania: Tanji Patton celebrates crawfish season in Houston
• • Goodtaste with Tanji Patton
  • Crawfish Shack
  • Crawfish Hideaway
• Theatre Under The Stars reveals 2026-27 season with Broadway tours & local shows
• • Theatre Under the Stars
• Boot Barn
• What to see and do in Malta — beaches, history and booking tips from The Travel Mom
• • The Travel Mom

Thursday, February 26

• Diana Ross at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for a chance to see Creed perform at RodeoHouston
• Get a peek inside RodeoHouston’s World Championship BBQ Cookoff
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Soulful river cruises that connect Black travelers to heritage and culture
• • AmaWaterways Soulful Experience River Cruise
• Houston Life Deals
• Allied Outdoor Solutions
• HCC Southeast College

Wednesday, February 25

• Behind the scenes of TUTS’ ‘Million Dollar Quartet’
• • Tickets to ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ at Theatre Under the Stars
• Houston influencers share their best thrifting tips for Rodeo
• • Find your nearest Goodwill store
• Plan the ultimate spring break getaway for everyone at Moody Gardens
• • Moody Gardens
• Ride along: METRO Police Chief explains new safety measures for Houston transit
• • Metro Houston

Tuesday, February 24

• Spring Break, but make it San Antonio
• • Visit San Antonio
• Alley Theatre’s ‘English’ explores identity, belonging, and the weight of learning a new language
• • Tickets to ‘English’ at Alley Theatre
• Looking for a Career Change? Here’s How You Could Be Job-Ready in 10 Months
• • Learn more about programs at United Education Institute Houston

Monday, February 23 (WE ARE BACK!!!)

• Indian Film Festival of Houston celebrates France with film, food and culture
• • Indian Film Festival of Houston Website
• KPRC 2 INSIDERS: Enter for a chance to see Riley Green perform at RodeoHouston
• • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Chris Hemsworth will keep you on the edge of your seat in ‘Crime 101’
• • “Crime 101” Movie Times
• Modern dental implants give Houston patients natural, comfortable smiles
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

February 6 - 20

• Houston is off air due to the Winter Olympics, but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop entertaining you. Be sure to follow us on social media to see all the HL fun. We’ll be back Feb. 23.
• • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Thursday, February 5

• Papa Johns Pizza
• The Cody Stephens Foundation saves lives with free heart screenings for young athletes
• • Cody Stephens Foundation
• Get ready for the return of the one and only Monster Jam in Houston
• • Tickets to Monster Jam at NRG Stadium
• Getting your best night’s sleep: How the latest materials and technology can help you sleep better
• • Texas Mattress Makers
• What is an “Orphan Generator”? And why it could put Houston homes at risk during an outage
• • GenPro.com
• Follow Mersha the Mini Panther on Instagram (Use MERSHA20 to get a discount at PrettyLitter)

Wednesday, February 4

• Simon & Garfunkel Story at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• Behind the scenes of ‘Real Women Have Curves’ on stage at Alley Theatre
• • Tickets to ‘Real Women Have Curves’ at Alley Theatre
• Decoding body language: How to spot liars, read subtle signals, and communicate with confidence
• • Jan Hargrave
• In the Kitchen with Kroger: Why they are your one stop shop for the Big Game and Valentine’s Day
• • Kroger

Tuesday, February 3

• MFAH’s new exhibit explores Frida Kahlo’s lasting legacy
• • ‘Frida: The Making of an Icon’ at MFAH
• United Way of Greater Houston’s 211: Help is one call away
• • United Way of Greater Houston’s 211 Helpline
• After the freeze - now what? How to care for perennials and shrubs in Houston
• • Gardening with Skip
  • Houston Home and Garden Show
• Go back in time at Popfancy Dessert Bar’s new retro 80’s sci-fi arcade cafe
• • Popfancy Fan Cafe

Monday, February 2

• Kenny G at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• The relationship advice that helps couples feel closer — even during hard conversations
• • Connection Expert Jenn Pinkerton
  • Connectin Cards Couples Edition on Amazon
• Paris Hilton’s “Infinite Icon”
• Arandas Bakery
• Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, January 30

• Monster Energy Supercross heads into Houston featuring the world’s fastest racers
• • Monster Energy Supercross at NRG Stadium This Weekend
• From Trinidad and Tobago to Top Chef: Tristen Epps’ journey is rooted in culture
• • Chef Tristen Epps
  • A Classically Black Dinner - Vibrant + Modern + African
• Few physicians leave a legacy like this: Houston honors cancer pioneer Dr. Philip Salem
• • Salem Oncology Center
• The Travel Mom: Family-Friendly Wave-Season Deals from Princess
• • The Travel Mom
  • Princess Cruises

Thursday, January 29

• The Simon & Garfunkel Story at The Sugar Land Smart Financial Center
• Former KPRC 2 reporter shares ‘With Love From Harlem’: The story behind America’s First Black power couple
• • ReShonda Tate’s new book ‘With Love from Harlem’
• American Home Buyer
• How personalized aesthetics - Botox, fillers & lasers - can help you age better
• • Anti Age Institute
• The cast of ‘Bridgerton’ takes us behind-the-scenes of the ton for season 4
• • Netflix’s Bridgerton Season 4

Wednesday, January 28

• KPRC 2’s new evening anchor Stephania Jimenez makes her Houston debut with passion and purpose
• • Follow Stephania on her KPRC 2 Instagram Account
• Cars, boats and more: What to know about this year’s Houston AutoBoative Show 2026
• • Houston Autoboative Show (Save $20 with Family Four Pack Option)
• Get a taste of Old Town Katy with Tanji Patton of Goodtaste TV
• • Goodtaste with Tanji Patton
  • Peanut Butter Pie from Southern Dough
  • Southern Dough Baking Co.
  • Humble Grounds Coffeehouse
  • Harvest Kitchen & Bakery
• A Family Business Built on Trust: Luke’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning Serves Houston for Over 30 Years
• • Luke’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning

Tuesday, January 27

• Remembering the iconic artist David Adickes on his 99th birthday and his lasting legacy in Houston
• • David Adickes Art Website
  • Follow ‘Adickes Art’ on Instagram
• Plan a Vacation Day: Experts share 2026 travel trends and how to protect your trip
• • The Travel Mom
  • Follow The Travel Mom Emily Kaufman on Instagram
  • Travel Guard Insurance
• Texans Serving Texans: Gexa Energy gives back
• • Gexa Energy
• Bill Skarsgård steps beyond horror roots in new film, ‘Dead Man’s Wire’

Monday, January 26

• Houston relationship and intimacy expert dishes on the small relationship habits that make love last
• • Houston Relationship Therapy
  • VIVID Relationships app
• Crawfish & Noodles gearing up for a busy crawfish season
• • Crawfish & Noodles
• Traveling smarter in 2026: What travel experts say to book now
• • Travel Expert Jeanenne Tornatore
  • Follow the Outside Insider on Instagram

Friday, January 23

• Discover why Sam Houston Race Park is a top spot for family outings with “Houston Life”
• • Sam Houston Race Park
  • Corgi Races
  • Shannon Jewelers Presents Diamond Dig
  • Wiener Dog Races

Thursday, January 22

• WEIGH IN: What are your must have products during a freeze?
• Cars, boats and more: What to know about this year’s Houston AutoBoative Show 2026
• • Houston Autoboative Show (Save $20 with Family Four Pack Option)
• Honoring Dr. Philip A. Salem for innovations in cancer care and research
• • Salem Oncology Center
• Bert Kreischer talks fatherhood, fame, and his new scripted comedy series, “Free Bert”
• • Netflix’s “Free Bert”
• Last chance to enjoy the Green Mountain Energy Ice at Discovery Green
• • Ice at Discovery Green

Wednesday, January 21

• Seth Rogen, Ike Barinholtz & Chase Sui Wonders chat comedy series ‘The Studio’
• • Apple Tv+’s ‘The Studio’
• Allied Outdoor Solutions
• Living Designs Furniture
• The Women’s Resource empowers women and girls through free financial and career coaching services
• • The Women’s Resource
• Houston woman helps bring Black cowboy history to PBS
• • Alma’s Way on PBS Kids
  • Black Cowboy Coalition

Friday, January 16

• School Makes You Super: KPRC-TV reporter and mom Haley Hernandez debuts first children’s book to ease school anxiety
• • Buy ‘School Makes You Super" here
• Children’s Museum Houston celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• • MLK Day Celebration at Children’s Museum Houston
• Two experts explain why Key Largo, Florida should be on your 2026 travel list
• • The Travel Mom
• The man known as “the human lie detector” works to keep serial killers behind bars
• • Killer Confessions

Thursday, January 15

• Young voices, lasting legacy: Houston students honor Dr. King in 30th Annual Oratory Competition
• • Foley MLK Jr. Oratory Competition
• Breaking through the plateau with Dr. Ian Smith’s ‘The Last 15′
• • Follow Dr. Ian Smith on Instagram
  • Purchase “The Last 15″ on Amazon
• Mindful eating tips and a pesto vinaigrette recipe to kickstart a healthier new year
• • Leaf & Grain
• Stay powered and protected with GenPro.com, Houston’s premier generator specialists
• • Call or log on to book an estimate and receive a functional mini generator worth $50 for FREE

Wednesday, January 14

• Check out the fun, food and giveaways for Houston Rockets fans this week
• • Houston Rockets Game Day Tickets
• A Kroger pharmacist’s guide to everyday wellness in 2026
• • Enter for a chance to win a Kroger gift card
  • Kroger
• Mix-MATCH Festival returns with over 20 performances celebrating Houston’s creative spirit
• • Tickets to 3rd Annual Mix-MATCH Festival
  • Daisies & Pancakes

Tuesday, January 13

• Kick off the new year with magic: Magician Curt Miller returns with his show “The Conjurer”
• • Curt Miller
  • Tickets to The Conjurer: An Intimate Magical Experience with Curt Miller
• Brad Meltzer Book Signing
• • Follow Brad Meltzer on Instagram
• Innovative Lasers of Houston

Monday, January 12

• Turn to tea this year to slow down, reset, and satisfy without regrets
• • Tea Please
• The Travel Mom: Family fun at Knott’s Berry Farm - a California getaway everyone will love
• • The Travel Mom
  • Visit Buena Park
  • Knott’s Berry Farm
• Pet adoption events for the new year at Fort Bend County Animal Services
• • Fort Bend County Animal Services
• New Year, New Smile: AI-driven smile design at Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Texas Dental Implant Center

Friday, January 9

• Shop The Sale Houston with proceeds benefitting childhood cancer research
• • The Sale Houston
• A new chapter begins: Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones chat about their new pairing
• • TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle
• Former radio personality, Sarah Pepper returns to Texas to emcee 2026 Chevron Houston Marathon
• • Follow Sarah Pepper on Instagram

Thursday, January 8

• Belle comes to Houston - Kyra Belle Johnson stars in Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ now at the Hobby Center
• • Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” Tickets at Hobby Center
• Mathew Knowles launches new Destiny’s Child nationwide tribute tour; Houston is first stop
• • Destiny’s Child: Iconic Reimagined Tribute Tickets
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Wednesday, January 7

• The story behind Luke’s Plumbing and Air Conditioning serving Houstonians since 1991
• • Luke’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning
• Where karaoke meets claw machines: Welcome to Klaw‑Oke Kingdom in Pearland
• • Klaw-Oke Kingdom
• Brace yourself, the 1993 Oilers vs. Bills game is featured in new docuseries ‘Don’t Call it a Comeback’
• • VICE TV’s “Don’t Call It A Comeback”
• New Year, Strong Start: EōS Fitness Experts Share Tips to Crush 2026 Goals
• • EōS Fitness

Tuesday, January 6

• Houston bagel pros talk schmear, slices and specials ahead of National Bagel Day
• • Bagel Shop Bakery
• Comedian Chinedu Ogu takes H-Town-rooted comedy on a national tour
• • Chinedu at Punch Line Houston
• Start your new year weight loss journey at Health Solutions and Weightloss
• • Health Solutions and Weightloss
• Enroll Now: Key deadlines and tips for 2026 Marketplace coverage
• • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Monday, January 5

• Rosca de Reyes Season is here - and this Houston bakery is busy
• • Arandas Bakery
• Damp or Dry January? These non-alcoholic wines actually taste like wine
• • Daniela Garrido | Wine and Travel Expert
• New Year, New Smile: AI-driven smile design at Texas Dental Implant Center
• • Texas Dental Implant Center
• Freeze Miser

Friday, January 2

• Tough but fair: NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas visits Houston Life
• • NBC Nightly News
  • Tom Llamas
• Tarot Card Reader Amber Ambrose
• Opening weekend kicks off at Sam Houston Race Park TODAY!
• • Sam Houston Race Park

Thursday, January 1

• New Year’s fitness made simple: Tips and a low-impact workout for beginners
• • Hoodfit
• Chantell Preston
• HiFi at The Finn

SEEN ON HL 2025 ARCHIVE

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Commissioners, all appointed by Trump, acted despite overwhelming public opposition to the 250-foot arch, one of several projects that Trump is pursuing alongside a White House ballroom to leave his imprint on Washington.

“The building is beautiful,” the commission's chairman, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., said shortly before the vote on a design revised slightly from what was presented to the federal agency in April.

The arch would stand 250 feet tall (76 meters) from its base to a torch held aloft by a Lady Liberty-like figure on top of the structure. The statue would be flanked on top by two gilded eagles, but the four lions envisioned as guarding the base are now gone. The phrases “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” would be inscribed in gold lettering atop either side of the monument.

A public observation deck on top would provide 360-degree views of the surroundings.

The commission’s vice chairman, architect James McCrery II, said in April that he preferred the arch without the figures on top, which would have reduced the arch's height by about 80 feet (24.4 meters). Critics of the project argue that the arch would dominate the skyline and disrupt views from the Lincoln Memorial to Arlington National Cemetery.

The arch would dwarf the Lincoln Memorial, which is 99 feet (30 meters) tall, and be close to half the height of the Washington Monument, an obelisk that is about 555 feet (169 meters) tall.

Commissioners were told at Thursday's meeting that Trump considered the suggestion to remove the statue “but elected not to pursue such an option.”

McCrery recommended doing away with the lions on the base and objected to plans for an underground tunnel for pedestrians to get to the arch, which would be built on a traffic circle. Both design elements have been removed.

Preliminary surveys and testing of the site began last week.

A group of veterans and a historian have sued the Trump administration in federal court to block construction on grounds that the arch would disrupt the sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery, among other reasons.

The Republican president and his interior secretary, Doug Burgum, have argued that Washington is the only major Western world capital without such an arch. Burgum's department includes the National Park Service, which manages the plot where Trump wants to put the arch.

The president has said some of his other projects, such as adding a blue coating to the interior of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, will beautify the city in time for July 4 celebrations of America’s 250th birthday.

Trump's rehab of the Reflecting Pool is also the subject of a court challenge brought by The Cultural Landscape Foundation, which said the administration’s moves to repaint the bottom of the Reflecting Pool blue without first undergoing relevant reviews ran afoul of federal preservation laws governing historic sites.

The nonprofit group argued in a lawsuit filed last week that the changes at the Reflecting Pool are part of Trump’s broader effort to push through dramatic renovations in Washington without proper reviews and undermine the tone of the area.

A hearing in the case was scheduled for later Thursday in federal court in Washington.

The suspension order, filed Tuesday, says Mary Liz Eastland failed to develop and maintain adequate emergency plans and training protocols before a July 4 flood killed 25 campers and two teenage counselors at the all-girls Christian camp, among other charges. The order, first reported by the San Antonio Express-News, also called her conduct “deceptive” for failing to report the deaths within 24 hours.

Last month, Eastland testified at a court hearing in Austin that she still had not officially reported the deaths to state health regulators.

“I did not think of this requirement in the moments happening after the flood,” she said during the April hearing.

Eastland could not immediately be reached for comment.

The nursing board’s order says a probable cause hearing will be held within 17 days of the order’s filing, with a final hearing to be held no later than the 61st day after the temporary suspension was ordered.

By an 8-1 vote, the justices revived claims filed by a U.S. company, Havana Docks, that operated docks in the Cuban capital. The suit targets four cruise lines that brought tourists to Cuba during the brief thaw in relations during the Obama administration.

Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the court that the federal appeals court in Atlanta was wrong to dismiss the claims, holding that “the cruise lines used confiscated property to which Havana Docks owns the claim.”

The court's ruling is not a final decision in the suit filed by Havana Docks. But it comes amid heightened pressure on Cuba from President Donald Trump's administration, including Wednesday's indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro in the 1996 downing of civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles.

The Supreme Court case turned on a provision of the federal law known as Helms-Burton that Congress passed in response to the shootdowns. Title III of the law allows Americans to sue almost any company that engages in commercial activity or benefits from property confiscated by Cuba’s government.

Before the first Trump administration, every president had suspended the provision because of objections from U.S. allies doing business in Cuba and the effect on future negotiated settlements between the U.S. and Cuba.

In 2016, President Barack Obama used a joint news conference with Castro to announce that cruise lines could resume service to Cuba. Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises began making stops in Havana that allowed cruise travelers to go on excursions to local nightclubs, landmarks, rivers and beaches.

That changed abruptly in 2019, when Trump decided to activate the provision allowing lawsuits and then announced new restrictions on travel. The cruise lines hastily dropped Cuba stops and rerouted ships on the go.

Ruling in the lawsuit filed by Havana Docks, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami found the cruise lines liable for their use of the Havana terminal the company once controlled.

Licenses by Obama's Treasury Department to carry American passengers to Cuba did not shield the cruise lines from the lawsuit, Bloom ruled.

She awarded Havana Docks, more than $400 million in all. A federal appeals court ruled for the cruise lines, reversing the judgment.

The case now returns to the appeals court. Thomas acknowledged that the cruise lines have additional arguments that have yet to be ruled on.

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Acting on a defense motion, Circuit Judge Rebecca Robinson in Newport News, Virginia, issued the ruling on the fourth day of the trial of Ebony Parker, who was charged with eight felony counts of child neglect.

“The court is of the legal opinion that this is not a crime,” Robinson said.

The former assistant principal was charged in the January 2023 shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News that left teacher Abby Zwerner wounded. Prosecutors had said the charges were for each of the bullets in the gun brought into Zwerner ’s classroom. Each count could have carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison upon conviction.

Special prosecutor Josh Jenkins did not immediately return an email and a telephone message left at his office on Thursday.

Defense attorney Curtis Rogers told the judge in making his motion that Parker’s decision on the day of the shooting “wasn’t an act of neglect.”

“Her actions in no way indicated that she believed there was a firearm in the possession” of the child, Rogers said.

Another defense attorney, Stephen Teague, said outside court that “we believe that the right outcome was reached and we’re thrilled for Dr. Parker. It was a great relief for her and we’re just happy that we were part of her journey.”

Parker was not called to testify during the trial. On Wednesday, a video interview of Parker conducted three days after the shooting by a school district human resources officer was played in the courtroom for the jury.

Parker said she was told about reports that the student had a gun in his backpack, but said she could not leave her office due to ongoing testing. A reading specialist who first reported the concerns then searched the backpack, but no gun was found, Parker said.

Parker then said the student’s mother would arrive to pick him up and go through the rest of his belongings.

Zwerner testified earlier in the trial that during recess on the school playground, the student wore an oversized jacket and kept both of his hands in his pockets the entire time. Zwerner said she sent a text message with that observation to the reading specialist, who had been tipped off earlier by students about the gun and reported it to Parker.

After recess, the student continued to wear the jacket in the classroom, where Zwerner was shot at a reading table. Zwerner spent nearly two weeks in the hospital, required six surgeries and does not have the full use of her left hand. A bullet narrowly missed her heart and remains in her chest.

Criminal charges against school officials after a school shooting are quite rare, experts say. The shooting sent shock waves through this military shipbuilding community and the country at large, with many wondering how a child so young could gain access to a gun and shoot his teacher.

A jury awarded $10 million to Zwerner in a civil trial last November, where Parker, who no longer works at the school, was the only defendant.

The student’s mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for felony child neglect and federal weapons charges.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “all foreign activists” from the flotilla had been deported. They were being flown out of Israel from a civilian airport near the southern Israeli city of Eilat, according to the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, or Adalah.

The group said one participant, Zohar Regev, who holds Israeli citizenship, was released following a court hearing in the southern city of Ashkelon on charges of illegal entry into Israel and unlawful stay. Regev has taken part in previous flotillas to Gaza.

Two Italian citizens who had been detained by Israel returned home Thursday, saying they had been beaten and mistreated — allegations that were denied by Israeli prison officials

Dario Carotenuto, an Italian lawmaker, said he experienced the “longest seconds” of his life when Israeli forces pointed rifles at activists inside a detention facility.

“They kicked me in the legs and punched me in the face,” said Alessandro Mantovani, an Italian newspaper journalist.

The allegations were “false and entirely without factual basis,” said Zivan Freidin, a spokesperson for the Israeli Prison Service.

Netanyahu calls for quick deportation after rebuking security minister

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday he instructed that the activists be deported “as soon as possible,” after sharply rebuking Israel’s national security minister for provocative videos showing the minister taunting detained flotilla activists who were handcuffed and kneeling.

Netanyahu said that although Israel has every right to stop “provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters,” the way National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir dealt with the activists was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms.”

Ben-Gvir released videos Wednesday showing him walking among some of the approximately 430 detainees. In one, activists with their hands tied behind their backs are kneeling, their heads touching the floor inside what appears to be a makeshift detention area on the deck of a ship.

Several countries, including Britain, France and Portugal, summoned Israeli envoys on Thursday over concerns about the treatment of flotilla activists and in protest of Ben-Gvir’s actions.

“The actions of Mr. Ben-Gvir toward the passengers of the Global Sumud flotilla, condemned even by his own colleagues in the Israeli government, are unacceptable,” French foreign affairs minister Jean-Noel Barrot said. Turkey, Greece, Italy and Indonesia also condemned Israel for Ben-Gvir's comments and the treatment of flotilla activists.

Turkey sends planes to retrieve activists

Turkey was sending planes to retrieve Turkish citizens and others who participated in the flotilla, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Thursday. Around 85 Turkish nationals took part in the latest flotilla, according to Turkish media.

Dozens of the activists' boats began setting sail from Spain to Gaza in April. Israel stopped 20 vessels from the group on April 30 near the southern Greek island of Crete and forced most of its activists to disembark.

Israel took two high profile activists — Spanish-Swedish citizen Saif Abukeshek and Brazilian citizen Thiago Ávila — back to Israel where they were interrogated and detained for around a week before being deported.

The activists accused Israel of torture, claims Israel denies. Brazil and Spain condemned Israel for “kidnapping” their citizens.

Participants then regrouped and more than 50 boats departed from the Turkish port of Marmaris on May 14. Israeli forces began stopping the boats about 268 kilometers (167 miles) from the Gaza coastline, according to the flotilla’s website.

Israel has repeatedly blocked similar attempts

Israel's Foreign Ministry has called the flotilla “a PR stunt at the service of Hamas.” The boats carry a tiny, symbolic amount of aid.

This week, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions against several European activists aboard the flotilla, which U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called “pro-terror.”

Last year, Israeli authorities blocked a similar attempt involving some 500 activists.

Israel arrested, detained and later deported the participants, who claimed Israeli authorities abused them. Israeli authorities denied the accusations.

Blockade of Gaza in place since 2007

Israel has maintained a sea blockade of Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007. Israeli authorities intensified it after the Hamas-led militant attacks on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023.

Critics say the blockade amounts to collective punishment. Israel says it’s intended to prevent Hamas from arming itself.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive following the Oct. 7 attacks that started the war has killed more than 72,700 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of Gaza’s Hamas-run government, doesn’t give a breakdown between civilians and combatants. It is staffed by medical professionals who maintain and publish detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community. ___ AP journalists Andrew Wilks in Istanbul; Silvia Stellacci in Rome; Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus; and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.

ODESSA — Underneath the Permian Basin, the state’s largest oil field, lies an ocean of toxic, unusable wastewater that bursts out of rock formations when oil companies extract fossil fuels from the ground. For years, companies have struggled with how to dispose of it.

Now, many are turning to an ubiquitous, albeit controversial, technology to solve the problem — artificial intelligence.

In the race to keep up with skyrocketing demand for crude, oil and gas companies are increasingly turning to AI to gain an edge over their competition.

AI, experts and analysts said, is reshaping how oil companies handle the saltwater slush, also known as produced water, by giving operators more information about the region’s geography. It’s also providing access to data more quickly and allowing operators to file permits faster.

Despite its growing use in the industry, few details are available to the public — or to the industry’s regulatory agency.

“It’s a competitive advantage,” said Ramanan Krishnamoorti, professor of petroleum engineering at the University of Houston. “That’s the reason why nobody’s really talking about it.”

The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state’s oil and gas, said in a statement that it is not aware of any use of AI by oil and gas companies.

‘It’s a huge time saver”

Shooting produced water back underground has been a longstanding practice for oil and gas operators. For every barrel of oil, at least three to 10 times as many barrels of produced water rush to the surface.

AI collects information about surrounding wells, including details about the geology and the materials used to build them, such as casing and cement, said Akash Sharma, vice president of product at Enverus, an energy analytics company. Operators are also using AI to determine whether the wells are active. In other cases, AI can assess whether a seismic event is connected to a specific well. The AI can also pull information from multiple datasets and study the relationship between each.

Last summer, the railroad commission made its permitting standards stricter. Companies have to study two miles of the surrounding land where they plan to inject, up from half a mile. There are more limits on how much pressure and water companies can inject. Permits also require information that calls for more intensive engineering and geological work.

Hundreds of other wells can be found within two miles, Sharma said. Companies gather this information before filing for a needed permit, Sharma said. And they can do it faster.

“(AI) allows us to file more permits, allows us to actually think through strategy a lot more effectively, and just overall streamlining the process,” Sharma said. “It’s a huge time saver, especially on things that saltwater disposal teams should be focused more on, what the disposal strategy is, how to do it safely and securely.”

AI can also help determine the best-case scenarios for injection, said Yoshi Pradhan, a former production engineer at Chevron and founder of IronLady Energy Advisors. Pradhan said the condition of the wells can also be examined using the technology.

“You look at historical data,” she said. “You look at historical data to identify where there have been risks, what has happened, and you have AI, gather statistics and extract all that data.”

Running out of space

As fossil fuel production soars in the Permian Basin, gargantuan volumes of produced water rise up to the surface with it. Previously, operators injected the water into disposal wells deep underground, which led to earthquakes. As a result, in 2023, the railroad commission suspended the practice. In 2025, it imposed more limits on injection. Underground, operators are running out of space.

“Texas has never had more produced water every day than it does now,” said Adam Peltz, senior director and lead counsel of the Environmental Defense Fund. “The super boom in the Permian Basin has led to billions of barrels of this toxic salt water that needs to be dealt with.”

The oil and gas industry has begun exploring its options. Some are treating the water for possible discharge into public waterways if they meet state and federal standards. Others are reusing the water to extract more oil.

Permit requirements for saltwater injections have also become increasingly complex, said Kelly Bennett, co-founder and CEO of B3 Insight. Applying for a permit requires additional engineering and geologic work, which AI has helped streamline, Bennett said.

“The investment required to file a permit is significantly higher today than it was before, and a lot of it is because the (railroad commission) is requiring significantly more technical analysis before permitting really begins,” he said.

He said AI can ultimately help reduce disruptions to oil and gas production.

“It really helps contextualize issues that we see today against future market conditions,” Bennett said. “I think that’s really important for this market in which we have to plan differently, we have to develop infrastructure differently. It costs more money.

“The reality is that if you can’t dispose of barrels, you can’t produce barrels.”

The dip in hurricane activity is tied to an El Niño pattern that will develop this summer. When El Niño is in place, it creates more wind shear in the parts of the Atlantic Basin. The wind shear limits storm development, as it acts like scissors, shredding the hurricane’s circulation apart.

However, it will be a tug-of-war, as NOAA predicts warmer waters in the Atlantic that could aid storm development. The bottom line is to stay prepared.

Although hurricane activity is trending lower this season, it only takes one storm to cause devastation. As a reminder, hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th. We want to help you prepare, so be sure to let us know if you have any questions related to hurricane season.

You can submit your question here: What questions do you have about Houston’s 2026 hurricane season?

KPRC 2 spent the week speaking with doctors, swim instructors, and safety advocates about the biggest drowning risks facing children this summer, and the steps families can take right now to help prevent tragedy.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, drowning remains one of the leading causes of death for young children. Experts say drownings are often silent, happen quickly, and can occur even when adults are nearby.

PART 1: Houston doctors share water safety tips ahead of summer swim season

Water safety experts say one of the biggest misconceptions parents have is that drowning looks dramatic. In reality, experts say children often slip underwater quietly and within seconds.

At the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, instructors and pediatric experts stressed the importance of “layers of protection” when children are near water.

That includes:

• Constant adult supervision
• Designating a “water watcher”
• Installing fences and self-latching gates
• Learning CPR
• Enrolling children in swim lessons

Officials also reminded parents not to rely on floaties or pool toys as safety devices.

Experts say one distracted moment, checking a phone, stepping away briefly, or assuming someone else is watching, can quickly turn dangerous.

PART 2: Doctors warn neurodivergent children may face greater risks around water

Pediatricians say children with autism and other neurodivergent conditions can face even greater dangers around water because many are naturally drawn to it.

Tiffany Nguyen told KPRC 2 that some neurodivergent children are fascinated by the way water feels, sounds, or looks — increasing the risk they may wander toward pools, ponds, or lakes without recognizing the danger.

“Whenever they have the opportunity, they just wander,” Nguyen said.

Doctors say families should create multiple backup safety systems, including:

• Door alarms
• Pool alarms
• Locked gates
• Swim lessons
• Constant supervision
• Communication with neighbors and caregivers

The YMCA of Greater Houston also offers adaptive swim lessons tailored to children with autism and other developmental needs.

Experts say early swim instruction can help children build confidence and safety awareness around water.

PART 3: YMCA experts say swim lessons can reduce drowning risk by 88%

Water safety advocates say one of the best tools families have this summer is formal swim lessons.

At the McWilliams Family YMCA, instructors are teaching children of all ages and skill levels — including neurodivergent children — how to stay safe in the water.

The YMCA offers:

• Group swim lessons
• Private lessons
• Parent-child classes
• Adaptive swim instruction

According to YMCA Aquatics Director Kennedy Conlee, formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by at least 88%.

“Swimming is a life skill,” Conlee said. “It could save your child’s life one day.”

Swim instructors also encourage parents to start teaching water safety habits early, including always asking permission before entering the water.

YMCA leaders say financial assistance is available for many aquatics programs to help ensure cost does not prevent families from accessing swim safety education.

2 Investigates reporter Amy Davis obtained his latest employment contract as she presses for accountability from federal law enforcement.

Northern left Houston at the end of 2024 amid questions about millions of dollars tied to failed projects, questionable spending and mismanagement. Just two months later, he signed a lucrative contract to lead the Flint Housing Commission in Michigan.

Houston settlement, silence

Northern walked away from the Houston Housing Authority with a $210,000 settlement payment. In exchange for his resignation, the Housing Authority board agreed not to publicly release the results of its investigation into failed projects, mismanagement and frivolous spending that cost the agency more than $4 million.

A new contract, new perks

Northern’s Flint contract, dated January 2025, is a three-year agreement that starts him at $200,000 a year — and that’s just the base salary.

He is also eligible for a 25% annual bonus, a $700 monthly car allowance, full health, dental and life insurance coverage paid entirely by the commission, and use of a Flint Housing Commission vehicle.

In January of this year, the new board president extended Northern’s contract through 2030.

The contract includes a notable clause: “Termination will not be considered for matters that originated at previous agencies prior to employment with FHC.”

A familiar name follows Northern north

In September, Northern hired Nashon Edwards as Flint’s director of compliance and engagement.

The name may ring a bell for Houston viewers. Edwards previously held a position at the Houston Housing Authority — until a KPRC 2 investigation revealed he had charged more than $9,000 on his agency credit card dining at upscale Houston restaurants. His position was subsequently eliminated.

In Flint, Edwards was hired at $90,000 a year, with $5,000 for relocation expenses and an additional $5,000 for temporary housing.

Northern responds — but questions remain

KPRC 2 requested an interview with Northern. Instead, he provided a written statement, which reads in part:

“My tenure in Houston has concluded, and I have fully transitioned into my current leadership role. Matters related to my previous position were addressed through the appropriate processes at the time.”

But that raises another question: Were they?

The Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has declined to say whether it is still investigating Northern.

The FBI has not confirmed or denied an investigation either.

RELATED: How Houston Housing Authority deals drain millions from local budgets

KPRC 2 will continue to follow this story as federal investigators review the Houston Housing Authority’s records. Until those answers come, the team will keep pressing — because for the thousands of Houstonians still waiting on housing assistance, accountability isn’t optional. If you have a tip or question, email Investigator Amy Davis at ADavis@kprc.com .

FULL Statement from David Northern

March 31, 2026

Statement from David A. Northern, Sr.

I currently serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Flint Housing Commission, where my focus is on advancing housing stability, strengthening operations, and delivering quality services to the residents of Flint. I am proud of the dedicated team at the Flint Housing Commission, whose daily commitment makes this work possible and continues to move the organization forward.

My tenure in Houston has concluded, and I have fully transitioned into my current leadership role. Matters related to my previous position were addressed through the appropriate processes at that time.

In the interest of transparency, the Flint Housing Commission has responded to your request in accordance with applicable FOIA laws. I trust that the materials provided satisfy your inquiry.

At this time, I remain focused on my responsibilities in Flint and will not have further comment on matters outside of my current role.

The International Court of Justice was asked in 2023 by the International Labor Organization, a U.N. agency, to settle an internal dispute over whether one of the ILO's conventions gives workers the right to strike.

Advisory opinions aren't legally binding, but carry significant weight. The decision could have a worldwide impact on labor regulations, enshrining the right to strike in labor standards and international trade agreements.

Labor unions welcomed the decision.

“As any trade unionist will tell you, there is no right to organize without the right to strike!" Christy Hoffman, general-secretary of UNI Global Union, said in a statement after the opinion was announced. "The two are inseparable foundations of any functional and fair industrial relations system. Congratulations to the many advocates who argued the point so brilliantly before the ICJ."

The word “strike” never appears in the 1948 Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, but the ICJ’s 14 judges found walkout actions are covered under the other guarantees.

“The protection of the right to strike is encompassed in the freedom of association,” court president Yuji Iwasawa said, reading out the ruling in the Great Hall of Justice in The Hague.

The convention has been ratified by 158 countries and is incorporated into a variety of employment guidelines and standards, including those from the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and various international trade agreements.

The United States is a member of the ILO, but hasn’t ratified the convention.

International labor law expert Paul van der Heijden said that the advisory opinion from the ICJ gives workers an important tool when their actions face legal opposition. This decision “is important when you go to court,” he told The Associated Press.

The judges were careful to note that in some cases, the right to strike may be restricted. The opinion “does not entail any determination on the precise content, scope or conditions for the exercise of that right,” Iwasawa said.

A number of U.N. agencies can ask the ICJ to weigh in on legal questions and issue advisory opinions. Last year, the court said in a landmark advisory opinion that countries could be in violation of international law, if they fail to take measures to protect the planet from climate change.

During hearings in October, the court in The Hague heard from 18 countries and five international organizations, including the ILO, with a number of other countries submitting writing arguments.

The majority of participants favored the right to strike, a protection which is already granted in most European countries.

Experts at the McWilliams Family YMCA say prevention starts long before families head to the pool, lake, or beach.

The YMCA offers group, private, semi-private, and adaptive swim lessons designed for children of all ages and skill levels, including neurodivergent children and kids with special needs. Parent-child classes are also available to help young children become comfortable and confident in the water early.

• Houston doctors share water safety tips as drowning risks rise ahead of summer swim season
• Houston doctors share water safety tips as drowning risks rise ahead of summer swim season

According to YMCA Aquatics Director Kennedy Conlee, formal swim lessons can significantly lower the risk of drowning.

“Taking formal swim lessons reduces the risk of drowning by at least 88%,” Conlee said. “Swimming is a life skill. It could save your child’s life one day.”

Safety advocates say swimming should be viewed as more than just a summer activity; it’s a survival skill.

Swim instructor and head lifeguard Madyson McMunn says one of the most important habits children can learn is asking permission before entering the water.

“We always ask for permission before getting in the water,” McMunn said. “That helps build a habit not just here, but at home too, so parents are always aware.”

McMunn also emphasized the importance of involving parents throughout the learning process to help build confidence for both children and caregivers.

The YMCA says adaptive swim lessons are especially important for children with autism or other developmental needs because instructors can tailor teaching strategies to fit each child.

McMunn shared the story of one child with autism who initially refused to touch the water but eventually gained enough confidence to join the swim team after working closely with instructors.

Experts say the goal is not only to make children comfortable in the water, but also to teach life-saving safety skills that can help prevent tragedy.

The YMCA also says financial assistance is available for nearly all aquatics programs, emphasizing that cost should not prevent families from learning water safety this summer.

In part two of KPRC 2’s summer pool safety series, experts say children with autism and other neurodivergent conditions may be especially vulnerable because many are naturally drawn to water.

KPRC 2 reporter TJ Parker spoke with experts at the McWilliams Family YMCA about what families should know heading into the busy summer months.

• Swim lessons can reduce drowning risk by 88%, YMCA experts say ahead of summer

Doctors say any body of water, including pools, ponds, lakes, or bathtubs, can become dangerous within seconds.

According to pediatrician Tiffany Nguyen, many autistic and neurodivergent children are fascinated by water because of its sensory qualities, including the way it feels, sounds, or looks.

“Summertime can be especially challenging for kids who are autistic or neurodivergent because they have a special sensitivity and interest in water,” Nguyen said. “Whenever they have the opportunity, they just wander.”

Experts say that fascination can increase the risk of wandering, making supervision and multiple layers of protection critical.

• Houston doctors share water safety tips as drowning risks rise ahead of summer swim season

Doctors encourage families to build a strong safety network by informing neighbors, relatives, babysitters, and caregivers if a child may wander toward water.

Safety experts also recommend creating multiple backup safety systems, including:

• Pool fences and locked gates
• Door and pool alarms
• Constant adult supervision
• Formal swim lessons
• CPR training for caregivers

Doctors also caution parents against relying on floaties or water wings as life-saving devices.

Experts say swim lessons can begin as early as infancy and should continue as children grow and develop confidence in the water.

The YMCA says adaptive swim lessons are available for neurodivergent children and can be tailored to fit each child’s individual needs and comfort level.

Water safety advocates say preparation and prevention are key to helping families safely enjoy the summer season.

Duggan, a longtime Democrat, was running as an independent to replace Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer who can't run again due to term limits. He told The Associated Press that it was going to be “very hard to win” as the Democrats who would have supported him are galvanizing against what's going on in Washington.

“Democrat anger against Trump and Republicans is extremely high,” Duggan said. “In 60 days there’s been a huge change in the attitudes of this country. People are feeling the pain at the pump and are angry about it.”

An independent has never served as Michigan governor and third-party candidates typically don’t fare well in elections for the state’s top seat. To Duggan, who shunned partisan fighting while choosing to run as an independent, it was clear the odds were stacking against his campaign.

“As long as I knew there was a path for victory, I was going to fight,” he said. “I don’t see a likely path to win.”

Toxic partisan politics

Since the beginning of the war with Iran in late February, oil prices have spiked more than 50%. As of Thursday, the price of regular unleaded gas in Michigan averaged $4.74 per gallon, according to AAA Michigan. That's above the $4.56 national average. A year ago, the average in Michigan was $3.13. Nationally, it was $3.18.

Trump repeatedly has said gas prices will go down once the war ends without acknowledging when that might happen.

Nationally, Trump’s approval rating on the economy has dropped slightly since the start of the Iran war, according to AP-NORC polling. A recent AP-NORC poll conducted in May found that even Republicans are unhappier with Trump’s handling of the economy than they were a few months ago, even as they’re largely continuing to stand behind him. About 6 in 10 Republicans approve of how Trump is handling the economy, down from about 8 in 10 before the war began.

Duggan believed he was trailing Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Republican U.S. Rep. John James in the governor’s race. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson also is running as a Democrat, while millionaire businessman Perry Johnson is running as a Republican.

Michigan’s primary election will be held Aug. 4, while the general election is Nov. 3.

In December 2024, Duggan announced his pursuit of the state's top office surprising many when he also said he'd choose the independent route instead of sticking with the Democratic Party.

Duggan told The AP at that time that he wanted to offer Michigan voters “a choice.”

“It’s clear to me that there are a lot of people in this country who are tired of both parties and tired of the system,” Duggan said then. “You have a (state) legislature that’s almost evenly divided that makes the stakes of each issue become magnified. It has gotten harder and harder to address things as the partisan climate has gotten more toxic.”

His decision to run as an independent came as Michigan was one of a handful of swing states that helped Trump in November 2024 win a second term in the White House.

“I’ve done everything I know how to do for almost a year and a half,” Duggan said Thursday. “You could feel the mood of this state wanting the toxic partisanship to end. They wanted the parties to work together.”

Targeted by his former party

Duggan spent a dozen years as Detroit mayor. He first was elected in November 2013 as the city was going through its painful and historic bankruptcy while being run by a state-appointed emergency manager. The former county prosecutor and medical center executive became Detroit's first white mayor since Coleman A. Young was elected in the early 1970s as its first Black mayor.

Duggan is credited by many for leading Detroit after it emerged in December 2014 from bankruptcy to become a thriving, more vibrant city.

The city with a Black population hovering around 80% reelected Duggan twice. He announced in November 2024 that he would not seek a fourth term. He left the mayor’s office in January.

Duggan, who had been a Democrat for close to 40 years in a largely Democrat voting city, was targeted throughout the campaign by his former party, with many worried he would pull votes away from the Democratic Party's nominee.

“I was running to change politics, not to be a spoiler,” he said Thursday.

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said Thursday in a statement that there were “disagreements” with Duggan.

“The mayor brought crucial ideas to this race and we appreciate his commitment to bringing people together,” Hertel said. “As we look ahead, we welcome Mayor Duggan’s supporters into our growing coalition as we work to elect a Democratic governor this November who will continue to move Michigan forward.”

Following Duggan's announcement that he would run for governor, Republican and former Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley said on X that Duggan checked the boxes of being a “credible, independent candidate with the ability to raise money.”

“But there are huge advantages of having a political party behind you,” Calley wrote. “And being a target of the left and the right will be intense.”

According to pediatricians, drowning remains one of the leading causes of death for young children, and many incidents happen quickly and quietly.

• Houston water safety experts urge parents to stay vigilant around swimming areas this summer

“It’s a silent thing,” said Dr. Tiffany Nguyen, a pediatrician with Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “A lot of times, what you see is you don’t hear, right? It’s a very quiet, subtle thing that if you’re not aware, you will not know.”

Doctors say summer is considered the highest-risk season for child drownings. Last year alone, more than 100 children drowned, while many others suffered near-drownings and severe neurological complications.

Nguyen encourages families to remember what she calls the “Three S’s” of water safety:

• Swim lessons
• Structural barriers like fences and alarms
• Supervision

Parents are also being encouraged to learn CPR and eliminate distractions like phones and alcohol while children are in or near the water.

• 3-year-old dies after being found in pond at Conroe apartment complex

Taylor, a Houston-area mother, said she enrolled her 7-year-old daughter, Brecken, in swim lessons at a young age to help build confidence around water.

“Swim lessons are not drown-proof, but they do provide a foundational skillset that’s very, very important,” Taylor said. “It gives children the confidence they need in the water to stay safe at least until an adult can provide some support.”

Brecken said practicing in the water helped her become more comfortable swimming.

• Child dies after drowning in Cloverleaf area

“You have to practice,” she said. “The more that you do it, the more it gets easier.”

Experts stress that even children who know how to swim still require close adult supervision around water at all times.

“No child is ever fully drown-proof,” Nguyen said.

Safety experts say preparation is key, and conversations about water safety should happen before children ever get near the pool this summer.

The drones targeted the Syzran oil refinery more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) inside Russia, Zelenskyy said on social media, where he posted a video of the aftermath.

It was impossible to verify the video or independently confirm the attack. The governor of Russia’s Samara region, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, said two people were killed by Ukrainian drones in Syzran, but he did not mention the refinery. Russia’s Astra news outlet said Ukrainian drones struck the Syzran refinery owned by oil and gas giant Rosneft.

Ukraine has expanded its mid- and long-range strike capabilities, deploying drone and missile technology that it has developed domestically to battle Russia’s 4-year-old invasion. Ukrainian weaponry and expertise are now sought by other countries, whereas earlier in the war Kyiv had to plead for massive foreign military aid.

Ukrainian drones hit another refinery the previous day, Zelenskyy said, as attacks on Russian oil assets that play a key part in funding the invasion have become almost daily occurrences.

“Overall, our long-range plan for May is being carried out largely in full,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post late Wednesday. “The key targets are Russian oil refineries, storage facilities, and other infrastructure tied to these oil revenues.”

The escalating attacks have hurt Moscow’s revenue at the same time as the economic pinch of international sanctions. With some attacks reaching more than 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) into Russia, the strikes have contributed to some Russians feeling unsafe and heaped pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine reportedly makes battlefield gains

Ukraine’s new reach has also helped it push back Russian troops along parts of the front line, with Ukrainian forces making their most significant battlefield gains since 2024, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Ukraine’s “intensified midrange strike campaign” since early 2026 "has also degraded Russian forces’ ability to conduct offensive operations across the theater and has also likely supported recent Ukrainian advances,” the Washington-based think tank said in an assessment late Wednesday.

Ukraine has slowed Russia’s battlefield advance and is gradually regaining the initiative along the front line, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said, partly due to Russian forces being denied access to Starlink satellite services to steer drones toward targets.

“Russia has since not been able to find a full replacement (for Starlink), giving Ukraine a critical battlefield advantage,” Fedorov told reporters. He spoke on Saturday, but his comments were embargoed until Thursday.

Fedorov said in February that he had asked Elon Musk’s SpaceX to help deny Russia use of the service in Ukraine. Starlink is a global internet network that relies on around 10,000 satellites orbiting Earth.

Fedorov said midsize drones have become a key technological advantage for Ukraine on the front line and claimed that Ukrainian forces have doubled their interception rate of Russian drones over the past four months.

In other developments, Ukraine is also preparing changes to military pay and contract terms, he said.

Drone attacks claim victims in Ukraine and Russia

The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 121 Ukrainian drones between late Wednesday and early Thursday.

In the Belgorod region that borders Ukraine, eight people were wounded by Ukrainian drones, according to the regional governor, Alexander Shuvayev.

Russia has also invested heavily in drones, using them to bombard civilian areas of Ukraine throughout the war and killing more than 15,000 civilians, according to the United Nations.

Ukraine’s air force said Thursday it shot down 109 out of 116 drones that Russia launched overnight.

One civilian was killed and at least six others were wounded in the strikes in the north, south and east of the country, emergency services said.

Russia holds nuclear drills

Elsewhere, Russia and neighboring Belarus held the final stage of their joint nuclear drills. As part of the exercises, trucks carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles rumbled over forest roads, atomic-powered submarines set sail from Arctic and Pacific ports, and crews scrambled into warplanes.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko inspected Russian short-range, nuclear-capable Iskander ballistic missiles at a military unit.

The three-day drills that began Tuesday come amid the surge in Ukrainian drone strikes, which make it harder for officials in the Kremlin to cast the conflict in Ukraine as something so distant that it does not affect Russian civilians.

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Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal. Associated Press writer Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

___

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

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the maneuvers in a video call with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.

“The use of nuclear weapons is an extreme, exceptional measure for ensuring the national security of our states,” Putin said.

Lukashenko earlier inspected Russian short-range nuclear-capable Iskander ballistic missiles at a military unit involved in the drills and declared: “I dreamed about this machine a long time ago.”

The three-day drills that began Tuesday come amid a surge in Ukrainian drone strikes. including on Moscow's suburbs that killed three people and damaged several buildings and industrial facilities. The strikes made it harder for officials in the Kremlin to cast the conflict in Ukraine — now in its fifth year — as something so distant that it doesn’t affect the daily routines of Russian civilians.

Drills involve wide array of nuclear weapons

Russia's Defense Ministry said the exercise involved 64,000 troops, over 200 missile launchers, more than 140 aircraft, 73 surface warships and 13 submarines, including eight armed with nuclear-tipped ICBMs. The drills focused on the “preparation and use of nuclear forces under the threat of aggression,” it said.

The maneuvers also practice cooperation with Belarus, an ally that hosts Russian nuclear weapons. Russian arsenals in Belarus include its latest intermediate range nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system.

Along with nuclear-tipped ground- and submarine-launched ICBMs, the maneuvers featured a broad assortment of short- and medium-range weapons.

Unlike the intercontinental missiles that can destroy entire cities, tactical nuclear weapons intended for use against troops on the battlefield are less powerful. They include aerial bombs and warheads for short- and medium-range missiles and artillery munitions.

The Defense Ministry said the Russian armed forces test-fired Yars and Sineva ICBMs, as well as medium-range sea-launched Zircon and air-launched Kinzhal missiles, noting that all missiles hit their designated practice targets. Belarusian troops test-fired a short-range Iskander ballistic missile inside Russia.

Kremlin nuclear messaging

Putin has repeatedly reminded the world about Moscow’s nuclear arsenals after sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to try to deter the West from ramping up support for Kyiv.

In 2024, the Kremlin adopted a revised nuclear doctrine, noting that any nation’s conventional attack on Russia that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country. That threat was clearly aimed at discouraging the West from allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with longer-range weapons and appears to significantly lower the threshold for the possible use of Moscow’s nuclear arsenal.

The revised doctrine also placed Belarus under the Russian nuclear umbrella. Putin has said that Moscow will retain control of its nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus, which borders Ukraine and NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, but would allow its ally to select the targets in case of conflict.

Drills come as Ukrainian drones spotted in the Baltics

The maneuvers are held amid an increase in drone activity in the Baltic nations. On Tuesday, a NATO jet shot down a Ukrainian drone over southern Estonia. Ukraine apologized for that “unintended incident,” without specifying what had happened.

On Wednesday, an emergency announcement about a drone flying over Belarus prompted residents of the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, including top officials and lawmakers, to take shelter and led to a brief closure of its airport.

Ukrainian drones targeting Russia's Baltic ports and energy facilities have recently crossed or come down in NATO territory on several occasions. Western officials blame apparent Russian electronic jamming of the drones.

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service said Tuesday, without providing evidence, that Ukraine is preparing drone attacks against Russia from the territory of the Baltic countries and warned of retaliation It alleged Ukrainian military personnel had been deployed to Latvia and warned that the country’s membership in NATO wouldn’t protect it from “just retribution.” Latvian authorities said the allegation was not true.

Last month, the Russian Defense Ministry published a list of factories in Europe that it said were involved in producing drones and their components for Ukraine. It warned that attacks on Russia involving drones manufactured in Europe are fraught with “unpredictable consequences.”

Some commentators interpreted the bellicose statements from Moscow and this week's exercise featuring short- and medium-range nuclear weapons capable of reaching targets in Europe as part of Kremlin efforts to discourage Western allies from bolstering support for Ukraine.

Asked what message the nuclear exercise was intended to send, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded that “any drills are intended to send a signal,” but wouldn't elaborate.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

General. By submitting an entry to The Parking Spot Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”), brought to you by KPRC 2 (“Sponsor”) and The Parking Spot (the “Co-Sponsor”), entrant acknowledges and agrees that entrant has read, understands, and agrees to be bound by these official Sweepstakes rules (“Official Rules”). By entering the Sweepstakes, entrants agree to waive any right to claim any ambiguity or error in these Official Rules, or the Sweepstakes itself, and agree to be bound by all decisions of the Sponsor, whose decisions are binding and final in all matters related to the Sweepstakes. Failure to comply with these Official Rules or any Sponsor instructions relating to the Sweepstakes’ Official Rules may result in disqualification from the Sweepstakes.

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Selection of Winners. One (1) potential winner will be selected by KPRC 2 via random drawing on July 5, 2026 from among all eligible entries received during the Sweepstakes Period.

Odds. The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries.

Winner Notification and Verification. Potential winner(s) will be announced in the sweepstakes article, subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with these Official Rules. In addition, Sponsor will attempt to notify the potential winner(s) via the telephone number or email address provided on the Entry Form (“Notification”). Potential Sweepstakes winner(s) must completely and accurately execute and return any required affidavit of eligibility, release of liability, publicity release and/or prize acceptance form (“Forms”) within 3 business days of Notification. Potential winners may be required to display a copy of a valid government photo ID in addition to the submission of any Forms. A potential winner may be disqualified and, time permitting, an alternate winner may be selected by random drawing from among all remaining entries if: (1) a potential winner cannot be contacted/does not respond to Sponsors’ first Notification attempt as directed; (2) a winner does not fulfill the eligibility requirements; (3) a winner does not adhere to the Official Rules; (4) a winner does not sign and return the Forms or provide required ID by the deadline set forth above; and/or (5) if the Notification is returned as undeliverable, refused, or declined. A POTENTIAL PRIZE WINNER IS NOT A WINNER UNTIL HIS OR HER ELIGIBILITY AND COMPLIANCE WITH THESE OFFICIAL RULES HAS BEEN VERIFIED BY THE SPONSOR. Sponsor reserves the right to contact all Sweepstakes entrants using the contact information provided in the Entry Form in connection with the Sweepstakes entry. The official record(s) of entries will remain the property of Sponsor. If a printing, programming, or other error leads to more prize claims than there are prizes provided for in the Official Rules, prize(s) will be awarded in a random drawing from among all eligible prize claims received at each prize tier.

Prize(s). The winner will receive three weeks of free parking from The Parking Spot, which can be used on multiple trips until the three week timeframe is met. (ARV: $250)

The winner must have a free Spot Club account and provide a valid account number in order to redeem the prize. The Parking Spot will award the prize by adding points to the winner’s Spot Club account.

Unless otherwise stated, subject to winner verification and compliance with these Official Rules, the prize will be electronically transferred to the winner after the winner completes and signs an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release at KPRC 2 (address provided below).

Sponsor and Co-Sponsor not responsible for loss, delay, or damage in shipping. There will be no substitution, transfer, or cash equivalent for prizes, except at the sole discretion of Sponsor, which may substitute prizes of comparable value. Limit one prize per person and per household. Payments of all federal, state, and local taxes related to the award of the prize are solely the responsibility of the winner. Prizes may not be sold, bartered, or auctioned. Prize is awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied. All properly claimed prizes will be awarded provided a sufficient number of eligible entries are received, but in no event will Sponsor award more prizes than are provided for in the Official Rules. Unclaimed prizes will not be awarded. For tax purposes, the winner of a prize (or prizes) with an ARV of at least $600 within one calendar year, will be required to accurately complete and submit IRS Form W-9 to the Sponsor, and Sponsor will arrange to issue an IRS Form 1099 MISC to winner reflecting the value of the prize(s).

Disclaimer and Representations. Each winner assumes all liability for any injuries or damages caused or claimed to be caused by winner’s participation in the Sweepstakes and/or the acceptance and/or use of any prize, and releases the Sponsor and Co-Sponsor and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and all of their officers, directors, agents, and employees (collectively, “Releasees”), from any such liability. Releasees are not responsible for: the failure of any entry to be received by the Sponsor because of electronic device errors or failures of any kind, internet disruption, telecommunications, network, electronic, telephone or mobile service outages, delays, busy signals, or any equipment malfunctions or other technical difficulties that may prevent the Sponsor from receiving any entry submission; entries that are illegible, unintelligible, incomplete, stolen, misdirected, garbled, delayed by computer transmissions, lost, late or damaged; any injury or damage to the entrant’s or any other person’s electronic device related to or resulting from participation or accessing or downloading any materials related to the Sweepstakes; or any human errors, any inaccurate transcription of entry information, errors in any promotional or marketing materials or errors in these Official Rules. If you choose to enter using your mobile phone, standard message and data rates may apply.

Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any individual from participation in the Sweepstakes if Sponsor concludes, in its sole discretion, that such person: (a) has attempted to tamper with the entry process or other operation of the Sweepstakes; (b) has failed to comply with or has attempted to circumvent these Official Rules; (c) has committed fraud or attempted to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes; or (d) has acted toward Sponsor, any other entity affiliated with the Sweepstakes, or any other entrant in an unfair, inequitable, threatening, disrupting, or harassing manner. If a dispute arises regarding compliance with these Official Rules, Sponsor may consider, in its sole discretion, data reasonably available to Sponsor through information technology systems in Sponsor’s control, but Sponsor will not be obligated to consider any data or other information collected from any other source. Any failure by Sponsor to enforce any of these Official Rules will not constitute a waiver of such Official Rules. If there is a conflict between any term of these Official Rules and any marketing or entry materials used in connection with the Sweepstakes, the terms of these Official Rules will govern.

Sponsor also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify these Official Rules for clarification purposes without materially affecting the terms and conditions of the Sweepstakes. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, terminate or modify the Sweepstakes if an insufficient number of entries are received or if the Sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned, including, without limitation, as a result of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, or technical failures of any sort, or for any reason beyond Sponsor’s control. If due to circumstances beyond the control of the Sponsor, any event related to the Sweepstakes or prize is delayed, rescheduled, postponed, cancelled or has a change of venue, the Sponsor reserves the right, but is not obligated, to cancel or modify the Sweepstakes. Notice of cancellation or modification of the Sweepstakes will be published on Sponsor’s website. If cancellation occurs prior to Sponsor’s receipt of any entries, Sponsor will not be obligated to award prize(s). If cancellation occurs after Sponsor’s receipt of entries, winner(s) will be selected by random drawing from among all eligible, non-suspect entries received prior to cancellation, provided Sponsor is able to do so.

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Sponsor/Administrator: KPRC, 8181 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77074

Co-Sponsor: The Parking Spot

A shield of rain and thunderstorms are moving across southeast Texas into the Gulf. Houston is missing the heaviest of it, with most of the rain activity south of I-10, or completely off shore.

While the rain’s intensity ranges from light to moderate, the concern with these storms are the speed. The trend over the last few days, have storms slowing down and not moving out of our area quickly. The slow progression often leads to flooding. A flood watch is in effect through Memorial Day. This pattern is with us through at least Tuesday of next week.

Thursday Morning:

Rain totals Thursday morning have been highest near the coast. Some areas in coastal Matagorda County picked up over 3 inches or rain. While communities closer to I-10 have only picked up less than half an inch.

Rain will continue to work its way west, with the heaviest of the rain still offshore. While Houston will get grazed by showers, the heaviest will likely stay on the coast throughout the day. There is a chance for scattered evening showers that focus north of Houston.

Friday and beyond: Flood risks and daily breakdown:

With the ground already saturated in our southwestern cities, street, stream and river flooding is possible with another round of heavy rain. Placement is key, and so far the Houston area’s rain totals have been manageable. But if too much rain falls in a short amount of time, we could get street flooding in the Houston area. Here’s how the next several days look.

• Friday: Storms expected again in the morning but may be more scattered with pockets of dry time.
• Saturday and Sunday: More waves of heavy rainfall could develop, keeping the flood risk in play.
• Memorial Day: Flood watch remains, with another chance for storms and heavier rainfall.

Additional rainfall totals are forecast to reach 4 to 5 inches for many areas along the upper Texas coast through Monday. Temperatures are expected to stay mostly in the low to mid-80s. It won’t rain all day long so don’t cancel any plans but be ready to adjust those plans.

Memorial Day Weekend:

The number one question I’ve received about this upcoming weekend is timing of the rain. Unfortunately, the weather pattern we have isn’t giving us this luxury. We aren’t able to see these small disturbances until 12 to 24 hours before the rain starts. Stay tuned, we’ll continue to update our forecast and tell you as soon as we see what’s coming next.

7-Day Forecast:

This active pattern should stay with us through at least Tuesday. The hope is next week we head into a hit and miss afternoon storm pattern and not the widespread daily flood threat. We’ll keep you posted.

Have you captured a dramatic rain photo or video? Share your weather moments with the KPRC 2 community through Click2Pins at Click2Houston.com/pins.

Pressured by the White House, Republicans tried to add the money to a roughly $70 billion bill to restore funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. But the security proposal met with opposition from some GOP lawmakers who are questioning the timing of the request, the cost and how the taxpayer dollars would be used.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged “ongoing vote issues” on Wednesday as leaders tried to measure Republican support and figure out what will be allowed in the bill under the chamber’s rules.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told reporters Wednesday that the bill was “back to square one” without the security money because “the votes are not there.”

Thune hopes to pass the bill this week and send it to the House before leaving for a weeklong Memorial Day recess. But the bill’s text has still not been released as leaders were wrangling over the security proposal and new GOP concerns over the Trump administration's $1.776 billion settlement fund.

Republican senators were set to meet with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday as they finalized the text and decided whether to put parameters on the settlement, which was designed to compensate Trump's allies who believe they have been politically persecuted. Thune told reporters that senators have questions about the fund and want to know "how we might make sure that it’s fenced in appropriately.”

The last-minute scramble comes as Democrats have criticized Republicans for trying to fund Trump’s ballroom when voters are concerned about basic affordability issues — and as some GOP lawmakers have grown increasingly frustrated with Trump. Several GOP senators have spoken out against the settlement, which was announced this week, and many were upset by the president’s endorsement Tuesday of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the party primary runoff next week against Sen. John Cornyn.

Possible parameters on Trump's settlement fund

The “anti-weaponization” fund, part of a settlement that resolves Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns, unexpectedly has become one of the main complications in the bill. Democrats said they would force votes to block it or place restrictions on it.

Democrats have an opening because Republicans are trying to pass the immigration enforcement bill through a complicated budget process that requires a long series of amendment votes. Democrats are considering multiple amendments, potentially to block that new fund outright or to ban any payments to Trump supporters who harmed law enforcement officers in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Presenting a united front, Democrats from both the House and Senate rallied on the Capitol steps Thursday to show their opposition. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the amendment process “will give Republicans countless chances to do the right thing.”

He added that if they declined to make changes, it would show voters that “Ballroom Republicans are not working for you, they are busy fighting for Trump."

Those amendments, along with others, could pass as a growing number of Republicans have voiced reservations about the fund. So Republicans are now discussing their own last-minute additions to head that off, potentially placing some parameters on the settlement and who could receive compensation, according to two people with knowledge of the private discussions who requested anonymity to discuss them.

It was unclear how any Senate changes would be received in the House. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Wednesday that the House will pass the bill “whatever form it takes.”

Tensions rise between Senate and White House

As Republicans challenged the settlement and parts of his agenda, Trump unloaded on the Senate in a social media post on Wednesday.

He urged Republicans to fire the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, who said over the weekend that parts of the $1 billion security proposal cannot remain in the ICE and Border Patrol bill. Trump also renewed his long-standing calls for the Senate to pass the SAVE Act, a Republican bill that would require all voters to prove U.S. citizenship, and to end the Senate filibuster.

Republicans need to “get smart and tough,” Trump said, or “you’ll all be looking for a job much sooner than you thought possible!”

While they have been loyal to Trump on most issues, Senate Republicans have resisted his repeated calls — even in his first term — to kill the filibuster, which triggers a 60-vote threshold in the Senate.

Hanging over the growing GOP rift is Trump’s surprise endorsement of Paxton. That intervention has Republican senators privately fuming that it could cost them their majority in November as they view the incumbent, Cornyn, as the better candidate in the November general election.

Secret Service request falters

Under the Secret Service’s request, about $220 million would fund security improvements related to the ballroom. The rest would go for a new screening center for visitors, training and other security measures.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said the effort to add the security package to the bill was a “bad idea.” The bill should not have included the other security improvements, he said, “because it’s just giving everybody the ‘billion-dollar ballroom.'”

Several other Republicans in the House and Senate have questioned the request, and senators left a briefing with the director of the Secret Service last week saying they needed a lot more information.

People “can’t afford groceries and gasoline and healthcare, and we’re going to do a billion dollars for a ballroom?” asked Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost reelection in his GOP primary on Saturday after Trump endorsed one of his opponents.

Left in the bill is the money for ICE and Border Patrol, which Democrats have blocked for months in protest of the administration's immigration enforcement crackdown.

Democrats demanded changes for the agencies, but negotiations with the White House yielded little progress. So Republicans are using the complicated budget maneuver called reconciliation — the same process that allowed them to pass Trump's tax and spending cuts bill last year — to fund the agencies through the end of Trump's term with a simple majority and no Democratic votes.

Still, passage requires sign-off from the parliamentarian and unity from Republicans.

___

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.

“Our bid is a genuine promise for future generations,” Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner said during the 90-minute debate that preceded the vote Thursday. “We want positive development for Berlin.”

Wegner’s CDU political party received support from rival SPD members and the far-right AfD for the Berlin Olympic and Paralympic plans that he first presented in May last year in the same stadium where Jesse Owens defied Adolf Hitler in the 1936 Games.

Berlin’s state government approved the concept this month for a bid that relies mostly on existing sports facilities and envisages using city landmarks such as the city park at the former airport Tempelhof.

It estimated the cost at 4.82 billion euros ($5.6 billion), with revenue of 5.24 billion euros projected, giving a net profit of around 420 million euros, with a quarter of that going to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“If we put on a summer fairy tale for the world, then it’s a chance for the world,” Wegner said.

The plans were opposed by politicians from the Left party and Greens who referred to the financial risks of hosting the Olympics and criticized what they called “empty promises” and “castles in the air,” news agency DPA reported.

Tobias Schulze of the Left party said the last three Olympic Games were more than twice as expensive as initially planned, and he pointed out that many of the proposed venues need renovation.

The bid organizers decided not to hold a referendum in contrast to organizers of three other bids from Germany.

Bids from Munich and North Rhine-Westphalia were approved in referendums, while vote-eligible people in Hamburg will have their say on that city's proposed bid on May 31.

If Hamburg's bid survives, one of the four will be selected by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) on Sep. 26 for submission to the IOC.

“On behalf of the entire German sporting community, I congratulate Berlin on this decision, which was supported by a large majority,” DOSB president Thomas Weikert said.

"The bid has already garnered significant attention and sparked new enthusiasm for sport in the capital.”

However, many Berliners are against the idea of staging the Olympics at all, regardless of them potentially taking place on the 100th anniversary of the Games already hosted by the Nazis. An initiative called “ NOlympia Berlin ” is collecting signatures in an effort to force a referendum.

Germany wants to host the Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044.

___

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

From cracked pavement to deep potholes capable of damaging tires, rims and suspensions, rough roads are a common frustration for drivers across the city.

“I mean, they’re awful,” Houston resident Arighno Das said. “They’re huge. They’re everywhere.”

Das, who moved to Houston from Chicago about a year ago, said some roads in Houston are worse than what he experienced in the Midwest.

“I’ve come to get used to it,” said Michael Crawford.

Houston Public Works says repairs happen fast

But Houston Public Works Director Randy Macchi says the city is fixing reported potholes faster than many residents realize.

“We resolve 99% of resident-reported pothole problems within the next business day,” Macchi said in a podcast hosted by the Houston Mayor’s office.

Macchi called Houston’s pothole program “the best in the country,” saying public works leaders from other major cities regularly ask how Houston repairs potholes so quickly.

“When we talk about what we’re doing in Houston, 99 and a half percent almost by the next business day, they look at me and say, ‘How do you do that?’” Macchi said.

According to Macchi, residents reporting potholes through Houston’s 311 system helps crews respond quickly.

“Without a doubt, where potholes are concerned, 311 is the best place to go,” Macchi said. “We have an expedited service, folks that are monitoring it continually.”

• Former Texas correctional officer pleads guilty in conspiracy case after orchestrating attack on inmate who spit on him

Macchi said crews immediately inspect reported issues to determine whether they are standard potholes or larger infrastructure problems.

“If it’s generally bigger than a pizza box, then it’s going to require a more extensive repair,” Macchi said.

He said larger roadway failures can involve sinkholes, collapsing sewer lines, subsidence or sinking manholes.

KPRC 2 tested the city’s pothole claims

KPRC 2 set out to test the city’s claim by reviewing potholes reported Monday through Houston’s 311 system and revisiting many of those locations Tuesday.

Locations across Houston were checked, including Bellaire Boulevard, West Bellfort Avenue, North Shepherd Drive and several streets in the Heights.

At most locations visited, the potholes had already been patched.

City records reviewed by KPRC 2 showed multiple potholes marked repaired by the following business day, including locations at 10804 Bellaire Blvd., 8201 W. Bellfort Ave., 241 W. 19th St., 303 W. 19th St., 2002 N. Shepherd Dr. and E. 7th 1/2 Street at Studewood Street.

Some residents initially doubted the city’s claim.

“Yeah, there’s no way 99% of the potholes not happening,” Houston Heights resident Garth Kemp said before hearing about KPRC 2’s findings.

But after seeing freshly repaired potholes in his neighborhood, Kemp reconsidered.

“Well, then I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt,” Kemp said. “These two right there, I wouldn’t have noticed unless you stopped me.”

Macchi said the city’s response times are part of a larger effort to rebuild trust in local government.

“We want folks to have confidence that when we say call 311 and we’ll take care of it, that it actually happens,” Macchi said.

Some roads need more than a quick patch

Not every problem could be solved with a simple pothole repair.

At 1500 Yale St., what appeared to be a pothole was actually a sinking manhole cover requiring more extensive work.

Another location along El Paseo Street near the Texas Medical Center remained heavily damaged Tuesday, with potholes stretching across much of the roadway despite signs of previous patchwork repairs.

KPRC 2 placed a camera inside one of the potholes while vehicles drove over it without touching the equipment because of the depth.

• ‘It’s scary’: California teen speaks out after photo is falsely shared online as San Diego mosque shooting suspect

Das questioned whether repeated patching is enough for roads in poor condition.

“I think sometimes you just have to fix it,” Das said. “Just putting Band-Aids over it is not the solution.”

Macchi acknowledged potholes are often signs of broader roadway problems.

“Potholes, as I like to remind people, are symptoms of larger problems,” Macchi said.

Houston’s street system is massive

According to Macchi, Houston maintains roughly 16,000 lane miles of roadway.

“That’s the distance of Houston to Tokyo and back,” he said.

Macchi said the city has increasingly focused on proactive repairs instead of waiting for residents to report potholes, which is outlined on the city’s Pothole Tracker.

“This year alone, we’ve already dealt with almost 25,000 potholes that we have proactively taken care of,” Macchi said. “You compare that to the ones that are reported through 311 and you’re only about 1,500.”

Macchi said Houston has also expanded pavement preservation efforts aimed at extending the life of city streets and reducing long-term deterioration.

“We’ve got a lot more that we can do,” Macchi said. “But we’re glad that you were able to prove it, that when we say we really do it, we really did it.”

Have a pothole on your street? Report it to 311 here.

The transformation is the work of JR, the street artist known as the “French Banksy,” who this week began inflating a giant artificial “cave” over the Pont Neuf, turning the 17th-century bridge that has carried Parisians across the Seine for more than 400 years into a rocky illusion rising over the river.

JR has said the idea of La Caverne du Pont Neuf, is to bring “mineral and nature” back to the heart of the city. He says he is not covering the bridge so much as revealing the stone taken from limestone quarries from which Paris itself was cut.

A jagged mass of gray rock now seems to rise over its arches. From downstream, the landmark appears to have vanished beneath a prehistoric cliff, its stone openings transformed into dark cave mouths above the water.

“I thought, ‘Where has the bridge gone?’” said Marie Leclerc, 62, who stopped on the quay on her way to work. “It’s strange because you know it’s fabric and air, but from here it really looks like stone. Paris feels suddenly ancient again.”

The inflation, carried out overnight after being delayed by bad weather, is the most dramatic stage yet of a project more than a year in the making.

“It’s a gigantic puzzle that has just been finished,” JR told The Associated Press at the bridge as his team prepared to pump in the air. “We’re going to send air inside, and all these rocks will rise into the Paris sky, almost 18 meters high. Once they’re inflated, they stay.”

One of the most ambitious public artworks Paris has seen in decades — funded by the sale of JR’s work and a handful of corporate partners — it does not open to the public until June 6.

The transformation has been documented by the AP since March with time-lapse cameras, including one fixed on a rooftop terrace high above the river, watching the bridge slowly disappear day by day.

From the outside, the installation looks like a rocky mass that “literally” breaks the landscape, said JR, who is famous for pasting enormous photographs on buildings, walls and rooftops around the world. He is often compared to the British street artist Banksy for the style of his work.

“Usually everyone crosses here without looking,” said Julien Moreau, 34, taking photos from near the Seine River. “This morning everyone was standing still. That’s already the artwork.”

JR said he wanted Parisians to do something unusual on their most famous bridge: stop.

“We’re all a bit stressed. We want it to work,” he said, as workers in harnesses readied the structure. “But that’s the beauty of a project like this — its fragility, the fact of working in the street, exposing yourself to everyone.”

Some passersby, he added, “will walk by without even realizing it’s rising. Others will be completely amazed.”

The structure is 120 meters (393 feet) long and 18 meters (59 feet) tall — as high as a six-story building.

Yet it is built almost entirely from air — 80 fabric arches filled with 20,000 cubic meters of it — and weighs only about five tons.

JR’s engineers spent weeks testing the structure in a hangar at Orly airport, simulating a cut to the air supply to be sure the inflatable rock would hold its shape.

The fabric was hand-stitched by 25 artisans in a village in Brittany.

Visitors will be able to walk for free through a long, dark tunnel that lets in no daylight. “You enter into the darkness,” JR said, “and emerge into the light on the other side.”

He described it as a journey each person is free to take in their own way: “Many people will pass through this cave and let their imagination dictate what they feel.”

The artwork is a tribute to a Parisian artistic legend.

In 1985, artist Christo and his wife, Jeanne-Claude, wrapped the same bridge in pale golden fabric — 13 kilometers of rope, a decade of arguing with city hall, three million visitors in two weeks.

The act helped invent the idea of monumental art in modern cities. A square beside the bridge now carries their names — and it is from there that visitors will step into the dark.

“It’s pretty hard to go after them,” JR said.

The cave is also a warning. JR built it as a nod to Plato’s allegory, in which prisoners mistake shadows on a wall for the real world.

“What are our caves today? Our phones,” he said. “Because we believe that our algorithm on social media is the reality.”

Then he walks straight into the contradiction: to enter his cave about screens, visitors raise their phones.

The tech company Snap has built an augmented-reality layer that shows what the eye cannot.

The sound is a low, mineral hum from Thomas Bangalter, formerly of Daft Punk — who was 10 the year Christo wrapped the bridge.

The cave will be open around the clock from June 6-28, closing the bridge to traffic and visible from the quays, from passing boats, even from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

It will coincide with Paris Fashion Week, World Music Day and the all-night Nuit Blanche arts festival.

When it comes down, the fabric will be reused or recycled.

Then, like the golden wrapping over 40 years before, the cave will be gone — and the Pont Neuf, older than the republic and older than the revolution, will reappear exactly as it was.

___

Associated Press journalist Oleg Cetinic contributed from Paris.

Yet like other major retailers posting financial results this week, Walmart was cautious about the rest of the year given the current economic uncertainty. On Thursday, it issued a forecast for the current quarter that was weaker than what Wall Street had been expecting.

Shares slipped more than 6% Thursday.

Walmart has resonated with many Americans who are increasingly careful about where they spend their money as inflation takes a bigger bite out of paychecks, notably gasoline which has soared since the start of the Iran war in late February. Walmart can serve as a barometer of consumer spending given its vast customer base. More than 150 million customers are on its website or in its stores every week, according to Walmart.

One telling shift during the quarter that captures the stress many Americans are feeling: The number of gallons that customers put in their cars during visits to U.S. Walmart and Sam’s Club gas stations fell below 10 for the first time since 2022, which was the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That’s an indication of stress,” said Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey.

Walmart touted strong sales that were fueled by online shopping on Thursday.

Comparable sales at U.S. Walmart stores rose 4.1% during the three-month period ended April 30. Walmart’s U.S online sales rose 26%, the company said.

Walmart’s promise of lower prices, faster delivery and a refresh of its merchandise has attracted wealthier shoppers. The biggest gains in market share for Walmart are coming from households with annual income over $100,000. That shift is taking place as lower-income shoppers become more entrenched in what economists collectively call a K-shaped economy.

“We see with our customers that the high-income customer is spending with confidence into many categories, while the lower income consumer is more budget conscious and perhaps navigating financial distress,” Rainey told analysts on Thursday.

U.S. retailers have spent months navigating an uncertain economic environment, from President Donald Trump’s tariffs to the impact of soaring gasoline prices due to the war. The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline raced higher this week and did so again overnight. Gasoline prices are about 45% above where they were at this time last year.

Based on quarterly financial reports this week from Walmart, as well as Target, Home Depot, Lowe's and TJX, shoppers are cautious but still spending, helped by more generous tax refunds. Yet there is a widespread belief among economists that once those refunds dry up, shoppers will pull back on spending. Consumer spending is the dominant economic engine for the U.S., and retreat would have broad implications for the U.S.

Target reported the largest jump in comparable sales in four years Wednesday, but a cautious outlook overshadowed rather convincing evidence that changes under the company’s new CEO are landing solidly with customers. Target raised its annual revenue outlook Wednesday, but it was still below the pace of its first quarter this year.

The nation’s two largest home improvement retailers Home Depot and Lowe’s reported strong sales, but both companies said that customers are putting off larger home projects.

“I think, overall, this has been the most difficult housing market that I’ve faced in this business since the financial crisis,” Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison said this week.

Walmart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas reported first-quarter earnings of $5.33 billion, or 67 cents, for the quarter ended April 30. Adjusted per-share results were 66 cents, matching the 66 cents that analysts expected, according to FactSet.

For the year-ago quarter, the company reported net income of $4.48 billion, or 56 cents per share.

Sales rose 7.3% to $177.75 billion in the fiscal first quarter, above the $174.84 billion that analysts predicted.

Walmart said higher fuel prices took a bite out of profits as it was forced to absorb higher transportation costs.

The company highlighted its speedier deliveries, which is driving more shoppers to buy more often. Rainey said that roughly 60% of U.S. online deliveries arrive at customers' homes in 30 minutes or less.

For the second quarter, Walmart expects sales to be 4% to 5% higher than the same period a year ago. It also expects per-share profit to be between 72 cents and 74 cents. Analysts had been projecting per-share earns of 75 cents on sales of $186.2 billion, according to FactSet.

Walmart stuck to the annual guidance that it issued in February.

Dylan Coghlan’s wrist shot under Scott Wedgewood’s legs ended a scoreless deadlock and helped the Vegas Golden Knights steal home ice from the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche with a 4-2 statement win Wednesday night at Ball Arena.

“Honestly, I didn't know it went in until I looked at Shea (Theodore) and he was just smiling at me,” Coghlan said.

It was Coghlan’s first career NHL playoff goal, his fist score in the league in nearly five years and just his seventh net-finder of his career. Adding to his big night, the 28-year-old defenseman made a terrific breakup of a 3-on-2 breakaway that kept the Avalanche scuffling to find the net themselves.

“Yeah, so happy for him,” winning goalie Carter Hart said. "He came in in the Anaheim series. I thought he did a tremendous job then. Stepped up tonight huge. That was a huge first goal for us tonight and I couldn't be happier for the guy."

Vegas forward Pavel Dorofeyev praised Coghlan's overall game, saying, “It's not just about his goal. He did a lot of things right, especially in D-zone, on breakouts.”

But, that goal ...

Coghlan hadn’t scored since Dec. 17, 2021, in a game against the New York Islanders, and half of his six career goals came on a hat trick in a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild on March 10, 2021.

“He's an easy guy to pull for,” Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said.

Coghlan had 14 goals in 62 games this season for Henderson in the American Hockey League. He was scoreless in three regular-season games for Vegas.

“When you say Dylan Coghlan to me, I think of no fear,” Tortorella said. “I think he’s one of our best defensemen since he’s been with us and in the lineup. ... He’s a bit unflappable.”

The Golden Knights stole home ice from the top-seeded Avalanche, who had won eight of nine games in these playoffs before their dud in the Western Conference Final opener.

Colorado defenseman Cale Makar missed Game 1 with an upper-body injury. Makar left the ice holding his right arm following a collision late in Game 5 against Minnesota last week but returned as Colorado won the game in overtime.

Makar’s absence proved a big blow for the Avalanche. This is the first time Makar has missed a playoff game for the Avalanche with an injury. The Norris Trophy finalist has four goals and an assist while averaging nearly 25 minutes of ice time through the opening two rounds. Makar also is an integral part of Colorado’s special teams, which surrendered a power-play goal to Dorofeyev in the second period.

Colorado tried some different combinations without Makar. It led to some confusion, with Coghlan sneaking into the middle of the ice and lining a shot through the pads of Wedgewood to break a scoreless game in the second period.

“There’s definitely a trickle-down effect to that,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of not having Makar. “But he’s not playing. We have to find a way.”

Coghlan has bounced around over his career, spending his first two seasons with Vegas before stints with Carolina and Winnipeg. He returned to the Golden Knights last July in part, he said, because of the bonds he’d formed.

“This is probably the best I’ve felt in my whole career,” Coghlan said. “Whoever it is I’m playing with I’m very comfortable out there with them. They make it pretty easy on me. We have some pretty world-class players.”

___

This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of Pavel Dorofeyev’s last name.

___

AP Sports Writer Pat Graham and AP freelancer Ashlyn Stapleton contributed to this report.

___

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

The government released confidential papers related to the appointment in response to legislation passed by Parliament after lawmakers accused the king’s brother of putting his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein ahead of the nation. The former prince was stripped of his royal titles, including Duke of York, last year and is now known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

“The Queen is very keen that the Duke of York should take on a prominent role in the promotion of national interests,” the head of Britain’s trade body wrote to two senior cabinet ministers on Feb. 25, 2000.

The queen worried about her son

The involvement of the late queen confirms previously held beliefs that the monarch had a soft spot for her second son, which may have influenced her lack of decisiveness in dealing with allegations about his links to Epstein. Royal commentators have for years suggested that the queen should have moved quicker to remove her son from royal duties, and her failure to do so tarnished the monarchy.

Mountbatten-Windsor served as Britain’s special envoy for international trade from 2001 to 2011, when he was forced to give up the role because of concerns about his links to questionable figures in Libya and Azerbaijan.

If nothing else, the documents suggest Elizabeth worried about him, said Craig Prescott, an expert on constitutional law and the monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London.

“It's like, in a sense, if the queen makes it clear that that’s her wish, that’s the end of the argument,'' Prescott said. "Her Majesty’s civil service, as it was then, would have to deal with it on that basis.”

Lawmakers approved a motion in February demanding publication of the documents after the former prince was arrested and questioned for several hours on allegations he shared government reports with Epstein while he was trade envoy.

Documents suggest Mountbatten-Windsor was appointed with little due diligence

Trade Minister Chris Bryant said in a written statement to lawmakers that “we have found no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken” before Mountbatten-Windsor was appointed to the role of special trade envoy.

“There is also no evidence that this was considered. This is understandable since this new appointment was a continuation of the royal family’s involvement in trade and investment promotion work following the Duke of Kent’s decision to relinquish his duties as Vice-Chairman of the Overseas Trade Board,” he said.

He said that the government was cooperating with Thames Valley Police on their investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor and possible misconduct in public office.

Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal titles late last year as the U.S. Justice Department prepared to release millions of pages of documents related to its investigation of Epstein. Those files showed how the wealthy financier used an international web of rich, powerful friends to gain influence and sexually exploit young women and girls.

Nowhere has the fallout from the document release been felt more strongly than in the U.K., where the scandal has raised questions about the way power is wielded by the aristocracy, senior politicians and influential business owners, known collectively as “the Establishment.”

Mountbatten-Windsor has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

Officials did suggest not offering the former prince golf trips

There were hints, however, that some had misgivings about giving Mountbatten-Windsor the high-profile trade role, where his effectiveness relied on his credibility. The back and forth suggested that while officials may not have questioned his appointment, they were involved in making suggestions about what he shouldn't be allowed to do in the role.

Kathryn Colvin, head of protocol at the Foreign Office, wrote in a January 2000 memo that Andrew’s private secretary “asked that the Duke of York should not be offered golfing functions abroad. This was a private activity and if he took his clubs with him he would not play in any public sense.”

Another document, a government memo sent to U.K. trade staff around the world, warned that Mountbatten-Windsor’s “high public profile” will require “careful and sometimes strict media management.”

Sinner was on Thursday drawn a French opponent in the first round — Clement Tabur, ranked a career-high 165th. Tabur received the wild card vacated by former champion Stan Wawrinka, who gained a late automatic entry.

With two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz out injured, Sinner is the overwhelming men's favorite on the red clay of Roland Garros, where play starts on Sunday.

The Italian is unbeaten in three months. He's won 29 straight matches and dropped just three sets. The French Open is the only major Sinner hasn’t won. Sinner had three match points in last year's final but Alcaraz prevailed in an epic match.

In the women's draw, Coco Gauff is trying to become just the third woman to successfully defend the Roland Garros title this century after Justine Henin and Iga Swiątek. Gauff will start her campaign against fellow American Taylor Townsend, a doubles specialist.

Gauff said at the draw she was “as ready as you can be.”

“I feel I had a good tournament in Rome, similar to the preparation I had last year, so I feel really ready.”

In the absence of Alcaraz, who will also miss Wimbledon, Sinner has claimed all three clay Masters trophies in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome. Sinner has the fifth longest winning run in the ATP Tour era (since 1990). Novak Djokovic has the record of 43 straight wins in 2010-11.

With his historic Rome title — first homegrown men's champion in 50 years — Sinner became the second man after Djokovic to win all nine Masters, the biggest tournaments outside the Grand Slams.

Djokovic continues to chase an unprecedented 25th major title. But the Roland Garros champion from 2016, 2021, and 2023 is in Paris with only one match on clay this season and only three tournaments all year because of a shoulder injury. The 38-year-old will take on Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round. Djokovic couldn't meet Sinner until the final.

No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev, still looking for his first major crown after making it to the 2024 final in Paris, will be up against another local player, Benjamin Bonzi.

Home favorite Arthur Fils, the highest-ranked French player at No. 19, opens against Wawrinka in a mouthwatering contest.

Gauff aiming for back to back

Gauff’s first Roland Garros title came with a victory over top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the final a year ago.

Just like last year, Gauff was the runner-up at the Italian Open, losing in the final to Elina Svitolina. She is No. 4 and seeded to meet No. 1 Sabalenka in the semifinals.

While Sabalenka remains unbeatable at times on hard courts, she is still perfecting her game on clay. She was upset by American Hailey Baptiste in the Madrid Open quarterfinals and lost in the third round at the Italian Open to 36-year-old Sorana Cirstea.

Sabalenka appeared visibly bothered by lower back pain in Rome. Her first-round opponent is Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, a Spaniard ranked 51st.

Elena Rybakina, ranked No. 2 and this year’s Australian Open champion, is in the same half of the draw as No. 3 Swiątek.

Rybakina has mixed results on clay. She has reached the French quarterfinals twice. She starts against Veronika Erjavec of Slovenia.

Swiątek, the four-time French Open champion, lost to Svitolina in the Rome semifinals and is still reshaping her game under new coach Francisco Roig, who used to work with Rafael Nadal. Swiątek’s 26-match winning streak at Roland Garros ended in the semifinals last year with a loss to Sabalenka. She opens against Emerson Jones of Australia, a wild card.

Svitolina, who is from Ukraine, claimed the Rome title for her first WTA 1000 trophy in eight years — and is back in the top 10 after a maternity leave. But she’s never been past the semifinals of a Grand Slam, and never past the quarterfinals at the French Open. Svitolina takes on Anna Bondar in the first round.

___

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

According to the Pearland Police Department, officers responded around 1:08 a.m. to a report of a rollover crash with possible entrapment in the 15500 block of the State Highway 288 Toll Ramp South.

• MORE NEWS: Houston woman says road rage incident on Katy Freeway ended with gunshot caught on camera

When officers arrived, they found a vehicle on fire with four occupants inside, police said. Three occupants appeared unresponsive, and officers tried to extinguish the fire and remove the occupants until Pearland Fire Department crews arrived.

PFD personnel extricated three occupants, who were transported to area hospitals for medical treatment, police said. One occupant was pronounced dead at the scene.

The PPD’s Crime Scene Investigations Unit, Drone Team, and Crash Reconstruction Team are investigating.

Because of the severity of the crash and damage to a guardrail, all southbound traffic on SH 288 Toll Road has been diverted, according to police.

The toll road is temporarily inaccessible from the Hughes Ranch and Discovery Bay entrance ramps. TxDOT has been notified, and authorities said they are working to ensure the roadway is safe before reopening.

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits for the week ending May 16 fell by 3,000 to 209,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s fewer than the 213,000 new applications analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet had forecast.

Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered a proxy for U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.

Despite historically low layoffs, the labor market appears to be stuck in what economists call a “low-hire, low-fire” state. That’s kept the unemployment rate low at 4.3%, but left many of those out of work struggling to find new employment.

Though U.S. employers delivered a surprising 115,000 new jobs in April, the Iran war has injected a large degree of uncertainty about the broader U.S. economy and labor market.

The Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world’s oil travels through, remains closed. Since the beginning of the war in late February, oil prices have spiked more than 50% and the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. has climbed to $4.56 from less than $3. Besides hitting consumers’ pocketbooks, those higher costs can discourage businesses from hiring.

Data from the U.S. government last week revealed that inflation at the consumer level rose 3.8% from April 2025, the biggest jump in three years. Food prices are also up, but may not yet fully reflect rising energy costs due to the Iran war, analysts say.

Another report last week showed that wholesale prices shot up 6% from a year ago, the highest point in more than three years. The Labor Department’s producer price index — which tracks inflation before it hits consumers — shot up 1.4% from March to April, the biggest monthly gain in more than four years.

This comes at a time when U.S. inflation is already above the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. At its most recent meeting, the Fed opted to leave its benchmark rate alone, citing economic uncertainty caused by instability in the Middle East and still-elevated inflation.

Lower interest rates can boost the economy and hiring, but also tend to stoke inflation, leading a number of Federal Reserve policymakers to say they are willing to consider an interest rate hike this year.

On top of that, the recent artificial intelligence boom and the investment required to develop it could alter or even replace some jobs.

A number of high-profile companies have cut jobs recently, including Verizon, UPS, Amazon, Disney and Walmart.

Weekly jobless aid applications have stabilized in a range mostly between 200,000 and 250,000 since the U.S. economy emerged from the pandemic recession. However, hiring began slowing about two years ago and tapered further in 2025 due to President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff rollouts, his purge of the federal workforce and the lingering effects of high interest rates meant to control inflation.

Employers added fewer than 200,000 jobs last year, compared with about 1.5 million in 2024, according to the data firm FactSet.

The Labor Department’s report Thursday showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which softens some of the weekly volatility, inched down by 1,500 to 202,500.

The total number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the previous week ending May 9 grew by 6,000 to 1.78 million.

“This is it,” Rodgers said Wednesday when the four-time NFL MVP was asked if this would be his final year.

The 42-year-old did not expand on why he came to that conclusion. Maybe because there was no need.

Rodgers acknowledged that he thought his time in Pittsburgh — and perhaps the league — was over when Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stepped down the day after a blowout first-round playoff loss to Houston in January.

Things changed when Pittsburgh hired Mike McCarthy a few weeks later, a decision that Rodgers said he may have played a small role in when he encouraged Steelers general manager Omar Khan to talk to McCarthy. Rodgers and McCarthy spent 13 years together in Green Bay, winning a Super Bowl while becoming a playoff fixture.

McCarthy and Rodgers stayed in constant communication in recent months as Rodgers weighed whether to run it back one last time. While there was no one tipping point, the relative health of his 42-year-old body and the chance to have his career come “full circle" with a team that spent the offseason upgrading the offense in hopes of ending a lengthy playoff victory drought led to a reunion he called “surreal.”

“It is like a (bunch of) ‘pinch me’ moments that have happened in the last few days,” Rodgers said following the second day of Pittsburgh's voluntary organized team activities.

Perhaps because McCarthy hardly came back to his hometown alone.

The familiar faces from Rodgers' time in Green Bay are everywhere inside the Steelers' facility, from defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to offensive line coach James Campen. There are “getting the band back together” vibes everywhere Rodgers looks.

When Rodgers plopped into a chair for a meeting on Monday, in many ways it felt like it was 2006, when he was entering his second year in Green Bay as Brett Favre's backup and McCarthy was a first-year head coach still finding his way.

“Took me back to being a 22-year-old kid,” Rodgers said with a smile.

Only he's hardly that anymore. While the oldest player in the NFL turned back the clock enough last season to throw for 24 touchdowns against seven interceptions and guide the Steelers to the AFC North title, he also missed a game after breaking several bones in his left wrist and looked very much his age during the second half of what became a blowout loss to the Texans that ended both Pittsburgh's season and Tomlin's largely successful 19-year run as head coach.

Still, Rodgers believes he has enough left to attempt the rarest of exits for players of his stature: the ability to go out on his own terms.

McCarthy said Rodgers “can still throw it with anybody," though the time of year when Rodgers will be asked to really cut it loose is still months away. Perhaps Rodgers' most important job through OTAs, minicamp and training camp is helping the Steelers prepare for life without him.

While McCarthy and Rodgers stayed in constant communication as Rodgers hung out in Malibu, California, with his wife and weighed his options for 2026, the Steelers selected Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the third round of the draft, and McCarthy has talked up 2025 sixth-round choice Will Howard at every turn since taking over.

Allar and Howard figure to be in the mix this time next year when the Steelers restart their quest to find a long-term solution at the game's most important position, a search that's been ongoing since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement in January 2022.

Rodgers' presence offers a cheat code of sorts. He knows all the answers to the test, particularly when the test is offered by McCarthy. Allar and Howard will get to spend the next seven or so months soaking up what they can from Rodgers about what McCarthy wants and perhaps more importantly, how he wants it.

McCarthy called Rodgers “a tremendous resource” who also happens to be a future Hall of Famer, giving him a certain cachet that might make him a better conduit for what McCarthy is trying to teach than the coach himself.

“It's like parenting,” McCarthy said. “I could sit there and tell my kids something, and then, like if he’d walk in and tell my son George something, he’d jump out the window and do it.”

While Rodgers took a friendly jab at Favre — whom he sat behind during the first three years of his career — by borrowing a phrase from Favre that mentoring is “not in my job description,” the reality is it's a role he relishes.

Just not as much as the chance to win. When Rodgers signed with the Steelers a year ago, he called the decision “best for my soul.” It's much the same this time around.

He likes what the team has done by trading for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., signing running back Rico Dowdle and drafting wideout Germie Bernard. The offensive line could be better with Troy Fautanu moving over to left tackle. The defense still has a pair of franchise icons in defensive lineman Cam Heyward and outside linebacker TJ Watt.

And now it has a quarterback eager to soak up every last bit of the final chapter of a career that will end with a gold jacket and a bust in the Hall of Fame. Just not quite yet.

“I am excited about these guys," he said. “I’m excited about the team.”

___

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

The Communications and Multimedia Commission said the move followed the circulation of “grossly offensive, false, menacing and insulting” content, including AI-generated videos and manipulated images linked to an account falsely claiming association with king Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar.

Such matters fall within the sensitive issues of race, religion and royalty “which are highly sensitive and may undermine public order, national harmony and respect for constitutional institutions,” the regulator said in a statement.

Despite prior notifications and engagements, it said TikTok’s moderation response especially in ensuring the prompt removal of such content and preventing further dissemination was unsatisfactory.

It said TikTok — which has not publicly commented on the case — has been issued a legal notice that requires it to explain its moderation failures and undertake immediate remedial measures, including strengthening its content moderation mechanisms and improving enforcement against content that violates Malaysian laws and community standards.

The commission said social media platforms operating in Malaysia are expected to exercise greater responsibility in preventing unlawful and harmful activities on their services.

It warned it would continue to take “firm and proportionate action” to ensure digital platforms comply with their responsibilities in maintaining a safe and respectful online environment.

The move comes amid Malaysia’ s broader push to tighten oversight of digital platforms, with authorities in recent years stepping up enforcement against social media companies over harmful content, scams, online gambling and material deemed offensive or threatening to public order.

TikTok did not respond to a request by The Associated Press for comment.

The vote is the latest effort by Democrats to rein in Trump's military campaigns by using the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Previous votes on similar resolutions have failed, but Democrats are hoping that Thursday could be a turning point.

One by one, a small but potentially crucial number of Republicans have sided with Democrats to check Trump's power to continue the conflict. On Tuesday, the Senate advanced another war powers resolution on the Iran war when four GOP senators supported the resolution and three others were absent from the vote.

A final vote on the Senate resolution could also come Thursday, though Republican leaders expect they'll be able to block it once every GOP senator is present.

Frustration with Iran war grows on Capitol Hill

On Capitol Hill, patience with the war has grown thin as the stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz disrupts global shipping and elevates gas prices in the U.S. Another House war powers resolution nearly passed last week, falling on a tie vote as three Republicans voted in favor.

Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, who sponsored the war powers resolution, has said he expects to have the votes this time around.

“Congress has a constitutional duty. It has a duty to act, not to cheerlead, especially not to cheerlead an open-ended war of choice,” Meeks said.

The lone Democrat who voted against the war powers resolution last week, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, has said he will vote in favor of the legislation this time. Meanwhile, leaders of both parties have been dealing with several absences that could shift the vote either way in the closely divided chamber.

Republicans have been broadly supportive of Trump's efforts to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities, but some are now saying that the president's legal timeline to wage a war without congressional approval has expired. Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, presidents have 60 days to engage in a military conflict before Congress must either declare war or authorize the use of military force.

“We have to follow the law,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican shortly after he voted for an Iran war powers resolution for the first time last week.

The dispute over war powers

The White House argues that the requirements of the War Powers Resolution no longer apply because of the ceasefire with Iran. At the same time, Trump has said he was just an hour away from ordering another strike on Iran earlier this week, but held off because Gulf allies said they were engaged in negotiations to end the war.

Still, Trump said on social media that military leaders should “be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.” Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican who has so far voted against the war powers resolutions, expressed frustration with the Trump administration's stance, especially from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“The current status quo, Pete Hegseth demonstrates how incompetent he is,” Tillis told reporters, adding that he would be willing to vote for an authorization for use of military force.

Meanwhile, Democratic senators rallied outside the Capitol Wednesday alongside VoteVets, a left-leaning veterans’ advocacy group. They placed signs on the Capitol lawn noting that the nationwide average price of gasoline had risen to $4.53.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat who served in the Iraq War with the Air National Guard, argued that the Iran war has amounted to a strategic blunder for Trump.

“Trump started a war, and he’s made things worse than before,” Duckworth said, pointing to Iran's new leadership and the country's willingness to put a chokehold on commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Republican leaders praised Trump for taking what they said was bold action to directly confront Iran, a nation that has been a U.S. adversary for decades.

“I’m an American. I don’t believe in getting hit and walking away and pretending as though it didn’t happen,” said Rep. Brian Mast, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

For Congress, the growing momentum to pass a war powers resolution could eventually lead to a legal showdown over who has the final authority over military conflicts.

The legislation before the House Thursday is a concurrent resolution that lawmakers say would take effect without Trump's signature if it passes both chambers of Congress.

But Trump has also argued that the 1973 law — passed by Congress during the Vietnam War era in an attempt to take back its power over foreign conflicts — is unconstitutional.

___

Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.

With Memorial Day marking the unofficial start of summer, airport officials are expecting one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

More than 1.3 million passengers are expected to travel through Houston Airport’s facilities, including George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport, through next week.

Airport officials are urging travelers to plan before heading to the airport, especially when it comes to parking, traffic delays, and confirming which terminal their flight departs from.

One major change travelers may notice this summer is the reopening of Terminal E at Bush Airport following a massive $1.5 billion renovation project. Officials say the terminal now includes updated TSA checkpoints, a new baggage handling system, and expanded space for international airlines.

The improvements come as Houston prepares for an increase in international travel this summer, which is expected to make terminals even busier.

Travelers also now have another transportation option to the airport. Officials say METRO Downtown Direct now connects downtown Houston to both Bush and Hobby airports, giving passengers an alternative to rideshare apps and airport parking.

Airport leaders are encouraging passengers to arrive early, warning that terminals, curbsides, and TSA checkpoints are expected to remain crowded throughout the Memorial Day holiday and into next week as summer travel officially ramps up.

During Trump’s visit, China sought to stabilize ties with the United States, while Putin’s trip served to deepen its strategic partnership with Russia.

Xi emphasized ceremonial hospitality during Trump’s visit, including a rare tour of Zhongnanhai, a former imperial garden that now serves as headquarters of China’s top leadership. Beijing understood Trump valued highly visible displays of respect, said George Chen, partner for Greater China practice for The Asia Group. “Xi knows this is what Trump values: being treated like a VIP, respected in front of the cameras.”

With Putin, Chen said, Xi switched to substance. “Reaffirming the friendship treaty, signing new energy deals, and re-emphasizing their ‘no limits’ partnership,” he added.

The similarities and contrasts began with the schedule

The differences between the two visits began with their length: The U.S. president stayed in China for three days, while Putin’s visit lasted two.

Both leaders were welcomed at Tiananmen Square with ceremonial guards, a military band and children waving flags.

Both also held closed-door meetings with Xi at the Great Hall of the People, next to the square.

Trump also received a private tour of the Temple of Heaven and walked through the imperial gardens of Zhongnanhai.

Putin, instead, spent much of his time with Xi inside the Great Hall of the People, where the two presidents toured a photo exhibition on China-Russia relations and later had tea.

Last week’s trip was Trump’s second visit to China as president. For Putin, it was his 25th visit to the country.

The clearest divide came in the messaging

The main contrast between the two summits was in their messaging.

With Trump, Xi focused on the need to maintain a relatively stable relationship after months of tensions and a trade war between the world’s two largest economies. He urged the U.S. president to see China as a partner rather than a rival, and both leaders agreed to work toward what they described as “a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability.”

With Putin, Xi sought to reinforce and deepen a longstanding partnership that is both strategic and economically important for the two countries.

While the U.S. and China are still trying to stabilize their trade ties, Moscow and Beijing reaffirmed their relationship as essential partners. Putin said the “driving force” of the relationship was the energy sector, particularly oil and gas.

Xi signed agreements with only one of the presidents

China and Russia reached more than 40 cooperation agreements covering areas including trade, technology and media exchanges. The two leaders also signed a joint declaration describing Russia and China as “important centers of power in a multipolar world.”

Trump and Xi, by contrast, did not sign a joint declaration or oversee the signing of any agreements publicly during the visit. It was only after the U.S. president left Beijing that the two countries announced the details of several accords, with Washington saying China had agreed to buy U.S. agricultural products at an annualized rate of $17 billion and purchase 200 Boeing jets.

“China and Russia reached more agreements, and with China and the U.S., what are the agreements? Even that is not very clear,” said Claus Soong, an analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin.

But Lyle Morris, senior fellow on Chinese national security and foreign policy at Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, said the biggest surprise from the Xi-Putin meetings was that it appears no formal deal was signed for the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline plan, which could send gas from Russia to China through Mongolia.

“This is a huge setback for Russia and Putin,” he said.

Putin and Trump have different stances on Taiwan

Moscow is closely aligned with Beijing on the issue of Taiwan, the island democracy China claims as its own. Meanwhile, the U.S. maintains an intentionally ambiguous stance on the island and serves as its main informal backer and arms provider.

Xi made it clear to Trump that Taiwan is the most important issue in the bilateral relationship and warned that mishandling U.S. ties with the self-governing island could lead to confrontation between the two countries.

Trump did not publicly address Taiwan during the visit. But on his way back to the United States, he described arms sales to Taiwan as a “very good negotiating chip” with China, comments that stirred anxieties on the island.

With Putin, there was no sign of disagreement over the issue.

In the joint declaration signed by Xi and Putin, Russia reiterated its opposition to Taiwanese independence “in any form” and voiced support for what it described as China’s efforts to defend its sovereignty and achieve “national unification.”

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, both sides also raised concerns over what they called “accelerated remilitarization” of Japan, against the backdrop of strained China-Japan ties over Taiwan.

____

Leung reported from Hong Kong, and Mistreanu from Bangkok.

Houston police confirmed a road rage incident was reported Tuesday night near the 7600 block of the Katy Freeway.

The woman, who asked to be identified only as “Mary” out of fear for her safety, said she was driving with her 16-year-old daughter when a gray Cadillac Escalade suddenly pulled in front of them.

“So as me and my daughter were going up I-10, a car suddenly moved in front of us,” Mary said. “So I just went around and they got back in front.”

• Harris County planning $2M smart flood warning system ahead of 2026 hurricane season

Mary said the situation escalated quickly.

“They got on the side of us and they looked in the car and I saw a woman pull a Tiffany Blue pistol, a handgun,” Mary said.

According to Mary, the Escalade continued moving aggressively around their vehicle while her daughter started recording video.

“That was when my daughter literally started recording again and got the shot,” she said.

In the cellphone video obtained by KPRC 2, a gunshot can be heard ringing out during the encounter.

“I was just in shock honestly,” Mary said. “Couldn’t really believe it. It was never that serious.”

Mary described the driver as a young Black man with long dreadlocks or twists. She said the female passenger, who she says fired the shot, was wearing a bonnet.

Despite fearing for their safety, Mary said she tried to follow the Escalade in an attempt to get the license plate number.

“I really wanted the police to get them,” she said. “It looked like they were going to kill us.”

Mary said she called 911 four times and waited more than two hours for police to arrive before eventually filing a report at Houston Police Department’s Dairy Ashford station.

• Houston says 99% of reported potholes are patched within a day. KPRC 2 put that claim to the test

The incident comes amid several other recent road rage cases reported across the Houston area.

Last month, authorities said a road rage incident involving three vehicles on Greenhouse Road near Morton Road escalated into gunfire. Deputies said one of the vehicles involved had a 9-year-old passenger inside.

In another case from this past March in northwest Harris County, cellphone video captured a man approaching a woman while holding what appeared to be a machete during a confrontation on Highway 249 near Grant Road.

Mary said this was the first time she had personally experienced road rage violence.

“I’m still pretty shaken up and I just want justice honestly,” she said.

Anyone with information in the Katy Freeway incident is asked to contact Houston police.

The India Meteorological Department forecast maximum temperatures Thursday of around 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in the capital, New Delhi, where authorities have opened temporary “cooling zones” to help people cope.

The weather department warned conditions will likely persist across several northern regions in the coming days, with temperatures staying well above seasonal averages. Authorities urged people to stay indoors during the hottest hours and take precautions against heat-related illnesses.

India declares a heat wave whenever temperatures are above 40 C (104 F) in the plains and 30 C (86 F) or more in its hilly regions.

Severe heat disrupts daily life

The extreme heat has disrupted daily life across several northern states.

In some parts of Uttar Pradesh state, India’s most populous, roads and markets have closed in the afternoons as people stayed indoors while some traders shifted work to early mornings. Farmers began working at night because daytime conditions became unbearable.

The heat also disrupted schools, with authorities in several areas announcing early summer vacations and suspending classes as the maximum temperature shot up to 48.2 C (118.8 F) on Tuesday in the city of Banda.

Health authorities urged people to avoid going outdoors during peak afternoon hours, stay hydrated and seek medical help if they experience symptoms such as dizziness or high fever.

Cooling shelters offer relief

In New Delhi, residents and tourists sought relief from the heat inside cooling shelters set up across the capital. The shaded space provides air coolers, fans, drinking water and oral rehydration solutions to help people deal with the extreme heat.

Inside one tent on Wednesday, people rested beside air coolers as officials distributed cups of water mixed with rehydration salts.

“We had come here for outing. But it is too hot here. The cooling system here is good for us,” said Basharat Ahmad Malla, a 25-year-old tourist.

Extreme heat tied to global warming

Climate experts say India’s rising temperatures are part of a broader global pattern linked to climate change.

India has faced more frequent and intense heat waves in recent years, with all of its warmest years on record occurring in the last decade.

“India has warmed considerably as a result of anthropogenic (human-made) climate change in the last decade compared to previous years. Northwestern India has warmed much faster than many other parts of the country,” said Anjal Prakash, author of several United Nations climate reports and professor of public policy at Pune-based Flame University.

Prakash said India is accustomed to summer heat but “climate change is loading the dice towards extreme and pervasive episodes like those we see now.”

Studies by public health experts found that up to 1,116 people have died every year between 2008 and 2019 due to heat. Public health experts say the true number of heat-related deaths is likely in the thousands, but because heat is often not listed on death certificates, many deaths are not counted in official figures.

___

Associated Press journalists Biswajeet Banerjee in Lucknow, Piyush Nagpal in New Delhi, and Sibi Arasu in Bengaluru, India, contributed to this report.

Richard Knight, 47, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Knight was sentenced to death after being convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in 2006 for the deaths of Odessia Stephens and her four-year-old child, Hanessia Mullings.

This would be Florida’s seventh execution so far this year, following a record 19 executions in 2025. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The previous record was set in 2014 with eight executions.

According to court records, Knight had been living in Coral Springs, near Fort Lauderdale, with his cousin, his cousin's girlfriend and their daughter in June 2000. Knight and Stephens frequently argued about Knight living there. One evening while Knight's cousin was at work, Stephens told Knight that he would need to move out the next morning. Knight became angry and stabbed Stephens multiple times and then attacked the young girl, officials said.

While being held at the Broward County Jail following his arrest, Knight confessed the killings to another inmate, who testified against Knight during his trial.

The Florida Supreme Court denied Knight's appeals last Friday. The court rejected his claim of newly discovered evidence, pointing out that an unidentified fingerprint found on a knife at the murder scene was known about and addressed during Knight's original trial. The court also rejected claims based on Florida's execution protocols and warrant process.

A final appeal was still pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way with a flurry of death warrants signed by DeSantis. Alabama, South Carolina and Texas tied for second with five executions each.

An execution was scheduled for Thursday in Tennessee. And another execution is planned in Florida on June 2. Andrew Richard Lukehart, 53, was convicted of fatally beating of his girlfriend's infant daughter in 1996.

All Florida executions are carried out via lethal injection of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.

Let’s jump straight into the news of the morning.

If you’re headed out this morning, make sure you grab your umbrellas, because although it’s not raining right now, it’s set to begin sometime this morning.

And unfortunately, we are not done with the rain after today; it looks like we will be seeing rain pop up on our radar throughout the weekend into next week.

To read more, click here.

➡️ Love our morning newsletter? Share it with your family and friends!

YOUR MORNING FORECAST ☀️

TODAY: 80° TONIGHT: 71°

KPRC 2 Meteorologist says:

“Houston is waking up to a dry start, but don’t let that fool you. Rounds of rain and storms will move in from the west later this morning and continue through the afternoon. The concern with these storms is the speed. The trend over the last few days has been storms slowing down and not moving out of our area quickly. There is a flood watch that starts Thursday morning, lasting through Memorial Day. This pattern is with us through at least Tuesday of next week.”

Get your forecast details here.

TOP STORIES

TIMELINE: Stormy weather, heavy rains expected in Houston through Memorial Day weekend

We are tracking a multi-day period of heavy rain that began Monday night and continues through Friday, possibly into Memorial Day Monday. A series of storm systems will move across Southeast Texas, bringing the potential for significant rainfall totals. The forecast indicates widespread amounts of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated areas north of I-10 potentially receiving over 7 inches. Because we expect multiple rounds of rain, the ground will become saturated quickly, increasing the risk for runoff and street flooding.

Houston woman says road rage incident on Katy Freeway ended with gunshot caught on camera

A road rage shooting is now under investigation after a Houston mother said she and her teenage daughter were shot at while driving on the Katy Freeway. The mother said she was driving when she was all of a sudden cut off by another driver, who then pointed a gun and released a single gunshot.

Houston says 99% of reported potholes are patched within a day. KPRC 2 put that claim to the test

Umm, are you tired of potholes around the city? Well, according to Houston Public Works, the city is fixing reported potholes pretty fast.

“We resolve 99% of resident-reported pothole problems within the next business day,” Houston Public Works Director Randy Macchi said in a podcast hosted by the Houston Mayor’s office.

So, what did we do? We tested that claim by reporting a pothole on Monday through Houston’s 311 system.

ARE YOU A KPRC 2 INSIDER? HERE’S SOME EXCLUSIVES

Houston ISD students pitch businesses at NRG Arena in ‘Hustle Tank’ competition

CLICK2PINS: SHOW US WHAT YA GOT 📷

See a news story in your neighborhood? Capture a great weather moment? Just want to share a photo of your pet? Send your photos and videos to Click2Pins, and you may see them on air and online!

Let’s jump straight into the news of the morning.

If you’re headed out this morning, grab your umbrella and rain boots; it’s going to be a stormy morning with more rain expected throughout the day.

And unfortunately, storms will not be heading out anytime soon. For the next few days, the Houston area will see rain, which could cause some street flooding.

To read more, click here.

➡️ Love our morning newsletter? Share it with your family and friends!

YOUR MORNING FORECAST ☀️

TODAY: 85° TONIGHT: 73°

KPRC 2 Meteorologist says:

“We’re tracking an aerial flood advisory for parts of Brazoria until 7:45 as we track more rain and thunderstorms this morning before getting a break this afternoon. As of 5 this morning -more than 16,000 customers are without power and a portion of 610 near McCarty is shut down for a jackknifed tractor-trailer.”

Get your forecast details here.

TOP STORIES

TIMELINE: Stormy weather, heavy rains expected in Houston through Memorial Day weekend

We are tracking a multi-day period of heavy rain that started overnight and continues through Friday, and possibly through Memorial Day Monday. A series of storm systems will move across Southeast Texas, bringing the potential for significant rainfall totals. The forecast indicates widespread amounts of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated areas north of I-10 potentially receiving over 7 inches. Because we expect multiple rounds of rain, the ground will become saturated quickly, increasing the risk for runoff and street flooding.

End-of-year school parties this week? How to plan for the rain and thunderstorms Memorial Day weekend

Rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds are here as many families wonder how to end-of-the-year plan for the year school parties for their children this week. We’re tracking a front bringing us rain, thunderstorms, damaging winds and the potential for hail - estimated rain totals 3-5+” or more in some spots as we track a long week of rain in the forecast.

Memorial Day in Houston and the weather. Here’s what we can honestly tell you right now

We’re just days away from Memorial Day, which is Monday, May 25, 2026. Now that we’re within a week, we have a little better idea of what we’ll see for the holiday weekend. The first run for this week is showing that we’ll likely see some impact from storms as we’re going into a fairly wet pattern for most of this week and into the holiday weekend. Not a washout by any means, but, it would be a good idea to come up with some indoor alternatives.

ARE YOU A KPRC 2 INSIDER? HERE’S SOME EXCLUSIVES

KPRC 2 Insiders, here’s your chance to win a $250 Kroger gift card!

CLICK2PINS: SHOW US WHAT YA GOT 📷

See a news story in your neighborhood? Capture a great weather moment? Just want to share a photo of your pet? Send your photos and videos to Click2Pins, and you may see them on air and online!

Initially, district officials said they expected both schools to reopen on Thursday, but that changed in a Wednesday afternoon update.

The closure does not set students back much. The last day of school in Alvin ISD is Friday, May 22, which was already an early release day.

• Storms in Houston: From overnight storms to more rain and thunderstorms this morning

In a message posted to social media, the district said:

“Due to extensive storm-related water damage at Wilder and Marek Elementary Schools, both campuses will remain closed for the remainder of the school year. Additional end-of-year information will be shared by your campus administrator. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and cooperation as we work to address these issues and ensure our campuses are safe for students and staff.”

The closures come as Southeast Texas remains under an unsettled weather pattern this week.

A line of storms moved through the Houston area overnight, and additional rounds of heavy rain are expected through Memorial Day weekend.

Our meteorologists warn that some areas could see 3 to 5 inches of rainfall or more this week, increasing the risk of street flooding and hazardous road conditions.

• Box truck falls off freeway, multiple crashes reported across Houston during storms

Drivers across the Houston area have already experienced slick roads and weather-related slowdowns during the Wednesday morning commute as storms continue moving through the region.

The three men had crossed the Texas-Mexico border separately and had lived in the country as undocumented immigrants for 22, 15 and 14 years. In that time, they worked, started families and had no criminal records before they were detained.

Ignacio Sosnava Rodriguez, Miguel Angel Gomez Alvarado and Alejandro Villegas Angel were eventually released from ICE custody after federal judges found that holding them without a chance for a bond hearing violated the men’s due process rights.

The Trump administration appealed, arguing that federal immigration law says undocumented immigrants should be held until deportation.

Their cases are now before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which will decide on a key constitutional question amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation push: Do undocumented immigrants have the same right to challenge their detention as citizens and legal immigrants?

“The case is about some of our most fundamental rights in the Constitution,” said Gracie Willis, an attorney with the National Immigration Project, which is representing the three men. “The ability to be heard on something that implicates your liberty.”

For decades, there was no controversy: the federal government and courts have said undocumented immigrants have due process rights. Then last summer, the Trump administration argued that undocumented immigrants don’t have a right to challenge their detention, which has led to a historic and unprecedented number of immigrants in detention: more than 73,000, compared to an average of 28,000 during the Biden administration.

The detentions have also led to a historic number of lawsuits challenging immigrants’ detention. According to ProPublica, immigrants filed more habeas corpus petitions — nearly 47,000 — in the first 13 months of the second Trump administration than in the past three administrations, combined. Roughly one in five were filed in Texas federal courts.

Here’s what you need to know about immigrants’ due process rights and how the Trump administration is attempting to strip them away:

What is due process?

Under the U.S. Constitution, anyone accused of a crime has a right to know why a law enforcement officer is detaining, arresting or jailing them. The person also has a right to go before a judge to defend themselves.

For the past 30 years, undocumented immigrants have also been afforded these rights even when they are detained for immigration violations, which are civil cases rather than criminal. In immigration court, immigrants don’t have the right to an attorney like U.S. citizens do in the criminal court system.

“Immigration court is like traffic court but with death penalty consequences,” Willis said.

Still, immigrants have been given the option to appear in court, hear the federal government’s case for holding them, and request to be released while their case is pending.

In 1993, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia wrote: “It is well established that the Fifth Amendment entitles aliens to due process of law in deportation proceedings.”

What changed?

Under federal immigration laws, the government can quickly deport undocumented immigrants who recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without giving them a chance for a bond hearing. But for those who have lived in the U.S. for months or years before being detained, the law gives them the right to challenge their detention.

In July 2025, the Trump administration announced a policy change, saying that anyone who has been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — regardless of how long they’ve been in the country — would be detained until they are deported, without giving them a chance to go before an immigration judge to challenge their detention and request their release on bond.

This included immigrants who requested asylum or were allowed to enter the U.S. despite not having permanent legal status — a practice called parole, often given to asylum seekers while their cases are pending.

Asylum requests soared along with the number of people crossing the southern border, a trend that started during the first Trump administration and reached historic highs during the Biden administration — that number has plummeted in President Trump’s second term as the administration ramped up immigration enforcement and cut off access to asylum.

What have the courts said?

The change in policy has led to thousands of legal challenges in federal courts.

Politico found that more than 400 federal judges — appointed by presidents of both major political parties since Ronald Regan — have ruled in favor of immigrants’ right to due process in more than 5,000 cases since the policy change in July. In comparison, 41 judges have sided with the Trump administration’s interpretation of the law in 250 cases, according to a Politico analysis of federal government data.

The Trump administration appealed some of the cases to higher courts, leading to competing rulings — three federal appeals courts have ruled against the administration, two have upheld its policy and one remains deadlocked.

In February, the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes Texas, issued a 2-1 ruling backing the Trump administration’s mandatory detention policy.

In March, the St. Louis-based 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 ruling, said the Trump administration’s interpretation of immigration law is constitutional.

But in late April, the New York-based 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the new policy was an unprecedented interpretation of immigration law that also raises constitutional concerns.

“The government’s interpretation (of immigration law) would send a seismic shock through our immigration detention system and society, straining our already overcrowded detention infrastructure, incarcerating millions, separating families, and disrupting communities,” Judge Joseph Bianco, a Trump appointee, said in the unanimous ruling from the three-judge panel. “If Congress meant to achieve such a radical break from the past, it would not have done so in such an indirect and ambiguous way.”

And more recently, the Cincinnati-based 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 ruling, also rejected the Trump administration’s policy, saying that noncitizens “should have a forum to explain that their backgrounds and connections to their communities justify release on bond.”

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Chicago, deadlocked on the issue.

What’s next?

The cases are far from settled, and more legal challenges are being filed nearly every day by immigrants targeted by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

With the federal appeals courts divided, immigration lawyers expect the issue to land before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is still weighing whether Rodriguez, Gomez, and Villegas had a right to challenge their detention.

Willis, the National Immigration Project lawyer, said it’s important that immigrants keep that right.

“It is surprising to us when we see arguments from the government that people in these civil proceedings don’t have due process rights,” Willis said.

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Before landing in Austin, Cathy Cocco lived in both New York City and Tokyo, where she enjoyed the convenience of robust public transit. 

So given the chance, she was happy to cast a vote in 2020 for a state-of-the-art, 20-mile light rail system, running through the heart of Austin all the way to the airport — even though the plan didn’t directly serve her neighborhood in northwest Austin.

“You have to vote for what’s good for the city,” Cocco said.

Some 242,000 Austinites agreed with her. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Austin voters made a bet on the capital city’s future, indefinitely raising their own city property taxes by 20% to fund Project Connect, a $7.1 billion proposal for an electric, urban rail system along with a bevy of other public transit improvements, including new high-frequency bus routes and expanded shuttle pickup service. Construction was slated to begin in late 2024.

Nearly four years after Cocco cast her vote for the rail, she sued the city to stop it.

Today, not a single foot of light-rail track has been laid. The total cost of the light rail alone is now $8.2 billion — up from the initial cost of $5.8 billion — but its footprint has been slashed to less than 10 total miles. The new plan no longer reaches Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and the number of stops was cut from 26 to 15.  At less than half the original proposed length, the light rail now costs almost $840 million per mile, three times more than it did in 2020. 

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Project Connect is now the costliest public transit project per mile in Texas history.  It’s also the seventh most expensive light rail project per mile in the U.S., out of 34 compiled by the Marron Institute of Urban Management at New York University and adjusted for inflation. 

The massive jumps in cost and shrunken scale left Cocco disenchanted with the project. She and a group of taxpayers sued the city in 2024 to stop it from collecting property taxes to fund the project, arguing that it wasn’t what voters had been promised.

“You said you’re going to do all this, and then you do a fraction, and then you’re still going to make us pay for the whole thing,” Cocco said. “At what point is that illegal?”

From the beginning, Austin officials vastly underestimated the cost of the light rail. A key reason, transit experts say, is that very little of the project was designed before it went to voters. And amid an unprecedented pandemic that created global economic uncertainty, transit officials did not account for rampant inflation and surging real estate prices that would balloon costs over the next few years.

Now even the more modest rail’s future is in doubt. 

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The project still requires billions in federal dollars, covering half of its costs. It has received none. The final decision to give those dollars rests with the Trump administration, which hasn’t agreed to fund new transit projects since President Donald Trump returned to office. And U.S. Sen. John Cornyn recently said he opposes Austin rail getting any federal funds, adding his voice to the long list of Texas Republicans in power who oppose or are actively fighting the project.

Even the local property tax dollars are in question. While Cocco’s lawsuit is pending, a separate legal battle threatening to gut the light rail project is moving ahead. That fight will determine whether the city’s use of a property tax hike to fund the transit system is legal, and it will ultimately be decided by the Texas Supreme Court.

“It’s a bait and switch on taxpayers,” said Bill Aleshire, an Austin attorney and Travis County’s former top elected official who filed the lawsuit. 

Austin officials project confidence in the light rail project, while acknowledging the higher costs and smaller footprint. No major infrastructure project, city and project officials have argued, was immune from cost increases spurred by global inflation.

Officials and transit advocates say that even the smaller light rail plan is necessary to give people more options to move around the state’s fourth-largest urban area as it grows. 

Greg Canally, who heads Austin Transit Partnership, the city-backed nonprofit charged with building the light rail, said the system can still be expanded in the future. Officials now refer to the current map as “phase one,” a nod to the fact that they hope to eventually reach the original scope put before voters.

“That’s what we’re focused on delivering for Austin: getting Austin Light Rail phase one built,” Canally said. “That’s an expandable system so that future Austin can keep on growing.” 

Austin Transit Partnership officials intend to break ground on the light rail project next year, and don’t expect a decision on whether federal dollars will be made available for the project until sometime after that. ATP won’t say exactly how much of the project they’d be able to build without federal funds.

This all comes as the Texas Department of Transportation — responsible for building highways — has called for more public transportation if the state is going to keep growing. The success or failure of the Austin project could be a bellwether for the rest of the state as places like Tyler and Fort Worth consider similar efforts. 

Austin riders won’t set foot on a light rail car until 2033 at the earliest.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said despite the setbacks, the city cannot afford to wait. 

Watson was also Austin’s mayor in 2000, the first year voters were asked to weigh in on a light rail plan. But they rejected it. That would have been the best time to have started work on such an ambitious and long-ranging transit project, he said. 

“The second-best time is now. It’s never going to be cheaper,” he said.

A big idea

After Austin voters shot down light-rail proposals at the ballot box in 2000 and 2014, traffic congestion fueled by the city’s continued growth only worsened. Officials with Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Austin region’s primary transit agency, went back to the drawing board in 2016 — and later came back with the first draft of a sprawling vision for the city’s public transportation system called Project Connect.

The light-rail line would run at least every 10 minutes and include an underground tunnel through downtown with a flashy shopping concourse. Planners sketched out potential future phases that could take light rail further into North and South Austin.

The plan included upgrades to Austin’s existing suburban commuter rail line, which connects downtown Austin to the northern suburb of Leander, aimed at enabling greater frequency and ridership while adding new stations. A new arm of that line would stretch into eastern Travis County. High-frequency, rapid bus routes would criss-cross the city. An existing on-demand service operated by CapMetro would expand to more neighborhoods.

“I think we had a city that was ready to invest in itself,” said Steve Adler, who was mayor at the time of the 2020 vote, in an interview.

The project’s costs were peer reviewed through the American Public Transportation Association. To Roberto Treviño, who sits on the board of the Houston region’s primary transit agency and participated in the review, the overall project’s $7.1 billion price tag was reasonable, given its scale. But that review took place in January 2020 — a couple months before COVID-19 shut down the global economy.

Seven billion dollars “in 2020 got you a lot. And if you do a cost-per-mile basis of that, it seems reasonable,” Treviño said in an interview.

But when officials asked voters to greenlight Project Connect, only 5% of the light rail had been designed, according to an April 2022 agency memo. That initial lack of design meant the project’s costs would almost certainly go up, transit costs experts said — even without historic inflation.

“That’s just not enough design work to really have a solid sense of the numbers,” said Rohan Aras, a senior transportation policy analyst at the Niskanen Center, a nonpartisan think tank.

Major transit projects often go before voters with little design work done, a problem that bedevils public transit in the U.S., transit costs experts said. Fully designing a project takes money localities often don’t have, making cost overruns common.

“What you’re voting on is sort of like a dream rather than an actual constructible plan,” said Eric Goldwyn, who researches public transit costs at the Marron Institute.

There wasn’t a viable way to firm up the project’s costs and design more before going to voters in 2020, said Wade Cooper, an Austin lawyer who chaired the CapMetro board during Project Connect’s formation.

“In a perfect world, sure, you have a bunch of money sitting around to design the project fully,” Cooper said. “But practically speaking, in the time period that we had with a major election, I don’t think we could have squeezed in anything.”

Officials also had to figure out how they would pay for it. 

Austin had hit a cap set by state lawmakers on local sales tax rates, a typical way cities and transit agencies elsewhere pay for new transit. Bonds could be issued to fund the construction and capital costs, but they couldn’t be used for the system’s day-to-day operations, planners deemed. Unlike places like California, New York and Washington, Texas largely doesn’t help pay for public transit in its major urban areas. Texas spends significantly less per capita on public transit than other large states including Florida, according to a report from the nonprofit Transportation for America and the National Campaign for Transit Justice.

Austin officials settled on a 20% permanent hike in the city’s property tax rate. For the owner of a $325,000 home, that meant a $284 increase on their annual city tax bill.

In November 2020, voters said yes by a 15.8-point margin.

“I really do think that part of it was showing a huge vision package,” said Susan Somers, former board president of AURA, an Austin group that pushes for better public transit. “I think that was really inspiring to people.”

Critics call the hike a blank check.

“There is no budget, and there is no limit, because this tax is forever,” Aleshire said.

Bigger price tag, smaller footprint

As the project’s design progressed, unforeseen costs added up — tacking on billions.

The light rail’s land acquisition costs nearly quadrupled amid a surge in Austin land values. Planners also discovered they’d have to buy more properties along the line than they previously expected, according to an April 2022 agency memo.

Inflation drove up the price of construction materials, while a tighter job market increased labor costs.

Planners encountered the steepest overruns when designing the downtown tunnel, the centerpiece of the project.

Building a tunnel is expensive in part because it requires specialized labor as well as pricey boring equipment and techniques. A transit project with any amount of tunnel tends to be more costly than those that run at street level, transit costs experts said.

As its design progressed, planners found the tunnel would have to plunge deeper underground and run a longer distance. That finding significantly drove up the tunnel’s costs — which doubled from $2 billion to $4.1 billion, roughly $978.5 million per mile.

Overall, the total cost of just the light rail component of Project Connect ballooned by nearly 80% to $10.3 billion. 

Following public input, Austin officials settled on a pared-down version of the light-rail line in summer 2023, stripping out the tunnel and slashing the system in half.

Under the new plan, the rail stops just short of the Austin airport, though officials have said a future airport extension is a high priority. 

“You have three choices when the cost of infrastructure goes up,” Canally said. “You can just stop, you can go back and ask for additional funds or you can reframe the project and size it to live within your budget.”

The project’s costs remain puzzlingly high for a project that has no tunnel, transit costs experts said. It’s the second most expensive light rail project per mile, when compared to 21 U.S. light rail projects that don’t tunnel, according to Marron Institute data.

As the project shrank, so did its ridership estimates. Austin officials initially projected that within two decades at least 70,000 riders would take the line, including future extensions, each weekday. The smaller line would see 34,000 daily riders under new projections. That means the cost per rider for the light rail is around $200,000, enough that Austin could buy every rider an Aston Martin luxury sportscar. 

Goldwyn said the project’s per-rider costs are alarmingly high, and it might make more sense to serve the project’s expected demand with bus rather than light rail. It used to be that U.S. rail projects cost between $50,000 to $75,000 per rider, Goldwyn said, high compared with other countries. The Austin project is among an emerging group of rail projects with per-rider costs exceeding $100,000, he said.

“Look, I’m a New Yorker, I don’t drive, I’m as pro-transit as it gets,” Goldwyn said. “But the people of Austin voted for something, and maybe they were sold a bill of goods that could not be delivered. I don’t know, but that’s not good.”

While critics cast the shrunken version as a “bait-and-switch,” Austin officials have argued they had the authority to reconfigure the line in the face of higher costs.

Voters asked for a light rail system funded with property taxes — and that’s what they’re getting, Watson said. 

“The purpose was to get a rail system in Austin,” said Watson, who took office in 2023. “This is a meaningful phase one, and part of that purpose was to do it within a very specific monetary amount…and we’re doing that.”

Project officials have defended the light rail’s costs.

For one, they’re building a brand new system on some of the most expensive real estate in Austin — and retrofitting an already built urban environment to accommodate new rail.

“It’s connecting the university with the government district, with downtown across the lake,” said Veronica Castro de Barrera, an architect who chairs the ATP board. “It takes you through a route that is very pricey per real estate in its context. It also has the oldest infrastructure underground.”

A new system comes with high upfront costs, ATP officials said, like a fleet of light rail cars, along with a 62-acre facility to store and maintain them.

“Those are all sort of those one-time costs,” said Bryan Rivera, ATP chief financial officer.

The project also calls for a new bridge over Lady Bird Lake, as well as elevated track southeast of downtown, both of which are significant cost drivers. The costs also include $1.1 billion in financing, which ATP expects will be eligible for reimbursement from the feds.

ATP officials said costs have stabilized and they’re doing what they can to contain them going forward. Canally said he cut the agency’s staffing plan by about 25% after he became CEO. The project’s builders are now more involved in the design process so they can advise designers on how to contain costs, he said.

The project is still catching flak. Earlier this year, ATP officials proposed moving the agency into high-end downtown office space with views of Lady Bird Lake – for $32 million. The proposal drew fierce online backlash, and officials backed off the idea.

And while the project’s future is in the balance, Canally, the top official, secured considerable pay bumps along the way. The ATP board hired Canally, then the project’s chief financial officer, as interim CEO in 2022, after ousting his predecessor, at an annual base salary of $310,000. The following year, the board gave Canally a nearly 18% bump to $365,000 when they hired him as full-time CEO. Last year, the board bumped up Canally’s pay once more — to nearly $405,000, about an 11% increase.  

Stiff headwinds

Moving forward, Project Connect still faces significant headwinds. 

Republican lawmakers have sought to sap the lifeblood of the project, pushing proposals in 2023 and 2025 to cut off the project from its voter-approved property tax funding mechanism. Those bills died after lobbying from Austin officials.

“Whatever one’s position on light rail, it is simply inaccurate to say voters approved the project as it exists today,” said state Rep. Ellen Troxclair, an Austin-area Republican who tried to kill the project.

Still, Republicans helped lay the groundwork for the project to be challenged in court. In 2023, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican, asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to weigh in on whether Project Connect’s financing mechanism is legal.

The measure voters enacted raised the portion of the city’s tax rate that funds maintenance and operations, such as city employee salaries. The city then gives that revenue to ATP, which it intends to use in part to finance bonds crucial to the project’s construction.

That May, Paxton issued a nonbinding legal opinion calling that arrangement illegal — which ATP officials contest.

Paxton’s opinion gave a group of taxpayers part of the blueprint to challenge the project in court in November 2023.

That group, represented by Aleshire, includes Dirty Martin’s Place, a 100-year-old hamburger joint neighboring the UT-Austin campus that would have been demolished to make way for an earlier iteration of the line. An online petition to save Dirty Martin’s from destruction garnered nearly 25,000 signatures, and the latest version of the light rail path appears to preserve the restaurant.

Mark Nemir, who’s owned Dirty Martin’s since 1989 but whose family history with the restaurant runs longer, said that’s not enough.

“What I would like to see happen is this thing go away,” Nemir said.

Austin Transit Partnership countered that lawsuit with its own, asking a judge to allow the entity to issue bonds for construction. The two lawsuits were combined into one legal proceeding, which is slowly making its way through the courts. 

Meanwhile, Austin light rail officials are seeking $4.1 billion in federal money. 

But the Federal Transit Administration hasn’t awarded funds to any new transit project in Trump’s second term, a break with past administrations dating back to President Bill Clinton, according to an Urban Institute analysis. 

The project has found itself without a vocal champion at the federal level — a departure from the Biden years, when then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg lauded the project.

That lack of support suggests that few of Texas’ Trump allies are using their political capital to help get the federal funds. 

“While Austin leaders keep pushing higher property taxes, the State of Texas is keeping Texans moving,” said Andrew Mahaleris, spokesperson for Gov. Greg Abbott, in a statement when asked about Abbott’s stance on Project Connect. “Smart infrastructure grows our economy and moves people efficiently — without more local tax increases.”

ATP officials say they think the feds will come through. So far, the project has cleared every hurdle to gaining federal dollars, they note, including a key go-ahead earlier this year when the administration signed off on the project’s environmental review. The light rail project also scored good marks from the FTA in a process that made it eligible for federal funds.

“We’ve been really successful working with this administration,” Canally said.

To woo the feds, ATP officials have argued the light rail line will be a boon that spurs jobs and economic development along the line.

Austin could be banking on a later infusion of federal dollars from a more public transit-friendly administration to take office after Trump. Waiting to break ground would come with a cost.

“It’s very true that time is money, and so the longer you extend these things out, the more expensive they actually are going to be,” Goldwyn said.

What’s next?

The agency’s putting on an optimistic face, enlisting various Austin celebrities — including Austin FC player Brad Stuver, singer Ben Kweller and Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas — to sell the line in a digital ad.

This year will be a busy one for the light rail project, ATP officials say.

Already, they’ve locked in a contract with an outside joint venture to do final design, engineering and construction of the 9.8-mile line — and another to build the operations and maintenance facility for those cars. The board also aims to issue a contract to purchase the system’s fleet of light rail cars.

The federal environmental go-ahead has allowed ATP to begin acquiring land, locking in final design work and making plans to relocate utilities.

Other aspects of the project are up-and-running, like CapMetro’s expanded on-demand shuttle service and a new commuter rail station at Q2 Stadium.

Two of the four rapid bus routes initially promised to voters opened two years behind schedule in 2025 — but not using electric buses or the 10-minute frequencies as first promised. Starting this summer, those routes will operate at those frequencies using electric buses, CapMetro CEO Dottie Watkins said.

ATP plans to break ground on the light-rail line next year — with or without federal dollars. 

Officials haven’t said how far they’d get without them.

Castro de Barrera, the board chair, said ATP officials are “doing everything that we can” to make their case to the feds and secure federal dollars.

But asked about the wisdom of beginning construction before federal dollars are in hand, she demurred.

“I think we have to be very cautious to make sure that we are not going to start breaking ground on something that we don’t have guarantees on how to finance it,” Castro de Barrera said. “Because we have to make sure we do this right.”

Disclosure: Steve Adler has been a donor to The Texas Tribune’s nonprofit newsroom. He’s also a family member of the Tribune’s CEO, who has no involvement in any coverage in which he is quoted or mentioned. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

“As a net energy importer, the EU’s economy is highly susceptible to the energy shock caused by the conflict in the Middle East,” the commission said in a statement Thursday. The rising cost of fuel "means higher household bills and surging business costs that reduce profits for many industries.”

The commission’s spring forecast lowered the outlook for growth in the 21 countries that use the euro to 0.9% for this year, from 1.2% in its autumn forecast, and to 1.2% from 1.4% for 2027. Inflation is now expected to reach 3.0% for 2026, up from the earlier forecast of 1.9%.

The new inflation figure exceeds the inflation goal of 2% set by the European Central Bank, and higher inflation expectations have led to predictions the ECB will raise its interest rate benchmarks this year to combat inflation.

Oil prices rose sharply after risk of Iranian drone and speedboat attacks closed off most ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the sea passage for about a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas. On top of that, news of the war has shaken consumer confidence, which fell to a 40-month low amid mounting fears of job losses and higher inflation.

Still, the commission said the economy will continue to show modest growth and avoid an outright recession.

It warned however that a downside scenario of a prolonged period of higher energy prices would push growth lower and inflation higher.

The new inflation figure exceeds the inflation goal of 2% set by the European Central Bank, and higher inflation expectations have led to predictions the ECB will raise its interest rate benchmarks this year to combat inflation.

HPD said investigators with the Narcotics Division’s Squad 21 worked alongside the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office during the May 14 operation.

• MORE NEWS: Houston says 99% of reported potholes are patched within a day. KPRC 2 put that claim to the test

Authorities said the seizure followed the arrest of a suspect who was wanted on a warrant for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

Anyone with information about illegal drug activity can contact the HPD Narcotics Division’s NO-DOPE line at 713-466-3673.

Lawmakers approved a motion in February demanding publication of the documents after the one-time prince, now known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on charges related to allegations that he shared government reports with Epstein while he was trade envoy.

The move followed the U.S. Justice Department’s release of millions of pages of documents related to Epstein. Those files showed how the wealthy financier used an international web of rich, powerful friends to gain influence and sexually exploit young women and girls.

Nowhere has the fallout from the document release been felt more strongly than in the U.K., where the scandal has raised questions about the way power is wielded by the aristocracy, senior politicians and influential businessmen, known collectively as “the Establishment.”

During the parliamentary debate on Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein, government ministers and other lawmakers demanded more accountability from the royal family.

Trade Minister Chris Bryant said Mountbatten-Windsor was engaged in a constant “self-enriching hustle’’ during his time as a working member of the royal family.

Mountbatten-Windsor was a “rude, arrogant and entitled man who could not distinguish between the public interest, which he said he served, and his own private interest,” Bryant said at the time.

Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal title last year as King Charles III tried to insulate the monarchy from the growing fallout from the Epstein scandal. The former prince served as a special envoy for international trade from 2001 to 2011, when he was forced to give up the role because of concerns about his links to questionable figures in Libya and Azerbaijan.

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This version corrects that the release is set to happen Thursday, not Wednesday.

Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who heads Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, has become a major player in formulating Iran’s tough stance in negotiating a possible end to the war with the United States, experts say. He is believed to be part of a small clique in direct contact with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who remains in hiding after being reportedly wounded in the Feb. 28 Israeli strikes that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Like everything in Iran since the war began, who ultimately controls decision-making remains uncertain. As people within the upper ranks of Iran's theocracy vie for power, they can gain or lose favor quickly. Vahidi himself hasn't been seen publicly since Feb. 8, weeks before the war began. On Thursday, Iranian media carried contradictory reports on Vahidi meeting with Pakistan's interior minister in Tehran, who carried a message regarding negotiations with the U.S. and met with other top Iranian officials.

A longtime veteran of the ruling system, Vahidi helped shape Iran’s support of militant groups across the region, is accused of a role in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Argentina, and in 2022, led domestic security forces in a bloody crackdown on protesters.

Elevated to Guard commander this year after his predecessor was killed early in the war, he leads the most powerful force in Iran, with its arsenal of ballistic missiles and its fleet of small boats threatening Persian Gulf shipping.

“Vahidi and members of his inner circle have likely consolidated control over not only Iran’s military response in the conflict but also Iran’s negotiations policy,” the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said.

Iran’s war strategy has been to keep a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, blocking oil and gas exports and causing a global energy crisis. At the same time, it has struck hard against oil facilities, hotels and infrastructure in Gulf Arab nations.

In negotiations, it has held out against U.S. demands that it surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, betting that it can outlast the U.S. in the ongoing standoff and that President Donald Trump will be reluctant to resume outright war that could bring greater damage to America’s Gulf allies.

That likely reflects Vahidi’s confrontational style. “He comes from that mindset of unending revolution, unending resistance,” said Kenneth Katzman, a senior fellow at the The Soufan Group, a New York-based think tank. Vahidi believes “the U.S. needs to be challenged at every turn,” said Katzman, a senior Iran expert who advised the U.S. Congress for over 30 years.

Vahidi boasted in January that Iran’s defense power has developed to make it a “high risk for any military action by an enemy.”

Vahidi now a focal point in talks

Pakistan hosted talks in April between an Iranian delegation, led by parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and an American one, headed by U.S. Vice President JD Vance. But it ended without any deal.

Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi returned home to face criticism from inside the theocracy suggesting they were too willing to make concessions. Qalibaf had to insist publicly that the talks had the support of the supreme leader.

Since then, Vahidi has become the main point of contact for those negotiating with Iran, said a regional official with direct knowledge of the mediation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomacy.

The extreme seclusion and unknown condition of the supreme leader have fueled speculation about jockeying among leaders for access to Khamenei and influence over him. In early May, President Masoud Pezeshkian, who many see as sidelined from influence by the Guard, went out of his way to say he “got to see our dear leader” and spoke to him for around two hours.

But Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said it’s likely the new supreme leader “is in lockstep with a more hard-line (Guard) — similar to his father, but in a more emboldened and uncompromising form.”

Analyst Kamran Bokhari wrote that figures like Vahidi “are not just managing war — they are actively reshaping succession, consolidating authority around a weakened supreme leader, and effectively ‘capturing’ the state through crisis governance.”

Vahidi forged by years leading Quds Force

Born Ahmad Shahcheraghi in Iran’s southern city of Shiraz in 1958, Vahidi like many young men after the 1979 revolution joined the Revolutionary Guard and fought against the invasion by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein that sparked a bloody, eight-year war.

Vahidi entered the Guard’s nascent intelligence arm and soon was overseeing operations outside Iran. He gained the favor of powerful patrons, including Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a later president. Rafsanjani said in his autobiography that Vahidi was involved in the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal, in which the Reagan administration sold weapons to Tehran in an effort to free hostages held by Iranian-backed militants in Lebanon. The U.S. later used the money from those sales to fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

Rafsanjani later intervened to protect Vahidi when then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini sought to prosecute members of the Guard who failed to stop an incursion by armed fighters from an Iranian exile group in the late 1980s during the war.

Around this time, Vahidi took over the newly formed Quds, or Jerusalem, Force. Over decades, the Quds Force helped create a network of proxy militant groups and allied governments around the Middle East. The Quds Force under Vahidi helped mastermind the 1994 bombing targeting Argentina’s largest Jewish community center, killing 85 people and wounding 300 others, prosecutors say. Iran has denied involvement.

American investigators also believe that under Vahidi, Iran organized the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, killing 19 U.S. service members and wounding hundreds. Tehran has denied being involved in that attack as well.

Vahidi left the Quds Force in 1998. In 2010, while he was defense minister, the United States imposed sanctions on him over alleged involvement in Iran’s nuclear program and its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.

More recently, as interior minister, Vahidi oversaw police units involved in a bloody, monthslong crackdown on protests over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after being arrested for not properly wearing the mandated headscarf to the liking of authorities.

An Iranian newspaper later published a classified document that showed Vahidi’s Interior Ministry ordered security agencies to monitor and photograph women not wearing the hijab, something he had denied was taking place.

At around that time, Vahidi said in public comments that calls to remove the hijab were a “colonial plan” by Iran’s enemies trying to undermine the Islamic Republic. “The hijab has been a big barrier against the progress of effete Western culture,” he said.

Vahidi’s role makes reaching an accord with Iran that much more difficult for the U.S. — as does the continued obscurity over Iran’s leadership.

Trump wants a single interlocutor in Iran for negotiations, but "the whole system has changed,” said Hamidreza Azizi, an Iran expert at the Middle East Institute.

“It is not a one-man show. Vahidi is one alongside others," Azizi said. "Some we know and some we don’t know.”

___

Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo, Sarah El Deeb in Beirut, and Amir Vahdat and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.

But President Donald Trump is facing his own pressure at home for shipping to resume through the vital corridor off Iran's coast. Fellow Republicans in Congress are battling political headwinds ahead of November's midterm elections as gasoline prices skyrocket and global energy markets churn.

Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday advanced legislation seeking to force Trump to withdraw from the Iran war, with a growing number of Republicans defying the president in the 50-47 vote.

U.S. Central Command said on social media that the M/T Celestial Sea was searched and redirected after being suspected of trying to head to an Iranian port. It’s at least the fifth commercial vessel to be boarded since the Trump administration imposed the blockade on Iranian shipping in mid-April, several days into a ceasefire, to pressure Tehran into opening the strait and accepting a deal to end the war.

The military boarded the tanker after Trump said Monday he had called off renewed military strikes on Iran in an effort to make progress in negotiations to end the war. Trump said he had planned “a very major attack” for Tuesday but put it off, saying America’s allies in the Gulf asked him to wait for two to three days because they feel they are close to a deal.

Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off.

Before the U.S. blockade, Tehran had allowed some ships perceived as friendly to pass while charging considerable fees, leading to accusations it is holding the global economy hostage.

The U.S. military recently said that 1,550 vessels, from 87 countries, are currently stranded in the Persian Gulf.

Nearly three months since the war began with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Feb. 28, Iran maintains a chokehold on the strait, while the U.S. military has enforced its blockade on Iran's ports as well as Iranian-linked ships that are far away from the Middle East.

Last month, U.S. forces boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oil in the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean. A couple days later, the U.S. seized another tanker associated with smuggling Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

In early May, Trump said the U.S. military would begin to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped strait. The next day, he announced that the effort to protect ships was paused to see if an agreement could be reached.

Days later, U.S. forces fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers after exchanging fire with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military said the tankers were trying to breach the blockade. The day before, the military said it thwarted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships and struck Iranian military facilities in response.

Following a rain delay that lasted more than two hours, the right-handers traded zeros until the seventh inning — when Toronto loaded the bases with nobody out on an infield single, a walk and a bunt single.

Andrés Giménez then fouled off seven pitches, five with two strikes, before drawing an 11-pitch walk that scored Ernie Clement and chased Schlittler. One out later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lofted a sacrifice fly against Jake Bird to make it 2-0.

Yesavage (2-1) allowed just two hits and walked none while striking out eight over six shutout innings. The 22-year-old rookie has a 1.07 ERA in five starts after missing the first month this season due to a right shoulder impingement.

Three of his strikeouts came against three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge, who fanned all four times up.

Mason Fluharty, Jeff Hoffman and Tyler Rogers combined for six outs before the Yankees threatened against Louis Varland in the ninth. He gave up two hits and Paul Goldschmidt’s run-scoring comebacker before striking out Amed Rosario with a 99 mph fastball to earn his sixth save.

The 25-year-old Schlittler (6-2) permitted eight hits and two walks with seven strikeouts as his major league-leading ERA rose to 1.50.

It was the first time Yesavage and Schlittler have squared off after both authored dominant performances as rookies in the postseason last year.

Schlittler struck out 12 over eight innings in a 4-0 win against rival Boston in the decisive game of their AL Wild Card Series to advance New York to the Division Series versus Toronto, where Yesavage tossed 5 1/3 hitless innings with 11 strikeouts in a Game 2 victory over the Yankees.

The start Wednesday night was delayed by rain for 2 hours, 11 minutes.

Blue Jays right fielder Jesús Sánchez was shaken up in the seventh after diving for Goldschmidt's bloop single. Sánchez left the game but simply had the wind knocked out of him and is day-to-day, manager John Schneider said.

Up next

LHP Carlos Rodón (0-1, 5.63 ERA) pitches for the Yankees in Thursday’s series finale. The Blue Jays hadn't announced a scheduled starter, though RHP Spencer Miles (1-0, 2.55) is expected to pitch bulk innings in some capacity.

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With star defenseman Cale Makar sidelined by an upper-body injury, the Avalanche hardly resembled the top-seeded team that rolled through the first two rounds. They experimented with different line combinations in a 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final.

"There’s definitely a trickle-down effect to that,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of not having Makar. “But he’s not playing. We have find a way.”

A few breakdowns led to some big plays. One of the biggest was Dylan Coghlan splitting the defense down the middle and scoring through the pads of goaltender Scott Wedgewood.

Just the way the night went as the Avalanche trailed 3-0 before making it a one-goal game with 2:21 remaining on a power-play tally from captain Gabriel Landeskog.

“They capitalized early, we fought back," said Wedgewood, who stopped 24 shots. “But just unfortunately didn’t have enough.”

Colorado relied heavily on Devon Toews, who logged 27 minutes, 32 seconds. Brett Kulak was just over 23 minutes and Sam Malinski at 20:31. Josh Manson was just over 19 minutes, Brent Burns, at 41 years old, just shy of 17 minutes and Jack Ahcan, the defenseman who filled in for Makar, was limited to 7:34.

“I think the guys that we had playing tonight, not just the D, were capable more and capable of better,” Bednar said. “It just wasn’t there for us tonight.”

The availability of Makar for Game 2 on Friday night remains unknown. Although, Bednar did say that Makar was “doing a lot better," on Wednesday after morning skate.

Makar hasn't been practicing with the team since he left the ice holding his right arm following a collision late in Game 5 against Minnesota last Wednesday. He did return in that game as Colorado won in overtime. Makar also briefly left Game 1 after taking a hit along the boards, with his right leg flying into the air before he fell to the ice.

His absence is a blow for the Avalanche. This was the first time Makar has missed a playoff game for the Avalanche with an injury. He was suspended one game for interference during a series against Seattle in 2023.

The Norris Trophy finalist has four goals and an assist while averaging nearly 25 minutes of ice time through the opening two rounds. Makar also is an integral part of Colorado's special teams.

“Best defenseman in the world,” Avalanche forward Logan O’Connor said before Game 1. "He’s not going to be easily replaced. There’s not one guy that’s going to be able to do it. I think the advantage we have with the group we have in the game tonight is a lot of guys can be minute-munchers for us.

“Cale presents a dynamic ability that is super-unique in the league. No one’s going to replicate that tonight, but it’s on the D-core as a whole, and our group as a whole, to try and pick it up when we can.”

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Castro was charged for his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue. Castro was defense minister at the time.

President Donald Trump has been escalating talk on regime change in Cuba after the military action in Venezuela early this year resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. In addition, a White House-ordered economic blockade has led to blackouts, food shortages and a collapse in economic activity across Cuba.

The indictment comes amid rising tensions between Trump's administration and Cuba’s government. Meanwhile, the U.S. is in the midst of an uneasy ceasefire in the U.S. war against Iran.

Here’s a closer look at developments over the year between Cuba and the U.S.

Jan. 4

A day after the operation in Venezuela that captured Maduro, Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Cuba's government was “in a lot of trouble," as the president renewed calls for an American takeover of the Danish territory of Greenland.

Jan. 11

Trump fired off a warning to the government of Cuba as the close ally of Venezuela braced for potential unrest after Maduro was deposed. Trump called for the Cuban government “to make a deal BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."

Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, responded, “Those who turn everything into a business, even human lives, have no moral authority to point the finger at Cuba in any way, absolutely in any way.”

Jan. 30

Trump signed an executive order to impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a move that could further cripple the island.

Feb. 27

A day before the war in Iran began, Trumpsaid the U.S. was in talks with Havana and raised the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba,” though he didn't offer any details.

Trump said Rubio was in discussions with Cuban leaders “at a very high level.”

Trump didn’t clarify his comments but seemed to indicate that the situation with Cuba, among Washington’s bitterest adversaries for decades, was coming to a critical point.

Sometime in February

Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the grandson of Castro known as "Raúlito," secretly met with Rubio on the sidelines of a Caribbean Community summit in St. Kitts in February.

March 13

Díaz-Canelsaid Cuba and the U.S. held talks, marking the first time the Caribbean country confirmed widespread speculation about discussions with the Trump administration amid an energy crisis.

He said the talks “were aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences between our two nations. International factors facilitated these exchanges.”

March 31

A sanctioned Russian oil tanker arrived in Cuba, the first time in three months fuel reached the island.

April 9

Diaz-Canel said he would not resign.

April 10

Two senior State Department officials — Jeremy Lewin, who is in charge of all U.S. foreign assistance, and Michael Kozak, the top U.S. diplomat for Latin America — led a delegation to Havana and met with Rodríguez Castro, according to one U.S. official familiar with the meetings.

April 12

Díaz-Canel said in an interview he would not step down and that the U.S. has no valid reason to carry out a military attack against the island or to attempt to depose him.

Speaking in the interview on NBC's “Meet the Press,” the president said an invasion of Cuba would be costly and affect regional security.

April 16

Díaz-Canel spoke during a rally that drew hundreds of people to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the declaration of the Cuban Revolution’s socialist essence.

“The moment is extremely challenging and calls upon us once again, as on April 16, 1961, to be ready to confront serious threats, including military aggression. We do not want it, but it is our duty to prepare to avoid it and, if it becomes inevitable, to defeat it,” Díaz-Canel said.

April 17

News emerged that an American delegation recently met with Cuban government officials, marking a renewed diplomatic push. This was at least the third meeting with Rodríguez Castro.

A senior State Department official met with Rodríguez Castro earlier in the month, according to a department official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

The official did not say who from the U.S. met with Rodríguez Castro, whose grandfather is believed to play an influential role in the Cuban government despite not holding an official post. A second U.S. official said Rubio was not part of the delegation that visited Havana.

April 23

A Cuban diplomat speaking at the United Nations said Havana will not abide by any American “ultimatums” to release political prisoners as part of new talks.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Cuban Ambassador to the U.N. Ernesto Soberón Guzmán said internal issues regarding detainees “are not on the negotiating table.” The release of political prisoners was a key U.S. demand as the longtime adversaries held discussions in Cuba for the first time in a decade.

April 28

Senate Republicans rejected legislation from Democrats that would have required Trump to end the U.S. energy blockade on Cuba unless he receives approval from Congress.

The vote on the war powers resolution showed how Republicans continue to stand behind Trump as he acts unilaterally to exert American force in a range of global conflicts, including Venezuela, Iran and Cuba — one of the U.S.’s closest neighbors.

May 7

U.S. officials said the United States was not looking at imminent military action against Havana despite Trump’s repeated threats that “Cuba is next” and that American warships deployed in the Middle East for the Iran conflict could return by way of the island.

The officials involved in preliminary discussions with Cuban authorities also told the AP that they are not optimistic the communist government will accept an offer for tens of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid, two years of free Starlink internet access for all Cubans, agricultural assistance and infrastructure support.

But they said Cuba had not yet outright refused the offer, which came with conditions that the government has long resisted, even after the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on Havana.

May 14

U.S. and Cuban officials said CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials including Raúl Castro’s grandson during a high-level visit to the island.

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

May 15

The Justice Department was preparing to seek an indictment against Castro, three people familiar with the matter told the AP.

One of the people said the potential indictment was connected to Castro’s alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue. Castro was defense minister at the time.

All three people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation. The Cuban government did not respond to a request for comment on the potential indictment, which was reported earlier by CBS.

May 18

The State Department imposed a new layer of sanctions on several Cuban government agencies, including the Interior Ministry and National Police and Intelligence Directorate, as the Trump administration continued to ratchet up pressure against the island.

May 20

Federal prosecutors announced a grand jury indictment against Castro in connection with the shootdown of the two Brothers to the Rescue planes in 1996.

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This story has been corrected to reflect that two planes, not four, were shot down in 1996.

In 2020, he was a 21-year-old starting goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers, going 9-6 in their run to the second round in the Eastern Conference during the Toronto bubble, posting a .926 save percentage and two shutouts.

After serving time in hockey exile while mired in the Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal — for which he was acquitted — Hart joined the Vegas Golden Knights last December. He's sparked them in these playoffs, going 9-4 and helping the Golden Knights steal home ice with a 4-2 win at top-seeded Colorado in the opener of their Western Conference Final on Wednesday night.

“We know they’re a good team," said Hart, who has a .920 save percentage in these playoffs while allowing just 2.35 goals per game. “We know they got a lot of skill on their team and we respect that, but you can’t respect them too much. And I thought we did a good job of defending and limiting their time in space and I thought we blocked a lot of shots tonight and got in a lot of lanes and tied up some sticks.”

Hart was stellar in stopping the pucks that reached him, turning away 36 of 38 shots. The only ones he allowed to get through were a between-the-legs aberration by Valeri Nichushkin and a late goal from Gabe Landeskog when the Avs had pulled goaltender Scott Wedgewood on a power play for a two-man advantage.

“Carter Hart’s a hell of a goalie,” said Golden Knights coach John Tortorella, who took over in Vegas on March 29 and who also coached Hart in Philadelphia. "He was great in Philly for me, and we’ve got two good ones, you know. (Adin Hill)'s kind of been put off to the side a little bit, that’s a guy that just won a Stanley Cup a couple years ago.

"But Carter, I think he’s grown so strong mentally. I don’t think much bothers him. He is just zeroed in. And he’s going to have to be, because we’ve got a lot of work to do here.”

The respect is mutual.

“Yeah, I think he’s done a great job coming in here,” Hart said. “It’s never easy coming in late in the season like he did and I think he’s done a tremendous job of just rallying the group and earning the guys’ trust and I really enjoy playing for him. I enjoyed playing for him in Philly and I’m happy he’s here.”

Beginning in early 2024, Hart was placed on an indefinite leave of absence from hockey after he was charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault involving members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team as part of the Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal; he was acquitted of all charges last year and resumed his career with Vegas.

The league reviewed the case and agreed to allow the acquitted defendants to play starting Dec. 1, 2025. Hart was the first of those five Canada junior players to agree to an NHL deal, signing a two-year, $4 million contract before working with Vegas’ American Hockey League affiliate in Henderson, Nevada.

After he agreed to sign, Hart read a statement to reporters that, in part, said he wanted “to show the community my true character and who I am and what I’m about.”

He's also showing how much help he can be for Vegas' hopes of winning another Stanley Cup. He made 10 stops in the scoreless first period as the Golden Knights served notice that they weren't going to be like the Los Angeles Kings or Minnesota Wild, who went a combined 1-8 against Colorado in prior rounds.

“It’s huge,” Hart said. “To come out like we did, I thought we came out really good in the first period and I know this is a hard building to play in and it was huge for us just to get rolling and just start off the right way and then build off that.”

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Trailing 3-0 in the third period, Colorado made it 3-2 with 2:21 remaining on a power-play goal from Gabriel Landeskog. Nic Dowd sealed it for Vegas with an empty-net goal.

Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden also scored for the Golden Knights, who took advantage of several defensive miscommunications by the Avalanche as they juggled their blue-line pairings with Cale Makar sidelined by an upper-body injury.

Coghlan scored his first NHL goal since Dec. 17, 2021. The 28-year-old defenseman spent most of the season in the American Hockey League. He's played the last five postseason games with the recent injury to Jeremy Lauzon.

“When you say Dylan Coghlan to me, I think of no fear,” Vegas coach John Tortorella said. “I think he's one of our best defensemen since he's been with us and in the lineup. ... He's a bit unflappable."

It was a smothering performance most of the game by the Golden Knights as they kept the pressure on goaltender Scott Wedgewood, while controlling the Avalanche's speed through the neutral zone. Vegas also had 23 blocked shots.

“We didn't play a flawless game by any means,” Tortorella said. “We have work to do.”

Valeri Nichushkin had a goal at 5:53 of the third to make it 3-1.

Hart was stellar most of the evening, making one sprawling save after another. He got some help from his post, too, when Logan O’Connor's liner clanged off it in the first period.

“We know they've got a lot of skill on their team, and we respect that,” Hart said. “But you can’t respect them too much, and I thought we did a good job of defending and limiting their time and space.”

Mitch Marner added an assist for Vegas to give him 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in this postseason. It was Dorofeyev’s NHL-leading 10th goal of this postseason. The Golden Knights didn’t have injured captain Mark Stone.

“We’re trying to play our game, not worrying too much about countering off another team," Tortorella explained. "They feel very comfortable in it.”

Game 2 is Friday night in Denver.

The Avalanche dropped their first game at home after winning five straight through the first two rounds. Wedgewood made 24 saves.

“It was kind of a nothing game, and then they got a few goals,” Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon said. "Really good team, obviously, but I thought we did a lot of damage to ourselves. Just guys kind of everywhere. Execution, like I said, needs to be better. Obviously, we’re capable of being a lot better than that.”

Colorado tried some different combinations without Makar. It led to some confusion, with Coghlan sneaking into the middle of the ice and lining a shot through the pads of Wedgewood to break a scoreless game in the second period.

“There's definitely a trickle-down effect to that," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of not having Makar. “But he's not playing. We have find a way.”

Coghlan has bounced around over his career, spending his first two seasons with Vegas before stints with Carolina and Winnipeg. He returned to the Golden Knights last July in part, he said, because of the bonds he'd formed.

“This is probably the best I've felt in my whole career,” said Coghlan, who played in three regular-season games for Vegas this season. “Whoever it is I'm playing with I'm very comfortable out there with them. They make it pretty easy on me. We have some pretty world-class players.”

The Golden Knights and Avalanche are meeting in a best-of-seven series for the second time. In 2021, Colorado won the opening two games of their second-round series before Vegas captured four straight.

“ Definitely things we can get better at,” Landeskog said. “But we knew it was (going to) be a long series.”

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

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In rambling writings full of vitriol against a wide range of people, the teenagers who attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego this week, killing three men and themselves, left little doubt about the models for their violence.

Chief among them: the shooter who killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019.

Researchers who study extremism have long noted the resonance of the Christchurch attack among far-right assailants, attributing it to the extent of the violence, the document the killer posted concerning his views and actions, and — especially — his decision to livestream the massacre. Among those who apparently modeled attacks after Christchurch was a shooter who months later killed 22 people in a Texas Walmart.

“Part of what we’re seeing in violent extremist communities online is wanting to emulate the attacks that have had the most kills — which is a disgusting thing to say, but it's the reality,” said Katherine Keneally, director of threat analysis and prevention at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, an anti-extremism organization. “There is this obsession and it’s just sort of gamifying of attacks.”

Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, stormed the Islamic Center on Monday before being driven back outside by a security guard who exchanged gunfire with them as he initiated a lockdown, helping to protect 140 children, authorities have said.

The pair killed the guard, Amin Abdullah, and two other men before taking their own lives in a vehicle nearby.

Writings heavy on hate and grievance

They left behind a 74-page document — the same length as the one written by Christchurch shooter Brenton Tarrant. Like Tarrant's, it cited a range of far-right ideological inspirations, including the notion that white people are being replaced by other populations, and offered self-interviews detailing their motives and goals.

And they called themselves “Sons of Tarrant.”

The writings include hateful rhetoric toward Jewish people, Muslims and Islam, as well as the LGBTQ+ community, Black people, women, and the political left and right. They indicated they were trying to accelerate the collapse of society. In his section, Vazquez wrote of having “some mental health issues” and being rejected by women.

Brian Levin, the founding director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University in San Bernardino, noted that while white supremacist writings dating to the 1970s offered a narrative blueprint for decentralized terror attacks, neo-Nazis decades ago favored an approach sometimes called the “propaganda of the deed” — the attack on its own was supposed to inspire copycats, even without written explanations.

The internet has made it easier to spread writings by attackers, and since a far-right attacker killed 77 people in Norway in 2011 and released a 1,500-page document, it has become more common for writings to accompany such atrocities, Levin said. Frequently the writings quote from past white-supremacist texts.

“This strategy of being another chapter in a continuing chain of extremism not only telegraphs that the movement is bigger than it is, but also its resilience — that it is reoccurring with a different set of violent actors, some of whom die in the process,” Levin said.

A contagion of mass violence

The shooting was the latest in a series of attacks on houses of worship. Threats and hate crimes targeting the Muslim and Jewish communities have risen since war began in the Middle East, forcing increases in security.

Keneally said she had mixed feelings about the media attention on the attacks: The public needs to understand what happened, but it also risks amplifying the killers' message and spreading the contagion of mass violence. She said she has struggled with questions she has gotten about whether such attacks are motivated by nihilistic extremism, or accelerationist, neo-Nazi, or white supremacist ideologies.

“We’re trying to put people in buckets and we’re asking the why, but we’re not going back and looking at the how," Keneally said. "How did these kids end up going down this route? How is social media playing a role in that?”

At 17 and 18, she said, healthy teenagers should be excited about graduating high school or entering young adulthood, not engaging with extremist ideologies.

Another form of inspiration

While hateful extremism inspired the teens to attack the Islamic center, it inspired the security guard, Abdullah, in another way: to defend it.

In an interview, his friend Khalid Alexander said Abdullah was increasingly concerned about negative rhetoric toward Muslims, including from politicians.

“He recognized a direct kind of correlation between the threat of the community he was protecting and the types of, really, hate that was being spewed on television in an anti-Muslim, anti-Black, anti-immigrant feeling,” Alexander said. “And so he was keenly aware of the dangers of his job. And that’s exactly why he chose to do it.”

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Johnson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Julie Watson in San Diego and Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed.

The reason: Another hamstring problem, which the Thunder called tightness.

Williams appeared to be getting treatment on the hamstring during the first half, then left the bench area and did not play in the second quarter. Television footage showed him walking toward the locker room holding a large wrap on the back of his left leg.

Cason Wallace started the second half in Williams' place, and the Thunder announced that Williams wouldn't return not long afterward. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Williams would be evaluated on Thursday.

“He’s going to get checked out," Daigneault said after Oklahoma City's 122-113 win that evened the series at a game apiece. "I don’t deal in like hypotheticals, especially when doctors are involved. ... We'll see where he’s at. We’ll update him accordingly.”

Williams returned for Game 1 of the Spurs' series, scoring 26 points in 37 minutes on Monday night in Oklahoma City's 122-115 double-overtime loss. He had four points in seven first-quarter minutes Wednesday, including an alley-oop dunk with 2:12 left in the period.

Game 3 of the series is Friday in San Antonio.

Williams missed 55 of the Thunder’s first 91 games this season entering Wednesday, including playoffs. Of those absences, 19 were for a right wrist issue and the other 36 were related to his hamstrings — the right one costing him 30 games during the regular season, the left one costing him the most recent six during the playoffs.

“Obviously, if we don’t have him, it hurts," Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game. “I still believe in this team though. We've played a bunch of games without him, won big games without him. I still think we’ll get the job done. But losing a guy ... no matter how good your team is otherwise it hurts a little bit. And for him, just like as a human being, he’s had a tough year with injuries.”

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What is planned for the finale has not been revealed but the folks at “The Late Show” have had months to prepare for the end of the network’s 33-year franchise.

Guests in the final week have included Michael Keaton, Jon Stewart, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Steven Spielberg, David Byrne and Bruce Springsteen, while there's been a wacky version of “It’s Raining Men” remade into “It’s Raining Fish.”

CBS announced last summer that Colbert’s show would end, citing economic reasons after 11 seasons. But Colbert is the ratings leader in late-night TV. Many — including Colbert — have expressed skepticism that President Donald Trump’s repeated criticism of the show wasn't a factor.

The decision to shutter the show came after parent company Paramount’s $16 million settlement of Trump’s lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview as Paramount awaited his administration's approval of a pending sale to Skydance Media. Colbert had called it a “big fat bribe.”

Dustin Kidd, a professor of sociology at Temple University, notes that Colbert leaves at the top of his game and as the ratings leader on late night. Canceling him can’t be explained strictly through economics, he said.

“I would argue that it’s answerable, frankly, through politics,” Kidd said. “There’s been a lot of political pressure levied against this show and a lot of political pressure at work within CBS more generally. And I think that has a lot more to offer in terms of explaining why this show, at this time.”

Colbert’s chief rivals, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” will both run reruns on Thursday night at the same time as Colbert's goodbye.

CBS will fill “The Late Show” slot with “Comics Unleashed,” in which comedians share stories. Host Byron Allen has vowed to avoid politics.

Just like that, the Spurs have some big issues to deal with in the Western Conference finals.

Fox — the Spurs' All-Star guard — tried to go through a pregame workout Wednesday but his right ankle wasn't good enough to let him play. So, the Spurs kept Dylan Harper in the starting lineup in his place, only to see him leave in the third quarter with a leg injury.

The Spurs got a split of the first two games in Oklahoma City, but it's anyone's guess who'll start in the backcourt when the series resumes in San Antonio on Friday night.

“It's a tough injury that he wouldn't be playing with in the regular season,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of Fox's ankle injury, the severity of which has not been fully disclosed by the team. “He's trying to tough it out.”

Harper took two awkward falls about a minute apart in the third quarter and was ruled out not long afterward. Johnson didn't have an update on him after Game 2, which Oklahoma City won 122-113 to even the series.

The Spurs held out hope until about an hour before game time that Fox could play, and Johnson — just as he did Monday — indicated that Fox's status will be a series of game-time decisions for the rest of the season.

“It’ll be pretty status quo moving forward, I believe, regardless of if he plays in games or not,” Johnson said. “This’ll be just kind of the world we live in.”

Fox was an All-Star this season for the Spurs, averaging 18.6 points per game in the regular season — second on the team behind only Victor Wembanyama's 25 points per game.

Harper — who was named to the NBA's All-Rookie first team earlier Wednesday — was brilliant in the Spurs' Game 1 win, with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a team playoff record seven steals.

He had 12 points in 25 minutes on Wednesday before heading to the locker room.

Harper, who turned 20 on March 2, is the second-youngest player to have appeared in this season's playoffs, behind only Minnesota's Joan Beringer and Phoenix's Khaman Maluach — both still just 19. Beringer and Maluach combined to score 24 points in the playoffs, matching the total that Harper had in Game 1 against the Thunder alone.

“He didn't just get this talented or this good,” Johnson said of Harper before the game. “For him to buy in to the role that was in front of him, for him to do what was asked and be held accountable and learn what it took and what we needed to win games and be a part of it — while probably suppressing some of his individual capabilities — is hard to do for a 19- to 20-year-old.

“For him to be able to do that and grow as a winning team player and then have his individual talent pop as well — it's hard to do in this league at any time. Doing it as a rookie in the playoffs is ridiculous.”

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

The Republican president’s years of false claims that his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden was due to widespread fraud have shadowed many elections since in the presidential battleground. The issue is almost certain to play a role in a four-week runoff campaign as GOP voters choose nominees for governor, secretary of state and the U.S. Senate.

Among the contenders: one of Trump’s alternate electors in his attempt to overturn Biden’s win in the state, a Trump acolyte who won his first congressional race while saying Trump won in 2020 and a secretary of state hopeful who echoes Trump’s conspiracy theories as he vies to become Georgia’s top elections official.

To be clear, Georgia's presidential votes were counted three times, including once by hand, and each one affirmed Biden's victory.

The primary came amid continued legal and political wrangling over how elections are managed in Fulton County — home to heavily Democratic Atlanta. Trump's questioning of the Georgia results and longtime criticism of Fulton County elections were supercharged earlier this year when the FBI searched the county’s election office, seizing ballots and records from 2020.

The primary election's first-round results showed that siding with Trump, even on his election lies, is good politics within the GOP. Georgia candidates who opposed Trump’s efforts in 2020 got trounced. But some conservatives worry that misplaying the issue — or emphasizing it at all — could backfire with the general electorate in November.

“We’re going to look stupid,” warned Debbie Dooley, an early tea party organizer who supported Trump from the outset of his first presidential campaign. “What are you going to say — Trump won, and he was always the president? It serves no purpose.”

She said Republicans should instead focus on the economy, and that any mention of election procedures should look to “securing future elections, looking forward.”

Whether Trump sees it that way is another question. The president already has endorsed Burt Jones, one of his 2020 alternate electors, in the governor’s race. Dooley, who is backing Jones, said she wouldn't be surprised if Trump comes to Georgia to campaign — and air his 2020 grievances again.

“I don’t know if the president gets it or not,” she said.

A 2020 Trump fake elector in the governor's race

Jones was a state lawmaker in 2020 when he joined Trump’s cause to overturn Biden’s 11,779-vote margin in Georgia. He parlayed that loyalty into winning the lieutenant governor’s office in 2022 and getting Trump’s early endorsement in his bid for a promotion. On Tuesday, he won about four out of 10 Republican votes.

Trump and Jones don’t revisit the details, but Trump has praised Jones multiple times on his Truth Social platform for his loyalty while Jones has promoted “election integrity.”

Jones’ runoff rival, billionaire and political newcomer Rick Jackson, is among the Republicans who does not talk much about the 2020 election. But he spent a slice of the $83 million he invested in his own campaign on an ad attacking outgoing Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, another GOP candidate for governor who resisted Trump’s urging to help find “find 11,800 votes” to reverse Biden’s victory in 2020.

In the ad, a child is shown asking his mother why she chose the name Brad. The mother replies that her second choice was “Judas” – in the New Testament account, the name of the disciple who betrays Jesus to Roman authorities. The full name “Brad ‘Judas’ Raffensperger” appeared on the screen at the end of the spot.

Raffensperger finished a distant third in this week's primary, with just 15% of the vote.

Senate primary leader said Democrats stole 2020

Rep. Mike Collins, who led the Senate GOP primary with about 40% of the vote, has never backed off his false claims that Biden’s win was rigged, an argument he featured when he first ran for Congress in 2022.

“You count the legal votes that were cast in the state of Georgia, Donald Trump won this state. Period,” he said in one ad, in which he held a long gun and bemoaned the “federal hijacking” of the 2020 election. He concluded with shooting a mock voting machine.

Collins’ runoff rival, former college football coach and political newcomer Derek Dooley, has been more circumspect. But both men are pledging fealty to Trump, with the president thus far not endorsing in the race to determine who will challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.

It’s notable that Dooley’s main political benefactor is outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp, who like Raffensperger drew Trump’s ire in 2020 for certifying Biden’s slate of electors.

Kemp ran for and won reelection in 2022, saying Republicans should look forward instead of relitigating the 2020 election. Trump eventually made up with Kemp during the 2024 presidential campaign, and advisers to both men say Kemp has discussed the Senate contest with the president.

A conspiracy theorist in the race to succeed Raffensperger

State Rep. Tim Fleming, a former deputy secretary of state, and former state Rep. Vernon Jones, a Trump loyalist and perennial candidate, were the top vote-getters in the contest for secretary of state and will face off next month.

Jones, a former Democrat, embraced Trump's “stop the steal” movement and said during an Atlanta Press Club debate last month, “I stand with those who believe there was election fraud.”

Fleming, who worked under Kemp when the governor was secretary of state, has said there were “irregularities” in the 2020 election — a buzz word among Republicans who stop short of echoing Trump without refuting him. But Fleming said he believes the state has made great strides since then in improving elections and said he wants to focus on future elections.

Fleming and Jones far outpaced one of Raffensperger's top aides, Gabriel Sterling, who gained attention in December 2020 for urging Trump to help discourage threats of violence against election workers. Sterling got 12% of the primary vote, finishing fourth.

Heavily Democratic Fulton County remains a Trump, GOP target

Trump has long fixated on Fulton County, alleging it was the center of Georgia fraud in 2020. The FBI seized 2020 ballots and documents from the county elections offices in January, and the county remained a punching bag for Republicans through vote tabulations on Tuesday.

During voting hours, two voting precincts were closed for four hours in an Atlanta suburb after police received a call about possible gunfire and a suspicious person wearing military-style clothing. While the incident was unrelated to the primary, a judge ordered the precincts to stay open until 11 p.m. to make up for the lost time, and Fulton officials said the law prevented them from releasing any results until those precincts were closed.

State Sen. Greg Dolezal, a Republican runoff candidate for lieutenant governor, tried to capitalize on the delay, despite the fact that he's seeking an office with no role over tabulating ballots or certifying elections.

“Here we are on Election Night, Georgians are anxiously awaiting the results, and which county hasn’t even started reporting? It’s always Fulton County,” Dolezal posted on social media. “It’s time for Georgia to takeover the process. We will not have another 2020 this November!”

Ask Brits what they think of their former colonies in 2026, and they note these long-held views of America and Americans. But after 250 years of independence from Britain, the country’s former rulers cannot discuss the United States without mentioning President Donald Trump, almost always before listing the many qualities they admire and appreciate in the upstart nation across the pond.

“It’s Trump’s world now, isn’t it?” says Mark Keightley, a printer technician who serves the Cambridge area, about an hour north of London.

Over the past year, The Associated Press asked Britons — from George Washington’s ancestral home near Scotland to Cambridge, Bristol and London — a neutral question: “What do you think of America now?” Virtually every answer, even from those like Keightley who support some of the president’s policies, begins with a considered pause, followed by a crisp euphemism for Trump and the Trump era.

"Your president ..." "The current state of politics …" and "He …" with no ambiguity about who, are typical. And they suggest as much about the British perception of their former colony as the commentary that tends to come next. Is it possible to talk about America now without referencing Trump, they are asked? The unanimous answer, according to these interviews: No.

“My own opinion of America is now dictated by the president and he’s not covering himself in glory as far as I’m concerned,” said Eddie Boyle of Falkirk, Scotland, as he walked across Westminster Bridge in London last week. “It’s a shame that such a long arrangement between the two countries has been tarnished."

‘The Country disappoints me’

Being British and disappointed by the reality of the United States isn't a new phenomenon.

Charles Dickens wrote to a friend that he felt just that way during his 1842 visit to the new nation, where he was feted from Boston to New York and Washington — and reportedly earned a fortune from public readings of his work. But he was horrified by the ongoing practice of slavery, which Britain abolished in 1833. And the celebrated freedom of expression that Americans had enshrined in the First Amendment, he wrote, had gone awry with “a press more mean, and paltry, and silly, and disgraceful than any country I ever knew.”

Also, he wrote in a travelogue, Americans spit in public — a “filthy custom.”

“This is not the Republic I came to see. This is not the Republic of my imagination,” he wrote to William Charles Macready on March 22, 1842. “In every respect but that of National Education, the Country disappoints me.”

Over time, the history of the U.S.-U.K. relationship unfolded in such a way that no one event or president can define it.

Several inflection points inspired Britain to take America seriously as a permanent power and not a temporary, rebellious whim. Among them, the War of 1812 — a rematch of sorts between the two nations. It ended in a draw, but the conflict boosted the sense of American independence and established the United States as a sturdy trading and military force to be reckoned with.

The new country then survived its own Civil War. Then, before a century elapsed, the United States helped Britain fend off Nazi occupation and, with the rest of the Allied powers, defeated Germany during World War II. Four decades later, the storied friendship between President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher helped drive the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

“They did something great there,” Maria Miston of Suffolk, pausing recently near Big Ben, says of Thatcher and Reagan. “They actually managed to bring the Cold War to an end.” She notes that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 damaged the superpower's image around the world. And, she thinks, it hasn't gotten better. “We've just gone backwards since then.”

Trump rebrands the ‘special relationship’

During his second term, the American president first tolerated his fellow head of government, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but then dismissed him as “ not Winston Churchill ” over the premier’s refusal to involve the U.K. in the U.S. war against Iran.

Trump has suggested that he considers the king, not the prime minister, to be his peer. The president was deeply flattered by the king’s invitation for an unprecedented second state visit to England — and a dazzling royal dinner at Windsor Castle — last year as well as Charles’ recent visit to Washington. In the U.S., Charles said the four-century-long U.S.-British relationship is “more important today than it has ever been,” even as he laid in support for checks and balances — seen as an implicit criticism of Trump.

The White House posted on social media that the pair are “TWO KINGS,” — in part, perhaps, a clapback to the “No Kings” rallies that drew crowds across the U.S. during Charles’ visit. But the irony was not missed in the land of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” and more founding-era documents that rejected the rule of Charles’ five-times great-grandfather, King George III, and government by monarchy generally.

Back home, where polls showed significant opposition to the king’s visit beforehand, Charles’ performance won raves as a show of soft power. That seemed all the more noteworthy given the obvious tension between the monarch and the president over climate issues, and Trump’s threat to make Canada the 51st state, where Charles is sovereign.

“May I say, well done in the Americas,” rock star Rod Stewart told Charles at a May 11 gala within earshot of reporters. “You were superb, absolutely superb, put that little rat bag in his place.”

Polls show Britons have soured on America. Only 28% of British adults approved of U.S. leadership in a Gallup poll conducted in the late summer and early fall of 2025, while 68% disapproved. That’s broadly in line with views of U.S. leadership during Trump’s first term, and lower than approval of U.S. leadership under Democratic President Joe Biden, when around 45% of U.K. adults approved of American leadership.

The Pew Research Center’s 2025 Global Attitudes Survey, conducted in the spring of that year, found that roughly half of U.K. adults had a favorable view of the U.S. British adults had a sunnier view of America in the first two years of Biden’s presidency, when about two-thirds had a favorable view of the U.S. That fell to 54% by the spring of 2024.

U.S.-U.K. relations have been strained in recent history, The Suez Canal crisis in 1956, for example, proved a stark reminder of Britain’s waning power and American ascendancy on the world stage. A decade later, Britain resisted pressure from the U.S. to join the Vietnam War.

Watching the American experiment under Trump

Throughout the years, watching America has become something of a spectator sport in Britain, if only to gauge how well — or poorly, or amusingly — the cousins across the Atlantic are doing democracy their way.

Nowadays, Brits readily acknowledge a long list of American qualities they admire alongside those that anger or mystify them. To the good: American ambition. The country's wealth. Its military might. Its vastness. Its television, music and movies. And its resilience despite racial tensions and the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

In parallel runs the rest: America's gunviolence, which seems hard to fathom when viewed from Great Britain, where handguns were outlawed in 1997 after a school massacre. Immigration crackdowns in the U.S. seem puzzling to many Brits given that America was founded by immigrants. Though, like much of Europe, the U.K. has its own issues with people trying to enter the country illegally.

Topping the list of mysteries is Trump, the 47th president during the snapshot in time when the United States celebrates 250 years of independence. Talking about him is socially sensitive, Brits say, with Brexit still a raw tear through society and populist reform, led by some Trump supporters, on the rise in recent local elections.

“How can someone like that become president?” Mark Gibson asked over an ale recently at The Cross Keys pub in Washington, down the hill from the first president's ancestral home. He understands why Americans elected other men as their leaders, even if he didn't agree with them. But Trump? “I don't understand it. He's had bankruptcies and legal troubles."

"But,” Gibson adds, “I guess that's what people wanted. They elected him twice.”

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Associated Press News Editor Amelia Thomson DeVeaux in Washington and video journalist Kwiyeon Ha in London contributed to this report.

Four people initially were found unresponsive inside the Mountainair home east of Albuquerque, New Mexico State Police said. Three died, while the forth was being treated at an Albuquerque hospital, police said. Their names weren't released.

First responders who arrived at the home were exposed to the substance and began experiencing symptoms, including nausea and dizziness, authorities said.

Antonette Alguire, a volunteer firefighter in Mountainair, helped perform CPR on a woman outside the home and watched as EMTs and firefighters started coughing, vomiting and becoming dizzy at the heliport, she said. Alguire said the experience was scary, even though she didn't go inside and didn't experience any symptoms.

She wondered if first responders might have to do more to protect themselves in the future.

“It’s getting to that point where we just have to live in fear, even saving lives," she said.

Investigators are working to identify the substance. Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto said he saw drugs at the scene and pointed to that as a possible factor in the deaths. He said the health issues people experienced were not related to carbon monoxide or natural gas exposure.

New Mexico State Police said there was no threat to the public.

“At this time, investigators believe the substance may be transmitted through contact and do not believe it to be airborne," said Officer Wilson Silver.

Nearly two dozen patients were assessed and decontaminated after being exposed to the substance, the University of New Mexico Hospital said. Most of those were first responders who were showing no symptoms and later were discharged, hospital officials said. Three symptomatic patients were being monitored Wednesday evening, the hospital said.

As law enforcement officers from multiple agencies remained on the scene late Wednesday afternoon, three bodies were placed onto gurneys and then loaded into a white van and driven away.

Yellow tape surrounded the home along a dirt road. A singlewide trailer could be seen in the home's backyard, with several cars, trucks and vans in the driveway.

The mayor described Mountainair as a tight-knit community of fewer than 1,000 people. Town hall will be closed Thursday because of the emotional toll on employees, he said.

“A tragedy like this is horrific,” he said.

Residents voiced frustration on social media about drug use in the community and elsewhere. New Mexico had the fourth-highest rate of drug overdose deaths of any U.S. state in 2024, with 775 deaths, according to the most recent data available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nieto said on social media that the town's law enforcement officers and first responders work daily to protect the community and respond to difficult situations.

“But the reality is that addiction and substance abuse are issues affecting communities all across our state and nation,” Nieto said. “There is no simple or immediate solution. Lasting change requires family support, accountability, education, and most importantly, individuals who are willing to accept help.”

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This story has been updated to correct that law enforcement officers remained on the scene late Wednesday afternoon, not Tuesday. It also corrects attribution to Nieto about possible factors in the deaths.

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Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden in Seattle and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed to this report.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bounced back from a subpar series opener to score 30 points, Alex Caruso added 17 off the bench and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 122-113 on Wednesday night in Game 2.

Chet Holmgren scored 13 points and reserves Jared McCain and Cason Wallace each had 12 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder finished with a 57-25 edge in bench scoring, plus a 27-10 advantage in points off turnovers.

“I thought we all played better,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “I had a quiet confidence about that. I didn't know if we'd win or lose the game, but I was pretty sure after watching Game 1 and knowing our team that we were going to come out and play better tonight.”

Stephon Castle scored 25 points for the Spurs, who got 22 points from Devin Vassell and a 21-point, 17-rebound, six-assist, four-block night from Victor Wembanyama.

Game 3 is Friday in San Antonio.

“The guys brought it tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Knowing what it would have meant if we lost this one, we brought the energy from the jump.”

Isaiah Hartenstein — who barely played in Game 1 — had 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder, who improved to 14-5 after a loss this season — and beat the Spurs for just the second time in seven meetings.

The win was not without cost for the Thunder, who lost guard Jalen Williams — who had already missed six games in these playoffs with a left hamstring strain — in the first half with a recurrence of the hamstring issue. The Thunder said it was tightness, but even that would figure to put his availability for Friday into doubt.

And the Spurs got banged up as well. Already without All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox because of ankle soreness, San Antonio lost his replacement in the starting lineup — Dylan Harper — to a right leg injury after he took a couple of awkward falls in the third quarter.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson had no update on Harper after the game, though he noted that it puts “a ton” of pressure on others when his team is down two guards.

“Obviously this team is as good as anybody at turning you over, so when you’re down some of your primary creators and initiators it causes a little bit of an extra strain, whether that’s who to play, what to play, what to run, etc., etc.,” Johnson said. “We’ll just have to be sharper in that area because it’s tough fully loaded against these guys.”

San Antonio was down by 11 at the half and trailed by eight going into the fourth quarter, then got within 99-97 off a corner 3-pointer by Harrison Barnes with 9:06 left.

The next 2 1/2 minutes saved the Thunder. An 11-0 run by the defending champions — including a banked-in 3-pointer by McCain midway through the burst — pushed OKC's lead to 13.

But the Spurs — on another night when turnovers plagued them and the stretch run was played without Fox and Harper — were far from done. Wembanyama scored down low to make it 118-113 with 1:25 remaining, but Gilgeous-Alexander got one last basket to settle things down and send the series to San Antonio tied.

“We've got to help our ballhandlers more and take care of the ball,” Wembanyama said.

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

Because let’s be honest… sometimes parents want the fun of a road trip without the actual road trip.

Just about an hour from Houston, Moody Gardens packs beach days, giant dinosaurs, rainforest adventures and lazy river vibes all into one destination — making it the kind of place where the kids barely have time to ask, “Are we there yet?” before you’ve already arrived.

This summer, families can cool off at Palm Beach, complete with white sand, a lazy river, wave pool and water slides. Starting in June, Beats on the Beach also brings live music and fireworks to Galveston Island on Saturday nights throughout the summer.

And for dinosaur lovers? The Dinos Alive exhibit takes families back in time with nearly two dozen giant animatronic dinosaurs hidden throughout a Jurassic-style jungle. From Stegosaurus to Tyrannosaurus Rex, it’s a prehistoric adventure kids are guaranteed to remember.

Of course, Moody Gardens is also home to some of its signature attractions including the Aquarium Pyramid, Rainforest Pyramid, 3D and 4D theaters, ropes course, zip line and interactive exhibits — all conveniently located in one spot.

Parents looking to turn a day trip into a weekend escape can also stay at the newly refreshed Moody Gardens Hotel, featuring updated guest rooms, on-site dining, a spa, and access to the Moody Gardens Golf Course and new pickleball courts nearby.

Basically? It’s summer fun without the stress of spending half your vacation stuck in the car.

For the best deals on tickets, hotel reservations, the Moody Gardens annual pass and basically everything you need to know, visit moodygardens.org or call 409-744-4673.

A filing shows that his SpaceX lost $2.6 billion from operations last year on $18.7 billion in revenue, and the losses kept piling up at the start of this year, too.

The prospectus did not put a dollar figure on the amount Musk hopes to raise, but various reports have put it at $75 billion or so. An offering of that size would easily surpass the current title holder, Saudi Aramco, the oil giant that went public seven years ago and raised $26 billion.

SpaceX, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., has said the money will help finance projects to put people on the moon and Mars in its quest to make humans an intergalactic species as they face existential threats that could wipe out civilization.

“We do not want humans to have the same fate as dinosaurs,” the filing states.

The prospectus reads in part like a Hollywood fantasy version of the future, detailing in one section how part of Musk’s compensation will be granted only if he maintains “a permanent human colony on Mars with at least one million inhabitants.”

Short of that, the stock sale alone could make Musk, a major owner who founded SpaceX in 2002, the world’s first trillionaire. Forbes currently puts his net worth at $839 billion.

In addition to making reusable rockets to hurl astronauts into orbit, SpaceX has other businesses, some successful, some struggling — and with plenty of questions marks.

The document shows that Starlink, the world’s largest satellite communications company, is a big source of cash for the company, generating $4.4 billion in operating income last year. The business uses 10,000 satellites in low orbit to provide internet service to 10 million people in 150 countries and territories.

Among the struggling businesses are two Musk units that were recently acquired by SpaceX — his social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and his artificial intelligence business, xAI. Those purchases were blasted by some SpaceX investors as bailouts because they are big money losers.

The prospectus said its AI business lost $6.4 billion in operations last year.

The original SpaceX business, making rockets and staging launches, has been helped by massive government contracts, which raises questions that could come back to haunt the company. Given Musk’s close relation to the Trump administration, government ethics lawyers and watchdogs have asked if he has gotten special treatment to win taxpayer money and whether that good luck will run out once President Donald Trump is out office.

SpaceX has won contracts worth $6 billion from NASA and the Defense Department and other government agencies in the past five years, according to USAspending.gov. The company noted in its filing that a fifth of its revenue last year was from the federal government.

Musk was the biggest donor to Trump’s presidential campaign and is still a big backer despite their sometimes rocky relationship after his stewardship of the government cost-cutting effort called DOGE early last year.

Like many corporate CEOs, Musk’s compensation will go far beyond his annual salary, which was $54,080 in 2025 and has remained unchanged since 2019, according to the filing.

The prospectus says stock grants for him would be sliced into 15 nearly equal amounts — 67 million shares each — and would vest only as the company achieves preset market cap goals. In addition to the Martian colony, SpaceX’s stock market value would have to reach $7.5 trillion for him to receive the full award.

He would get even more stock awards if SpaceX manages to get giant data centers the size of football fields in space.

The document shows Musk will be able to exert big control over the business.

It says he and certain other shareholders will receive shares in a special class of stock that gives them 10 votes for each share they hold. Those shareholders will be able, among other things, to elect a majority of the company’s board of directors.

“This will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters and the election of our directors,” SpaceX said in a warning to prospective investors.

SpaceX will be able to pitch the offering to investors — in what’s known in Wall Street parlance as a “road show” — 15 days after making its prospectus public. In this case, that works out to June 4.

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Associated Press writer Alex Veiga in Los Angeles contributed.

Weapons are now regularly brandished in Tehran, an increasing show of defiance as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens he could restart the war with Iran should negotiations break down and the Islamic Republic refuses to release its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

The weapons displays reflect the genuine threat Iran faces: Trump has suggested American forces could seize Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium by force and previously said that he sent arms to Kurdish fighters to pass onto anti-government protesters.

But they also offer reassurance and motivation to hard-liners and provide rare entertainment at a time of great uncertainty, when Iranians are facing mass layoffs, business closures and spiraling prices for food, medicine and other goods. Suggesting more hard-liners will be armed could also help suppress any new demonstrations against Iran's theocracy, which violently put down nationwide protests in January in a crackdown that activists say killed over 7,000 people and saw tens of thousands detained.

“This is necessary for all our people to get trained because we are in a war situation these days," said Ali Mofidi, a 47-year-old Tehran resident at a weapons training Tuesday night. "If necessary, everyone should be available and know how to use a gun.”

Iran has repeatedly sought to project strength during the war

For months, state television and government-sponsored text messages have bombarded the public with calls to join the “Janfada,” or the “ones who sacrifice their lives.” At one point, hard-liners encouraged families with boys as young as 12 to send them to the Revolutionary Guard to work checkpoints — which Amnesty International denounced as a war crime.

Government officials say more than 30 million people in Iran — home to a population of some 90 million — have volunteered via an online form or at public gatherings to lay down their lives for Iran's theocracy. There is no way to confirm that figure and there's been no sign of a mass mobilization yet, like the one that Ukraine underwent in the days before Russia’s full-scale 2022 invasion, in which officials handed out rifles and people banded together to make gasoline bombs.

But there have been several public announcements and presenters have appeared armed during live programs on state TV, as part of efforts to feed the fervor.

“Looking back at the moment I registered my name, I realize I wasn’t truly contemplating the dangers of fighting on the front lines. In that moment, like everyone else, my thoughts were solely on Iran,” wrote journalist Soheila Zarfam in a column for the state-owned Tehran Times newspaper. “My life might end, but Iran would endure, and that was all that truly mattered.”

Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi has criticized the public weapons demonstrations, particularly footage of young boys handling assault rifles, saying: “Scenes like these are reminiscent of child hostage-taking and arming by groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria, and militias in Sudan and Congo.”

Weapons training, once unusual, becomes a norm

A recent government-organized demonstration by nomads in Iran saw them carrying everything from bolt-action Lee–Enfield rifles of the British Empire to a blunderbuss, a predecessor of the shotgun more familiar to the age of pirates on the high seas.

But during weeks of an unsteady ceasefire, most of the weapon demonstrations appear focused on Tehran, not the rural areas where there is a tradition of keeping rifles and shotguns at home.

At a demonstration Tuesday night in Tehran, male and female participants divided into separate classes. Hadi Khoosheh, a member of the Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force and trainer, demonstrated how to handle a folding-stock Kalashnikov-style assault rifle.

“At the end of the training those who completed the course will receive a card titled 'Janfada,' proving they have received basic and preliminary training for this type of gun and they are able to use it if, God forbid, something happens to our country," Khoosheh said.

However, the weapons training was rudimentary at best for the young boys and older men gathered. One struggled to insert the rifle's magazine and inadvertently pointed the barrel of the unloaded weapon at others — a major safety breach that people are taught to avoid in basic firearms training.

“Definitely we will stand against (the Americans) and won’t give up even an inch of our soil," said Mofidi, the man at the training. "No matter if they come from the sea or land, we will stand by our flag.”

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Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi and Mehdi Fattahi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.

If you’ve been paying attention, our forecast is good for storms occurring and rain totals. But this isn’t a forecast that’s good with timing. With that said, here’s my thoughts for Thursday. There should be storms tomorrow morning. The question is how early they arrive? The range is starting between 6am and 10am. The concern with tomorrow is how these storms have been slowing down and not moving out of our area quickly. There is a flood watch that starts Thursday morning lasting through Memorial Day. This pattern is with us through at least Tuesday of next week.

Thursday Morning:

After a good soaking with rain totals ranging between 2″- 6″ late Tuesday to Wednesday. our next round arrives Thursday morning.

Friday and beyond: Flood risks and daily breakdown:

With the ground already saturated in our southwestern cities, street, stream and river flooding is possible with another round of heavy rain. Placement is key, and so far the Houston area’s rain totals have been manageable. But if too much rain falls in a short amount of time, we could get street flooding in the Houston area. Here’s how the next several days look.

• Thursday: Next organized rain arrives late morning to midday, raising the risk of localized flooding.
• Friday: Storms expected again in the morning but may be more scattered.
• Saturday and Sunday: More waves of heavy rainfall could develop, keeping the flood risk in play.
• Memorial Day: Flood watch remains, with another chance for storms and heavier rainfall.

Additional rainfall totals are forecast to reach 4 to 5 inches for many areas along the upper Texas coast through Monday. Temperatures are expected to stay mostly in the low to mid-80s. It won’t rain all day long so don’t cancel any plans but be ready to adjust those plans.

Memorial Day Weekend:

The number one question I’ve received about this upcoming weekend is timing of the rain. Unfortunately, the weather pattern we have isn’t giving us this luxury. We aren’t able to see these small disturbances until 12 to 24 hours before the rain starts. Stay tuned, we’ll continue to update our forecast and tell you as soon as we see what’s coming next.

7-Day Forecast:

This active pattern should stay with us through at least Tuesday. The hope is next week we head into a hit and miss afternoon storm pattern and not the widespread daily flood threat. We’ll keep you posted.

Have you captured a dramatic rain photo or video? Share your weather moments with the KPRC 2 community through Click2Pins at Click2Houston.com/pins.

Long the scene of attacks by an array of armed groups, the region's volatility now further complicates efforts to handle the crisis. Local leaders said an attack by militants linked to the Islamic State group killed at least 17 people on Tuesday night in Alima village in Ituri, a province that has become the hot spot of the outbreak.

The World Health Organization, which noted a low risk globally, has said “patient zero” has not been found.

“It’s truly sad and painful because we’ve already been through a security crisis, and now Ebola is here too,” said Justin Ndasi, a Bunia resident,

Tons of health supplies have been airlifted to Bunia, where the first known death was announced last week, but residents said masks are harder to find and some disinfectants that previously sold for 2,500 Congolese francs (about $1) now cost four times more.

A mother watches her son 'bleeding and vomiting’

At a treatment center in Rwampara, families cried and watched as healthcare workers in protective gear silently disinfected the bodies of their loved ones — suspected Ebola victims — and placed them into coffins for secure burial sites.

The disease struck suddenly, they said, describing a rapid deterioration after symptoms were mistaken for illnesses such as malaria.

“He told me his heart was hurting,” said Botwine Swanze, who lost her son. “Then he started crying because of the pain. ... Then he started bleeding and vomiting a lot.”

The Ebola virus is highly contagious and spreads in the human population through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding.

WHO chief says the 'scale of the epidemic is much larger’

WHO has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, worried over its “scale and speed.” The WHO chief in Congo says it could last at least two months.

The rare type of Ebola, known as the Bundibugyo virus, spread undetected for weeks following the first known death while authorities tested for another, more common Ebola virus and came up negative.

Investigations continued into where and when the outbreak started, but “given the scale, we are thinking that it has started probably a couple of months ago,” said Anaïs Legand, with WHO's emergencies program.

So far, 51 cases have been confirmed in Congo’s northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, and two cases in Uganda, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday. There are 139 suspected deaths and almost 600 suspected cases.

But “the scale of the epidemic is much larger,” he said.

The London-based MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis estimated that cases have been substantially undercounted and that the actual number could already exceed 1,000. “The true magnitude remains uncertain,” it said.

This is Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak, and the WHO has said the country's health ministry has experienced staff and capacity to respond. Most outbreaks, however, were of the more common Ebola type.

Any potential vaccine is months away

Dr. Vasee Moorthy, a special adviser at WHO, said a vaccine to address Bundibugyo would not be available for at least six to nine months.

Eastern Congo already faced “immense pressure from conflict, displacement and a collapsing health system,” said Dr. Lievin Bangali, senior health coordinator for the International Rescue Committee in Congo, adding that years of underfunding have weakened the response.

The outbreak highlights the effects of the Trump administration’s deep cuts in foreign aid. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the administration set a priority on funding 50 emergency clinics in affected areas. The U.S. pledged to contribute $23 million.

Anxiety grows with little protection in affected places

In Bunia, schools and churches remain open while some residents wear masks. Elsewhere in Ituri province, suspected Ebola patients share a ward with others injured or ill at Bambu General Hospital.

A Doctors Without Borders team identified suspected cases over the weekend at Bunia's Salama hospital but found no available isolation ward in the area, said Trish Newport, an emergency program manager.

“Every health facility they called said, ‘We’re full of suspect cases. We don’t have any space.’ This gives you a vision of how crazy it is right now,” she said on social media.

In Mongbwalu, where the body of the first known death was taken, the nearby border with Uganda remains open and gold mining continues, said Chérubin Kuku Ndilawa, a civil society leader.

“There’s no panic. People continue with their normal lives, but they’re also starting to spread the word,” said Ndilawa, and noted a lack of public handwashing stations.

There were around 30 Ebola patients at Mongbwalu General Hospital, where a student from the local medical technology institute died on Wednesday, Dr. Didier Pay said.

“The patients are scattered here and there,” said Dr. Richard Lokudu, the hospital’s medical director. “We hope for the proper triage and isolation facilities to be installed today, and if that doesn’t happen, we will be completely overwhelmed.”

They are understaffed and not trained to handle suspected cases, Lokudu said, and added that if confirmed cases surge, “we have no protection.”

In the Ebola-affected city of Goma, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels are in control, the “situation is complicated,” said Dr. Anne Ancia, WHO's representative in Congo.

An American with Ebola is in isolation in Germany

A U.S. national who tested positive in Congo arrived in Berlin on Wednesday and was in a special isolation ward where a “comprehensive examination” was underway, German Health Ministry spokesperson Martin Elsässer said.

Elsässer declined to comment on the condition of the patient, who has not been identified by German or U.S. authorities. The ministry later said, without elaborating, that it would take in the patient's wife and three children at the request of U.S. authorities.

A top health official in the Czech Republic said they are receiving an American doctor who was treating Ebola patients in Uganda and who is without symptoms. It was not clear whether any were infected.

Dr. Satish Pillai, incident manager for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Ebola response, told reporters Wednesday that the Americans were being transported in coordination with the U.S. State Department and other agencies. One patient, who is in stable condition, is now being treated in Germany, Pillai said.

Asked whether the White House played a role in the decision to move the Americans to Europe, Pillai said the decision was based on conditions on the ground and the need to mobilize rapidly.

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Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Jean Yves Kamale in Kinshasa, Congo; Wilson McMakin in Dakar, Senegal; Devi Shastri in Milwaukee; Karel Janicek in Prague and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

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For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

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The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The 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.

Although the Israeli company had been producing large set pieces and other designs for the likes of Disney, DreamWorks and Netflix, the opportunity to instead quickly churn out large drone parts for the military was too good to ignore.

“I stopped thinking about Hollywood sets,” Azarzar said. “The entertainment industry is a nice customer — defense is a necessity."

Business has been booming for the Israeli arms sector, despite widespread criticism of the country’s conduct in its wars in Gaza, with Hezbollah and with Iran. Countries that have vowed to shun Israeli weapons makers are nonetheless quietly placing orders, according to industry officials. And manufacturers, including some like Massivit with no previous military know-how, can show that their innovations are being continually combat-tested and improved.

According to Israel’s Defense Ministry, Israeli weapons sales have more than doubled over the past five years, with a record high of nearly $15 billion in 2024. While the ministry hasn’t released overall 2025 figures, leading Israeli weapons makers, including Elbit and Israel Aerospace Industries, both reported double-digit sales growth last year.

More than half of the Israeli arms industry's sales are for missiles, rockets and air-defense systems. For the first time, Israel has surpassed the United Kingdom in its share of global arms exports, making it the world’s seventh-biggest supplier, according to a March report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

“This tremendous achievement is a direct result of the successes of the (army) and defense industries. ... The world sees Israeli strength and seeks to be a partner in it,” said Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz.

Solid sales, despite public criticism

This year's Defense Tech Expo in Tel Aviv reflected the growing international interest in Israeli weapons, with manufacturers promoting arms and other equipment shaped by the country’s recent conflicts. But it also highlighted the tension between showcasing the military technology and the political debate surrounding its use, with event protesters decrying the widespread destruction of Gaza as a testing lab for Israeli weapons.

Last year, Spain canceled a deal for anti-tank missile systems sold by an Israeli company’s subsidiary. Slovenia, meanwhile, announced it would ban the import, export and transit of all weapons to and from Israel in response to the country’s actions in Gaza. After Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 others hostage, Israel retaliated, killing more than 72,700 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between fighters and civilians. Some countries and human rights groups have accused Israel of war crimes.

Israel’s Defense Ministry says it uses its equipment to defend the country and its people, and denies that it uses battlefields as testing grounds.

Human rights advocates, though, say Israel has deployed new weapons and technology during the war in Gaza, including in AI, big data and targeting.

“The regional war has drawn heavily on Israel’s deadly playbook and provided a boon to Israeli and other defense and technology companies able to parlay the use of their products in Gaza to attract more business,” said Omar Shakir, the executive director of DAWN, a U.S.-based group founded by murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi that pushes for human rights in the Middle East.

Despite criticism that Israel's weapons sector is profiting off technologies being used and improved on the battlefield, it's hardly alone, according to experts.

“Countries have had to dramatically increase defenses because of the proliferation of global conflicts and they need systems that will work. And most countries don’t have the time right now to build their own defense systems locally and quickly,” said Seth J. Frantzman, an adjunct fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who has covered Israel’s arms industry for a decade and wrote the book “Drone Wars.”

A lot of countries are looking to Israel because they’re seeing in real time that these are munitions and systems that work, he said.

High interest in Israeli technology

For Massivit, sales have soared since it pivoted to making drone parts for the military, including a 200% rise in inquiries from interested buyers since Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran at the end of February, according to Azarzar.

The company’s unique 3D printing technology allows it to make large parts for military drones within days instead of weeks. In addition to selling to the Israeli military, the company's technology has drawn interest from the defense and aeronautical sectors in Europe, the U.S., Southeast Asia and India, he said.

Business has also been good for other defense contractors.

Tomer Malchi, co-founder and CEO of ASIO, said Israeli army orders for the company's rugged smartphone unit, the Orion, have surged by 400% since the war in Gaza started.

The phones use maps, augmentation and artificial intelligence to help soldiers plan missions, navigate and respond to real-time battlefield threats. ASIO recently signed a deal with a major U.S. defense company and is in talks with about 20 other countries, Malchi said.

One area Israel’s Defense Ministry says will be a future priority for innovation is taking down drones, which has proven challenging during the war with Iran. Drones are hard to pinpoint on radar systems calibrated for spotting high-speed missiles and can be mistaken for birds or planes.

Israel Weapon Industries, a local weapons maker, has developed a system to help soldiers more accurately shoot down tactical drones. At a shooting range in central Israel, an IWI instructor fired rounds at a makeshift drone to show how the system works. A computer chip embeds into a soldier’s rifle, providing more accuracy and efficiency and significantly reducing the influence of fatigue and other factors by allowing the trigger to remain pressed.

The system, known as Arbel, came to market in 2024 and now has more than two dozen countries using it, said Semion Dukhan, head of Europe for IWI.

Among IWI’s buyers are countries that have said publicly that they won’t do deals with Israel, Dukhan said, though he wouldn’t name them.

“People and politicians say things they need to say ... what they say is not necessarily what is going on underneath the surface,” he said, noting that at the end of the day, countries want to equip their people with the best gear.

Giovanni Galizia has been the cover shot for the so-called sexy priest calendar for many of the last 23 editions. In the same photo used year after year, Galizia wears a clerical collar and flashes an enigmatic smile worthy of the Mona Lisa against the granite wall of a church in his native Palermo.

“It was the smile of an embarrassed kid, because I saw all my friends in front of me laughing out loud because I was dressed like I was a priest,” Galizia told The Associated Press during an interview Wednesday in his Verona living room.

For Galizia, the shoot was a lark that left no mark on his life, until a story in the Rome daily La Repubblica this week revealed that the “sexy priest calendar” could be more accurately called “the fake priest calendar,” drawing nationwide attention.

The calendar is not affiliated with the Vatican, which declined to comment.

A popular souvenir with 12 black-and-white portraits

Now a 39-year-old flight attendant for a Spanish airline, Galizia was just 17 years old when mutual friends put him in touch with photographer Piero Pazzi, who has also created a calendar featuring Venetian gondoliers and has founded museums in Budapest and Montenegro on the history of cats.

Officially named Calendario Romano, each edition features 12 black-and-white portraits of men mostly in clerical attire — many of which are recycled year after year. Galizia only knew one of the other subjects, a French man who also was not a priest.

Pazzi told the AP that at least one-third of those pictured in the already released 2027 calendar are actually priests but provided no details.

Galizia said he has never been stopped on the street, though his cousins once gave the calendar to their grandmother as a gift, “and they all died laughing.”

The calendar was intended as art, not deception

Galizia sees the photographs depicting priests as part of an artistic tradition, noting that no one watching a TV drama involving priests believes they are actually played by clergy.

“Of course, it winks a bit at the dynamic between the sacred and the profane, because it is clear that seeing a world that is distant and in some ways so lofty as the ecclesiastical world, with such a fresh-faced young man, creates a kind of dissonance,” he said.

But he also said he doesn't understand why the black-and-white close-ups have been interpreted as sexy. Pazzi also said that was not the point.

“There’s a tendency to confuse what is beautiful with what is sensual, because nowadays, especially in today’s world, which is quite sexualized, beauty is expressed only through sensuality,” Galizia said.

“That said, I appreciate the observation and take it as a compliment — because managing to be sexy in a priest’s collar is no small feat.”

It has the blessing of at least one real priest

Pazzi won’t say how many of the Roman calendars have been sold — but estimates several thousand a year. While Pazzi says he receives royalties, Galizia, who signed a release form when the photo was taken, said he has never sought payment.

The calendar sells for around 8 euros (around $9.30) in shops that surround the Vatican and crowd Rome’s historic center. One shop clerk, Hassam Mohammad, said he sells a handful of them every day.

Pazzi includes a page of information about the Vatican in the calendar, but its production is independent and unrelated to the Holy See.

A priest from South Korea walking near the Vatican this week said that the calendar is well known in his home country, especially among young people who view the calendar with humor.

“They often think priests are stiff and distant,” said the priest, who identified himself informally as Father Domenico. “But looking at this calendar, they think priests are more familiar, and priests can be funny. I think in Korea this calendar is very famous, and it is OK.”

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Barry reported from Verona, Italy. Giada Zampano in Rome and Nicole Winfield in Vatican City contributed.

The indictment accuses Castro of ordering the shootdown of two small planes operated by the exile group Brothers to the Rescue. Castro, who turns 95 next month, was Cuba's defense minister at the time. The charges, which were secretly filed by a grand jury in April, included murder and destruction of an airplane. Five Cuban military pilots were also charged.

“For nearly 30 years, the families of four murdered Americans have waited for justice,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in Miami at a ceremony coinciding with Cuban independence day to honor those killed. “They were unarmed civilians and were flying humanitarian missions for the rescue and protection of people fleeing oppression across the Florida straits.”

Asked to what lengths American authorities would go to bring Castro to face charges in the U.S., Blanche said: “There was a warrant issued for his arrest. So we expect that he will show up here, by his own will or by another way.”

Asked what will happen next for Cuba, President Donald Trump said, “We’re going to see.” He added that the U.S. is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to a “failing nation.”

The charges pose a real threat, observers said, following the capture by U.S. forces in January of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to face drug charges in New York.

“He’s going to have to keep his head pretty low from now on,” said Peter Kornbluh, a specialist on the U.S.-Cuba relationship at the National Security Archive at George Washington University.

Cuban president condemns indictment

While it remains unclear whether Castro will ever step foot in a U.S. courtroom, the murder and conspiracy charges carry the potential for life in prison or the death penalty upon conviction.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the indictment as a political stunt that sought only to “justify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba.” In a message on social media, he accused the U.S. of lying and manipulating events surrounding the shootdown, including ignoring repeated warnings by Cuban officials at the time that they would defend against “dangerous violations” of their airspace “by notorious terrorists.”

Among those attending Wednesday's ceremony in downtown Miami was Marlene Alejandre-Triana, whose father, Armando Alejandre Jr, was killed while she was away for her first year of college.

Over the years, she spoke to multiple federal investigators about charging Castro, referring to him as “one of the main architects of the crime.” But none until now had the courage to seek justice for her family and the other victims.

“It has been long overdue,” she said standing before a giant photo of her father.

Trump has threatened military action for months

Trump has been threatening military action in Cuba ever since U.S. forces captured Maduro, the Cuban government’s longtime patron. After ousting the Venezuelan leader, the White House ordered a blockade that choked off fuel shipments to Cuba, leading to severe blackouts, food shortages and an economic collapse across the island.

Since Maduro's capture, Trump has ratcheted up talk of regime change in Cuba after pledging earlier this year to conduct a “friendly takeover” of the country if its leadership did not open its economy to American investment and kick out U.S. adversaries.

Trump’s first administration indicted Maduro on drug-trafficking charges and used that to justify removing him from power and whisking him to New York to face trial.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday urged the Cuban people to demand a free-market economy with new leadership that he said will chart a new course in relations with the U.S.

“In the U.S., we are ready to open a new chapter in the relationship between our people,” Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, said in a Spanish-language video message. “Currently, the only thing standing in the way of a better future are those who control your country.”

Raúl Castro believed to wield power behind the scenes

Castro took over as president from his ailing older brother Fidel Castro in 2006 before handing power to a trusted loyalist, Díaz-Canel, in 2018.

While he retired in 2021 as head of the Cuban Communist Party, he is widely believed to wield power behind the scenes, underscored by the prominence of his grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, who previously met secretly with Rubio.

Last week, CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Havana for meetings with Cuban officials, including Castro’s grandson. Two other senior State Department officials met with the grandson in April.

The investigation into Castro stretches back to the 1990s

In 1995, planes flown by members of Brothers to the Rescue buzzed over Havana dropping leaflets urging Cubans to rise up against the Castro government.

After Cuban protests, the Federal Aviation Administration also opened an investigation and met with the group’s leaders to urge them to ground the flights, according to declassified government records obtained by the National Security Archive.

But those calls went unheeded and on Feb. 24, 1996, missiles fired by Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets downed two unarmed civilian Cessna planes a short distance north of Havana just beyond Cuba’s airspace. All four men aboard were killed. A third plane, carrying the group's leader, narrowly escaped.

Raúl Castro faced earlier indictment

Guy Lewis, who was a federal prosecutor in Miami in the 1990s, first uncovered evidence linking senior Cuban military officials to cocaine trafficking by Colombia’s Medellin cartel. Following the shootdown, the investigation expanded, and prosecutors pursued charges against Raúl Castro for leading a vast racketeering conspiracy by Cuba’s armed forces.

In the end, only the head of the Cuban air force and two of the MiG pilots involved in the downing of the planes were indicted but have never been apprehended.

A fourth individual was convicted of leading a Miami-based spy ring called Operation Scorpion that collected intelligence about the flights. He was later swapped for a U.S. intelligence asset imprisoned in Cuba as part of President Barack Obama's outreach to Cuba.

The shootdown led the U.S. to harden its position against Cuba, even though the Cold War had ended and the Castros’ support for revolution across Latin America was a fading memory.

But Castro himself was spared as the Clinton administration raised concerns about such a high-profile indictment.

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Durkin Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters David Fischer in Miami; Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Meg Kinnard in Houston; Will Weissert in Washington; Michael Weissenstein in New York; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.

The officers' attorneys filed the federal lawsuit a day after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the fund's creation during a congressional hearing. Blanche, a personal attorney for Trump before joining the Justice Department, wouldn't rule out the possibility that rioters who assaulted police on Jan. 6 would be eligible for fund payouts.

The lawsuit claims the government's “Anti-Weaponization Fund" is an illegal slush fund that Trump will use to “finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name.” It describes the fund's creation as "the most brazen act of presidential corruption this century" and calls for dissolving it.

“No statute authorizes its creation, the settlement on which it is premised is a corrupt sham, and its design violates the Constitution and federal law,” the suit says.

The fund stems from a settlement of Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns. It’s designed to compensate those who believe they were mistreated by prior administrations’ Justice Department. Decisions on payouts will be made by a five-member commission appointed by the attorney general.

More than 100 police officers were injured during the Capitol riot. Nearly 1,600 people were charged with Jan. 6-related crimes, but Trump used his pardon powers to erase all of those cases in a sweeping act of clemency last year.

The plaintiffs suing Trump over the fund are Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges and former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who is running in Maryland for a seat in Congress. Hodges and Dunn both testified before Congress about their harrowing experiences on Jan. 6. Videos captured a rioter ripping a mask off Hodges as he was pinned against a door during a fight for control of a tunnel entrance.

The officers claim the fund “encourages those who enacted violence in the President’s name to continue to do so.”

“Dunn and Hodges already face credible threats of death and violence on regular basis; the Fund substantially increases the danger,” the suit alleges.

A commission, whose members will be chosen by Blanche but have not yet been announced, will be charged with deciding who gets paid and how much.

Blanche said in a CNN interview on Wednesday that the board will have to consider the person's actions, among other factors, when deciding whether to give them money. But the attorney general added: “Whether the commissioners will give that person money — that claimant — it’s up to them.”

Blanche said “it’s abhorrent” to harm law enforcement, but added that “people that hurt police get money all the time” from suing the government. He dismissed backlash to the fund as “fake outrage.”

Blanche and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also are named as defendants in the officers’ lawsuit. Spokespeople for the Justice and Treasury departments didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the suit.

One of the attorneys for the officers is Brendan Ballou, a former Justice Department prosecutor who handled Jan. 6 cases.

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Associated Press reporter Jonathan Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this report.

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This story has been corrected to reflect that nearly 1,600 people, not over 1,600, were charged with Jan. 6-related crimes.

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Make this summer the one your backyard truly earns.

Pressured by the White House, Republicans have tried to add the money to a roughly $70 billion bill to restore funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. But the security proposal has met with backlash from some GOP lawmakers who are questioning the cost and the lack of detail from the White House and U.S. Secret Service about how the taxpayer dollars would be used.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said Wednesday that the bill was “back to square one” without the security money because “the votes are not there.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said the effort to add the security package to the bill was a “bad idea” and he does not think there is enough backing to pass it, even if it were reduced.

The text of the bill has not yet been released. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged “ongoing vote issues” as leaders try to measure Republican support, as well as “ongoing parliamentarian issues” as they try to figure out what will be allowed in the bill under the chamber's rules.

The wrangling comes as Democrats have criticized Republicans for trying to fund Trump’s ballroom when voters are concerned about basic affordability issues — and as some GOP lawmakers have grown increasingly frustrated with Trump. Several GOP senators have spoken out against the administration’s $1.776 billion settlement fund designed to compensate Trump’s allies who believe they have been persecuted, and many were upset by the president’s endorsement Tuesday of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the party primary runoff next week against Sen. John Cornyn.

“There’s always a consequence with taking on United States senators,” Thune said Wednesday. The president “obviously has his favorites and people he wants to endorse and that’s his prerogative. But what we have to deal with up here is moving the agenda, and obviously that can become slightly more complicated.”

Republicans could set parameters on Trump's settlement fund

The “anti-weaponization" fund, part of a settlement that resolves Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns, has unexpectedly become one of the main complications in the bill. Democrats said they would force votes to block it or place restrictions on it.

Democrats have an opening because Republicans are trying to pass the immigration enforcement bill through a complicated budget process that requires a long series of amendment votes. Democrats are considering multiple amendments potentially to block that new fund outright or to ban any payments to Trump supporters who harmed law enforcement officers in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Those amendments, along with others, could pass as a growing number of Republicans have voiced reservations about the fund. So Republicans are now discussing their own last-minute add to head that off, potentially placing some parameters on the settlement and who could receive compensation, according to two people with knowledge of the private discussions who requested anonymity to discuss them.

Thune — who said Tuesday that he is “not a big fan” of the settlement and doesn't see a purpose for it —- said Wednesday that any new language potentially putting restrictions on the settlement is “a work in progress."

It's unclear how any Senate Republican changes would be received in the House, even as some Republicans there have also criticized the settlement.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Wednesday that the House will pass the bill “whatever form it takes.”

Tensions rise between Senate and White House

As Republicans challenged the settlement and parts of his agenda, Trump unloaded on the Senate in a social media post.

He urged Republicans to fire the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, who said over the weekend that parts of the $1 billion security proposal cannot remain in the ICE and Border Patrol bill. Trump also renewed his long-standing calls for the Senate to pass the SAVE Act, a Republican bill that would require all voters to prove U.S. citizenship, and to end the Senate filibuster.

Republicans need to “get smart and tough," Trump said, or “you’ll all be looking for a job much sooner than you thought possible!”

While they have been loyal to Trump on most issues, Senate Republicans have resisted his repeated calls — even in his first term — to kill the filibuster, which triggers a 60-vote threshold in the Senate.

Hanging over the growing GOP rift is Trump’s surprise endorsement of Paxton. That intervention has Republican senators privately fuming that it could cost them their majority in November as they view the incumbent, Cornyn, as the better candidate in the November general election.

Secret Service request falters as Republicans want more detail

Under the Secret Service request, about $220 million would pay for security improvements related to the ballroom. The rest would go for a new screening center for visitors, training and other security measures.

Tillis said the bill should not have included the other security improvements “because it’s just giving everybody the ‘billion-dollar ballroom.'"

Several other Republicans in the House and Senate have questioned the request, and senators left a briefing with the director of the Secret Service last week saying they needed a lot more information.

People “can’t afford groceries and gasoline and healthcare, and we’re going to do a billion dollars for a ballroom?” asked Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost reelection in his GOP primary on Saturday after Trump endorsed one of his opponents.

Left in the bill is the money for ICE and Border Patrol, which Democrats have blocked for months in protest of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement crackdown.

Democrats demanded reforms for the agencies, but negotiations with the White House yielded little progress. So Republicans are using the complicated budget maneuver called reconciliation — the same process that allowed them to pass Trump's tax and spending cuts bill last year — to fund the agencies through the end of Trump's term with a simple majority and no Democratic votes.

Still, passage requires signoff from the parliamentarian, and unity from Republicans.

“We're working on it,” Thune said as he left the Capitol on Wednesday evening.

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AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

The reason?

A small landscaping crew hired by the City of Houston cleaned up a neglected home in the community that had been the subject of 16 complaints to the city over the last four years.

ALSO READ: Abandoned Houston eyesore finally getting cleared after 16 complaints since 2022; 2 Helps You getting action from city

Residents said they were tired of no one addressing their requests until 2 Helps You Investigator Mario Diaz showed up and got a commitment from the city that the eyesore would be addressed.

“As soon as I turned the corner, I was like, yes! Chop it all down,” said resident Amber Oliver, who stopped her vehicle to share her enthusiasm.

Residents said news of 2 Helps You getting things done in their neighborhood became the buzz on social media over the last few days. The workers showing up had the community feeling good.

“They’re here making it look all nice,” said Rolando Cano, who lives a few doors down.

When asked how concerned he was about the lot returning to its previous condition, Cano did not hesitate.

“A little concerned. I’m hoping they find a way to either take over the property or find somebody to take care of it,” he said.

2 Helps You took those concerns straight to City Hall on Wednesday afternoon and spoke with Randy Macchi, the man in charge of Houston Public Works. When asked what he had to say to residents who have called and emailed his department with similar situations in other parts of the city, Macchi apologized.

“One thing I say is I’m sorry. It shouldn’t be that way,” said Macchi.

2 Helps You also learned Macchi’s department is planning to add 100 more inspectors — doubling its current size — to help address concerns from residents and speed up a process that usually involves the courts.

Meanwhile, back on Ansbury Drive, residents were not the only ones smiling about the neighborhood makeover. Hector Hernandez, the leader of the landscaping crew, was smiling as well. Hernandez, who said he cleans several lots every month, was proud of the impact he and his team were making.

“We feel very good because we always leave everything very clean,” Hernandez said.

As for tips if you find yourself dealing with a similar situation, contact a member of your HOA board or civic club, as well as the organization’s president. However, don’t stop there. A call to the management team for your community’s HOA can also produce results. From there, contact your city council member as well as city services. Don’t forget to do it with a group of your neighbors because there is strength in numbers.

Lastly, if all else fails, email 2 Helps You’s Mario Diaz at mdiaz@kprc.com.

The system, called WhaleSpotter, scans the bay around the clock for whale blows and heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away, alerting mariners to slow down or reroute when whales are nearby.

“They'll be able to make adjustments way before they get anywhere close,” said Thomas Hall, director of operations for San Francisco Bay Ferry. “It will also allow us to track data over time and see where the whales are camping out so we can adjust our routes during whale season to avoid those areas completely.”

The effort comes amid an alarming rise in gray whale deaths in the bay. Last year, 21 dead gray whales were found in the wider Bay Area — the highest number in 25 years, according to The Marine Mammal Center — with at least 40% killed by ship strikes. At least 10 more have died in the Bay Area so far this year.

Scientists say those figures likely underestimate the true toll as many whale carcasses sink or are swept back out to sea before they are ever found or reported.

Gray whales have long migrated along the California coast on their roughly 12,000-mile (19,300-kilometer) journey between breeding lagoons in Mexico and feeding grounds in the Arctic.

But instead of simply passing offshore, increasing numbers are now diverting into San Francisco Bay and lingering for days or even weeks inside the crowded estuary — a shift scientists increasingly link to climate change. Warming temperatures and shifts in sea ice in the Arctic are disrupting the food web gray whales rely on during summer feeding months, according to a 2023 study in Science, leaving many malnourished during migration.

Many whales now concentrate in a high traffic corridor between Angel Island, Alcatraz and Treasure Island, directly overlapping with ferry routes and shipping lanes.

“It’s the worst place possible in terms of all the ship traffic,” said Rachel Rhodes, a project scientist at the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory who led the initiative. There have been so many collisions that “the teams responding to strandings said they ran out of places to even land dead whales.”

The eastern North Pacific gray whale population was once hailed as a conservation success story after rebounding from commercial whaling and being removed from the Endangered Species Act in 1994. But numbers have since plummeted, decreasing by half over the last 10 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Just 13,000 remain.

“They may not be getting the quality or quantity of food they’re used to in the Arctic,” Rhodes said. “That means they’re starting this incredibly long migration at a disadvantage.”

The thermal camera system provides real time alerts to mariners

Artificial intelligence automatically flags potential whale sightings, which are then verified by trained marine mammal observers before alerts are sent via radio to ferry operators, vessel traffic controllers and posted publicly on the Whale Safe website.

WhaleSpotter systems are already used on vessels and fixed installations such as lighthouses and coastal towers in the United States, Canada and Australia. But researchers say the San Francisco Bay network is the first to directly integrate land-based and vessel-mounted detections with official mariner alerts, allowing whale sightings to be relayed in near-real time to ships navigating the bay.

The first hours of testing produced an immediate flood of detections.

“Suddenly to have a full sense of how much whale activity is in this space honestly put me a little bit on edge,” said Douglas McCauley, director of the Benioff lab. “But we're going to use that data and we're going to be smart about how we use that space and share it with the whales.”

Researchers say the system’s biggest advantage is constant monitoring. Unlike human observers, thermal cameras can operate through the night and in many foggy conditions common in the bay.

One camera was installed on Angel Island and a second will soon be fixed aboard a ferry traveling between downtown San Francisco and Vallejo to create what Rhodes described as a “moving data collection platform.” Scientists hope additional cameras on the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz could eventually expand coverage across the bay.

Warming oceans are also threatening humpbacks

A severe marine heat wave lingering off the California coast is shrinking the band of cold, nutrient-rich water where krill, anchovies and sardines thrive. As offshore waters warm, humpback whales are increasingly following that prey closer to shore, where California’s Dungeness crab fishery operates.

The fishery uses tens of thousands of vertical lines that connect traps on the seafloor to surface buoys, creating entanglement hazards for whales migrating and feeding along the coast.

This spring, regulators again closed parts of the fishery off central California to conventional gear, a measure that has become increasingly common in recent years as warming waters increase whale overlap with crab fishing seasons.

While grey whales are also at risk, humpbacks are most vulnerable.

“Humpbacks are curious and they’ll scratch their backs on the gear,” said Kathi George, director of cetacean conservation biology at The Marine Mammal Center. “If they get a line caught on their body, they’ll breach and they’ll roll and end up entangling themselves.”

Whales can drag heavy gear for months, unable to dive or feed properly, leading to starvation, infection and drowning.

Thirty-six whales were confirmed entangled off the West Coast in 2024 — the highest number since 2018, according to NOAA — though scientists caution most cases go undocumented.

California approved commercial use of ropeless pop-up crab fishing gear for the first time this spring, which will allow fishermen to continue harvesting through the end of the season.

Instead of floating surface buoys tethered to traps, the system stores ropes and buoys on the seafloor until fishermen return and trigger an acoustic release that brings the gear to the surface.

Supporters say the technology allows fishermen to continue harvesting crab while dramatically reducing the risk to whales.

As climate change reshapes ocean conditions and whale migration patterns, scientists expect the overlap between whales, ships and fishing gear to persist.

“We will have to continue to be adaptive and science driven in terms of our management to reduce wildlife risk and keep fishermen on the water,” said Caitlynn Birch, Oceana’s Pacific campaign manager and a marine scientist. “California has been a national leader in developing whale-safe fishing technologies and we hope that model can help guide other fisheries on the West Coast and nationally.”

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Follow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram: @ahammergram.

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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

The “Hustle Tank” competition is part of the G-Unity Business Lab, a partnership between HISD and rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s foundation.

Students from six HISD high schools will step into the “Shark Tank”-style event, hoping their business ideas would win over a panel of judges — all while picking up life skills along the way.

For months, students studied everything from financial literacy to marketing, then built full business concepts with guidance from mentors. Organizers say the experience opened doors many students had never even imagined.

“So many of our students say that they had never thought about how to even open a bank account, let alone how to open a business checking account, and that’s huge,” said Elizabeth Martin, G-Unity executive director.

The G-Unity Business Lab collaboration launched in 2021 with three schools and has since expanded to six. More than 800 students applied this year to be part of the competition.

HISD Director of Special Programs Patrice Allen says the program is about closing a gap that exists in the communities these schools serve.

“There’s an equity gap that exists in the neighborhoods that these campuses are in,” Allen said. “It’s that whole idea that if you give a man to fish, he eats today but if you teach a man to fish, he eats for life.”

Among the competitors was 11th grader Irmani Garcia, whose team — “The Reading Rose” — paired personalized books with custom flower bouquets.

“Certain people like me won’t get this chance ever,” Garcia said. “I have been in some rooms where people say to leave, some rooms where I don’t belong. This is teaching me how to find my spot in the world.”

Tonight’s judging panel includes Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, along with leaders from the Astros Foundation, Metro, CenterPoint, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and more.

Winners will receive seed money and resources to help turn their ideas into real companies. But for organizers, the biggest takeaway extends well beyond the competition floor.

“There’s talent everywhere, talent is universal. We have amazing students here that are going to go far and do amazing things in life.”

The deal with Vox, widely seen as liberal-leaning, represents a major move toward his own media empire for the 53-year-old younger son of Rupert Murdoch, who himself owned New York Magazine from 1976 until 1991. And it comes less than a year after the Murdoch family reached a deal on control of the 95-year-old mogul’s media empire after his death, ensuring no change in direction at Fox News, the most popular network for conservatives, under Rupert's chosen heir, Lachlan Murdoch.

Under the new deal, expected to close within weeks, Lupa Systems, James Murdoch’s media company, acquires the three divisions — about half of Vox Media. Neither Vox Media nor Lupa was disclosing the sum. The New York Times cited people familiar with the matter saying it was more than $300 million. The acquired divisions will operate, according to a statement, as a subsidiary of Lupa — called Vox Media.

Lots included and some excluded

Not included in the deal are the Vox brands Eater, Popsugar, SB Nation, The Dodo, and The Verge. But the deal does include, along with New York magazine, its verticals The Cut, Vulture, Intelligencer, The Strategist, Curbed, and Grub Street.

It also includes the Vox Media Podcast Network. which features wildly popular shows like “Criminal” and “Pivot” with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway. The network “has been the fastest growing business within Vox Media and will immediately put Lupa at the top of the podcast field,” said the Vox statement.

James Murdoch, a former CEO of 21st Century Fox who resigned from the board of News Corporation in 2020 over differences about content and direction, is known to hold less conservative views than his father. In the deal reached last year, James and his two older sisters. Prudence MacLeod and Elisabeth Murdoch, gave up any claims to control of Fox in exchange for stock valued at the time at $3.3 billion.

That deal created a trust establishing control of the Fox Corp. for Lachlan Murdoch, along with his younger sisters, Grace and Chloe.

In his own remarks about the Vox deal, James Murdoch said the acquisition “aligns well with our existing holdings and investments and reflects both our interest in the forward edge of culture and our deep commitment to ambitious journalism and agenda-setting conversations.

It will allow us to apply new tools across the businesses we are building, adding substantial production, distribution, and editorial capability to our group," Murdoch said.

Continuity in leadership expected

Current Vox chairman and CEO Jim Bankoff will lead the new Vox Media, becoming CEO of the new company upon closing.

“We are incredibly proud to have built and scaled several of the leading media properties of this generation,” Bankoff said. “Together under Lupa’s stewardship we are primed to be the best home for talent and the most dynamic media company of this new era.”

David Haskell, New York magazine's editor-in-chief, noted in an email to subscribers that Lupa now becomes the magazine's sixth owner since 1968.

Haskell promised that the magazine would continue with “the fearless, independent journalism that you expect from us."

“We will continue to create news cycles, start conversations, contribute to the most important debates in politics and society, identify and explore what’s most interesting in contemporary culture, and always do our best to challenge our readers, surprise them, and help them make sense of the modern world,” Haskell said.

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Jocelyn Noveck covers the intersection of media and entertainment for The Associated Press.

The Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus in Texas this year was reported in Harris County.

According to DSHS, the resident was diagnosed with West Nile neuroinvasive disease — the most serious form of the virus that can affect the brain and nervous system.

“West Nile and other mosquito-borne illnesses are a fact of life in Texas in the warmer months, and all Texans should take precautions against mosquito bites to stay safe and healthy,” DSHS Commissioner Dr. Jennifer Shuford said in a statement.

Health officials say most people infected with West Nile virus never develop symptoms. However, about 20% can experience what’s known as West Nile fever.

Common West Nile symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Body aches
• Fatigue
• Rash

Less than 1% of infected people develop neuroinvasive disease, which can cause severe neurological complications including:

• Tremors
• Convulsions
• Neck stiffness
• Paralysis
• Disorientation

State health leaders say preventing mosquito bites is the best way to reduce the risk of infection.

Affordable ways to protect yourself and your family

Experts recommend:

• Dumping standing water around your home
• Cleaning clogged gutters
• Emptying buckets, flower pots and kiddie pools
• Keeping pet bowls and bird baths clean
• Wearing long sleeves and pants outdoors
• Using insect repellent with DEET or picaridin
• Repairing window and door screens
• Keeping grass and bushes trimmed

Mosquitoes are especially active during the early morning and evening hours.

According to DSHS, Texas has reported 976 total West Nile cases over the last five years, including 106 deaths linked to the virus.

Officials also warned Texans to continue taking mosquito precautions while traveling internationally, especially to tropical and subtropical regions where illnesses like dengue, chikungunya and Zika are more common.

More information about mosquito-borne illnesses can be found on the Texas Department of State Health Services website.

Now, county leaders are testing new technology designed to warn drivers before they reach high water.

Houston is one of the most flood-prone regions in the country, and officials say flash flooding remains a major safety threat across the area. According to emergency experts, just six inches of moving water can knock a person off their feet, while one foot of water can carry away a vehicle.

To help reduce those risks, Harris County is using a $2 million federal grant to develop a smarter flood warning system.

The proposed system would place sensors on flood-prone roads to monitor water levels in real time. When water reaches dangerous levels, the technology could automatically activate flashing warning signs, flood gates, and digital alerts to keep drivers away from hazardous areas.

• Galveston County installs AI-powered flood sensors in Friendswood, League City

Drivers would also be able to check an online public dashboard showing real-time water depth information at specific roadways before heading out.

County officials say the project will focus first on medium- to high-risk roads, especially in unincorporated areas where flooding conditions can change rapidly.

The effort comes as rescue crews continue responding to drivers trapped in flooded vehicles during major storms. Officials continue to stress the message: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”

Safety reminders during flooding include:

• Keep your phone charged
• Never drive around a barricade
• Never go around a flood gate or warning sign

The project is still in the planning stages, and county leaders have not yet announced specific locations or a timeline for installation. If the pilot works, county leaders want to expand it countywide.

It took the jury less than three hours to convict Jonathan Smith-Byrd, 35, on six counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion as well as three counts of enticing and coercing another to travel in interstate commerce for prostitution following a seven-day trial.

From January 2014 to October 2022,Smith-Byrd used force, fraud and coercion to cause five women to engage in commercial sex. Three of the victims were minors when he trafficked them.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Smith-Byrd posted commercial sex advertisements on Backpage.com and trafficked the victims on the Bissonnet “track” in Houston - an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street. Smith-Byrd also made them engage in sex acts across state lines such as Nevada, Louisiana, Florida, New Mexico and others using force and violence during travel to maintain control.

• RELATED: Houston man arrested after allegedly sex trafficking 3 people, including 2 minors, US Attorney says

One or more of the victims made multiple attempts to escape, but Smith-Byrd responded with threats and severe physical assaults, causing the victims to lose consciousness and sustain serious injuries.

Testimony revealed details of the sex ads as well as Smith-Byrd’s horrible assaults, some by using a padlock put inside a sock and belt that was broken as a result of the beatings. One of the victims suffered sustained multiple fractures to her jaw, requiring reconstructive surgery and resulting in partial facial paralysis. The jury also saw evidence of the injuries to include hospital records, photographs and physical items used to brutalize the victims.

He kept 100% of the proceeds.

Smith-Byrd seemed to acknowledge in his defense that he may have assaulted some of the women, but that it was not trafficking, just domestic violence. He further attempted to convince the jury the women were acting as independent contractors in prostituting themselves and the case was simply a love triangle gone wrong. The jury did not believe his claims and found him guilty as charged.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks presided over the trial and set sentencing for Aug. 3. At that time, Smith-Byrd faces up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

Also making first-team All-Rookie: San Antonio's Dylan Harper and Memphis' Cedric Coward. Harper also appeared on all 100 ballots, with 93 first-team nods and seven second-team votes.

Those five players were also the only ones to get votes in the Rookie of the Year balloting, where Flagg edged Knueppel for top honors.

The All-Rookie second team included New Orleans' Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, Utah's Ace Bailey, Sacramento's Maxime Reynaud and Toronto's Collin Murray-Boyles.

The NBA will announce the All-Defensive team on Friday and the All-NBA team on Sunday, with Coach of the Year set to be announced Tuesday.

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